Chapter 8: The Man Amongst the Elders

"Colonel, welcome to join us!"

Just as the Chancellor had left the Hall of Mirrors, the new superior of the Imperial Air Force, Colonel Logan's, came up to him, smiling, and once again extended his right hand.

At this moment, Logan finally understood the meaning of his words yesterday.

With the appointment already issued, Logan could only politely respond, "In terms of operational planning, I still have much to learn from you in the future!"

Jeshunenick smiled and said, "Ha, such a bold move on the White Island, it was almost unimaginable for the Air Force before. With talents like you joining us, we are delighted! By the way, there will be a surprise for you later, this... is also the idea of the Air Force Commander!"

A surprise from the Air Force Commander?

Logan felt a bit apprehensive, but considering the appointment he had just received, he found it very strange: was it necessary for Fat Goering not only to let go of his grudge but also to try to win him over? Was there a need for that?

Thinking about it, Logan still felt it necessary to guard against.

After the invited Air Force officers congratulated Kesselin and Scheppler, they all turned to Logan. Amidst the congratulations, flattery, and flattery, Logan felt a bit bewildered. Of course, as a member of the Air Force, he finally went to pay his respects to Kesselin and Scheppler - as long as Goering did not recover, they would still be the top two in the Air Force Operations Command.

Kesselin's attitude remained the same, Scheppler was not enthusiastic, but still praised Logan as "promising."

After finally enduring the greetings from all the officers, whether known or unknown, Logan followed Jeshunenick out of the Prime Minister's Office and got into the convertible Mercedes that had been waiting outside for a long time, heading for the so-called "surprise" from the Air Force Chief of Staff.

After leaving the Prime Minister's Office, after about twenty minutes of driving, they arrived at the western section of the midstream of the Havel Tegel Canal, not far from Logan's current residence.

The black Mercedes finally turned into a side road beside the main road and stopped in front of a two-story small house after more than 300 meters.

Jeshunenick said with a smile, "This is the property of the Air Force Department. It has been vacant for nearly half a year. Although it is a bit far from the city center, it is still very quiet to live in!"

"This..."

Logan carefully looked at the small house. The main building was slightly old but very neat on the outside and had a taste of a small wealthy family. It was located in a small grove beside the canal, with a natural environment that couldn't be faulted. There were fences in the front and back yards, suitable for people with children or dogs.

At the entrance of the yard stood a brand-new guard post, where a fully armed guard stood, and two soldiers in military uniforms were repairing the lawn in the yard.

"Telephone, security, servants, cooks, furniture, everything is taken care of by the Air Force Department. How do you feel?" Jeshunenick seemed very satisfied with his arrangement.

"It's great, very good. But... is this prepared for me?"

Logan couldn't believe it. Although this deputy chief of staff had not yet entered the decision-making circle, his exposure was completely different from that of the battlefield commander before. The problem was, was the Air Force Department preparing such a big deal for him just to welcome a new colleague?

Jeshunenick smiled, "If our Deputy Chief of Staff is satisfied, then we can help you move your luggage!"

"Uh, thank you very much, but..." Logan hesitated for a moment, but he finally decided at least not to oppose Goering openly - even if he couldn't immediately return to dictating the Air Force's actions, as long as he didn't die, his control over the Air Force would still be unmatched!

"I still need to go back and pack up. I can handle the move myself, no need to trouble you!"

"Oh, no problem!" Jeshunenick breathed a sigh of relief, then pointed to another Mercedes of the same style in front of them and said, "According to the internal standards of the Imperial Air Force, we have equipped you with a dedicated car and a dedicated driver. If you have any other requirements for the model, you can come directly to me! In addition, if there are no other issues, can you report to the Staff Headquarters tomorrow?"

It's not even noon yet. Logan pondered for a moment. "Alright, I'll report to your office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Very good!" Jeshunenick smiled satisfactorily. "By the way, how do you feel about the young man who picked you up this morning?"

"Second Lieutenant August?" Logan thought for a moment. "He's quite good!"

"Starting today, he's your new adjutant!" Jeshunenick continued with a smile that seemed to suggest he was in control of everything.

Residence, adjutant, guards, cars, everything was prepared in advance. It seemed that he was the only one kept in the dark! Logan felt deeply moved and suddenly thought of the phrase "inviting the tiger into the den."

Could this be the "trap" specially tailored for him by Goering?

