Genius

"It's nothing," Akado shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Support you, support the National Defense Forces yourself! I understand that, so no need for thanks." After speaking, he casually sat down on the sofa, idly toying with the ashtray on the coffee table.

Krupp, on the other hand, stood up, having been seated ever since Akado entered the room. "I, along with many arms traders I know, feel that General Sikte is too conservative, far from the leader of the National Defense Force we were hoping for. Therefore, we plan to support a representative from among ourselves in the IDF."

"You chose me?" Akado asked, a hint of amusement in his smile.

"Yes! We chose you!" Krupp nodded, confirming his statement.

"Since that's settled, may I make a request?" Akado inquired, setting down the ashtray and looking up at Krupp.

Krupp hesitated slightly, "What is it?"

Akado's smile widened. "I know you have an office in Berlin that secretly designs new weapons, staffed by the best engineers from the Krupp factory. Can I visit?"

"Why? We guarantee you the best weapons in the world," Krupp questioned, his tone laced with doubt. "You don't have to worry about the quality of these weapons."

"The best?" Akado laughed, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "They are all outdated, all of them! I'm not just representing you arms dealers, but also hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers from the National Defense Forces! I would never gamble with the lives of my men! Thus, I am responsible for the entirety of Germany."

"You must understand that layman interference is frowned upon in weapon design. What you know is mere child's play to our Krupp engineers," Krupp retorted with a hint of disdain.

Akado smiled again. "Then let the child's play enlighten the true geniuses." He was confident in his knowledge of the future direction of weapon development and technical performance standards. He knew he could not be outdone by those still fumbling around in development. Akado was determined to consolidate all aspects to bind Krupp's representative forces to his cause.

"Fine! Since we're to cooperate, I'll let you witness the real science and technology!" Krupp conceded, albeit reluctantly. "Tomorrow morning, I will personally take you to the office."

Early the next morning, Akado met with Krupp and they headed to the Krupp factory's secret office in Germany. However, their office discussion barely lasted ten minutes before those proud engineers were utterly convinced by Akado's erudition.

Now, in the secret weapon design office of Krupp in Berlin, Akado was discussing the design of new weapons with the Krupp elite. Notably, this secret office was situated atop the office building of the German parliament, a location frequented daily by ministers' wives and celebrities, yet even the French and British military attachés in Germany had not discovered this place. When these Krupp weapon designers entered the building, they were even greeted politely by British officials and French diplomats.

Inside, Akado was introducing "his designs." Although most of these designs were derived from documents that had been declassified in the late 20th century, the sketches Akado produced were revolutionary. 

"The Army needs a weapon that can accurately fire single shots at a distance of 400 meters, and can also discharge a large volume of ammunition quickly and at close range. This weapon will be issued to the accompanying tank forces to assault the enemy. The army's armored grenadier units will also use it to attack the enemy, so I have named this weapon 'Assault Rifle'!" Akado explained as he pointed to the drawings, slightly embarrassed by the crude and amateurish sketches. In his past and current life, he had no talent for drawing. The last time he designed military uniforms, he could ask for help, but this time, due to the confidential nature of the project, he had to manage on his own. "Here is the air guide structure, which can be opened and closed! These parts here and here can be made of wood!"

"Oh! It's so innovative! This design is simply perfect!" The designers were thoroughly impressed by Akado's creativity and nodded in agreement. "This weapon can be mass-produced, replacing almost all existing individual weapons."

Hearing their praise, Akado shook his head with a hint of regret and sighed, "Due to the military's limited budget, we are initially planning to purchase only 10,000 of these rifles. But believe me, one day, this weapon will be produced in the hundreds of thousands and used by militaries worldwide!"

"What's this?" Krupp inquired, pointing to another set of plans that Akado had set aside, which depicted a strange cannon with scribbled outlines.

Akado smiled and pointed to the sketch. "This is a truck! Although it doesn't look very similar, you should be able to imagine its appearance. It should have about eight wheels, two in front, three in the back, and a cannon that can be braced on the ground behind this truck. The caliber doesn't need to be too large, 155 mm is sufficient."

