Chapter 16: Insider Trading

Without the crowing of roosters, without the morning glow, and without the sea breeze gently brushing the curtains, Lynn slept relatively soundly, relying solely on artificial adjustments of light to simulate the day and night cycle of the underground world. However, upon waking up, there was always a sense of confusion, as if everything here was like a moon in the mirror, a flower in the water, beautiful illusions that could shatter at any moment.

Although there were doubts and worries, after a rare serious grooming session, Lynn enjoyed the breakfast brought to his bedside by a young nurse. The satisfaction in his stomach finally filled the slight sense of unease in his heart. After the meal, as he was studying English and German vocabulary, he saw two officers in new-style military uniforms walk solemnly to his bedside. They publicly read out a special commendation order for him, acknowledging his loyalty and bravery during the "Aryan Ark Plan" escort operation and the important role he played. He was awarded a Gold German Cross Medal for this, along with a Silver Wound Badge according to the regulations for war injury rewards. The certificate was issued simultaneously with the medals to prove his absolute compliance and legitimacy.

Because of its unique appearance, the German Cross Medal was jokingly referred to by German officers and soldiers as "Hitler's fried egg". Although not belonging to the famous Iron Cross or War Merit Cross series, it was still a mainstream German medal, mainly used to bridge the significant gap between the First Class Iron Cross Medal and the Knight's Cross Medal. This medal was divided into three levels: diamond, gold, and silver, with the diamond level only producing samples and never actually being awarded. As for the Silver German Cross Medal he received the day before, it could be said to be the most beautiful of the three levels. It was one level lower than the Gold Medal, but there was no subordinate relationship between them. Those who received both medals could choose to wear the higher-ranking one or place the gold above the silver while wearing them simultaneously.

As the honors came pouring in, Lynn remained surprisingly calm inside. He could guess that this was Goebbels' way of repaying him for rescuing his family, perhaps even thinking of "killing two birds with one stone" - also gaining favor in the military. The brutal nature of political and military power struggles was not to be underestimated. With limited experience and awareness, Lynn did not want to rashly get involved, nor did he want to be used as a pawn, so he accepted the reward with a calm and composed attitude.

"Lieutenant Gargo, here is a private gift for you, given by a lady for me to deliver!"

After placing a square box tied with a red bow down, the army officer saluted properly and left with his subordinates.

At first, Lynn thought it might be Eva Sutcliffe, but upon opening it, he realized it wasn't. Inside the box, slightly larger than a palm, was a pink card and two heart-shaped chocolates. The card, written in childish handwriting, read: "Thank you to our great hero Lynn Gargo. Signed: Haida, Elizabeth."

Looking at the card and the chocolates with obvious cut marks on the edges, Lynn naturally smiled. He placed one piece in his mouth, shared the other with the sergeant in the next bed, and carefully stored the card back in the box. When he rescued them that night, the lighting was too dim, and he couldn't see the faces of the two girls clearly, but he remembered their soft and beautiful hair, and how fragile they seemed.

In this base where food was not lacking - at least there was currently no rationing system in place - a piece of chocolate was obviously not as precious as it was on the front lines. Nevertheless, the sergeant enjoyed the heart-shaped chocolate given by Lynn, saying with a smile, "Mmm, smooth and sweet, this is excellent chocolate! I envy you, Lieutenant Gargo!"

Lynn felt like he hadn't smiled genuinely like this in a long time. He looked down at the two German Cross Medals worn on his left chest. Although he didn't like the feeling of wearing so many medals, to avoid any misunderstandings, he decided to keep them both. Then, turning to the sergeant who had been watching him, he said, "Is this the reward for my recovery here? Bought with blood. Do you think it's worth it?"

Upon hearing this, the sergeant understood roughly. He put away his smile, quietly took out a cigarette, lit it, and said with deep feeling, "Many people silently died on the battlefield to defend the country and uphold dignity, only to be missed by their loved ones. Compared to them, we are very lucky. At least we still have the dream of victory... Wounds will heal quickly, but opportunities are not just something you can have whenever you want."

"Perhaps!" Lynn lay back on the bed, picked up the dictionary from the pillow, and thought that to establish himself in this world, relying solely on others was unreliable. The key was his own effort and struggle.

"Are you studying English?" the sergeant asked curiously, which was the first reaction many people had upon seeing Lynn flipping through the English-German dictionary.

"Yeah!" Lynn admitted readily as usual and explained simply, "I hope one day it will be useful when I interrogate enemy prisoners of war, instead of just saying 'I surrender' in English."

The sergeant accepted this humorous remark with a faint smile, clearly approving.

