Chapter 369: Consolation

On the edge of a collapsed factory building, several workers were helplessly moving the surrounding rubble. They then threw these not-so-lar

On the edge of a collapsed factory building, several workers were helplessly moving the surrounding rubble. They then threw these not-so-large bricks onto a wheelbarrow on the side. When it was full, it was taken away by another man who was standing by the wheelbarrow, smoking.

On the morning of January 27th, it was not just the British Royal Navy that had been unlucky, but also Manchester, this ancient and magnificent industrial city of Britain. At the same moment, the German Butcher bombers had visited a brand-new Hurricane fighter production line that the British had just built a few days before.

It was said that on that day, there were also German spies who had set a fire in the factory area, guiding the German strategic bombers to accurately drop their bombs and incendiary bombs. In the darkness before the sun had risen, they had completely destroyed this top-secret production factory of the British military.

Dozens of Hurricane fighters that had just been half-assembled were burned down. The production line and the factory building were bombed into ruins and burned to ashes. The fighter planes that the British Air Force had been eagerly awaiting had been turned into worthless garbage. The number of air defense fighters would not be able to meet the needs of frontline combat for a short period of time.

The great fire had lasted for two days and one night before it was extinguished. The Germans had used a new type of weapon to carry out the bombing. This weapon was called “Akado’s Fireworks” by the British. It could adhere to anything and burn. Sometimes, even water could not completely extinguish it. And this incendiary weapon had started a monstrous fire in Manchester, directly turning a third of the city into terrible ashes.

By the time everything had quieted down, the British had discovered that their chemical factories, swathes of textile factories, and machinery manufacturing plants had all been turned to ashes. Most of the machines and equipment had become a pile of scrap iron with their precision parts melted by the fierce fire.

Of course, the losses were not just these tangible equipment and assets. What truly made the British feel a heart-wrenching pain was the loss of the skilled workers and engineers in the bombing. These people, due to the needs of the British government, had been working overtime overnight to produce the Hurricane fighters. And if this batch of fighters could have been successfully produced, Britain would have suddenly had an air force of 80 Hurricane fighters. But now, there was nothing left.

The British Hurricane fighter production, which had just shown some signs of improvement, had been instantly knocked back to its original state. Thousands of skilled workers had died in the bombing that day. Most had been burned alive in the factory by the German’s secret weapon, napalm.

If the loss of machinery was still something the British could bear, then the loss of personnel was a pain that the British could not endure. That afternoon, the relevant departments and units of Britain were called together, and a historically most severe spy-catching operation was launched.

They had to take the intelligence personnel lurking in Britain seriously. These people had now begun to influence the situation of the war. Sabotage activities were rampant, one after another. A last-minute defection, guiding the German bombers to their target, assassinating important British personnel—these actions had proven the value of the German intelligence personnel and had almost destroyed Britain’s hundred-year foundation.

The British intelligence department was frantically digging up the German intelligence agencies hidden in Britain. Soon, more than 30 not-so-well-hidden, grassroots German intelligence personnel had been captured. Although the level of these German spies was very low, their number directly proved the high density of spies that Germany had deployed in Britain.

Churchill’s resignation had been rejected by the King of England, for the reason that no one was willing to take over the current mess. The Chamberlain group intended to continue to watch the show, and the other politicians simply did not have the courage to face a menacing Third Reich when the navy was almost completely wiped out.

So Churchill had no choice but to brace himself and continue. When he continued to exercise the power of the Prime Minister, he found that in addition to catching spies and finding ways to withstand the terrible German navy’s commerce raiding offensive, he had another painful chore. This chore was none other than to console the thousands of fallen officers and men of the British Navy.

In a London pub, the old man, Greve, was accepting the honorary commemorative badge for the relatives of the fallen officers and men, which was being awarded to him by the British military, his eyes red. Two British naval officers were consoling this old man, who was already over 70.

“Seventeen people on the destroyer survived and were rescued by another destroyer. One of these people was a German spy and has already been arrested and interrogated. And the other sixteen have all confirmed that your nephew, that is, the captain, was a true British naval officer,” the work of consoling was very tedious. Many of the family members did not accept the fact that their loved ones had passed away. So this officer also spoke very cautiously, for fear that this old man would have some accident.

“I hear there were German spies on his warship, and so many?” the old man Greve asked with a sorrowful voice. “And that fool didn’t even notice a single one? How could he not have noticed? He is responsible for this defeat! He is responsible!”

