Chapter 629: Strictly Business

Yes, better! Where else could one find a group of skilled workers who required no wages? Where could one find workers who didn’t need to be paid extra for overtime? The concentration camp factory housed 1,500 prisoners of war from the Soviet Union and 1,900 civilians from Poland, all of whom had been bought like slaves for 300 Imperial Gold Marks each.

“Th-thank you! I will work hard! I will work hard! Don’t kill me!” Kukov quickly promised, patting his chest. He had always worked diligently in the factory workshop. The parts he produced were of a very high standard and quality, so he was often praised by the German quality control inspectors and even occasionally rewarded with cigarettes.

Otherwise, Frank would not have bothered to care about the life or death of a “slave.” It was because someone had earlier recommended that this prisoner named Kukov be sent to the propaganda workshop as an ideal model of reform for the “German-Ukrainian-Russian-Polish Family,” a success story for the entire project.

Frank Alston had seen Kukov’s photo. He looked like an honest and dutiful Russian. He was very satisfied that his company could produce such a well-tamed subject, one who set a good example for those around him. Even without counting the expanded benefits, this worker from Russia could create a lot of value every day, bringing profits to Frank Alston.

The translator caught up at this moment. Under the terrified gazes of many prisoners, Frank Alston gently helped Kukov, who was clutching the French cigarettes, to his feet. A warm smile, which seemed to never fade, was on his face. “Tell him, work hard, and we will not treat any cooperative and outstanding inmate unfairly. He has performed very well, and I very much hope he can keep it up, continue to work hard, and strive to become one of us.”

“This is the director here, and your actual owner, Mr. Frank Alston. He says that they will not treat any cooperative and outstanding inmate unfairly. You have always performed well, and he very much hopes you can keep it up, continue to work hard, and strive to become one of us,” said the translator from Ukraine, dressed in a worn-out suit. He was not a prisoner here, but he lived here and earned a salary, much like a regular job. However, he often helped the Germans persecute the Russians, just as the Russians had once persecuted the Ukrainians.

“Mr. Frank Alston! Please believe me, I will definitely work hard! I will definitely work hard!” After being pulled up from the ground by Frank, Kukov heard the translator’s words and quickly nodded like a pestle grinding garlic. He had always been a submissive person and naturally did not harbor any sentiment of choosing death over dishonor.

Frank Alston nodded after hearing the translation and then said to him, “Are you willing to learn more advanced production techniques? If you learn these skills, you’ll get monthly cigarette coupons and meals from a separate canteen.”

The entire camp had a separate canteen. Those who ate in this canteen were all honest and professional workers. These workers all had impressive skills and could help the German army process spare parts for armored vehicles, tanks, and aircraft in Poland. The quality rate was even higher than that of the parts supplied by France.

Of course, if someone understood advanced processing and was willing to work for the Germans with unwavering dedication, entering the high-tech processing area over there was an excellent choice. The working environment there was much better, and the quality of the lunch was similar to the ordinary meals outside. Most importantly, there was a separate small shop there that offered more “luxury” items. There was also a difference in living quarters; no longer crowded communal bunks, but a paradise of four-person rooms.

“Really? I can really go and learn, and then work in the core area?” Kukov was surprised for a moment, then immediately asked with excitement. If one worked in the core area for the required amount of time, one could obtain many preferential privileges. It was said that after ten years, outstanding individuals would be chosen to be granted German citizenship. At that time, they could leave the concentration camp and start a new life.

“Of course! Go and complete the procedures. Work hard over there, and don’t disappoint my expectations of you!” Frank Alston was as amiable as a great philanthropist, causing the surrounding prisoners to cast envious glances at Kukov. He patted Kukov’s shoulder and said, “Go on!”

The translator relayed Frank Alston’s words to Kukov, and then translated the latter’s gratitude back to Frank Alston. And so, accompanied by two soldiers, Kukov left the camp’s smoking area to go through his new procedures, while Frank Alston and the officer with him continued towards the exit on the other side.

