General Winter watched Charles with a mixture of eagerness and apprehension. He couldn't imagine what Britain would do if Charles said "no."
Could they force him to hand over the technology? Hardly. Britain didn't have that authority, and the French government and its citizens were no fools; they'd all stand with Charles on this, even Joffre and Schneider would align with him if it came to that.
If Charles refused, Britain would have no choice but to admit it was falling behind, a blow that would shatter its prestige as the world's leading power, even threatening its grip on the colonies.
Thankfully, that wasn't going to happen. Charles nodded slightly. "Yes, I'll sell it abroad, as long as the price is right."
General Winter let out a quiet sigh of relief and, unable to hide his enthusiasm, said, "Of course, Brigadier. The right price—we won't disappoint you."
But inwardly, Winter felt a flicker of disappointment. Didn't Charles realize he could hold Britain in check with this technology? Or did he simply consider Britain a reliable ally, without any doubts? Perhaps he didn't know how to leverage his advantage.
Charles considered for a moment. "As you know, General, we're in need of heavy howitzers."
Winter immediately understood and nodded. "Not an issue. We'll exchange it for our 6-inch, 30-cwt howitzer."
Charles fixed him with a cold look, saying nothing.
Catching on, Winter quickly corrected himself. "Not just the artillery—the entire production line, Brigadier. A full production line, and we'll provide skilled workers to operate it…"
Charles cut him off. "While we may be allies, General, that doesn't mean I'll make major concessions in business. You know the performance of the 'Camel' aircraft—it's the most advanced in the world, and you're trying to trade it for a dated howitzer?"
Charles straightened, his tone turning icier. "You may leave, General. This is a waste of time."
"No, wait!" Winter hastily intercepted him. "We have more modern artillery! Our newest model, even we haven't fully equipped our forces with it yet—it was developed specifically to counter the German 105 mm howitzer."
Charles sat back down.
With a sigh of resignation, Winter explained, "It's the 6-inch, 26-cwt howitzer. We only have three production lines at present, with a monthly output of around 18 units…"
Charles recognized the model. Its range was slightly shorter than the German 105 mm howitzer, firing lightweight shells (39 kg) up to 10.4 km. But it had a larger caliber, and its explosive power was significantly higher, capable of taking out enemy 105 howitzers, tearing through barbed wire, and demolishing fortified positions. When loaded with high-density shells (45 kg), it was a "fortification killer." It could also fire incendiary and smoke rounds, making it versatile on the battlefield.
"I need five production lines," Charles said firmly. "All fully operational within two months."
"Th—that's impossible, Brigadier," Winter stammered, wide-eyed. "That would mean stripping the British Army of artillery for an extended period!"
This was no ordinary trade; it was a full transfer of production capabilities, requiring Britain's full commitment, even dismantling domestic production lines to send to France.
Once again, Charles rose, as though to leave. Winter, alarmed, blocked his path. "Please, let me consult with London. Everything can be negotiated."
Charles nodded curtly. "You should do that."
Winter, his brow furrowed with concern, shook Charles' hand and left, clearly contemplating how he'd explain this to his superiors.
Returning to the command office, Charles found Tijani at his desk, signing some papers. Without looking up, Tijani asked, "Is there a problem?"
"No," Charles replied calmly. "He was just here to discuss business."
Tijani raised an eyebrow. "Business important enough to have General Winter on edge? Must be about military hardware." He paused, curiosity piqued. "Was he here to buy the new fighter plane?"
It wasn't hard to guess; as an island nation, Britain would be especially sensitive to threats posed by either ships or aircraft, the only tools that could jeopardize its security.
Charles remained silent, confirming Tijani's suspicions.
"You can't seriously be planning to sell it to them?" Tijani's expression darkened, his voice tinged with anger.
"Why not?" Charles responded, his tone untroubled. "For the right price, of course."
Tijani shot up, his eyes blazing with a mixture of shock and outrage. "Have you lost your mind? That's the 'Camel,' the most advanced aircraft we have! With it, we could even bring Britain to its knees—and you're just going to hand it over to them?"
Tijani's concern wasn't an exaggeration, especially in an era with minimal air defenses. France could use the Camel to establish air dominance over Britain, bombarding any target within range with Caproni bombers. Britain's claim as the foremost world power would be at risk.
Charles smirked. "Are you planning to go to war with Britain?"
"No, that's not what I mean." Tijani waved his arms emphatically. "But having that kind of power gives us leverage—it's political capital, Charles. It's diplomacy!"
Charles smiled, giving Tijani a knowing nod. Tijani's grasp of geopolitics was another one of his strengths, likely owing to his background. Charles thought that one day, he might even put Tijani in charge of international relations.
Realizing what Charles' expression conveyed, Tijani hesitated. "You understand this, don't you?"
"Yes," Charles admitted.
"Then why…?"
"The answer is simple," Charles said calmly. "First, I need Britain's help in outmaneuvering my domestic rivals. Second, we're selling them an outdated model, General. There's no need to be too concerned."
Tijani stared at Charles, stunned. "An outdated model? You're saying the 'Camel' is outdated?"
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