Chapter 62: Mercedes

In recognition of General Akado Rudolph’s outstanding contributions to the German people and the German Reichswehr, in mid-October 1926, he was “forced” to take a vacation, a vacation that lasted for a full month.

On the very first day of his vacation, the long-arranged blind date was set up. His driver, Depp, drove a luxury sedan produced by the Daimler-Benz company and brought him to the entrance of the most luxurious hotel in all of Berlin.

Even in Berlin, Germany’s largest gathering place for the wealthy, and even at the entrance of Berlin’s top hotel for the rich, this custom-made 1925 black luxury Mercedes-Benz, newly produced by the Benz company, still attracted the gazes of countless people. This was because this model was named the 1925 Mercedes-Benz—using the brand-new Mercedes-Benz logo and a brand-new name. Of course, what also attracted people was its brand-new streamlined design and that super-cool, unprecedentedly long engine compartment.

The car slowly came to a stop at the hotel entrance. Akado, wearing a custom suit delivered by Krupp’s butler, stepped out of the car, drawing cheers from a crowd of ladies and young girls. There were many rich men these days, but one so young and so rich was a rare treasure.

There were many socialites and noblewomen here, and women with discerning eyes were as common as crucian carp crossing a river. Naturally, someone recognized at a glance that the suit Akado was wearing came from an old tailor shop on Wilhelmstrasse. It was said that a master tailor there had once made a formal suit for Wilhelm I. This master tailor liked to embroider a golden rose on each cuff of his suits, just like the beautiful flowers on Akado’s cuffs at this very moment.

Those with even better information knew that this old tailor had not personally made clothes for many years. To engage him, it was not enough to just have money; you had to be—super-rich.

“This young man isn’t the crown prince of some country, is he?” a young noblewoman asked her friend beside her. “You’re quite close to the Dutch royal family. Have you ever heard of such a person?”

“You bitch, in heat again? I’ve never seen this person, but he has very good taste in clothes, and I also really like the car he’s in. Do you think he’ll mind that I’ve been married four times?” the woman, who was at least forty and adorned with expensive jewelry, said boldly.

“A woman who has been married four times is definitely going to be disliked… but a woman who has outlived four husbands and inherited three hundred million dollars is a different story. But I don’t think he’s a man who’s short on money. Your all-conquering money offensive might not work,” her good friend said teasingly.

And so Akado passed through a crowd of flirtatious noblewomen, listening to them comment on him from the side, enduring the scorching gazes of these ladies and socialites, and walked towards the main entrance of the hotel. Not far behind him, Anna and four Reichswehr soldiers in civilian clothes got out of another inconspicuous old Mercedes-Benz and dispersed to various corners of the crowd.

The reason for deploying only 5 people as security was that Akado did not make many public appearances. His only widely circulated photograph was one that only showed half of his face. However, these few people were still equipped with the Luger P-08 pistol issued by Germany to its military cadres. Although this pistol’s performance was average on a dust-filled battlefield, it was indeed a fine weapon on the clean streets of Berlin.

Although revitalized by events like Operation White Dove and the expansion of the Reichswehr, strictly speaking, Germany’s economy was still not particularly prosperous. A portion of the supporters of the Greater Germany Party had received most of the benefits, while a small portion of businessmen who were not optimistic about the party initially and did not curry favor with it in time were not in a good situation.

So right now, the guests in this top-tier hotel were not particularly numerous, and there was no need to book a table. The moment Akado walked in, he saw the person who was waiting for him.

She just sat there quietly, but she made everything around her lose its color. Suddenly, Akado thought of a poem: A smile that topples a city, a second smile that topples a kingdom. Little do they know that a city-toppling, kingdom-toppling beauty is hard to find again.

That charming blonde hair was styled in large waves, cascading down her back. It was even softer than the hair in the shampoo commercials filmed by those movie stars from Akado’s memory, making one unable to resist the urge to reach out and touch it. On her head, she wore a hairpin that was fashionable for women of this period, adding a touch of playfulness to her solemnity.

Akado was not a “hair person,” but after seeing the hair before him, a genuine love emerged from the bottom of his heart. If he could hold this beautiful hair, as smooth as satin, in his arms, he imagined that waking up every morning would be a kind of happiness.

What fascinated Akado next was this woman’s beautiful eyes, which seemed as if they could speak. Her sky-blue eyes shone with a charming light. This pair of eyes stared directly into Akado’s, without a trace of timidity, yet with a hint of shyness and curiosity.

