As the tram jingled and began to accelerate again along the suburban tracks, Walker, dressed in a dark summer overalls, walked down the platform with the crowd, his blackened face could not hide a smile of joy. He carried the two large cardboard boxes in his hand on his shoulders, strode forward, and turned two intersections, and a group of six or seven-storey standard apartment buildings rose from the flat room, looking so beautiful and reassuring in the glorious afterglow of the sunset.

"Hey, old man, your shipyard is giving out benefits again?" A familiar voice appeared from the front, with a little envy that could not be concealed. Walker followed the sound and saw that Tolang, who lived on the first floor of his apartment building, was waving to him on the balcony, surrounded by all kinds of broken debris waiting to be repaired. Walker smiled even more, walked up to the other party and put down the cardboard box, nodded happily: "Today, the group gave each of us a 100 mark shopping voucher, which can be used to purchase items at will in the factory's affordable store without providing ration tickets. I just happened to take the opportunity to buy some steaks and cakes, which the youngest guy in the family has been longing for a long time. ”

Tolang gasped when he heard this, and the shock and yearning in his eyes were almost ready to breathe. For these ordinary workers, 100 marks is a very generous extra allowance – even the most skilled skilled tradesmen in Hamburg's industrial area will earn no more than 150 marks per month before tax, and they will have to deduct about one-sixth of the miscellaneous expenses when they actually get their hands on them. What's more, there is no ration limit when the money can be used for shopping, which makes its true value almost 2x faster.

Since the outbreak of war last September, the daily life of the German people has entered a similar era of bills as 25 years ago. Although prices are almost no different from those before the war, most of the common daily necessities can only be purchased by purchasing vouchers rationed by household registration. If you buy more goods than the quantity on the license, you will need to pay double the amount. According to the official ration in Berlin, food, dairy and other goods can only meet the basic needs of one person, which leads to the people living in a very compact and poor life, and it is difficult to enjoy a good life.

If it is as Walker said, it is tantamount to increasing the daily ration for the family for more than 2 months, and it will not cost anything! Thinking of this, Tolang couldn't help but widen his eyes and asked, "What's wrong with your shipyard?" On weekdays, I just send out some flour and potatoes in the middle of the month, what is the situation today? ”

"This is the benefit that Mr. Rudolph gave to all the employees of our factory in order to celebrate the victory of the war on the Western Front." With a grateful smile on his face, Walker said respectfully, "Actually, the 100 marks should have been given out as a bonus half a month ago. But Mr. Rudolph, considering that we would be required to pay twice as much for the purchase of goods beyond the ration, was not in keeping with our original purpose of benefiting, so he spent a great deal of money to bring in enough goods for the group's in-house store and then sold them to us at a reasonable price. ”

"Victory ...... the war on the Western Front," Toran muttered and sighed, "Chairman Rudolph of your shipyard is really a good man. I really regret that I chose United Steel when I was hired, and now not only is the salary not as good as yours, but there are no benefits to speak of. Did you know that the factory gave us less than 3 marks worth of meat and flour to celebrate? If I could deliver things to my family every half a month like you, I wouldn't have thought of picking up these personal tasks at home after work. With that, Tolang pointed to the tattered equipment beside him, his expression full of loneliness.

Walker sighed slightly, reached out and patted the other man on the shoulder. According to the current labor policy, workers are not allowed to change their employers or even positions at will. If there is to be a change, it must be agreed upon by both the workers and the employer, and this indispensable two-way relationship makes it difficult for Tolan to make the switch from United Steel. Walker was silent for a moment, and then comforted him: "Don't be too disappointed, at least you have also obtained an iron job that can feed your family." United Steel also can't dismiss you easily. Think about the days of ten years ago, what else do you have to complain about? Without a great Führer, where would we be fed and clothed today? ”

Tolang was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly, "You're right, compared to ten years ago, today is completely like being in heaven. I don't have these rotten and depraved pleasures. Even the capital of the Yuan Dynasty is frugal and vegetarian, and does not marry a wife for pleasure, what am I worth? Thank you, old man, for reminding me to avoid this slippery slope of consciousness. ”

