Chapter 9: Anna's Kiss

  The menu in front of Zhang Hainuo was printed very beautifully, with hundreds of dishes divided into several categories: appetizers, main courses, soups, and desserts. However, he soon discovered that many dish names had a small label attached to them that read "暂无" (unavailable). The waiter explained that some dishes were only available in spring or winter and couldn't be served now. Some British-style and French-style dishes required ingredients that had to be imported from abroad, but since the war started, Germany's merchants had run out of stock. As for ordinary beefsteaks and pork chops being unavailable, it was because these types of meat, as well as most refined dairy products, were all being processed into canned goods and military rations sent to the front lines in France and Russia. In Germany, no matter who you were, you couldn't get your hands on these "luxury items", just like gasoline!

  It seems Anna has already gotten used to all this, she quietly told Zhang Hainuo that the seafood in this restaurant is very good, then calmly chose a roasted sturgeon as the main course, followed by vegetable salad, seafood soup and apple pie. After simply asking for Zhang Hainuo's opinion, she also ordered a bottle of 1910 Riesling (Germany's most famous white wine, produced in eastern Germany's Hesse).

  When Anna ordered, Zhang Hainuo surprisingly found a "fresh lobster" priced at 36 marks on the menu. In the early 21st century, this price was very cheap, whether domestically or internationally! With a curious mind, Zhang Hainuo asked the waiter how much lobster there was, and the young man gestured that it looked bigger than a face basin. Unfortunately, this was a dinner for two, and Anna had already ordered her main course. Zhang Hainuo had to settle for ordering flower salmon fillet, oyster sauce, and mushroom clam chowder. Out of "professional" instinct, Zhang Hainuo quietly calculated in his heart that, excluding the bottle of wine, this meal was less than 30 marks. It seems that Germany has not yet experienced severe inflation due to war, but maybe it won't be so optimistic in a year or two!

  Although the restaurant was crowded with customers, the serving speed was not slow. The waiter quickly brought white wine, opened it in front of them, and carefully poured it. Next, their appetizers and soup were also served on the table.

  Looking at the fresh and vibrant food in front of him, Zhang Hainuo finally realized how unrefined the food in the sanatorium's large dining hall was.

  "It looks incredibly delicious!"

  "Yes, I've been here several times with the girls and think this is the best-tasting restaurant in town!" Anna picked up her fork, elegantly speared a piece of vegetable coated with sweet sauce from the plate, carefully brought it to her mouth, and showed an extremely enjoyable expression.

  Zhang Hainuo's oyster sauce was also fresh and delicious, but his attention was mostly focused on Anna - after coming to this era, he had never seen a lady eat so elegantly at such close range, which was rarely seen in the school canteen and surrounding restaurants of the 21st century.

  Fortunately, there were only two oysters in the oyster sauce, and before the main course arrived, Zhang Hainuo had quietly sent them into his stomach. Just then, he saw two army officers wearing gray uniforms walking towards this side, and then sat down at the table next to them.

  The one leading said with a speed that surprised people without even looking at the menu:

  "One portion of dried cod, one portion of pickled salmon, one portion of butter squash soup, one portion of corn cream soup, one roasted beetroot, one fish roe sauce, a basket of chestnut bread, and two bottles of beer!"

  "Okay, please wait!"

  Zhang Hainuo and Anna exchanged a smile, apparently two familiar customers with quite an appetite. This was nothing unusual, but the conversation between the two military officers that followed caught Zhang's attention.

  "Hey, do you think that guy will be fired? We lost so many men at Verdun and in the end we got nothing!" one of them whispered to his companion.

  "Hmm, with Your Majesty's temper, I think it's very likely!"

  "Who will replace him?"

  "I think Your Majesty will send someone who was appointed two years ago in a crisis and successfully turned the situation around on the Eastern Front to replace that person!"

  "Oh, you mean... I agree with him, can he really turn the tide of the French front? Just like what he did on the Eastern Front!"

  "It is well known that he and his deputy are a perfectly matched pair of commanders, they have already proven their extraordinary abilities in East Prussia and Russia. I think it won't be long before the army launches a fierce and effective offensive, this time we will fight all the way to Paris!"

  "But let's hope so!" The previous one seemed still very worried and said: "But how can we break through the French and British defense lines?"

  "There must be some way!"

  These words were a bit incoherent and didn't mention anyone's name, but Zhang Hainuo still keenly caught the most important word: Verdun!

