Chapter 13: A Deaf Ear

“What good does it do you to target unarmed people?” Akado asked, his brow furrowed and his tone already hostile. “Other than allowing you to stir up hatred and gain more supporters faster, it does absolutely no good, right?”

Hitler sneered. “Me, targeting them? They are the ones who have become the parasites of Germany! They are the ones who made Germany a defeated nation in the First World War! They are the ones who subjected me to humiliation! They all deserve to die!”

Akado shook his head. “I never thought two years of separation would make you even more extreme!”

Hitler pursed his lips with great disdain. “And I never thought two years of separation would make your insight so shallow.”

He walked to the door, turned his head to the side, and glanced at Akado, who was still sitting on the sofa. He spoke with some disappointment, “Originally, I planned to make you one of the core members of the Nazi Party. But you’ve disappointed me too much, Akado! I thought you would be my most reliable right hand, but you have failed to reach the height I need.”

Akado had been calculating the gains and losses of this meeting in his head from the beginning. He now felt that there was an unchangeable force of history obstructing his path forward. No matter how hard he strove for the goals in his heart, everything would still return to its original point.

It was as if a great eye in the sky was staring down at him, mocking him, making all his efforts meaningless. This feeling made him agitated, wanting to grab something and smash it on the ground to vent his frustration.

He shot to his feet. Staring at Hitler, Akado stood up, took a deep breath, and regained his composure. “I can join the Nazi Party, but the Party must be reorganized. I do not want to see any radical methods within the Nazi Party. We need to win the elections honorably, take control of the army, and complete the transformation of all of Germany. Can you guarantee this?”

Hitler gave a cold snort, then immediately softened his tone, easing the atmosphere. “Of course. If you can help me, and if I can win the election, then I can accept appropriately abandoning some of my radical rhetoric used to stir up the populace.”

“I hope you can keep your promise,” Akado said, staring at Hitler. He could not find a trace of confirmation in Hitler’s eagle-like eyes. Hitler’s gaze flickered; there was not a shred of sincerity in it.

Nevertheless, Hitler still agreed. “I promise!”

After saying this, Hitler walked straight out of Akado’s apartment, practically fleeing down the stairs, leaving behind a trail of clattering sounds as his leather shoes struck the wooden steps.

Akado sat back down on the sofa and closed his eyes. His promise to join the Nazi Party was purely perfunctory. Of course, he could also tell that Hitler’s promise to no longer pursue radical ethnic policies was just as insincere.

In the dead of night, the clock struck twelve, a full dozen chimes, and then everything returned to silence, quiet and still.

…

Sitting in a car, Hitler tapped his fingers rhythmically on his thigh. He then looked at one of the Nazi Party leaders sitting beside him, the ever-obedient Gregor Strasser.

Suddenly, accompanied by the jostling of the car, Hitler broke the silence. “Strasser, I need to draft a more radical action plan! The Nazi Party must establish systematic goals for our struggle! We must strike down all the Jews and democrats who stand in our way! I want to launch a new round of purges against these people!”

“Yes, my Führer!” Strasser nodded immediately.

The night grew deeper. A line of cars drove under the dim yellow streetlights, their shadows casting strange and twisted shapes on the ground.

The next morning, Akado, carrying a briefcase as if heading out on official business, got into Second Lieutenant Gehr’s car. Gehr was a young man he had personally promoted—the same sergeant who had picked him up at the train station back then. This second lieutenant was now working in the confidential department of the Reichswehr High Command.

Gehr drove the car, with Akado in the back seat, out of the Reichswehr High Command. They drove along the main street for a while, then turned into a deep, quiet alley, stopping in front of an inconspicuous private residence.

Akado pushed open the car door, walked to the driver’s side, and instructed Gehr, “Drive around and keep an eye on this place. Don’t let anyone spot you.”

Gehr nodded, rolled up the window, started the car, and drove off. He turned a corner not far away and disappeared from sight. Akado looked around before walking to the building next door, quickly ducking into the stairwell. He waited there for a few more minutes before heading upstairs. He walked to an apartment door on the third floor and knocked.

A young man opened the door, his hand resting on his waist where a small pistol was visibly tucked.

“Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Akado! Thank you for all your help these days.” Inside the room, an old man stood up with a smile upon seeing Akado and shook his hand.

Akado smiled and stepped forward, politely taking off his hat and tucking it under his arm. He shook the hand of the old man, who had a wild shock of hair and a mustache, with great solemnity and then asked warmly, “Have you been well recently, Dr. Einstein?”

