Chapter 311 - 94: Private Relationships

Chapter 311: Chapter 94: Private Relationships

A few days later, by the Rhine River.

The clubhouse was hidden behind a cluster of green trees. There was no sign at the entrance, only a discreet brass plaque.

Werner, dressed in a dark gray suit and carrying an exquisite gift box, followed Margaret inside.

"Remember, today is a small networking event for the chamber of commerce," Margaret said in a low voice. "You’re a representative of the East German business community, here to discuss the possibility of trade cooperation between East and West Germany with West German officials. It’s a perfectly normal occasion."

"Understood," Werner nodded.

The interior was elegantly decorated, with oil paintings on the walls and a carpet so thick it muffled all sound. A waiter guided them to a private room, where Krause was already waiting.

"Mr. Krause, this is Mr. Betelich from the East German Commercial Coordination Committee," Margaret introduced them. "Werner, this is Deputy Director Krause from the Ministry of the Interior."

"Mr. Krause, a pleasure to meet you." Werner extended his hand.

Krause stood up to shake his hand. He was in his forties, with thinning hair and fine lines at the corners of his eyes, looking somewhat weary.

"Mr. Betelich, Margaret has mentioned you often."

"You’re too kind." Werner smiled and sat down, pushing the gift box toward him. "A small token. Chocolates from Switzerland. I heard from Margaret that you have a daughter studying medicine in Heidelberg? She’s at that growing age, she should get plenty of nutrition."

Krause accepted the chocolates. "Well, thank you. My daughter does love chocolate."

"Studying medicine must be tough, isn’t it?" Werner poured him a glass of wine.

"It is." Krause sighed. "She’s wanted to be a doctor ever since she was a little girl. But the tuition is just..." He stopped, seeming to feel he shouldn’t complain in front of a stranger.

"I understand." Werner raised his glass. "Raising children isn’t easy."

The rest of the dinner proceeded in a relaxed atmosphere.

Werner didn’t bring up any sensitive topics, simply making small talk—about the scenery in Heidelberg, the legends of the Rhine River. He showed himself to be both knowledgeable and witty, which gradually put Krause at ease.

Toward the end of the meal, Werner acted as if he had just remembered something. "Oh, by the way, Mr. Krause, I have some friends in Zurich who work in educational consulting. If your daughter ever wants to go to Switzerland, or perhaps study in the United States, I can make an introduction."

Krause’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Of course." Werner took out a business card. "Here’s my contact information. You can reach me anytime."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Krause accepted the card. "Mr. Betelich, you’re truly—"

"Don’t mention it," Werner interrupted. "Friends should help each other. It’s only natural."

**************

A week later, at another upscale restaurant in Bonn.

This time, the meeting was with Friedrich Schwartz, a department head at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Schwartz was around fifty, with salt-and-pepper hair but a vigorous spirit. He was sharply dressed in a suit and wore a Vacheron Constantin on his wrist.

"Mr. Betelich, Margaret mentioned you also have an interest in timepieces?" Schwartz got straight to the point.

"I know a thing or two," Werner smiled. "But not compared to you, Mr. Schwartz. I hear you’ve collected many fine watches?"

"I have a few. With these things, people who understand them see art, while those who don’t see a waste of money."

"It’s certainly art." Werner took a small box from his pocket. "As it happens, I have a little something here I was hoping you could take a look at for me."

Schwartz opened the box. Inside was an antique Patek Philippe pocket watch, its gold case gleaming softly under the light.

"This is..." Schwartz drew in a sharp breath. "From the 1920s?"

"1927," Werner said. "I picked it up from a friend in Zurich. I don’t know much about these, so I wasn’t sure if it was worth the price."

Schwartz carefully picked up the pocket watch, turning it over and examining it for a long time. "This is a real treasure. The movement is intact, no signs of repair on the case, and it’s been preserved exceptionally well. How much did you pay for it?"

"Not much. Five thousand Swiss francs."

"Five thousand?" Schwartz’s eyes widened. "You got an incredible deal! This watch is worth at least twenty thousand!"

Werner smiled. "Is that so? I guess I was lucky." He paused. "Since it’s so valuable, why don’t I give it to you?"

Schwartz was stunned. "What?"

"I don’t really know much about watches, so it’s a waste for me to keep it." Werner pushed it toward him. "You’re the expert. In your hands, its true value can be appreciated. Consider it a token of friendship."

"I couldn’t possibly—" Schwartz hesitated.

"Mr. Schwartz," Werner said earnestly, "I’ve worked in East Germany for many years, and I’ve met too many people who only talk about interests, not genuine connection. I want to make some real friends, friends I can talk with, who share common hobbies. Please, accept this watch as an introductory gift."

Schwartz looked at the watch, then back at Werner, and finally sighed. "Mr. Betelich, you’re putting me in a difficult position."

"Why difficult?"

"Because if I accept your gift, I’ll owe you a favor." Schwartz gave a wry smile. "And in these circles in Bonn, a debt of favor is the hardest kind to repay."

"Then don’t repay it," Werner said, raising his glass. "Between friends, there are no debts."

Schwartz was silent for a long time, then finally raised his glass as well. "Alright, Mr. Betelich. You’ve made a friend."

The two men clinked glasses.

************

On his last night in Bonn, Werner was staying in a quiet hotel.

He opened his briefcase, took out a black notebook, and began to meticulously record the "investments" of the past few days:

Herman Krause, Deputy Director, Ministry of the Interior

Family Status: Divorced, single father to a daughter

Weakness: Financial pressure, burdened by daughter’s tuition fees

Investment: Established emotional connection, promised to help his daughter with future studies

Next Step: Send valuable gifts periodically to establish a long-term relationship

Friedrich Schwartz, Department Head, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hobby: Collecting luxury watches

Weakness: Collecting requires capital

Investment: Gifted an antique Patek Philippe pocket watch

Next Step: Continue contact as a fellow "watch enthusiast," occasionally introducing "good finds"

Werner closed the notebook and lit a cigarette.

