Chapter 49 Submarine Expert

How many people have heard Hitler snore?

Zhang Hainuo didn't know, but what he could be sure of was that he had become one of the very few "lucky" ones.

The feeling of sleeping on the floor was not much worse than the hard bunks on a submarine. It's just that there was a smell of decay permeating this small attic, and the faint sounds in the middle of the night should be made by the mice moving in the interlayer. The environment here reminded him of some strong individuals in history, who lived very simple and even hard lives before they rose to prominence, such as King Goujian of Yue, who slept on brushwood and tasted gall, Emperor Taizu of Ming Dynasty, who went from beggar to emperor, Abraham Lincoln, born in a poor peasant family, and the great founding fathers of New China. This is the so-called "Heaven imposes tasks on those who are worthy, and tests their minds, strengthens their bodies, and starves their skins."

Although Hitler generously let Zhang Hainuo stay overnight, Hitler arrogantly made the guest sleep on the floor while he slept soundly on that old broken bed. Although the superiority beyond ordinary people had not yet manifested in words, it had already taken root deep inside, which was another evaluation of him by Zhang Hainuo.

Hitler's snoring wasn't loud, but Zhang Hainuo couldn't fall asleep for a long time. Several years later, when this important figure reached the pinnacle of power in Germany, would he still allow others to share a room with him?

Since crossing into this era, Zhang Hainuo has always felt that if history were to change, it would be because of the "butterfly effect." But at this moment, he was so close to the mainline of history—over the next 26 years, the person in the bed would change the world through his own efforts. If he were to eliminate him now, history would undergo a huge change.

The past, the future, and various historical scenes were spinning rapidly in Zhang Hainuo's mind. This night, he thought a lot, until dawn was approaching, and he barely closed his eyes for a while.

When Zhang Hainuo woke up because of the sound of paper rubbing, he saw Hitler sitting on the bed reading a book. He looked at his pocket watch; it was not even 6 o'clock!

"Sorry for waking you up!" Hitler said calmly, without taking his eyes off the book.

"It's okay, I usually wake up this early too!"

As he said this, Zhang Hainuo suddenly realized it himself. Obviously, this former army sergeant still maintained his military routine, just like himself. He went to bed at 11 o'clock every day and got up at 6 in the morning. Since there was no space for him to run on the submarine, he had to do push-ups in the corridor or exercise on the deck.

"Did you sleep well last night? My rodent friends didn't disturb your rest, did they?" Hitler raised his head and smiled at Zhang Hainuo.

"Well, they don't seem interested in me!"

As Zhang Hainuo got up and replied, Hitler glanced at the Lange mechanical watch in his pocket. Although it was just a casual glance, Zhang Hainuo still keenly caught it.

"I should go back to Bremen today. The owner is still waiting for me to sail!" Zhang Hainuo walked to Hitler's bed, took off the watch from his injured wrist, a watch made in the eastern part of Germany, which was quite famous at that time.

"This is a gift from my former boss, Roderick von Hessen. I would like to give it to you, sir, and I hope you don't mind!"

"Since it is a gift from your former boss, it must be of great significance. How dare I accept such a precious gift? Mr. Von Finkenschtein, I appreciate your kindness, and I will remember it!" Hitler said with a calm smile.

"If this watch can serve as a timepiece for Mr. Hitler, it would be my great honor! Please don't refuse, sir, please accept it!" Zhang Hainuo placed the watch in front of Hitler and then quietly watched his reaction.

Such a finely crafted, accurate timepiece would sell for about 5 to 6 gold marks before the war. Although the mark could depreciate, its value would not fluctuate much. This was also the reason why capitalists and speculators could make a fortune when the mark became worthless in 1923. When the common people woke up and found that their bank deposits could only buy a few carrots, the goods and daily necessities in the merchants' warehouses would not lose their value. People had to sell valuable things in their homes to buy food, while speculators took advantage of the situation to inflate commodity prices, ultimately wiping out the savings of ordinary people.

Hitler no longer refused. He silently picked up the watch, gently stroking its surface reflecting the metallic luster with his fingers, and after a while, he put it into his coat pocket.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Von Finkenschtein! If you don't mind, you can call me Adolf in the future!"

Zhang Hainuo not only didn't mind, but also eagerly agreed. He smiled and said, "Okay, Adolf, you can call me Hainuo from now on! It's a pity that I'm in a hurry to go back to Bremen this time. We must have a good chat next time we meet!"

Hitler looked up, "Looking forward to our next meeting!"

Many years later, Zhang Hainuo would still remember this morning, because in his impression, it was a rare occasion when the little mustache spoke calmly and normally. As time went on, his speeches would become more and more emotional, and even during ordinary conversations, he would often "lose control."

