Chapter 423: Starlight

“Looking at it now, it seems we have underestimated Britain’s determination to wage war,” Akado said with some frustration, looking at the old Sir August, who had rushed to Rotterdam and now stood before him, travel-worn and exhausted.

August, leaning on his cane, walked beside Akado. He coughed a few times before speaking. “My Führer, in war, one cannot unilaterally assume the enemy’s reaction. Even at this moment, it is impossible to predict when the British will surrender.”

“The brutal street fighting in Norwich has exhausted General von Rundstedt, and his Army Group A is weary. If we continue to fight like this, our operations on the British mainland will turn into a difficult war of attrition. This kind of fighting, with its constant loss of manpower, is not what we are good at,” Akado said worriedly.

August could see Akado’s conflict and reluctance. He knew the Führer was considering abandoning the British campaign. Just that afternoon, he had consulted with several operations staff and military advisors, briefly exploring the possibility of transporting Army Group A to Iceland.

In fact, Akado was even more unwilling to see a deadlocked war of attrition than Hitler had been. This former history teaching assistant from the 21st century was, at his core, more inclined towards opportunistic tactics and quick, decisive battles. So when the war on the British mainland devolved into a brutal siege, his first thought was not to rely on brute force to win, but rather how to use another method to break the stalemate and change the situation.

Benevolence does not command troops, and righteousness does not amass wealth. Akado, having come from a humble background, still lacked the grand air of a leader who could obliterate a million men with a casual remark. Or perhaps, he had not yet come to terms with viewing the lives of hundreds and thousands of soldiers as mere numbers reflecting the tide of battle. That was why Akado had wisely chosen not to interfere with the military’s operational planning; his genius lay in his ability to clearly recognize his own shortcomings and weaknesses.

But when he, as the Führer and not a general, expressed this reluctance and compassion from the depths of his commoner’s soul, this weakness became a strength. This benevolence, which placed the people’s interests first and agonized over the life of every single soldier, became the concrete expression of a leader who was close to the people, who had flesh and blood, who cared for his people. Unintentionally, Akado had cultivated the image of a nearly perfect national leader, earning the most fanatical love and support of the German people.

“My Führer, changing the operational plan now will only render our initial investment meaningless,” August had to remind Akado not to do something foolish. “Once morale is shaken, it will be difficult to recover. Our invasion of Britain will face the danger of complete failure. At that point, the only thing you could do is die along with Germany!”

Although he was somewhat flustered and found it difficult to accept the German losses on the British mainland, Akado had obviously not completely lost his nerve. He certainly knew what consequences he would face if the landing in Britain truly failed—he had watched the film Downfall countless times and could act it out word for word if that day ever came. The key was that he really did not want to shoot himself in the head while biting down on a cyanide capsule. After all, he had not given so much just to re-enact a tragedy.

“I understand what you mean,” Akado nodded. “At 3 AM this morning, I had to personally send off another 30,000 soldiers from the port of Rotterdam, sending them to fight bravely for the Reich on the British mainland. I hope there is an end to this.”

August nodded, relieved to know that Akado had not completely lost his way or backed down. He thought for a moment and said, “My Führer, the British are suffering just as much as we are. Their situation may even be worse than ours. At a time like this, it would not be surprising if they surrendered in the next second… The key is who can hold on longer. Whoever can hold on to the end will become the master of the world.”

“I asked you to come here this time because there is a more important matter to discuss,” Akado said. This mess that was Germany was truly becoming overwhelming. The situation at the front was bad enough, and the troubles at the rear were just as worrying.

August was in charge of the Reich’s economy and various other miscellaneous affairs, so he naturally knew what Akado was worried about. He smiled and said, “Is the Führer concerned about the first batch of national bonds and the MEFO bills?”

“Yes. Enrique has provided a large sum of money to show his sincerity. I am hesitating whether to use this money to repay the national bonds and MEFO bills, or to grit my teeth and continue to roll the snowball,” Akado said with a wry smile.

He did not rush into the Führer’s headquarters in Rotterdam with August but instead began to stroll around the former Dutch Queen’s palace.

Without waiting for August to reply, Akado continued his monologue, “Previously, we paid off the MEFO bills and government loans by filling the hole with the profits of war. Poland was the beginning of this great pit, and Norway’s mines were also carved up by these business tycoons. But this primitive method of division is extremely inefficient. Poland’s light industry and agriculture were one thing, and Norway’s mining industry was tolerable. But I absolutely cannot give up the heavy industrial cake of France and Belgium!”

