cicada

Chapter 1505 Bargaining
On the streets of the mountain city, several Kuomintang agents stood or walked around the bookstore, their wary eyes scanning every passerby and vehicle.

Dozens of meters away from them, Gui Youguang picked up the three intelligence reports provided by Skorzeny, looked up and called out the other party's name.

“Otto, I can’t make that decision, after all, you’re a wanted man by the Allies.”

This statement sounded somewhat like an excuse, but Skorzeny remained very calm, showing neither anger nor any change in expression, simply waiting quietly for what was to come.

He knew very well that the Allies were hunting down German war criminals, and it would be suspicious if the people of the Republic of China agreed to recruit him without a second thought.

Gui Youguang paused for a moment and continued, "However, I can introduce you to my superior officer. What do you think?"

"Moreover, you will still keep the documents before the deal is finalized, which shows our sincerity in cooperating. I really hope to work alongside you in the future."

As he spoke, Gui Youguang pushed the file bag back, seemingly completely unconcerned about this priceless intelligence.

This is a communication skill. Skorzeny is now like a frightened bird; any slight movement will arouse the other party's vigilance and strong reaction, so he must make a statement.

More importantly, Gui Youguang did not believe that an experienced professional soldier would not have left behind a backup plan, and the authenticity of these three documents is questionable.

On the other side, Skorzeny shrugged upon hearing this: "Of course, I look forward to meeting General Dai and General Zuo. As for the documents, please keep them, sir."

When Gui Youguang heard the other party mention the names of the two bureau chiefs and himself, he was not surprised at all. There had been military cooperation between China and Germany, so the German intelligence system could naturally find the relevant information.

"Okay, nice to work with."

Gui Youguang extended his right hand and shook hands with Skorzeny. The two smiled at each other, their laughter gradually drowning out the noise of the city.

At No. 29 Luojiawan, Zuo Zhong also received news that someone had sent a letter to Gui Youguang. He stroked his chin and thought for a moment, and guessed the sender's identity as well.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. After Germany's defeat, a large number of soldiers, scientists, and even politicians were looking for a way out. Skorzeny was not the first, nor the last.

He can give the other party a chance, provided that Skorzeny demonstrates sufficient value; the Military Intelligence Bureau does not tolerate idlers.

As Zuo Zhong was thinking, He Yijun knocked on the door and came in to report two things: "Deputy Chief, the Second Division has discovered some situations in the city."

“An old friend of ours also sent a coded message. Someone has secretly infiltrated the mountain city through her channels. The other party’s purpose is currently unknown. Should we send someone to eliminate them?”

Following He Yijun's report, two reports were placed on the table. Zuo Zhong picked them up and looked at them, his brows instantly furrowing.

It turned out that the Second Division, which was in charge of counter-espionage, discovered during routine screening that several men were using false identities. The number and characteristics of these men matched the intelligence from that old friend, so they seemed to be the same group of people.

After a long silence, Zuo Zhong shook his head: "No need. We'll deal with this later. If You Guang comes back, have him come find me."

"Yes, Vice-Captain."

He Yijun saluted and turned to leave, but as soon as she went downstairs, she saw Gui Youguang rushing into the headquarters. She immediately relayed Zuo Zhong's order to him.

"Okay, I'll go to the vice-captain's office now."

Gui Youguang dashed up the stairs, and the junior agents along the way quickly made way for him, secretly wondering what major event had occurred.

Less than half an hour later, Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang left the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters by car. After driving around the city a few times, the convoy arrived at an inconspicuous little hotel.

In the hotel room, Skorzeny looked at the legendary Kuomintang intelligence ace, Zuo Zhong, and said the following words with a wry smile.

“Mr. Zuo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. To be frank, you’re not quite what I expected.”

Zuo Zhong raised his hand to gesture for him to sit down, and then joked, "Haha, are you disappointed? I'm just an ordinary person."

Skorzeny's reply was direct: "I thought you would be stronger, like those guys in the Imperial Security Service."

This made Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang smile. Zuo Zhong pointed to his head and replied, "I prefer using my wisdom to my muscles. Okay, let's get back to business."

His expression turned serious, and Skorz tensed up, instinctively sitting up straight and listening intently to the other's instructions.

"I can introduce you to a new job with excellent pay, enough to support your family, but it comes with some risks."

Zuo Zhong's voice was very soft, but Skorzeny understood the implication: this General Zuo seemed unwilling to recruit him into the Military Intelligence Bureau. Before Skorzeny could ask, Zuo Zhong continued.

“I want to hire you for my personal services. In addition to a monthly salary of $2000, you will receive a bonus for each task you complete.”