Outside the window was the night view of Bonn, the Rhine River shimmering under the streetlights.

In the years to come, he would continue to expand this web—more officials, deeper relationships, more firmly entangled interests, creating more "stains" on their records.

When the Berlin Wall fell, the Two Germanys reunified, and the reckonings began, Werner would need leverage he could use to threaten West German officials.

These people, in order to protect themselves, would do everything in their power to protect him.

Because if Werner fell, the fact that they had accepted bribes would be exposed.

At that point, not only would Werner be finished, but these West German officials would also have their careers and reputations destroyed.

This was a form of "kidnapping"—he was tying himself to these officials, forcing them to advance or retreat together.

**************

It was late at night when he returned to East Berlin.

For the next two weeks, Werner reported West Germany’s proposal to the higher-ups in Koko and the Stasi while waiting for a decision from above.

Expanding the scale tenfold was no small matter. It required multiple levels of approval and needed Anger’s nod.

Werner knew there was no suspense about the outcome—as long as there was enough money, East Germany would certainly agree. But he had to wait patiently and not rush things.

Sure enough, two weeks later, the approval came through.

Anger agreed to expand the scale of the political prisoner trade and instructed Koko and the Stasi to formulate a concrete implementation plan as soon as possible.

The night Werner received the approval, he went straight to Von Brown’s office.

"Still here so late?" Von Brown put down the documents in his hand and poured Werner a drink. "I hear it was approved?"

Werner took the glass and downed it in one go. "It is. Ten times the scale, starting next year."

Von Brown poured himself a glass as well. "You’re going to be busy."

"It’s not just me who’ll be busy," Werner said, lighting a cigarette. "Von Brown, I came here to talk about the specific logistics. A tenfold increase in scale isn’t as simple as just expanding the current process."

Von Brown raised his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

Werner exhaled a puff of smoke. "I’m saying the authority to approve the lists needs to be adjusted. Right now, every list has to go through layers of approval by you guys at the Stasi. Whether a person can be released, when they’ll be released, how their priority is ranked—it all has to be discussed in meetings. At this rate, forget a tenfold increase; it’s too slow even for the current volume."

"So?"

"So I need the final decision-making power over the lists." Werner looked directly into Von Brown’s eyes. "Of course, you’ll still set the general framework—what types of people can be released, who absolutely cannot be released. I won’t touch those principles. But when it comes to individuals—who gets released first, who gets released later, how to arrange the release order—I need to have the final say."

Von Brown’s expression changed. "Werner, do you know what you’re saying? The authority over the lists has always been in the hands of the Stasi. It’s our core power."

"I know." Werner didn’t back down. "But Von Brown, you also know the reality. West Germany wants ten times the volume, which means processing several thousand cases a year. If we stick to the current method, where every case has to go through your approval process, be discussed in meetings, and reported up the chain, we’d be lucky to finish a thousand in a year. What the higher-ups want is efficiency, foreign currency, and tangible results."

"We can add more manpower."

"More manpower won’t help. The problem isn’t the people, it’s the system. When too many people are involved in a decision, efficiency plummets. Besides—" He paused. "Frankly, some of these decisions are completely unnecessary. For example, a common political prisoner, locked up for three years, and West Germany is willing to pay fifty thousand Marks to ransom him. What’s there to discuss? Just release him. But with the current process, even a case like that requires meetings and approvals. It’s a waste of time."

Von Brown stared at him, his gaze scrutinizing. "You don’t just want efficiency. You want power."

"I want to get the job done right." Werner leaned back in his chair. "Colonel von Brown, we’ve worked together for so many years. Don’t you trust me? Every bit of foreign currency I’ve earned for Koko is on record, and every transaction I’ve handled is crystal clear. When have I ever let you down?"

Von Brown said nothing, pacing back and forth in his office. The cigarette butts in the ashtray piled up.

"If I give you the final say over the lists, how do you plan to use it?"

Werner had his answer ready. "First, simple cases get processed quickly, while complex cases get a focused review, ensuring we can respond to West Germany’s requests in a timely manner. Second, I’ll adjust the release order based on demand from West Germany. The people they want most will be prioritized for release, which will allow us to negotiate higher prices. Third—" He paused. "To clean up our messes. Those dissidents, intellectuals, and troublemakers... instead of wasting food by keeping them locked up, we’re better off selling them to West Germany. We make money and save ourselves the headache."

Von Brown stared at him for a long time, a complex mix of emotions flickering in his eyes.

"I need to report this to my superiors."

"I understand." Werner stood up. "West Germany is waiting for a concrete plan. The longer we delay, the less enthusiastic they’ll become, and the lower the price might go. Besides—" He paused. "Schmidt hasn’t been in office long; he’s eager to show results. Now is the perfect time to negotiate. This opportunity won’t last forever."

Von Brown nodded, saying no more.

Werner reached the door, then suddenly turned back. "Von Brown, I know what you’re worried about. You’re worried I’ll have too much power, worried I’ll get out of control. But think about it. If this goes wrong, it’s not just me who gets dragged down. It’s you, it’s Gunter, it’s the entire Stasi. Instead of letting someone unfamiliar with the business get involved, isn’t it better to let a professional handle it? We’re all in the same boat, aren’t we?"

Von Brown watched him, finally speaking after a long moment. "You always have a reason."

"Because I’m telling the truth," Werner said, then turned and left.

He walked out of the office, Von Brown’s gaze lingering on his back for a long time.