Chapter 172: This is Artillery

Chapter 172: This is Artillery

In a meeting room at the Ritz Hotel in central Paris, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable, thanks to the fireplace, contrasting with the cold, rainy weather outside. Steed arrived half an hour early, waiting in anticipation. It was Halloween, and as he gazed out the window, smoking a cigar, he watched the street below, where jack-o'-lanterns flickered in the night.

An amusing image popped into Steed's mind: Charles leading a group of children, knocking on doors, shouting, "Trick or treat!" What would the residents think if they opened the door to see Charles? Likely, they'd be so surprised they'd forget to hand over any candy!

Just then, Steed noticed a black Ford Model T pulling up to the hotel entrance. He realized it must be Deyoka and Charles. Quickly extinguishing his cigar, he pulled back the curtains to let the fresh air in. This was his first meeting with Charles, and he wanted to make a good impression.

Steed found himself unexpectedly nervous, unsure whether he should remain seated, stand by the door, or even go outside to greet them. Finally, he decided to sit back down, attempting to appear calm, though he still felt awkward and unsure of where to place his hands.

Before long, Charles and Deyoka entered. The butler opened the door, and Deyoka politely greeted the somewhat tense Steed, "Mr. Steed, thank you for waiting."

Steed, relieved, quickly stood up and shook hands with Deyoka. He felt a slight thrill as he shook hands with Charles. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Charles. I've heard so much about you!"

"Likewise, sir," Charles replied calmly, observing Steed with a hint of curiosity. He was puzzled by Steed's nervousness; as the owner of Saint-Étienne, Steed must have attended countless meetings. What made this one different?

After a moment, Steed recovered and led them to their seats in the meeting room, warmly saying, "My apologies for meeting my partner so formally only today. You understand, I had to be careful."

"I understand, Mr. Steed," Charles replied.

With Charles's military ties, meeting a businessman like Steed openly could easily draw accusations of collusion between the military and private interests. This was why Gallieni often met Charles in secret; publicly, it was Saint-Étienne that dealt with the army, even though everyone knew who was really behind the negotiations.

The butler served them coffee, Algerian-style, with its distinct aroma. Charles smiled slightly, realizing Steed had likely confused him with his friend Francis, who preferred this blend.

Steed added two lumps of sugar, stirring as he looked at Charles with a hopeful expression. "Charles, I have a special request. I hope that our partnership could involve more than just grenades."

Charles feigned ignorance, replying, "But I don't have any other projects, sir…"

"I mean for the future!" Steed clarified. "If you come up with anything new, anything like the grenades, I hope you'll consider working only with me. I'd offer you a contract similar to the one for the grenades."

Charles responded calmly, "Such an arrangement couldn't be formalized in a contract. If it's merely a verbal promise, do you think that would have much weight?"

"Of course!" Steed nodded earnestly. A verbal promise from anyone else might mean little to Steed, but Charles was different.

What Steed needed was reassurance from Charles; otherwise, he'd be constantly on edge, fearing Charles might sell his next invention to another partner—a blow that could devastate Saint-Étienne.

Deyoka, understanding Steed's urgency, looked at Charles with a slight plea, as if to say, This is Saint-Étienne—what's there to hesitate about?

But Charles didn't respond immediately. He took a sip of coffee and, unhurriedly, changed the subject. "Mr. Steed, I'm sure you've heard the army plans to procure 105mm artillery from Schneider?"

"Yes," Steed nodded. "The M1913 howitzer."

Schneider had the capability to produce large-caliber artillery. However, the army had been so invested in the successful 75mm cannon that they had discarded nearly all other artillery in favor of it. Schneider had been forced to produce the M1910 howitzer for export to Russia. Eventually, they had upgraded it to the M1913 model, hoping to secure orders from the French army, though only a few units were purchased for testing.

Steed looked at Charles, puzzled. "But we can't stop Schneider. The army needs this artillery, and we…"

He trailed off, embarrassed. Saint-Étienne specialized in light weaponry and couldn't compete with Schneider in heavy artillery production.

"I know we can't change anything," Charles replied. "The army needs a gun with a 12-kilometer range to replace the 75mm cannon's limited reach. They'll buy the M1913 howitzer to counter German artillery."

"But…" Charles continued, "I believe there are other needs on the front line that the army has yet to realize."

"What do you mean?" Steed asked, confused.

Charles looked at Deyoka, who immediately retrieved a file from his briefcase and handed it to Steed.

Under the amber light of the desk lamp, Steed opened the file, and his eyes widened. He glanced up at Charles, then quickly looked back down to review the contents.

"It's about the trenches, sir," Charles explained. "Everyone overlooks the fact that frontline soldiers need a way to toss explosives into enemy trenches, much like grenades."

"But this…" Steed raised his head, baffled. "This is artillery, Charles!"

"Yes, it's artillery," Charles nodded. "But it's artillery meant for soldiers on the front lines. Imagine—when both sides are throwing grenades at each other, what will they do next?"

Steed suddenly understood.

As both sides continued to hurl grenades, they'd naturally want to throw them farther—to reach the enemy without being reached in return. However, human strength has its limits. Eventually, they'd need an artillery piece—a short-range, high-arc weapon capable of launching "grenades" far enough into enemy trenches.

The realization made Steed's eyes light up. Holding the file like a treasure, he laughed with childlike excitement. "Brilliant, Charles! This is exactly what we need. We can finally compete with Schneider in artillery!"

(End of Chapter)

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