Chapter 52 Heavy Decision

On the rural road, a four-wheeled carriage was galloping westward, pulled by two strong horses.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Hainuo's mind was still turbulent. He had never imagined that one day he would be involved in a prison break. However, if he were to publish his memoirs in the future, this episode would surely become legendary, just like his crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar. Accompanied by Blitz and Warner, he not only subdued seven jailers but also rescued Edwin, Langhand, and another prisoner from the prison. If word of this deed spread, people might applaud their courage or lament the incompetence of the jailers.

Zhang Hainuo had benefited from his knowledge of Eastern culture in tactics and strategy. The tactic of "capturing the leader first" turned the warden, who thought he could make a fortune, into a hostage. Faced with three pistols and the threat to their lives from their superiors, the jailers, armed with batons and rifles, surrendered without resistance and were then locked up in the cells. It was unlikely they would escape in a few hours.

Now, they were quite a distance from Wolfgun Town. Blitz was driving the carriage with the coachman at the front. At this moment, the middle-aged coachman was unaware that he had become an accomplice. Zhang Hainuo had only told him that they were going to pick up a friend from prison. Throughout the entire operation, no shots were fired, and they calmly left the prison after locking up the jailers.

Currently, they were hurrying towards a small train station about 40 kilometers west of Gurlitz. The reason for not taking the train from Gurlitz was Zhang Hainuo's habit of thinking in reverse.

After drinking three cups of hot coffee, Edwin's pale face, due to the cold, finally improved. However, he still tightly wrapped himself in a blanket, as did Langhand and the other young prisoner sitting opposite.

Initially, their plan was to rescue only Edwin and Langhand. Although there were other prisoners in the prison, Zhang Hainuo believed that releasing all of them would have a negative impact and might even be labeled as a riot. Conversely, by rescuing only Edwin and Langhand, the jailers would likely keep it quiet to avoid punishment from their superiors. In such turbulent times, politicians and city officials would naturally not focus on two prisoners with sentences of less than a year.

The additional prisoner, whom Zhang Hainuo did not know, was included when they rescued Edwin and Langhand from their cells. At that time, Edwin suddenly asked Zhang Hainuo to take his friend, who had been imprisoned next to him, with them. Without much thought, Zhang Hainuo agreed, figuring they could fit one more person on the carriage.

After leaving the prison, Edwin told Zhang Hainuo that the young man was his elementary school classmate named Fred. Fred had joined the army when the war broke out and later served in the Air Force. After the war, he returned to Wolfgun Town and started a small furniture factory. A few months ago, he was thrown into prison for a dispute with the son of the police chief. When the two unfortunate souls met during exercise time, they burst into tears.

Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but feel deeply moved. It seemed that Strom in Wolfgun Town was indeed a bully who abused his power. Well, this guy better not live too long. When he gained power in the future, he would definitely avenge Edwin.

"Fred, did you fly fighter jets when you were in the Air Force?"

Upon hearing that the other had been a pilot, Zhang Hainuo became interested. In his recent plans, the shipyard was given top priority, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in other weapons. He knew from history that the German Navy suffered losses in aviation, and Zhang Hainuo would do his best to avoid such a tragedy.

"I only flew fighter jets for five months. Before that, I flew reconnaissance planes! During the war, I shot down two enemy planes. Hehe, it's nothing compared to the Richtofen Squadron!"

There's a saying that goes, "Speaking unintentionally, the listener has intentions." Zhang Hainuo's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Richtofen Squadron? The Red Baron?"

"Yeah, but unfortunately, when I was transferred to that squadron, the great Red Baron had already fallen gloriously in battle, so I never got to meet him!" Fred held his coffee cup with both hands. The coffee had been prepared in a thermos by Zhang Hainuo before they set off. Now it seemed like a wise decision.

"He was indeed a great war hero!"

Zhang Hainuo spared no praise, but at this moment, he was more concerned about another person.

"Was your last squadron leader named Herman Goering?"

"Yes, do you know Lieutenant Goering?"

Zhang Hainuo shook his head. He didn't know this guy, but his name was well known.

"No, I just heard a friend mention him! Uh... Do you know what Lieutenant Goering's situation is now?"

"I have no idea! Our last gathering was just after the war ended! At that time, he said he was planning to try his luck in Scandinavia, but then there was no news!"

"Scandinavia?" Although Zhang Hainuo knew about the fat man's various shortcomings during World War II, he knew very little about his previous activities. He only knew that he was the last squadron leader of the Richtofen Squadron and had joined the Nazi Party early on, gradually becoming a trusted assistant to Hitler, and was instrumental in purging the SA.

"Well, the situation in Scandinavia is much more stable than in Germany. Lieutenant Goering should have no trouble finding a position as a test pilot or pilot there! If it weren't for my sick mother, maybe I would have gone with him! Ah..." Fred sounded very disappointed.

