Chapter 1024: Two Dogs

After receiving the American’s promise of support, Mussolini once again convened a discussion meeting with his confidants. At this time, they began to finalize some of the operational details, and many things had already been confirmed. However, because everything was being prepared while guarding against Germany, the progress was very slow.

This time, another meeting ended. The aides walked out of Mussolini’s office, each with their own worries. After all, betraying Germany was a game where their lives were at stake. If they won, they would certainly become heroes of Italy, but if they lost, they would truly accompany Italy into hell.

“I say, this time, what are our chances of stopping the German offensive?” a high-ranking aide, who had always been by Mussolini’s side, asked with a warm smile. He was speaking to a high-ranking general from the Army who was walking down the stairs beside him.

The high-ranking general had a long face, an expression as if his own mother had died. Hearing someone ask him, he stopped, turned his head, and said in a low voice, “I know you are very close to the Leader. He listens to you on many issues… Can you help, to get the Leader to change his mind, to cancel the plan against the Germans?”

“Why is that? From our current perspective, it’s clearly more advantageous to side with the Americans,” the aide’s expression stiffened. He then lowered his voice and asked, “Don’t you know, the Germans have been pushing for some ‘Greater European Union’ recently? Many people are clamoring to establish a unified continental alliance. This is a political issue, you wouldn’t understand all the details, but in short, if we still want to have the power to control Italy, then we cannot live forever under Germany’s shadow…”

“Sir, I understand everything you are saying, but, what if I were to tell you… those fortifications on the border, in fact, have not been built that well… and the border troops are not confident of resisting the 100,000-strong army in Hoth’s hands, what would you think then?” this army general said, gritting his teeth. In the end, he had revealed a little secret of his.

“The border defenses? Not finished? How is that possible. Mussolini has been supporting you with under-the-table funds for almost two months, and you still haven’t finished building those not-so-difficult fortifications?” The aide was startled by this general, and almost cried out. He managed to keep his voice down, but his eyes were wide.

The general took a check from his briefcase and stuffed it into the aide’s hand. “Several generals in the Army have taken a cut. This wasn’t just my idea… Who would have thought we would suddenly be fighting our own allies? So we felt that these fortifications were not in such a hurry to be used…”

Glancing at the numbers on the check, the aide’s wide eyes returned to normal. The numbers on it were indeed enough to make one’s heart race. For someone like him, who was already well-off, it was extremely tempting. And so this aide immediately began to think from the Army’s perspective. “How much did you take? Or rather, how much of the fortifications have you actually completed…?”

“Well…” Seeing the aide put the check into his coat pocket, the general knew he had dragged the other into this. He coughed, composed his expression, which had been sweating with fear, and said, “In fact, apart from one small fortress, all the other fortifications are just earthworks. No cement was used, and there are no underground bunkers or permanent machine gun pillboxes… To put it this way, we only spent a small portion of the budget.”

The aide’s eyes went wide again. He looked at this audacious army general—this group of parasites hadn’t even built a single decent fortification and had just divided up all the funds. And the border fortifications, on which Mussolini had placed such high hopes, simply did not exist.

“My God… in this situation, if the Leader makes the wrong judgment, doesn’t that mean… all of us are doomed?” this aide said, frowning and rubbing the stubble on his chin, hesitating.

“That’s why I’ve told you the truth… If you hadn’t stopped me, I was planning to go to your apartment later to visit you,” the general said, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the real sweat from his forehead. He spoke with an obsequious smile, “We must stop the Leader. To do so will be the end of all of us.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I know! Damn it! You go first. I’m going to talk to the Leader. At the very least, we have to postpone this plan for 10 days!” The aide’s eyes darted, and he came up with an idea. “I’ll find a way to delay for 5 days first, and then you can use the excuse of military supplies to delay for another 5 days. That way, we’ll have 10 days to buy some time!”

He leaned in close to the general’s ear and continued, “Use these 20 days to mobilize your troops. Use shovels, use your bare hands, you have to dig me a decent defense line! Otherwise, at that time, when the war really breaks out, we will really be completely finished!”

