Chapter 1012: The Canal at Our Feet

At the Port of Alexandria, on a newly restored pier, a German merchant ship slowly approached. The sailors on board skillfully threw the mooring lines to the workers on the dock. Soon, these lines were wrapped around the steel bollards, and the ship, no longer swaying, became steady.

This was a German merchant ship that had set sail from Italy, fully loaded with large-caliber artillery shells and parts for repairing 150mm howitzers, all urgently needed at the front. After all, a transport ship of this tonnage did not dare to get too close to the Suez Canal, which was filled with mines laid by the armies of both sides during the standoff.

If it were to be sunk by a mine, or for any other reason, it would be an irretrievable loss for the German army, which was not rich in resources. In addition, this ship was also carrying many important guests, so the final port of call chosen was the relatively safe Alexandria.

A group of businessmen in suits and leather shoes walked down the simple gangway from the transport ship and began to size up this world, which was relatively unfamiliar to them. This place was all yellow sand. Even in Alexandria, which had a good amount of greenery, the dominant color was still earthy yellow.

“This place is really crude. If I hadn’t heard that it was rich in oil and had a famous Suez Canal, I really can’t understand why all the armies of the world would have to come here to fight for this place,” a Jewish man in his thirties said, squinting his eyes as he looked at everything before him.

There were anti-aircraft guns at the port to prevent enemy air raids, but there were not many of them. These slender barrels pointed coldly at the sky, adding a touch of tension to the port city.

The entire port was a hive of activity. The logistical supply for the hundreds of thousands of troops of the Afrika Korps, including Marshal Rommel’s L Army Group, General Schörner’s K Army Group, and General Garibaldi’s African Group, relied mostly on this famous port. From time to time, a patrol of guards would pass by, but most of what one saw was the hoisting equipment for loading and unloading, and the busy workers.

The transportation standards set by Germany were finally showing their precious value at this time. The large-scale use of containers had made transport and loading/unloading so simple for the first time. This standardized mode of transport, having been implemented ahead of its time, had immediately shone with a dazzling light in the war.

The speed of material distribution was more than doubled. The Third Reich, just from this one improvement, had saved a large amount of time and money. A Jewish merchant, who was in charge of shipping, stared at these containers as they were lifted up, placed directly on trailers, and then transported out of the pier, his eyes filled with the light of gold coins.

He pointed at the containers of different colors, which were used to distinguish ammunition, supplies, equipment, and food, and said to the old man behind him, “If the Führer were to focus on business, I really can’t find a single person who could be compared to him.”

“The fortunate thing is, he doesn’t just focus on business, and he’s not a difficult eccentric, is he?” the old man said with a smile to his attendant, his hands behind his back. He then looked towards the other side of the pier, at the few high-end cars from the German military. “Even if he doesn’t just focus on business, the output value of the White Orchid Group is already almost double that of this old man’s.”

War is a catalyst for millionaires. And those who know in advance that a war will break out, who know in advance that a war will be won, who know in advance when a war will end, will all become super-rich, with a wealth comparable to that of a nation, in this war. Unfortunately for them, Akado was one step ahead of these people. He knew what would make money in a war, and he knew how to improve and produce these things more efficiently… What was even more hopeless for them was that he also knew the path of human development for the next few decades after the war. If he still didn’t get rich, that would be truly incredible.

The shipping magnate, following the old man’s gaze, also spotted those particularly conspicuous German officers’ cars. It was estimated that in all of Germany, only here would you find a Mercedes that was so filthy it was almost unrecognizable.

And so this shipping king said with a laugh to the old man beside him, “To drive a 1935 Mercedes officer’s car into this state, it’s really been hard on these soldiers who are rolling around in the desert. If we get a satisfactory result this time, I wouldn’t mind personally sponsoring a few decent cars for the officers here.”

“Save your money. If we are to build our nation near Jerusalem, there will be too many places to spend it,” the old man said with a cold laugh, and then led the way towards the military vehicles. He did not walk fast, but everyone followed behind him, without the slightest intention of overtaking.

When the old man approached the cars, the people inside pushed open the doors and got out. A colonel, an adjutant, respectfully jumped down from the front passenger seat, then pulled open the door of the back seat. A handsome general then got out of the car, a nonchalant smile on his face.

