Chapter 6: Retrieving "Memories"

  Rügen, the largest island in northeastern Germany, has a mild climate and beautiful scenery, making it an ideal place for leisure and vacation. As a result, there are many royal palaces and villas on the island, as well as a sanatorium for German naval officers.

  The German High Seas Fleet, which returned from the Battle of Jutland, although it did not break through the British naval strategic blockade, won a tactical victory with its bravery and tactics, making this fleet and its officers and men proud of the nation. The participants in the war were rewarded in various forms, and on the list of promotions and honors, Heinrich von Finkenstein's name was listed. Because he served as torpedo officer on the Seydlitz during his tenure, he was wounded in battle but continued to fight, and was promoted to naval lieutenant, while also receiving one Iron Cross First Class and one Royal Wound Badge.

  Soon, the heavily damaged Sedlitz was sent to the dock for major repairs, and Lieutenant Heino, who was also seriously injured, was taken to the naval sanatorium on Rügen Island as a wounded hero. After an initial period of adaptation, Zhang Heino quickly got used to everything in this era, no mobile phones, no computers, no internet, traditional furnishings, traditional food and nurses wearing long skirts...

  "Hey, old buddy, you're really enjoying yourself here!"

  At the time of speaking, Lieutenant Edwin, who was the first person Zhang Hainuo met when he came to this era, glanced at the young nurse who had just walked by. Zhang Hainuo has been here for almost a month, and this guy who is said to be as close as a brother finally took leave to visit him, but now he seems more interested in these nurses than his own injuries.

  "Comfortable? Can't eat fish and shrimp, can't drink wine, and have to get injections every day! Oh my god, I swear I've never had so many injections in my life. Don't believe me? Look at my butt..." Zhang Hainuo said, making a gesture as if he was about to pull down his pants for Edwin to see, scaring the guy into frantically waving his hands.

  "Alright, I don't want to be misunderstood by others! If I had a choice, I'd rather get hurt like you, get promoted two ranks, receive medals and leisurely lie here every day getting injections from beautiful nurse!"

  "Weren't you also promoted and awarded the Iron Cross?"

  "Ah, I'm a naval lieutenant now, and you? Hauptmann von Fenkenstein, shouldn't I salute you?" Edwin laughed as he pulled out a bottle from the bag he brought with him. "In our days at the Naval Academy, you were the only one who could drink me under the table! Tsk tsk! You really haven't had a drop in a month? I don't believe it! Here, top-notch whiskey to help you replenish your stash!"

  Was I so fond of drinking in the past? Zhang Hainuo asked himself in his heart, but no one answered.

  "Uh, thanks, Edwin, my best friend! But... I think I have to tell you a secret! A little secret!" Zhang Hainuo bit his lip with his teeth, sneaking a peek at Edwin's reaction.

  "Alright! What other secrets don't I know about?" Edvin said nonchalantly.

  "Really, listen to me!" Zhang Hainuo motioned for the other person to lean in closer, then said in a low voice: "This injury made me lose part of my memory!"

  "Lost your memory?" Edwin almost shouted out loud, fortunately Zhang Hainuo covered his mouth with his left hand.

  "Shh... Do they think they can kick me out of the Navy as an amnesiac?"

  Upon hearing Zhang Hainuo's words, Edwin calmed down, but his eyes still showed a hint of doubt.

  "Von Fenkenstein, lieutenant, you're not joking with me, are you?"

  Zhang Hainuo shook his head very seriously.

  Edwin moved his stool closer and looked around cautiously to make sure no one was listening before asking in a very low voice, "Do you remember who you are?"

  "Heyno von Finkenstein, that's what I remembered!" Zhang Heyno didn't want the other party to see through him completely, but he had to rely on him to learn more about his own situation.

  "How old are you now? Who is your father?" Edwin continued to ask.

  About his own age, Zhang Hainuo had already seen it on the officer's certificate.

  "I was born in May 1895, and I just turned 21 this year! My father is... old Fenken... uh... the impression is a bit vague!" Zhang Hainuo closed his eyes, pretending to be very strenuous in searching through his memories.

  "Count von Finkenstein, a true gentleman, whose only fault was that he spent too much time at the card table, leaving you with nothing but the title of baron and a small, old estate when he passed away!" Edwin said this with a helpless shake of his head.

  "Then who is your mother?"

  "I... I only remember her face, name... seems very long?"

  "Hmm, it's very long, so long that even I can't remember! All I know is that your mother was from Bavaria and also your uncle, they all had the surname of Lorenz, what I mean is before your mother married your father!"

  It's clear that Edwin basically believes Zhang Hainuo's "amnesia" now.

  "Alright, tell me what you want to know and see if I can help you recover those lost memories!"

  Zhang Hainuo and others are just waiting for this sentence.

  "Let's talk about my family! The Fünke family! Uh... who else is in my family?"

  "That was a family with a long history, Albrecht von Finkenstein, remember? You used to tell me that he was the Field Marshal of the Kingdom of Prussia in the early 18th century and your family is his descendant! It seems that from your grandfather's father's generation, your family started to decline but still kept the military tradition! As for your family... I think there's an old steward, two or three servants in your small estate, right? And you also have a fiancée, Finna! Remember?"

  "Unmarried wife?" Zhang Haino was shocked, but he quickly calmed down and shook his head to indicate that he had already "lost" this memory.

