Chapter 2

freeloader

War was no longer a distant story for the inhabitants of the empire's capital, and such a topic was constantly rumored in the streets and after dinner. The cruelty and gore of war are no longer as easy as listening to Greek mythological stories before, because war is so close to people, and people can't just care about **, cheese, desserts and deep sleep. People know that the army is fighting, and some relatives have even gone to the front. Although the rise in prices is not a genetic mutation, the fine-tuning of the market itself has lost its effectiveness, and people are increasingly feeling that the cost of living is rising.

Sunshine on time Gu Bodhi tree under the street.

"Hey! Good morning, dear Mr. Frank, your beard is still as strong and beautiful as the sun over the Empire, always full of vitality. Yes, it's a really good day" A middle-aged man wearing blue lace myopia glasses walked into a small café near the park, took off his black felt hat, sat down at a slightly classic square table, turned around and asked the waiter for a cup of coffee, "Have you read today's newspaper Dear Frank?" ”。

"Oh! Hello Bauer. The middle-aged man sitting across from him wiped the coffee foam on his mustache.

"Adrian, it's about Adrian's Eric Group, you should have heard about it."

"Oh, it's not surprising, there's a lot of news about the Eric Group, and everyone is used to it."

"No, Frank, it looks like you're wrong, it's really not so normal this time."

"You're saying he gave all his mining rights to the military department?"

"Yes, Frank, you've heard about it for a long time, but don't you think it's surprising?"

"Oh, wait, Bauer, wait, it's not news anymore, I've heard it for a long time, but I wonder what you think?"

"In the words of the author, 'the most loyal partner of the Empire' or a champion of political opinion, in my words, is suffocatingly stupid. Listen, Frank, I don't mean to belittle Mr. Adrian, maybe he has his considerations, maybe he has other purposes, I just don't think he should have done it, or rather shouldn't have given it his all. ”

……

The whole of Berlin, and it should be said that the whole of the empire, was talking about this reorganization of mineral resources. When it comes to the future and destiny of the empire, some businessmen will feel that it is not a matter of concern, while others will help the government. It was shocking for the townspeople to comprehend how a merchant, who had always been driven by profit, could so generously give up most of his interests for the sole purpose of supporting the Empire's wars.

Eric? The discussion in Adrian's estate is also very fierce, and the people have long been talking to each other in private, because the decision of the Eric Group may affect their monthly salary, and if the Eric Group also goes bankrupt like those small and medium-sized enterprises, they are even worried about whether they will be able to find a good owner like Mr. Adric and Miss Shirna in the future. The doubts of the subordinates can only be answered among the subordinates, however, without Adrian's own explanation, any answer is doubtful.

Erik, located on the western outskirts of Berlin and known as a waterfront dream? Adrian's Manor is not destined to be calm these days, and Adrian seems to have smelled this strong smell of gunpowder for a long time.

"Damn Adrian! Damn Adrian, you hateful, stupid one! You really should go back to the Eastern Front and serve the supreme honor of the Empire! Let your fearless, terrible body hold off the enemy's bullets fired at the Imperial generals......"

Such a big movement surprised the servants who were talking about it, and they hurriedly returned to their respective jobs. Adrian, who was sitting in the study, soon realized that the flames of battle in the backyard had been burning without warning, and all that remained was whether he could stubbornly resist Sylna. Eugene? Sylna's indiscriminate bombardment and all kinds of possible "forced palace" behaviors. Through the window, Adrian saw the extremely angry figure of his fiancée, and at this moment, he knew that he could not bravely face the battle, and the best way was to make a technical detour and deal with the woman, no! To be precise, to deal with his fiancée, he is confident that he can still find the right skills for Yu Ren.

The people followed, and after a while, the angry, young and beautiful Hilna appeared in Eric? Adrian's side.

