Perhaps because he was not accustomed to it, after serving at the headquarters for more than half a month, Shire just wanted to stay at home and didn’t want to go anywhere during his leave.
In the past, whenever he returned from leave, he would still visit the motorcycle factory and the tractor factory, but now he didn’t want to move at all.
He found an excuse for himself: Dejoka would arrange the business well anyway, so it didn’t make much difference if he went or not.
There was another reason: Shire now easily obtained tens of millions of francs through "authorized production": authorizing the United States, also authorizing Russia and Britain, all estimated to yield tens of millions of profits.
Making money became easy, so Shire no longer cared about the profits from the tractor factory and the motorcycle factory. If they failed, it was just a drop in the ocean.
If not for their connection to military industries, where the tractor factory’s engine directly related to tank development, Shire couldn’t even be bothered to keep them.
Then, thinking of the hateful Francis, he had recently become much more restrained.
After all, Shire was the formidable opponent Schneider feared, while Francis was just a pawn of Schneider; the hierarchy was clear.
If Shire wanted, it wouldn’t take much effort to destroy Francis’s tractor factory, even with Schneider backing him.
(Note: If Shire went all out against Francis, Schneider would likely choose to abandon the pawn rather than enter a full-scale showdown with Shire.)
But Shire felt it was meaningless; he had unknowingly left Francis far behind, and dealing with him would only lower his own stature.
Shire suddenly felt a bit nostalgic for the modern electronic era; if there were cell phones, he could spend his leisure time at home reading novels.
Especially "Steel Wings and Iron Cavalry," he had just read half before time-traveling!
The next afternoon, Shire still braved the heavy snow to take a trip to the factory.
He did not visit the motorcycle factory or the tractor factory but went to the Welfare Institute for Disabled Veterans to find Captain Darius, the director.
The welfare institute was different from before.
When it was first established, it used the old buildings of the motorcycle factory. Because too many disabled veterans came seeking help, the dormitories were tight, and many lived in workshops and makeshift tents.
Last month, Shire built a five-story building in the welfare institute, with over three hundred rooms each equipped with their own bathrooms, capable of housing ten people per room.
Another building of the same scale was under construction, enough to accommodate seven to eight thousand disabled veterans.
This cost Shire more than three million francs, but he thought it was all worth it. It was an investment; now was the time to use them.
Shire found Captain Darius in the factory. As the director, he had always been diligent and conscientious, trying every way to help disabled veterans overcome their handicaps to do what they could.
This was not easy because each disabled veteran had different injuries; Darius had to consider each individual’s abilities, including self-care. For example, pairing a legless veteran with a handless one to cooperate in their work.
Watching their difficult work, Shire felt a little discomfort in his heart.
But Shire knew that for the veterans, this was not just a job; it was dignity and confidence, even the meaning of life.
Otherwise, they would only burden their families and lie in bed waiting to die.
As Shire walked into the factory, the entire workshop buzzed with activity.
The workers stopped their actions and looked at Shire, many of whom were disabled veterans who had never seen Shire, and they started discussing:
"Is that Young Master Shire? Finally, we meet him!"
"Today is our lucky day, gentlemen. I hope to have the opportunity to thank him in person."
"Forget it, Ambroise, Young Master Shire is very busy."
Unexpectedly, Shire walked leisurely into the crowd. He greeted and shook hands with the veterans, asking, "Is everything alright, gentlemen?"
The veterans eagerly responded, speaking in unison:
"Thanks to you, we are doing well, Young Master Shire!"
"There’s nothing to complain about, Young Master Shire! Not only can we live, but we can also send extra wages to our families."
"I really like it here, Young Master Shire; we can help each other."
Shire nodded to them, his eyes showing genuine respect.
Shire felt that these veterans were remarkable people; they had given everything for France, and France should not dismiss them easily with just 130 francs.
The veterans understood Shire’s expression, though Shire said nothing, they simply understood.
They didn’t know how to express it, so they kept thanking Shire, some even moved to tears.
More than work and wages, they needed this acknowledgment.
Captain Darius led Shire to his office.
The office was simple, with a desk, chairs, and a bookshelf; everything necessary, just without a French flag.
Everything was neat and seemed new, quite in contrast to Darius’s one-armed condition.
Darius understood Shire’s expression; he skillfully brewed coffee with his only right hand and explained, "You might not believe it, Young Master Shire, I was notoriously messy before. Now, with one less hand, I can keep the room tidy."
Darius gave a self-deprecating smile as he brought the coffee to Shire, "Some say it’s a personality shift from facing death, but I don’t think so."
"What is it, then?" Shire took the coffee.
Darius took his own coffee and sat down, "I used to think I could accomplish great things and ignored these small matters. Now, I believe these small things are my great achievements."
He gestured toward the factory outside the office, smiling, "It’s meaningful. I feel I found my place in helping others."
"You’ve indeed managed this very well," Shire sincerely praised.
"No, no," Darius replied, "Don’t say thank you. I didn’t do this for you or anyone else; I did it for myself. I even think my old self was wasting time."
Shire nodded in understanding.
Life is often ; only in losing something can one realize the meaning of living, otherwise, one wanders in confusion, never truly knowing what they really want to do.
This moment put Shire in a dilemma; he wasn’t sure if his visit was right, as it might disrupt Darius’s peace.
Seeing Shire’s unusual expression, Darius suddenly became tense, "Young Master Shire, you’re not planning to close the welfare institute, are you?"
Without waiting for Shire’s response, he added, "If you’re short of funds, you don’t need to subsidize the welfare institute anymore; we can be self-sufficient. Please don’t close it."
Darius looked at Shire with pleading, even a hint of fear.
"No, Captain," Shire replied, "I have no intention of closing it. As long as I’m alive, the subsidy will always be there."
"Then why..." Darius looked at Shire in confusion.
Shire asked back, "Captain, if things were not as you imagined, could there be a higher positioning for you?"