Some people spent their time studying, while others seized the opportunity to observe the young people of the opposite sex around them and find potential targets for development. It was obvious that the young nurses did not object to this, and some even had the demeanor and behavior of quasi-lovers.

Different attitudes towards life determined different life directions. In the afternoon, the newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Motchige came and brought Lynn greetings from Laurenz Bach and two German-language military books. In the conversation, Motchige revealed that there would be a large number of soldiers arriving at the "shelter" in the near future. However, the majority of them would be naval crew members, while the total size of the infantry would correspond to the established unit numbers - that is, two combat regiments. With everyone being promoted by one rank, military ranks naturally rose, and those who had been tempered by war and retained were the elites among the elites. In this situation, it was difficult to stand out.

Since there was an implied message in Motchige's words, Lynn tactfully expressed that it was the "Vampire" Assault Team that gave him a new path in life. As for what the future holds, he was willing to follow Bach's arrangements.

"Here are two books, given to me by the General!" The "General" referred to by Motchige was none other than the newly promoted General Laurenz Bach. Apart from being born into various honors as a member of the royal nobility, he had surpassed the Air Force's Dietrich Peltz to become the youngest general in German history. Unfortunately, this record was not recognized by the public, as he, like everyone else in this "shelter," was seen by outsiders as either "fallen in battle" or "missing."

Upon receiving the two books that Motchige took out from his briefcase, Lynn found that they were not mysterious or extraordinary texts. These two ordinary-sized books, one with a hardcover, contained Clausewitz's "On War," one of the most classic military works in Europe; the other, with a soft cover, simply bore two lines: "sunzi" - "diekunstdeskrieges," the German translation of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

Motchige went on to explain, "There's nothing special about the officer assessment, just complete the required courses and you'll pass. If you can excel in some aspects, given your previous achievements and reputation, coupled with the General's recommendation, you're likely to be appointed to the direct units of the Strategic Staff."

"The Strategic Staff?" Lynn hadn't heard of such an organization before. Perhaps it was just a slight change in name, like the infantry and the air force, and played the same role as the original High Command.

Motchige whispered, "In addition to the army, navy, air force, and military police and guard flag units, we will also establish some elite units directly under the Strategic Staff, responsible for special tasks such as vigilance, reconnaissance, and infiltration, equipped with the best personnel and weapons. Doesn't that suit your characteristics?"

After pondering for a moment, Lynn felt that this matter had both advantages and disadvantages, but there was little room for him to control. So he solemnly replied, "It's rare for the General to value me so much, I will do my best!"

Upon hearing this, Motchige's reaction was not enthusiastic. He sighed lightly, "Do your best! Even if things don't go as planned, we can find another way."

Sensing that there was more to his words, Lynn, considering Motchige's generally straightforward character, asked, "What about others? Are they not doing well?"

Motchige nodded slightly, "Although this was part of the initial plan, it has not been approved by the Führer yet. Now... the Field Marshal hopes that all armed forces loyal to the Führer will be incorporated into the Imperial Guard eventually, but how it will end up depends on their negotiations. And now, the main military affairs of the 'shelter' are personally handled by the Field Marshal."

Leaning close to Motchige's ear, Lynn asked, "So, the Führer..."

"Hush..." Perhaps thinking that Lynn was privy to some insider information, the lieutenant colonel gestured for silence, then whispered, "Physically stable for now, but who knows when he'll wake up!"

To outsiders, the scene of these two young male officers whispering by the bedside seemed awkward, even misleading, but to the two involved, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Lynn was surprised, but maintained his composure, nodding along as he listened. Then he asked, "So, is that why they've decided not to disclose any information about the outside world for now?"

"What you mean is..." Motchige seemed particularly cautious when discussing external news. It's understandable that if the officers and soldiers learned that Admiral Dönitz's new government had started negotiations for a ceasefire with the Allies and the Soviets (signing surrender agreements with the Allies and Soviets respectively on May 6th and 7th), the morale and confidence that had been painstakingly built up would undoubtedly be affected. If they learned that Germany had surrendered, the extent of the morale shake-up would be even more difficult to estimate.

Lynn deliberately stopped short, "The Admiral... who is also the designated successor to the Führer..."

Surprised, Motchige looked at Lynn, perhaps wondering how this junior officer, who seemed half-dead on his journey here and had only been in the "shelter" for a day, could know so much confidential information. After hesitating for a moment, the lieutenant colonel lowered his voice and said, "No, I think this wasn't decided on a whim. It was part of the plan from the beginning! It is said... that until today, everything has been under control according to the plan."

With that said, Lynn pressed on, "So, is the Führer's condition also part of the plan?"

Motchige shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid only the General and a very few core personnel know!"