Adrian put down the book in his hand and smiled at his fiancée, "Okay Sylna, calm down, listen to me, calm down first, okay dear, don't let people see our jokes"

"No, I can't calm down, Adrian, is that true? You told me this is not true, and I don't believe you will effortlessly donate most of our hard-earned property to the military department. Sylna slapped a copy of today's daily newspaper heavily on the bookcase in front of Adrian.

Adrian didn't get up, still smiling at his unusually excited fiancée.

"Sylna, this must be very good news dear, listen to me dear, you look really beautiful now, look, the black silk flower arrangement Bavarian hat with this corset black evening dress, coupled with the appearance of angry hair, is really charming."

"Oh...... Dear Adrian, don't cross it, you have to answer me, you have to explain it from beginning to end, these are not true, are they? I don't think you're that stupid, would you, or I'd wonder if something is wrong with your brain. ”

"Is this really dear Shirna, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front, Paul? Feng? Field Marshal Hindenburg is also praising Miss Sylna's noble character, and perhaps he is considering how to thank you......"

"Nope! I don't believe it! To hell with those wrong practices and the so-called Imperial Army, Adrian! I think you must have something wrong with your brain! Such a major event happened in the company, and you didn't even greet me in advance, and you didn't even give me a minimum of respect, this matter must not be so simple! If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'll set this garden on fire. Sylna began to get excited again, and without waiting for Adrian to reply, she picked up a box of matches from the bookcase.

Adrian accompanied the smiling face, spread his hands and said, "Beautiful Sylna? Eugene? Miss Sylna, order, if burning down this beautiful garden will make you angry, it will be worth it. ”

Sheena was about to speak when there was a soft knock on the door outside.

This was perhaps the best way to break the deadlock, and Adrian hurriedly called someone in. At this time, a maid stood timidly at the door, bowed her head and said, "Excuse me, sir, I want to ask you and Miss what you want to eat tonight." ”

Adrian smiled and looked at Sylna.

"No Maria! I can't eat anything! "Dinah? Eugene? Sylna now felt that the sky had fallen, and her loved ones, whom she had always trusted so much, were now sharing her inheritance with others, and she was so helpless.

Adrian hurriedly motioned to the maid, "Go get ready, Sheena?" Eugene? Miss Sylna will definitely have a good meal tonight, sausages, pork knuckle, cheese, white asparagus, and of course a little else. Oh yes, please close the door when you go out, thank you. ”

"I can't forgive you dear Adrian, you have torn my heart to pieces, I can no longer let you do as you please, from today onwards, August will replace me with you in managing the daily work of the company, it's time for me to take a break, that's it dear Adrian."

Adrian was amused by the development of events, he did not expect his fiancée to make such a decision, and in his opinion, what Sylna said about August was only a good old man at best.

"Dear Sylna? Eugene? Miss Sylana, I want to have a good talk with you. Adrian felt that there were a lot of current events that needed to be known to Sylna.

"You've signed it, what's there to talk about, your stupid maverick will ruin the cause we have built so hard after all." Unexpectedly, Sylna's anger became even greater, and she pointed at Adrian, "My dear, you must have been fascinated by the devil, otherwise you wouldn't have given the company to others, and you wouldn't even want me to know." ”

Adrian opened his arms and gently put his hands on Sylna's shoulders, "Dear Sylna, stop making trouble, things are not as bad as you think, besides, can you save me a little face in front of the people?" After all, I'll have to rely on this face to eat in the future. Adrian was also feeling a little sorry now.

"God, Mr. Eric knows how to take care of your face! Shouldn't I feel very honored to be your fiancée? Silla sat on the couch, still angry, "Say, don't try to fool around, dear Adrian, I must know the reason for this, or I will be depressed all the time." ”

"Dear Sylna, career is equally important to me, but, listen, I really can't fully explain it now, and you can imagine that I chose this deliberate decision after thinking about the current situation very calmly and foreseeing the later developments." Adrian sat down next to his fiancée and put his arms around her shoulders, "I'm anxious to know about our military orders right now, and that's important. ”

"Yes, dear Adrian, I don't think it's as important as your invitation to the military department." Sylna began to retort.

