Chapter 777: Convertible

“What on earth is going on? Why isn’t the convoy departing yet?” one of the officers in charge of the Führer’s security, from the SS Division 0, Ger, walked over with his guards and loudly questioned the preparations on the convoy’s side with a frown. “Missing the start time! This is very detrimental to the Führer’s safety. Who is in charge here? Where is Anna?”

“Ger, you’ve come at the right time. Come and persuade the Führer. He insists on changing cars, which is making things very difficult for us,” Anna said, her hands on her hips in frustration. Her mature beauty gave her a unique and alluring charm. But her tone was not kind; it was clear that Akado’s sudden decision was causing her a headache.

Ger was taken aback, not knowing what was going on. Normally, for the Führer to request a change of car was a very simple and ordinary matter. After all, there were several cars waiting for the Führer to choose from. It shouldn’t have been such a difficult problem for Anna. Moreover, he knew that in many cases, Anna actually represented the Führer. So, as the Führer’s personal bodyguard, Anna could solve many problems that ordinary guards could not. Since even she couldn’t solve it, it must be a very big deal.

“Commander Anna! Changing a car shouldn’t take this long, should it?” Ger said, handing his gloves to his adjutant behind him while looking towards the Führer. This one glance nearly scared the life out of him.

It was a Mercedes-Benz, the Führer’s official car. There was clearly no problem with the brand. However, this was a limited-edition Mercedes luxury sightseeing limousine, which is to say, it was a currently popular four-seater convertible Mercedes.

“My Führer! This… this does not comply with the ‘Safety Regulations and Guidelines’ that you yourself drew up. You personally gave the order that all officers of general rank and above must choose a car with a roof when traveling, and should use a bulletproof Mercedes as much as possible. But this, this is a…” Ger finally knew the reason for Anna’s annoyance. If the Führer were to ride in this kind of car, it would be a terrifying downgrade to his safety standards.

It should be known that even if the security work on the roadside was perfect, and the guards in the high places around were dense, the car was still the last barrier between the Führer and danger. The difference between a fully enclosed bulletproof car and a convertible could be seen from Kennedy’s fate.

“My Führer, please, you must consider this carefully,” Ger said, walking to Akado’s side and bowing his head to persuade him.

Akado smiled, then raised his hand and patted Ger on the shoulder. “Look, a dozen years have passed in a flash. When I first saw you at the train station, you were so young. Now we’ve both become middle-aged uncles, haven’t we? Time waits for no man.”

Ger was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the Führer to say such a thing at a time like this. But he still tried to persuade him, “My Führer, after all, this is Ukrainian territory. We have no way of estimating how many people out there wish you harm. Please, you must think of the future of the Empire and pay attention to your personal safety.”

To celebrate the complete victory in the Crimean campaign, the Führer had decided to visit the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. And now, at the beginning of the victory parade, the Führer would ride in a car, pass through the crowd in one go, and arrive at the viewing stand to watch the entire performance of the victory parade. This event had been decided by the Third Reich’s Ministry of Propaganda, which was why Fanny had followed Akado to the front.

“Let me see just how far the Ukraine, which the Empire has heavily supported, has come,” Akado said, squinting his eyes. He then opened them, raised his eyebrows at Anna, extended his hand, and said with a smile to her, “Do you have the courage to come with me and see just how far my work has come?”

“And you, Ger,” Akado said, after Anna had placed her hand in his. He then looked at Ger. “Let’s go. Let’s see if we are war criminals, or the masters of the world as everyone wishes.”

Ger gave a helpless smile, then snapped to attention and extended his right arm. “Yes, my Führer.”

After speaking, he turned and instructed the adjutant and other officers following behind him, “Issue the order immediately to raise the security level to the highest. Everyone, get ready. The Führer will be leaving the garage in a few minutes. Tell them to keep their eyes wide open.”

Everyone saluted and then ran out quickly. This was no small matter. This was the first time the Führer had toured an occupied territory in a convertible. If anything were to happen, everyone here would probably become the biggest traitors in German history because of this victory parade.

The garage door opened, bit by bit. Finally, the lead car in front of Akado started its engine. The two lead motorcycles cleared the way, and the lead cars behind them followed, one after another. And Akado, standing in his convertible, waited for his car to drive out of the somewhat dim garage.