Zhang Hainuo was considering taking this young man, who had served in the Richtofen Squadron, to Brazil with them. After this incident, he couldn't return to Wolfgun Town anytime soon. But when he heard Fred mention his seriously ill mother, Zhang Hainuo quickly asked:

"What about your mother..."

"She passed away in the summer. I wanted to sell the factory and make a living elsewhere, but the economy has been very bad lately, and nobody wants to buy my factory, so I've been holding on until now!"

"How did you get on the wrong side of Strom?"

"He wanted to buy my factory for 100 marks, which is practically robbery. I refused, so I was inexplicably arrested as a revolutionary!"

Dark, really dark! Zhang Hainuo thought to himself.

"Would you like to come with us to America to start a new life?"

"Of course, as long as I don't have to stay in Wolfgun Town, I'm fine with going anywhere!" Fred readily agreed.

Before dawn, they arrived at the train station and caught the next westbound train. Later, they transferred in Hanover, and two days later, they arrived in Bremen.

When they returned to the Rapid, they saw Simon and another group of people, but Rod was missing. From Simon, Zhang Hainuo learned that Rod had just returned to Danzig and was killed by a group of fanatic Polish youths simply because he had inadvertently revealed his "wealth" while shopping. The police in Danzig were helpless, and the matter was eventually left unresolved.

"We will settle this score with the Poles sooner or later!"

Looking at the distant coastline, Zhang Hainuo silently vowed to himself.

Every event has its two sides. Edwin's return, along with a professional pilot, was a good thing, but Zhang Hainuo soon realized that Edwin, usually cheerful, had become melancholic since his return. Because of Anna's situation, Zhang Hainuo's own mood was also heavy, so he could empathize with Edwin's emotions.

At first, he thought this matter would only make Edwin silent for a while, but he didn't expect it to become a significant turning point in Edwin's life!

Before Christmas arrived, the Rapid and the Strogen fleet arrived at the port of Salvador. During their departure of over three months, Otto and his team had divided the newly acquired land into three separate dormitory areas according to their pre-established plan: the experts' area, the crew and family area, and the shipyard worker area.

The experts' area, located closest to the sea, featured the highest-quality buildings. Consisting of ten houses arranged in two rows, these houses were primarily made of wood and followed the traditional European model of a ground floor with a loft. The open spaces in front and behind could be converted into small gardens. By the time Zhang Hainuo returned, all of them had been completed, with a fence erected around them.

Hence, three submarine experts—Kleist, Hank Strelitzeman, and William Furst—each had their own house. Dr. Martin, the ship propulsion expert, and his family enjoyed similar accommodations. Hank's two capable assistants shared one of the houses.

The crew and family area was located outside the experts' area, with 62 houses surrounding it on three sides to "protect" it. These houses were slightly smaller than the experts' "villas" but had a similar structure of a ground floor with a loft. Initially, the plan was for each crew member and their family to have one set, with the Elgar family and Alsalan sharing one set. However, after Rod's unfortunate death, Zhang Hainuo decided to leave one house vacant for use as a public library. These houses were scheduled to be completed before Christmas—thanks to the relatively simple wooden structure, a team of ten workers could finish building one of these wooden houses in six weeks!

The shipyard worker area, as the name suggests, was for the skilled shipbuilding technicians and workers hired from Europe. Due to security reasons, this dormitory area was arranged at the other end of the shipyard and had its own restaurant and bathrooms. The plan was to build 50 independent wooden houses and four three-story wooden-stone collective dormitories. Although over the past three months, the Salvador German Chamber of Commerce had been responsible for the supply of wood and stone, and the municipal government had provided considerable assistance in terms of construction workers—under their organization, hundreds of construction workers from nearby cities had been invited to join the massive project—due to the heavy workload, only 40% of the shipyard worker area had been completed.

To solve the accommodation problem for these 100 workers, Zhang Hainuo had no choice but to have the crew temporarily stay on the Rapid near the shipyard and, on the other hand, mobilize all construction workers to speed up the construction of the 50 independent wooden houses. Before Christmas, the technicians and shipbuilders dispatched by the Weisel Shipyard to support the construction, as well as the technicians and shipbuilders hired from Bremen by Zhang Hainuo, all moved into their new homes. Although the withdrawal of construction workers delayed the completion of the last ten or so houses in the crew and family area, proactive arrangements were made for bachelors like Zhang Hainuo and crew members with fewer family members to temporarily share a house, which was mutually beneficial.

The first Christmas after Zhang Hainuo and his team arrived in Brazil arrived in a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere like this. Brazil, which had been spared from the First World War, was abundant in supplies, and prices were generally lower than in Europe. On Christmas night, Zhang Hainuo and his team invited over a hundred local German residents of Salvador to enjoy a barbecue, beer, and singing and dancing around the bonfire. Almost every face was filled with joy.