Skorz's pupils contracted sharply. Hiring professional soldiers privately is an extremely sensitive matter in any country, and this General Zuo's ambitions seem rather grand.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Can I ask about the location and content of the work? I don't want to harm ordinary people or innocent people." Zuo Zhong was a little speechless. What did this guy think he was? A born killer? But he still patiently explained.

"Don't worry, I won't make you do anything that would violate military honor. Your future work locations will be all over the world, and the job content will be very simple."

"First, to help me train new recruits; second, to carry out certain offensive missions. The enemy could be soldiers or professional intelligence personnel from any country."

Skorzneh breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately became concerned about another matter: what price Zuo Zhong would offer for his surrender.

It wasn't that he was greedy; he just wanted to know if the other party truly valued him. As a soldier who had been abandoned before, Skorzeny didn't want to be abandoned again.

Zuo Zhong sensed the other party's thoughts, smiled slightly, and without beating around the bush, gave Skorzeny several huge surprises.

“Otto, I never mistreat my own people. As long as you are willing to serve me, I can use my connections in the Military Intelligence Bureau to help your family leave Germany and go to a third country.”

"They will have new identities and new lives, and neither the Allies nor anyone else will be able to find them."

"Secondly, once you find those treasures you mentioned, you'll receive at least one percent of the profits. Don't think it's a small amount, since digging requires investment."

"Finally, when you demonstrate sufficient loyalty, I will recommend you to join the organization, a world you cannot even imagine."

At this point, Zuo Chong spread his arms wide and emphasized his words, which were highly persuasive.

But Skorzeny's reaction was lukewarm. When it comes to incitement, who can compare to the Führer who died in the bunker? He was immune to such words.

He cared more about his family's safety and dividends than about vague promises, which showed him the sincerity of the people in the Republic of China era.

Since that's the case, there's no need to hesitate any longer. Skorzeny stood up, bowed to Zuo Zhong, and said, "Boss."

With a slight gesture of support from his left hand, Otto's smile remained unchanged: "Hehe, welcome to the team, but before that, we need to resolve a few minor issues."

He made a gesture with his thumb and forefinger that enraged the Koreans. Skorzeny was taken aback, and Zuo Zhong's explanation rang in his ears again.

“A few hours ago, my men told me that a group of people had secretly infiltrated the mountain city and were now living not far from here.”

"If I'm not mistaken, these people's target is you, or more precisely, the information you possess about the Imperial Treasure."

Skorzeny was shocked and immediately asked about the other person's identity. He had been very careful during his trip to the Republic of China and no one should know his whereabouts.

Zuo Zhong didn't keep them in suspense and softly uttered a German word: "Judas."

This answer puzzled Skorzeny even more; it didn't make sense that the Jews would know he had information about the treasure.

In fact, if it weren't for receiving the telegram from Giselle Roy (section 609, the clue planted during the German mission, the little Jewish girl), Zuo Zhong would not have believed that the Jews had their eyes on Skorzeny.

After rescuing Gisele Roy from Germany, Zuo Zhong supported her to become the head of the Roy family and provided her with a great deal of assistance.

He did this to plant a seed in the Zionist movement—that group would contact all Jewish merchants to obtain more funding for their activities.

As Zuo Zhong predicted, the revitalized Roy family did indeed attract the attention of the Judah Zionist organization, and Giselle Roy successfully infiltrated its upper echelons, serving as its liaison in the Asian region.

A few days ago, the Zionist organization gave Gisele Roy a mission, asking her to assist a group of people in infiltrating the Republic of China, but did not mention the reason.

Fearing surveillance, Gisele Roy waited several days before reporting the matter to Shancheng. This was the content of the second secret telegram that He Yijun handed over to Zuo Zhong.

Zuo Zhong didn't understand why the Jews wanted to infiltrate the mountain city until he learned about Skorzeny's first gift, and many things suddenly became clear.

The Zionist organization may have long been eyeing the German treasure and those who knew about it, so as soon as Skorzeny arrived in the mountain town, Jewish assassins came one after another.

No wonder a certain country will continue to hunt down high-ranking German officials. The excuse of avenging their compatriots is just that—an excuse. Only money matters.

Zuo Zhong thus came to a darker speculation: Who was pushing the German war machine? And in whose hands did the wealth of ordinary Jews ultimately fall?

Could World War II have been a different kind of wealth-harvesting operation?

But whatever the answer is, the Judas agents who have infiltrated the mountain city must be eliminated, and Skorzeny himself must do it.

Zuo Zhong didn't explain much to the other party, but directly handed over a note with the location of the Jewish people's settlement, as well as their personnel and weapon configuration.

Skorzeny knew this was his pledge of allegiance, so he took the note without hesitation and left the room with Gui Youguang.