Make France Great Again-Chapter 851 - 842: Raising a Problem Does Not Equal Solving It

Chapter 851: Chapter 842: Raising a Problem Does Not Equal Solving It

"Your Majesty, the reason the rifle cannot smoothly extract the shell is not due to the rifle itself! It’s because of the brass bullets we’re using!"

Old Mauser spread his hands to Jerome Bonaparte and displayed the brass bullets he was holding.

"What’s wrong with the bullets?" Jerome Bonaparte picked up two brass bullets and examined them closely for a few moments, but found nothing wrong.

Old Mauser quickly explained to Jerome Bonaparte that the bullets produced have technical issues. The metal cartridges are made by rolling copper strips into shells, which are then welded together.

This method does not achieve complete seamless fit, so some bullets are prone to getting stuck, unable to be extracted after being fired.

"Is there any way to solve this problem?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Old Mauser.

"Your Majesty, this is quite difficult!" Old Mauser shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Alright then!" Jerome Bonaparte sighed, knowing that Old Mauser and the others had limited experience with brass bullet technologies, making it hard to rely on them.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! We will definitely find a solution!" Old Mauser quickly assured Jerome Bonaparte.

"Just do your best!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Old Mauser in a comforting tone, and then praised the Mauser 2.0 rifle: "This rifle, even with slight imperfections, is already an excellent rifle!

It can definitely be included in the army’s equipment list!"

Old Mauser smiled immediately after hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s statement.

"Mr. Mauser, you and every member of your research group can receive a bonus of 10,000 to 50,000 francs!" Jerome Bonaparte generously said to Old Mauser.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Old Mauser responded excitedly to Jerome Bonaparte.

"I hope you can continue to work hard and overcome the challenges!" Jerome Bonaparte said once more to Old Mauser.

Afterward, Jerome Bonaparte assigned Old Mauser a project to develop a portable pistol for France.

"This time, there’s no time limit. As long as you can create a pistol that meets my expectations before I die, it counts as a success!" Jerome Bonaparte jokingly said to Old Mauser.

"Understood!" Old Mauser nodded in acknowledgement.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte returned to the institute with Old Mauser.

Anthony Chasebo appeared before Jerome Bonaparte to report the progress of the multi-barrel machine gun.

"Your Majesty, the design for the multi-barrel machine gun is nearly complete. We just need to produce a sample to start the experiments!"

"Very good, Mr. Chasebo! I look forward to your work!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction.

If Anthony Chasebo’s multi-barrel machine gun proceeds smoothly, Jerome Bonaparte will not hesitate to award him.

In comparison to the historical Gatling gun, Anthony Chasebo’s multi-barrel machine gun is three years ahead.

At that time, he could leverage his advantage to show Gatling in the United States what a patent bully means.

France would also have more time to explore new tactics, as the revolution from rifle to musket is not only a weapon revolution but also a tactical system revolution.

Thus, Jerome Bonaparte and Jerome Patterson left under the farewell of Old Mauser and others.

Back at the Tuileries Palace, Jerome Bonaparte began pondering the brass bullet issue. After nearly a few hours of reflection, he decided to seek help from a professional.

So, Jerome Bonaparte summoned Bashirio.

"Go immediately to see Senator Eugène Schneider in Paris and check on him! If all’s well, bring him over!" Jerome Bonaparte ordered Bashirio.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Bashirio promptly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

About half an hour later, Senator Eugène Schneider was in Jerome Bonaparte’s room.

"Your Majesty!" Eugène Schneider slightly bent to greet Jerome Bonaparte.

"Eugène, come and sit down! I have some questions to ask you!" Jerome Bonaparte invited Eugène Schneider to sit on the couch.

Eugène Schneider followed Jerome Bonaparte’s instructions and sat down.

Jerome Bonaparte then inquired about Eugène Schneider’s businesses in Leclerc Town and Lorraine Region.

"Thanks to you! The Schneider Company has expanded more than twice its previous size!" Eugène Schneider responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"That’s good!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Eugène Schneider with a smile on his face, and then he began to ask Eugène Schneider about issues regarding stamping and molds.