After bidding farewell to Hitler, Zhang Hainuo went to the Army Archives in Munich. Unfortunately, some of the archives had been lost during the previous "revolution," and the officers were trying to reorganize these materials, but the workload was huge. They were also unable to help Zhang Hainuo with his request.

In this situation, with a heart full of disappointment, Zhang Hainuo had no choice but to return to Bremen first. When he returned to the Quickfire, Hess and nearly half of the crew had already brought their families. In order to accommodate these people, Hess had already had a smaller cabin converted into living quarters, equipped with hammocks and bunk beds.

Seeing that everything was proceeding smoothly according to plan, Zhang Hainuo was very pleased. After a short rest, he boarded the train to Wilhelmshaven—Wilhelmshaven was only forty kilometers away from Bremen, and it would only take an hour to arrive. However, Redel was not in the naval port that day, so Zhang Hainuo had to leave a message and said he would visit again in two days.

During these two days, Zhang Hainuo visited several chambers of commerce and shipyards in Bremen. Although the victorious countries such as England and France had squeezed as much as possible from Germany, they did not include the equipment of various shipyards on the compensation list. Firstly, because these equipments were too cumbersome, but more importantly, because the standards and specifications of shipyard equipment in various countries were different. German shipyard equipment might only be sold as scrap iron in England, plus transportation costs, which would be a very uneconomical deal. Ship engineers and technicians were also subject to similar considerations—the British Empire never lacked talent in this area, and they also looked down upon the German Navy and related auxiliary personnel who had been suppressed by their navy for four years.

This was undoubtedly good news for Zhang Hainuo. It meant that he had a great opportunity to recruit these technical talents to Brazil. After discussing with Hess upon his return, they decided to take immediate action separately. Hess would be responsible for recruiting civilian shipbuilding talents in Bremen—placing recruitment advertisements in newspapers or distributing recruitment flyers on the dock, conducting simple assessments for those who volunteered to work with them in Brazil, and selecting those who passed to return to Brazil with them.

On Zhang Hainuo's side, he personally took charge of recruiting talents related to submarines and warships. In his opinion, an excellent submarine engineer was far more valuable than ten or twenty ship engineers. However, senior technical personnel in military ships would not be as readily available in the labor market as ordinary ship engineers and technicians. They were often directly employed by naval shipyards or various shipyards involved in building ships for the German Navy during the war. Unless these shipyards went bankrupt or they actively changed jobs, it would require some effort to "poach" them.

To poach these valuable talents, Zhang Hainuo first had to find and contact them. Fortunately, two days later, he met with Redel in Wilhelmshaven. Redel handed him a list containing basic information about some submarine design researchers and technical personnel, including their names, resumes, and current addresses.

Zhang Hainuo counted; there were only 17 people on this list, which was far fewer than the number of talents in the German Navy in this area. Redel explained that this information was quite confidential within the Navy, and it was only through an old acquaintance who worked as a junior supervisor in the logistics department that he managed to obtain this information.

Zhang Hainuo also understood his difficulties. After all, Redel was a very traditional German military man in terms of character. Asking him to do these things was already "exceptionally gracious." It was almost impossible for him to personally take him to the shipyard to poach people. After having lunch together, Zhang Hainuo bid farewell to Redel and began his headhunting career based on this information.

The first person on this list was Sir August von Schenning, who was well-known in the German Navy submarine community. Zhang Hainuo had heard of his name because nearly one-third of the U-series submarines were created by him. In addition, he participated in the design of the UB-series submarines, which were highly praised by naval officers and soldiers for their practical performance. When the German U-boat fleet achieved shocking results in early 1917, this submarine expert was also awarded the Blue Max Medal by the German Emperor and was ennobled.

Listed after August was Hans Techel, who was equally renowned in the submarine field. He was the chief submarine engineer at the Kiel Jiaermania Shipyard, and his greatest contribution lay in diesel engines for submarines. During the war, the Jiaermania Shipyard built a total of 84 submarines, including U-class, UB-class, UC-class, and long-range transport submarines such as the "Deutschland" and "Bremen" series.

These two names indeed carried considerable weight in the industry, but what Zhang Hainuo worried about was precisely their reputation in the field—after all, tall trees catch much wind. Perhaps they had already been hired by the British or American governments for high salaries long ago. Even if not, they might disdain the idea of following Zhang Hainuo to far-off Brazil, relatively isolated from the European mainland. Despite these concerns, he still approached their addresses according to the information provided. Unfortunately, both experts' residences were guarded by dedicated naval personnel, and all visitors were turned away. He didn't even get to meet either of them.

