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Chapter 115: Returning to Europe (1)
🕑 Added 2024-12-27 16:21:30 +0000 UTCAfter Josh unexpectedly obtained complete nuclear weapons technology, the Council of Nine was completely unprepared for such a turn of events. Calvin, who had originally intended to use this issue to undermine Josh, now found himself with a face as dark as thunder.
The Manhattan Project was not only a deadly superweapon to deter the United States and the world, but it also represented a shift in Hydra's internal resources that benefited the forces behind the Council members, including Isodyne Energy.
Previously, Isodyne Energy had gained considerable internal support within the organization due to its important role in the Manhattan Project.
But now, at Chadwick's provocation, Josh directly presented a complete chain of technical documentation. While this would not cause the organization to withdraw its previous investment, any future allocation of resources was certainly out of the question.
For Calvin, this was a classic case of shooting oneself in the foot.
His only consolation was a faint hope that Josh might be bluffing.
That glimmer of hope was completely obliterated the next day when a truckload of physical documents arrived at a research institute under the Council's jurisdiction in New York. The materials were turned over to the Council's scientists for review, and Calvin's last shred of optimism crumbled to dust.
Yes, a whole truckload. While in later generations the principles of atomic bombs would be considered high school-level physics, theory is only theory. The practical and detailed process of making such weapons remains an extraordinarily complex task.
Even with a truckload of documents, the information was deliberately condensed by Yuri.
If it weren't for the fact that Yuri had already built a rudimentary supercomputer and begun to store the seemingly infinite knowledge in his mind, it would have been impossible to prepare such a comprehensive set of data in just one day.
However, once the documents had been handed over to the Council, it was no longer Josh's concern how they would be delivered to the military.
As for whether helping the United States develop the atomic bomb ahead of schedule would make the world more chaotic, Josh remained unconcerned.
After all, he could just give a copy to the Soviet Union.
As long as a balance was maintained, large-scale wars would be much harder to start.
The detailed design documentation for the atomic bomb also boosted Josh's prestige within the Council.
Led by Thomas, the Council leadership made a major decision to place vast amounts of Hydra's holdings and resources in Illinois and Europe under Josh's control.
Remarkably, this included over a dozen world-class research institutes, dozens of factories and businesses, and a staggering amount of money and personnel.
Although these resources were only entrusted to Josh for management, rather than outright ownership, they were of immense benefit to him.
Most notable was the budget allocated for Josh's upcoming European mission. Originally set at $500 Million Dollars, it was now doubled to $1 billion—a huge sum, especially when one considers that during World War II, the entire U.S. Lend-Lease program provided its allies with only fifty billion dollars, an average of just over ten billion per year.
Even the Manhattan Project itself had cost just over two billion.
In addition, Josh was given control of several shipping companies, hundreds of Liberty ships, and the logistics and supplies to support them.
This demonstrated the terrifying scale of the resources the Council had at its disposal.
Frankly, Josh was amazed at the generosity of the Council.
But he also understood that such generosity was possible precisely because the resources were so vast. As long as the person in charge wasn't completely incompetent, losses would be minimal.
Even if there were losses, they would barely make a dent for a Council that controlled not four, but now five major conglomerates.
In that sense, the Council's generosity was also a test.
If Josh could use these resources effectively during his European mission and generate substantial returns for the Council, his position within the Council would be truly solidified.
Otherwise, he might find himself reduced to a figurehead, much like Calvin-a man who appeared influential but was in fact largely ignored.
However, Josh wasn't the only member of the Council who went to Europe this time. He was joined by Hugh Jones, the head of the Roxxon Corporation.
Once Christmas was over, their departure to Europe would begin.
Josh had barely been back in the United States for two months before he left for Europe again, and while Margaret understood his obligations, she couldn't help but feel a bit dissatisfied.
She had longed to accompany him to Europe, but the reality of their situation made that impossible. The children were too young for such a journey—fragile, especially in an era when medical and sanitary conditions were far inferior to those of later generations. A simple case of adjustment to a foreign environment could be fatal for a two-month-old.
In the end, Margaret could only vent her frustration in another way. After her recovery period, she unleashed her displeasure on Josh with fierce intensity, squeezing him dry.
"Ha! Only two months and London has already changed!" Josh exclaimed as he looked out at the bustling streets from the luxurious interior of a Bentley.
The city was indeed more vibrant than during his last visit. Unlike Josh, who had flown to the UK for the sake of efficiency, Hugh Jones, always the man of leisurely travel, was still aboard a transatlantic cruise ship, cruising across the Atlantic alongside a convoy of cargo ships.
This time, Josh hadn't shared a plane with anyone. For convenience, he had made use of Council resources and leveraged his strong personal connections with the Department of War to acquire a C-69 strategic transport aircraft from the Army Air Forces.
The C-69, a strategic transport developed by Lockheed during the late stages of World War II, boasted an impressive range of more than 4,000 miles (7,400 kilometers)-longer even than the famed B-29 bomber-and was highly rated by the military.
Although the aircraft made its first flight in late 1943, the first operational model wasn't delivered until mid-1944. By the end of the war, only 22 of the Army's more than 200 orders had been filled, so its reputation remained somewhat under the radar.
However, in the 1950s and during the Vietnam War, the C-69’s successor models were widely procured and used extensively as airborne early warning platforms, electronic intelligence aircraft, radio relay planes, weather reconnaissance craft, and for conventional troop transport. Some models remained in service until the 1980s, a sign of their reliability.
Incidentally, in the original timeline, this aircraft was developed at the behest of Howard Hughes, the majority shareholder of TWA. In this world, however, Howard Stark was involved in its development.
As for whether Josh planned to enter the aerospace business in the future... well, he no longer needed to. Of the five conglomerates controlled by the Council, two were major shareholders in Lockheed.
"It's not surprising. With the war officially over, most soldiers have returned home, save for a few occupying forces. Coupled with the full restoration of overseas trade routes, prosperity is inevitable—though family relationships seem to have taken a hit," the middle-aged man next to Josh remarked with a hint of mockery as he glanced at a couple arguing outside an apartment building.