  Zhang Haino didn't study history, but as a military enthusiast and German fan, he still had a deep impression of the Battle of Verdun in 1916. The battle, known as the "Verdun Meat Grinder", cost Germany and France nearly half a million people each, and ended with the defeat of the German army. Enraged, Kaiser Wilhelm II dismissed Chief of Staff Falkenhayn and replaced him with Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, whose deputy Erich Ludendorff was appointed as Quartermaster General. This can be said to be a turning point in the ground war of World War I. As the Kaiser and the German parliament abandoned their rights and responsibilities, Hindenburg and Ludendorff played the role of commander-in-chief of the German army for the next two years, but all their efforts failed to change the outcome of the war.

  For the land battles during World War I, Zhang Haino as a latecomer could only suggest "tanks"! Only this weapon can break the stalemate between the two sides relying on trenches and fortifications for a long time. As long as Germany can build tanks before Britain and win in terms of quantity and quality, it is entirely possible to turn the tide of battle! However, the British Mark I tank was already showing its prowess on the Somme River front line at this time, but the German military department was worried that the news would disturb the morale of the soldiers and civilians, so they did not announce it. Not to mention Zhang Haino's ignorance of this, even if he knew, relying on his knowledge and current technical level, it would be difficult for him to let Germany have a batch of reliable and powerful tanks in a short period of time. Moreover, in this strictly hierarchical army, gaining the trust and support of high-level military leaders is by no means an easy task!

  What Zhang Haino is thinking about now is how to change the current predicament of Germany from the navy: abandoning the outdated theory of fleet warfare, playing the reconnaissance and attack roles of submarines, airships and aircraft in naval battles, and then assisting the main force ships to launch rapid and effective attacks. While preserving its own strength as much as possible, it continuously consumes British warships, reduces the gap between the two sides' actual strength differences until it surpasses the opponent. As long as it can break through Britain's maritime blockade, Germany can obtain urgently needed materials from overseas in an uninterrupted flow, cut off Britain's sea transportation line to France, and even launch a landing operation behind the French army's lines.

  To achieve this, the changes that the German Navy needs to make are obviously much smaller than those of the Army. After careful consideration, Zhang Hainuo feels that there is a complete opportunity to change the situation before 1918 through such means, but now the biggest problem is that he does not know how to persuade the high-level officials in Germany. Should he directly tell them that he comes from the future? Or should he submit an earth-shattering strategic plan as an unknown soldier? The consequences of doing so are either being sent to a mental hospital as a madman or being sent to a naval sanatorium for brain damage, and Zhang Hainuo might be more willing to accept the latter.

  "Hey now? Lieutenant Heynau?" Anna called softly.

  "Huh?" When Zhang Hainuo came back to himself, he found that there was still a small piece of fish meat on the fork suspended in mid-air.

  "What's on your mind? You're so absorbed!"

  Nothing, I just thought of a military issue that can't be solved immediately! Sorry about that!" After apologizing, Zhang Hainuo continued to deal with the fish, but after Anna spoke, the two military officers at the next table stopped discussing the matter and instead talked about some interesting things in the military camp. Soon, the waiter brought their meals, and although they weren't rude, they ate very quickly and left before Zhang Hainuo had even finished paying, asking the waiter to pack the remaining half loaf of bread in a paper bag for them to take away.

  "58 marks, thank you!"

  The cost of this meal was a bit beyond Zhang Haino's expectation, he generously gave the other party 60 marks, and the extra was considered as a tip - in such a small restaurant, whether to give tips or not is actually okay, let alone 2 marks at that time could be equivalent to half a day's salary for an ordinary worker.

  On the way to the convalescent home, the two of them strangely didn't speak a word. The moonlight that night was very bright, and visibility was much better than on the evening of the Battle of Jutland. On this sandy road, almost no other vehicles could be seen; one side was flat and quiet open country, while the other side had woods and beaches, all of which were tinged with a faint silver color in the bright moonlight, making people feel as if they were in a beautiful fairy tale kingdom.

  At the last fork in the road, Zhang Hainuo stopped the car. To the left was the entrance to the sanatorium, and to the right was a straight shot to the beach, only two or three kilometers away.

  "Should we head back directly, or... take a walk along the beach?" Zhang Hainuo tried his best to appear more gentlemanly and reliable, as if it wasn't at that level of intimacy yet, for a man and woman to go to the beach alone at night, some trust was indeed needed.

  "What a beautiful night!" Anna pushed open the car door and got out, took a deep breath, then turned around with her back to Zhang Hainuo.

  "Let's go to the seaside together!"

