Chapter 110: The Maiden and the Air-Cooled Light Machine Gun

The car sped along the broad cobblestone streets of Dresden, passing the magnificent Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche, finally stopping in front of a solemn and stately building in the city center.

This was the location of the Saxon Imperial Patent Office.

When the two men stepped out of the car, it was still early. The Patent Office gates had just opened, and there was hardly anyone at the entrance.

They informed the guards of their purpose and presented their military ID cards, and were immediately allowed entry.

A staff member in uniform was already waiting in the main hall.

Upon seeing Ludwig, he immediately approached respectfully.

“Lieutenant Colonel von Seeckt, you’ve arrived.”

“Yes.”

Ludwig nodded, then gestured to Morin beside him.

“This is First Lieutenant Friedrich Morin. He is here to file a military patent application.”

The staff member glanced at Morin. Although surprised by his youth, he maintained a polite smile.

“Very well, please follow me.”

Because they had arrived too early, the Patent Office had not yet officially started business hours.

Ludwig was left waiting in a lounge downstairs.

Morin was guided by the staff member to a room on the third floor specifically handling ‘Military-Related Patents.’

The room was small and simply furnished.

Besides a wide desk, there were two doors behind the desk.

Copper plaques were hung on the doors, etched with the words “Ordinary Patent” and “State Secret Patent” respectively.

After entering the room, Morin realized there was already another person waiting inside.

It was a young woman dressed in a black coat and a dark skirt.

Her deep brown hair was meticulously pinned up at the back of her head, revealing a smooth forehead and a pleasant face.

Her figure was elegantly curved, but her expression seemed somewhat tense. She was clutching a file folder tightly with both hands, her knuckles white.

Morin was slightly surprised, not expecting anyone else to be here so early to file a patent.

He didn’t disturb her, simply sitting down on a chair behind her in turn. While subtly glancing at her fair neck, he waited quietly.

Soon, a staff member wearing wire-rimmed glasses, who looked like the department head, also entered the room.

He first looked at Morin, then turned his attention to the young woman.

“Ms. Helga Schmeisser, is that correct?”

“Y-yes.”

The girl immediately stood up, answering nervously.

“Please come over here.” The staff member pointed to the desk.

The girl quickly walked forward and handed over her file folder, along with her identification documents.

The staff member took the documents and began to read them carefully.

The only sound in the room was the rustle of turning pages.

Morin had been sitting idly by, but soon, his ears involuntarily perked up.

He distinctly heard the staff member mention a phrase that caught his attention while confirming the content of the files with the girl.

“…Regarding the design of this ‘Air-Cooled Light Machine Gun’…”

Air-Cooled Light Machine Gun?!

Morin wondered if he had misheard.

As an Army officer who had just returned from the Kingdom of Aragon campaign, he knew very well that the importance of machine guns for infantry fire support had not yet been fully realized by the Saxon Army high command.

The Army units were still equipped with the cumbersome, water-cooled MG08 heavy machine gun.

The concept of a light, flexible machine gun that could accompany infantry squads into an assault was still purely theoretical.

Morin had been thinking about whether he could find an opportunity after returning home to equip the assault teams with the Madsen, the MG08/15, or perhaps the Chauchat… Forget the Chauchat.

Yet, here he was, unexpectedly hearing exactly what he wanted.

Just as Morin’s mind was racing, the staff member finished reviewing the girl’s documents.

He neatly organized the files, handed them back to the girl, and pointed to the door next to him, which had the plaque marked “Ordinary Patent.”

“Ms. Schmeisser, your patent application falls under the ordinary military patent procedure. Please proceed to that room and find the staff member inside for the technical review.”

“G-good. Thank you.”

The girl, named Helga Schmeisser, let out a sigh of relief as if she had been granted a pardon.

She took her documents, curtsied to the staff member, and quickly walked into the “Ordinary Patent” room.

“Next.”

The staff member’s call interrupted Morin’s thoughts.

He stood up, walked to the desk, and handed over the thick stack of documents he had prepared.

The staff member took the documents, briefly glanced at the cover, and then looked up to confirm Morin’s name.

“You are First Lieutenant Friedrich Morin?”

“Yes.”

Receiving the confirmation, the staff member’s attitude instantly became incredibly respectful.

He immediately rose from his seat, walked around the desk, and personally opened the other door for Morin.

“First Lieutenant Morin, please come this way.”

He was pointing toward the room with the plaque marked “State Secret Patent.”

Morin nodded to him and walked into the room marked “State Secret Patent.”

The room behind the door was much more spacious and brighter than the outer one, and the furnishings were more elaborate.

Only one person was inside: a white-haired but energetic elder.

