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Chapter 3135 The Imposter Captain (Part 2)

“Yes, I’ve read that book,” Asya said with a smile, a hint of recollection in her eyes. “It’s a comedy novel, with an absurd yet humorous plot, perfect for passing the time. The author tells a true story in a lighthearted style, making it a delightful read.”

“A comedy novel?!” Sokov was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, raising his eyebrows and showing an incredulous expression. “I read the preface, which mentioned some historical background. I thought it would be a very serious subject, but it turned out to be a comedy.”

Asia paused for a moment, gently shook her head, and continued, "You probably haven't finished reading the prologue yet, have you? The latter half of the prologue actually reveals the comedic nature of the story. After the incident, the German public, upon learning of it, thought it was an April Fool's joke, and some even thought it was a fabricated story. It wasn't until Foigert was arrested that everyone realized it was true, and the whole process was full of drama. In court, the judge sentenced Foigert to four years in prison for unauthorized uniform wearing, public order offenses, unlawful detention, fraud, and forgery, but the events behind these charges were themselves like a farce."

She continued, "After serving less than two years, Emperor Wilhelm II, upon learning of this, laughed heartily, finding Foigert's audacity unbelievable, and thus granted him a pardon. He not only provided him with new identification documents but also returned the fake uniform he wore while impersonating a captain, as if rewarding his 'creativity.' Just four days after his release, a wax museum named after him opened in Berlin's Neukölln district, attracting a large number of curious tourists. Foigert personally signed autographs for visitors in front of the wax museum, becoming a minor local celebrity, which added a comedic element to the story."

Sokov listened in disbelief, and after a long while shook his head and laughed, "The twist in this story is too unexpected! I originally thought it would be a serious historical event, but it turned out to be a carefully orchestrated farce from beginning to end."

Asya bent down and picked up the book on the bed, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the pages: "The book also describes how Foggett was interviewed after his release from prison—he was wearing the fake military uniform that had been returned to him, and he said in a serious tone that he 'just wanted to experience the life of a captain.' His self-righteous manner made even the reporter burst out laughing."

She paused, a sly glint in her eyes: "What's even more interesting is that later a screenwriter adapted this story into a light comedy, starring Fiegert, which toured all over Germany for more than three months, with every performance sold out. Audiences laughed and discussed, saying that Fiegert was simply 'the most mischievous ordinary person.'"

In 1909, Leipzig Publishing House published his autobiography, *Captain Kopenik*. In 1910, he obtained Grand Duchy status in Luxembourg and moved there. He continued to work primarily as a shoemaker, supporting himself comfortably with savings from performances in Germany. He was even the owner of Luxembourg's first car.

Sokov raised an eyebrow: "So it seems that this story is not only a comedy, but also contains a bit of satire on the society at that time?"

Asya nodded: "Yes, the author wrote at the end of the book: 'When absurdity becomes reality, reality becomes absurdity itself.' He probably wanted readers to think about why such a deception could succeed after they had laughed."

Sokov nodded thoughtfully: "I can't wait to finish the whole book and see what other hilarious details there are."

Asya smiled and placed the book in his hands: "Read it slowly, I guarantee you'll find a surprise on every page."

Sokov opened his book, preparing to continue reading the preface he hadn't finished, when a commotion arose at the door. He put down his book, looked towards the door, and asked, "Asia, what's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"

"I don't know." A look of confusion crossed Asiya's face. She walked towards the door, saying, "I'll go see what's going on outside." Seeing Asiya leave, Sokov tentatively got up to see what was happening. But as soon as he sat up, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Worried that any sudden movement would reopen his wound, he obediently lay back down. His gaze was fixed on the doorway, desperately hoping Asiya would return quickly and tell him what had happened.

It took ten or twenty minutes before Asiya slowly returned from outside.

Upon seeing Asya, Sokov eagerly asked, "Asia, what's going on outside?"

Asya sat down beside the bed and said to Sokov, "I heard from the nurses at the nurses' station that the emergency room outside admitted an officer with a gunshot wound. According to his identification, he is a captain in the Odessa garrison..."

Sokov, remembering the novel he was reading, had a sudden thought and immediately interjected, "Asya, you're not going to tell me that his captain is an imposter, are you?"

Asya was taken aback by what she heard, then gave Sokov a thumbs up: "Misha, you're so smart, you guessed the truth right away."

"Asia, tell me quickly, how was his identity exposed?"

"His identity being exposed was actually quite dramatic," Asia continued. "While the emergency room doctor was treating his abdominal wound, an officer entered the emergency room. He saw the doctor treating someone else's wound and was about to leave when he heard the doctor call out the wounded soldier's name."

The officer, who was about to leave, stopped when he heard the doctor call his friend's name. He returned to the emergency bed to check on the wounded soldier receiving treatment, only to find that it was a stranger. Suspicious, he loudly asked who the person was.

Realizing his identity had been exposed, the wounded soldier shoved aside the doctor who was treating his wounds, jumped off the bed, and fled barefoot from the emergency room. The officer, seeing him escape, immediately gave chase. Along the way, he encountered several guards who had heard the commotion, and together they pursued the wounded soldier.

Sokov thought to himself that the floor he was currently staying on consisted of VIP wards, and ordinary people wouldn't just casually enter this floor. The fact that the nurses at the outside nurses' station knew about this so quickly meant that the fake captain had escaped to this floor. However, he didn't interrupt Asya's story, but anxiously waited for her to give her final answer.

"...That man panicked and ran in the wrong direction, somehow ending up on this floor," Asya continued. "His injuries probably flared up, he couldn't run anymore, and was caught by the arriving guards..."

(End of this chapter)