Chapter 442: The Belgian Fork
Charles found the land that Albert I mentioned on the map.
It is located in the north of Antwerp, 2 kilometers away from the port, 1.5 kilometers away from the railway station, and a hundred meters away from the highway. It is said that there is a completed factory building and several dormitory and office buildings that can be put into use immediately.
Albert I introduced that it was originally a bicycle factory invested by the British, but it closed down before the war because of concerns about being affected.
Charles roughly calculated that the area of more than 2,000 square meters cost 3 million francs, with a unit price of less than 1,500 francs, and it also came with all kinds of complete facilities. It was basically given away for free.
Although land prices were cheap during the war, they were not this cheap. Moreover, with Charles' victory, land prices in Antwerp had skyrocketed, especially near the port. Many investors hoped to "buy at the bottom in time" but could not find a way, but Albert I presented this good land to Charles.
More importantly, this area is still very safe: it is close to the sea and within the range of naval guns. It is Antwerp’s retreat route. If there is another enemy attack in the future, it will be the last area of Antwerp to fall.
But Charles didn't appreciate it.
In Charles' headquarters, he took Albert I and Colonel Eden to the lounge for discussion.
After all, it is a business matter, and it would be a bit inappropriate to bargain openly in the office in front of the staff and signalmen.
Perhaps to save electricity, the lights in the dormitory were dim, and the air was filled with moldy and sour smells.
The beds were arranged on upper and lower levels. A small room of a few square meters could barely accommodate four soldiers. Charles and the other three seemed a bit crowded standing in it.
The only decoration was a small table for one person at the end.
Charles spread out the map on the table and circled with a pencil the area to which Albert I had referred.
"I admit that this is a very good deal, Your Majesty." Charles said with regret: "It's just that I haven't thought of what kind of business I can do here yet. You know, I am mainly engaged in the production of military equipment, which does not require frequent import and export."
Military equipment is different from other products. It involves more technology and patents. As long as these two issues are resolved, other countries can basically produce them on their own without setting up factories in Antwerp and then selling them, especially the UK.
But this was Charles's way of retreating in order to advance, and he was carefully conducting some kind of test.
Albert I was stunned. He had never considered this.
But he immediately replied excitedly: "That's great, we have a great demand for arms, Brigadier General. I am considering rebuilding the Belgian army and updating its equipment, not just guns, but also artillery and even tanks."
This is a big business, Charles thought, but he remained silent. He had to keep calm at this time.
Albert I turned his eyes to Colonel Eden.
Colonel Eden seemed to be thinking about something else. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He said in surprise: "We can get these equipment? That's great."
Colonel Eden turned his gaze to Charles and asked cautiously, "I hope to build a Belgian army like yours, General. If possible, I also hope that you can train them."
His voice trembled with excitement and his eyes were full of insecurity. He was worried that these were Charles' secrets. After all, these were equipment and tactics that could potentially dominate the battlefield.
"It's not difficult." Charles replied calmly: "You just need to import it from France. France is right next to you. As for training, since I sell you the equipment, of course I have to teach you how to use it."
"Really?" Colonel Eden's eyes lit up instantly: "That's great, Brigadier General! Thank you very much, I can't wait to see that day."
This was an unexpected surprise for Colonel Eden.
He had considered more than once the way out for the Belgian army.
It is not easy to recruit an army of hundreds of thousands for a population of less than 7 million, but an army of hundreds of thousands is not even enough to fill the teeth in front of major powers.
This is also the main reason why Belgium has always been keen on building fortresses and has invested huge amounts of money.
But now it seemed that the fortress could not guarantee Belgium's security.
So……
Then Colonel Eden thought of Charles's troops.
Charles's troops consisted of only 20,000 men, but they were able to defeat the powerful German army that surrounded more than 100,000 men with ease.
What would happen if hundreds of thousands of Belgians could be made to look like Charles' army?
Yes, this is what Belgium needs!
Albert I was somewhat hesitant in this regard. He was not against Charles, but he did not quite agree with Colonel Eden's point of view.
"I am thinking about a question, Brigadier General," Albert I said. "I would like to take this opportunity to ask you for advice. The fortresses obviously played a role in this war. They allowed our weak troops to hold out for more than two months under the attack of the powerful German army."
(Note: Albert I was referring to the surrender of Antwerp. If Ypres is included, Belgium persisted throughout the First World War, but most of the troops fighting in Ypres were not Belgian troops)
"So now." Albert I waved his hand towards the surroundings: "Are we going to give up this development direction that has been proven to be correct?"
"Your Majesty," Colonel Eden objected, "it has not been proven to be correct. I think the opposite is true. It cannot withstand the German artillery. We have no choice but to wait for death."
"But what if we have Charles' bombers?" Albert I asked in return: "The bombers can destroy the cannons, so can we withstand everyone's attack?"
Colonel Eden was speechless, for things seemed exactly as Albert I had said.
Charles heard the argument between the two and seemed to understand that Belgium was at a crossroads in its development direction:
Should we develop armored and mechanized forces like Charles did, or continue the previous tradition and build better and more outstanding fortresses.
This is no conflict of interest for Shire.
Because no matter which choice Belgium makes, Charles will be the one who benefits:
For the former, all the equipment for the armored and mechanical units was provided by Charles.
In the latter case, the fortress would most likely be built by Charles, a military expert, since Charles knows how to defend and secure it.
Charles didn't say much. He just looked at Albert I and said, "Your Majesty, you just need to recall how I broke through Antwerp."
Albert I was stunned for a moment, then he opened his mouth halfway and could not utter a word.
Colonel Eden suddenly woke up, and he found the most powerful evidence: "Yes, the Brigadier General's armored forces easily broke through the Antwerp defense line at night, and it was the Antwerp defense line guarded by the Germans. These fortresses are almost useless at night. They can't see the enemy and of course they don't know where to fire!"
(End of this chapter)
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