At least superficially, this "trap" seemed quite luxurious. It would surely appease the little mustache leader. As deputy chief of staff and deputy director, there was hardly anything he wouldn't have to shoulder.

In this situation, Logan had no choice. Anyway, the Air Force Department was a place of complex internal power struggles. Although often treading on thin ice, as long as he was careful, he could still find a way out.

"Um, General, there's something..." Logan asked tentatively. "Do you know about my adoption of three French children?"

Jeshunenick replied without any surprise, "I know. You've even got yourself a beautiful British girl on Whit Island. You seem to have adventures wherever you go, which is quite extraordinary luck!"

"Ahem!" Logan felt a bit embarrassed, but then again, he wasn't a feudal lord ruling over his own territory. How could such matters escape the eyes of his superiors?

Jeshunenick chuckled awkwardly, "So we found this big house for you. It can easily accommodate ten people. But... Colonel, how do you plan to handle your fiancée?"

Logan looked at him with surprise. Before he could say anything, Jeshunenick hastily covered up with a smile, "Hey, forget about it, just a little curiosity. How about this, when you're done packing, just let Karl know, he'll take care of it!"

Taking a closer look, Second Lieutenant Karl August was indeed waiting in the front Mercedes.

"Alright, thank you very much!" Logan pushed open the car door and got out. "See you tomorrow, General!"

"Okay, see you tomorrow!" Jeshunenick waved triumphantly and disappeared with his car.

Phew...

Logan sighed deeply. Gossip seemed to transcend time and space; his every move was already under scrutiny by others. He resolved to be more cautious in the future. However, on second thought, a perfect competitor always made people wary. Yet, once such a person showed obvious flaws, like gambling, drinking, or philandering, their talents would be more readily accepted by others. Could his "misdeeds" with women be the key to Goering's acceptance?

The real answer, perhaps only the fat Goering lying in his sickbed knew. Thinking about his series of new titles, Logan waved for the driver, and August promptly opened the car door. "Commander, where to?"

"Back to the apartment!"

Having understood some of the principles, Logan nonchalantly got into the car. Ah, the feeling of power, it was wonderful!

There wasn't much to pack. That evening, Logan moved into the garden house with Lili and his two siblings. Three children from small French villages. They were naturally thrilled with the environment, and the dishes made by a professional chef broadened their horizons.

The next day, when Logan reported to the Air Force Staff Headquarters, he made three additional requests to Jeshunenick: arrange German passports for Lili and her siblings (well, they did smuggle themselves in), summon his old subordinates to Berlin for duty, and provide him with the latest military truck.

As Logan expected, Jeshunenick readily agreed to the first and third requests, with remarkable efficiency. However, he expressed strong opposition to Logan's idea of summoning his political supporters. Though he couldn't enjoy the taste of "absolute power," Logan gleaned more insights from the attitude of the Air Force Chief of Staff.

Despite being the "appointed" deputy chief of staff by Hermann Goering, what Logan saw upon entering the Air Force Staff Headquarters was not all smiles. There were plenty of seasoned yet eccentric military personnel. Fortunately, Logan's most important task at the moment was to perfect his "Black Shark" plan. The abundance of classified information in the Air Force Staff Headquarters proved to be extremely beneficial. In just three days, he formally submitted his proposal to the High Command. It was said that the little mustache was very satisfied after reading it, repeatedly praising it as another masterpiece comparable to the "Mannstein Plan."

Mannstein was truly talented, while Logan relied more on his insights into history as a time traveler. However, the important thing was that plans not favored by most people were eventually adopted by the Empire's dictator. This should be considered the system's greatest advantage—which could also turn into its biggest disadvantage under similar conditions.

On August 24, 1940, the Supreme High Command of the German Army officially issued Order No. 5: "...the operation will be commanded by General von Richthofen of the Imperial Air Force, with Vice Admiral Kurt Frech as deputy commander and Colonel Hans Logan as chief of staff of the Imperial Air Force... The Air Force and Navy must cooperate closely to achieve the ultimate goal of the battle..."

Due to the personal preference of the Führer, the code name "Black Shark" in the draft was eventually changed to "Wrath of Poseidon." The participating forces included two fighter squadrons, three dive bomber squadrons, and two long-range bomber squadrons of the German Air Force, as well as two mixed aviation squadrons of the Navy. In addition, the Navy's surface fleet and submarine forces would coordinate with the operational plan.

The implementation of the plan was tentatively scheduled between September 7th and 10th. The weather remained the most important factor.