Half an hour later, there was silence in the conference room, and all eyes were focused on the letter in Admiral Wavell's hand.

Admiral Wavell silently read the letter in his hand, handed it to General Wilson, who was sitting on the left-hand side, and then said with a blank face: "Marshal Graziani said in the letter that we were going to fight a war that was bound to be lost, and he advised us not to make unnecessary resistance, because he and his troops did not want to be stained with more blood. Marshal Graziani was such a benevolent man, merciful to the point of naivety. ”

General Wilson read the letter and handed it to the others, smiling contemptuously.

"The naïve Marshal Graziani was still a generous gentleman, and he even gave us ten days to consider whether to surrender or not."

"Boring behavior, boring people." Commander of the Eighth Army, Richard Brown. Lieutenant General O'Connor also commented after reading the letter.

"It doesn't matter what the letter is, what matters is our Captain Smith." Wavell barely managed to squeeze out a smile on his grim face, and turned his head to look at Captain Smith, who was drinking iced coffee.

Captain Smith hurriedly put down his coffee cup and sat down, looking up at Admiral Wavell.

"Captain Smith, I hear you speak like a Welshman?" Wavell asked.

"I grew up in Cardiff, Wales." Captain Smith said succinctly.

"You have suffered during your time in the prisoner of war camp, and the British people will remember the sacrifices you and your men have made for their country." General Wilson affectionately comforted Captain Smith.

"From the day I put on my uniform, I was ready to give everything for my country, life in a prisoner of war camp was nothing to me, and I was convinced that we would be the victors in this war, and that we would soon impose prisoner life on the Germans." Captain Smith said confidently.

Wavell seemed to be infected by Captain Smith's strong faith. A look of approval flashed across his face.

"Why would the Germans choose you to deliver the letter and no one else?" General Wilson asked seemingly casually.

Captain Smith was keenly aware of the change in the atmosphere in the conference room, and all eyes converged on his face. There was a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Captain Smith bowed his head slightly, his face full of discouragement.

"The 7th Garrison Company was the first unit to be attacked. My men and I were also among the first prisoners to be admitted to a German prisoner of war camp. The Germans said that they needed a liaison to regularly compile the requirements of our POWs on the POW camp management system, and then submit them to the POW camp commander so that they could make improvements. In order to make life better for me and my subordinates in the prisoner of war camp, I had to take on this responsibility as a company commander. Over time, my relationship with the guards of the prisoner of war camp became so harmonious that I could barely be called a friend, and I think this may be the reason why they chose me to deliver the letter. It's just," Captain Smith said, shaking his head, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

"Just what?" General Wilson asked.

"Before I go. They told me that if I did not return to the German position by seven o'clock this evening, all seventy-eight prisoners of war of the Seventh Garrison Company, except me, would be executed as a victim of my punctuality. ”

The atmosphere in the conference room froze instantly, Wilson's face was full of embarrassment, and Lieutenant General O'Connor snorted angrily.

Admiral Wavell gently patted Captain Smith on the shoulder and said with relief: "Don't be discouraged, the war will soon be over, and you will soon be back with your families." ”

"I'm a big believer in that. I have come back not only to deliver letters, but also to report to you some of the things I observed in the prisoner of war camps. Let you know about the combat effectiveness of the Italians and Germans. ”

Wavell's one-eyed eye lit up, and he glanced at Wilson and the others, and then said to Captain Smith, "Captain Smith." You're such a good British man, and we're in need of enemy intelligence right now. ”

"Tell me everything you see and hear." General Wilson urged.

"In Selum, I and my men were captured by the Germans. Later I met my superior, Major Terry, in the prisoner of war camp, who had also been captured by the Germans in Sidi Barani. And on my way from Selum to here, I saw that the military camp of the Italians seemed to be built on the line of Sidi Barani, and on the road from Sidi Barani to Zavia about a few tens of kilometers I saw only some convoys, not a large defensive line.

When I talked to the German guards in the prisoner of war camp, one of their favorite topics was to laugh at the Italians, who didn't know how to fight and didn't dare to fight. Even if he goes to the battlefield, he can only follow the back of the German ** team to do some nanny work. Captain Smith gushed.

