I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 130: Chapter 40: A Hugely Profitable Business

Werner’s heart sank, but he didn’t let it show.

"I can approve the release orders, that’s no problem," Hopter continued. "Political prisoners with minor offenses—like illegally listening to Western radio stations, spreading subversive remarks, or attempting to cross the border illegally—keeping them in prison is truly a waste of resources. Releasing them is procedurally justifiable."

"But..." Werner waited for him to continue.

"But letting them go to West Germany is another matter," Hopter said, setting down his coffee cup. "This involves exit permit approvals, border control, foreign policy. It’s not something the Ministry of Justice can decide alone. It requires approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, and even higher authorities."

Werner nodded.

’He had expected as much. A matter this significant couldn’t possibly be decided by a single department head.’

"So, what you mean is..."

"I need time," Hopter said. "Time to convince the higher-ups, to pull all the necessary strings. This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two."

"How long will it take?"

"I don’t know." Hopter shook his head. "Maybe a few months, maybe a few years. It all depends on the attitude from above."

Werner took a drag from his cigarette, his mind racing.

’A few years is too long. But if I give up this opportunity now, I might never get another one.’

"Department Head." He pressed his cigarette into the ashtray. "I have a suggestion."

"Go on."

"We can do this in steps," Werner said. "First, you approve a few release orders to get people out of prison. The ones with the most minor offenses, so they won’t attract any attention."

"And after they’re released?"

"I’ll handle their accommodations," Werner said. "I’ll find a safe place for them to stay while they wait for their exit permits."

Hopter narrowed his eyes. "You have such a place?"

"I can arrange it," Werner said. "These people will have been released, so they won’t be fugitives, just staying somewhere temporarily. Once you’ve pulled the strings on your end and the permits come through, I’ll send them to West Germany."

Hopter was silent for a long time. He picked up his coffee cup and took a large gulp, though his brow remained furrowed.

"What if I approve the release orders, but the higher-ups don’t approve their exit?" he asked.

"Then we wait," Werner said. "I’m patient, and their families in West Germany are patient, too. As long as the people are safe, the money will come through sooner or later."

"Aren’t you afraid of losing money?"

Werner smiled. "Department Head, I’m betting the higher-ups will eventually agree. Because it’s good for the country, and it’s good for you."

Hopter stared at him, his eyes gleaming with thought from behind his glasses.

’Werner could see the department head was weighing the pros and cons.’

"If I agree..." Hopter said slowly, "how many for the first batch?"

"Five," Werner said. "The five with the lightest offenses. We’ll test the waters first, see how it goes."

"Five..." Hopter calculated in his head. "How much is West Germany offering?"

"An average of seventy thousand West German Marks per person," Werner said. "For five people, that’s three hundred and fifty thousand."

’Three hundred and fifty thousand West German Marks... at the Black Market exchange rate, that’s over a million East German Marks. That’s enough money to buy ten Steinway pianos.’

"If I approve the release orders, what do I get?" Hopter got straight to the point.

Werner took the small leather pouch from his pocket and pushed it to the middle of the table.

"This is five hundred West German Marks," he said. "A gesture of goodwill. No matter what your final decision is, the money is yours."

Hopter looked at the pouch but didn’t immediately reach for it. "And if I approve the release orders?"

"For each person you approve, I’ll give you one thousand West German Marks," Werner said. "The first batch is five people, so that’s five thousand. Regardless of whether they ultimately make it to West Germany or not, that money is yours."

"One thousand..." Hopter pushed up his glasses. "What if they really do make it to West Germany?"

"Then we’ll base it on the payment from West Germany," Werner said. "As for your cut, we can negotiate."

Hopter stared at the pouch on the table.

"I’m not greedy," he finally said. "If this deal goes through, I want twenty percent. No more, no less."

Werner did a quick calculation in his head.

’Twenty percent... That’s lower than I expected. It seems Hopter is seriously considering this, not just making an outrageous demand.’

’And more importantly, Hopter only cared about his final take. He couldn’t care less about the intermediate steps or how Werner handled things.’

’This was exactly what Werner wanted.’

