I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France Chapter 449 I Don’t Mind Being a Brabo Once

Antwerp Grand Place, the Scheldt River glittering, boats coming and going on the river, heavy ship horns piercing through the morning mist to reach a few small tables by the riverside.

At one of the tables sat Albert I, Browning, and Bo Yata.

They were waiting for Shire to discuss matters of military cooperation.

The surrounding people had already been cleared away, of course not through violent expulsion, but because Albert I had reserved the nearby seats.

"This is much cheaper than a hotel." Albert I joked self-deprecatingly: "I am a poor man now, only thinking about saving money."

"Your Majesty does this for the sake of the country." Bo Yata complinted: "This is a very good place, with beautiful scenery."

In truth, he wasn’t focused on the scenery at all.

After hesitating for a while, he cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, may I know about the profit distribution in the cooperation with Shire..."

Before coming, Bo Yata had already discussed with Browning. Since Albert I could hold back FN’s firearms production license, the profit distribution was not sothing they could decide.

"I have looked into it." Albert I raised his coffee cup lightly towards the two: "Shire’s cooperation with ’Saint-Étienne’ is fifty-fifty, and if it’s lower than this, I believe Shire would not agree. He would rather let ’Saint-Étienne’ produce this machine gun in Belgium, would you say so?"

Then Albert I added another sentence: "This is advantageous for you, gentlen. If ’Saint-Étienne’ factory moves into Belgium, it wouldn’t just be about light machine guns, rifles, and pistols could also face threats."

Bo Yata and Browning looked at each other.

Although Albert I was speaking the truth, a fifty-fifty profit division...

"Your Majesty," Browning gathered his courage to object: "We need to do a lot, for example, the bullets for the ’Saint-Étienne 2’ machine gun are different from ours, this needs to be improved. Additionally, production lines, workers, and so on. Whereas Shire doesn’t need to do anything but gets the sa profit as us..."

"He has the patent for ’Saint-Étienne 2’." Albert I interrupted Browning, his voice gradually becoming cold.

Then he put down the coffee cup and nodded towards the statue not far away: "Do you know its story?"

Without waiting for their answer, Albert I self-asked and self-answered:

"His na is Brabo."

"Legend has it that a giant charged an exorbitant fee to captains passing through. The young warrior Brabo cut off the giant’s hand and threw it into the Scheldt River."

"Since then, the Scheldt River has been free and unobstructed."

(Above is the Brabo statue in Antwerp Grand Place. Surprisingly, the statue is also difficult to pass review, probably because it’s unclothed. Have to wait until tomorrow to see it.)

Speaking, Albert I leaned back in his chair, a cold light flashing in his eyes:

"Gentlen, my idea is very simple, which is to deliver enough ’Saint-Étienne 2’ machine guns to front-line soldiers in the shortest possible ti."

"If anyone tries to stand in the way and charge a high ’passage fee,’ I don’t mind being Brabo once."

Bo Yata and Browning looked at each other, seeing fear in each other’s eyes.

Bo Yata even withdrew his hand from the table, glancing at Albert I’s sword at his waist, seemingly worried Albert I might suddenly take action.

At this mont, the sound of a car engine approached from afar. Albert I’s gaze shifted, his face instantly filling with smiles: "He has arrived."

When rising to greet, Albert I didn’t forget to ask: "Agreed with my proposal?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

With satisfaction, Albert I nodded: "Good, I believe this conversation will be very pleasant."

Bo Yata’s face was uncertain, sowhat puzzled as to why the always kind and approachable Albert I had beco so "autocratic and domineering."

Browning seed to see through Bo Yata’s thoughts, whispering as he got up: "It’s because of the war, sir, extre asures for victory."

Bo Yata acknowledged with a sound and agreed, it wasn’t too extre, at least he left so room for FN.

...

After Shire took a seat, the first sentence he heard shocked him.

"We hope to cooperate with you, Mr. Shire." Bo Yata’s face was sincere: "If you are willing to authorize us to produce ’Saint-Étienne 2’ machine guns, we are willing to share profits equally."

This was different from Shire’s cooperation with Steed, although the profit split was the sa.

Steed had received Shire’s first-hand design, and the machine gun was nad ’Saint-Étienne 2.’

The Saint-Étienne factory reaped many benefits beyond profits, such as advertisents, innovation, etc., these would make the world trust the Saint-Étienne factory more.

This is often more important for a military-industrial enterprise because it forms the foundation for brand effect, ensuring anything Saint-Étienne produces can sell for a good price.

But FN unexpectedly was willing to split profits equally just to get ’production authorization,’ it seed a bit excessive.

Looking at Albert I beside him, Shire seed to understand, probably it was a result of Albert I’s diation.

Shire smiled slightly, a smart move.

On one hand, it could use Shire as a "catfish" to stimulate Belgian military industry, preventing monopolized enterprises from arbitrarily raising prices during the urgent warti.

On the other hand, it closely bound Shire’s interests to Belgium.

In the future, any loss of Belgium would make Shire suffer significant inco loss.

"’Production authorization’ is not a problem." Shire nodded, glancing at Browning beside Bo Yata, saying: "But you want to change ’Saint-Étienne 2’ to use Mauser rifle’s 7.92MM ammunition, this may have so issues."

Albert I was more nervous than others, hurriedly asking: "What issues?"

"First is the patent." Shire said: "If you modify ’Saint-Étienne 2,’ does the modified patent belong to you or ?"

"This is not a problem." Albert I responded affirmatively: "We can buy the modified patent as well."

Shire hesitated for a while, saying: "How about this, you can own the patents for the modification, otherwise you wouldn’t consider how to modify it, which is not beneficial for the developnt of ’Saint-Étienne 2.’

"That’s excellent." Bo Yata and Browning were delighted.

This ant they could participate in the subsequent developnt of ’Saint-Étienne 2,’ otherwise any modification would require Shire’s consent, and post-approval would still need to pay patent fees.

"However." Shire added: "Similarly, if FN’s firearms were modified by us, we should own the modified patents, don’t you think?"

"Of course!" Bo Yata and Browning nodded repeatedly.

This was fair, this is called cooperation, mutual exchange.

What they didn’t know was, it precisely fell into Shire’s trap.

Shire had his eyes on Browning’s designed shotgun!