"Say it, dear, without going into too much detail, types and quantities." Eric took out a cigar, looked at Sheena, and put it down again.

"Although our company has won a huge share of the imperial military orders, which has caused some jealousy in the industry, it has derived more production links and flowed to other suppliers, and those greedy guys have been coveting the big cake of war and always want to make war money, and now they should be content. Now the Imperial War Department is like a bottomless pit, which shows that the development of the whole war is not optimistic, Adrian, do you understand what I mean? ”

Adrian motioned for Sylna to continue.

Sheena is in charge of all aspects of the company's production, so when Adrian needs certain data, she always has a lot of them. Suddenly, Adrian made a gesture of pause: "Sylna, didn't you notice a decrease in orders for small arms, and an almost double in orders for artillery, especially large-caliber artillery?" ”

"What's so strange about that? Guns and heavy artillery belong to the shortage of materials on the front line, perhaps because there is a surplus of guns and ammunition in the early stage, and now the military department only wants to make up for the shortage of heavy artillery, these high-power weapons of destruction? Sylna didn't seem to agree with Adrian.

"Dear Sylna, you are quite right, it shows that you have learned to think maturely, but an order on paper says nothing. Combined with the current situation, it would have been a different result, and if you think about it, the Eastern Front, because of several great victories by Field Marshal Hindenburg, does not seem to have any major problems in the short term. On the Western Front, however, the opposite was true, with the Imperial Army's offensive blocked on the narrow line from the Strait to the Swiss border, and the blitzkrieg was in vain. Such a tug-of-war, a war of attrition, increased the cost of war for the Reich, and if the situation on the battlefield could not be reversed in the short term, the Reich would be in jeopardy, not forgetting the geographical location of the German Empire. The British navy has blocked the strait, our material supplies and energy imports have been choked, and once the comprehensive national strength lacks stamina, the eastern and western fronts will be even more at a disadvantage. There is no trade-off in war, only a lose-lose situation or a loss to see who will lose more bitterly. At this time, as long as the United States intervenes, it is only a matter of time before Germany is defeated. Although Eric said it in general terms, he was not afraid that Sylna would not be able to keep up with the rhythm. As the second treasurer of the group, Sylna's IQ is not bad.

Sheena? Eugene? Sylna was born in Hanover, where her father was a mining tycoon and administrator of Hanover. Although his mother was a widow, his grandfather enjoyed great prestige in Saxony. The pampered Sylna inherited the good genes of her predecessors, was very diligent and studious, and once completed the seemingly unrelated disciplines of medicine, arts, science, chemistry and physics at the University of Munich, and became a talented woman at the height of the empire.

Adrian's concise analysis, although it is far-fetched, cannot help but make Sylna rethink the situation in front of her.

"It is not necessarily that the United States will definitely enter the war, you must know that Wilson's re-election slogan is not to participate in the war in Europe." Sylna uttered something that even she couldn't believe herself, perhaps she had accepted Adrian's reasoning.

"It's hard to say dear, after all, the interests of the United States in Europe are certainly not willing to let other countries get involved, look at Sylna, whether it is now or in the distant future, Europe is the domain of the national security interests of the United States, of course, this is not speculation" Adrian did not assume, because he could not tell Sylna what it means to travel through time.

He then analyzes a very bad association that brought the United States into the war.

"Although the surface ships of the imperial army do not have absolute superiority, in the case that the British warships do not have anti-submarine capabilities for the time being, the unlimitedly developed submarines of the empire are the ghosts of the underwater galloping underwater, and the use of submarines to carry out a military and economic blockade of the British army in the narrow strait will make it possible to improve the fundamental situation on the battlefield on the Western Front, but it is likely to lead to serious miscalculations and cause greater trouble, because the frequent economic exchanges between Britain and the United States are destined to have no British ships in this narrow waterway. There will inevitably be American and other merchant ships from around the world. Once the Reich's submarines trigger this sensitive button, the United States will inevitably send warships to escort its own overseas interests in the open sea, which will undoubtedly increase the already dangerous security risks in this sea area. ”

"Wouldn't the Imperial Army avoid these potential risks?" Sylna wasn't puzzled, but he couldn't help but ask Adrian.