"And what are your conclusions?" Admiral Wavell asked.

"I suspect that there is a deep contradiction between the Germans and the Italians, the Germans want to fight and the Italians don't. The battles that took place before were fought entirely by the Germans dragging the Italians.

We can think of the war as a football game, and it was the Germans and us who really played the game. The Italians are just cheerleaders in the audience, and as long as we can beat the Germans, those cheerleaders can be ignored at all. Captain Smith said.

"You mean that the Italians will only watch the Germans fight with us in the rear, and will not get involved?" Lieutenant General O'Connor asked.

"The Italians would be involved after the battle, and if the Germans won the battle, they would come and take over, as they had done with Sidi Barani in Selum.

If the Germans lose the battle, the Italians will most likely flee early, making way for the Germans to escape. Captain Smith said.

Wavell gave a rare laugh.

"If that's the case, the Italians are so empathetic."

There was a burst of laughter in the conference room, and after the laughter, Admiral Wavell suddenly said, "It's already noon, please invite Captain Smith to the dining room to eat, and the dishes will be as rich as possible." ”

Sending Captain Smith away, Admiral Wavell regained his serious expression.

"What do you think of Captain Smith's words?"

"The information he provided was consistent with the conclusions of our aerial reconnaissance that there was a distance of nearly eighty kilometres between the Italian and German lines. The patrols that have harassed us recently are also all German troops. Not a single Italian, there is really no cooperation between them. Lieutenant General O'Connor said.

"If that's the case, they won't be able to play their superiority in numbers. Here's our chance. The Germans were of similar strength to ours, and we could hold off their attacks with our fortifications. Then wait for reinforcements to arrive, and then launch a counteroffensive to turn the tide of the war and drive them out of Egypt, and maybe we can take advantage of the situation to occupy Libya and drive them out of North Africa. Wilson said excitedly.

Unlike Wilson, who was excited, Admiral Wavell stared at the letter on the table for a few seconds, then picked it up and motioned to the crowd: "Is it possible to use this letter to deceive the Germans and Italians, Graziani said in the letter that we can reply to him by October 10 at the latest." Today is October 1st, and we can do a lot in 10 days. For example, the reinforcement of fortifications, the expansion of minefields, the deployment of troops, and so on. ”

Wilson said: "Can we make an excuse to think about it a few more days, to let Graziani relax the deadline, just wait another five days and the South African troops will arrive." If we had waited another ten days, the troops from India would have arrived, and in any case I think we should find a way to use this letter to delay the reinforcements. ”

"I agree with General Wilson's suggestion." Lieutenant General O'Connor said.

Admiral Wavell questioned several more generals and came to exactly the same conclusion.

"Since everyone is on the same page, let's make an excuse. Efforts were made to get Graziani to relax the deadline until 20 October. ”

At 1:30 p.m., after repeated instructions from Admiral Wavell and others, Captain Smith set off for home with Admiral Wavell's handwritten reply.

Herman in the south of the village of Zavia. In the headquarters of the Goering Motorized Rifle Division. After Chen Dao hurriedly returned from the forward position, he enthusiastically opened his arms to "Captain Smith" and gave a bear hug.

"Welcome back, Captain Hoffman. What was it like to be a guest at the British command? ”

"It's very exciting, I've never sweated so much."

"Captain Smith" had changed into the uniform of a German Navy captain and had been transformed into a Dustin officer. Captain Hoffman's true face.

"Your operation is the first strategic deception operation of our DreamWorks special forces, and it seems that it has been a complete success so far, don't you want to express your thoughts?" Spelberg, the commander of the DreamWorks force, asked with a smile.

"I felt like I was much better performing in front of the British than in front of the cameras, and I even felt like I wasn't acting, I was Captain Smith myself." Captain Hoffman said.

"Do you know why you're able to go above and beyond? You play aberrantly in front of the camera at most and get scolded by our dear Mr. Spelberg and do it all over again. If you play out of style in front of the British. The annoyed British will surely drag you to the shooting range and sweep up a magazine with a machine gun, so that you will never have a chance to do it again. Chen Dao said with a smile.