“Old sir, we have checked the records. First, his first mate, as a German spy, deliberately covered for them. In addition, he did indeed catch a German spy in 1936, but this person had committed suicide at the time after being discovered,” another officer persuaded.

These two officers, who were responsible for consoling the families of the fallen, were completely moved by the old man’s words. All along the way of consoling, so many family members had been crying and wailing, and some had even made a big scene, adding countless troubles to their work. This Mr. Greve today was a genuine, traditional English gentleman, steady and solemn, and was even constantly complaining about his own fallen relative. He was simply too kind and amiable.

“Has the body been found? Or rather, can it be confirmed that he went down with the ship?” Greve asked, after complaining about his nephew for a couple of sentences. He then wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief. It was clear that he was still more sad than anything else, which made people feel bad for him for a while.

This question made the two officers finally find a bit of the feeling of consoling the families of the fallen. So one of them immediately said, “Because of this destroyer’s act of defection, the military’s meaning is that the honors must be reduced. At most, he can only be counted as killed in action and given some compensation.”

Hearing the word “compensation,” Greve’s face became a little unsightly. This was also the main reason why most of the families of the fallen had started to make a big scene. Many, because the enemy and friend could not be proven, could not even be counted as killed in action. Many families did not even have the basic compensation. This was also the main reason why the two officers who were consoling the families had not been very successful in their work these past few days. You think, if the money given was a lot, would there be that many people willing to come out and make a scene?

“Old sir… we are also in a difficult position, but…” one of the officers quickly explained, for fear that this old man would also make a scene of “crying, making a scene, and hanging himself.”

“I have such a large family business, and the car at the door. Wasn’t it all saved up for my nephew to have a meal after he retired?” Who would have known that the old man Greve did not cry or make a scene, but said with compassion, “Now that he has returned to the embrace of God, what is the use of all these family assets?”

As he spoke, he pointed to a Mercedes-Benz parked at the door and said to the officer who had come to deliver the medal, “That car is my nephew’s. I will donate it to the government. I hear you are requisitioning cars. I can be considered to be doing my part for my dead nephew for the British Empire.”

What is enlightenment? This is it! What is nobility? This is it! What is an English gentleman? This! Is! It! The two officers in their hearts didn’t know how to describe it. They almost knelt down and hugged the old man Greve’s legs and cried.

“Old sir! If you have any trouble in the future, just ask us for help, and we won’t say a word!” one of the officers said, patting his chest, his eyes red. “If anyone causes trouble in this pub of yours, the Royal Navy Personnel Department will be the first to not let him go!”

“That’s right!” the other officer also quickly expressed his stance, nodding. “Old sir, don’t worry! From now on, we will be your half-nephews! If you have any trouble, just say the word! My father is a rear admiral, someone who can even see the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Prime Minister!”

What a joke. It would be best if you treat us both as your real nephews! This is a pub that is half-owned and only makes money, never loses! And two Mercedes-Benz cars! The savings must be at least in the five or six figures, right? Maybe I can really get a large inheritance. But it will be quite depressing when I have to pay the inheritance tax… where have my thoughts gone.

“I am also all alone now. You young people really make me envious,” the old man said with a sigh, wiping his tears. “I won’t be polite with you two children then. If I have any trouble in the future, I will come to you.”

“No problem! No problem!” “Just come to us! Just come to us!” The two were already beginning to fantasize about the time when they would receive a large inheritance in the future, so their attitude also became more humble.

Greve, while grieving, saw the two officers off. As he turned around, the old man let out a true sigh. Gray Wolf was not his real nephew. The real old man Greve had died in the war long ago. But he had indeed treated this Gray Wolf as his own nephew. After all, in a lonely foreign country, to have such a person to talk to was a very happy thing.

He left the pub and walked toward his apartment. He was humming a little tune and habitually tossed a shilling to a beggar at the entrance of the building. The beggar tipped his hat and nodded his thanks. Greve did not go upstairs but squatted down beside the beggar and said sadly, “My nephew was killed in action.”

“That is truly unfortunate, sir,” the beggar said with regretful consolation. “May God bless you.”

Greve sighed and laughed at himself. “I’m sorry to trouble you with these things.” He then took heavy steps up the stairs. He closed his door mechanically, opened the hidden compartment in the wall, took out a radio set, and spread a codebook on the table. With great dejection, he sent out a piece of intelligence that began with the letter K.

The content of this intelligence was not complicated: “Gray Wolf is dead.”