Chapter 312 - 95: The Final Document

Chapter 312: Chapter 95: The Final Document

A few weeks later, the approval came through.

Werner obtained final say over the list for the political prisoner trade.

The document was worded cautiously: "Provided it aligns with the principles of national security, Koko may prioritize and schedule specific release cases based on foreign currency revenue and operational efficiency."

To put it simply: as long as he didn’t release anyone truly dangerous, Werner had the final say on everyone else.

The night Werner received the approval, he went to the secret apartment he shared with Anna.

Anna was already waiting there. A fire burned in the fireplace, its orange light dancing on the walls.

She was wearing a loose sweater, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a glass of red wine.

"Is it done?" she asked.

"It’s done." Werner took off his coat and sat down beside her. "From now on, who gets out, and who gets priority—that’s my call."

Anna passed him the glass. "Was this what it was all for?"

Werner took a sip of wine and didn’t answer immediately.

He stared at the flames in the fireplace, the firelight dancing in his eyes.

"The wall will fall," Werner said softly. "Maybe sooner, maybe later, but it will fall. When that happens, what will become of East German officials?"

Anna was silent. Of course she knew the answer—purges, trials, imprisonment.

If the East German system collapsed, no one who served it would escape.

"So you’re laying the groundwork," she said.

"Right." Werner lit a cigarette. "The people I choose to release now—the young, the promising, the ones who might have a position in West Germany in the future—they will remember who gave them a second chance. When the wall falls, when the purges begin, I’ll need people to stand up and speak for me."

"To testify that you saved people?"

"To testify that I’m not a villain." Werner exhaled a cloud of smoke. "To testify that I did what I could from within the system. To testify that I have humanity, a conscience, even if it’s just a little."

Anna took his cigarette and took a drag. "So this is your plan? To use these political prisoners as your talisman?"

"It’s more than a talisman," Werner said, turning to look at her. "It’s an investment. I invest in their future, and in return, they’ll repay me with my freedom. A fair trade, isn’t it?"

Anna laughed. "Werner, you really are a—" She paused. "A truly shrewd bastard."

"I know." Werner didn’t deny it. "I’m no saint, Anna. I’m Koko’s second-in-command now. I’ve done too many shady things, made too much money I shouldn’t have. Without these political prisoners to testify for me, when the wall falls, people like me will be the first ones purged."

"So you’re going to package yourself as the conscience of East Germany?"

"At least make people believe I’m not the worst of them," Werner said. "But just releasing political prisoners isn’t enough. I have more to do."

Anna stared at him. "What else?"

Werner stood up and walked to the window. Outside was the nightscape of East Berlin—sparse streetlights, gloomy buildings.

"I want the West to know that an East German official is secretly saving people," he said. "I want this image to become deeply ingrained, to become a legend. When the wall falls, when the truth comes to light, people will discover that the legendary official was me."

Anna walked over and stood beside him. "This is very dangerous. If the Stasi finds out—"

"They won’t," Werner interrupted her. "The reports will be cautious, without any details that could point to me. And even if someone gets suspicious, as long as I keep making money for Koko, no one will dig too deep. There are hundreds of East German officials involved in the political prisoner trade. No one can be sure who it is."

He turned his head to look at Anna. "Only you will know that the anonymous official is me."

Anna reached out and caressed his face. "Then do what you must."

The two embraced by the window. The fire in the fireplace gradually died down, and the room fell into darkness.

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

「August 1975. Helsinki.」

A sea breeze blew into the conference hall, where the representatives of thirty-five nations sat at a U-shaped conference table.

Werner sat in the back row of the East German delegation, watching the national leaders on the stage sign the Final Act.

This document was over ten thousand words long, covering various fields such as security, economics, and human rights. But Werner was only concerned with one part—the provisions regarding human rights and humanitarian issues.

"Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief..."

The Soviet representative signed the document.

He probably thought it was just empty words, a formality in exchange for the West’s recognition of the Soviet sphere of influence.

Werner sneered to himself.

These people had no idea this document would become a sharp sword, a lever to pry open the Iron Curtain.

***********

In the days after the signing ceremony, Werner didn’t just attend the official meetings like the other delegates.

He frequented various cocktail parties, banquets, and private gatherings, actively engaging with the West German delegation.

His goal was clear: the key officials in charge of humanitarian affairs.

On the third night, in a private club in downtown Helsinki, Werner hosted Friedrich, the director from the West German Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for East and West German affairs.

The club was understated, with dark wood paneling and dim, amber lighting—the perfect setting for a conversation that should not be disturbed.

"Mr. Friedrich," Werner raised his glass, "To the signing of the Final Act. This is a historic moment for relations between the two Germanys."

Friedrich clinked his glass and took a sip of wine. "Indeed. But to be honest, Mr. Werner, the follow-up work will be more complicated. The human rights clause means we will have to handle more humanitarian cases."

"That’s precisely what I wanted to discuss with you." Werner put down his glass and leaned forward slightly. "The scale of the political prisoner trade will expand; that’s inevitable. The procedures will be more complex, and more departments will be involved. Frankly, we at Koko need professional advice. We need people who truly understand how the West German Government operates."

Friedrich looked at him without speaking.

"I was wondering if you might be interested in serving as our consultant after you retire?" Werner’s voice was calm, as if discussing an ordinary business partnership. "An annual salary of one hundred thousand Marks. Of course, this would be a long-term contract, and we could sign it in advance."

Friedrich’s hand, holding the wine glass, paused.

He was sixty-two this year, three years away from retirement, but one hundred thousand Marks was no small sum.

More importantly, he understood the implication: this wasn’t a post-retirement consultancy fee. It was an "advance," paid in return for his "cooperation" while he was still in office.

"I’ll need some time to think about it," Friedrich said, but his tone had already softened.

"Of course," Werner smiled. "No hurry. We have plenty of time to build trust."

During that week in Helsinki, Werner met with six West German officials.

He adopted a more covert method—no longer giving cash directly, but providing "consulting contracts" in the name of a "third-party consulting firm." On the surface, it was a legitimate business transaction. In reality, it was bribery.

Werner also designed a new mechanism.

At his suggestion, Koko and the West German side reworked the process for the trades.

For every political prisoner released, a small portion of the ransom paid by the West German Government would "naturally disappear"—ostensibly as "processing fees" and "administrative costs," but in reality flowing into the private accounts of certain officials. The amounts were not large, only a few hundred to a few thousand Marks per transaction, but they added up and were difficult to trace.

Werner meticulously recorded every one of these transactions. Dates, amounts, account numbers, corresponding case files—a complete dossier, hidden in a place known only to him.

The West German public loathed the East German regime; no West German official wanted it to be known that they had accepted East Germany’s "blood-stained Marks."

So these files would become Werner’s talisman during the reckoning that would follow German reunification.