Eugène Schneider clarified each point for Jerome Bonaparte, and Jerome Bonaparte concluded in his heart that Eugène Schneider would be the right person for the task.

"Eugène, I have a technical challenge here that I would like you to tackle! Do you have the confidence to complete it?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Eugène Schneider.

"Your Majesty, what kind of challenge?" Eugène Schneider froze for a few seconds, then asked Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte explained the brass bullet issue to Eugène Schneider and then shared some of his own thoughts, "I am thinking if we could use a single copper ingot, and through stamping and stretching, create a brass bullet that does not require welding!"

After pondering for a moment, Eugène Schneider responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, theoretically, it’s indeed possible! However, this will require a lot of experimentation!"

"So, it should be okay for me to assign this task to you, right?" Jerome Bonaparte looked at Eugène Schneider with a hint of hope.

Eugène Schneider nodded and responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I will tackle this issue in the shortest possible time!"

"Hmm! I look forward to your performance!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Eugène Schneider.

Immediately afterward, Jerome Bonaparte once again inquired whether Eugène Schneider was willing to conduct research in the field of artillery.

This time, Eugène Schneider did not refuse Jerome Bonaparte. He also accepted the task of artillery research handed to him by Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte was slightly surprised. Half-jokingly, he asked Eugène Schneider why he wanted to study artillery.

Eugène Schneider candidly told Jerome Bonaparte that the reason he wanted to research artillery was because his old rival, the Krupp Company, started research in the artillery field, so he was willing to step into the field of artillery.

"Alright then!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged his shoulders and responded to Eugène Schneider.

Although he did not understand why Eugène Schneider was so intent on following Krupp (perhaps because the development paths of the two companies were not very different, so they were at odds with each other), Jerome Bonaparte was pleased that Eugène Schneider was willing to focus on the artillery field.

After Eugène Schneider left, Jerome Bonaparte ordered Bashirio to summon the Minister of Colonies, General De Castner, to the study.

Once General De Castner arrived, Jerome Bonaparte went straight to the point and told De Castner that he wanted Jerome Patterson to serve as the Governor of the Gabon Region, responsible for handling all affairs in the Gabon Region.

Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s appointment, Minister De Castner immediately thought of "exile."

After all, the Gabon Region was not French Algeria. The living conditions there were much harsher than those in French Algeria.

Even those who were exiled would rarely be sent to Gabon.

If it weren’t for France’s extraordinary obsession with land, the Gabon Region would have long been abandoned.

[PS: During this period, both Senegal and Gabon were essentially money-losing colonies. Senegal was nearly abandoned due to continuous financial deficits.

Ultimately, the idea of abandonment was dropped due to military opposition and the government’s inability to cope with the negative impact of relinquishing territory.]

Placing Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Patterson in Gabon, De Castner found it hard to believe that Emperor Jerome Bonaparte was not effectively exiling Jerome Patterson.

However, the internal strife of the Bonaparte Clan had nothing to do with De Castner. He only needed to follow the Emperor’s orders.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" De Castner responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"By the way, over 5,000 Croatians will accompany Jerome Patterson to Gabon, so have the Gabon Region prepare in advance!" Jerome Bonaparte responded once more to De Castner.

This made De Castner even more puzzled as to what Emperor Jerome Bonaparte intended to do.

Forget it! No matter. After all, this is their internal matter of the Bonaparte Clan, and it has nothing to do with me!

De Castner contemplated inwardly while still responding, "Understood."

...

A week later, a message spread in Parisian high society: Jerome Patterson, the Emperor’s Aide and Lieutenant Colonel, resigned to prepare to go to Gabon as the Governor.

As soon as this news was released, the upper echelons of Paris began to buzz with discussions. Many speculated that Jerome Bonaparte was sending Jerome Patterson to Gabon to eliminate his influence.

Upon hearing this news, Prince Monfort, the Imperial Marshal, couldn’t sit still. He hurried to Jerome Bonaparte’s study to inquire if Jerome Patterson was indeed being sent to Gabon as Governor.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded, then explained to Monfort that his intention in sending Jerome Patterson to Gabon was not to exile him but to give him a place to exercise his capabilities so that he would have a reason to promote him!

"Really?" Prince Monfort looked at Jerome Bonaparte skeptically.