He had a large pair of plexiglass goggles on his military cap, and a dark, sand-covered scarf was wrapped around his neck. He looked very fashionable, yet travel-worn. But this attire often appeared on the front pages of German newspapers, so almost every German could recognize this military star at a glance.

“My heavens, I really didn’t expect that it would be you, Marshal, who would personally come to greet this old man,” the old man said, quickening his pace, though his speed was only a fraction faster than just now. He smiled as he walked up to Marshal Rommel, extended his hand, and shook hands with this German commander who was almost fifteen years his junior, greeting him loudly.

“Ah… Mr. Enrique, the Führer often mentions you to me. He says you are a rare business genius of the Third Reich,” Rommel said with a smile, shaking hands with this old Jewish fox in front of him. He then asked loudly, “So I came to greet you personally, to make your trip to Africa this time a satisfactory one! How was it? Was the journey smooth?”

Enrique, this “old fox,” held the hand of Rommel, this “little fox,” and nodded. “The scenery on the way was really beautiful. I was fine, but a few of the people with us got seasick. But God bless us, we all arrived here safely. That’s good, very good.”

“That’s not all. After all, the place you have marked out is still at the front line. So we can only go by car, cross the Suez Canal, and get there. Only then will you have truly seen what you want to see,” Rommel said. He sounded a little regretful, but there was a smile on his face.

The elderly Enrique’s eyebrows twitched when he heard the words “what you want to see.” After hearing Rommel finish, he turned his head and pointed to the ship behind him, as a gesture of goodwill. “A whole ship of supplies, not on the military’s books. There are another 10 such ships behind it, enough for you to launch an offensive.”

“Then, within 3 days, I will invite you all to watch a good show, a show that will be unforgettable for the rest of your lives,” Rommel said, no longer wasting words. He got straight back into his car. His adjutant signaled for Enrique to get in as well, and then arranged for the other people to be in the other cars. This convoy of cars, then, left the port of Alexandria in a grand procession.

In the swaying car, Enrique’s smile faded. He looked at Rommel beside him. “Marshal, I hear that the battle on the Turkish front is not going well. Will this defeat affect the cause we are about to undertake?”

Although the German propaganda department had not publicly admitted the defeat in Turkey, this news was not very difficult for the well-connected upper-class elites to obtain. After all, a person like Enrique had his own intelligence channels. Even if they were not so all-pervasive, it was still very easy to gather this kind of news.

“So, I will have you provide me with an extra batch of arms. I don’t know how you bought these supplies from Italy, but I will use them to launch an offensive in the vicinity of Jerusalem,” Rommel said, not hiding his operational plan. “I think the time for the Third Reich to help you retake your lost land is in these next few days.”

Enrique, hearing Rommel’s guarantee, nodded and did not question him further. After all, the whole world had almost already made it clear that the American forces in the Middle East had no ability to stop a German frontal attack. So as long as Rommel really launched an offensive, then Enrique had reason to believe that this German marshal had the ability to help the Jewish people retake their homeland.

The car was shaking, and the two men had both returned to silence. Outside the car window, two outdated German Crusader helicopters were circling at a low altitude, escorting this luxurious convoy. On the straight road in the desert, which seemed to have no end, the convoy of Mercedes cars continued to advance.

From time to time, they could see transport convoys parked on the side of the road, resting. Most of them were Italian army trucks. The soldiers, stripped to the waist, leaned listlessly in the shade of the trucks, squinting as they watched the German convoy drive past.

This seemed to be a world of yellow sand. An occasional passing telephone pole was the only proof that this convoy was constantly advancing. The monotonous rhythm made one drowsy. At least Rommel and Enrique, who had stopped talking, had both closed their eyes, their bodies swaying slightly with the rocking of the car.

“The Suez Canal is just ahead. If Mr. Enrique is interested, you can take a look,” Rommel suddenly said as they were crossing the pontoon bridge over the Suez.

Enrique, who had clearly not been asleep, opened his eyes and looked out the car window. He saw the battlefield, where the black smoke had not yet completely dispersed. He saw the small boats that were clearing the channel, fishing out the mines… and he also saw a long, world-famous canal, right at his feet.

Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com