"Twenty percent is acceptable," Werner said. "But I have one condition—you have to convince the higher-ups as quickly as possible."

"I understand." Hopter nodded. "I’ll do it as soon as I can."

"Give me the list," Hopter added. "The list for the five individuals, including their names, charges, and where they’re being held. After I’ve reviewed it, I’ll issue the release orders within three days."

"Alright." Werner breathed a sigh of relief.

Hopter stood up, fastening the clasp on his briefcase. "Werner, I have to warn you—if this works out, we’ll both get rich. But if something goes wrong... we’ll both end up in prison."

The door opened, and the gloomy afternoon sunlight shone in. Hopter’s figure disappeared into the street, his footsteps gradually fading away.

Werner leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

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

After returning to his secret office, Werner immediately began his calculations.

Hopter only cared about his cut; he couldn’t care less about the operational details.

This gave Werner enormous room to maneuver.

He took out a pen and paper and started to do the math.

The price from West Germany was fifty thousand to one hundred thousand West German Marks per person, with an average of seventy thousand. Five people would be three hundred and fifty thousand.

Hopter wanted twenty percent, which was seventy thousand. That left two hundred and eighty thousand.

But the money wouldn’t be paid all at once.

The procedure on the West German side was as follows: they’d pay a deposit first, and then the final balance would be paid once the person had arrived safely in West Germany.

Werner could use this time lag to his advantage.

After so long in prison, these people were in poor health.

Upon their release, their greatest wish would be to leave East Germany as soon as possible and reunite with their families in West Germany.

But the reality was that even after being released, they couldn’t get their exit permits right away.

These political prisoners would need someone to track the progress of their applications, secure the permits the moment they were issued, and inform them when they could leave. And Werner was in the perfect position to provide just such a service.

More importantly, these people needed a sense of security during the waiting period.

Having just been released from prison, they were still traumatized by the Stasi, terrified of being arrested again at any moment.

Under Werner’s care, they would at least know someone was on their side, fighting for their departure. This hope would make them willing to wait.

Their families in West Germany would certainly want them to be well taken care of.

Werner could charge the families in West Germany a "transitional care fee." Ostensibly, it was to help the former prisoners recover their health while awaiting their exit permits; in reality, it was just an additional revenue stream.

A "care fee" of five hundred West German Marks per person, per week, wasn’t excessive.

If they waited two weeks, that was one thousand. If they waited a month, that was two thousand. For five people, that was ten thousand West German Marks a month.

And the actual costs?

Renting apartments: one costs one hundred and fifty East German Marks a month. Three apartments would be four hundred and fifty Marks, which converts to ninety West German Marks.

Food expenses: at ten East German Marks per person per day, that’s one thousand five hundred Marks for five people for a month. That converts to three hundred West German Marks.

Add in the guards’ wages, daily necessities, and miscellaneous expenses, and it would cost at most another two hundred West German Marks.

The total cost was a little over six hundred West German Marks, while the income was ten thousand. The net profit was over nine thousand.

And this was a conservative estimate.

If the permits from the higher-ups were delayed for a longer period—say, six months—the "care fees" alone would bring in sixty thousand West German Marks.

The more Werner calculated, the more excited he became. This was practically a license to print money.

Best of all, the families in West Germany wouldn’t object.

Their loved ones had suffered so much in prison; now that they were out, of course the families would want them to have the best possible care.

Five hundred West German Marks a week? Not expensive. One could even say it was cheap. As long as their loved ones could eat and live well, they would be willing to pay any price.

Moreover, Werner could package these fees very professionally: "Transitional Settlement Services," "Medical and Nutritional Recovery Plan," "24-Hour Security Monitoring"... It all sounded very impressive, but in reality, it was just providing room and board.

He closed the ledger, a smile playing on his lips.

Hopter was just focused on his twenty-percent cut, completely blind to this other juicy piece of the pie. Or perhaps, even if he saw it, he didn’t care.

As far as Hopter was concerned, all that mattered was getting his payout in the end. How Werner made money in the meantime was a testament to Werner’s own skill.

This was the power of inside information, the advantage of controlling the channel.

Werner began to make preparations.