After breakfast, Shire habitually went to check on the motorcycle factory and then walked over to the tractor factory.
Matthew was conversing with his team of mechanics in front of a tank, a smile on his face as he gestured towards the tank.
Shire was pleased to see that the cheerful and lively Matthew of the past had returned, seemingly having forgotten the loss of his leg.
Upon seeing Shire and Dejoka enter, Matthew smiled and waved at the two, hobbling over to them.
Shire glanced around and noticed Matthew was holding only one crutch. Where was the other one?
"Don’t look for it." Matthew laughed before he even reached them. "I left the other one at home. Two crutches are unnecessary and just a burden while working."
Shire nodded. It seemed Matthew had adapted to and accepted his current situation.
Shire pulled Matthew aside and said seriously, "The task I’m giving you is heavy, Matthew."
"I know." Matthew turned to glance at the mechanics gathered around the tank. "They can be considered part of the army!"
Many of these mechanics would go directly onto the battlefield, following the troops to maintain and repair the tanks, sometimes even replacing parts, without which the tanks wouldn’t go far.
"That’s not what I’m talking about," Shire said calmly. "I heard that Schneider is negotiating with Francis for the purchase of a tractor production line. Also, I know Schneider has a technical team inspecting the Holt Company in Britain. They’re planning to buy the ’Holt 120.’
Matthew’s face instantly became serious. "Schneider?"
"Yes!" Shire nodded. "Not long ago, I defeated Francis’s ’Holt 60’ with the ’Holt 75.’ Imagine what will happen if Schneider acquires the ’Holt 120!’
Matthew acknowledged with a nod.
Schneider was no ordinary opponent. With his substantial funds, if he also acquired the more advanced ’Holt 120,’ defeating Shire’s tractor factory and tanks would be a breeze.
If necessary, Schneider could simply replicate Shire’s tank design and use the more powerful ’Holt 120’ engine, making his tanks superior to Shire’s.
This meant something else to Matthew: if Shire’s tractor factory were to fail one day, what would he do? Go back to the motorcycle factory to fit spokes on wheels?
No, he’d rather die than return. The tractor factory was his life, his reason for living, his everything!
"What should we do?" Matthew asked, his gaze resolute.
He was determined, no matter who the opponent was, to show them that Matthew was not to be trifled with!
"The engine, Matthew." Shire said. "It’s the heart. The ’Holt 120’ has 120 horsepower, while the ’Holt 75’ has only 83. That’s the difference!"
Shire intentionally concealed the fact that the ’Holt 120’ engine weighed 1.3 tons, while the ’Holt 75’ weighed around 1 ton.
The power-to-weight ratios were similar, both around 0.9, with the ’Holt 120’ engine being slightly higher, but not significantly.
But to Matthew, these numbers represented the difference between "120 horsepower" and "83 horsepower."
"I know what to do!" Matthew nodded. "Improve the engine to give it more power."
"Yes!" Shire added. "Or reduce the engine’s weight while maintaining the same power. That’s also progress."
Matthew nodded. "I’ll give you a satisfactory answer!"
Saying this, he turned and walked back to his team, eager to get to work. Schneider was not an opponent to be easily defeated.
Just as Shire’s lips curled into a satisfied smile, a worker suddenly approached him and shook his hand. "Shire, I need to talk to you..."
Shire looked. It was the reporter who had disguised himself as a classmate to present flowers. This time, he had disguised himself as a worker and successfully infiltrated the factory.
Shire couldn’t help but laugh. To get some news, this reporter had turned himself into a spy.
"Alright!" Shire said helplessly. "What do you want to know?"
"No, no!" The reporter clarified. "You misunderstand. I’m not here as a reporter to interview you."
"Then what is it?" Shire asked.
"Your own media, Shire!" The reporter’s eyes shone with anticipation. "Have you considered owning your own media?"
Shire was taken aback. The reporter seemed to have a point.
Most capitalists owned their own media, like the right-wing "Le Figaro," the left-wing "Little Daily," "Morning Paper," and "Little Paris Daily," among others.
It wasn’t just about making money. They didn’t care much about the money from newspapers. What they wanted was a voice in the media, a tool to influence public opinion when needed.
"Now is the time for you to have your own media." The reporter said hurriedly, glancing around nervously. "Think about it. Your popularity and prestige, along with your achievements on the battlefield, all need to be consolidated through media, or else the media will erode them bit by bit, and in no time, no one will remember you!"
Shire nodded slightly in agreement. Before the Lafox battle, the newspapers had suddenly turned their tone and questioned Shire, planting seeds of doubt among the public, even though Shire had done nothing wrong.
If Shire hadn’t achieved another victory and crushed the conspiracy with absolute strength, he might have been vilified by the media.
"What’s your name?" Shire asked.
"Kobudo!" The reporter’s face lit up with excitement. "I used to be a journalist for the ’Morning Paper,’ in the military column, but I’ve resigned!"
Kobudo emphasized this point to show loyalty to Shire. Resigning before successfully convincing Shire left him with no fallback.
However, the "Morning Paper" was controlled by Schneider. Could it be that...
Perceptive, Kobudo quickly explained, "No, if Schneider wanted to do that, he wouldn’t need to send one of his own reporters!"
Shire saw the logic. Schneider had plenty of talent at his disposal. He could send any stranger without arousing Shire’s suspicion.
"I’ll think about it, Kobudo!" Shire shook hands with him. "How do I contact you?"
Kobudo excitedly handed Shire a business card. "It has my phone number. I’d be happy to serve you, sir!"
With that, Kobudo hurriedly left.
Noticing something off, Dejoka approached and watched Kobudo’s retreating figure. "Who was that?"
"An interesting journalist," Shire replied. "Maybe my future editor-in-chief!"
Dejoka looked at Shire in shock. Did this mean he was venturing into the newspaper industry?