Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2621 I may not be as skilled, but I'll steal! (First update, please subscribe)
Bonn, May.

Although West Germany was at the forefront of the Cold War, ordinary people had long been accustomed to living under the confrontation of the Cold War.

Even though wars and conflicts are taking place in the Middle East and elsewhere, they have no impact here. Even though the nature of warfare has changed dramatically there, sparking heated discussions among military experts from around the world, it all seems too distant for ordinary people.

The Cold War continues, but life must go on.

As dusk fell, many streets in Bonn came alive once again, with discos and beer halls always bustling with customers.

Spring arrives, and all things revive, including people.

In the twilight, a figure walked under the streetlights. He was dressed neatly but somewhat stiffly, looking distinctly different from those who went out to enjoy the nightlife.

Soon, he walked into a bookstore.

Inside the bookstore, the man walked to the bookshelf, searching for books while adjusting his black-rimmed glasses. Just then, the bookstore owner approached.

"Hans, the book you wanted is here."

As he spoke, he turned and went through an inconspicuous side door. Behind the door was a small storage room, and the air was filled with the smell of old paper.

A man named Hans followed closely behind. As he went in, he glanced outside the bookstore and saw nothing unusual.

As a KGB intelligence agent stationed in Bonn, his public identity was that of a professor at the University of Bonn.

The bookstore owner who entered first was named Andrei, who was the technical head of the intelligence station, and this place was their base.

"Boss, have you been watching the news lately?"

Hans sat down, then nodded and said.

"Of course... I can't believe that the way Western countries wage war has evolved to this extent."

"Stealth fighters, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, it all sounds like something out of a science fiction movie."

Surprised, Andrei took a thick stack of documents from a nearby bookshelf and said:

"They have both large drones and small unmanned attack aircraft. But that's not the point. The point is the entire warfare system they've built—with early warning aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft at its core—to seize information and electronic control of the battlefield first. Electronic warfare aircraft can directly interfere with the enemy's communications and radar, and even if the enemy launches electronic jamming, they can suppress it in return."

He paused, his tone becoming serious:
"What's even more frightening is the long-range unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, which can fly for fifty or sixty hours and provide real-time battlefield intelligence 24 hours a day."

In other words, on the battlefield, they are like eyes that never close. These armed drones can remain in the airspace for extended periods, ready to strike any target they spot. If they encounter a swarm of targets, they will deploy dozens or even hundreds for a saturation attack.

While he was explaining these circumstances, Hans had already begun to look through the documents he had been given:
"Did you get this information from the base?"

"Yes, the West German army is also developing this new tactic. They have already purchased 12 'Searcher drones' and plan to purchase no fewer than 150 more. That's hundreds of unmanned attack aircraft, which is even more threatening than hundreds of tanks. They can easily destroy a tank division."

Hans frowned as he looked at the photo of the German drone unit training.

As a former soldier who had served in armored forces, he understood better than anyone the significance of tank corps in modern warfare.

"Since World War II, tank corps decisive battles have always been our advantage, and the deep battle theory is the foundation for us to deter Western countries and ensure battlefield superiority."

His voice sounded somewhat heavy:

"But under this system, our tank formations are very likely to become sitting ducks on the battlefield—drones have a wide reconnaissance range, can use anti-tank missiles to carry out long-range strikes on tanks, and do not need to consider personnel casualties, and can completely deplete our armored forces at any cost."

"Yes, its cost is even cheaper than a tank. Even if it's just one tank for every tank we have to replace, we can't afford to keep up with the demand."

Andrei's words made Hans's expression even more unpleasant. He was silent for a moment, then said:
"The assessment report from Moscow has been released, and this new warfare system poses a deadly threat to our deep operations."

If we cannot find a countermeasure, in a few years, our proud armored forces may not even have a chance to fight back against the US military's drone swarms.

Moreover, we also face further threats from the West. Whether they will launch an attack on our motherland after gaining battlefield superiority is unpredictable.

A brief silence fell over the room. Neither of them spoke, while Andrei silently lit a cigarette.

They left their homes and infiltrated this country under false identities to protect their homeland, but what about now?

The threats facing the nation are even greater than in the past.

"So, what should we do now?"

Hans took a deep breath, looked at his subordinate, took a drag of his cigarette, and then said:
We need to accomplish an impossible task!

"Impossible?"

Andrei paused for a moment, then said:

"Are you trying to get a drone?"