Walker smiled. I was just about to pick up the cardboard box and continue upstairs, when I suddenly thought of something; He took out a smooth, soft rectangular piece of paper from his coat pocket, handed it to Torang, and said, "That's right. Here's the movie ticket we just issued today, and you can go to any theater in the city to see the new documentary on the Battle of the Western Front. I'm going to clean up the house and cook tonight, so you can't come with me, I wonder if you have time tonight? ”

"So you also sent this thing? I thought it was only our United Iron and Steel Company that had it, and each of us gave out two. Somewhat surprised, Tolan rummaged through his pockets, and after a while pulled out a perfectly colored ticket. Seeing this, Walker shrugged his shoulders and said, "It seems that this is something that all factories will distribute." If you're going to go, it's best to leave early, and I think a lot of people will be looking forward to this documentary. ”

It was getting dark late in the summer day in Hamburg, and when Walker walked out of his apartment after dinner, the clouds in the western sky were still fiery and hot. Tolan also changed into a clean, dark blue uniform, which, although not at all pretty, was the standard for the hundreds of thousands of workers in the Elbe estuary industrial area, and was respected wherever he went. Seeing his old friend walking down the stairs, Toran raised his eyebrows: "I just remembered one thing." Your shipyard was the first to respond to the call of the central government and implemented a 60-hour work week since half a year ago. ”

"My old fellow, now the war has been won. Since there is no urgent need for production, you tell me why this policy is still in place? Walker asked rhetorically, glancing at the other party. He walked outside, and spoke again with nostalgia in his tone: "Speaking of which, I really don't reject life during that time. Although I am so tired that I don't want to move anymore when I go home every day, I feel like I am dizzy when I get paid. If only the UK could continue to resist, I would like to earn a down payment for an urban home for my children. ”

Tolang followed, muttering unnaturally to him. The other party will always hit themselves inadvertently. The only thing that gave him some comfort was that the war was coming to an end, and the gap between them would be largely erased as material control and overtime disappeared. The duo waited on the platform for a while, and they were greeted by a green tram that looked like a beetle, and as an infrastructure invested by the National Socialist Party ZF in the mid-30s, the tram line has now become an important link between the southern suburbs and the city of Hamburg.

After nearly half an hour's drive, the two Walkers finally arrived at their destination. This is an old street built during the imperial period, and although there are few high-rise buildings around it, and all of them exude the atmosphere of old age, the streets are full of life, and the rows of shops and crowds reflect the vitality of this popular area. At the intersection, the façade of a three-story theater clings around the ivy, and around its gates, hundreds of citizens have gathered.

"Fortunately, we came early, and there are really a lot of people who came to watch the movie today." Walker beckoned his old friends into the line, rejoicing in his foresight. In fact, in normal times, the main theme film released by the National Socialist Party does not have much attendance, but this time the film is about the victory on the Western Front, which can attract a lot of attention. By the time the doors of the theater opened on time, Walker could no longer estimate the number of people around, but judging from this battle, it was destined that many people would not even be able to squeeze into the theater and could only wait for the next screening.

Yuguan enters, and sits on the seat. The wide stage has been obscured by screens, and the walls on both sides are dimly lit, allowing people to see the aisles and seat signage in a basic way. When the light dimmed, the noise in the theater also died down, and after a while, clear color images and sounds began to appear on the big screen.

"The great Führer Hitler, with genius sagacity and outstanding command, incomparable courage and brilliant resourcefulness, commanded and won the brilliant success of the Western Front. From now on, the documentary will be played: "Under the leadership of Hitler, the epic victory of the Battle of France was perfectly won". ”

In the announcer's agitated voice, a magnificent moving image of the sunrise over the mountains and rivers rushed into Walker's eyes. Then the tide of the sea, the flying of the flag, the German soldiers striding through the Arc de Triomphe, and then the photo of Hitler in front of the Eiffel Tower.

"The infinitely powerful national power of the German Empire has soared in all fields, and our motherland, which has soared infinitely, has ushered in a great celebration and event worthy of special mention in the history of a thousand years. The victory in the Battle of France made our country one of the most powerful countries in the world and was a great victory of historic significance. This is due to the supreme leader of our party, the country, the army, the great Führer Hitler. ……”

The sonorous broadcast narration swept the entire theater like a tsunami. Combined with the magnificent image on the screen, Walker suddenly became excited, staring intently at the radiant curtain in front of him.