Officer x You (Forty-six)
Overhead background, overhead background, different world
Privately designed characters, privately designed names and places
Prague Central Railway Station is one of the most important transportation hubs in Central Europe, and all trains from Western Europe pass through here.
The murals on the dome of the hall are exquisite and beautiful, depicting the emblems of various lords from the ancient Kingdom of Bohemia.
Emma raised her little head in Schleicher's arms, staring intently at the sky above her head, which was a magical pattern made up of triangles, arcs, horizontal lines, etc.
Dahlia and Schleicher's adjutant, Eric, walked side by side behind. You helped Susie carry her luggage and observed the surroundings.
Not far away, there was a small, neatly-arranged group of people in different clothes and ages, waiting for the bus, led by a police-looking man wearing a bright blue uniform and a swastika armband. The leader wore a baseball cap with the word "KRUPP" written on it.
KRUPP? K…rupp?
You felt a little confused, but quickly looked away because the other person looked too ferocious.
Susie followed Schleicher's lead, walked beside him, and whispered, "Master Herbert, our master said that after the investigation is over, we'll have to trouble you to take us back to Berlin."
Schleicher supported Emma's small back, and said perfunctorily, "Susie, let's talk about this later."
"Okay, thank you, Master, for preparing the entry visas for me and the young lady. You've been very troubled."
Susie thought it made sense, so after thanking you, she returned to her seat next to you and walked side by side with you.
"uh-huh."
Schleicher accepted the thanks graciously, even though it was a small matter like getting an entry visa and he didn't need to do any legwork himself.
You got in the car.
Prague at this time is not beautiful at all, let alone the "City of a Hundred Spires". After a rain, all the spires are submerged in an opaque mist.
The Mercedes-Benz drove by, leaving the street scenes behind: old, out-of-service trams, deserted shops, a dark bridge, narrow, empty alleys.
Prague is no longer mysterious; on the contrary, it is filled with a strong medieval gloomy style everywhere.
Pedestrians hurried by, with solemn expressions on their faces that never changed, as if all other expressions that could even slightly reflect a bit of human joy had been taken away by God, and everyone lived indifferently in a state of unmoved repression.
Your residence in Prague is right near the Old Town Square, a four-story neo-Baroque-style luxury apartment with an excellent location.
The City Hall, the Astronomical Clock, the famous Charles Bridge, the 14th-century Gothic Tyn Cathedral, just take a walk and you will find all of them are the most popular tourist attractions in later generations.
Standing in front of the window, you can see the vastness of the ancient buildings and the Old Town Square as far as your eyes can see. You close the window and start packing your luggage.
I took out the copy of "Gone with the Wind" from the bottom of the suitcase, sat on the edge of the bed, and my thoughts couldn't help but go back to yesterday.
You knew that Feints filed for divorce probably because of the Empire's "Collective Responsibility Act," but the disappointment in you was so obvious in his eyes at the time that you still couldn't control your emotions, letting your tears smudge your eye makeup, and you looked like a clown at a loss in front of him.
After the doubts and arguments, you didn't even say goodbye properly and just separated in such a hurry...
You sighed, but heard a heavy cough in front of you. Looking up, you saw Schleicher standing against the wall in the room, looking lazy.
The plague god has come again, and your bad mood is thrown behind you for a moment. You say speechlessly: "Schleicher, you come in without knocking?"
Schleicher took a few steps forward towards you, "Ina, I believe I knocked on the door and got permission to stand here. Could it be that someone is secretly feeling sad and has forgotten what they did for a moment?"
You felt a little embarrassed because his thoughts were touched upon. You stopped arguing with him and continued to tidy up your clothes with your head down.
"Cough," someone felt that he was being ignored, and coughed hypocritically in an attempt to declare his presence, and shamelessly planned to take the initiative to explain.
"Dahlia and I..."
“Like ‘Gone with the Wind.’”
“……?”
Schleicher always liked to raise his eyebrows, acting arrogantly and recklessly, as if nothing was worth his attention, but at this moment, the ends of his eyebrows, which were always flying high, drooped a little, showing a rare confusion.
"The scene where you hugged each other in front of the platform was very similar to 'Gone with the Wind'. Scarlett and Rhett Butler hugged each other tightly. It was beautiful and touching, like a scene from a movie."
After the sigh, the bedroom fell silent.
The silence occurs when someone is too speechless to find anything to say.
Schleicher's right eyelid twitched and he pulled the corner of his mouth. Oh no, Fair's divorce had a big impact on Xiaomao. Xiaomao was so sad that he felt stupid.
He immediately set his eyes on the red-covered copy of "Gone with the Wind" that you placed on the bedside table. He strode over, picked it up, and hit you on the head with his backhand, not too light or too hard, just enough force to bring you back to your senses.
