I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 71: The Growth of the Motorcycle Factory

Charles made a stop at the motorcycle factory first, even though he knew Deyoka wouldn't be there.

At this point, the motorcycle factory was one of Charles' primary sources of income, generating around 20,000 francs in profit each month. It was no small sum—especially given that the average worker's monthly wage was only 28 francs.

The factory had been stable for some time, but that didn't mean Charles could neglect it. The employees' morale and sense of importance would inevitably falter if he didn't at least show up periodically. No matter how busy he was, and even though he knew the factory's growth potential was limited, he still took the time to walk around the factory every now and then. It reassured the workers and helped prevent any impression that he might be favoring other ventures over theirs.

When he arrived at the factory, the employees were initially startled to see him in uniform. Then murmurs rose as they whispered to each other:

"Look, Mr. Charles just got back and came straight to check on us. It shows he still cares about this place!"

"Absolutely! Think of all those military orders—it means we're secure here for a good few years!"

"Let's keep it up. This place has real potential!"

Guillaume rushed over to greet him. He paused a moment, eyeing Charles' uniform with a hint of uncertainty. "Should I be calling you 'Lieutenant' now, Mr. Charles?"

"Call me whatever you'd like, Uncle Guillaume," Charles replied with a grin. "No matter what you call me, my respect for you stays the same."

Guillaume's eyes softened with appreciation, and he almost seemed moved. For a brief moment, he had the wishful thought that Charles could really be his nephew.

"Is everything running smoothly?" Charles asked casually.

"Everything's good, Mr. Charles!" Guillaume assured him as they walked through the factory together. "In fact, I've been working on reorganizing the assembly line lately. The previous layout wasn't efficient enough—some parts were being produced too quickly, others too slowly."

"This led to some workers with idle time, while others were scrambling to keep up," he continued. "By reconfiguring the line, we can even out the workflow, and I think we can increase production by about five percent without changing anything else."

Charles praised him enthusiastically, "You always manage to surprise me, Uncle Guillaume. I'm lucky to have you here; it puts my mind at ease!"

He knew that generic phrases like "good job" or "well done" could feel hollow and robotic. A few thoughtful words of encouragement went a long way in boosting morale, and he always aimed to foster a sense of pride among his workers.

Before leaving, Charles offered one last suggestion. "Aside from increasing output, I think it's important for us to innovate as well, Uncle Guillaume."

"Absolutely!" Guillaume agreed eagerly. "We can't just stand still; otherwise, we'll eventually be overtaken."

After a slight pause, though, he admitted sheepishly, "But to be honest, I'm not sure what direction we should take."

Guillaume was practical and straightforward. While he excelled in optimizing parts and processes, he was less certain about the broader strategic vision.

Charles effortlessly proposed an idea. "We could look into adapting the motorcycles for battlefield needs. For instance, what if we turned the sidecar into a transport vehicle? It could bring ammunition and food to the frontlines and carry the wounded back."

It was important to occasionally show a spark of initiative; otherwise, employees might dismiss him as a spoiled figurehead with no real understanding. Charles knew it was essential to maintain his credibility among the workers.

Guillaume's eyes widened. "That's an excellent idea, Mr. Charles! I… I can already envision how we'd do it. This could mean a wave of new orders for us!"

"One more thing," Charles added thoughtfully. "Let's keep the wounded soldiers' comfort in mind—maybe enhance the suspension system. Otherwise, they could end up worse off by the time they're transported back."

"Of course, Mr. Charles!" Guillaume answered. "I'll get started on the designs right away."

As Charles prepared to leave, Guillaume called out to him with a smile. "It's an honor working for you, Mr. Charles. I'm lucky!"

To Guillaume, nothing could be better than working in a place where he was treated with respect and pride, along with earning a decent salary. For him, the factory was worth dedicating a lifetime to.

Leaving the motorcycle factory, Charles walked next door to the tractor factory.

This new factory had actually been carved out of a section of the motorcycle plant, even borrowing some of its buildings and storage areas. When the motorcycles were being sold to civilians, they'd needed space to provide driving lessons to each new customer, so the factory had initially required plenty of training space.

But things were different now that they were selling to the military. The army wanted their men to train as a unit, without regard to personal space. When Guillaume had suggested having the soldiers train separately before forming units, an officer had rolled his eyes and barked, "We don't have time, old man! We'll be facing bullets and shells soon, so what's a little risk?"

In fact, the army hardly needed any training grounds at all. As soon as the soldiers learned to start the engines, shift gears, and locate the throttle and brakes, they were sent straight onto the road—or even into battle.

So Charles had built a low wall around the unused area, sectioning it off with a few buildings to create the tractor factory.

Charles headed straight to the research department—the heart of the operation, where they were working on developing the prototype for a new tank, the Mark I.

When Charles arrived, Deyoka and Joseph were busily working on the massive, diamond-shaped steel monster.

"Hey, Charles!" Deyoka greeted him, not at all surprised to see him.

"Camille told me over the phone you were coming back," Deyoka said as he approached. "And while we're not too thrilled that you're in the army, I've got to say, that uniform suits you."

Joseph set down his tools and nodded to Charles. "Good to see you, Mr. Charles."

"Everything going well?" Charles asked, casting a curious glance at the Mark I.

Compared to their previous makeshift armor-plated tractors, this was a tank designed specifically for battle. Once completed, it would make the tanks Francis currently owned obsolete. No wonder Francis was desperate to strike back.

"Everything's on track, Mr. Charles," Joseph replied, nodding. "But we were thinking—if there's some extra weight capacity, why not equip it with a small-caliber cannon?"

Charles shook his head slightly.

It was tempting to add a cannon, and the historical Mark I tank had one. But Charles had his reasons not to do so.

(End of Chapter)

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