This aide did not bother with the stunned army general but turned and ran towards Mussolini’s office. When he entered the room, Mussolini was getting dressed, preparing to go out again to meet with those American guests who were staying in the villa. He saw his aide walk into the office and asked, “What is it? You’re back again, is something wrong?”

“Leader, just now, General Diego from the Army spoke with me for a while. He hopes we can postpone the entire plan, because he is worried that once the war breaks out, it will affect his business in Germany…” the aide said with a cold smile, giving his reason for returning.

“What business? When did General Diego have business in Germany? Why don’t I know about it?” Mussolini was taken aback for a moment, then threw the overcoat he was holding onto the sofa by the door. “At a time like this, he’s come to you to persuade me, to have me cancel the action against the Germans… What on earth is he trying to do?”

“He told me that if I could persuade you to give up this operation, then he would give me the other half…” As he spoke, this aide pulled the check from the Swiss bank out of his pocket and pressed it onto Mussolini’s desk.

Mussolini looked at the check. It was for a full 300,000 U.S. dollars. For his aides, this was undoubtedly a huge sum of money. He knew his aides could not have so much money, nor could they just happen to be carrying it on their person during a meeting.

As a leader who had been fighting in high-stakes positions for many years, he of course had a suspicious nature, and that innate sixth sense. He knew this was not a simple matter, but that it meant his subordinates were, between him and the Germans, realigning themselves.

This was not a good phenomenon. At the very least, for him, who was about to execute a whole set of secret operational plans, this was not good news. He picked up the check from the desk, then stuffed it back into the aide’s pocket, forced a smile, and said, “What he gave you, you should keep! The thing he asked you to do, tell me about it?”

“He asked me to first delay for 5 days, and then he would use the excuse of incomplete military supplies to delay for another 5 days,” the aide replied softly to Mussolini’s question. “He said I don’t have to worry about what comes after, and then I will get another 300,000 from him…”

“Very good! Very good!” Mussolini laughed in anger, his expression twisting into a ferocious and terrifying mask. He laughed strangely and swept the pen holder on his desk to the floor, and then he began to curse loudly. “And of course, he doesn’t have to worry, I will be hanged by the Germans, and all those loyal to me will be sent to concentration camps! Then what does he have to worry about? And him? Does he, Diego, want to be the leader of this country?”

“Leader, you don’t need to be angry. At the very least, I am still loyal to you, so we have already seen through their conspiracy, haven’t we?” the aide said, leaning in close to Mussolini, his voice slightly cold. “I think we might as well really postpone the operation for 5 days, and then… he will propose to postpone it for another 5 days. At that time, we will deal with him first, catch the Germans on that side off guard, and then decisively launch the plan. Victory will forever belong to you, and your Italy.”

That makes a lot of sense! I’m speechless… After hearing this idea, Mussolini’s furrowed brow immediately relaxed. This way, they could deceive the German intelligence department, and also buy themselves a little more time. It really was a very good suggestion.

And so he looked at his aide, a look in his eyes that almost said, “How about you marry my daughter?” He then reached out his hand, patted the aide on the shoulder, and said with a laugh, “Your loyalty, I am very pleased… Your wisdom, I am also very satisfied… If the plan succeeds, in the new government I establish, the position of deputy prime minister will be yours and yours alone!”

“Thank you! Thank you, Leader, for your cultivation! I will continue to firmly support you and to offer my counsel for your new government!” the aide said with a smile, bowing his head, a look of having been taught a lesson. He smiled as he replied, but from an angle Mussolini could not see, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Mussolini patted the aide on the shoulder twice and then said no more, but walked to the sofa and picked up the overcoat he had thrown on it. The aide, seeing this, quickly went over, took the overcoat, and helped Mussolini put it on.

Mussolini then waved his hand, signaling that the aide could be dismissed. After this aide had left his office, Mussolini gave a cold snort. “A bunch of dogs, all scheming against each other! You haven’t even won yet, and you’re already selling each other out… Sooner or later, I will deal with both of you dogs, Diego and you, together!”

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