I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France Chapter 159: After modification - 159 The Pinnacle of the Do

When Jas heard the news of Shire’s victory, he was in the office of the Schneider Armory.

Jas had a habit that was not quite like ordinary people; he liked hearing the sounds of machinery running and tal being struck and colliding. He believed these sounds represented power, strength, and even authority, just like the cannons he produced.

Although his office was spacious, it was plain and simple. Besides the essential items like tables, chairs, lamps, and bookshelves, an open small conference room was set up nearby, with a 75 cannon model on the oval table.

Low-key, plain, lacking in interest, with not many entertainnt and relaxation items.

Jas liked this style because he believed it constantly reminded him to maintain the drive to move forward, which is fundantal for a company to develop healthily in the long run.

At that mont, Jas was sitting at his desk, casually flipping through a few photos in his hand, which were of the "Mark I" tanks produced by Shire.

Jas did not understand how such an ugly monster could pose a threat to "Saint Chammon" and even beco the strongest and only competitor?

Could it achieve victory on the battlefield?

Although Jas always appeared disdainful of it, he still felt a vague unease in his heart.

But that was Shire; he had already created many miracles on the battlefield that others could not achieve!

Just then, Secretary Paulina brought in a telegram, looking slightly flustered behind her glasses. She stepped forward cautiously and said, "Mr. Jas, Shire... has already won."

"What?" Jas looked up at Paulina in shock, took out his pocket watch and glanced at it, still unable to believe it: "But it’s been less than two hours since the battle started!"

"Yes!" Paulina hurriedly replied, "One hour and forty-seven minutes, the news has been confird, the Germans have chosen to surrender, and we have already recaptured Lafox."

Jas frowned deeply, took a cigar from the box, struck a match, and lit it nervously.

He stood by the window, contemplating for a while, then turned his back to Paulina and ordered, "Call Ogen."

"Yes, sir!" Paulina replied.

Ogen was the head of the Schneider design departnt, and the "Saint Chammon" tank was his creation.

Not long after, Ogen appeared in Jas’s office, dressed in work clothes, wearing oil-stained white gloves, with a few smudges on his face.

Jas frowned slightly, "You’ve been tinkering with those machines with the workers again?"

"Sir!" Ogen replied, "Only by doing this can I design better works!"

Jas shook his head lightly, signaled Ogen to sit on the sofa in the conference room, and took the "Mark I" photos, tossing them in front of Ogen: "The answer is no, your work is not good enough!"

Ogen glanced at the photos and imdiately understood the situation.

"No, it’s impossible!" Ogen said while looking at the photos, "Did it defeat ’Saint Chammon’?"

"Without a doubt!" Jas answered bluntly, "We lost completely, Ogen! Shire achieved victory in just one hour and forty-seven minutes, using this kind of tank! And our tanks, we lost forty-three units without advancing even a single step, not even a small one. Most of them could only remain on the road!"

Ogen thought for a while, looking up at Jas: "I need more information, sir! The entire combat process, can you provide this?"

Jas looked at the secretary in the adjacent room, who understood and imdiately brought a file to Ogen: "This is the information we got from the reporters, specific data still needs further confirmation!"

"Thank you, Paulina!" Ogen thanked absentmindedly as he took the file and opened it.

He flipped through it for over ten minutes, while Jas waited patiently without interruptions.

This was Jas’s way of utilizing talent; if he believed soone was useful, he would give them enough freedom and respect, thinking this sotis mattered more than high salaries.

The hardest to please in this world were the talents. He once considered taking Shire under his wing, but Jas believed Shire was not the kind of "talent" willing to be subordinate to others.

Shire’s talent was for his own use; he was a natural rival.

Ogen took a long breath, closed the file, and stared blankly into the space in front of him, seemingly digesting the contents of the file.

"How is it?" Jas asked, "Have you thought of sothing?"

"He is soone who can design and also fight, sir!" Ogen’s face showed so oddity, "He understands the battlefield, knows what the battlefield needs, and then designs his tank based on battlefield requirents. That tank seems to be custom-made for his tactics. This Shire... is a genius in both aspects!"

Jas nodded thoughtfully, "The reason we lost is that we don’t know how to fight!"

"You could say so." Ogen admitted frankly, "Our understanding of the equipnt mostly stays within the workshops and design diagrams, but they are ant for the battlefield. This leads to a serious disconnection between design and reality!"

Ogen raised the "Mark I" photo: "And Shire’s tank is born for the battlefield. It achieves a perfect balance. Though it has no cannon, it brings out the maximum combat power!"

"Is it possible for us to defeat him?" Jas asked, "Should we get so soldiers? Or send you to the army to experience it?"

The last sentence was a tease, but Ogen took it seriously: "If needed, it can indeed be done. How can you design sothing for the battlefield without seeing the battlefield?"

Jas spread his hands; he had forgotten Ogen’s character. He always sought to personally experience design, regardless of the cost.

"Perhaps we don’t need to do that!" Paulina poked her head out of her secretary’s room: "We... can try a simpler thod!"

"What thod?" Jas asked curiously.

Paulina stepped forward in her high heels and pointed at the "Mark I" photo: "I’m not sure if this thod will work, but... if Shire’s tank is designed based on the battlefield, has he already told us what the design ideas and directions of a battlefield tank should be? We can’t copy it, but we can improve it along its lines!"

After pausing, Paulina opened the file and pointed to the data: "For example, we should replace the electric transmission engine. It’s 5 tons heavier than the traditional engine, yet its function is quite limited! Also, the armor thickness issue, the thicker side armor of ’Saint Chammon’ might be a wrong direction..."

Jas and Ogen exchanged a glance, seeing agreent and surprise in each other’s eyes. Paulina was right; the design idea and direction were already out in the open, not a secret, yet they had not noticed.

This made Jas think of the soon-to-be-closed-down Francis tractor factory and the nearly-out-of-factory "Holt 120" in Britain.

The forr could provide basic technology and workers, while the latter could allow Schneider to further progress and easily surpass Shire’s "Holt 75".

Money was not Jas’s concern; what he needed was to stand at the top of the field, to defeat Shire!