Make France Great Again-Chapter 165 Kang Cai’en Steel Company

Jerome Bonaparte held the blueprint in his hand, then took a pencil from the dark red oak pen holder engraved with the scene of Napoleon crossing the Alps.

Although pencils of this era were the prototypes of those in later generations, there were still slight differences between the two.

Pencils in the 19th century were not only expensive but also much less durable, as a slight amount of force could easily break the tip.

Moreover, the primary material of pencils in this era was graphite, and France was a country scarce in graphite. Even with the improved pencils, which had significantly reduced graphite content due to Condé’s innovations, it was hard to meet the massive demand of France. Sometimes, France had to rely on imported graphite, with most graphite-made pens being used for the French Army and engineering purposes.

Percy and Eugène Schneider watched the busy Jerome Bonaparte with curiosity and unease, wondering what Jerome Bonaparte was trying to do.

Holding the blueprint in his left hand and a pencil in his right, Jerome Bonaparte returned to the sofa and spread the blueprint on the coffee table in front of Percy and Eugène Schneider.

As the blueprint unfolded, a device resembling a furnace of unknown purpose became visible on it.

The furnace on the blueprint depicted a semi-sectional structure, with every part carefully labeled in French.

"Your Majesty, what is this..." Percy pointed at the furnace on the blueprint in bewilderment and asked.

"Take a guess!" Jerome Bonaparte tossed the pencil onto the table and flopped onto the sofa.

"This..." Percy, completely unfamiliar with mechanics, obviously did not know what the furnace was for. He could only turn his gaze to the "techie" Eugène Schneider beside him.

Standing aside, Eugène Schneider seemed enthralled as he pressed his hands on the table, as if about to merge with it.

"The pencil is right there!" Jerome Bonaparte "kindly" reminded.

Eugène Schneider slightly lifted his head, reached out, and took the pencil in front of the blueprint, continuously drawing on it.

"Your Majesty, he..." Percy pointed at Eugène Schneider, worried that Eugène Schneider’s impulsiveness might leave a bad impression on Jerome Bonaparte.

Though Eugène Schneider had been found under the President’s orders, through his interactions with Eugène Schneider, Percy had gradually become impressed by Eugène Schneider’s promising future. Not to mention that his brother was a somewhat influential banker; both sentimentally and logically, Percy felt he should help him.

"It doesn’t matter!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his hand generously and said casually, "Inventors always have some odd habits! You sit down too, Percy!"

"Yes!" Following Jerome Bonaparte’s command, Percy nodded and sat down.

The two quietly watched Eugène Schneider’s solo performance, with no one intending to interrupt the "interesting" inventor.

It was not until a servant brought in three steaming cups of coffee and a coffee pot on an aluminum tray that Eugène Schneider finally put down the pencil.

By this time, the blueprint was filled with dense lines, and judging from the direction of the lines, there were no apparent mistakes. Some areas even had specific directions for ventilation marked.

Truly not to be underestimated, as expected from the founder of the Schneider Company.

Jerome Bonaparte had not anticipated that Eugène Schneider could completely understand the blueprint in such a short time, something he himself had taken nearly a week in the past (in his previous life) to grasp the principles of.

"Mr. President!" Eugène Schneider asked excitedly, with eyes sparkling, "May I ask where you obtained this blueprint?"

Saying this, Eugène Schneider rubbed his hands, his inner dreams evident in the eyes of Jerome Bonaparte and Percy.

Compared to his brother Adolphe Schneider, Eugène Schneider still had a long way to go.

"Sit down! Speak while seated!" Jerome Bonaparte gestured for Eugène Schneider to sit down.

Eugène Schneider listened to Jerome Bonaparte’s words, sat on the sofa, but his gaze still occasionally drifted to the blueprint on the table.

"Put it away!" Jerome Bonaparte turned his head and said to Percy.

"Yes!" Percy nodded, stood up, and put the blueprint on the coffee table away.

Eugène Schneider displayed an expression of longing and conflict, much like a wanderer who unexpectedly meets someone who steals their heart but gets rejected.

Yes! I wanted to see that look of discontent on your face!

Jerome Bonaparte cheered inwardly, finding enjoyment in watching a "famous" historical figure flounder.

"Have some coffee!" Jerome Bonaparte beckoned slightly, signaling for the servant to come in.

