I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 783: Business Plans

Dejoka couldn’t understand Shire’s actions.

When Shire returned to Davaz and handed Dejoka a list of acquisitions, it almost frightened him.

"Shire." Dejoka glanced at the several pages of the list, looked at Shire in confusion, and asked with difficulty, "Are you sure you want to buy all of these?"

Shire nodded confidently.

"But this, the risk is too great." Dejoka flipped through the list:

"Electricity, construction, cement, and telephone and telegraph companies."

"I have to remind you, it’s good that you want to expand, but you can’t be this hasty."

"We don’t understand many of these industries, in fact, we know nothing about them."

Shire’s attitude was determined: "I know, Father, but we must buy them. Not only buy them, but continuously keep investing in them."

Dejoka was bewildered: "Which one?"

Shire replied: "All of them!"

"But it’s impossible." Dejoka looked incredulous, shaking the list: "Even if we acquire a batch of existing companies, we can’t compete on a technical level with those who have been operating for decades, we’re not omnipotent."

"We can surpass them." Shire was very confident about this.

"Based on what?" Dejoka was puzzled.

"Because I have the power to decide who receives the orders." Shire answered.

Dejoka instantly understood the meaning behind Shire’s words.

Shire must know something or is planning to build something in the future.

The companies he’s acquiring now are just preparations for the future. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

If these companies can continually receive state orders, perhaps it is indeed so; even industry talent would be drawn to these companies.

After all, these companies have orders to keep them busy, while others that can’t get orders can only struggle on or go bankrupt.

Thinking of this, Dejoka stopped asking further questions; some things might be better if he didn’t know.

...

After everything was arranged, Shiret took a trip to the City Defense Headquarters.

Shire arrived in Paris at over eight in the evening; the surroundings were pitch black, with only Gallieni’s lounge still lit.

Gallieni had been overwhelmed with work because of the "Paris Cannon" issue during the day and planned to rest after sorting out the damage report.

Seeing Shire come in, he wasn’t surprised at all.

"You finally came." He said.

Shire replied with "Hmm": "I hope you don’t worry too much about the ’Paris Cannon’ issue, General."

"Is that all?" Gallieni lowered his pince-nez, rolling his eyes upward to glare at Shire.

"Yes." Shire placed a basket of apples on the table, avoiding Gallieni’s gaze: "Your wound just healed, you shouldn’t be worrying about these matters."

Gallieni chuckled: "Or, was everything you told me before a lie?"

Shire turned his head, puzzled, and looked at Gallieni: "I thought it was foolproof. How did you figure it out?"

"You’re indeed foolproof." Gallieni pushed aside the documents in his hand: "But you underestimate your abilities."

"What?" Shire was puzzled.

Gallieni squinted:

"I’ve known you for almost two years, Vice Admiral, watching you step by step reach where you are today."

"I’ve never seen Shire stumped by any problem, nor have I seen Shire panic-stricken."

"Your act was overdone; you should have at least given a passable solution!"

Shire was speechless; it was because the old guy knew his strength.

"Let’s hear it!" Gallieni closed the pen in his hand, took off his pince-nez, and placed them aside: "What method do you have to deal with this thing."

"No method." Shire’s response was succinct.

Gallieni’s face turned cold, was this young fellow rebelling?

"I’m telling the truth, General." Shire hurried to explain: "What I mean is, we don’t need to worry about this matter."

"Why?" Gallieni was half-believing, half-doubting.

"Because it’s expensive to produce." Shire pulled over a chair to sit opposite Gallieni: "The intel my people received indicates that the Germans produced a total of nine of these cannons, but at the same time, only about three can fire; the others need maintenance or rotation maintenance, or they need to go to the factory for bore enlargement."

This was information Shire knew from modern times, but of course, he could attribute the source to "The White Lady."

Hearing this, Gallieni secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "So, this type of cannon can never be mass-produced, at most it remains like now, or even less?"

"Yes." Shire nodded.

Then Gallieni frowned again: "But why don’t you tell everyone the truth? Do you have some plan?"

"Of course." Shire hesitated for a while: "However, it’s not a military plan, but a business plan..."

"What?" Gallieni seemed genuinely angry: "You mean, you’re doing this to make money?"

"Sort of." Shire nodded.

"You..." Gallieni was so angry he couldn’t speak for a while, pointing his finger in the air:

"Do you know what kind of impact this caused?"

"Everyone is living in fear, Paris is in chaos, and refugees are filling up the bus stations."

"Not to mention buses, even carriages are packed with men, women, and children leaving the capital."

"And you tell me, all of it is for making money?"

Shire answered calmly: "It’s for making money, but also for the citizens’ interests."

"That can’t be, these can’t be used as excuses." Gallieni’s voice was full of anger: "You should disclose what you know tomorrow. No, you should do it now..."

Suddenly, Gallieni realized something, looking at Shire with doubt: "What did you say? For the citizens’ interests?"

"Yes." Shire nodded: "You know what the state of France was before the war, those critical industries in the hands of large capitalists, they use these to continuously reap citizens’ wealth, even influencing national decisions, parliament, military, government, everywhere are their people."

During the war, these capitalists dared not do much because citizens were united against the external threat, and anyone causing trouble was a ’threat to national security’, ’treason’.

But once peace comes, they can do whatever they want within the framework of law."

Gallieni understood: "You want to take back those critical industries from the capitalists?"

"Yes."

Gallieni’s expression eased slightly, but after thinking for a while, he asked thoughtfully: "But if you succeed, it means all power is concentrated in your hands, which is no different from de facto dictatorship..."

Shire didn’t deny it: "I think that’s better than having a bunch of fools run this country, wouldn’t you agree?"

Gallieni fell silent.

He believed in Shire, but he had no faith in dictatorship.

However, he thought, at least during wartime, Shire’s approach was correct, the parliament was always dragging them down.