Chapter 7: The Understated but High-caliber Second-in-Command?

At 6:30 in the morning, the alarm clock rang punctually.

Despite having slept less than 6 hours last night, the previous days of rest and recuperation made getting up feel not too difficult. However, upon lifting the covers, it dawned on him that he was stark naked again last night...

Logan chuckled and scratched his head. It seemed this was another aspect of himself with potential for training.

The little girl was not in the room, but the sounds of children playing faintly emanated from the living room. Logan changed into his clothes and went out, only to find the two little ones covered in cream again...

"Shh, you two, keep it down. Mr. Dandelion is still sleeping!" It seemed Erika was busy in the kitchen, and the aroma of food filled the air.

Logan gestured for silence to the kids and tiptoed into the kitchen. The French girl had changed into a beige dress, with a white apron tied around her, standing at the stove frying eggs. On the table beside her were a plate of bread, a dish of beef, and several clean fruits.

"Ah, what a sumptuous breakfast!" Logan exclaimed abruptly, almost scaring Erika into flipping the frying pan. Considering the hot oil inside, that would have been quite a terrifying "weapon"!

After the surprise, Erika's face turned red in an instant.

"Oh, you're up so early, did they wake you?" she asked.

"No, it was about time to get up. I have to report in at 8:00 today!" Logan glanced out the window and saw a convertible Mercedes parked downstairs. Apart from the driver, there was also an Air Force officer sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Oh, looks like I need to hurry!" Before brushing his teeth and washing his face, Logan gave a genuine morning kiss to the busy little maid. Her face now redder than a ripe apple.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Logan grabbed his briefcase and headed downstairs. From afar, the officer in the car got out and opened the door for him.

"Good morning, Colonel Logan!"

The term "Colonel" was just a polite title at their first meeting. Logan nodded at him. "Sorry for keeping you waiting!"

"You're too kind! You can call me Carl. Carl Augustus! I'm a staff officer in the Second Operations Room of the Air Force Staff Headquarters!" This young Air Force lieutenant, who seemed to be around 25 years old, had thick black eyebrows and deep brown eyes. He was about 1.75 meters tall, and perhaps due to his civilian duties, his figure seemed somewhat slender.

"Alright, Carl, thank you!"

For the first time, someone was so attentive to him. Logan's initial discomfort was quickly replaced by a pleasant sense of enjoyment. Life among the upper echelons was indeed delightful!

"Colonel, have you had breakfast yet? Should we go directly to the Imperial Chancellery or take a detour?" After sitting back in the passenger seat, the Air Force staff officer turned to him, asking carefully.

Berlin in 1940 was undoubtedly fascinating, but Logan had lived here for a while. "Let's go directly to the Imperial Chancellery!"

"Understood, let's go!" The lieutenant instructed the driver. Perhaps due to his overly demonstrative nature, Logan didn't even remember what the driver looked like after sitting in the car.

"I'm a staunch supporter of your universal paratrooper theory!" Not long after they set off, the lieutenant unexpectedly said to Logan.

A supporter of the universal paratrooper theory...

Logan was momentarily stunned. Had the reasons he used to persuade Stundent been compiled into a theoretical system by someone with an agenda? Goodness, was there really such a fan?

"Um... thank you, thank you very much! Well, that theory... it's still not perfect, hehe!" Logan mumbled awkwardly, while pondering: From the attitude of Air Force Chief of Staff Jeshonnek and the Air Force generals towards him yesterday, to the attentiveness of this Air Force staff officer today, everyone's behavior seemed somewhat strange. Could it be related to today's commendation by the Fuhrer? Or have they received some news ahead of time? However, Goering has woken up, and it's no secret that he doesn't favor me anymore. According to reason, people should keep their distance, so why is this happening?

Logan's doubts lingered until the grand commendation ceremony. The magnificent Mirror Hall of the Imperial Chancellery did not require any special decorations. With around two to three hundred military and SS officers combined, along with government officials and dignitaries from various countries, the lively scene couldn't help but remind people of the scene at Versailles Palace in 1871 when the Prussian king was proclaimed emperor and the German Empire was established - when Speer designed this Chancellery, many details, including the Mirror Hall, were aimed at surpassing Versailles Palace.

As a result, the Imperial Chancellery, completed in 1939, far surpassed the pride of the French. The following year, the mighty German army swept through France in just one month - the decline and rise of nations, the changes and alternations of eras, can often be seen in some trivial details.

Although the scale of the Battle of White Island was not as large as the battles in Poland, Norway, or France, its milestone significance was no less than any previous battle. The commendation ceremony held in the Mirror Hall of the Imperial Chancellery was sufficient proof of this.

Since the "Silver Oak Leaf Knight Iron Cross" had just been established more than two months ago as the highest military decoration in the Empire, and among the recipients of this commendation, Hans Logan, Adolf Galland, and four others had already received this decoration, many people eagerly looked forward to the medal tray held by the aide - would it contain the rumored upgraded version of the medal?

