Chapter 651: Supply Rights
Charles wielded significant control over both the army and the air force.
He had military rank, prestige, and command authority, along with control over the production and supply of essential equipment for the land and air forces.
For instance, the army's tanks, and in the future, dedicated tank guns and dual-axis stabilized fire control systems.
For the air force, it was the fighters, bombers, and engine technologies.
All of these were directly controlled by the Bernard Group, which meant Charles had direct oversight.
Only low-tech, easily substitutable equipment—such as rifles, landmines, machine guns, and mortars—were outsourced to the Saint-Étienne and FN arsenals.
The navy, however, was a different matter.
Charles had neither rank nor command authority within the navy. His only connection was through the shipyard in Vaires.
Prestige? Perhaps. At this point, Charles was a towering figure in France, and even in the navy, few hadn't heard his name.
But prestige was ephemeral. In front of someone with real power like Vice Admiral Gepratte, it meant little.
If one day, Charles and Gepratte had conflicting interests, or if Gepratte were persuaded or even bought by Charles's political enemies, then all of Charles's naval groundwork could be overturned overnight.
This was no trivial matter.
It concerned Charles's control over supplies and his overall influence. One misstep, and everything could be lost.
Of course, Charles would never surrender such an opportunity.
"Vice Admiral," Gepratte asked, eyes filled with anticipation, "how much funding are you planning to provide the navy?"
"Not yet certain," Charles answered after a brief pause. "No one knows how far the war will go, nor the exact needs of the navy. But I plan to invest $15 million in the first phase to build ten new destroyers, each around 2,000 tons."
$15 million—a sum roughly equivalent to Charles's monthly income.
(Note: This cost is based on Greece purchasing four 1,000-ton British "Beast" destroyers in 1916 for £148,000 each, or about $713,000 per ship.)
Gepratte was overjoyed. "F-Fifteen million? Dollars? Are you sure?"
He could hardly believe Charles would invest such a large amount right off the bat.
France only had three destroyers under construction, and one battleship project had stalled halfway.
And this was with the full might of the nation behind it.
Yet Charles could fund ten new destroyers—modern ones at that—in one go.
"Of course, Vice Admiral," Charles confirmed. "More funding will follow, along with the much-needed materials. I hope to turn the French Navy into the strongest regional force."
Gepratte nodded solemnly.
He understood what Charles really meant—across the Channel stood the world's number one navy.
When Charles said "strongest regional navy," he meant the strongest in the world.
Could it be? Was a new dawn breaking for the French Navy?
Gepratte felt dizzy with excitement.
But he quickly calmed down.
He knew Charles wasn't just a decorated general—he was also a businessman.
And businessmen don't give away large sums of money without expecting something in return.
Charles was no exception.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral," Gepratte said formally, shaking Charles's hand. "On behalf of the French people and the entire navy, I thank you for your generosity. We won't forget your contribution."
"It's my duty, Admiral," Charles replied. "It's a shared goal, wouldn't you say?"
"Of course," Gepratte agreed, then asked more tactfully, "But... do you have any conditions? I mean, surely you wouldn't invest so much without any return."
Charles pretended to think for a moment.
"You're right, Admiral. After all, the Bernard Group doesn't belong to me alone.
While I would gladly donate the money to the navy, I must consider others' interests as well.
So, perhaps this money could be considered payment for naval supply rights. What do you think?"
Gepratte was momentarily stunned. "Supply rights?"
"Yes," Charles explained, "in short, the responsibility for supplying naval officers and sailors—everything from daily necessities to ammunition, fuel, and weapons."
"I'm planning to expand into the shipping business. My shipping company will continuously bring in supplies from the United States.
All I ask is to earn a small profit margin to offset the cost."
That statement was half true.
The expansion into maritime logistics was real.
Charles controlled the security of the sea lanes, and forming his own merchant fleet to handle supplies was immensely profitable.
Besides, controlling the transport himself gave him peace of mind—otherwise, others might cut him off.
The part about "earning a small margin" was a lie.
Charles's real intention was to control naval supplies and thereby increase his influence over the navy.
If one day the navy defied him, all he had to do was cut off supplies.
This was especially true for irreplaceable items like weapons, ammunition, and future carrier-based aircraft.
Gepratte, of course, understood all this.
He hesitated briefly, weighing the pros and cons.
To agree meant losing some independence, possibly having to listen to Charles in the future.
But that wasn't exactly a loss.
With the support of someone as wealthy as Charles, the Brest faction of the navy wouldn't even have to worry about suppression by the naval minister or budget cuts from parliament.
There was also tremendous room for growth—and possibly, many victories.
Victory especially could cement Gepratte's name in history—especially if they defeated the British Royal Navy and became the top navy in the world.
To refuse would mean the French Navy would fall back into its struggles.
Charles might even give up on the Brest fleet altogether.
There would be no victories, no glory, and they might even be dissolved and merged into the Toulon fleet.
With all this in mind, Gepratte didn't hesitate any longer. He nodded.
"No problem, Vice Admiral. I believe you'll be a great partner. You won't overcharge for the supplies, right?"
This was Gepratte's other concern—if Charles monopolized supply rights and then jacked up the prices, it would hurt naval morale.
Charles laughed.
"Don't worry, Admiral. I'll use the British Royal Navy's standards for food and supply prices as a benchmark.
I guarantee my supplies will be cheaper—not more expensive.
If not, I'll pay ten times the difference!"
The British Royal Navy's supply prices were already two to three times higher than the market rate, and even then, there was still huge profit margin.
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