Chapter 163 The Top of the Domain

When James heard the news of Charles' victory, he was in the office of Schneider Arsenal.

James has a habit that is different from ordinary people. He likes to hear the sound of machines running and metal knocking and colliding. He thinks this represents strength, power, and even power, just like the artillery he produces.

Although his office is large, it is simple and plain. In addition to the necessary items such as tables, chairs, desk lamps, and bookshelves, there is also an open small conference room next to it. A 75 gun model is placed on the oval table.

Low-key, simple, lacking interest, and not too many entertainment and rest supplies.

James likes this style. He thinks that this can always remind himself to keep moving forward, which is the foundation for a company to develop healthily in the long run.

At that time, James was sitting at his desk with a few photos in his hand, flipping through them casually. They were the "Mark I" tanks produced by Charles.

James didn't understand how this ugly monster could pose a threat to "Saint Chamon" and become the strongest and only competitor?

Can it win on the battlefield?

Although James always showed disdain for it, he still felt uneasy in his heart.

That's Charles, he has created many miracles on the battlefield that others can't achieve!

At this time, Secretary Paulina brought a telegram. Her blue eyes behind her glasses were a little panicked. She stepped forward and said carefully: "Mr. James, Charles... has won."

"What?" James looked up at Paulina in shock. After a while, he took out his pocket watch and took a look. He still couldn't believe it: "But it's less than two hours before the war starts!"

"Yes!" Paulina hurriedly replied: "One hour and forty-seven minutes, the news has been confirmed. The Germans chose to surrender. We have recaptured Lafox."

James frowned, and he anxiously took out a cigar from the cigarette box and lit it with a match.

He stood in front of the window and thought for a while, then turned his back to Paulina and ordered: "Call Eugen."

"Yes, sir!" Paulina replied.

Eugen is the general manager of Schneider's design department. The "Saint-Chamond" tank was created by him.

Soon Eugen appeared in James' office. He was wearing work clothes, white gloves covered with machine oil, and a few stains on his face.

James frowned: "You are fiddling with the machines with the workers again?"

"Sir!" Eugen replied: "Only in this way can I design better works!"

James shook his head slightly, motioned Eugen to sit on the sofa in the conference room, picked up the photo of "Mark I" and walked over to Eugen and threw it in front of him: "The answer is no, your work is not good enough!"

Eugen only glanced at the photo and understood what was going on.

"No, impossible!" Eugen said as he looked at it: "Did it defeat Saint-Chamond?"

"No doubt!" James answered very straightforwardly: "We lost completely, Eugen! Charles won in just one hour and forty-seven minutes, using this kind of tank! And our tanks, which lost forty-three, could not move forward even a small step, and most of them could only stay on the road!"

Eugen thought for a while and looked up at James: "I need more information, sir! The whole combat process, can you provide these?"

James cast his eyes on the secretary in the compartment, and the secretary understood and immediately took a document to Eugen: "This is the information we got from the reporter, and the specific data needs to be further confirmed!"

"Thank you, Paulina!" Eugen thanked absent-mindedly, took the document and opened it.

He looked at it for more than ten minutes, and James waited patiently without disturbing Eugen.

This is James' way of employing people. If James thinks someone is useful, he will give him enough freedom and respect. James thinks this is sometimes more important than a high salary.

The most difficult people to serve in this world are talents. He once wanted to recruit Charles as his subordinate, but James thought that Charles was not the kind of "talent" who was willing to be inferior to others.

Charles's talent was for himself, and he was a natural opponent.

Eugen let out a long sigh, closed the file, and stared at the void in front of him, as if he was digesting the contents of the file.

"How is it?" James asked, "Have you thought of anything?"

"He is a man who can design and fight, sir!" Eugen's face showed some strangeness: "He is familiar with the battlefield and knows what is needed on the battlefield. Then he designs his tank according to the needs of the battlefield. The tank seems to be tailor-made for his tactics. This Charles... is a genius in both aspects!"

James nodded with an "Oh", and he also saw this: "The reason why we lost is that we don't know how to fight!"

"You can say that." Eugen admitted this generously: "Most of our understanding of equipment remains in the workshop and design drawings, but they are things used on the battlefield, which leads to a serious disconnect between design and reality!"

Speaking, Eugen picked up the photo of "Mark I" and raised it: "And Charles' tank is simply born for the battlefield. It has achieved a perfect balance. Although it has no artillery, it exerts the greatest combat effectiveness!"

"Is it possible for us to defeat him?" James asked: "Find a few soldiers? Or send you to the army to experience it?"

The latter sentence was actually a joke, but Eugen took it seriously: "If necessary, you can indeed do this. If you don't look at the battlefield, how can you design something for the battlefield?"

James spread his hands. He forgot that Eugen had this kind of character. He would always experience it personally for the sake of design, no matter the cost.

"Maybe we don't need to do this!" Paulina leaned out from her secretary room: "We... can try a simpler method!"

"What method?" James asked curiously.

Paulina stepped forward on her high-heeled shoes and said to the photo of the "Mark I": "I'm not sure whether this method is feasible, but...if Charles's tank is designed based on the battlefield, has it told us to be used on the battlefield? What design ideas and directions should our tanks have? We can’t copy it, but we can improve it according to its ideas!”

After a pause, Paulina opened the file and pointed to the data above and added: "For example, we should replace the electric transmission engine. It is 5 tons heavier than the traditional engine, but its role is very limited! There is also the thickness of the armor The problem is, maybe the idea of ​​thicker side armor of 'Saint Chamoun' is wrong..."

James and Eugen looked at each other, and they both saw recognition and surprise in each other's eyes. Paulina was right. It was no secret that the design ideas and direction were already obvious, but they did not notice it.

Then James thought of Francis' tractor factory that was about to close down, and the "Holt 120" that was almost out of the factory in the UK.

The former can provide basic technology and workers, and the latter can allow Schneider to go one step further, and then easily catch up with Shire's "Holt 75".

Money is not what James needs to consider, what he needs is to be at the top of the field, and what he needs is to defeat Charles!

Thanks to: Reading and Thinking About Life, Super Legend Brother, Book Friend 2024527205837250, nbkill, Stubbornness on the Small Stage, Where Are You, Book Friend 20220807084628363 for the reward! Thank you so much!