The report listed various strengths and weaknesses, and concluded bluntly:
"Inferior to German and American engines in all key respects."
Pierre nodded thoughtfully.
"Not yet," he muttered.
"If I'm going to bring in engines, I'll wait for the best. Once Germany is defeated, I'll make a trip there… and bring back a Beetle while I'm at it."
Where could you find truly dirt-cheap technology?
The answer was simple: in the hands of defeated nations.
In Britain, tech-scouting was more like a gamble—picking up scraps others had overlooked. It was all about luck and sharp eyes.
But defeated nations were different. They were like treasure vaults plundered by the Forty Thieves—overflowing with gold. If you had money and connections, you could acquire not just cutting-edge technology, but the talent behind it.
And not just from Germany.
Right now, even Italy, freshly defeated, looked like a hidden gold mine. What caught Pierre's attention was a small news article in the paper:
