December 26, 1914, at four o'clock in the afternoon, Caen, France.

Originally a small seaport city, it has not been visited by warships for many years since the Napoleonic era. But now, the harbor is full of hundreds of ships, including warships of all kinds, and the city and the docks are full of groups of German soldiers in gray uniforms, and German sailors and army soldiers are methodically carrying various supplies to the ships.

It was one of France's many small cities that had not been invaded by the fire, thanks to the powerful and fierce attack of the right flank group of the German armies Kluke and Bilow in the French mainland campaign. In the face of the obvious superiority of the German army, the French defenders in various parts of the northern coast of France retreated with the large army without firing a single shot, and the local population did not take excessive hostile actions against the German troops stationed in the subsequent station, so that most of the small French cities such as Caen retained their pre-war appearance.

After the surrender of France, there was no significant increase in the number of ships entering and exiting and anchoring in the port of Caen, and the number of German troops stationed in Caen was only a few thousand. The Germans continued to repair and expand the railway line to Caen, and by Christmas, there were four railway lines between Caen and Paris. However, the French were not too surprised by the fact that many of France's northern seaport cities, such as Le Havre, Rouen and Cherbourg, were in a similar situation. The French inhabitants also worked with the German occupation forces who were assigned two days a week of unpaid labor to each young man to help build his homeland, as well as a large number of former French officers and soldiers who had been captured by the Germans.

For the French, the first Christmas after the war was unusually peaceful, but soon after the snow stopped, the inhabitants of Caen were surprised to find a steady stream of German troops arriving through the four railway lines, a large number of houses in the city were requisitioned, and countless camps were erected outside the city.

Ships evenly distributed in the northern French ports also began to converge on the calm harbor, and from time to time destroyers and minesweepers flying the German black vulture cross flag slowly sailed into the harbor, and in less than two days Caen seemed to be the busiest port in France.

Most of the French residents standing in front of their windows looked with curiosity at the German soldiers, dressed in thick winter uniforms, carrying long Mauser rifles and angular backpacks, and wearing not the pointed helmets of ordinary German soldiers, but steel helmets with domes, ear brims. Few French people know that this new German M16 steel helmet can protect a soldier's head as well as a pointed helmet with a metal badge pressed into leather.

In addition to the crisp footsteps of German infantry boots on the gravel road, the French inhabitants were harassed all day and night by the strange rumbling of engines and the clanging of mechanical friction from German tanks that terrified those who had served in the French army, with steel bodies, round rivets, powerful artillery machine guns, and the iconic white iron cross.

From small cargo ships and ferries of tens of tons to medium-sized transport ships and passenger ships of thousands of tons, as long as you can enter the harbor, you can find almost everything in this harbor. The cruiser that stood out from the crowd was both a relief and a sorrow for many French residents, for it was a battleship built by the French themselves, which had not long been part of the French Navy's battle sequence, and most of the low-ranking French sailors were still on board, but the German officers were not worried about the rebellion, because the Frenchmen had long since lost the faith to resist.

Close to the centre of Caen was one of the city's most exclusive hotels, the entire hotel had been requisitioned by the Germans since the previous afternoon. A large number of radio antennas were soon set up at the top of the hotel, and the surrounding area was a three-step post and a five-step sentry, and everywhere there were heavily armed and vigilant German soldiers.

On the second floor of the hotel, there is a large conference room that is not particularly ornately decorated, and after a temporary arrangement, Chen Tian and his temporary headquarters of the 8th Army are located here.

General Hoffman held a large thin notebook in his hand and stood next to Chentian to report the latest progress in the preparations for the landing.

"In the ports of Caen and Le Havre, 95 percent of the soldiers and 90 percent of the equipment and supplies of our group army have completed boarding, and it is expected that all the boarding work can be completed before 11 o'clock tonight, and the fleet will depart from the ports at 12 o'clock tomorrow morning, complete the assembly at 2 o'clock, arrive at the destination before 7 o'clock, and start the beach-grabbing landing operation after the naval battlefleet has completed the artillery bombardment!"

When everything was ready, Chen Tian found himself much more relaxed, this was a significant battle, but there was no need to put too much pressure on himself and his generals.

"Well, that's good! What will the weather be like tomorrow and the day after tomorrow? ”

Hoffman flipped the page of his notebook, "According to the forecasts of the French Meteorological Observation Network and the Paris Meteorological Center, there will be no bad weather for the next three days!" ”

"Météo-France and the Paris Meteorological Center? They're 50 years old! I think those meteorologists should be more familiar with the climate change in the English Channel than they are in their own drawers, and they better not play this joke with us with their lives, huh! ”

In 1854, in order to prevent the southward expansion of Russian power, the Anglo-French combined fleet fought a fierce battle with the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. Although mankind has entered the era of ironclad warships with steam engines, the impact of weather on combat operations is still quite large, and fortunately, Chen Tian at least does not have to worry about the tragedy of the British and French fleets in 1854 in his landing fleet. If the British version of the "kamikaze" really appeared in the English Channel, and the waves were enough to overturn a battleship of tens of thousands of tons, it could only be said that the character of the British or King George had exploded.