The wounds caused by the war seemed to be temporarily healed at this moment.

After Christmas, some of the construction workers continued to work on the unfinished dormitories, while most began the basic construction of the shipyard under the guidance of engineers sent by the Weisel Shipyard. Before the heavy equipment arrived from Germany, they dug docks, built factories, and some shipbuilding technicians and skilled shipbuilders surveyed hydrological data such as water depth and flow rate in the waters near the shipyard in small boats, preparing for the future development of shipping channels.

"Seeing the construction of the shipyard gradually becoming formal, are you feeling much better?" Zhang Hainuo said to Edwin in January.

In Brazil in January, it was summer, and the temperature was at its highest of the year. Looking at the bustling construction site, Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but feel emotional.

Since returning to Brazil, Edwin had still been melancholic. On Christmas night, he got himself drunk early. Zhang Hainuo had spent three years and seven months since his initial arrival in this era, spending about a year in total at the Kiel Naval Academy learning submarine command, serving on the U-21, transferring to the arsenal, and serving as commander on the U-7. In the remaining two and a half years, he had been with Edwin almost constantly, and they talked about everything.

It was because of their deep familiarity and understanding of each other that Zhang Hainuo became increasingly worried about Edwin's current state. He was afraid that his close friend would succumb to depression or worse.

On the issue of Catherine, Zhang Hainuo couldn't do much to help. All he could do was talk to Edwin every day during his leisure time and try to console him in every way possible. He had already lost a loyal steward; this time, he didn't want to lose this loyal companion.

"Hey, Hainuo, your dream is gradually coming true, that's great!" Edwin's tone still lacked any positive emotions, seemingly tinged with a hint of bitterness.

"It's our dream, Edwin! This shipyard is just the beginning of our dream. In a few more years, we will return to the navy and the era of dominating the seas will not be far away!" Zhang Hainuo repeatedly used similar motivational statements to try to evoke a sense of honor in Edwin, the torpedo commander. If it were in the past, Edwin would surely have responded enthusiastically, but now, standing in front of him was like facing a stranger.

"Return to the navy? What's the point of returning to the navy? Even if we win the war, when we return home, we still won't have any way to deal with the son of a small police chief, will we?" Edwin's words were filled with desolation.

"No, Edwin, don't think like that! Scum like Strom will get what's coming to them sooner or later! You have to believe in justice; evil can never overpower justice!"

"Justice? Can justice triumph over power?" Edwin raised his head, his eyes filled with a dim light.

This question left Zhang Hainuo momentarily speechless. If justice could triumph over power, there wouldn't be so many dark events in history.

Edwin turned his head away, gazing out at the sparkling sea.

"Hainuo, if you had to choose, would you rather be a general or a mayor?"

Zhang Hainuo was surprised inwardly. "Of course, a general, Edwin! Isn't that your dream too?"

"Once a dream!" From this angle, Zhang Hainuo couldn't see Edwin's current gaze, but from his profile, he sensed a determination.

"But Edwin, everyone has their own strengths. Like you, your expertise is in torpedoes, and your personality perfectly fits the requirements of an upright military man!"

"Personalities can change! As for what one is good at, until you've done something, you'll never know if you're good at it! Perhaps, the new position is more suitable for you!"

Edwin's words were cold, filled with resolve.

Zhang Hainuo now felt really uneasy. Listening to Edwin, it seemed like he was planning to leave the military and enter politics. Germany at this time was indeed a land full of opportunities. Figures like Hitler, retired military men, had risen to prominence in just over a decade, thanks not only to their own talents and abilities but also to the opportunities of the times. However, the political arena was even more terrifying than the battlefield. While some could thrive there, many others, once they stepped in, might not even leave a trace.

Röhm and Goebbels were prime examples.

"I've thought it over, Hainuo! Nowadays in Germany, as long as you have money, power isn't far away! If I want to reclaim my share of that money in Germany, would you kill me?"

Zhang Hainuo's heart skipped a beat. "Edwin, don't talk nonsense. Whatever you do, I won't harm you!"

"Then please agree to my request!"

When Edwin turned around again, Zhang Hainuo saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes.

At that moment, he was speechless.

"Hainuo!"

The voice was trembling, as if a ghostly hand had gripped his heart, not fatal but powerless to resist.

"One week, Edwin!" Zhang Hainuo said in a pleading tone. "Think it over for a week. If this is still your answer then, I won't object anymore! But, Edwin, remember my words: not everyone is cut out for politics! Think about your sister, brother-in-law, niece, and all of us!"

"Okay, Hainuo! One week!" Edwin nodded and then turned away resolutely.

Facing the sea, Zhang Hainuo sighed deeply. He knew that from now on, Edwin would embark on a path completely different from his own.