The first two targets ended in failure, but Zhang Hainuo wasn't discouraged. He believed that with the capabilities of the Navy Department and various shipyards at present, they could only protect a group of top engineers at best. As for experts slightly less renowned in fame and skill, they might not receive such favorable "treatment."

"Excuse me, does Dr. Karl von Kleist live here?"

In the suburbs of Hamburg, Zhang Hainuo nervously pressed the doorbell of a villa's gate. After a moment, a maid emerged from a side door and politely inquired:

"Sir, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Hainuo von Finkenshine, a retired naval officer, and I have important matters to discuss with Dr. Kleist!"

"Very well, please wait a moment."

Though the middle-aged maid was not particularly attractive, Zhang Hainuo appreciated her words, especially the reply, which indicated that his 10th target was indeed inside the villa.

A minute later, the maid reappeared and opened the door for Zhang Hainuo.

"Please come with me, sir!"

Passing through the tastefully decorated living room, Zhang Hainuo was led to the backyard of the villa, filled with flowers and offering a view of the once bustling port in the distance.

A middle-aged man, around forty, was sitting in a recliner under a large umbrella, reading a newspaper. At that moment, Zhang Hainuo almost forgot he was in post-World War I Germany because of the relaxed atmosphere here, which contrasted greatly with the outside world.

After being led to the backyard, the maid quietly retreated.

"Hello, Dr. Karl von Kleist!"

Zhang Hainuo tipped his black round-brimmed hat politely to the man.

"Are you Hainuo von Finkenshine?" The man put down the newspaper, stood up, and looked Zhang Hainuo up and down. "The famous naval knight?"

Zhang Hainuo hadn't expected the man to know his prestigious title, but he smiled faintly, "Indeed, that's me!"

"I remember you were listed as missing after the war!" The man's expression was wary. Although he didn't say it, his demeanor indicated his caution. Upon closer inspection, Zhang Hainuo noticed the man's hairstyle and texture were quite similar to his, and his facial features shared about forty to fifty percent resemblance.

"In fact, I have always admired a distinguished officer like yourself. That's why I pay special attention when reading the newspaper!" Despite the risky move, Zhang Hainuo decided to be straightforward. "May I sit down and talk?"

Despite his caution, Dr. Kleist had a servant bring another chair and allowed Zhang Hainuo to sit across from him.

"I don't know how to prove my identity to you right now because documents can be forged, and witnesses can be fabricated. Before I explain my experiences over the past year, I would like you to answer a few questions for me. I know it's audacious, but I'll explain further afterward."

This line of questioning might seem bold and risky, but given Dr. Kleist's earlier behavior, Zhang Hainuo believed he needed to convince this expert in a candid manner. In other words, he needed to present something attractive to him.

"Very well, go ahead, but don't involve any confidential information, or I'll call the police immediately!"

Zhang Hainuo nodded. "Dr. Kleist, do you love Germany?"

"Yes, of course!" Dr. Kleist's puzzled gaze didn't diminish. "What kind of question is that?"

"And are you willing to contribute everything to Germany and swear to God that you will keep all secrets for the country?"

"Of course, that's also my personal creed!" Dr. Kleist answered without hesitation.

"Do you know about U-148?" Zhang Hainuo began to steer the conversation towards the main topic.

"U-148? Of course, it's the last batch of U-139-class long-range submarines completed. Although I didn't participate in the design of this submarine, I've seen its blueprints, and they're excellent!" Dr. Kleist's enthusiasm for professional matters was evident, but he maintained his caution, deliberately avoiding any mention of classified information.

Seeing the perpetual smile on Dr. Kleist's face, Zhang Hainuo suddenly remembered, "Dr. Kleist, I believe you should be the commander of U-148!"

"Yes, I am. What I want to tell you is that U-148 was neither sunk in battle nor confiscated by the Allied powers. Instead, my crew and I hid it in a very safe place. That's why I 'disappeared'!" This admission was a risk, but considering Dr. Kleist's earlier demeanor, Zhang Hainuo felt he needed to engage this expert with honesty.

Dr. Kleist looked incredulous for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any evidence to prove what you're saying?"

"I'm sorry, I can't prove it to you right now because it's not in Germany!" Zhang Hainuo stated frankly.

It was evident that Dr. Kleist was filled with doubts, his expression and eyes reflecting his inner wariness.

"Why did you come to me then?"

"Because our goal is not just to preserve U-148. We hope to preserve all of Germany's submarines and further develop them! Surely you're aware that the Treaty of Versailles prohibits Germany from building submarines in the future. But from the performance in the war, submarines are the only weapons that can bridge the gap between us and the British Navy!"

Dr. Kleist nodded in agreement with these words.