"Your Highness, to be exact, those two French meteorological agencies have been around for 51 years! In addition, the Meteorological Prediction Center in China has made similar predictions! Hoffman believed not only in his own country's meteorological agencies, but also in his belief that the French would not be so great as to selflessly help their rivals across the Channel, especially after the French fleet was martyred by the British Navy at Plymouth, and the French were no less anti-British than they were anti-German.

"In any case, let those French meteorologists serve us well for our landing operation! Even on sunny days, the waters of the English Channel are still bitterly cold, so don't forget to equip each soldier with hot soup and a small pot of spirits before landing, and remind all troops to carry spare boots and other cold protection tools to the beach as soon as possible after landing! ”

Looking at the snow on the windowsill, Tatsuten knew that it must have felt bad to land in the cold sea water that was not knee-deep or even waist-high. Even in the summer, it is uncomfortable enough to wear boots soaked in water, let alone in the cold winter, if the feet are frostbitten, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly reduced.

"Yes!" Hoffman meticulously recorded Chentian's advice, and this conscientious chief of the general staff really shared a lot of work for Chentian, which allowed Chentian to have more energy to plan and command.

"What happened to Sheppel's raiding fleet, will they be able to eat that special British fleet?" In addition to Tirpitz, Heydrich, and Dönitz, Sheppel was the active admiral that Chentian admired the most.

"The specifics are not very clear, the Hipper fleet should still be fighting with the frigates of the British fleet at the moment! With the character of Lieutenant General Sheppel, he will not let the British leave easily if he can't eat it! Perhaps under the influence of Chentian, Hoffman also had confidence in Sheppel, and in fact he was indeed a brave and resourceful naval commander.

"It's a good thing that Churchill doesn't have a complete special fleet, otherwise General Sheppel would be a little alone! At this point, we are afraid that we still have to thank the Japanese fleet for moving quickly! I think the look of fear on the faces of the Americans when they found out that the Japanese fleet appeared on their doorstep must have been very interesting! Although he never had even the slightest affection for the Japanese, Tatsuten still had to admit that this time the Japanese Navy had done something beneficial to Germany.

"Judging by the speed with which the Japanese fleet arrived in the Polynesian islands, they set off before the agreement was signed! The commander of the Japanese fleet, Heihachiro Togo, can be said to be the treasure of the Japanese Navy, so it seems that the Japanese government and navy attach great importance and caution to this operation, and it may take some effort for us to recover that archipelago in the future! ”

"Don't worry about that, when we got Polynesia from the French, we didn't directly attack it! If the mainland is gone, what is the use of the Japanese asking for those islands? As for Heihachiro Togo, this old guy has lived a really long life, he can be regarded as a veteran of the Japanese Navy for several generations! Chen Tian remembered that the old turtle in history seemed to live to be almost ninety years old before hanging up, and it was still nearly 20 years away.

"Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will arrange the rest of the work first!"

"Go ahead! General, thank you for your hard work! ”

After Hoffman walked away, Chen Tian always had a faint feeling in his heart that there was something else to do, but it wasn't until Rainey behind him moved his body that he suddenly remembered this very important matter.

"Rainey, come with me!"

After Chen Tian finished speaking, he walked straight to his bedroom, Rainey didn't ask more, but silently followed him. From Chen Tian's unusually serious tone, he sensed that this would be an extraordinary thing.

Chentian's bedroom belongs to the hotel's superior suite, and for safety precautions, the windows facing the sea are blocked by thick curtains, so that this room also needs to be lit during the day. Being in a high position also means that you will lose a lot of things, and Chen Tian has been mentally prepared for this.

"Remember the first time we met? My most loyal captain of the guard! "Chen Tian has no habit of smoking, but he made an exception this time to take out a delicate cigarette case and Rainey came alone, Rainey was originally a smoker, but when Chentian's guards also quit, most of the time he needs to be an inch of guard beside Chentian, smoking time is simply impossible luxury.

The white smoke just passed through Chen Tian's mouth briefly, and then drifted in front of the two of them, very slowly. Chen Tian rubbed the beautiful box in his hand, this silver cigarette case was given to him by Prince Heydrich last time, and every time he saw this box, he remembered what Heydrich had said to him that day.

If you take your destiny into your own hands, you are the real strong!

"Yes, Your Highness! It was 8 years ago in a very ordinary tavern in the west of Königsberg, and when I first saw you, I thought you were just an ordinary army captain! Rainey had a trademark smile on his face, which only appeared when everyone was in private, and his face was usually colder than an iron plate.

"Indeed! When I was still a captain in the ranks, I tasted the ups and downs of life! Now recalling that innocent past, Chen Tian is already very calm in his heart, there is no need for him to deliberately forget or escape those things, that is a course of life. With the current relations between Germany and Russia, there are still many opportunities to meet that person in the future, and private hatred is not worth mentioning in the face of national interests.