Hear Chen Dao's words. Captain Hoffman wiped the sweat from his forehead and rubbed his chest again. Later, he asked to go outside to calm his nervous mood, but he was inhumanely taken by Chen Dao to the Afrika Army headquarters to meet Rommel.

After teasing the sweaty Captain Hoffman, Rommel poured him a glass of water and asked eagerly, "What do you see with the British?" ”

Captain Hoffman had a look of remembrance on his face.

"The British positions I arrived at first were full of Indians, and their headscarves were conspicuous. I was then taken blindfolded to the city of Mesha Matrou, where I was questioned by senior British officers, and I replied to them according to the lines in the script: "Captain Hoffman neatly recounted what happened to him in the city of Mesha Matrou."

After taking Captain Hoffman away, Chen Dao immediately opened the reply letter brought by Captain Hoffman with Rommel.

"They want to delay until the twentieth? Are we really idiots? Rommel laughed dismissively after reading it.

"The British don't treat us like idiots, they take Graziani like idiots. We had to continue to play Marshal Graziani and work with the British to finish the play. Chen Dao said.

Rommel said with gusto: "I think Marshal Graziani should have reacted with anger at this time, because the British took him for an idiot." ”

"So he would angrily refuse the British's demands, and only verbally." Chen Dao continued.

On the morning of October 2, in the city of Mesha Matru, it was still the same conference room, and it was still the same participants.

"Captain Smith" replied to Wavell and others with a sincere look at the oral remarks of Marshal Graziani: "Marshal Graziani was very angry when he read the letter, and he thought that we were deceiving his feelings. He asked me to bring you a message that if we do not surrender on the 10th of October, he will attack at once, and let us go to hell to repent These are his exact words, and I am only conveying them. ”

Admiral Wavell snorted coldly and said, "Let's go to hell and repent?" What a boring threat. On October 10th, we will see who will go to hell. ”

After warmly entertaining "Captain Smith," Admiral Wavell earnestly exhorted the hard-working "Captain Smith" to do a good job in the ideological work of the British prisoners of war in the prisoner-of-war camp and wait patiently for the victory of the war.

O'Connor, commander of the Eighth Army, also assured Captain Smith that he would appoint Captain Smith and his men as prisoner of war camp guards after the war was won, to guard over the Germans who had taken care of him and to wash away the humiliation they had suffered.

About an hour later, there was a loud burst of laughter in the Afrika Army's headquarters.

"Hear no, our Captain Hoffman has been appointed commander of the prisoner of war camp in advance, and we will all be under his care in the future. So, what are you waiting for? Don't hurry up and curry favor with our battalion commander. Chen Dao laughed and teased everyone.

"I really didn't expect that the old-fashioned British people also have such a humorous side, I really underestimated them." Rommel also said with a smile.

Major General Funk couldn't hold back the smile in his heart, and then joked: "The British must be preparing for the battle of October 10 now. But when it's really October 10th, what will their expressions be when they see us? ”

"They're going to go crazy." Starkhausen said succinctly.

On the night of 2 October, hordes of German trucks departed from the Italian barracks in Sidi Barani and overnight moved the 1st Division of the Italian Blackshirts to the front line, hiding in the positions that the German sappers had already prepared.

During the day on 3 October, the Second Air Force flew more than 100 bomber sorties over British positions and dropped countless leaflets persuading them to surrender. In just one day, almost all the British officers and men of the Mesha Matru Line knew about the October 10 agreement, and under the supervision and encouragement of the officers, all the British soldiers were ready to meet the upcoming battle on October 10.

On the night of October 3, the 2nd Division of the Italian Blackshirts was transferred to the front overnight and then disappeared into the fortifications that had already been prepared.

During the day on October 4, the Luftwaffe again dropped leaflets to persuade the British to surrender.

On the night of October 4, various noises rang out all night from the six field airfields under the Second Air Force.

In the early hours of 5 October, before the sky was bright, 30 DFS230 gliders flew silently over the positions of the two warring parties and landed on the sand south of the village of Fukai, 70 kilometres east of the port of Matru in Mesha.

About thirty minutes later, Chen Dao, who had barely slept all night, heard the faint roar of an airplane engine in the western sky.

Another five minutes later, Chen Dao received a telegram from the Afrika Army Headquarters: The offensive had begun. (To be continued)

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