The first update

After leaving the Ritz, Napoleon's next destination was Le Queço, in eastern France, which was originally an obscure town but became famous thanks to the Schneider family. Even after Napoleon proposed that he was going to Le Quiso, everyone's first reaction was that the French government was going to attack the steel giants.

The steel and arms giant, second only to Krupp at the beginning of the 20th century, recruited a group of Chinese students studying part-time, including a young man surnamed Deng from Sichuan.

The small town of Le Queuço is strategically located near Paris to the north, Lyon to the south and Dijon to the east, and is flanked by the Somme and Loire rivers on the left and right. As a result, the Schneider family bought the coal mines, iron mines, and affiliated factories in Lequesso, and even a nearby castle called Wilsey as the local headquarters of the Schneider family.

The Schneider family first migrated from Germany to France and ran the banking industry, but unlike the Rothschilds, who focused on finance, the Schneider family really started out of the steam civilization. In 1814, after the invention of the steam locomotive by the Englishman Stevenson, the railway officially entered human civilization. Although France soon began to build a railway network, steam locomotives had to be imported from England, which was somewhat damaging to the self-esteem of the French, who had just lived through the glorious era of Napoleon's civilization.

Patriotic sentiment is gradually rising, and there is a strong hope for the emergence of domestic trains. Eugène Schneider saw this in mind, and he was not satisfied with steel smelting and primary processing, but from the very beginning positioned the company as a two-pronged approach to smelting and manufacturing.

Despite its many shortcomings, it was the first steam locomotive to be completely localized in parts and assembly – the first French train to run on French territory. This success shook the whole of France, and the patriotic French did not hesitate to give praise to the Schneider family. The company and the Schneider brothers also became famous. For this achievement, Eugène Schneider was also awarded the Legion of Honor of France.

At this time, the founder of Schneider Heavy Industries, Baron Eugène Schneider, was no longer in charge of the housekeeping of the factory, and was fully entrusted to his son, Henry Schneider.

At this time, Schneider Heavy Industries was facing two serious problems, the first was ten years ago, Schneider Heavy Industries' old rival, Krupp Corporation, solemnly announced to the outside world that they had successfully built a super hammer called Fritz, up to 50 tons. And the old rival Krupp has held this record for a full ten years and has not been broken by Schneider, so angry that Schneider has been pressed for ten years.

The second problem is even more serious. The Schneider family was originally a French financial family, and invested a lot of capital chips in the French Second Empire and Napoleon III, and the Second Empire collapsed in the Franco-Prussian War, while the established French Third Empire threatened to nationalize all industries related to the lifeblood of the French economy, so that the Schneider family's investment in the French government will be all wasted.

Although it was not as miserable as it was during the Paris Commune, it still had a great impact on the business of the Schneider family.

Originally, Eugène also wanted to go to Paris to establish some relations, and the termination was the fate of the nationalization of Naide's enterprises. However, things suddenly took a turn for the worse, and French President Napoleon suddenly left Paris and arrived in Le Queço, reportedly preparing to personally negotiate with the Schneider family to finalize the so-called nationalization.

Eugène Schneider told his son that he must do his best to win the French government's special favor and stop nationalizing his coal and steel cutting industries.

Once nationalized, two generations of hard work were in vain.

"I know that this negotiation is difficult, that the big families in the country who refuse to cooperate with the government have been severely suppressed, that the current parliament is in vain, and that Napoleon, by virtue of his victory in the Franco-Prussian War, has taken full control of France."

Henry Snyder looked at his elderly father on the bed and asked softly, "What if the French government disagrees with us?" ”

Eugène Schneider was reluctant, as if he saw his old rival Krupp laughing at himself for not breaking the record of the steam hammer.

replied calmly, "Then our old rival wins, and the Schneider family will come to an end." ”

The dark clouds that pressed on the hearts of the two of them could not be dispersed. Eventually, Henry sullenly got up and left his father's bedroom.

The dictator of France is coming, and the end of the Schneider family is near.

The cold of March began to dissipate slowly, and Henry stood in the sun without the slightest warmth, because he was facing a hard-fisted politician.

