Chapter 4: Old Foes and New Enemies (5)

  "I seem to have overestimated myself, the second update only has 2,700 words. How embarrassing. The whispers under the starry sky have already guessed who the ultimate boss is... sigh, this pit isn't deep..."

  The lavishly decorated office of the Imperial Navy Minister is now empty, the potted plants on the windowsill are gone, the 17th-century oil paintings hanging on the walls are gone, and the gold-plated pens and high-piled documents have disappeared from the wisteria-wood desk.

  The expensive Persian carpet was still there, only slightly worn out due to the moving and cleaning work of the past few days. The grandfather clock hidden in the corner was still ticking away, its rhythmic tick-tock sound spreading through the dark, closed doors and windows.

  The half-closed door was pushed open, and the dazzling light poured in, casting a pale glow on Admiral Tirpitz's aged face, which had been chiseled by years of experience.

  "Xilem, you've finally arrived." Tirpitz sat dryly on the sofa, his aged face slightly moved, and said: "Ingernol predicted that you would never guess this chess game, or guessed it but pretended not to know, but my expectations for you have never changed! Haha, it seems my persistence was right!"

  Wang Haitie leaned against the door frame, stunned and speechless. The decades-long hatred that had finally reached its climax turned out to be just a fleeting dream, and the accumulated resentment still lingered, yet he was expected to add gratitude on top of it all. The absurdity of fate and the ridiculousness of life left the introverted and meticulous otaku, tainted with a hint of German rigidity, at a loss for what to do.

  "I've been under pressure from the Emperor and Parliament since I took office as Imperial Navy Minister in 1897. As a professional military man, following the tradition of Prussian soldiers who never interfere with politics, I was forced to learn the tricks of politicians to achieve my goals. Tirpitz, you've been wandering abroad for sixteen years, and I've been struggling on the anvil of the Navy Ministry for sixteen years, racking my brains to get Parliament to agree to my expansion plans; to implement your idea of 'asymmetric warfare', I closely monitored Britain's shipbuilding plans; to make the Emperor pay attention to Britain's possible blockade strategy, I secretly held back and modified your application for retirement and submitted it to the Emperor. Now that the Emperor no longer trusts me, Edward von Capelle is about to take my place as Navy Minister, and with a proud and stubborn attitude for most of my life, I would rather not become a laughing stock in the Navy, so I can only end my military career with a dignified resignation." The already resigned Tirpitz leaned back on the soft sofa, the cigarette butt between his fingers flickering in the pale light, his calm tone gradually rising and becoming an urgent and forceful demand: "I still can't let go of the cause I've devoted myself to for half my life, I have one last wish or rather one last question!"

  Tirpitz rose, supporting himself on his marshal's baton, and in the brilliant light, his figure resplendent in a marshal's uniform without insignia of rank, he called out loudly: "General von Heidekampf, can I entrust you with the High Seas Fleet?"

  "Marshal, don't you remember the countless curses and abuses I suffered for sixteen years, as well as the endless harassment?"

  Wang Haitie took a step forward with hesitation and caution, re-entering the familiar territory he had not visited for 16 years. The otaku's not-so-sturdy body blocked the doorway, unintentionally blocking out the incoming light, and the briefly bright office was suddenly plunged into an inky blackness.

  "No, Seydlitz, the one who needs to apologize is me!" In the darkness, only the flickering cigarette butts and Tirpitz's sincere apology could be heard: "In 1898, the dispute in the Navy Minister's office reached the Emperor's ears. The Emperor, who was determined to build a high seas fleet centered on battleships, could no longer tolerate your heretical theories. To protect you and teach you the knowledge and temperament that a naval officer should possess, I had no choice but to exile you to the Far East, far from home. In January 1914, Raeder and Hipper came to see me and begged me to bring you back, but I refused, because I believed that without the pressure of war, the Emperor's negative views of you would not change. Afterwards, General Hipper came to see me alone, and only then did I understand what had happened to you all these years. Forgive me, Seydlitz, the changes in your lover's marriage, the illness of your relatives, and the desperation of 1912...I truly did not anticipate..."