“Are all you businessmen so cunning? You don’t have to pay these prisoners a single cent in wages, using their labor for free, yet you still dress yourselves up to be as charitable as Jesus Christ,” the officer said with a sneer, his hands behind his back, tapping his own backside with the gloves he held.

“Is this called cunning? What the Führer said is absolutely correct. We cannot increase production by whipping the workers. Sometimes we must also reward them… a mix of reward and punishment. That is how we can obtain greater profits,” Frank Alston said proudly to the officer. “On the strength of this sentence alone, our Führer is a great businessman.”

“The Führer is a soldier! Not a businessman!” The officer was clearly a fanatical admirer of Akado. He was responsible for inspecting these concentration camp factories and checking their operational status. The Führer was very concerned about this place, because before the mechanized, large-scale production bases in the homeland were fully developed, the Empire had to rely on such inefficient methods to expand its production capacity.

“Yes! The Führer is a soldier, but he is also a businessman!” Frank Alston said dismissively with a smile. “He is also a gift from God, and the greatest leader of our German Third Reich! I hope he ascends the throne as Emperor, to become our greatest majesty!”

“On this point, our positions are aligned!” The officer’s face lit up at the mention of this, and he nodded. “Heil Führer! All glory will belong to our great Führer!”

“Only the Führer could be so wise as to establish such an efficient production system! We pay taxes, support you with all kinds of weapons and equipment, and developing new equipment costs money. But when you go to the front lines to capture prisoners, you need bullets and equipment, but you don’t need money. You see, this way we can coexist in a mutually beneficial way: you wage war and bring back prisoners, and we use the prisoners to produce weapons and equipment for you! In the end, I make money, you win victories, and the great Third Reich will be eternal—we all get what we want. What a great deal!” Frank Alston’s face also lit up as he spoke of this. Their interests were different, but they both had topics that excited them.

“And what if we lose?” the officer asked Frank Alston casually.

“That’s why we do everything we can to develop new weapons, to give you an advantage over the enemy!” Frank Alston was taken aback for a moment, then thought about it before replying. “This ensures that you will win, which compresses our risk of losing money. You will not fail. If you do, we will all go to hell together! And you will go to hell first!”

“I hope your new weapons will allow us to keep winning. You don’t want to go to hell, and neither do I!” The officer felt this topic was a bit heavy. He walked shoulder to shoulder with Frank Alston, his hands behind his back, until they reached the steps of the camp’s office building.

This building was somewhat unusual. The side facing the camp had no windows except for an iron door; it was just a tall, solid wall. All the windows faced the other side, which opened onto a large lawn that looked like a small square in front of a traditional European castle.

“We will surely be victorious! Because we have the Führer!” Frank Alston said proudly. As he spoke, he walked into his office, picked up an ancient gold ring from his desk, and tossed it to the officer. “A businessman never makes a losing deal. So every time I hear you’ve won a victory at the front, I am very happy, because my wallet has gotten a lot fatter.”

“You’ve made a loss this time!” the officer said, catching the ring. He glanced at it and broke into an even broader smile.

“No. I have made a very good friend, a very powerful SS officer! You are responsible for overseeing production in the Polish concentration camps, so you must know many important people, right?” Frank Alston said. “Do you know any generals in the Directorate of Military Equipment? Could you make an introduction for me?”

The officer nodded. He knew that these slick and cunning big businessmen would never make a losing deal. “I know generals in both the Ordnance Department and the Directorate of Military Equipment. An introduction is no problem… but does this mean you have a new weapon?”

“Of course! In my company in Berlin, I have 30 engineers working on the development of a new type of helicopter. I hope to meet these generals so that the military will procure this new model.”

“Our army only accepts good things,” the officer said, looking at the handsome and young capitalist beside him.

“Of course! This aircraft is much better than the Crusader. I call it the Satan,” Frank Alston said, very confident in the new weapon his team had developed. “It will completely replace the Crusader and become the German army’s most advanced transport vehicle!”

Published: 2025-09-12T04:02:58.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-29T19:33:21.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c629-138711858

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