Her two eyebrows were slightly thick, but their position on her face was just right, making one feel refreshed and happy just by looking at them. It was imagined that for such an exquisite pair of eyebrows, even if a man were asked to draw them for her for a lifetime, no one would refuse.

Those red lips were truly tender and alluring, so sexy that one couldn’t bear to look away. Akado couldn’t help but swallow. He had to admit that this woman, from every angle and every detail, was a top-tier great beauty.

A melon-seed-shaped face adorned with exquisite features, truly flawless. What was rare was that she had skin different from that of most Europeans; it was not coarse at all. Her pretty face, without a trace of makeup, was as smooth as congealed fat. Even Akado, who had seen countless movie stars and beautiful women on television in his previous life, had to admit that this beauty was unparalleled.

Having seen the beauty before him, Akado could only marvel at the truth of certain myths. For example, the Helen who caused Greece and Troy to fight for ten years must have really existed, and probably looked as beautiful as the beauty before him. Likewise, Akado felt that the beauties sitting in those incredibly cool Mercedes-Benz cars from his memory must have looked like the woman before him, otherwise they would be completely unworthy of the name Mercedes.

Land and beauties, land and beauties. The reason why land made so many heroes throw themselves into danger, it seemed, was largely because within that land, one could find scenery as pleasant as the woman before him. Akado even felt somewhat fortunate that he had chosen to make his mark in this great era. Only by standing at the forefront could one sit beside such a beauty for dinner. If he were still that grunt struggling in the trenches, he would never have enjoyed such treatment.

I have spent so many words describing this girl’s beauty because she was indeed so beautiful and moving. If she stood next to the goddess of the moon, she could make the moon goddess lose her radiance. She was fully deserving of the descriptions of “sinking fish and falling geese, closing the moon and shaming the flowers,” and was also fully deserving of the praise of the four words “a peerless beauty.”

“Hello, esteemed General Akado Rudolph. I am Mercedes Cassia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Mercedes stood up, shyly extending her arm, as smooth as a lotus root, and broke the silence between the two, her face blushing.

Akado’s face was also burning hot. Although he had lived two lives, this was the first time he had eaten with such a beautiful girl. He couldn’t help but become reserved as well. Some things one could be naturally adept at, but some things really required experience—and a lot of experience.

He clumsily bowed, took the girl’s hand, wanting to bring it to his lips, trying his best to complete this not-so-standard hand-kissing etiquette like a nobleman—but he immediately realized the rashness of his action.

Looking up, he indeed saw the girl opposite him was blushing, embarrassed and angry. Akado immediately let go of her hand and explained in a panic, “I’m, I’m sorry! I’ve just started learning aristocratic etiquette and still don’t quite understand it! My sincerest apologies.”

He was not stout, but somewhat thin. His slightly resolute face was covered in a shy blush. He clumsily knocked over an empty wine glass that had been placed on the side of the table. Although it didn’t shatter on the spot because of the carpet, it still made Akado seem extremely awkward at this moment.

This series of fumbling movements made Miss Mercedes, who came from high society, cover her mouth and laugh, which also eased the awkwardness of Akado’s previous gaffe. The girl smiled and pointed to the empty seat in front of her, saying with a friendly smile, “Sit. Don’t be too nervous. My father cooperates with your Daimler-Benz company and also joined your political party not long ago. The acquaintances around me are all talking about you, so I think I should be the more nervous one right now.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a workaholic. I usually spend my time dealing with a bunch of soldiers, and my friends in my spare time are all businessmen, so I don’t have much time to be alone with girls. Uh, this…” Akado found that the more he explained, the more of a mess he made. He simply gave up on his excuses. “Alright! I’ll be honest. You’re too beautiful, and it’s making me a little nervous.”

“Then let’s talk about something else. I heard you saved more than 100 comrades on the battlefield. You are truly a great man,” Mercedes said, sitting opposite Akado very ladylike, taking on the role of the conversation starter. “A brave general like you, do you like hunting? My friends and I have been. I even fired a shot at a rabbit, but I missed.”

My marksmanship is as good as yours. If leading a group of blind men in a retreat also counts as bravery, then I really do count as a warrior, Akado really wanted to tell the beauty in front of him, but he didn’t want to end this dinner awkwardly. So he said with a smile, “Actually, I’m very afraid of dying. I just desperately wanted to live.”

“You are truly humble. This is a very precious virtue,” Mercedes said with a smile, clearly moved by Akado’s honesty. As she spoke, a waiter came over and handed the menu to Akado.