"The United States had inseparable economic ties with several belligerents of the Empire, of which Great Britain was its main trading partner in Europe, and in turn, the Commonwealth had indispensable trade complementarities with many countries outside the region. Of course, the Empire also wants to avoid this risk, but with the current submarine, in the process of diving operations, it is impossible to identify the type of ship at all, not to mention that the Empire has always suspected that American merchant ships may help Britain secretly transport war materials, so it is logical to only realize the unspeakable 'fake show'......"

"Are you saying that it is possible for the Empire to deliberately attack American merchant ships in order to control American merchant ships at sea to carry supplies to the British army under the cover of their eyes?" This was something that Hilna had never thought of, and she was surprised.

"This assumption is not impossible, even if the warships of the empire clearly saw that it was a merchant ship flying the Star-Spangled Banner, it cannot be ruled out that there were so-called prohibited substances on board, after all, no one can be trusted in sensitive times, especially since Britain and the United States have an inextricable cooperative relationship."

"Do the upper echelons of the empire think the same way?" Sheena seemed to get it all.

"Yes, first of all, it is 'natural' that the top brass has this idea, in fact they think so, and it is the surface ships that send intelligence to the military department after detecting such ships, and then the military department directly gives the submarine an ambush and attack command, which is the so-called 'indiscriminate attack'. Under normal circumstances, the military department will use the mistake as an excuse and then express regret or apology. ”

"Oh my God, the poor self-confidence of these people in the military department will drag the empire into a situation from which it will never recover," Sylna's eyes widened.

"Well, my dear, it's not too bad, Germany can't perish, Germany will always be the great Germany." Adrian rushed to take Sheena in his arms......

"Honey, you still haven't explained why you 'sold' the company. I am an important shareholder of the company, and I have unshakable voting rights on the company's financial and production business and other major activities. If you don't explain it clearly today, I can immediately publish a statement in the newspaper and make you unable to get off the stage. Sylna played.

Adrian wanted to tell the only person he trusted now, but he couldn't speak, and he didn't know where to start.

The war situation in Germany as a whole was not optimistic, but it did not prevent the people from being loyal and devoted to the Reich. Except for the majority of the unsuspecting populace, this fanatical militaristic ideology was in full swing throughout the empire at this time. Whoever dares to say that the German Empire will lose this battle, it is estimated that he will have to finish the game without Wilhelm's action, and even Adrian, who is now very influential, does not dare to risk this kind of disapproval in the world.

Adrian frowned, Sylene understood that there must be something unspeakable about this matter, she was not unreasonable, and after getting along for so long, from the initial subordinate, to the partner, and then to the development of lovers, Adrian was unwilling to say a word, Sylna would give her understanding with respect.

Sheena completely forgave Adrian, "If you can't say it, don't say it, honey, I know you care about me, that's enough." But there was still a little bit of loss in his eyes.

"No, dear Shirna, I'm just thinking about how to tell you better."

"If I'm not mistaken, you mean that this war launched by the Empire will be lost, right?" While Adrian hesitated, Sylna picked out the words.

