Although Charles had only recently purchased the steel mills, not yet taking full control, the situation was becoming clearer.

Charles's brilliance lay in his restraint—he didn't use his influence and leverage to buy out all twenty-plus steel mills owned by Wendell in the northeastern region. Such an aggressive move would only have escalated conflicts between Charles and Wendell.

Instead, he reached an understanding with Wendell: Charles would cease bombing Wendell's steel mills in exchange for two steel mills and a partnership on steel supply.

This arrangement also resolved the crisis for Wells:

If Schneider refused to sell steel, Wendell would.

And if Wendell declined or tried to raise prices unfairly, Charles could simply bomb his mills in the northeast.

As for the bombing strategy, Charles could redirect his bombers at any time toward a multitude of critical targets: German munitions depots, armories, railway stations, supply warehouses…

In short, whether to bomb or not, and whom to bomb, depended solely on where Charles's finger pointed on the map.

...

At that moment, Charles was trying on a new military uniform.

The new uniforms had been produced by "Saint-Étienne," featuring a sky-blue color and steel helmets. The plan was to first equip rear units, gradually rotating to the front lines until the entire army was outfitted.

The 105th Infantry Regiment was among the first to receive the new uniforms, possibly as an honor for their achievements in gas warfare.

Charles observed himself in the mirror. The new uniform was plain, less visually appealing than the old one. Officers and soldiers were dressed identically, with only rank insignias close-up indicating any difference.

Yet, this simplicity was exactly what the battlefield demanded.

"Very good," Charles nodded approvingly.

Adrian, standing beside him, commented, "General, Mr. Steed wanted me to let you know that this was crafted to your specifications. So, you could say it's half your creation."

The remark had a double meaning: while it was true that Charles had given the specifications, it also hinted that Charles could claim half the profits from these uniforms.

Charles smiled lightly—Steed was a smart man; he knew to align himself with Charles. In fact, Steed was not alone in this; many French capitalists had been intimidated by Charles's steel mill bombing campaign.

The northeast was a powerhouse of French industry, not only home to steel and coal mines, but also industrial settlements with facilities like foundries, automotive plants, and heavy machinery factories.

After Charles bombed the steel mills, these industrialists began to worry: would Charles someday submit a proposal to bomb a foundry or an automotive plant, given that they too were under German control and producing materials for the German military?

The thought alone had kept them cautious.

In this sense, Charles had won a major victory. Not only had he subdued Schneider and resolved the steel supply issue, but he had also made the opposing capitalists anxious and wary.

A knock on the door.

After receiving Charles's permission, Dominique entered, carrying two gun cases.

Sensing the nature of the meeting, Adrian discreetly left, setting guards outside the door with orders not to let anyone disturb them.

"Already finished?" Charles asked in surprise.

It had been only a week since Charles had requested the sniper rifle and submachine gun. While the sniper rifle was easier to produce—just a scope and rail attachment—the submachine gun required a complete design from scratch.

"Yes, though I'm not sure if it will meet your expectations," Dominique replied, visibly excited as he placed the gun cases on Charles's desk.

He opened the case containing the sniper rifle first.

The rifle was disassembled in the case, with the scope stored separately. This setup was highly professional, protecting the scope from damage during transport.

Holding the sniper rifle, Dominique's eyes gleamed. "I had thought of demonstrating this at the range, but with so many eyes around, it would be difficult to keep it a secret. It's incredible, General—I can hit targets at nearly 400 meters, almost doubling its effective range!"

"Congratulations, Dominique," Charles said, examining the rifle. "Your skills have improved."

"No, it's not my skill," Dominique explained. "It's mechanical technology. One day, the enemy could just as easily mount scopes; it's not a difficult thing to do."

If the enemy could close the gap so easily, it would mean no lasting advantage. So, calling it a breakthrough was premature.

Charles nodded, looking through the scope. "Perhaps you've considered this as purely mechanical, but it's an entirely new field. By the time our enemies start mass-producing scopes, you'll have developed real expertise."

Dominique looked puzzled. "You mean...?"

"Four hundred meters, Dominique," Charles reminded him. "At one or two hundred meters, factors like wind direction, velocity, and gravity have minimal impact, so we often shoot by instinct."

Dominique's eyes lit up, understanding instantly.

"But at 400 meters or beyond, we have to consider environmental factors. Only by factoring in these influences can we achieve longer-range accuracy."

"There's a whole field of new technology waiting to be explored."

"We can be the first to uncover and develop it…"

Astonished, Dominique gasped. "My God, you're right, General. I can improve my shooting skills—without even going to the battlefield."

Charles nodded. This was a role well-suited for Dominique.

He returned the sniper rifle, not particularly interested in it himself—mainly because he disliked the Lebel rifle and would prefer a scoped Mauser, which wouldn't be hard to arrange.

Dominique was taken aback; who could resist a rifle with a 400-meter range?

"Is that the submachine gun?" Charles turned his gaze to the second gun case.

"Yes." Dominique carefully detached the scope from the rifle, placed it back in the case, and then opened the other gun case, pushing it toward Charles.

To Charles's surprise, the submachine gun inside was unfamiliar.

Charles had expected a German MP18 submachine gun, which the Germans had begun designing in 1915 and eventually deployed in 1918, hence its name, "MP18."

As the world's first submachine gun, the MP18 was widely known. Following the course of history, Charles had assumed that Dominique would end up with an MP18 design.

What Charles didn't know was that the world's first submachine gun wasn't actually the MP18. Although the MP18 was superior and more famous, it was preceded by Italy's OVP 1918 by a few months.

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