When James heard the news of Shire’s victory, he was in the office of the Schneider Armory.
James had a habit that was not quite like ordinary people; he liked hearing the sounds of machinery running and metal 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 entertainment and relaxation items.
James liked this style because he believed it constantly reminded him to maintain the drive to move forward, which is fundamental for a company to develop healthily in the long run.
At that moment, James was sitting at his desk, casually flipping through a few photos in his hand, which were of the "Mark I" tanks produced by Shire.
James did not understand how such an ugly monster could pose a threat to "Saint Chammon" and even become the strongest and only competitor?
Could it achieve victory on the battlefield?
Although James 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. James, Shire... has already won."
"What?" James 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 confirmed, the Germans have chosen to surrender, and we have already recaptured Lafox."
James 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 department, and the "Saint Chammon" tank was his creation.
Not long after, Ogen appeared in James’s office, dressed in work clothes, wearing oil-stained white gloves, with a few smudges on his face.
James 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!"
James 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 immediately understood the situation.
"No, it’s impossible!" Ogen said while looking at the photos, "Did it defeat ’Saint Chammon’?"
"Without a doubt!" James 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 James: "I need more information, sir! The entire combat process, can you provide this?"
James looked at the secretary in the adjacent room, who understood and immediately 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 James waited patiently without interruptions.
This was James’s way of utilizing talent; if he believed someone was useful, he would give them enough freedom and respect, thinking this sometimes mattered more than high salaries.
The hardest to please in this world were the talents. He once considered taking Shire under his wing, but James 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?" James asked, "Have you thought of something?"
"He is someone who can design and also fight, sir!" Ogen’s face showed some oddity, "He understands the battlefield, knows what the battlefield needs, and then designs his tank based on battlefield requirements. That tank seems to be custom-made for his tactics. This Shire... is a genius in both aspects!"
James 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 equipment mostly stays within the workshops and design diagrams, but they are meant 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?" James asked, "Should we get some 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 something for the battlefield without seeing the battlefield?"
James 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 method!"
"What method?" James asked curiously.
Paulina stepped forward in her high heels and pointed at the "Mark I" photo: "I’m not sure if this method 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..."
James and Ogen exchanged a glance, seeing agreement 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 James think of the soon-to-be-closed-down Francis tractor factory and the nearly-out-of-factory "Holt 120" in Britain.
The former 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 James’s concern; what he needed was to stand at the top of the field, to defeat Shire!