Adrian was stunned, but what he did not dare to say came out of Sylna's mouth, and that was why he was stunned, after all, for now, anyone who dared to say that Germany would be defeated was either an enemy or a madman. However, looking at the overall situation, although the enemy forces on the Eastern Front were losing and retreating, the strong industrial strength and vast geographical depth of Tsarist Russia were placed there. The Anglo-French forces on the Western Front were in a gradual decline because of successive defeats at sea. However, it cannot be ignored that they are still resisting stubbornly on an indiscreet scale. The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly, and the possibility of US military intervention has become more and more clear. Once the Allied armies launched anti-submarine attacks at sea or launched strategic counteroffensives on land, coupled with the fortress strategy of Tsarist Russia, the entire battlefield situation would be reversed, and the imperial chariot could be stagnant or even completely subverted at any time, and at that time, the ruling edifice with the rampant militarist ideology would be crumbling until it collapsed with a bang. At present, the war is still in full swing, the offensive on the eastern and western fronts is like a bamboo, and the good news is frequent, and the general public seems to have seen the dawn of victory, and just when the whole country is most worthy of celebration, Adrian, the man who has contributed the most to the empire and seems to be loyal, has already held the mentality that the empire will be defeated, and I am afraid that even he feels incredible.

Sylna knew that the hopelessly handsome peer in front of her was always prescient, and this super power allowed the Eric Group to rise and grow rapidly, and to get involved in all aspects of the empire. In the era of the general trend of the world, he operates like the hand of God, and his insight is like the eye of God.

The topic was too dull, and Sylna felt that she was slowly losing her sense of direction in the conversation, perhaps she had been part of the fanaticism, but now she had regained some of her rare rationality through her conversation with Adrian. Before dinner time, Sylna asked to see Adrian's mysterious copy of "Historical Currents", Adrian smiled and signaled: Not for the time being, so she went to her room.

Adrian confirmed that Sylna would not bother him again for a while, so he sat back at his desk and continued to read the mysterious "Historical Currents" in his hand with relish.

Eric? There was a continuous sound of cars honking outside Adrian's manor, and after a while, someone went upstairs and knocked on the door to come in, "Dear Mr. Eric, Paul, the commander-in-chief of the German army on the Eastern Front?" Feng? Field Marshal Hindenburg visited. ”

"Field Marshal Hindenburg?" Adrian was stunned, why did this old boy go to the battlefield to direct the battle, and suddenly came to my secluded little manor? Is it really endless? I've given half of the Eric Group, isn't it enough?" There is a please! I'll come down with Miss right away...... Sylna, Sylna......"

For Paul? Feng? Adrian, the old marshal of the Hindenburg Empire, was full of respect, and aside from the war factor, the old marshal was very commendable for his kindness and upright character. The reason why he spent a lot of money in the conference hall of the military department at that time was all because of his respect and love for the old marshal himself.

More than a dozen guards lined up outside the gate of the manor, and Marshal Hindenburg wore a black cloak in addition to yesterday's uniform.

Sylna and Adrian both went downstairs holding hands.

"Oh—dear Paul? Feng? Hello, Your Excellency Field Marshal Hindenburg! Welcome to your visit! Thank God, this is what you gave to Erik, my lord? An unexpected honor from Adrian Manor, please take a seat. Edric himself felt a little flattering: "What do you drink?" Red wine? Fruit juice? The two sides half-hugged and made a greeting salute.

"Thank you! Dear Erik? Mr. Adrian, you don't have to be polite, because of your generous national righteousness, you helped the empire's just war solve the big trouble in terms of equipment, so I personally came to the door to express my gratitude! Hope my visit didn't bother you. Field Marshal Hindenburg looked at Edric, and then at Sylna, who was sitting next to him.

"Oh—you see if I'm old foolish." Field Marshal Hindenburg's gaze suddenly rested on Sylna's face: "You are Sylva?" Eugene? Sheena, right? We met many times a few years ago in Hanover with your grandfather, but you probably don't remember, but your grandfather was an old friend of mine. ”

In fact, Sheena recognized Paul a long time ago? Feng? Marshal Hindenburg, forced by etiquette, she could not break the atmosphere of this conversation, but she did not expect the old marshal to take the initiative to mention it.

"I beg your pardon dear Hindenburg grandfather, the younger generation of time in Hanover still remembers you vividly, you are my most admired hero, but I didn't expect you to be so energetic."

Adrian was surprised, and whispered to Sheena, "So you already knew the old marshal!" ”

The old marshal laughed, pinched his gray beard and did not speak.