You covered your head and protested, "Schleicher! You...you're crazy!"
Well, that's right, this is the normal reaction.
Schleicher heard you scolding him, but he didn't refute. Instead, he felt a strange sense of pleasure all over his body. He talked to you more freely and moved closer to you after laughing.
"Ina, if you're bored, go out for a walk. Don't dwell on this and that all the time. You already have a headache all the time. If you keep thinking, your headache will get worse and you'll feel even more depressed. I happen to have two days off, so I can take you to the old town tomorrow. Also, can you lend me this book?"
"I won't lend it!"
"Kitten, I'm notifying you, not asking for anything."
How can this person be so shameless...
"Don't damage my book!"
"If you break it, I'll give myself to you as compensation."
“…”
"Schleicher, do you want to listen to what you're saying?"
"Dear Ina, see you at dinner."
Someone leaves in a cool manner, waving his hand behind him, not missing any opportunity to tease you.
You were completely led astray by Schleicher, and the sadness you just felt was completely forgotten. You angrily quickened the pace of packing your luggage.
…
Schleicher returned to his bedroom and found Dalia sitting on the sofa beside him, fiddling with his cigarette box in her hand, her palm facing inward, the cigarette pinched between her thumb and index finger.
"Dahlia, I thought you wouldn't come to see me until tomorrow."
Schleicher sat opposite, legs crossed, looking relaxed.
Dalia silently savored the tone of the man's voice when he called her name. It was still the same indifferent tone as before.
Even after getting married, he still didn't change his attitude towards her - he despised her but not despised her. He left her alone in Berlin like a decoration, while he wandered among the flowers.
She was born into the Kashubian nobility in East Prussia. The Kashubians were actually a Slavic ethnic group, but they had been Germanized long ago.
Her father, Count Westerallup, gave her a Slavic name in remembrance of his family's ancient origins, but this backfired. It was precisely because of the name "Dahlia" that she was ostracized by those who claimed to be true Junker nobles since she was a child. Only the man in front of her was willing to protect her when she was teased.
Dalia lowered her eyes, hiding the expression in them. When she raised them again, she tossed the cigarette case to Schleicher, who was sitting across from her. Schleicher raised his hand and caught it.
"Old Krupp's granddaughter was arrested on suspicion of perjury."
"Then?"
Schleicher's father was a member of the Krupp Group's board of directors, so he had first-hand sources of information on these matters.
The current chairman of the consortium, Mr. Alfrid, mobilized all of Krupp's resources to rescue his aunt.
"Schacht, the former Reich Minister of Economics, has also been arrested."
"Dahlia, of course I know. You don't need to tell me. The day after the damn assassination attempt was exposed..."
As Schleicher was speaking, he suddenly seemed to realize something and changed his playful and nonchalant expression to one of extreme seriousness.
"Don't tell me my father was involved..."
"No. God knows my father's loyalty to the Reich and the Führer."
Schleicher breathed a faint sigh of relief, continued leaning back on the sofa, and condescendingly corrected him, "Pay attention to the word order. First Führer, then Reich."
Dalia didn't care. In her opinion, the newly promulgated regulations of the empire were no different from the national culture called literary inquisition that was prevalent in the East and that she had read about in books when she was a child.
"The Allied bombing continued, and the damage to the Ruhr region required new capital for reconstruction. Krupp's arms orders continued to flow in, but they were all accounts receivable."
"The risk of default is small. Just continue production. The Empire has enough capacity to pay."
Schleicher replied nonchalantly as he began to flip through his copy of Gone with the Wind. It turned out to be an American-written French translation, a banned book. How audacious!
"But the Empire just keeps asking us to invest our precious liquid assets!"
Dalia's voice was a little sharp. She calmed herself down and continued, "Yes, the Empire has over 10 million Swiss francs deposited in the BIS and has reaped all the benefits from it, but these benefits are about to disappear!"
BIS, Bank for International Settlements, is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
“The people behind BIS don’t dare to easily break the rules of the game.”
Schleicher was multitasking, and continued to turn the pages with his hand pinching the corner of the book. Scarlett was the heroine of the novel, and Rhett Butler was the hero.
He frowned and touched his chin, thinking that the kitten was blessing him and Dalia as a couple.
Dalia saw that Schleicher, who was sitting opposite her, had a somewhat gloomy expression on his face, and thought that this man who hated finance and only loved art had finally changed his temperament.
She couldn't help but say a few more words, even though she knew what the man was most reluctant to hear, she still said it, because she knew clearly that the man would understand her thoughts, otherwise she would not fall in love with him so easily.
"Father received information from the intelligence department that on July 20th, the coalition held a meeting in the small town of Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States. One of the topics discussed was the abolition of the BIS. That British economist, Keynes, must have had some suspicions."
"Dahlia, you'd better say it quickly. You know I hate hearing these meaningless long prefixes."