As usual, before the main event, Adolf Hitler, renowned for his eloquent speeches, always had to deliver an emotional appeal. Surrounded by generals, the Fuhrer, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, wearing the uniform of a corporal and wearing the Iron Cross on his chest, ascended the platform. Given the structure of the Mirror Hall, this extraordinarily gifted orator didn't need to use a microphone at all. He delivered his speech with even greater force than Kaiser Wilhelm II's declaration of war speech in 1914. With eloquence and gestures, he spoke for nearly an hour, covering everything from the outbreak of World War II to the fall of Britain, from moral heights to human emotions, allowing everyone present to clearly feel his thoughts, his reasoning, and his passion. Although many of his words had been heard many times before, some could even recite them backward.

"We extended the hand of friendship, but shamefully, a handful of British politicians, out of their own dark and dirty interests, have pushed their people into an irreparable abyss. For the stability of Europe, to let the light shine again on Britain, we made a painful decision, we will cross the Channel, drive out evil, and liberate those people who have been imprisoned under the forces of evil..."

As he finished speaking, the Mirror Hall erupted into prolonged applause. It was evident that some were completely intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves, while others merely symbolically responded. There were many in between. Beneath the facade of hypocrisy, perhaps each had their own plans.

The long speech ended, and the next protagonists were the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS officers who had performed outstandingly in the Battle of White Island.

In order of rank, the first to step onto the stage to "receive the award" were General Richthofen, commander of the 8th Air Force, General Dietrich, commander of the SS "Fuhrer Guard Regiment", Admiral Hermes, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and Commander of the Transport Fleet, and General Conrad, commander of the "Goering Regiment". The brand-new double-sworded Silver Oak Leaf Knight Iron Cross was personally presented to them by the Fuhrer.

Next, it was the turn of Hans Logan, the "low-ranking high-level" operational commander of the battle, along with Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland - this guy should have been the first recipient of the Silver Oak Leaf Knight Iron Cross, but he took advantage of Logan's "shine" and received this honor a year earlier, yet his rank had to be placed after the first four generals.

"In recognition of Colonel Hans Logan's outstanding performance and contribution in fortress warfare, it is decided to award him the Silver Oak Leaf Knight Iron Cross to encourage him!"

The simple commendation made Logan feel a little disappointed deep down: Is that all? Does my dream of becoming a general have to be postponed again?

Well, when the Fuhrer with the small mustache turned to the next distinguished warrior, Logan thought to himself: After all, this is not a game where you can keep upgrading with enough points - I've already set a record in the German army by rising four ranks in just over two months. If I keep rising, even with the halo of the Imperial Hero, it will inevitably attract a lot of dissatisfaction from my colleagues!

After stepping down from the stage, Logan looked at the exquisite medal in his hand with some disappointment. What else can it bring besides honor and respect?

Including the officers who returned with Logan, a total of 49 German soldiers were awarded this time, with 12 receiving the Silver Oak Leaf Knight Iron Cross, 37 receiving the Knight Iron Cross, and 25 being promoted.

"Now, please allow Field Marshal Keitel to read an appointment!" Hitler's voice made the generals, who thought they had already figured out everything, curious again.

The Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Empire cleared his throat and read from a black-covered folder:

"Hereby, appoint Field Marshal Albert Kesselring as the Chief Commander of Air Force Operations, responsible for the command and deployment of Air Force operational forces; appoint Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle as the Deputy Chief Commander of Air Force Operations; appoint Air Force Major General Kurt Student as the Commander of the newly formed 11th Air Force; appoint Air Force Colonel Hans Logan as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Headquarters, Deputy Director of Air Force Weapons Production, and Deputy Director of Airborne Troops Technology. The above appointments are effective immediately!"

Before the words fell, everyone had different expressions: those who had received the news in advance were either happy or unhappy, but they were all calm at the moment. As for others, they couldn't help but speculate on what exactly this seemingly simple appointment meant for power transition? You know, the Chief Commander of Air Force Operations is a new title that has never existed before, and all this should be closely related to the awakening Empire Marshal and Air Force Commander Goering, right!

Among the crowd, Kesselring's stern expression remained unchanged from yesterday's meeting, and Sperrle's calm face did not reveal his attitude. As for Student, since he was still recuperating in the hospital and couldn't be present to receive this appointment in person, his position would be temporarily taken over by General Spannek, the commander of the 22nd Airborne Division. It was Logan, who suddenly received three appointments, who stood there in a daze: Damn it, although these three positions are all deputy positions, they have power, and they have benefits. It's low-ranking and high-level again. In the eyes of outsiders, it's desirable. But then again, does this mean that I will be "imprisoned" in the rear again?

Good thing? Bad thing? Logan couldn't tell for sure at the moment.