"My life has changed since the day I met you! I became your subordinate because of my hatred of the Japanese, but after these 8 years, I have realized that I made a very wise decision at that time! You are a very, very good person, I don't know much about military things, but your heart, very good, very good! Rainey said, placing his right hand on his heart.

Chen Tian smiled indifferently, maybe everyone was born with a good heart, but unfortunately in the face of cruel politics, all nature must be firmly hidden behind shields and swords.

"It is true that the promise I made to you has not yet been fulfilled, but I have never forgotten our hatred for the Japanese, and now that Germany has this strength, I believe that one day we will perfectly avenge those who died!" Take out the British, and then there will be a period of recovery, by which time Germany will be left unbeatable, and the Japanese, naturally, will not be a problem.

"Your Highness, I believe that you can do it, and I believe that I will be able to see that day!"

Chen Tian looked at Rennie's determined look, and his heart suddenly felt a little sour, "But I want to explain your task this time, it is likely that there will be no return, maybe you will not see the day when we teach the Japanese a lesson in Germany!" ”

Rainey's innocent smile froze suddenly.

Chen Tian turned his head away, looked straight ahead, and took a few puffs of cigarette, the heat getting closer and closer to his lips.

"Whew......" Rainey exhaled softly, and the cigarette between his fingers silently shortened little by little.

"It's a cruel world, isn't it?" Chen Tian took one last puff and then pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray. He suddenly felt the urge to smoke another one, because the world is really cruel.

"Yes, Your Highness! But my life belongs to you, and it is my honor to be loyal to you! "Rainey's stunned just now is not out of timidity or hesitation, everyone will think quietly when facing a mortal mission, which can be regarded as a kind of attachment to the world.

Rainey had a very short time to think, which was enough to prove his loyalty.

Tatsuten didn't want to think about the days of birth and death and sharing weal and woe in the past, but the embarrassed smile that Rainey poked out of the window when he was trapped in the basement of the Tokugawa stronghold, the resolute face before the duel with Nohara, the calm expression of the Russian army who led the team to sneak attack Kimon, and the innocent smile every time he got his salary, and the most determined face now, will all become unforgettable memories.

"Oh, don't make it the same as life and death, it's an action that doesn't necessarily need to be implemented, just a precaution!" Chen Tian said with a wry smile, but it is said that Scorpios have a keen intuition, although this intuition is sometimes right and sometimes wrong. At least in this matter, he has no way to prove whether he is right or wrong, but if something happens, the consequences are unimaginable.

"Oh......" Rainey looked confused, "This mission is about ......"

"Assassination!" Chen Tian turned his head to look at Rainey, looking at each other, "Are you afraid?" ”

There was no stray in Rainey's eyes.

"In order to complete the mission, even if it is to give your life, this is the most basic dogma of our ninja!"

Tatsuten was a little surprised, Rennie hadn't mentioned his ninja status for years, even though his level was only a shinobi.

"Is your ninja emblem still there?"

Rainey paused for a few seconds before pulling out a small piece of emblem that he had been hanging around his neck.

"Is this the family emblem of Koga?"

"Yes, my master left it for me! He said that he was the last shinobi of Koga, a poor ninja! ”

When Chen Tian withdrew his gaze, Rainey quickly put away the emblem.

"If he wakes up, I'll kill him, but his dad won't let me go easily, so even his dad will kill him too! It's a very difficult task, but because of your logo, I'll find a way to put all the blame on the Japanese. Chen Tian's voice became dark and low, "The consequences of killing the king, I guess you also know, no matter what, I can't protect you, do you understand?" ”

"Understood!" This time Rainey replied without hesitation, for reasons that he didn't care about.

"You are my close guard, and you should know the structure of the palace very well. This matter can only be known to you, remember, you can't tell anyone, everything has to be done by you alone! I will report to the Emperor and let you stay in the palace as my personal liaison officer, you can come and go as you please, as long as you complete the task, you don't have to worry about the rest of the rest! It's a very risky action for you and for me, but I have no other choice, I hope you understand! "Rainey didn't perform well in front of Nohara, but Chentian still had a lot of confidence in him, the palace was heavily guarded, and for those who tried to infiltrate the palace, Rainey had every chance to find a chance to make a move.

Rainey put out the remaining half of the cigarette in the ashtray, "Your Highness, please rest assured, Rainey will definitely live up to his mission!" ”

"But if he doesn't wake up, then you don't have to act! That's all there is to it, you can go back to Berlin in no time! ”

Chentian stood up, and the tall, sturdy Rainey came to their first and only brotherly hug. Rainey turned away with a resolute face, and from his back, Chen Tian seemed to see the strong man named Jing Ke in China thousands of years ago. Maybe Rainey's mood at this time is the same as Jing Ke's.