  "What about the naval school? The naval school you just mentioned!"

  "You can't have forgotten that?!" Edwin's expression was one of utter astonishment and incomprehension, as if it should be etched in Haino's memory forever.

  "Prussian Naval School?" Zhang Haino asked tentatively, in fact he didn't know what naval academies existed in Germany during the time of William II.

  "My God..." Edwin's face contorted in extreme pain, "It was the Kiel Naval School, and our most revered alumnus is Admiral von Tirpitz!"

  "Ah……” Zhang Haino put on an innocent face, Admiral von Tirpitz, what a distant yet familiar name, he was the one who created the German Empire's High Seas Fleet in history, but was powerless to change the ultimate fate of this fleet.

  Edwin asked hesitantly after a moment of silence, "Haino, you haven't forgotten what we learned in naval school, have you?"

  "I didn't want it to be like this either, but that's indeed the current situation!"

  Zhang Hainuo let out a deep sigh, he had always not put all his hopes and trust in one person, but it seemed that there was no better way at the moment. Besides, this Edwin didn't seem like the kind of person who would betray his friends either.

  "My God! How can this be?" Edwin covered his face with his hand, as if he had just heard news of a good friend's misfortune.

  "Edwin, you have to help me! Only you can help me!" Zhang Hainuo suddenly stretched out his left hand and grabbed the other's arm.

  "Rest assured, Heinrich, I'll definitely help you with this! I know a young lady whose father is a renowned brain specialist in Berlin..."

  "No, Edwin, you don't understand what I mean!" Zhang Hainuo interrupted him, saying in a low but forceful tone: "The best doctors here have already examined me and there's nothing wrong! You can't possibly let those doctors pry open my skull to examine the brain matter inside! Edwin, that's no different from killing me directly!"

  "Calm down! Calm down! Let me think for a moment!" Edwin rubbed his head, thinking and sorting out the matter:

  "You're saying you lost your memory due to a severe concussion, but after the doctor's examination, they said there was nothing wrong!"

  "Yes!" Zhang Hainuo replied very affirmatively. In fact, except for the small scar left on his forehead on the left side, there was not a single problem with his head.

  "Have you told your doctor about your memory loss?"

  "Of course not, do you want to strip me of my military rank and send me to a mental hospital?" Zhang Hainuo exaggeratedly grasped at his throat, but his voice was not loud enough for others to hear.

  "Where's the problem?" Edwin still looked puzzled.

  "Listen, Edwin, I've thought about it for a long time. Now the most important thing is not how to retrieve those lost memories of mine, because they may be gone forever!" Zhang Hainuo stared straight into Edwin's eyes until those blue eyes showed a reluctant agreement, before he continued:

  "The doctor said my injury is recovering well, and I'll be able to return to the team in six or seven weeks. But now, I'm completely clueless about professional and tactical things, it's as if I've never been to that Kiel naval school!"

  "And then there's the Sedlitz, you spent three years on that battleship, I think you've forgotten all about it!" Edwin added with a helpless but kind tone.

  "That's right! So I must re-master all the things that have been leaked during this period of time! Edwin, now only you can help me!" Zhang Hainuo looked at his opponent sincerely, although Edwin almost jumped out of his chair after hearing these words.

  "Are you crazy? How can you possibly master so many things in six or seven weeks?! Torpedo construction and performance, torpedo technology, torpedo maintenance and use, and those experiences that must be accumulated over time, no one can master these in such a short period of time, nobody!"

  Zhang Hainuo looked at the other person with a mixture of amusement and helplessness as he counted out the things to be learned, "I know this, but I must try my best! Edwin, how about this? Can you find me the textbooks we used in naval school, and also, I need a manual on torpedo usage for warships that's as detailed as possible? Can you do it?"

  Edwin snorted like a bull for a while before calming down and agreeing to Zhang Hainuo's request.

  "Alright, Heino, maybe you really do have extraordinary intelligence, but even if it's not possible, that's okay. We can stay on the Sedlitz forever. Don't worry, no one will give you a hard time there, and I'll do everything I can to help you!"

  "Thank you!" This was Zhang Hainuo's heartfelt words.

  Edwin left, and three days later he reappeared in front of Zhang Hainuo with a whole box of books. Later, Zhang Hainuo learned that Edwin had run to many places to gather these materials, which delayed his return trip. In the highly disciplined German Navy, being late was a serious offense, but fortunately it was wartime and the Seydlitz was still in dry dock, so the officer on duty showed mercy and only locked up Edwin for a week of solitary confinement.

  On the other hand, Zhang Hainuo began to study day and night on his sickbed. He soon discovered that the economic knowledge he brought from the future was of no use at all. At first, the various line graphs and dense explanatory texts in the textbooks made him dizzy, but with a desperate mindset, he still persisted. One page after another, one book after another, he finished reading "Principles of Torpedo Technology" in the first week, followed by "Torpedo Warfare" and "How to Become a Qualified Commander". By the third week, he unexpectedly received a letter from Edwin, which casually described his life at the military academy and on the Sedlitz, along with a few photos of the two of them together. This moved Zhang Hainuo for a long time.

  As time went by, the number of books left in the box decreased, while the letters Zhang Hainuo received and his own notes piled up higher and higher. The nurse ladies couldn't help but "praise" him whenever they changed his dressing or gave him injections. However, although they praised him, few nurses took the initiative to tidy up these things when they were on duty.