I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 154: Chapter 64: Five-Day Countdown

First came the distributors.

Old Pete ran to the office first thing in the morning, his face pale. "Mr. Werner, I can’t hold on anymore. Walter’s men came looking for me last night. They said if I keep selling your goods, they’ll smash my stall."

Next was the warehouse.

Old Mueller, the warehouse guard, ran over in a panic to report, "Boss, some people were snooping around the warehouse last night. Three or four of them. They didn’t look like good news. I didn’t dare open the door, and they left after circling around once."

Then came the rumors.

Keller returned from the Black Market, his expression grim. "Boss, the rumors out there are getting wilder. Some say the Stasi have their eyes on you and you could be arrested at any moment. Others say something happened to your port channels and you can’t get any more goods. And the most ridiculous one is that you’ve offended the Soviet Army and are going to be court-martialed."

Werner sat behind his desk, listening to all the bad news without any change in his expression. He lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.

"For Old Pete, give him five hundred Marks to calm his nerves. Tell him to hold on for another month," Werner exhaled a plume of smoke. "Tell him the situation will change drastically in a month."

"As for the warehouse, have Old Mueller find a few more men to stand guard. Give them clubs," Werner continued. "If anyone tries to force their way in, fight back. I’ll take responsibility if anything happens."

"As for the rumors..." Werner sneered. "Let them talk. You can’t stop people from running their mouths. In fact, times like these are exactly when you need to act like nothing is wrong. Keller, go take a stroll through the Black Market. Drink, play cards, act just like you normally would."

"Understood," Keller nodded.

After Keller left, Werner stood up and walked to the window.

The sky was overcast, looking like it was about to snow. On the street below, people bundled in heavy coats hurried along with their backs bent against the cold.

"Walter, you’re too impatient," Werner muttered to himself. ’Impatient people make mistakes. And I’m just waiting for you to make one.’

「Three days later, Werner appeared once again in the private room of that same cafe.」

Reiner von Brown was already waiting for him. The ashtray on the table was overflowing with cigarette butts.

"Do you have something?" Reiner asked the moment he saw Werner, his tone urgent.

"I have the preliminary findings," Werner said, sitting down and taking a manila envelope from his briefcase. "Comrade Reiner, this case is bigger than I thought."

Reiner opened the envelope. Inside were several photographs and a handwritten report.

He picked up the photos and examined them closely—a Soviet Army truck was parked at the entrance of an abandoned brewery, soldiers were unloading cargo, and the Cyrillic letters on the cardboard boxes were clearly visible.

"This is..." Reiner narrowed his eyes.

"A Soviet Army vehicle, coming and going from an abandoned brewery in East Berlin late at night," Werner said in a low voice. "I had my men watch it for a week and take these photos. The license plate is БЧ-4721. It belongs to the Third Army."

Reiner put down the photos and picked up the report. It detailed the times, license plate number, and unloading situation, along with some speculative analysis.

"You suspect the Third Army’s quartermaster department?" Reiner looked up.

"Not a suspicion, a near certainty," Werner said. "The vehicle is registered to the quartermaster department. And according to my investigation, the goods flowing into the Black Market—tobacco, tires, fuel—are all things the quartermaster department is responsible for distributing."

Reiner put down the report and lit a cigarette. The smoke swirled around the private room, obscuring his expression.

"How high up the chain of command does this go?" he asked.

"At least a major," Werner said. "A lieutenant or captain wouldn’t have the authority to move this volume of supplies."

Reiner said nothing. He stared at the photos on the table, his fingers drumming lightly on the tabletop.

Werner knew he was weighing the risks and rewards of the case.

"Continue the investigation," Reiner finally said. "I want more detailed intelligence. Who are the specific officers involved, the time and place of the transactions, a list of the goods—the more detailed, the better."

"That will take time," Werner said. "And it’s dangerous. If I’m discovered..."

"I will guarantee your safety," Reiner cut him off. "Werner, if this case is a success, the credit won’t just be yours, it’ll be mine too. Neither of us will come out of this empty-handed."

"Then I’ll continue the investigation," Werner said, getting to his feet. "But Comrade Reiner, this matter..."

"I know. Secrecy." Reiner also stood and clapped Werner on the shoulder. "No one knows about this but you and me."

A faint smile touched Werner’s lips as he walked out of the cafe.

Reiner was completely hooked. His mind was now fixated on the "big case" and the opportunity to earn merit, leaving no room for anything else.

The next step was the most critical: obtaining conclusive evidence of the deals between Walter and Sokolov.

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

That evening, Franz returned with good news.

"Boss, Hans caved!" Franz burst through the door, his face flushed with excitement. "He’s willing to cooperate!"

Werner put down the documents in his hand. "Speak."

"Just like you said, I gave him one thousand Marks as a ’consulting fee’," Franz said, sitting down and lighting a cigarette. "He was wary at first, said Walter had been good to him and he couldn’t betray his boss. But I dropped hints that Walter is in deep trouble and could go down at any moment."