  On a late summer and early autumn seaside night, there were still many small insects on the side of the road making rustling sounds, the gentle and cool sea breeze caressed the faces of the two people, and the air was filled with romantic elements.

  Anna and her companion walked and chatted about their respective childhoods. Anna came from a very ordinary German family, with her father being an officer and her mother working as a typist in a government agency. She was the eldest child, followed by a younger sister and two younger brothers. In her impression of her childhood life, although they didn't live a luxurious life, she felt happy and content when she was with her family. Her mother was very kind and good at cooking, and after work, she could tidy up their small house spotlessly. Due to his job, Anna's father rarely came home, but in her impression, he was a mature, quiet man who gave her a sense of security.

  "My family..." Zhang Hainuo hesitated for a moment, the past life was an indispensable part of his own memory, but now it seemed that he could only silently put them in his heart.

  "My father was a fallen aristocrat, very handsome and gentlemanly, but he spent too much time and money at the card table; my mother came from Bavaria, was a kind and unfortunate person who died of illness when I was still young! After that, my father did not remarry, and I became the only child in this family! I grew up on an estate in Oschersleben in the countryside, where the scenery is very beautiful, with a beautiful river, but I still prefer the sea, and from childhood dreamed of becoming a sailor!"

  "I also love the sea, it's so blue and beautiful, with an unparalleled breadth and depth, and yet it can make you feel a motherly warmth! I think my first important turning point in life was entering the girls' academy in Magdeburg, where I grew up to become a nurse; and the second turning point was coming to this naval sanatorium on Rügen Island, where I get to see the sea every day!"

  "What about the third turning point?" Zhang Hainuo asked with hidden expectation.

  Anna glanced at him and smiled: "It's still unknown now!"

  The road to the beach was not long, and soon they were treading on the soft sand. Just then, Anna suddenly bent down and quickly took off her shoes, walking barefoot with one hand holding her shoes and the other slightly lifting her skirt, taking light steps towards the sea.

  There is no perfection in the world, and Anna isn't that kind of girl who would astonish people at first sight. But Zhang Hainuo has never seen so many things in one woman: elegant, classical quiet beauty; lovely, cute lively beauty; and now, free from constraints, pursuing freedom's beauty.

  Under the moonlight, a girl carrying her shoes strolled on the sandy beach where the seawater occasionally submerged her feet. Although the splashing waves quickly wet her hair, she seemed to be completely carefree. At this moment, Zhang Hainuo appeared somewhat constrained - he was unsure whether he should take off his boots with long laces and socks to join in the fun of playing in the waves, so he could only continue walking coolly by the side, watching Anna enjoying the gentle vastness of the sea.

  The night is still young, but people have already become intoxicated.

  A week later, Zhang Hainuo's injury was fully recovered, and the day of discharge finally arrived.

  Some people say that love during wartime is the most romantic; others say it's the saddest. So, some choose to express their love passionately, while others hide it deep in their hearts.

  "When I return to the military port, I will write to you as soon as possible. If I write to the address of Lugong Island Naval Sanatorium, can you receive it?"

  On the platform of the departing train, Zhang Haino, carrying a large luggage and holding a box of books, spoke in a calm tone, but his heart was like an overturned bottle of five flavors.

  Today, Anna took a special leave to see Zhang Hainuo off. She wore a white long skirt and a hat of the same color with a wide brim, her voice was choked with sobs, but her facial expression was hidden under that big hat, unwilling to be seen by others.

  "Take care! Have a safe trip!"

  "Take good care of yourself, pay attention to rest and don't get too tired! Also, when you encounter those injured people with bad temper, try not to argue with them!" This sentence sounds a bit nagging, but Zhang Hainuo couldn't care about that anymore. He really wanted to pour out his heartfelt words all at once, but the train whistle was already puffing out steam, indicating that the boiler had built up enough pressure and was ready to depart at any moment!

  "Ah, you too, take care!" Anna bowed her head, and all Zhang Haino could see was the beautiful hat on her head, the slightly protruding collarbone, the fair skin there, and a pair of hands wearing white gloves, tightly clenched together.

  Wooooo... Wooooo...

  The long whistle finally sounded, and the staff in uniform on the platform were also shouting loudly "Passengers who have not boarded the train please board quickly, those who are seeing off friends and relatives please get off the train quickly!"

  "I have to go!" If he were a bystander, Zhang Hainuo would definitely think this scene was too mushy, but when it came to playing one of the leading roles himself, his heart felt completely different.

  "Haino..."

  Just as Zhang Hainuo was about to bow, Anna suddenly tiptoed and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.