Chapter 345 The Winter War (12)

Early in the morning, while the day was still dim, the British Ambassador to Madrid, Samuel Hoare, hurriedly arrived at the residence of Deputy Prime Minister Salazar.

Anxiously waiting for half a day, Deputy Prime Minister Salazar, with a sleepy expression, finally yawned his way down to the living room. "Ambassador, I wonder what brings you here so early?"

Ambassador Samuel didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "Your Excellency Salazar, I heard that your country has sent troops to Finland?" News of the heavy blow suffered by the first wave of Soviet attacks had reached London, and this greatly distressed Churchill. He was still counting on the Soviet Union to quickly settle matters with Finland so they could declare war on Germany.

He originally thought it was Germany supporting Finland, which would be a perfect opportunity to provoke and stimulate the Soviet Union, but unexpectedly, it was Spain.

He immediately contacted Ambassador Samuel, asking him to find a way to see if Spain could withdraw its troops, not to get involved unnecessarily.

"Your country is indeed well-informed." Salazar remained calm. "Yes, we have sent volunteer troops to help Finland. After all, resisting that damn Red Empire is a duty for everyone, isn't it? Does the esteemed ambassador also want to contribute? Why come to me instead of directly contacting Finland?"

Ambassador Samuel inwardly sighed, 'Contribute my foot,' he wished Finland would be defeated today. However, he could only smile awkwardly and say, "Your Excellency Salazar, could you consider withdrawing your country's volunteer troops?"

"Oh?" Salazar stared at Ambassador Samuel meaningfully. "This is quite interesting. No, I really don't understand the intention of your country's ambassador. Does it mean that your country and the Soviet Union have joined forces? This is truly a strange story. Could it be that your country has also started to believe in Bolshevism and wants to oppose capitalism?"

Ambassador Samuel hastily shook his head. "Of course not. It's just... a little business." He took out an exquisite box and pushed it towards Salazar. "Please, Your Excellency, lend us your assistance."

"Business?" Salazar opened the box, eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "It seems like quite a good business deal."

He didn't hesitate either, closing the box, furrowing his brows, contemplating for a while before slowly speaking. "Presumably, Mr. Ambassador is aware that a few years ago, the Soviets swallowed a batch of our gold. These shameless Russians still refuse to return that gold, and now, we finally have a chance to teach them a lesson. How could we easily give up? If you want us to withdraw our troops, it's also possible, but someone has to pay the price. Does your country want to foot the bill?"

Ambassador Samuel felt a slight uneasiness. "What kind of price are you talking about?"

Salazar smiled faintly. "Of course, it's the 560 tons of gold. As long as you provide us with 560 tons of gold, we'll consider our grievances with the Soviet Union settled. Naturally, we won't participate in this war. Can your country produce this amount of gold?"

"560 tons of gold?!" Ambassador Samuel gasped. This was no joking matter; there was no way they could produce 560 tons of gold. As far as he knew, the remaining gold in the British Empire's treasury was...

Not even two thousand tons. Churchill would go crazy before agreeing to give one-third of it to Spain.

Ambassador Samuel showed a troubled expression. "Your Excellency Salazar, this request is something we cannot fulfill. Can you reconsider?"

Salazar shrugged. "Then, I'm afraid I can't help. However, Your Excellency need not worry. We are self-aware and understand that it's impossible to defeat the bear, that behemoth. The defeat of Finland is only a matter of time, so your country can rest assured and wait. Why rush things at this moment?"

After discussing for a while without any substantive results, Ambassador Samuel could only curse silently and leave.

On the other side, in Finland.

In the open courtyard of the command center, Model paced back and forth anxiously. His mind was extremely uneasy.

Marshal Mannerheim's body had been taken for autopsy. If the Finns found anything, they might all end up being buried here.

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind. Turning around, it was Sofia. "General, why are you so nervous?"

Model looked around, made sure there was no one else, and whispered, "Was it you who assassinated Marshal Mannerheim?! Why?!"

Sofia calmly replied, "I apologize, Your Excellency General. You can ask His Highness about this question. What I can say is that our target is an enemy of the Empire."

An enemy of the Empire? Model dared not question His Highness Wilhelm about it. He could only sigh deeply. "Can you guarantee that the Finns won't find anything unusual? Are we safe here?"

Sofia confidently said, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency General. This is the latest pharmaceutical developed by the Empire. The Finns won't find anything unusual; Marshal Mannerheim died from a sudden heart attack. Your Excellency General, it's best to keep this matter to yourself, even when inside the coffin! His Highness sent you here with trust; you should not disappoint His Highness." After saying this, Sofia turned and left.

Model secretly thought that he wouldn't dare to speak out even if he had a hundred times the courage.

Calming his emotions, as he was about to return, General Model saw President Kallio approaching. "Your Excellency General."

"Mr. President, I regret to inform you that Marshal Mannerheim passed away unexpectedly at this time."

President Kallio wore a saddened expression. "Indeed, it's an unfortunate turn of events for Finland. Your Excellency General, what should we do?"

"Of course, we should inherit Marshal Mannerheim's legacy and continue resisting the Soviet invaders."

"That's natural, but Marshal Mannerheim has always been in charge before. Now that he's gone, I can't find a replacement for the time being."

Model had a thought. "If you allow, I can take on the responsibility. Of course, I have no intention of seizing command of your army. I would only provide personal opinions in the capacity of a military advisor. Whether to accept or not is still up to you."

President Kallio immediately expressed gratitude. "Thank you, General Model, we appreciate your...

...help. You have our trust."

During the conversation, the President's secretary hurriedly ran over. "Your Excellency President, there is news from the hospital."

Model's heart raced. He listened as the secretary continued, "Marshal Mannerheim passed away due to a sudden heart attack."

Model couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

President Kallio sighed deeply and looked at Model. "General Model, do you think we should keep Marshal Mannerheim's death a secret or announce it to the entire army? After all, the war has just begun, and the marshal's death could significantly impact morale."

After some thought, Model spoke. "Your Excellency President, I believe it's best to announce it to the entire army as soon as possible. After all, such news cannot be concealed. Delaying the announcement will only lead to rampant rumors and unrest within the army. While making the announcement, you can emphasize that Marshal Mannerheim passed away due to overexertion in resisting the Soviet aggression. This way, it can boost the army's morale."

President Kallio nodded. "General, you're right. Let's discuss the next steps when we return."

"Please." Just as they took a few steps, something cold fell on Model's face. He looked up at the sky and realized that dark clouds had covered the entire sky. Large flakes of snow were falling from the dim sky.