In another timeline, Germany’s utilization of the industrial base in France and Belgium had been heartbreakingly low. Until its defeat, it had never established a large-scale, effective plan for utilizing the industry of the occupied territories, completely wasting the industrial foundations of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. As a result, from beginning to end, it had challenged the industrial capacity of the entire world with the industry of a single nation. If that didn’t lead to failure, it would have been a true injustice of heaven.

“It seems the Führer has his own plan. In that case, I, as Chancellor, will give my full cooperation. If the Führer doesn’t mind, perhaps you could explain the plan, and I can see if there is anything that needs to be added,” August said with a smile.

“The cake thrown out by the Jews can be divided among the capitalists and financial magnates,” Akado said, nodding as he laid out his plan. “The industrial capacity of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands must be held in the hands of the state! I have already chosen the man for the job. I have cultivated and observed this person for a long time. I have kept him in reserve until today for the sole purpose of swallowing the entire industrial cake of the French occupied zone in one bite.”

August laughed heartily, then narrowed his eyes and said, “Many people have recommended this man, Speer, to me, saying that his organizational skills are excellent. But you, my Führer, kept him under his father-in-law, Jelinek Cassia, neither promoting nor dismissing him. I thought you had some prejudice against him. I never imagined you were setting the stage for him all this time… Your appreciation for talent is truly… incomparable, incomparable!”

“For talented people, I don’t mind giving them the stage they deserve. I am willing to build a suitable stage for such people! That’s why, after Anna recommended you to me, I even reinstated the position of Chancellor, which had been abolished. Wasn’t it to give you a suitable position?”

“Hahahaha. My Führer, the position that is truly suitable for me is Imperial Chancellor, not just Chancellor,” the old man August brought up the topic again.

Akado, naturally, would not continue this line of conversation. The matter of becoming emperor was not something he wanted to do, at least not now. With Britain undefeated, wouldn’t crowning himself emperor be a complete joke?

“Since you’ve already guessed my intention to use Speer, then please take good care of this future Minister of Imperial Industry,” Akado said, clasping his hands behind his back and continuing to walk. “I hope this Reich can truly become an ever stronger and more prosperous nation.”

August watched Akado’s thin but tall back walking in the bleak wind, but a fiery flame ignited in his heart. He continued to follow Akado with his cane, murmuring as he walked, “From Seeckt to Karl Benz, Stresemann, Hindenburg… so many Germans have deeply loved this country. They have revitalized this nation in one way or another. How could this nation not become strong?”

Akado, too, was sighing inwardly. Merkel, Speer, Bosch, Krupp, August, Jelinek Cassia, Fanny, Mercedes… Brauchitsch, Raeder, Rundstedt, Lütjens, Guderian, Rommel, Manstein, List, Kluge… Anyone born in this era was fortunate, for they could stand shoulder to shoulder with so many brilliant stars. Anyone born in this era was also unfortunate, for even the most dazzling starlight would seem dim under the brilliance of these individuals.

There was one thing August kept in his heart and did not say to Akado. As he followed the Führer, it seemed that all difficulties would be resolved, that Germany’s rise was unstoppable. He silently recited this sentence in his heart, with the utmost piety: “My Führer, in this Germany full of heroes and talents, you are ultimately the most dazzling starlight.”

At 3 AM, Akado stood on the pier and threw away the speech he had prepared for so long. He stood on a high platform and, to the soldiers who were about to board the ships and head to the battlefield, he said only one sentence:

“Promise me! Do your best to come back alive!”

This was probably the shortest and least ambitious pre-battle mobilization speech ever given. August stood beside the Führer with a wry smile, trying his best to maintain the composure expected of a nation’s Chancellor.

But unexpectedly, the response to Akado’s words was a cheer that grew louder and louder, a roar that seemed to never end. The shout of “Long live the Führer, Akado Rudolph!” was so loud that it seemed even the British on the other side of the Channel could hear it. These soldiers were willing to die for their country and their Führer, just like the British on the other side of the Channel. August, swept up in the emotion, raised his right hand along with the frenzied soldiers and shouted the name forever imprinted on his heart: “Long live Akado Rudolph!”