I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 110: Chapter 20: The Sewer and the Oil-Paper Package

The evening after Krupp mailed his denunciation letter, Werner stood in an abandoned factory by the Spree River.

Half of the factory had been destroyed in the war, and the remaining part was teetering on the verge of collapse.

The slogan on the wall, "How the Steel Was Tempered," had been blurred by the rain until it was nearly illegible.

Cold wind whistled through the broken windows, and the ground was littered with rusted machine parts and shattered bricks.

Keller was already waiting there.

He wore filthy work clothes and held a flashlight in his hand.

"Boss," Keller said in a low voice when he saw Werner. "Everything is ready."

Werner walked over, and Keller shone the flashlight on the ground.

In a corner of the factory, a heavy iron cover had been moved aside, revealing a pitch-black entrance below. A damp, rotten smell wafted up from the hole, mixed with the characteristic stench of a sewer.

"Where does this sewer lead?" Werner asked.

"It goes west from here, passes under the Spree River, and comes out in the Kreuzberg District of West Berlin," Keller said. "It used to be part of the old sewer system, but it was abandoned after the war. Very few people know about it. After the Wall went up, this route got even less attention."

Werner nodded.

He had prepared this route before the Wall went up—he had anticipated that Krupp would turn on him sooner or later.

So he had deliberately opened up this route that seemed covert but could, in fact, be sacrificed at a moment’s notice.

"Do Krupp’s men know the specific details of this route?"

"They know the entrance and exit, but not the way in between," Keller said. "I lead the way every time. They’re only responsible for carrying the goods."

"Good." Werner took a wax paper package from his overcoat pocket and handed it to Keller. "The day after tomorrow, when you’re transporting the goods with Krupp’s men, hide these in the cargo. Hide them well, but not too well—if the Stasi search carefully, they must be able to find them."

Keller took the wax paper package and opened it to look.

Inside was an exquisite miniature camera, its lens as small as a button, with the English letters "Minox" engraved on its body.

There was also a notebook written in code and a few neatly folded maps of East Berlin, on which several locations were circled in red pen, marked with abbreviations like "KW," "FHQ," and "MZ."

"This is..." Keller’s voice sounded tense.

"Spy gear," Werner said calmly. "Stuff commonly used by West German intelligence agencies. The camera is a Minox C, designed specifically for spies. The notebook is in code, and the maps mark the locations of important facilities in East Berlin."

Keller gasped. "Boss, where did you get this?"

"You don’t need to know," Werner said.

He knew perfectly well that he had gotten these things from Joshua. Joshua was a West German spy, so getting his hands on this kind of equipment was easy.

"You want the Stasi to think Krupp is transporting intelligence for Western spies?" Keller realized.

"That’s right." Werner lit a cigarette. "Krupp framed me with forged photos. This stuff, combined with that incident, will be enough to make the Stasi suspect him."

Keller was silent for a moment. "But... how do we get the Stasi to find this shipment?"

Werner exhaled a puff of smoke, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "The day after tomorrow, you’ll lead Krupp’s men through the sewer to West Berlin to pick up the goods. After you get them, you disappear—go hide for a while."

"What about the cargo?"

"The cargo will ’run into a problem’," Werner said. "I’ve already made arrangements."

Keller blinked. "How will you get the Stasi to know about this route?"

Werner smiled. "I’ll tell them."

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

Late at night two days later, three of Krupp’s men appeared in the abandoned factory.

In the lead was Schneider. He was followed by two burly men, and all three were carrying heavy canvas bags.

They wore heavy work clothes and wool hats, shivering in the cold wind.

Keller was already waiting there.

He was wearing waterproof boots and holding a large flashlight.

"You’re here?" Keller nodded. "Follow me."

He lifted the iron cover and was the first to climb down into the sewer. Schneider and his two men followed him down.

The sewer was pitch-black, with only the beam of the flashlight dancing on the walls.

The walls were covered in moss, and the ground was covered in half a foot of sewage, emitting a nauseating stench. The sound of dripping water echoed from a distance, reverberating in the empty pipe and sounding particularly eerie.

"What the hell is this place," one of the burly men grumbled.

"Cut the crap," Schneider snapped. "The boss said this is the safest route."

Keller led the way, his pace quick.

He was already very familiar with this route, knowing where to stoop, where to climb a ladder, and where the water was particularly deep.

After walking for about twenty minutes, a fork appeared ahead.

Keller stopped, took a slip of paper from his pocket, and pretended to check the direction.

In reality, he took the opportunity to stuff the wax paper package into the side of a canvas bag carried by one of the burly men. The movement was quick, stealthy, and went unnoticed.

"This way," Keller said, pointing to the left tunnel.

After another half hour of walking, a sliver of light finally appeared up ahead.

It was the exit on the West Berlin side, an abandoned drainage outlet that opened into a small alley in the Kreuzberg District.

Keller climbed out and took a deep breath of fresh air. Schneider and the two burly men followed, covered from head to toe in sewage and mud.

A truck was parked in the alley. The driver was a middle-aged man wearing a flat cap. Seeing them emerge, he jumped out of the truck and opened the back.

"The goods are all here," the driver said.

Schneider inspected the cargo—all hot items on the Black Market: West German cigarettes, nylon stockings, coffee, cosmetics—and then nodded in satisfaction. "Load up."

The three men loaded the goods into their canvas bags and shouldered them again.

Keller glanced at his watch, pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Schneider. "It’s getting late, I have to go. This is a map of the route back to East Berlin. Follow the route marked on it, and you’ll get back safely."

"You’re not coming back with us?" Schneider took the map, frowning.

"The boss has another job for me in West Berlin," Keller said, making up an excuse on the spot. "Just follow the map. It’s very simple."

Schneider unfolded the paper and looked at it, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded. "Alright. You be careful then."

Keller turned and disappeared into the depths of the alley.

Schneider led his two men back into the sewer.

They were unaware that at the bottom of the canvas bags on their backs lay the deadly "spy gear."

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

At three in the morning, Schneider and his group climbed out of the sewer exit on the East Berlin side.

They were soaked to the bone and covered in mud, but their faces beamed with the joy of success. The boss would be very pleased when this shipment was delivered.

Just as they were about to leave the factory, the screech of braking tires suddenly pierced the air outside.

Several black sedans screeched to a halt at the factory gate, their bright headlights illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were day. The car doors flew open, and a dozen Stasi agents in uniform and plainclothes jumped out, rushing in with guns raised.

"Don’t move! Hands up!"

Schneider froze. His men tried to run, but they were already surrounded by the agents.

A middle-aged man in a gray overcoat walked in. It was Vonke.

He glanced at the three mud-covered men and said coldly, "Search their things."

The agents stepped forward, took all the canvas bags, and opened them one by one for inspection.

West German cigarettes, nylon stockings, radios—all common contraband. But when one agent reached the bottom of a canvas bag, he suddenly froze.

"Captain, there’s something here."