The old man laughed and nodded. “Of course, Lieutenant Colonel Akado. In all these years, you are the first person to provide substantial funding for my scientific research. My funds have never been so plentiful. I’ve used your support to build a state-of-the-art laboratory in the suburbs. If you’re interested, I can show you my latest research findings.” After speaking, he sat back down at his desk and began rummaging through various materials, seemingly to show Akado.

“There’s no hurry. I imagine your research is not a short-term project, Doctor. My support for you is more out of friendship and my belief in the prospects of your research,” Akado said with a smile, sitting down in the chair in front of the desk and waving his hand.

“I think you’re the real doctor. Your understanding of the atom is like that of a Ph.D., and your description of the process of atomic fission through bombardment is far more detailed than that of an ordinary person. If you weren’t so concerned with your planes and cannons and focused your energy on scientific research, I believe you could achieve extraordinary success,” Einstein said, looking at Akado.

From the time they first met and got to know each other, to their later all-night conversations, Einstein had discovered that Akado’s views on the future direction of technology and current cutting-edge science were exceptionally unique, as if he were a brilliant scientist himself. So when Akado offered to fund him, he agreed without hesitation, and the two became close friends.

He had even unhesitatingly accepted the mute soldier Akado had provided as a combination housekeeper and bodyguard.

Hearing Einstein’s words, Akado wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He had majored in history in college and graduate school. With only his high school level of physics, he could bluff his way through a conversation and impress the great mind before him, but if he were to actually sit down and conduct research, he’d be exposed in three days.

“Heh heh, everyone has their own specialty, their own specialty! I just don’t have the brain for science! I’m just moonlighting! Just moonlighting is all…” Akado said, wiping his sweat while changing the subject. He shifted the conversation to coffee and began chatting with Einstein about the process of preparing coffee beans.

Just as Hitler had cast aside the issue of moderating his radical nationalism, Akado had completely forgotten about Hitler’s invitation to join the Nazi Party. This was because the Commander-in-Chief in the Reichswehr High Command, the man named von Seeckt, forbade the existence of any political parties or democrats within the army. This was a glorious tradition of the old aristocratic military system.

However, Akado’s work had recently run into some difficulties. The Allied Military Control Commission seemed to have received some intelligence and had conducted a focused inspection of the 1st Reichswehr Division’s garrison in Berlin. They had also once again visited Krupp and other German heavy industry companies, severely hindering the Reichswehr’s secret self-strengthening plans.

Although the French and British found nothing, thanks to General von Seeckt’s arrangements and Akado’s command and control, the large-scale military exercise planned for the end of the month by the 1st and 4th Divisions stationed in the Berlin area was forced to be canceled.

The cancellation of the exercise gave Akado about a week of free time. He used this week to suddenly remember an important matter and rushed to get it resolved.

In General von Seeckt’s spacious office, Akado sat in front of that familiar, enormous desk. He handed over his report and advised General von Seeckt in a highly persuasive tone, “General, sir, I believe that a new-style Reichswehr must have new-style weaponry and new-style uniforms to prove its uniqueness. Since our weaponry is restricted, we can at least start by changing our uniforms.”

“Lieutenant Colonel Akado, are you not aware that our military budget is so tight that every penny must be carefully considered? And at a time like this, you propose something as useless as changing uniforms?” Seeckt was clearly unimpressed with Akado’s suggestion. “There are many ways to boost morale, but we cannot choose the most expensive option.”

As he spoke, he reached out and took a design sketch that Akado was clutching in his hand. Then his eyes lit up, and he fell silent.

“I should be in command of an army like this,” General von Seeckt finally said after a long pause. “I think I will discuss this proposal with Marshal Hindenburg. I am warning you for the last time, do not come to me with more of your strange ideas that force me to go begging the President for money time and time again! This is the last time!”

You also said it was the last time when I proposed buying four hundred more high-powered radio sets, Akado thought, shrugging helplessly. Then, with a mischievous grin, he walked out of Seeckt’s office.

Half a month later, starting in Berlin, the Reichswehr began to change its uniforms. The classic grey German WWII military uniform appeared on the covers of major media outlets several years ahead of schedule.

The public’s evaluation of the German army’s new look was surprisingly unanimous: it was “cool”! The German army was suddenly a sight to behold, becoming the most modern-looking armed force in the world in 1920.

And in another corner of the world, Hitler, having just returned to his office in Munich, smashed a cup in anger. The various uniform designs he had still been conceptualizing had just been stolen by some bastard.