I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France Chapter 36: After modification - 36 Wages and Dignity

Over an hour later, a prototype of the three-wheeled motorbike stood before the three of them.

Although Guillau was slightly exhausted from over an hour of constant work, he was still beaming with excitent and his eyes were shining. He paced around the three-wheeler, occasionally stopping to inspect here and there, as if he were admiring a piece of fine art.

"I think this idea is feasible, Young Master Shire!" Guillau said excitedly. "It could be very useful in the military, and they would be willing to buy it!"

"How can you be sure?" Dejoka asked.

"I’ve been a soldier, Mr. Dejoka!" Guillau, who was bent over inspecting the welding joints on the chassis, straightened up, lifted his work clothes, and revealed a prominent scar on the lower right side of his abdon to the two of them. "This was left by a German bayonet. I fought in the Franco-German War; I know what war needs!"

There was a flicker of anger in Guillau’s eyes as he spoke.

The soldiers who participated in the Franco-German War were also heroes. They fought bravely on the battlefield.

However, because this war ended in defeat and brought sha to France, everyone pinned the bla and anger on them, making them the scapegoats!

It’s not fair!

Shire expressed his understanding: "You can lay down your burden, Uncle Guillau! We won’t lose this war. They will redefine the war you fought and you as well!"

Guillau looked at Shire like he had been pricked by a needle, half-believing and asking, "Will... will they? Will they really?"

"They might not, but we will!" Shire’s words were sowhat difficult to understand, and Guillau did not grasp them fully.

Shire explained with a sowhat immature voice: "If the war is lost, the capitalists will intentionally divert the anger towards you to shift the public’s focus. But if the war is won, they won’t hesitate to praise you while taking all the credit themselves. This way, the public won’t care how much money they’ve raked in!"

Guillau was utterly shocked, especially by the first part of the sentence, "the capitalists will intentionally divert the anger towards you".

Guillau had never considered this issue; he always thought it was rely the public’s misunderstanding of the veterans.

At this mont, being reminded by Shire, he recalled that indeed, the newspapers back then criticized the army’s corruption and incompetence but never ntioned that these flaws were caused by the capitalists!

"Damn capitalists!" Guillau spat through gritted teeth.

Guillau was filled with anger, recalling the decades of humiliation, insults, and accusations that had made him reluctant to step out of the factory and interact with others.

"In my eyes!" Shire continued, "You are certainly heroes. You gave everything for France, and you deserve respect; it’s just that so people don’t understand. If we win this war and you play an important role, their attitude towards you will change!"

Guillau nodded emphatically.

That’s right, if France washes away its previous sha, the army will be accepted by the people once again, and the soldiers will be recognized once more. Those who fought for France and are now contributing will be no different!

"So!" Guillau looked up at Shire, "We must work hard to help France win the victory!"

"That’s what we should do!" Shire agreed.

Silently observing all this, Dejoka secretly praised Shire for knowing how to respect and acknowledge others and bringing them to the sa front.

Under survival conditions, so people would rather gain respect and acknowledgent than higher wages, as dignity cannot be bought with money. This would make the production at the motorcycle factory more stable and reliable!

Shire nodded towards the three-wheeler, asking, "Aren’t you going to give it a try, Uncle Guillau?"

"? ?" Guillau hesitated.

Shouldn’t the first one to test ride it be the person who invented it? Guillau didn’t expect Shire to leave this honor to him!

"I don’t know how to ride!" Shire explained with a smile.

With gratitude in his eyes, Guillau climbed onto the three-wheeler, stepped hard on the kickstart lever, and it started after a couple of kicks. Under his control, the three-wheeler slowly drove into the test ground, starting cautiously, making several turns, gradually gaining speed, and soon racing ahead accompanied by Guillau’s cheers!

"Young Master Shire!" Guillau shouted, "You must co and try it; it’s much more stable than a motorcycle!"

This wasn’t true. In fact, three-wheelers are harder to maneuver than two-wheeled motorcycles. Guillau said this because he made it himself.

"What should it be called?" Dejoka asked.

"Three-wheeler!" Shire replied.

"A fitting na!" Dejoka said.

"Three-wheeler" aptly describes it, with its sidecar and three wheels.

Watching the three-wheeler dragging a trail of smoke, Dejoka worriedly asked, "There’s one problem, Shire! Don’t you worry it might face the sa issues as the tank?"

Dejoka was referring to the risk of industrial patents being imitated and suppressed by French capitalists.

"No, at least not for now!" Shire replied.

"Why?" Dejoka looked at Shire in confusion.

What is the difference between the three-wheeler and the tank in terms of industrial patents?

"For now, France only has this one motorcycle factory, Father!" Shire replied.

France originally had three motorcycle factories, producing Harley motorcycles under U.S. authorization and Douglas and Victory motorcycles under British authorization.

The first two had fallen into the hands of the German Army amid the Germans’ advance... Most of France’s industrial zones are located in the north, rich in mineral resources suitable for industrial production.

Shire acquired the last standing "Victory" motorcycle factory.

Dejoka raised an eyebrow:

"So, you an if they want to imitate or bypass our industrial patents, they will need to have a motorcycle factory first!"

"Yes!" Shire nodded. "They will need to set up a production line, hire skilled workers, and most importantly, ensure their motorcycles are as excellent as the ’Victory brand’!"

The "Victory brand" stands the test of the battlefield, sothing only Shire knows.

The most suitable equipnt for the battlefield doesn’t necessarily need to be advanced, but it must be "reliable and easy to maintain." On the battlefield, if it breaks down and is abandoned, it’s hard to repair and could cost soldiers or ssengers their lives.

The "Victory brand" has these rits, which capitalists cannot easily imitate, unless they directly copy the "Victory brand," which would face lawsuits from British companies.

In short, Shire’s innovation has tied British companies into a chain of interests, discouraging French capitalists from making reckless moves.

Dejoka sighed: "Well thought-out, Shire. Did you foresee all this?"

Shire’s youthful face showed an unusual maturity: "I had to, Father, or we would go bankrupt!"

Dejoka felt a bit ashad, hating his own inadequacy for the first ti, which otherwise wouldn’t have made Shire worry so much.

"This has nothing to do with you, Father!" Shire seed to see through Dejoka’s thoughts, explaining: "I chose to stand against those capitalists. Otherwise, we could have sold our industrial assets to them and made money beyond our dreams!"

Dejoka nodded, knowing Shire spoke the truth.

Soon, Dejoka grew worried again, this indicating Shire’s ambition beyond money, perhaps seeking... power? Breaking their monopoly?

Dejoka looked at Shire, eyes flickering with shock and concern. Going against the core interests of capitalists, they would stop at nothing to deal with Shire!