  Tirpitz, who had been arrogant for most of his life, had never been so humble as he was today. From Tirpitz's sincere apology, Wang Haitang heard the passion of an old German sailor for the sea, his dedication to the abandoned ocean fleet, and his devotion to the German Navy and the German nation. In front of such an old sailor who had dedicated his life to the nation and the country, Wang Haitang could only taste the bitterness alone with his conscience, letting those false pasts disperse in the west wind.

  "Marshal, is General Ingénieur the pawn you buried?" The otaku fell silent for a moment. He ignored Tirpitz's expectation and asked a seemingly unrelated question instead.

  In 1913, Friedrich von Ingenohl succeeded Henning von Holtzendorff as commander of the High Seas Fleet. While Friedrich von Ingenohl was obsequious in front of the Emperor, he was quite hard on his superior Tirpitz, the Minister of the Imperial Navy, and quietly neutralized him without bloodshed.

  Tirpitz answered with silence, the clever Kaiser having already understood everything. Tirpitz had redeemed the Emperor's trust in Ingenohl by his resignation, and this old sailor of over sixty years had done all he could for the fleet of the post-Tirpitz era.

  "Heidkamp-Sylt, can I entrust the High Seas Fleet to you?" Tirpitz repeated, giving King Heide a single-choice question.

  "Old adversary, Navy Minister Georg von Müller, new Navy Minister Eduard von Capelle, powerful new opponent, Emperor of the Empire Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albrecht von Hohenzollern, and perhaps my old friend David Beatty...". The young man stroked his military cap, took a deep breath, raised his arm and said: "Old adversary, new enemy, even if the road to victory is long and arduous, as an imperial soldier I bear the iron-blooded mission, what am I afraid of!"

  ****

  "After Tirpitz's time, you, with your military and literary talents combined, will be the indispensable soul of the High Seas Fleet. What you lack is only an opportunity, a stage larger than that of the First Squadron of Battlecruisers, and these I can offer you!"

  Fisher's promise left David-Betty dizzy, and for a moment, Betty vaguely saw the misty London Bridge, the heavy Big Ben, and the solemn Buckingham Palace and Downing Street. He seemed to hear the melodious bagpipes of the Scottish Highlands and the legend of the King's Sword that had been passed down in England for over a thousand years. He even thought of the glorious defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and the resounding Nelson's Z-flag at Trafalgar Point in 1805.

  "Perhaps when I leave this creek, Winston Churchill and old friend Heide Sijelm will become my new enemies..."

  In a daze, the pride and sense of mission that only belonged to the people of the Empire where the sun never sets surged up, a fierce breath stirred in David-Betty's mind, making him unable to control himself. David-Betty dropped his fishing rod, climbed out from a pile of rocks, and said with a firm and profound gaze:

  "But this is a war that concerns the fate of our nation and the future of our people, for the honor of the Royal Navy, for the future of Great Britain, for the glory of the Empire on which the sun never sets. Admiral, I have no choice!"

  The black sedan restarted, carrying the gradually westward-sinking sun to the distant East Coast, and the aged General Fischer jumped down into the shallow stream, bending over to pick up the fishing rod floating on the water surface.

  "Tirpitz, my old adversary, although our era has come to a dismal end, hatred and rivalry will continue!"

  Fisher grasped his fishing rod coldly and said.

  ****

  The grand cathedral became a sea of joy, and amidst the crowd of wedding guests, it seemed as if Erich Redel's voice was calling out. The otaku responded with a casual "I'm here!" and turned his head to glance at Catherine, his first love, who was looking lovely, and smiled carelessly.

  "Maybe..."

  Accompanied by hearty laughter, the triumphant headlines in the newspaper hid the stark white bones of victory, as well as the treacherous political struggles after the naval battle, the Navy Department's promotion and demotion, and the new opponent he had to face. Everything Wang Haitian experienced in these four days, like a roller coaster ride, seemed to melt into that serene smile, dissipating in the joyful church.