Schleicher finally raised his eyes. He naturally knew what the Englishman named Keynes was suspecting.
He was exiled by his father and spent nearly four years in the Czech Republic, doing all kinds of thankless jobs.
He knew that the BIS had altered the account figures and unconditionally "returned" the gold from the German-occupied Czech Republic to the empire for the purchase of strategic materials. He could not hide the fact that it did not exist.
Dalia finally got to the point. "Father, as a member of the Krupp Group's board of directors, is secretly selling off Krupp's treasury bonds with a face value of 200 million marks at the request of Executive Chairman Mr. Alfrid."
The secret sale of treasury bonds at this time signified a loss of confidence in the nation's creditworthiness and was a manifestation of war pessimism. It was no exaggeration to say that this could be interpreted as treason.
Schleicher's expression changed instantly. He sat up straight and said seriously, "Dalia, you are so talkative. How about I cut off your tongue?"
Darya was undaunted, confident of victory. "Don't worry, our great Reichsführer of the SS doesn't understand finance, and he's been completely outmaneuvered by my father. He's demanding compensation for war losses and the collection of outstanding debts from the Reich government. The generals have expressed their support."
Schleicher didn't answer, and Daria understood that he was thinking quickly, weighing the pros and cons.
"Herbert, I know you can't accept the possibility of the empire's failure. No one can accept it, but we must retain the ability to survive."
The most direct consequence of a large-scale bond sell-off is a drop in bond prices and an inability to sell existing bonds. While the sell-off is considered treasonous by the Empire, if done properly, with collusion between internal and external parties, and public opinion manipulated to interpret it as a normal financial transaction, it wouldn't be a fatal blow to the Empire's financial system.
On the contrary, in other words, if he were to sit in the Allied tribunal one day, this would actually be the best evidence for a reduced sentence.
Schleicher finally lowered his hand from his chin, crossed his legs, and his voice returned to its original carefree tone.
"How much has the old man sold for Krupp?"
"Only 36 million."
"Only?!" Schleicher laughed so hard that his chest shook violently, and his voice was mocking.
"Krupp only pays him 400,000 marks a year. Doesn't he boast about being a master of all three fields, military, political, and economic? Is this such a small sum worth risking his life for Krupp? Our whole family could die with him ten times over."
"This isn't about risking your life. This is the optimal choice made after careful risk-return calculations under unavoidable circumstances."
Dalia softened her voice, trying to inject some easing into the awkward relationship between father and son. After all, the biggest reason for the rapid deterioration of their relationship was her marriage to him, which was in name only.
"Also, you have no right to blame father. For the past two years, he has turned a blind eye to your secret dealings with Krupp. Without father's support, how could you have gotten away with it?"
The man's smile was a little exaggerated, and Dalia couldn't help feeling uneasy.
"Herbert, will you help me or not?"
Schleicher's trembling shoulders stopped, and he stared at the other person with a forced smile, his tone suddenly becoming gloomy.
"Dahlia, you played a huge role in my father's decision. I didn't realize you were so capable."
Darya smiled slightly, tossed her hair, and said proudly, "Your wife majored in political economy at the University of Berlin and completed all the courses in three semesters. You never wanted to understand your wife, even though she has been with you since childhood..."
Schleicher started to get impatient when he was trying to reason with her. "Agree to sign my divorce petition, and you'll be responsible for finding a reason to get my father to stop obstructing me. I'll help you, it's that simple."
"Herbert!"
"Dahlia, the 8% dividend I receive from Volkswagen every month, or 4,700 marks, can be used as your maintenance. As for the rest, I'm sure my father will give you more."
Schleicher turned "Gone with the Wind" back to the cover page, which is exquisite in details and full of connotation. It is not the product of assembly line production, but was specially made by someone.
"This was originally a marriage of convenience, but now all the property of the Earl of Westalup has been confiscated, and the family has completely collapsed. The marriage is no longer of any value. A shrewd businessman would not do a business that loses money. Don't tell me you are not short of money now. That doesn't suit you."
"How could I possibly be short of money? My 'ex-husband' is a rich bastard!"
While the man lowered his head to put down his book, Dalia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She had both self-respect and pride; she wouldn't repeatedly beg to remain humble in order to win back a man who didn't love her. Money was the only sure thing.
"Not only do I want your monthly dividends from Volkswagen, I also want your entire art collection, including your favorite, 'Venus in the Mirror' by Velázquez."
Schleicher narrowed his eyes and admitted frankly, "That painting is a high imitation. You don't need it. You can take whatever you want from the others."
"Also, within one year after the divorce, you cannot take away my last name."
Dalia raised her head slightly and continued to ask.
This marriage was forced from the outset, but it also gave the Westalup family the protection they desired. If her surname were stripped away, it would mean losing that protection. For at least a year, she would have to remain Mrs. Schleicher in public.
