Chapter 438: Revised: Chapter 438 The Belgian Fork
Shire found the piece of land that Albert I mentioned on the map.
It was located to the north of Antwerp City, 2 kilometers from the port, 1.5 kilometers from the train station, and a hundred meters from the highway. Additionally, there was a factory building already constructed, with several dormitory and office buildings ready for use.
Albert I explained that it was originally a British-invested bicycle factory, which shut down due to concerns about the impending war.
Shire roughly calculated, realizing that the 2,000-plus square meters area cost three million francs, making the unit price less than 1,500 francs. With all these facilities, it was practically a giveaway.
Although land prices were cheap during wartime, they weren’t this low. Besides, with the victories Shire had brought, land prices in Antwerp had been soaring, especially near the port. Many investors were looking to "catch the bottom" but couldn’t find an opportunity, while Albert I delivered this prime land directly to Shire.
More importantly, this area was also very safe: it was close to the coast, within the range of naval guns, serving as Antwerp’s retreat route. If the city was attacked, it would be the last area to fall.
But Shire didn’t appreciate the gift.
In Shire’s headquarters, he brought Albert I and Colonel Edison to the lounge for discussion.
After all, discussing business openly in the office with staff and communicators around was somewhat inappropriate.
Perhaps to save electricity, the lights in the dormitory were dim, and the air smelled moldy and sour.
The beds were bunk-style, with a small room of just a few square meters barely accommodating four soldiers. The three of them felt cramped standing there.
The only piece of furniture was a small single table at the end.
Shire spread the map on the table and circled the area Albert I mentioned with a pencil.
"I admit this is a very good deal, Your Majesty," Shire said regretfully. "But for now, I haven’t thought of any business to conduct here. As you know, I mainly produce military equipment, which doesn’t require frequent import and export."
Military equipment is different from other products – it relies more on technology and patents. Once these two aspects are resolved, other countries can manufacture on their own without needing a factory in Antwerp to sell, especially to Britain.
However, Shire was using a retreating move to advance, carefully probing.
Albert I was taken aback; he hadn’t considered this point.
But he quickly responded excitedly, "That’s great. We have a huge demand for military equipment, Brigadier. I am considering rebuilding the Belgian Army and updating their equipment, not just firearms but cannons and even tanks."
This was a big deal, Shire thought but remained silent, knowing he had to play it cool.
Albert I turned his gaze to Colonel Edison.
Colonel Edison seemed preoccupied, taking a moment to react. He was astonished, "We can get that equipment? That, that would be fantastic."
Colonel Edison looked at Shire, cautiously asking, "I hope we can build the Belgian Army like your troops, General. If possible, I would also like you to train them."
His voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes were filled with uncertainty. He feared that these were Shire’s closely guarded secrets, capable of dominating the battlefield.
"It’s not difficult," Shire replied calmly. "You just need to import from France, which is right next door. As for training, since I’m selling you the equipment, of course, I have to teach you how to use it."
"Really?" Colonel Edison’s eyes lit up instantly. "That’s wonderful, Brigadier! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to see that day."
It was an unexpected surprise for Colonel Edison.
He had long considered the prospects of the Belgian Army.
With a population of less than 7 million, it was not easy to recruit tens of thousands of soldiers, but this number was still negligible against major powers.
This was the primary reason Belgium had always focused on building fortresses and was willing to invest heavily.
But now, it seemed that fortresses could not guarantee Belgium’s safety.
So...
Colonel Edison then thought of Shire’s army.
With just over 20,000 troops, Shire’s army had easily surrounded and defeated over 100,000 strong German Army.
If the Belgian tens of thousands of troops could be trained like Shire’s, what would the result be?
Yes, this is what Belgium needed!
Albert I, however, had reservations. He didn’t oppose Shire but didn’t fully agree with Colonel Edison’s view.
"I am considering something, Brigadier," said Albert I. "Taking this opportunity, I would like to ask you – our fortresses have evidently played their role in this war, allowing our small forces to hold out against the powerful German Army for over two months."
(Note: Albert I was referring to the surrender of Antwerp. Including Ypres, Belgium held out for the entire First World War, though most of the fighting in Ypres was done by the British Army.)
"So now," Albert I gestured around, "are we going to abandon this proven development path?"
"Your Majesty," Colonel Edison countered, "it hasn’t been proven effective. In fact, I believe it has failed. It couldn’t withstand the German’s super heavy artillery, leaving us with only one end."
"But what if we had Shire’s bombers?" Albert I retorted. "Bombers can destroy the super heavy artillery. Wouldn’t that allow us to defend against any attack?"
Colonel Edison was speechless because the situation did seem as Albert I described.
Shire, hearing their debate, seemed to understand. Belgium was at a crossroads in its development direction:
Should they develop armored and mechanized units like Shire, or continue down the traditional path of building better, more advanced fortresses?
This didn’t pose a conflict of interest for Shire.
Because no matter which choice Belgium made, Shire would be the beneficiary:
In the former case, Shire would supply all the equipment for armored and mechanized units.
In the latter, the fortresses would likely be built by Shire, given his expertise in military defense.
Shire didn’t say much more. He just looked at Albert I and said, "Your Majesty, all you need to do is recall how I broke through Antwerp."
Albert I was stunned, then stood speechless with his mouth half open.
Colonel Edison suddenly realized he found the most compelling evidence: "Yes, the Brigadier’s armored units easily breached the Antwerp defenses at night, even the ones held by the Germans. Those fortresses were almost useless at night. They couldn’t see the enemy, so they didn’t know where to fire!"