Chapter 384: Seeking Fortune in Danger

Studying the history of medieval Europe, figuring out the relationships between the eight Henrys, the six Enriques, or the twelve Heinrichs has always been an extremely troublesome matter. These three names are the same word: translated as Henry in English and French, Enrique in Spanish and Portuguese, and Heinrich in German.

And now, this old man who was strolling with Akado in the Louvre in Paris was named Enrique. This old gentleman was wearing ordinary clothes, walking with his hands behind his back and a slight stoop. Yet beside the all-powerful German Führer, Akado, there was not the slightest hint of timidity.

“I came here once last year. At that time, it was not so dilapidated,” the old man said, staring at the many empty walls, where the name tags introducing the paintings that had originally hung there had not yet had time to be removed. He sighed with emotion and then continued to walk forward with Akado, all the way to some of the less precious paintings that had not had time to be evacuated, and stopped with Akado.

“It is not yet the time we agreed upon, so I would very much like to know why you have come to see me at this time,” Akado said, his eyes not leaving a painting on the wall. “Well then, Mr. Enrique, are you willing to tell me what the purpose of your visit is?”

“The suggestion you made last time, some of us old fellows feel that we can try to cooperate,” Enrique said, still with his hands behind his back, his tone still unhurried. “They have chosen me to be the liaison. This time, I have brought 2 million tons of steel, 150 barrels of crude oil, and 1 billion US dollars in cash. These are all things that the Führer urgently needs. It can be considered a meeting gift.”

“What a big meeting gift. The Jews are truly generous,” Akado laughed out loud and nodded. “The Turks have not yet nodded their heads, and you have already come to see me, unable to hold back. This is not like your usual cautious style.”

“We can’t afford not to be in a hurry,” the old gentleman Enrique said with a sigh. “Back then, you used the establishment of a Jewish state as a lure and made us wait for you for several years. In the past few years, almost everyone felt that you were stalling for time, that you had no ability to fulfill your promise.”

“Thank you, Mr. Enrique, for always helping me to maneuver. If it weren’t for you, perhaps those people would not have waited until now,” Akado said his thanks and then continued, “But now, they should not think that what I say is a joke.”

“Of course. Now these short-sighted people all know that you are not joking,” Enrique nodded, clearly very much in agreement with Akado’s words. “With their short-sightedness, they naturally could not have imagined that the Führer could suddenly exert his strength in September of 1937 and actually defeat Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway… in a row, heavily damaging Britain, and now has also crushed the European power, France.”

“Now we are completely convinced that Germany has the ability to expand its influence to every corner of the world,” Enrique said with a smile. “You see, we are the most qualified merchants. As soon as we see a profit to be made, we come running with real gold and silver.”

“I had two choices at that time,” Akado said with a sigh. “Someone suggested that I stir up ethnic hatred and slaughter you all to extract your capital. In the end, I chose to coexist peacefully with you and to do a win-win business. I don’t know if this choice was the right one.”

“Of course it was the right one. You have won the friendship of all the Jews in the world, my Führer,” Enrique said after a moment’s thought. “From this moment on, we will stop watching and will join the camp that supports you, Führer.”

He walked to the front of a famous painting and, with a disdainful air, reached out and touched it. “We Jews have a creed, which is that even if we do not have the foresight to choose a partner for cooperation in advance, we must at least place our bets as early as possible and not be the last one to take a side. So we have taken a side earlier than Turkey. Then in the camp of the Holy Greater German Third Reich, we will never be the last, will we?”

“It is already quite late now, so the price to be paid will be much higher,” Akado said, pointing to the painting and suddenly asking, “What? Is it a fake?”

“Of course it’s a fake, because the real one was hidden in the basement of a friend of mine a few days ago. But the copy was made with some care. It is probably also by a famous artist,” Enrique said, not at all politely, knocking on the frame.

After he had evaluated the painting, he continued the previous topic. “We know we must do our duty. Merchants are the people who believe most in the saying ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch,’ right? After I go back, I will use my connections and mobilize our forces in the United States to obstruct Roosevelt’s plan to aid Britain. If there are no surprises, we can hold him off for at least a month.”

“Enrique, I admit that the Jews have their own influence all over the world, but sometimes, do not overestimate yourselves,” Akado said with an expressionless face, interrupting Enrique’s vision. “Because you are a group of people, not a single person.”

