Chapter 79: The Model 01 Rifle

"Roland, you really helped me a lot this time. I'm very moved by the great help you've provided. Do you have any difficulties? I'll help you with them."

"Uncle, can I ask you for a favor?" Roland asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, our little Roland also needs help sometimes? Tell me, let's see if your uncle can assist you," Napoleon said with a smile.

"Really? Uncle Napoleon, to be honest, I do have a small problem recently that I need your help with," Roland said cunningly.

"Go ahead, whatever you ask for, I'll grant it," Napoleon said dismissively, waving his hand. As the First Consul of France, he could accomplish anything.

"Could you lend me some money?" Roland asked.

"Oh, running out of money? Just tell me how much you need. You've helped me so much; it's only right for me to thank you properly. How much do you need?" Napoleon said, smiling.

"Not too much, just lend me five million francs," Roland said calmly.

"Pff," Napoleon spat out his coffee upon hearing the amount. He had assumed Roland just needed some pocket money, but he hadn't expected him to ask for five million francs. That was no small sum. To put it into perspective, France's annual GDP was only about 15 to 2 billion francs.

"Roland, you can't be serious. What do you need so much money for? That amount could arm an entire army," Napoleon said, wiping the coffee from the corners of his mouth and then looking at Roland inquisitively.

"Uncle Napoleon, I'm not joking. The real reason I'm asking for this money is to arm the army," Roland replied with a smile.

"You don't plan on forming your own private army, do you?" Napoleon said, feigning surprise as he looked at Roland. If anyone else had made such a request, he would have immediately arrested them for treason. But Roland was different; he was Napoleon's most trusted confidant and nephew. Besides, if Roland were really planning a rebellion, he wouldn't ask Napoleon to fund it.

"Of course not. That would be tantamount to treason. I just want to buy an arms factory," Roland said with a silly grin.

"Roland, you can't be serious. What do you need an arms factory for?" Napoleon asked, even more puzzled by Roland's request.

Roland, this crafty fellow, had always been full of tricks since he was a child. If he wanted to buy an arms factory, he certainly had another clever idea. Napoleon couldn't quite figure it out yet.

Roland smiled and said, "Of course, I'm not joking. I really do plan to buy an arms factory."

"Uncle Napoleon, haven't you noticed? The rifles we are using now are terrible in terms of performance. Compared to the British muskets, ours have significant shortcomings. Our bullet loading time is excessively long. This was evident in our engagements with the Turks. If we could reduce the loading time of our rifles, we could more easily achieve volley fire, giving us a substantial advantage against enemy cavalry."

"So recently, I've been studying many books on firearms in my spare time and even designed a rifle. Although it hasn't been manufactured yet, I believe its performance will be much better than the ones the army is currently using. Therefore, I plan to open an arms factory to produce this rifle. However, I've run into a bit of a financial issue, so that's why I'm asking to borrow money from you."

"I believe that the introduction of this rifle would revolutionize warfare. The army equipped with this weapon would lead the world," Roland said, scratching his head. In truth, he wanted to start his own venture but lacked the startup capital. He now deeply understood the saying, "A penny can thwart a hero."

So, Roland turned to Napoleon for help. As the First Consul of France, Napoleon certainly had money. Moreover, backing his venture with Napoleon's name would provide significant advantages. An arms factory was sensitive in any context, and without powerful backing, it would attract trouble. But if Napoleon invested, the factory would be associated with him.

The government officials, no matter how greedy, wouldn't dare to mess with Napoleon's factory!

Roland had thought everything through and was just waiting for Napoleon's investment.

"Uncle Napoleon, what do you think? You just promised me," Roland continued, seeing Napoleon's silence. He decided to try a bit of reverse psychology to provoke him.

"Little Roland, don't bother with reverse psychology. It won't work on me. Do you think I'd fall for such a simple trick?" Napoleon shook his head. If he could be swayed by such tactics, he wouldn't be worthy of his name.

"Heh heh! Uncle Napoleon, you truly are formidable. I admire you!" Roland said, chuckling.

"Hmph! Enough flattery. If you want me to lend you money, it's not impossible. But first, let me see your plans. I'll decide after reviewing them," Napoleon said, maintaining a stern expression. He wasn't about to be swayed by Roland's compliments.

Roland knew Napoleon wouldn't easily part with such a large sum of money. He had come prepared. Hearing Napoleon's request for the plans, he immediately took them out of his bag and handed them to Napoleon. With an expectant look, he said, "Uncle Napoleon, you are the most formidable and valiant general in all of France. You must be very knowledgeable about military equipment. What do you think of my design? Please, give me your opinion."

"So, you were prepared all along! Well, that's expected. You never fight an unprepared battle," Napoleon said, smiling as he took the plans.

Napoleon slowly unfolded the plans. At first glance, he was captivated. The meticulous lines indicated that the designer was an excellent military engineer.

Being a commander, Napoleon didn't carry a rifle himself, but he was well aware of his soldiers' equipment. He immediately recognized that this rifle was superior to those currently used by the French army.

"A very impressive rifle," Napoleon said, nodding in approval as he examined the rifle parts depicted on the plans.

"Who designed this? I must meet them. Such talent must be fully utilized by my government," Napoleon exclaimed in amazement as he examined the rifle blueprint. There was no doubt that the designer was a genius, and Napoleon was deeply interested in meeting them. He quickly dismissed the possibility that Roland was the designer.

Roland, after all, was just a 20-year-old. He had already shown remarkable talent in military and political affairs. If he were also proficient in technological design, it would be too extraordinary to believe.

"It was me!" Roland said, pointing to himself.

"No way! It… it was really you? You designed this all by yourself?" Now it was Napoleon's turn to be shocked. He hadn't expected that Roland was indeed the designer. He thought it might have been someone else who couldn't present it themselves, so they asked Roland to approach him.

Thinking about this, Napoleon felt a mix of surprise and relief. Fortunately, Roland was his nephew and could be trusted. If Roland were an enemy, he would be a formidable one.

"What's the name of this rifle?" Napoleon asked.

"This year is your first year in office, Uncle, so to commemorate you, I decided to call it the Model 01 Rifle," Roland said slowly and clearly.

"The Model 01 Rifle! A good name. Since you designed this rifle, you should explain its performance to me," Napoleon said, intrigued.