Almost instinctively, I understood my mission: to acquire a drone. After all, this was what they had always excelled at.

Since they didn't have such things themselves, they had to steal them from others. This was precisely what the KGB excelled at, and it was also one of their missions abroad: to bring advanced foreign technology back to China.

But this time, it seems a bit unlikely, after all, it is an airplane no matter what.

Stealing a plane... that sounds pretty unrealistic.

“You’re right. It needs to be complete, and preferably functional,” Hans emphasized.
"Only by obtaining the physical object can our researchers disassemble and study its navigation system, communication frequency, and control system, thereby finding its weaknesses and developing countermeasures. For example, interfering with its control signals, or damaging its navigation accuracy, or even directly hijacking its control."

Andrei frowned, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and began to consider the feasibility of the mission.

At that moment, he heard Hans say:

“Our friends in East Germany provided us with intelligence that West Germany had deployed six Searcher drones at an air force base on the outskirts of Bonn, which they had purchased from the SEA two years ago.”

Security at this base is relatively weak; this is our only chance.

"That's probably very difficult!"

Andrei said:
“Even if those bases have the weakest security, they still have multiple security measures—fences, military dogs, surveillance, and armed patrols. Stealing a drone silently is as difficult as pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. If we fail, we... might all be caught!”

"This...is our duty!"

Hans was silent for a moment, then said:

"Let's look at the plan first."

As he spoke, he had already taken out a map.

Andrei leaned closer to the map, carefully observing the layout of the base—the entrance, the walls, the hangar locations, the patrol routes, the blind spots in the surveillance—every detail was clearly marked.

Although the target was very clear, these details didn't offer them much help, since their goal was to steal a drone from a German military base.

"According to official data, the Searcher drone has a wingspan of 10.2 meters, a length of 6.4 meters, a height of 2.5 meters, and an empty weight of approximately 600 kilograms..."

Muttering these data, Andrei said:

“My God, I really can’t imagine how we’re going to steal it.”

"Thank God."

Hans pulled out a photograph and said:
"This is a tactical drone. To facilitate its use and transport on the battlefield, SEA's aerospace engineers specially designed its wings to be detachable and reassembled."

We can remove its wings, then use a trolley to move it near the barbed wire fence, and from there use a makeshift crane to lift it onto the aircraft.

While listening to his superior's instructions, Andrei mentally rehearsed the operation:

"After infiltrating, we might need to deal with the guards at the hangar entrance before we can enter the hangar,"

"When the time comes, Rangel will take care of him."

Ranger was the one in the task force who did both the wet and dry work, which meant he was responsible for eliminating targets.

"Also, regarding the credentials, we need someone to go inside the base first to scout ahead, and ideally, someone inside should be there to meet us."

“Our friends in East Germany will assist us. They have people in the base, and he will join the mission team.”

For many years, East Germany had been infiltrating West Germany. Their infiltration was successful and comprehensive, and basically the entire West Germany had been turned into a sieve.

Nodding, Andrei thought for a moment, then looked at the documents again and said:

"We also have to shut down its satellite positioning module, otherwise the Germans will find it and they will use GPS to locate the plane. Even if we succeed, we may not be able to get it out of here."

"I know this."

Hans nodded and said:
"Moscow had already prepared specialized jamming equipment in advance. After we obtained the drone, they activated the jamming equipment to cut off its connection with the satellite."

And so, the two of them continued to refine their plan until finally, when everything was over...

Hans looked at Andrei, a hint of worry in his eyes:
“Andrei, this mission is extremely risky. If it is exposed, not only will you and your team be in mortal danger, but it will also trigger a series of diplomatic crises. Considering our current détente with West Germany, Lubyanka’s intention is... if the operation fails, they will not acknowledge our identities in order to keep it a secret.”

Andrei certainly understood the meaning of "not admitting" their mistake—it meant that once exposed, they would not only receive no support, but also would not be exchanged. Therefore, they would have to deal with themselves after being exposed.

That is, suicide or being killed by the Germans.

Andrei nodded slightly. From the day he arrived in this country, he had already disregarded life and death.

"I understand the risks involved."

Having said that, he stood up and said with a smile:

"Actually, I really want to go home. After this mission is completed, I can go home soon."

He said that because he knew very well that he would likely be exposed after the mission was completed.

In this situation, returning to Moscow became the best option.

For an agent who has been operating overseas for many years, this is not a bad thing, after all, going home is their common desire.

"I hope...we can meet again in Moscow."

(End of this chapter)