As the black carriage approached, his heartbeat began to slowly accelerate.

Henry stood in front of Wells Castle, calmly looking at the convoy approaching him. It was the biggest challenge of his career as a large factory owner, and he faced the most powerful leader of France, the first king of the Bonaparte family, Bonaparte Napoleon.

When the other party stepped out of the carriage, Henry's expression of shock was unmistakable as that of other ordinary people who saw Napoleon's face for the first time. Faced with this face exactly like the emperor, he even felt that the Schneider family had found the next investment partner.

But this illusion flashed through my mind and was dispelled. He hurriedly put on a kind smile and greeted him generously.

"Your Excellency, welcome to the Schneider family."

Napoleon also nodded, and said, "Hello, Monsieur Henry. ”

Henry, with all due courtesy, led Napoleon to his castle.

Napoleon followed him and did not speak. This was his first visit to Schneider Heavy Industries and he had the privilege of meeting the heirs of the Schneider family. Eugène Schneider, who was lying in a hospital bed, insisted on sitting in a wheelchair and was pushed out by a servant to observe the negotiations with the French president.

This was the main purpose of the trip to Château Wilch, and everyone thought that the French president was preparing to clean up the Schneider family himself, and only Napoleon knew what he wanted.

After the two sides sat down at the negotiating table, Schneider's side showed nervousness. Because if they make a single mistake, the clique that almost monopolizes the French railways will no longer belong to them.

Henry Schneider was about to speak, but Napoleon waved his hand to signal the other party not to speak, and he was the first to reveal an astonishing inside story to Henry.

"The Minister of Public Works is now working on a plan to develop the transport sector in an all-out way, with the aim of improving France's integrated transport system, which is dominated by the railway network and supplemented by shipping, for which the French government has allocated a huge sum of 5 billion francs, and the family should now know what 5 billion francs means."

Henry was stunned for a moment, he had no idea that France would carry out such a major reconstruction project after the Franco-Prussian War.

It was originally the famous Fresiné plan of the Third Republic, and it was like a pie in the sky for the Schneider-Lequesso factory, whose main business was the manufacture of steam locomotives and railway steel.

Because once the Fresiné project was launched, only the Schneider family's factory in the whole of France had enough steel in stock; At this time, the innovative Thomas Steelmaking Law doubled Schneider-Le Quisso's production to meet the demand of the whole of France; What's more, only Schneider's factory has enough skilled workers to ensure production efficiency; Schneider was able to take advantage of this assistance to finally survive the most difficult period and start the road of the second revival of the family.

Napoleon's generous message caused Eugène Schneider to suffer a heart attack, and changed his previous melancholy look, which was enough to catapult his steel giant into a steel empire. The Third Reich was like the successor of the Schneider family.

"Listen to me."

Napoleon waved his hand and continued, "This is just the beginning, I have been following Schneider and I know that you are the only steel giant that can match the Germans in terms of steel production." Now the French military has a business to negotiate with you, and if you agree, I can get you all the orders for the French army's artillery fire, remember what I say, it's all. Anyway, the strength you have to develop the steam hammer is enough to forge a larger caliber gun. ”

Hearing this news, even Henry Schneider, who has always been calm, became excited, what was the most profitable industry in the 19th century? There is no doubt that it is munitions, and at this time, Napoleon actually named the Schneider family to develop artillery for the French government, which is flattering, and it is also an affirmation of their research and development strength.

Surprise or not, thrill or not?

From hell to heaven, Eugène Schneider certainly hasn't eased up, and the other groups are begging the military to adopt their designs, while the French government has come to the door directly.

But he knew very well that there was only one chance, and if he seized the Schneider family, he could become synonymous with the French military industry from now on. So he desperately winked at his son, signaling that he had agreed to Napoleon's plea.

Henry Schneider's voice trembled a little, and he asked cautiously, "What does His Excellency the President want us to do?" ”

"What to do? Of course, in the arms industry, Schneider has strong scientific and technological strength, shouldn't it make its own contribution to French armaments and weapons? ”

Napoleon replied simply and clearly, "What is the Krupp artillery, I want to make Schneider the military empire of France." ”