I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France.

Stokes left contentedly, although Charles had set a series of harsh conditions in the cooperation agreement.

For example, it was necessary to set up a factory in Lavaise for transformation, it was necessary to train relevant talents for the tractor factory, and it would be three years before it could cooperate with the UK, etc.

Stokes simply agreed to all of them. He knew in his heart that Charles was guarding against the UK rather than Scott Machinery Company.

More importantly, he knew that Charles was irreplaceable, while machinery companies were replaceable.

If Stokes disagreed with these conditions and chose not to cooperate today, hundreds of machinery companies would immediately line up to cooperate with Charles.

Stokes even thought that it was completely unnecessary for Charles to choose a British machinery company to cooperate with, and a local machinery company would be much safer.

This is true, but not entirely.

Charles had a compensatory mentality: he stole Stokes's mortar invention and gave him a tank gun idea.

But this was only part of it.

"I'm not sure if this is feasible." Deyoka looked at the cooperation agreement with some concern: "Scott Machinery is a British company after all, Charles, once there is a conflict of national interests, no agreement will work."

It is obvious that in the face of national interests, the agreement between companies is a piece of waste paper.

But Charles was not worried.

"French machinery companies may be more unreliable, father." Charles replied: "Because most of them are related to Schneider."

Then Charles added: "If Stokes is smart, he will try to protect our interests instead of Britain's."

Dyoka seemed to understand that Charles would have many inventions in the future, which could "hang" Stokes.

At the same time, Charles' real opponent is Schneider rather than British machinery companies. From a personal point of view, British machinery companies are safer.

However, isn't this putting personal interests above national interests?

Deyoka looked at Charles.

Charles didn't say anything, some things can't be explained.

Although Britain in history was the country that invented the tank, due to its island characteristics, it focused on the navy and air force and did not pay attention to the army, and its tanks have always been on the wrong path.

From the infantry tanks of World War II to the stubborn use of rifled guns after the war, and finally had to change to smoothbore but far behind the times.

For a country with such a development direction that always has problems, Charles is not worried that it will become a competitor in tanks, and can cooperate boldly with confidence.

Deyoka was not thinking about these things. He found a reasonable excuse for Charles from another perspective:

Charles is the most conscientious capitalist, and his interests represent the interests of the country.

Well, that must be the case!

Then Deyoka thought of something. He stood up and walked to the desk, took out a document from the drawer and handed it to Charles:

"Your decisions are all right."

"Our insurance industry has developed very smoothly, whether it is British or French."

"In just a few months, we have acquired hundreds of insurance companies, 48 ​​in the UK and 71 in France."

Charles took the document and saw that it was the data of insurance companies.

He turned to the back and looked at the final data, and was almost scared. Not counting the rapidly growing francs and pounds, the US dollars exchanged alone amounted to more than 120 million.

You must know that Britain only borrowed more than 10 billion US dollars from the United States during the First World War, which had already determined the direction of the war, while Charles alone had more than 100 million US dollars in foreign exchange.

This is the credit of the war, Charles sighed, it can quickly make wealth grow exponentially.

"This is after we provided a large amount of supplies to the front line." Djoka raised his eyebrows: "The 6th Army has more than 200,000 people, and we spent more than 30 million US dollars on it."

Djoka felt sorry for this: "Although I know you saved many people, this money should not be borne by us."

Djoka meant that this could be reported to the parliament and reimbursed by the government. After all, this was the money used to solve the military mutiny.

"It's worth it, father." Charles replied, he didn't intend to do so.

"Okay." Djoka nodded: "What should we do next? Continue to buy supplies?"

Charles flipped through the documents casually and shook his head: "No, I plan to develop military industry in the United States."

"Develop military industry in the United States?" Djoka, who was holding a cup of coffee to his mouth, stopped his hand and looked at Charles in astonishment: "Are you really going to do this?"

Charles nodded gently.

"In which aspect?" Djoka asked again.

"All of them." Charles answered: "Light machine guns, submachine guns, rifles, grenades, helmets."

Deyoka put down the coffee cup and said nervously: "Have you considered whether the United States needs these things? I mean, the United States is a neutral country, and its current national policy is not to participate in wars. I think you must have heard of the "Monroe Doctrine"? "

(Note: The Monroe Doctrine was issued in 1823. The United States stated that it would remain neutral in disputes between European countries or wars between countries and their American colonies. If the relevant wars occurred in America, the United States would regard them as hostile acts)

"Yes, father." Charles closed the file. He found that these data did not mean much. What was important was how to double them.

"Then you should understand that the United States will not participate in the war."

Deyoka thought that Charles' decision was wrong. If the United States did not participate in the war, it meant that they did not need those weapons, so there would be no future in developing military industry in the United States.

"The United States will participate in the war." Charles answered with certainty, and stood up and handed the data back to Deyoka.

In his eyes, the United States is a big piece of fat meat.

No one, including the United States itself, thought that it would join the war, so it was almost unprepared for the war.

This made it extremely short of various weapons and equipment when it joined the war. It wore a "cowboy hat" (also known as a Montana hat or a lemon juicer hat) on its head. There were no tanks or armored vehicles. Machine guns needed to be provided by France, even if they were rotten Chauchat machine guns.

Charles thought, why not intercept in the United States?

Sell equipment to the United States to make money, and then use the American money to buy supplies and ship them to France. Then, you can completely get rid of your dependence on British supplies, including supplies for the "Secretary of the Navy."

"Okay!" Seeing that Charles still insisted, Deyoka felt that he should believe in Charles' judgment. After all, Charles had not missed it so far: "So, who do you think we should send to the United States?"

Charles immediately gave a candidate: "What do you think of Joseph?"

"Joseph?" Deyoka was stunned: "His loyalty is beyond doubt, but he doesn't know much about military affairs."

Joseph is Matthew's father, the most loyal butler of the Bernard family, and has always been the director of the tractor factory.

"He doesn't need to understand military affairs, father." Charles replied: "He only needs to know how to manage and do business."

How many people who run arsenals and sell arms in this era really understand military affairs?

Steed?

Wells?

Or James!