"If I were a British spy, perhaps I could lure you to England, but would you genuinely serve England? One or two seemingly inadvertent mistakes can ruin a submarine. Besides, the British disdain hiring experts from Germany for high salaries because they've always looked down on submarines as a weapon. Even after suffering greatly in the war, they still cling to the idea of battleship supremacy!"

Without much thought, Dr. Kleist accepted this argument.

"In fact, not only have we preserved U-148 safely, but we've also established a large shipyard at that location. I returned to Germany this time to recruit engineers and skilled workers! Once this shipyard is operational, we can continue submarine research in secret. If war breaks out again, the German Navy will have access to these submarines and technologies immediately!"

Dr. Kleist began stroking his smooth chin. "Has your plan been approved by the Navy Department?"

"This plan cannot be disclosed publicly. The British would never allow us to do this! So, most naval officers are currently unaware of this, and they cannot provide us with funds! However, you don't need to worry about funding. We already have enough money at hand!"

"You're not selling U-148 to foreigners, are you?" Dr. Kleist's wariness seemed to have gone a bit overboard.

"No, of course not!" Zhang Hainuo played with his hat. "Captain Hess and I both come from noble families, and we have a very wealthy aristocrat on board. So, you don't need to worry about money!"

"Hess?" Dr. Kleist found all this increasingly unbelievable.

"Roderick von Hess, the madman of the sea, is also in our team!" Zhang Hainuo said calmly.

"The madman of the sea?"

"Yes, if you know him, then things will be much easier because he's currently in Bremen!"

Dr. Kleist shook his head. "No, I don't know him. I've only seen his photo in internal naval publications!"

Whether or not Dr. Kleist knew Hess didn't matter anymore. Zhang Hainuo adopted a more serious tone:

"Dr. Kleist, I'm taking a risk by telling you these life-threatening matters, but I'm assuming a very great risk! I am the commander of this operation and must be responsible for the safety of my subordinates. So, I hope to get your answer now!"

Dr. Kleist leaned back in his chair. "Are you threatening me?"

"You could see it that way!" Zhang Hainuo was straightforward. "If this news reaches the ears of the British, my crew, myself, and U-148 are done for! For the sake of the country's interests, I have no choice!"

"So, if you don't take me away from here today, I will die, right?"

Dr. Kleist still had the same tone, and his eyes were fixed on Zhang Hainuo.

"Yes!" Zhang Hainuo said, "Since I've made such a bold plan, I can only sacrifice a small part of people's interests to preserve the overall situation. Everything is for Germany!"

"Everything is for Germany?" Dr. Kleist repeated the phrase to himself. "Everything is for Germany!"

In the end, Dr. Kleist proposed to go to Bremen to see for himself. If Hess was truly involved in this plan, he would join without hesitation. But if not, he wouldn't tarnish his own reputation even if it meant death.

Zhang Hainuo readily agreed, and the result was evident. Dr. Kleist joined them and brought the design drawings he had hidden, but apparently out of concern for safety, he sent his three children to stay with his sister in the countryside.

Finally achieving victory, Zhang Hainuo was in high spirits. Despite his fatigue, he continued to visit the addresses provided on the list. Among these people, some were reclusive, others were untraceable, but Zhang Hainuo successfully met several of them. Not every one of them required the logical persuasion and emotional appeal used with Dr. Kleist, like Hank Streizeman, who had worked in the submarine design department at the Hamburg Blohm & Voss shipyard. This thirty-something technical expert had quite realistic demands: he would agree to go to Brazil if Zhang Hainuo could handle the immigration affairs for his whole family, provide corresponding salary, accommodation, and research funds. If these conditions were met, he was willing to bring his two most capable assistants along.

Zhang Hainuo readily agreed.

Finally, boarding the "pirate ship" Fastboat was a 25-year-old submarine expert—William Foster, who worked in the civil ship department of the Hamburg Blohm & Voss shipyard. This passionate young man was quickly drawn to Zhang Hainuo's "Marine Fire Seed Plan." Just recently transferred to the civil ship department, he not only expressed willingness to go to Brazil but also actively introduced Zhang Hainuo to his mentor in submarine design, Mr. Lorckrentz. Unfortunately, this sixty-something old man was only willing to stay in Germany for retirement. However, it was evident that old Lorckrentz highly valued his young and talented disciple. He not only handed over some design drawings he had preserved from the war to Foster but also told him that whenever he encountered technical problems in the future, he could come to him at any time.

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Starting from today, the author's update frequency and word count will significantly decrease. The reason is that the author needs to eat, but writing books on this platform does not generate income. The author needs to find another job to make a living. I can only apologize to all the readers. Updates will not be discontinued.

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