"And he bought it?"

"He was skeptical," Franz said, exhaling smoke. "But with a thousand Marks on the table, he was tempted. He asked who sent me. I told him I was a major buyer from the Black Market, very interested in Walter’s supply sources, and willing to pay a high price for information."

"And then?"

"Then he started talking," Franz lowered his voice. "Boss, Hans shared a lot of useful information. First, Walter’s cash flow is extremely tight because of the huge investment he’s sunk into this price war. Second, Walter promised his men a cut of the profits after winning the price war, but he keeps delaying payment, and there’s a lot of grumbling internally."

Werner nodded. "I figured as much. Anything else?"

"And the most crucial piece," Franz’s eyes lit up. "Hans revealed the time of Walter’s next deal with the Soviet Army—five days from now, February 15th, three in the morning. Same place, the abandoned brewery."

Werner shot to his feet. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Franz nodded. "Hans said he’s in charge of coordinating the warehouse. Before every deal, Walter has him clear out space in advance. It’s the same this time. Walter has already told him to get ready."

Werner paced back and forth in his office, his mind racing.

’Five days. February 15th, 3:00 AM.’

’This is the last chance, and the only one.’

"Franz, go find Erich immediately," Werner ordered, stopping his pacing. "Tell him to get ready. On the night of February 15th, he’s to photograph everything. I want clear pictures. Photos where you can see faces, license plates, and the cargo."

"Understood." Franz stood up.

"Wait," Werner stopped him. "Also, tell Carl to speed things up. The tobacco from Denmark must all arrive before the 20th. After Walter falls, there will be a vacuum in the market. I want to seize the opportunity."

"Right." Franz turned to leave, then paused. "Boss, about Hans... he wants to know if he can work for you, should something really happen to Walter."

Werner sneered. "Tell him that as long as he cooperates properly this time, I won’t treat him poorly. But if he dares to pull any tricks..."

"I understand," Franz nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Werner was alone in the office again. He walked to the window and lit a cigarette.

’Five days.’

’In five days, this war that has lasted for over a month will finally have a result.’

Werner exhaled a puff of smoke, turned off the light, and walked out of his office.

The stairwell was dark, and the sound of Werner’s footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. He pushed open the building’s main door, and a frigid wind hit his face, carrying the damp chill of impending snow.

The street was deserted. Werner pulled up his scarf and walked quickly toward the bus stop.

As he passed a state-run store, he saw a new rationing notice posted in the window—bread rations reduced, potatoes more expensive, meat still in short supply. A few old women stood in front of the window, frowning at the notices and muttering complaints.

「The next day, Werner went to meet Vonke as planned.」

This time, it wasn’t at a Stasi office, but in a secluded park. The park was empty in the winter; the tree branches were bare, and the benches were covered in snow.

Vonke was already waiting for him, dressed in a heavy coat with a scarf covering half his face.

"Comrade Vonke," Werner said as he approached.

"Sit." Vonke patted the bench beside him.

The two of them sat down, neither speaking right away. The park was quiet, with only the distant cawing of a few crows breaking the silence.

"How is the investigation into Lorentz progressing?" Werner broke the silence.

"It’s still ongoing," Vonke said. "But Deputy Director Schmidt is dragging his feet, saying he needs more evidence."

"Then I have some information that might help you," Werner said, lowering his voice. "The person Lorentz is protecting might be in for some serious trouble."

Vonke turned his head, his gaze sharp. "What do you mean?"

"Walter is colluding with the Soviet Army to smuggle military supplies," Werner said. "It’s a large-scale operation, involving officers at the rank of major. If this gets out, Lorentz won’t be able to escape involvement."

Vonke was silent for a few seconds. "You have evidence?"

"I’m collecting it now," Werner said. "I’ll have a result in three days at the latest. At that time, the case will be handed over to Von Brown."

"Reiner von Brown?" Vonke frowned. "He’s one of Director Herman’s men."

"I know," Werner said. "But Reiner and Lorentz are rivals. Reiner will be more than happy to crack this case."

Vonke nodded thoughtfully. "You’re using a borrowed knife to kill."

"I’m protecting myself," Werner said. "Lorentz wants to ruin me, so I have to ruin his man first. Comrade Vonke, if this succeeds, it will benefit you as well."

Vonke stood up and paced back and forth on the snow. It crunched under his feet.

"I will speak with Deputy Director Schmidt," he finally said. "But Werner, you must ensure the evidence is conclusive. If it’s insufficient, you’ll just be tipping them off."

"I guarantee it," Werner said, also standing up.

Vonke gave him a long, hard look, then turned and left the park. Werner stood in place, watching Vonke’s back disappear among the trees.

’The pieces on the board have all been set.’

’Now, it all comes down to the night of February 15th.’