He wore a sharply pressed suit and was sitting at a desk, looking through some documents.

Seeing Morin enter, the elder immediately put down the documents and stood up, extending his hand to Morin.

“First Lieutenant Morin, welcome to the Imperial Patent Office.”

His face wore a warm smile, and his friendly demeanor made Morin somewhat overwhelmed.

“Good day.” Morin quickly shook his hand.

“Please sit.” The elder gestured for Morin to sit in the chair opposite him, then personally poured him a cup of steaming black tea.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hoche Kruger, the head of the State Secret Patent Review Department of the Imperial Patent Office.”

The elder sat back down and said with a smile: “The Patent Office executives were informed of your situation ahead of time.”

“His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince personally gave instructions. As long as the patent you are applying for has no major technical issues and passes our internal validation…”

He paused, looking into Morin’s eyes, and stated a figure that made Morin’s heart momentarily stop.

“The Imperial Patent Office will pay you a one-time compensation of twenty million Imperial Marks for the purchase of this state secret patent.”

Twenty million… Imperial Marks?

Morin felt his mind instantly go blank.

Is that a lot?

He knew that the Saxon Imperial Mark was directly tied to gold during this period, and its currency value was relatively stable.

But he still wasn’t sure what concept twenty million Imperial Marks represented.

Sensing Morin’s confusion, Mr. Kruger smiled and explained: “First Lieutenant Morin, you may not have a concept of this figure.”

“Let me put it this way: I have worked here all my life, and I have handled the compensation for almost all ‘state secret patents’ for the Empire.”

A look of pride appeared on his face.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the total compensation paid by the Imperial Patent Office for all state secret patents since its establishment does not equal the amount we are offering you this time.”

Morin listened, completely dumbfounded.

“Furthermore, I can give you a more direct reference point.”

Mr. Kruger continued:

“The cost of building the Imperial Navy’s newest battleship is approximately fifty to sixty million Marks per vessel.”

One-third of a battleship…

Morin felt his breathing become shallow.

He had initially thought the Crown Prince’s ‘satisfactory compensation amount’ would be at most several hundred thousand, or perhaps a million Marks.

After all, in this era, a typical Saxon worker’s annual income was only a little over a thousand Marks.

A million Marks was already a colossal sum that would grant anyone financial freedom.

He had never imagined that His Imperial Highness would be so generous.

This was no longer ‘satisfactory’; this was a goddamn ‘shock’!

“Of course, the premise for all this is that your technology must be genuine, effective, and possess significant military value.”

Mr. Kruger put away his smile, his expression becoming serious.

“Naturally.” Morin quickly recovered and handed over the thick stack of documents he had brought with him, using both hands.

“Mr. Kruger, these are all the technical materials I have prepared. Please review them.”

The elder took the documents, put on his reading glasses, and began to read them meticulously.

He read very carefully, nodding at times, frowning at others…

His expression grew increasingly solemn as he delved into the content.

Morin sat beside him, feeling a degree of tension.

Although he was highly confident in the system-generated proposal, it involved a massive sum of 20 million Marks, so it was impossible not to feel nervous.

After a long while, Mr. Kruger finally slowly looked up. He took off his glasses and let out a long breath.

“First Lieutenant Morin, theoretically, your proposal is feasible.”

His voice carried a hint of barely concealed astonishment:

“And, if it can truly be implemented, its value… indeed justifies that price.”

He neatly organized the documents and placed them back on the desk.

“Well, First Lieutenant Morin, this concludes today’s meeting.”

Mr. Kruger stood up and once again offered his hand to Morin.

“You may leave now. We will subsequently organize a team of experts to conduct a detailed assessment and experimentation of your proposal. Whether it is fully validated or if there are any issues, a dedicated specialist will contact you.”

“Understood. Thank you, Mr. Kruger.”

Morin also stood up. After thanking the elder, he turned and left the room.

He felt slightly light-headed, his mind spinning with ‘twenty million Marks’ and ‘battleship.’

When he returned to the Patent Office hall, Ludwig immediately rushed over.

“Well? How did the talks go?” he asked with concern.

“Very smoothly. They immediately gave me an offer.”

Morin was still somewhat dazed, his speech slow.

Seeing this, Ludwig thought he had suffered a setback and immediately interjected:

“Was the offer too low? Don’t worry, Friedrich. I’ve thought of everything for the lawsuit, and I’ve found a lawyer who claims to have never lost a patent case…”

“It wasn’t too low.”

Morin pulled Ludwig and quickly walked out of the Patent Office door to the side, then whispered in his ear:

“They offered me twenty million.”

(End of this Chapter)