"Krupp can produce artillery with a larger caliber. If needed, we can use rails and trains to transport these guns. The caliber can exceed 200 mm, the range will be farther, and the power greater," Krupp proudly explained the capabilities of his factory. The entire Krupp plant had an almost blind confidence in their technology to produce the world's largest and best cannon.

"Yes, the power is greater, the range is farther, the movement is more cumbersome, and the target more conspicuous. For this cannon, I would need an enhanced company to manage each one. For this cannon, I would need to account for three more shells," Akado remarked thoughtfully.

Krupp looked at Akado, frowning, and asked, "Isn't greater power and longer range what a cannon should strive for?"

Akado smiled at Krupp, then turned to several artillery design experts who were staring at him and explained, "Of course! Range and power are two very important indicators, but they are not the only ones that define excellent artillery."

He enumerated his points, raising a finger for each: "Range! Very important! Power! Also very important! Artillery maneuverability! Even more important! The ease of logistics supply is also crucial! These must all be carefully considered by both designers and users!"

"If we simply chase certain specs while ignoring others, making other disadvantages more prominent, then that is a failed design," Akado continued. "Imagine if all our cannons were of the same caliber. Then our trucks could use only one size of ammunition, without wasting any space at all. If the length of the truck is fixed, then the size of the train car is also fixed. With identical equipment, how much simpler would our worker training be? Our staff training is simplified, so the speed of repairing faults increases! In this way, more cannons can be manufactured and shipped to the front line. How formidable would that be?"

In front of Krupp and a group of senior engineers, Akado introduced the concept of mass production from later generations.

"My God!" Krupp exclaimed, looking at Akado in astonishment. "Do you realize what you've just described? Your ideas are worth at least 100 million US dollars. You are a genius."

"So, I have set the standards for the National Defense Forces. Large-caliber artillery should not exceed 283 mm. Ideally, the shells could also be compatible with naval gun calibers," Akado pointed out.

"No problem!" Krupp agreed readily.

"The artillery force of the Army Group should have a caliber of 203 millimeters, and it should be as compatible with naval guns as possible," Akado continued.

"Yes," Krupp nodded still.

"The Army's basic support artillery caliber should be 150 millimeters, compatible with the Navy's medium artillery caliber," Akado added.

Krupp did not object at all: "Agreed!"

Akado looked around at the engineers: "Tank guns and anti-aircraft guns should have a caliber of 88 mm and 75 mm."

Krupp simply nodded in agreement.

"The anti-tank artillery and the division artillery should also have the same calibers of 88 mm and 75 mm. You can choose according to your requirements," Akado elaborated.

Krupp pointed to one of the engineers: "Come and record everything! Write down what Akado has said!"

"We are still waiting for the technical experts from the National Defense Force to discuss the machine gun calibers," Akado mentioned, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What is this?" Krupp asked again, pointing at another drawing.

Akado glanced at the drawings and blushed at his poor drawing skills, but still explained to Krupp: "I roughly drew the internal layout of the tank. I need our tanks to be configured like this."

"What is this slash? Is it the steel plate in front?" Krupp asked, somewhat confused.

Akado nodded, thankful for his colleague's understanding: "Yes! The front uses a sloped structure so that incoming shells will also bounce off due to the angle."

"Really?" A technician at the Krupp factory asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. He had been studying ballistics for twenty-five years and was considered an expert in this field.

Akado nodded: "The National Defense Force has conducted tests, and it's completely effective against bullets!" If it's effective against bullets, it means it would also be effective against armor-piercing shells, as the trajectory and energy release patterns of the two types of ammunition are the same.

"Why do tanks have to have diesel engines? Aren't gasoline engines more stable and comfortable?" Krupp asked, still puzzled.

Akado patiently explained: "Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient, although noisier and more cumbersome. However, they are less likely to catch fire."

God knew that Akado had combined the advantages of the T-34 tank, born in later generations, with those of German tanks to create this sketch. This tank was definitely a revolutionary super tank—lighter, more reliable, and more powerful.

"I must say it again, Colonel Akado, you are a genius!" Krupp exclaimed, impressed. "If you were a master of weapon design, I would definitely hire you at Krupp, no matter the cost. It would be worth it!"