Chapter 398: The "Gift"
"Hey, Deyoka!" James greeted warmly as Deyoka entered the room, reaching out for a handshake with a wide smile. "Good to see you. I was planning to stop by your place in Davaz last time I passed through, but I heard you were tied up at the factory."
This was a half-truth; James hadn't left Paris in weeks.
"Yes, the factory's been quite busy," Deyoka replied with a polite smile.
"Business must be booming for your insurance company, right?" James asked casually.
"Just modestly," Deyoka replied with a light chuckle. "Besides, it's hard to say anything is truly 'profitable' with the risks that wartime brings."
"Mm-hmm," James responded, accepting two glasses of red wine from Pauline and handing one to Deyoka. "Charles certainly knows how to stir things up, doesn't he? Just like when he bombed my steel plant."
His tone was friendly, but there was an edge beneath his words. Nevertheless, his expression remained genial, as if catching up with an old friend.
Deyoka chuckled, brushing off the barb with ease. "Charles was simply doing what he could to defeat his enemies."
It was a remark with layers of meaning: "enemies" could be the Germans on the battlefield or the capitalist rivals opposing Charles in the business world.
James paused, then both men shared a knowing smile. After a round of verbal sparring, it was clear neither was the type to underestimate the other.
Unlike last time, however, Deyoka seemed more at ease. Dressed in his usual, well-worn suit, he exuded confidence. James, on the other hand, felt tense, hiding his nerves beneath a friendly facade.
"So, what brings you here?" James asked, sitting elegantly on the sofa and raising his glass. "I assume you're not here to blow up any more factories?"
"Of course not, Mr. James," Deyoka replied with a chuckle. "I'm here to discuss a potential partnership."
"A partnership?" James feigned surprise, though he had anticipated this. He suspected Deyoka wanted to purchase some of Schneider's valuable assets, hoping to take advantage of the company's current struggles.
"Yes." Deyoka wore a look of mock exasperation. "The Bernard Company hasn't had it easy, Mr. James. We may have purchased a steel mill, but we lack the technical expertise and experienced personnel to run it efficiently. And the factory is still in German-controlled territory, so we haven't even reclaimed it yet."
Deyoka then sighed self-deprecatingly. "Who knows how long it will take us to start producing quality steel ourselves?"
"Mm-hmm." James picked up on the underlying request in Deyoka's words. "So, you're hoping to acquire refining and forging technology from us to prepare for your steel mill?"
Deyoka nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly, Mr. James. And if you could provide some skilled workers to help us get started, that would be ideal."
James offered a faint smile. "When do you need them?"
"As soon as possible," Deyoka replied. "I've set up a small experimental factory in Davaz to train a workforce in advance, just to be ready."
"Good thinking," James praised, though he looked down into his wine with a hint of disappointment. He had tried to bait Deyoka, hoping he'd reveal a specific timeline for taking over the steel mill. If he had, James could have used that information to tip off the Germans and create complications for Charles.
But Deyoka had been careful, giving only a vague answer.
After some thought, James replied, "That shouldn't be a problem, Mr. Deyoka. Just prepare a list of your needs…"
"Thank you very much," Deyoka said, quickly pulling a prepared document from his briefcase and handing it over.
James's smile became slightly strained. He wasn't entirely pleased with this arrangement. Skilled workers were valuable assets, and some of these workers possessed proprietary knowledge Schneider wasn't eager to share. However, James knew he couldn't refuse.
Charles didn't actually need James's approval to take these workers—many of them were already striking outside Schneider's factory gates. All it would take was a word from Charles, and half of them would flock to his factories willingly. James was convinced Charles was offering this "partnership" as a gesture to smooth relations.
For James, this was beneficial; he could publicly claim Schneider and Charles had reached a degree of cooperation, which might ease the protests against Schneider.
He glanced over Deyoka's list and saw nothing alarming—Deyoka had carefully avoided any sensitive positions, showing a thorough understanding of Schneider's structure.
"There's one more thing," Deyoka added. "I heard your company has a surplus of 'Saint-Chamond' tanks sitting in storage. I'm willing to buy them for 10,000 francs each. They'd be useful for training our workers. And if the price is right, I'd also be interested in purchasing the manufacturing rights, just to avoid any future disputes over intellectual property."
James raised his eyebrows—this was unexpected, but welcome.
He did indeed have over a hundred "Saint-Chamond" tanks gathering dust in the warehouse, set to be scrapped for parts. If he could sell them for 10,000 francs each, plus perhaps 200,000 for the production rights, it would be a pleasant bonus.
Without a second thought, James agreed. What he didn't realize was that the "Saint-Chamond" tanks, seemingly an afterthought, were Deyoka's true objective.
Or rather, they were Charles's true objective.
When Charles had first mentioned this plan over the phone, Deyoka had been bewildered.
"Are you out of your mind, Charles?" Deyoka had exclaimed. "Buying 'Saint-Chamond' tanks? Those things have failed time and again on the battlefield."
"Everyone already believes they're unfit for combat," Deyoka continued. "Your 'Char A1' is far superior, so why would you want them now?"
Charles had simply replied, "They're just not being used correctly, Father. The 'Saint-Chamond' has potential on the battlefield."
Seeing Charles's determination, Deyoka hadn't objected further. After all, a few hundred thousand francs was a relatively minor expense.
But he'd had his concerns. "James isn't exactly strapped for cash, Charles. If we're upfront about our interest, he'll suspect there's hidden value in the 'Saint-Chamond' and drive up the price."
"True," Charles had said calmly. "Which is why we'll make it seem like an insignificant 'bonus'."
"A bonus?" Deyoka had been puzzled.
"Yes, a bonus," Charles explained. "We need workers for the steel mill. Those workers will need training equipment, ideally old, worn-out tanks. So we need the 'Saint-Chamond'."
On the other end of the line, Deyoka had been speechless for a moment. This was not the Charles he once knew.
Had he underestimated his own son?
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