Krupp (Seeking Collection)

"Your Highness, it seems you've forgotten one important country." Karl said with a smile.

"Oh?" Oscar was taken aback.

"The United States across the ocean. That's the top industrial power, already surpassing us in output. With over ninety million people, nearly a hundred million. If we can break into that market and sell well, the profits will be astonishing." Karl's expression was grave.

Oscar nodded: "Indeed, the United States is a very important market. If we can succeed there, we can indeed reap enormous profits."

Oscar certainly hadn't forgotten about the United States. Its industrial strength was already number one in the world. Though it still couldn't match Europe in many advanced technologies, its terrifying industrial capacity was already undeniable. Few other countries could compare.

In the future, the United States would be a superpower dominating the world. This chosen land had a superior geographical position, shielded by two oceans, surrounded by small nations that posed no threat. At the same time, its vast territory, abundant resources, and large population gave it all the conditions to become an industrial powerhouse. Add in World War I and World War II, which would tear Europe apart, and the Americans, who profited handsomely from war, would seize the chance to become a superpower.

If Oscar could help Germany reverse its defeat in World War I, then it was foreseeable that the United States would become Germany's great enemy. This made Oscar deeply wary of that country.

"Karl, start the first round of expansion as soon as possible. Include the United States in that first round. I hope by the second half of the year, we can successfully enter these countries. The second round of expansion begins in the first half of next year. The third round starts in the second half of next year. Aim to turn our lottery company into a behemoth of the industry within three years. By then, we'll all reap considerable profits." Oscar was full of expectations for the development of the German Welfare Lottery Company. It would become an inexhaustible gold mine. All his development plans relied on the German Welfare Lottery Company to provide massive funding.

"Yes, Your Highness." Karl was equally captivated by the blueprint Oscar painted. Once all expansion targets were achieved, the German Welfare Lottery Company would grow into a colossal entity. As the company's general manager, he would gain immense achievements—and, of course, enormous profits.

Just the German market alone brought Karl tens of millions in annual profits. If they expanded across all of Europe and even took the Americas, those profits would likely multiply several times over! It was clear this field would be a goldmine.

"By the way, Karl. When entering foreign markets, to avoid trouble, it's best to recruit some local power players to join us. But when it comes to profit distribution, we can reduce local welfare contributions and allocate the portion originally belonging to the royal family to them. Only by tying those local heavyweights to our chariot can our development there be secure." Oscar cautioned.

Though this would mean giving up some profits, Oscar believed it was worth it. With support from local power players, operations would go more smoothly and face less resistance. Oscar's title as Prince of the German Empire might carry some weight in Germany and its allies, but in countries like Britain, France, and the United States, it would hold little deterrent power.

"Yes, Your Highness." Karl nodded.

After entrusting the expansion of the Welfare Lottery Company to Karl, Oscar focused his main energy on the German Shipyard. The 'Nassau-class' Battleship was his first step in strengthening the German Navy and Germany's overall military power. This step had to succeed. Once it did, influencing the future development of Germany's military forces would become much easier. After all, a precedent would make a stronger case.

After Brutt became the general manager of the German Shipyard, he had fully launched the yard's expansion. Massive funds were poured in, and new slipways began construction. Recruitment of workers had also started. Brutt aggressively poached talent from other shipyards, especially Germaniawerft, where he had previously worked, which became a major target.

This naturally drew strong dissatisfaction from other shipyards. But with Oscar's backing, Brutt acted without fear. Supported by ample funds and Oscar as his shield, the German Shipyard was advancing rapidly. It wouldn't be long before it could build battleships. The 'Nassau-class' Battleship would be the yard's trial run—and a bold one at that, with four ships built at once.

If the German Shipyard succeeded, it would be a disaster for other yards. It would mean they could hardly secure orders for large naval battleships anymore. Orders for small and medium warships alone wouldn't keep them afloat!

Of course, for the 'Nassau-class' Battleship to be built successfully and meet its design specifications, many problems still needed solving.

As for steam turbines, Oscar had already sent Brutt's people to the United States. The American engineer's Curtis single-stage steam turbine was very suitable. As for the British engineer's Parsons steam turbine, that was out of the question—the British would never sell that technology to Germany. The American Curtis steam turbine became Germany's only way to acquire this technology.

Beyond propulsion, the main guns and armor were also thorny issues for Oscar. The Triple 305mm Main Gun, preferably 50-caliber, would give the battleship's main guns stronger armor-piercing capability. Additionally, the battleship's armor needed to be tougher defensively. In Germany, it seemed only the Krupp Company could solve these two problems.

"Karl, help me contact the Krupp Company. I'll pay them a visit tomorrow." Oscar instructed.

The Krupp Company was a massive industrial conglomerate in Germany, spanning arms manufacturing, steel production, shipbuilding, and more—undoubtedly one of Germany's top-tier industrial giants.