Chapter 222: Acquaintances

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After the medals were awarded, there was a reception held specifically for these soldiers, with flowers, applause, and some beautiful Germanic girls. The aristocrats and socialites, however, would clearly not stand together with a bunch of grunts covered in dust and oil stains. Akado had no intention of trying to persuade these people either; after all, one’s thoughts are not so easily swayed.

However, he still walked over to Rein with a glass of wine in his hand, looking with a smile at this boy who was almost half his age. “How is this place compared to the Soviet Union?”

“Much better. It was too cold there, so cold it was a bit unbearable,” Rein said, leaning against the wall and looking at the Führer of his country, though his tone held some dissatisfaction. “Of course, when it comes to inhumanity, the two countries are a perfect match.”

Akado nodded and glanced at Rein. “Are you still blaming me? For pulling you back from the brink of starvation? And then sending you to school to learn to read, and sending you to become a killing machine?”

“No, not at all,” Rein shook his head and replied with a sigh. “To be honest, I am very grateful to you. It was you who gave me a chance to live, and I am discovering more and more that it is good to be alive. It’s just that those days on the outskirts of Moscow made me question the meaning of my own life. I want to ask you now, my Führer—what is a person like me living for?”

“To discover better things, to find the next reason to live,” Akado said after a moment’s thought, then answered seriously. “For the German people, to kill the sinners who prevent us from being strong.”

“Killing nonstop?” Rein smiled.

“Mm, killing until we become the masters of the world,” Akado replied.

Rein laughed so hard that even his shoulders shook. “So I think that you picking me out of that pile of corpses must have been God’s arrangement. Now I know. God needed a devil, and the devil needed a scythe.”

“Am I the devil?” Akado also smiled.

“No, you are a gift from God to the German people,” Rein said, standing up straight and walking to another corner. “But to me, you are not a gift. You are my lifesaver.”

“If… and I mean if, you are not willing to live this kind of life, I can transfer you back from the front to the armored training battalion to be an instructor,” Akado said, looking at Rein’s back.

Rein stopped in his tracks, pausing there. After two seconds, he turned his head back. “Is this only because we know each other, or is it a treatment that every soldier who has performed meritorious service at the front receives?”

“Because we know each other,” Akado said helplessly. “Because I feel that I personally owe you.”

“On the contrary, my Führer. Personally, you have given me far more than you have taken from me. If necessary, I am even willing to give my life for you,” Rein said, staring into Akado’s eyes.

“That is why I don’t want you to die,” Akado said, also staring into Rein’s eyes, as if looking at his own son.

Rein smiled and pointed to Andre and the others in the distance. “Ask them. If any of them are willing to stay, then give this position to them. As for me… do you still remember what the Panzerlied sings?”

A slight smile hung on his face, and the small freckles were somewhat obvious under the lights. Akado didn’t know why, but he felt that this boy was even more mature than he was. Rein did not continue to speak, but just hummed softly:

“And if we are abandoned by Lady Luck,

And if we can never return to our homeland,

If a bullet ends our lives,

If we cannot escape our fate,

Then at least our faithful tank,

Will give us an iron coffin!”

“I understand. If they are all willing to follow you, I will arrange for you to go to the Western Front,” Akado said with a sigh. The joy he had felt at seeing an old acquaintance had become somewhat desolate. He had sighed more times today than he had in the past month. He had casually let slip a secret: that the Wehrmacht was preparing to transfer General Guderian’s 1st Panzer Corps to the Western Front.

Rein smiled. “Thank you.”

He walked over with his wine glass to Andre and the others, who were gathered together, talking and laughing. This small group seemed so lonely in the vast hall, because it seemed no one wanted to have anything to do with a few grunts. These were just people they needed to send to the front to die.

Of course, this small group did not need anyone’s pity. In fact, they preferred to entertain themselves. Because in the cramped interior of a tank, these men had developed a kind of autistic communication style: a young leader with four different kinds of men.

“I have one spot,” Rein said casually, looking at his crew. “A special approval from the Führer. We can leave one person behind to be an instructor in the training battalion. The rank should be promoted quite quickly, probably to lieutenant within a year. Who wants to stay?”

