Chapter 451: The FN Armory
In Antwerp, the atmosphere at Albert I's estate was calm and peaceful.
After several days of renovations, the estate had been transformed from its previous chaotic and dilapidated state into a warm and tidy place.
It was lunchtime, and Albert I, along with Colonel Eden, was eating and discussing matters with great enthusiasm.
The meal was simple—some bread, a bit of leafy vegetables, and the only real meat being a few pieces of fried chicken.
"I plan to save all the money for the defense system," Albert I said. "That is the most important thing at the moment."
The topic of their conversation was the defense system.
"We've already recaptured two key points," Albert I said, chewing on some hard bread, and he asked Colonel Eden, "What can we do now?"
"Technically, yes, Your Majesty," Colonel Eden replied. "According to Charles' defense philosophy, these key points are mainly used to store fuel and ammunition. Gent, being a major rear base, should be the most important 'ammunition and fuel' warehouse."
Albert I nodded in agreement.
The Liège fortress was too far forward; it would be the first target for the Germans to attack.
But then Albert I had a thought.
"What if it's France?" Albert I asked, looking up at Colonel Eden, lowering his voice.
Though France was an ally, they couldn't let their guard down.
And Gent was on the French side—if they stored fuel and ammunition there, wouldn't they be exposing a weakness to them?
"Your Majesty," Colonel Eden said, raising his eyebrows in a somewhat resigned manner, "France has Charles, and he's only eighteen."
Albert I immediately understood.
Any defense or preparation would be useless in front of Charles, especially since this defense system was designed by Charles himself.
"Mm," Albert I nodded heavily. "Let's keep it in Gent."
Defending against France seemed pointless.
"So, we can strengthen Gent's fortifications and structures," Colonel Eden suggested. "Additionally, we should build several large warehouses, preferably underground, to avoid them being destroyed by enemy aircraft or artillery."
He added, "The army's development must keep up as well. Charles' defense system has very high demands on the military."
"Yes," Albert I agreed. "They need to be able to break through the enemy's lines and maneuver quickly, just like Charles' forces. Only then can we link all the key points together as a cohesive whole."
At this point, Albert I felt a slight unease. He always had this urge to connect the key points with trenches, fortifications, or bunkers.
He had asked Colonel Eden about this before.
Colonel Eden had responded:
"That might not be a good idea, Your Majesty."
"We don't have enough troops to defend such a long line."
"The result is that the defense lines we build may be exploited by the enemy, and it would be our armored and mechanized forces that would suffer."
Albert I thought about it and agreed. The five key points were connected by eight edges, and the total length was over 500 kilometers.
With Belgium's population, the standing army could only number in the tens of thousands.
A few tens of thousands of troops defending a 500-kilometer-long line would only average a few hundred soldiers per kilometer, barely enough for one or two infantry companies.
If armored and mechanized units were included, the numbers would be even more stretched.
Perhaps Charles had thought of this, which was why he suggested a mobile defense with armored and mechanized units!
Albert I sighed to himself. Though not very knowledgeable about military affairs, he always felt that placing something on the defense line would bring him a sense of security.
Otherwise, with nothing there, enemy tanks could easily break through and wreak havoc, which didn't feel secure at all.
Just as Albert I was lost in thought, a guard stepped forward to report: "Your Majesty, Mr. Boyata is outside."
"Let him in," Albert I ordered.
Colonel Eden looked at Albert I with some nervousness. "The owner of the FN Armory?"
"Yes," Albert I nodded calmly. "I've asked him to come for a discussion."
"Should I step out?" Colonel Eden asked.
There were still things he didn't know.
"No," Albert I shook his head. "There's nothing you shouldn't know."
Soon, an elderly man in his sixties entered the dining room, walking steadily. His face was wrinkled, but his eyes were sharp, indicating he had taken good care of himself.
Albert I stood to greet him and introduced him to Colonel Eden.
The food on the table was quickly cleared away and replaced with coffee. The three of them began to drink and talk.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Boyata said with a smile. "We've recaptured a third of the land. With Charles' help, reclaiming the rest of the country is only a matter of time."
"That's good for you too, Mr. Boyata," Albert I met Boyata's gaze. "This means your branch in Gent is back under FN, now only the main factory in Liège is left."
Boyata chuckled. "Yes, thanks to Charles. If I get the chance, I'd like to thank him in person!"
"Of course, you will have the chance," Albert I replied, picking up his coffee cup. "He's in Antwerp. If you wish, I can take you to meet him now."
Boyata laughed lightly. "Your Majesty didn't bring me here just to introduce me to Charles, did you?"
At this point, Boyata wasn't sure what his relationship with Charles was.
Originally, FN had almost monopolized Belgian arms production. Though it only produced rifles and pistols so far, it was moving towards developing machine guns.
But when Charles appeared, he began to encroach on FN's market.
Friend or foe?
If they were enemies, FN's main factory was counting on Charles to recapture it.
If they were friends, they were destined to become fierce competitors in the future!
"I've heard your company is developing a light machine gun," Albert I asked. "How's the progress?"
"It's not really development," Boyata admitted. "We've imported the 'Chauchat' machine gun from France and are working on improving it."
Albert I took a sip of coffee, his voice smooth as he spoke. "Are you doing this to compete with Charles' 'Saint-Étienne 2'?"
Boyata's expression changed, and he quickly denied it. "No, no. I'm not thinking like that. I just want to keep up with the development of firearms. You know, the light machine gun is a new weapon. It's different from both rifles and heavy machine guns, and we don't want to fall too far behind in this area."
Colonel Eden, who had been silent up to this point, suddenly understood. He looked at Boyata, who was hurriedly explaining, and immediately realized why Albert I had brought him here.
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