I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France Chapter 353: Blow it Up if it’s Not for Sale

Jas had also set up a VIP eting room on the second floor, decorated luxuriously and fully stocked with high-end red wine, cigars, fruit, and snacks.

Dejoka was arranged to wait in the VIP room, looking a bit nervous. He sat on the sofa with his whole body tense and anxiously inspected the surroundings, not daring to touch anything.

As an ordinary civilian, he had once looked up to Jas, considering him an idol. Jas was a figure that Dejoka thought he could never aspire to be, a person from a completely different world.

But now, Dejoka sat in the VIP room, waiting to et Jas face-to-face for business discussions.

Everything felt like a dream; Dejoka sotis couldn’t believe it was real.

In a daze, Dejoka heard footsteps outside the door. He quickly stood up to greet the visitor, adjusting his suit hesitantly. It was a suit he bought specifically for this eting, costing more than fifteen hundred francs.

The sound of the door opening crisply interrupted the silence, and Jas walked in quickly with a smile, extending his hand: "Hello, Mr. Dejoka, I have long heard of your great na and am delighted to see you here!"

"You, you too, Mr. Jas." Dejoka responded nervously, his eyes reflecting a hint of apology: "I hope my visit is not an inconvenience."

"Not at all, of course not." Jas invited Dejoka to sit on the sofa and joked: "You ca at the right ti, I was just thinking about how to end that boring eting."

Saying this, Jas gestured towards the bar on the right, asking: "Coffee? Or perhaps so red wine?"

"Coffee, thank you!"

Paulina quickly brought them coffee and sugar cubes, and the room was imdiately filled with a rich aroma.

Jas lounged on the sofa, took a sip of his coffee, and raised his cup towards Dejoka: "I envy you, Mr. Dejoka, you have a very outstanding son!"

This was the truth. Several of Jas’ sons were either idle rich kids or "factory managers," striving to impress and be the potential heir in front of Jas.

Originally, Jas thought that one or two of them might be considered competent, but compared to Shire, they were like beggars on the street.

"Yes." Dejoka did not disagree, his face showing a proud smile: "He is indeed very outstanding, far beyond my expectations."

Then he rembered his purpose for coming and quickly explained: "I am here this ti regarding your three steel factories in the northeast, Mr. Jas."

"The steel factories in the northeast?" Jas looked at Dejoka with great interest: "But they are under German control."

"I know." Dejoka replied: "I hope to buy them; you na the price..."

Jas smiled and shook his head: "If this is the reason you ca, then I am sorry, but I might disappoint you. They are not for sale!"

Jas knew what Shire was thinking. Now that those steel factories were still in German hands, buying them at a low price and then taking them back when the French Army recaptured the territory, was not that cheap.

Jas wouldn’t lack this bit of money; he would rather let those steel factories rot in his hands!

But Dejoka’s tone was firm: "No, you will sell them. I hope you seriously consider it."

Jas’s face darkened, and a trace of displeasure appeared in his eyes. No one could threaten him, including Shire.

But Jas didn’t say anything, as Dejoka must have a reason for saying this, or more precisely, Shire must have a reason.

What could this reason be?

"No!" After thinking for a while, Jas still shook his head: "You can return this ssage to Shire. I believe he will certainly lead the Allied troops to victory and help recover these steel factories. I have great confidence in him!"

"So do I, Mr. Jas." Dejoka stood up and shook hands with Jas to say goodbye, feeling much more relaxed.

Dejoka realized that Jas was nothing special; he was always one step behind Shire.

If he must idolize soone, it might as well be Shire, even though he was his own son.

Watching Dejoka’s departing back, Jas remained puzzled.

What could Shire do with those factories?

What ans does he have to force himself to sell them?

No, impossible!

Selling the steel factories would an completely losing control over Shire, including the pressure on Wells.

So, under no circumstance will they be sold, unless he goes mad!

However, Schneider still did not consider one possibility.

...

At the Paris City Defense Command, Shire submitted a battle plan to Gallieni.

"What is this?" Gallieni opened it and flipped through it casually.

"A bombing plan for the next month," Shire replied. "We have more than a hundred bombers now, and the number is still increasing. I believe they should not be used just to bomb enemy airfields, as the Germans are already prepared for that."

Gallieni uttered a "hmm": "They have various artillery and machine guns deployed around the airfields and are working to increase their aircraft speed to catch up with our bombers."

"So, I plan to target the steel factories." Shire said righteously.

"Steel factories?" Gallieni was stunned, then nodded slightly: "Makes sense, the steel factories are producing steel for the Germans, which is then turned into the rifles, machine guns, bullets, and tanks that are used against us!"

"Yes." Shire pointed at the docunt with his head: "The beginning contains detailed information about several steel factories. With these, the Germans do not even need to transport supplies from their holand. They have utilized the steel factories and established a few ordnance factories in the northeast, fulfilling most of their needs on the Western Front."

That was true; the information ca from the "Lady in White."

If the French Governnt did not believe it, they could send spies from the "two bureaus" to investigate, and they would find the sa results.

Gallieni looked at the beginning and nodded slightly:

"The plan seems fine, but..."

"The workers in the steel factories are mostly French; how can you avoid their casualties?"

"Moreover, although these steel factories are under German control, they are still the property of capitalists. This could cause so trouble."

Shire had long thought of counterasures. He answered calmly: "We can drop leaflets before the bombing to let the workers hide. That’s all we can do. After all, this is war."

Gallieni sighed lightly but still agreed with Shire’s position.

If they stopped bombing for fear of collateral damage, the Germans would just use a few French people as human shields on the battlefield.

If they had too many concerns and were tied down, they might as well surrender imdiately.

"As for the capitalists," Shire added, "If the lives of French workers can be sacrificed, what does their property matter?"

Gallieni imdiately understood.

If the capitalists dared to resist, they would face the wrath of the French people!