The attendant carefully maneuvered through the gap between the two red velvet cushioned sofas to place the tray on the table, then positioned three cups of coffee in front of the three people, set the coffee pot in the middle, and finally removed the tray before leaving.

Jerome Bonaparte slowly sipped his coffee, then made a gesture to invite the others to do the same.

Eugène Schneider, burning with anxiety, had no interest in savoring the coffee. He knew that if this technology spread, then inexpensive steel would surely crush his company.

No matter how much he cut costs, he couldn’t stop it!

Eugène Schneider gulped down a large sip of his coffee, nearly half a cup, the scorching heat in his throat causing his expression to slightly distort.

"Mr. President, can you tell me who owns the blueprints now?" Eugène Schneider anxiously asked Jerome Bonaparte.

"Mr. Schneider, if it were your brother, he would never speak to me in such a tone!" Jerome Bonaparte said coldly.

Eugène Schneider’s fiery heart felt like it was frozen by a blast of ice; he suddenly remembered he was in the President’s office, sitting across from the most powerful man in all of France. How could he speak to him in such a tone!

"Mr... President, I... I’m very sorry..." Eugène Schneider apologized to Jerome Bonaparte to avoid bringing disaster to the Schneider Clan, though his tongue was reluctant to obey due to the burning coffee.

"No problem! Just be more careful next time!" Jerome Bonaparte replied, his attitude softening.

"Mr. President, um... um... may I ask about the owner of the blueprints..." Eugène Schneider asked Jerome Bonaparte cautiously, enduring the pain on the tip of his tongue.

"It is me!" Jerome Bonaparte said frankly.

Percy and Eugène Schneider both looked at Jerome Bonaparte with astonished expressions, seemingly unwilling to believe this fact.

"Don’t believe it?" Jerome Bonaparte took another sip of coffee.

"Believe it! Believe it!" Eugène Schneider nodded quickly.

The blueprints themselves had no signature; as long as no one claimed ownership, they belonged to the President. (Kelly from the United States: MMP)

"Mr. President, I wonder if your blueprints could..." Eugène Schneider asked Jerome Bonaparte even more cautiously.

"I have already patented these blueprints, and I will not accept a one-time transaction!" Jerome Bonaparte stated decisively, thereby also cutting off Eugène Schneider’s slim hope.

Yes! As the most powerful person in France, Mr. President certainly wouldn’t be troubled by money. As long as he wanted, he could earn a fortune with the patent.

"Then Mr. President, what do you want?" Eugène Schneider understood that Jerome Bonaparte definitely wanted something.

"I’ll provide the technology, you provide the people, and we can form a joint-venture steel company within the United Nations, how about that?" Jerome Bonaparte proposed.

"This..." Eugène Schneider hesitated. He did not want other forces mixed into his painstakingly built kingdom, even if it meant spending more than what the Steel Kingdom itself was worth!

Eugène Schneider also realized that if he refused the President’s olive branch, the Schneider Clan behind him might face utter ruin.

Having already been hit hard by the ruins left by the collapse of the July Monarchy, the Schneider Clan simply couldn’t withstand pressure from the President. As for the "friends" the Schneider Clan painstakingly cultivated, they would shamelessly rob them at the first opportunity.

In these times, friends are the most unreliable thing.

"Mr. President, how many shares do you want?" Eugène Schneider capitulated.

After thinking for a long time, Jerome Bonaparte extended three fingers and said, "How about 30% of the shares? Rest assured, I will not interfere with the operations of Schneider Company!"

Having already planned to bleed heavily, Eugène Schneider felt relieved hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s offer. The Ministry of Public Works’ orders plus the new technology seemed like a "reasonable" price.

"Welcome onboard, Mr. President!" Eugène Schneider said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Mr. Schneider, you should call him Your Majesty!" Percy said, egging him on from the side.

"Yes! Your Majesty!" Eugène Schneider responded.

"How about setting up the new company in Lorraine? The iron ore there can meet our demands!" Rather than asking Eugène Schneider, Jerome Bonaparte was essentially commanding him.

"Of course, Your Majesty! But I’m worried that the locals there might..." Eugène Schneider expressed some concern about the influence of local powers.

"Hmph! Those guys!" Jerome Bonaparte snorted and said, "If they want to join in, we can let them have a sip of soup! If they try to obstruct, I don’t mind pulling them out by the roots!"

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