“You mean?” Enrique asked with a frown.

“Others will not watch as the German Jewish group remains in a leading position on the road to the future establishment of a Jewish state,” Akado stated his thoughts. “The Jewish leaders in the United States, or the Jewish groups in other places, will all find ways to get a piece of the pie on your path, and even to pull you under.”

“The nature of a merchant…” Enrique thought for a moment and said, “You also see it quite clearly.”

“I’ve had a lot of dealings with them, so I’ve figured some things out,” Akado said with a smile. “If the Jewish leaders in the United States were to hand over the conditions offered by Germany to the Americans, what do you think would happen?”

“Then the United States would also offer the same conditions, to carve up the resources of the Jews and to divide the support for the Germans,” Enrique said with a smile. “But there is one thing that is set in stone. The Jews will get their benefits. No matter what the outcome, they will have the country they have dreamed of.”

“You see, this is the nature of a merchant,” Akado said with a cold laugh. “So I want all of you merchants to understand one thing, which is that if you bet on both sides, you will naturally not get as much as you would by being fully in my camp.”

“That will depend on how you, Führer, can make everyone firmly believe in the coming days that you will win this war,” Enrique said, staring into Akado’s eyes and asking solemnly.

“All the Jewish-controlled factories in Germany will now fully enter the wartime mobilization production system,” Akado said, turning his head, taking a step to leave, and speaking loudly as he walked away. “Don’t be in a hurry. Within two months, I will show you the reason why Germany will be victorious. I hope you will not disappoint me at that time.”

Akado had walked far, but the old man, Enrique, still had not left. He looked at Akado’s retreating figure and murmured, “Could it be that God really exists? Could it be that he really is God’s gift to Germany? How could he have known ten years ago what would happen today? Can someone really predict the future?”

“Never mind this side. Even if he is a giant dragon or a fierce tiger, at least for now he is still our ally,” Enrique said with a sigh. Still with his hands behind his back, he slowly walked toward the main gate of the Louvre. “As for that group of rivals of my own people who are throwing stones into the well from the outside, it is time to sort them out. Even if everyone is working for the idea of the restoration of the Jewish state, there still has to be a first come, first served…”

At this point, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and his tone also became incomparably cold. “This matter is mine. None of you can snatch it!”

Akado walked out of the Louvre. At the entrance, Raeder was waiting there, in a black naval dress uniform, holding a brilliant blue marshal’s baton in his leather-gloved hands.

“My Führer,” Raeder did not change his humble attitude toward Akado just because he had become a Reich Field Marshal. On the contrary, he became even more obsequious, even to an unparalleled degree. After standing at attention and giving a German salute, his head was bowed even lower, and even his waist was slightly bent.

“There is an old saying in China, ‘Fortune is sought in the midst of danger’,” Akado said, seeing Raeder and patting him on the shoulder. “The Jews are like this, and so am I. I know that letting the French fleet go will have a slightly unfavorable impact on the development of the German Navy in the short term, but in the long run, we have won this deal.”

He paused. “You’re not dissatisfied with my decision, are you, my Naval Field Marshal?”

“No. I have always firmly believed that the Führer can lead the German Navy to glory,” Raeder said in a low voice. “I have always firmly believed it.”

“I know that after the Battle of the English Channel, Lütjens is very hopeful that his fleet can have battleships, to avoid being taken out in one blow in a night battle,” Akado said as he walked down the stairs to Raeder. “But compared to those few broken ships, I am more concerned with the ownership of France and its colonies.”

“I am just afraid that these French warships will not be used by me, but will be taken over by the British Navy… in that case, it would be a case of trying to be clever and ending up with a blunder,” Raeder said worriedly and then bowed his head and said no more.

“I know what you are thinking, but I can tell you with certainty that some things do not require us to act. Some of the enemies who have lost their footing will help us to get things done,” Akado said with a cold laugh, walking to the side of his car. “Go to Kiel and see to it. Let those workers hurry up. Strive to get our other two aircraft carriers into the operational sequence faster. This is the correct path for naval development.”

“Yes, my Führer,” Raeder said, saluting at attention, watching as the god in his heart got into the car. This man had brought a complete transformation to the German Navy, so he firmly believed that this man could once again push the navy to a new peak.

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