On both sides of the garage, Ukrainian civilians who had come to watch the entire victory parade were already standing. These civilians just stood there, their eyes, a mixture of friendliness and malice, watching Akado, who was standing in the car, his face gradually being revealed as the car swayed.

“My God! My heavens! He, how could he come out in a convertible? Quick! Get the camera on him, quick!” Fanny shouted in terror, watching the Führer who had already driven out of the garage. “Photographer! Hugo! Get a close-up! Quick! Quick! Where’s the cameraman? Full-angle shot! Follow! Follow that car! Radio, get me a change of the broadcast script, and use the biggest possible space to hype the Führer’s courage and majesty! He’s riding in a convertible! What a confident man!”

“This will be the most precious footage in history, and it will also be the most eye-catching news for the next few months!” Fanny said, turning her head excitedly to instruct her subordinates. “The Führer is providing us with the most powerful ammunition. We have no reason to waste such a precious weapon! I want a full-scale report on this victory parade. I want the whole world to feel the powerful offensive of our public opinion!”

After giving her instructions, she turned her head back and stared at Akado with her beautiful big eyes. “My God! He’s so handsome! He’s so outstanding! This is a Führer who can conquer everyone with a single glance, a single smile. This is my Führer! The Führer I’ve been waiting for my whole life!”

The crowd fell silent. They seemed unable to believe that they could see the Führer of the Third Reich so clearly. This man had led an army to drive away the Soviet army that had been oppressing and persecuting them, and had captured tens, even hundreds of thousands of those arrogant Soviet soldiers. He had sent the Ukrainian prisoners back home to their children’s mothers, to the young men’s wives.

It could be said that he was the savior sent by heaven to the entire Ukrainian plain, an existence more worthy of gratitude than God. The farms had been returned to their original owners, the sons returned to their parents. The suffering and disaster seemed to have gone far away. As long as they followed this Führer, then Ukraine would become a happy world.

Grain was no longer requisitioned without compensation. A large amount of cash and high-end industrial products were sent to Ukraine. The workers resumed production, and order in the cities began to slowly recover. All of this seemed so wonderful that it was really hard to think of a reason to miss the old Soviet Union.

“Führer! Long live!” a Ukrainian woman in a thick cotton coat shouted, waving a small swastika flag in her hand at Akado’s car. The scarf on her head showed that she was a genuine local. This woman was in tears, crying with joy at having seen Akado.

“Long live the Third Reich! Long live Ukraine!” another man cheered loudly. He was giving the standard German salute. For this salute, he had been practicing for a full month. Nothing less could express his feelings, nothing less could convey just how kind and amiable those SS men who had brought his child back home were.

“Long live the Führer! You are the king of our Ukraine!” an old man shouted frantically. His entire family of dozens was safe and sound. He had deliberately come to Kiev from a very, very far away place today. Hearing that he might be able to see the Führer, he had been so excited he couldn’t sleep well last night. Today, seeing Akado in person at such a close distance, this Ukrainian farmer was shouting wildly.

In the second car, the leader of the SS, General Heydrich, said to his adjutant with emotion, “He just has to wave his hand there, and someone here will faint. If he gives a hint, probably a hundred million people will support him as emperor. See? This is power.”

“Führer! Long live Akado Rudolph!” Various voices began to merge, eventually becoming this one repeated phrase. Akado’s name echoed through the skies of Kiev. Tens, even hundreds of thousands of people were thronging their hero in the streets. If it weren’t for the human wall of the SS, Akado’s car would probably not have been able to reach the viewing stand in a month.

Fanny proudly watched the man she loved deeply wave to the Ukrainians beside him from the car, her eyes filled with a light of admiration and joy. “He looks so exciting right now. I feel my whole body is trembling! Where’s the military band? Send someone to notify them. If they don’t start playing soon, they can prepare their excuses for the SS when they get back.”

Clang! Clang-clang-clang! It didn’t take a minute for the military band to finally remember their duty from their shock. They began to play a stirring piece of music, which made the repeated cheers of Akado’s name less monotonous. But the entire city of Kiev was still boiling for the Führer. A scene that the previous ruler had dreamed of, the next ruler had obtained with ease.

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