At that moment, almost everyone was taken aback for a moment. Then, a look of longing filled each of their eyes, but in the next second, this expression disappeared.

“I just carry shells. There’s nothing to teach,” Bruce said with a smile, glancing at Rein. “And don’t think that just because you’re doing us a favor, I’ll be devoted to you. If you get on my nerves, I’ll still kick your ass.”

“My driving habits aren’t that good either, you know, commander,” Baumann also laughed. “I’d rather keep driving a tank with you. It’s more thrilling than driving a Mercedes. I think this spot would be good for Clark.”

“Me? I’m just a mechanic who happens to shoot a machine gun,” Clark said, waving his hand and taking a sip of wine. “I can’t be an officer. If you guys have a conscience, don’t make a tall guy like me wipe the floor inside the tank anymore.”

“It’s impossible for you not to wipe the floor. I’m responsible for cleaning the cannon barrel. Who am I going to complain to?” the fast-talking Bruce chuckled.

“For you?” Andre asked, leaning against the table and staring at Rein. “I saw the Führer talking to you just now. Did you two know each other before?”

The question “For you” was clearly about the instructor position. Rein was not pretentious and nodded in reply. “Mm, I’m an orphan. The Führer selected me back then, so I could be sent to the Soviet Union and receive all kinds of training there.”

“Then why don’t you go?” Since that was the case, there was no need to answer who the position was for. So Andre continued to ask.

Rein smiled. “For me, it no longer matters whether I live or die. So a position like this is better left to someone who truly yearns to live.”

“I could stay,” Andre said after a moment’s thought. “But, you see… you have a good driver, a decent radio operator, and that loader who talks a lot of nonsense is also passable. You can’t be short of me, your gunner, can you?”

“Hehe,” Rein was amused. “I can get another gunner, really. You can stay.”

“Get lost!” Andre cursed with a laugh. “You’ll never find a gunner more accurate than me in your life.”

“I believe that,” Rein nodded. “You’ve never disappointed me.”

“Do you think that because we were so ungrateful and refused the Führer’s kindness, we’ll be sent to the most dangerous combat zone?” Bruce suddenly asked with wide eyes.

“You guessed right,” Rein smiled and nodded. “After this meal and two more days of rest, we’re going to the Western Front with the 1st Panzer Corps.”

“We’re going to fight the French?” Andre raised an eyebrow, a look of great interest on his face. “Probably. With the Führer’s personality, he will definitely take revenge.”

“Don’t go blabbing about this outside,” Rein instructed. He was about to turn back to tell Akado the result when he saw the Führer of the Reich standing right behind him.

“I heard everything,” Akado said with a smile, looking at the strange crew members of tank 113. His gaze then fell on Rein. “I won’t say those official words, like ‘the Reich will remember you,’ or ‘you are the heroes of the German people.’ But you have truly made me feel that all my painstaking efforts to do what I believe should be done, even if I have to bear the reputation of a war criminal or a butcher, are worth it.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Andre said before Rein could speak. “At least now I’ve found another reason to go to the front: my superiors, at least, are not all bastards.”

“Heil Führer!” Bruce said, chiming in after hearing Andre’s words, having been taken aback for a moment. “If we could have more fresh beer, then the Führer would live for ten thousand years.”

“I think I have a responsibility to lead them to victory,” Rein said, gesturing with pride to the crew members behind him. “I was an orphan before, but now I have many brothers, brothers worth entrusting my life to.”

“I envy you for having a family. And I hope you and your family can survive this life-and-death battle,” Akado said with a nod. “Congratulations on finding something to protect. I hope you can cherish what you have.”

He smiled and raised his glass, saying loudly, “For Germany, gentlemen! All your expenses in Berlin are on me. The beer is free, Mr. Bruce.”

“Heil Führer!” Rein and the others saluted, because Akado’s voice had made all the guests turn their attention to them.

Fanny came over from the side with a smile on her face. “Since someone is treating, you must all drink some good wine. Have fun! In a little while, some girls will accompany you to the shopping mall… If you see anything you like, just take it. Your Führer is a very rich man.”

She pointed to the smiling Akado. “The tanks you drive are produced by the Führer’s own company.”