"Dalia, you really want too much. Divorcing but refusing to change your surname can be considered fraud under the common law of the Empire." Schleicher suppressed his smile.
Dalia wanted to explain a few more words, but she knew that Schleicher would not misunderstand her meaning, and she felt that there was no need to explain. She was struggling and hesitating, but Schleicher smiled again the next second.
"However, I never do things to the extreme, so, it's a deal."
Her heartbeat was loud. Dalia grabbed the crimson dress with her hands and held her head high. "Deal, thank you."
…
There were few signs of human habitation in the apartment, and the furniture was all brand new, indicating that Schleicher did not live here on a regular basis. It seemed as if everything was really as he said, and you just happened to be on his two-day vacation, so he had time to pick you up at the train station.
In anticipation of your arrival, he has specially hired a part-time worker who is familiar with the local characteristics to take charge of daily meals and daily living.
Mrs. Havelova was a middle-aged woman in her forties with light eyes, a broad forehead, and a simple traditional Czech hairstyle. She was talkative and enthusiastic. She did not regard serving in the SS as a national shame, but rather as a high-paying job that could provide for her family.
Emma sat in the high chair, spooning the sticky stew into her mouth. You and Susie sat on either side of her. Schleicher and Daria sat opposite.
Everyone had a glass of Czech beer brewed with Bohemian hops and a bowl of clear soup in front of them. The main course was the traditional Czech dish, grilled pork chops, served with their favorite sauerkraut and dipping sauce. The staple food was very similar to the steamed buns that people in northern China often eat.
The moment the main course is served to you, you suddenly have a particularly strong urge to vomit.
Mrs. Havilova claims to be a great cook and can't wait for you to take the first bite and give your evaluation. Daria praises you warmly. Schleicher is tired of Czech food and has an expression that is difficult to describe but he forces a polite smile.
"Ina, why aren't you using your knife and fork? Aren't you hungry?"
Dalia followed the gaze of the people around her, noticed something was wrong with you, and asked first.
Schleicher took a sip of Czech beer, his eyes never leaving you, just like appreciating a painting while eating, except that the discomfort of the person in the painting made the appreciator frown.
Emma tilted her head and stared at the delicious food on her mother's plate while stuffing herself with a big mouthful of meat porridge. Susie passed over Emma and set her eyes on you.
Mrs. Havilova stood aside, pinching the corner of her apron. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry. I forgot to ask everyone about their taboos before cooking. Do you not eat pork?"
Only Jews have a taboo against eating pork.
"No, I don't have any dietary restrictions," you said to Mrs. Havilova, and then replied to Darya: "Daisha, I was just distracted by something."
Dalia's nickname is Daisha. Women's friendship is simple; they can exchange nicknames just by chatting about their innermost thoughts.
You use a knife and fork to cut the meat off the pork chop piece by piece, as if you are performing a strange cutting operation. When you put the fork with meat to your mouth, an uncontrollable nausea arises again.
With a terrible cramp in your stomach, you put down your knife and fork and ran to the bathroom.
Susie exclaimed slightly. Schleicher looked serious. He picked up the napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth, then immediately stood up and followed.
Dalia withdrew her gaze from the figure in black military uniform and fell on the empty chair opposite. She calmly took a sip of the clear soup, restrained her expression, and continued to eat dinner elegantly.
After you vomit, you lean over the sink, holding the faucet, breathing in deep gulps of air. The cool air enters your throat and brain, calming the surging memories.
You turned on the faucet, took a sip of water to rinse your mouth, and then washed your face. When you raised your head to look for a towel, the water droplets on your eyelashes blurred your vision, and you vaguely saw a black body.
You thought it was him, and you let out a surprised cry and took a step back in fear.
Schleicher was confused and looked behind him, then looked down at the black military uniform he was wearing.
"Pregnant?"
Someone felt wronged, but seeing that you looked absent-minded, he stepped forward, took out the towel, wiped your face, and placed the towel on the sink.
Schleicher took you into his arms when you weren't paying attention. Although he had a sour face, his tone was still very pertinent. "If you're pregnant, just give birth to the baby. Why are you crying? It's not a big deal."
This chapter has a total of 12,000 yuan, 6,000 yuan was released, and the remaining 6,000 yuan was used for the hidden ending of the return gift:
A few things about Schleicher and Ina: Chapter 40, what Schleicher meant by "Hell"
"What's wrong? Why are you so angry all of a sudden? Where are you going?"
"To Hell. But I will make it a paradise, as ordered by the Führer and my father."
(You can search for Schleicher’s favorite painting, “Venus in the Mirror”! The male protagonist will return in a few chapters, and the story of his father and William will be written later)
Red heart is the driving force of renewalbr>
No gift record
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