Chapter 4: Taking Control of One's Destiny

The silver moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the face of the middle-aged man whose head was wrapped in a large bandage, resembling a giant zongzi.

"Hey, General, wake up! Hey, wake up!" A shadow crouched beside the bed, gently shaking the man's arm, careful not to disturb the "bombshell nurse" who often lurked nearby.

"Uh... who's there?" the "big zongzi" mumbled.

"It's me, Hans Logan! I'm the angel sent by God to save you!" the shadow whispered.

"An angel? Come on, can't it wait till tomorrow? I'm tired!" the "big zongzi" protested.

"I can't wait, General, this can't wait any longer!" the shadow insisted.

The "big zongzi" finally sat up, annoyed. "Fine! If you're just here to tell me the British are slipping away from Dunkirk, then please leave..."

"No, I have an idea, a plan that can disrupt the enemy's retreat plan and showcase the airborne troops!" the shadow said.

"Oh? Is that so?" The "big zongzi" suddenly became interested upon hearing the latter part of the sentence.

The shadow continued, "Remember the special operations of the airborne troops I mentioned before? I have an idea to parachute a group of paratroopers into Dunkirk and Dover on the opposite bank, disrupting the British retreat plan and buying more time for the air force bombings and ground troops to advance! This way, even if the British manage to evacuate some troops, it won't change the situation!"

"You want to drop our paratroopers right into the midst of the enemy? Isn't that a suicide mission?" the "big zongzi" reacted strongly.

"No, not a direct insertion, but infiltration, covert operations! General, we must remember that the role of paratroopers is not just assault; they are versatile gods who can play a role in every corner of the battlefield!" the shadow said quietly.

The "big zongzi" finally perked up. "Oh? Well then, tell me about your plan!"

"It's like this, I've studied the geography of Dunkirk... First, we can make full use of the stealth of airborne drops... Second, we can maximize the special operations capabilities of the paratroopers... Furthermore, our paratroopers are definitely the most reliable soldiers..." the shadow outlined.

Midway, a voice from outside interrupted, "General, still not resting at this late hour?"

The "big zongzi" hastily said, "Just getting up for a quick pee, will sleep soon!"

"Get some rest early!" the voice outside was gentle, almost too gentle, enough to evoke imaginations if one hadn't seen the person, but like a legendary assassin, this bombshell nurse was a master of voice killing!

Does this fat woman never sleep? Logan lamented.

The "big zongzi" turned off the light obediently, but by the moonlight, the two continued their discussion.

"It's too dangerous, way too dangerous! These paratroopers might all end up dead!"

"No high risk, no high reward. I think this is the best opportunity for the higher-ups to fully understand the versatility of paratroopers!" the shadow said.

"Versatile paratroopers? Hmm, I like the sound of that concept. Alright then! What are your specific ideas?"

"It's like this, I've read a book... oh no, a book about airborne operations. Oh, it doesn't have a name, it's a handwritten manuscript, purely fictional! To the point, my plan is... " the shadow continued to explain.

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Even the rich lunch couldn't stimulate Logan's appetite. Since General Studegart left in the morning, he had been in a state of nervousness. Even when the formidable "bombshell" nurse came with a syringe, he didn't show a hint of fear on his face.

His brave behavior earned him the respect of all the unlucky guys.

But Logan's mind was elsewhere. He had stayed up until 4 in the morning with the "big zongzi" last night. Of course, staying up didn't mean what you might think; people in 1940 weren't less intelligent than modern folks, and to truly persuade them, you had to show some skills. Besides detailing every aspect of the plan, Logan had also engaged in a mental battle with Studegart, like a chess game, explaining seven out of ten rounds to win. He had to continuously make the deep-rooted land-centric German general understand the traditions, characteristics, and strengths of naval powers. He had to make them understand that the British, to rescue their compatriots, would sail every ship to Dunkirk, even if there were Stukas circling above, sea mines floating on the surface, and German long-range artillery on the shore.

By evening, Studegart's car finally appeared at the field hospital's door. The "big zongzi," still with a thick bandage around his head, didn't know whether he was being comforted or mocked by his colleagues at the Supreme Command.

He gave Logan a bear hug as soon as he came up.

"Our opportunity has come! The Fuhrer highly approves of our analysis, and even the weather report shows bad weather will continue for a while, so the Fuhrer has ordered the army to advance towards Dunkirk again!" Studegart said excitedly, taking out a document with an eagle emblem from his bag, "And our plan has been approved!"

Logan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had struck gold with Studegart—after all, Studegart was just an Imperial Air Force lieutenant colonel. Imagine how many top-ranking figures in Germany had the chance to directly advise the dictator and persuade him to reverse his decision?

In fact, in this country, only a few people like Erwin Rommel and Erich von Manstein had such an opportunity. And their biggest similarity was their very intimate private relationship with the Fuhrer!

Glancing at the contents of the document, Logan froze: The document, titled "Potassium Cyanide," indicated that this airborne operation was led by German Air Force Lieutenant Hans Logan and required personnel drawn from the 7th Airborne Division, to be executed on May 27th, just two days later.

Parachuting was no problem, but the key was that he hadn't even touched a gun, let alone participated in combat! Such a newbie, running onto the battlefield would just be offering himself as a target, wouldn't it?

Logan stared blankly at the "big zongzi," his face reddening. Well, this time he had really gotten himself into trouble! What else could he say? Feigning injury? The doctor said his head was fine, and the minor skin wounds would heal in two days! Besides, if he got a reputation for cowardice before the battle, how would he fare in the future?

What to do? Bite the bullet! Maybe he could make a name for himself with one shot?

Having read the document twice over, Logan realized that one crucial detail wasn't reflected in it.

"General... How many troops is the Supreme Command planning to deploy in this operation?" he asked.

"'Big Dumpling' said: "The Fuhrer believes the scale should be kept within a company, but considering that this operation requires paratroopers who can speak English, I estimate that the personnel we can draw upon will not exceed 100 people!"

Taking a deep breath, Logan realized that in his plan, at least 300 paratroopers needed to be involved in the operation in order to have enough power to disrupt the command center of Operation Dynamo and cause sufficient chaos for the Allies. Damn it, it seems that this little mustache still doesn't have enough confidence in paratroopers, but he doesn't want to dampen Studeggen's spirits, so he just picks some unlucky ones to be thrown into Dunkirk - if it succeeds, it's best, even if it doesn't, the Empire won't suffer much loss!

Disappointed as he was, Logan thought for a moment, "Oh, by the way, General, I have one more request: Can I have more parachuting and shooting training in the next two days to maintain combat readiness?"

"No problem! The Fuhrer has said that all units must fully cooperate with the paratroopers in this operation!" 'Big Dumpling' waved his 'imperial sword' with self-assurance - perhaps a little better than a dead fish.

"Uh... one last question!" Logan asked, "Why use the strange name 'Potassium Cyanide' as the operation code?"

"Oh, that's a poison, a deadly poison, capable of killing a person within ten seconds!" 'Big Dumpling' explained proudly, "We want the British and French to taste what it's like to oppose Germany!"