Chapter 49 Confrontation

  "It's just right that I'm back in my hometown for a holiday, and I also heard that Miss Feina is back from Berlin. It's reasonable to come visit her as soon as possible. I've been putting it off until now, which makes me feel a bit guilty. I hope Miss Feina can forgive me!"

  Zhang Hainuo's words made the pale-faced young man's face even more unsightly, as he had just said in a tone that was not very good: "I heard that the navy has been active in the Baltic Sea recently, and I didn't expect the baron to have time to come to this remote villa." This obviously meant that he was unwelcome. However, the navy was still secretly mobilizing its fleet to prepare for departure to the Menghai Strait region, and these inland nobles and merchants already knew the inside story. Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but worry about the country's secrecy system. He remembered that during World War II, Germany suffered heavy losses because the Allies had mastered the Enigma code-breaking technology. If he were to come to power, he would definitely not let such a tragedy happen again!

  Zhang Hainuo's four words "upon emotion and reason" cleverly defeated the pale-faced man - after all, he was still Fiona's nominal fiancé, while he, Baron Eberhard von Friescher, Senior Commissioner of the Imperial Ministry of Industry, could only be considered a noble guest here, but no matter how noble the guest, he was still just a guest.

  "Baron, you're too kind!" Fiona's response was still lukewarm.

  "Are your uncle and aunt doing well recently?" Zhang Hainuo had asked Hastings before, that Finn's parents were in good health, and there were two older brothers at home, both of whom were helping to manage the family business.

  "Thank you, Lord Baron, for your concern. My parents are all doing well recently!"

  "That's great! Miss Anna, if it's convenient for you, please also convey my most sincere respects to them!"

  Fiona didn't show any impatience with such polite conversation. Since that was the case, Zhang Hainuo didn't mind saying a bit more, not to try to get close to this ice beauty, but to see the face of Little White Face who wanted to explode but couldn't. To be honest, this kid's patience was really too poor, Zhang Hainuo didn't even bother to put him in the position of a competitor, let alone that he hadn't planned on pursuing Miss Fiona at all.

  "I will! Baron, if it's convenient for you, please stay and have dinner with me. I'll get the servants to prepare your guest room!"

  Fiona's words were very polite, but Zhang Hainuo's attention was on the little white face. The guy was staring at him with a deadly gaze. Unfortunately, when Zhang Hainuo and Fiona were talking, he couldn't find an opportunity to interrupt. However, he still gave the three princes with a small braid a look, before Zhang Hainuo could respond, the third prince of the steel industry giant, Baron Heleng, said in a strange tone:

  "Our Baron is a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, and living on a warship is much safer than this castle! Baron, if I may ask, are those the Fourth Class Order of the Red Eagle and the First Class Iron Cross you're wearing? Oh, it's truly magnificent, I've heard that only tens of thousands of people in all of Germany have received the Iron Cross and the Order of the Red Eagle!"

  Hundreds of thousands of people?

  What Xiaomao said is not bad, from the outbreak of war in 1914 to now, there are tens of millions of people who have received first and second-class Iron Cross medals and various Red Eagle medals. But behind them, there are tens of millions of martyrs! That is to say, the cost of getting each medal is not only sweat and blood, but also many familiar and unfamiliar comrades!

  These completely irresponsible remarks made Zhang Haino feel a surge of blood, he really wanted to rush over and let the other party take a closer look at each scar on his body, and then throw him onto the battlefield to see the real blood and fire, life and death, but he endured. He was not worthy of competing with such a dandy young master, nor was the other party worthy!

  Zhang Hainuo proudly puffed out his chest and raised his head high, saying:

  "It is my great honor to be one of the tens of thousands! As a torpedo officer on board SMS Seydlitz, I participated in the Battle of Jutland and was severely wounded, earning me an Iron Cross First Class and a Jutland Medal; as a U-boat commander, I sank British ships totaling tens of thousands of tons, earning me a Red Eagle Order Fourth Class! Every single one of these achievements was earned with sweat and blood, and I am guilt-free!"

  Zhang Haino's cold and stern gaze stunned Xiaobian, who was already shocked and couldn't say anything. In 1917 Germany, even people who rarely came into contact with newspapers had heard of the great name of Sedlitz, and heard about those German submarines that traversed the oceans.

  People don't necessarily respect those with wealth and power, but they respect heroes!

  People don't necessarily worship those who are in power and prosperous, but they worship heroes!

  The air in the room had solidified, and all that could be heard was the faint crackling of the firewood burning in the fireplace. Xiao Bai Lian and Xiao Jiazi didn't dare to look directly at Zhang Hainuo, and even the Ice Beauty cast him a strange glance.

  "To be able to serve on the Unsinkable Ship and participate in the Battle of Jutland, to command a submarine that makes the British tremble with fear as it gallops across the ocean - what an enviable and admirable thing! Baron, please accept my most sincere respects!"

  Zhang Hainuo looked up to see the deadlock broken by a young man with his hair combed into two parts, who slightly nodded at Zhang after their eyes met.

  The young man threw a complaining glance at his companion, but in the face of this powerful fact, he had nothing to say. Not to mention that his father was the deputy minister of industry, even if he were the prime minister, he would still have to respect the soldiers who fought and bled on the front lines. This is both the tradition of Prussia and the tradition of Germany!

  No matter whether this person was being sincere or just trying to save face, Zhang Hainuo still responded politely:

  "Thank you!"

  At this time, her cherry lips opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something but suddenly didn't know what to say.

  At this moment, Zhang Hainuo did not expect her understanding or appreciation. He inherited Haino's body, but not his love. In his heart, the kind and gentle Anna was the one who truly deserved his love - in the hopeless situation of returning to his own era, he had indeed begun to consider spending the rest of his life in this era!

  "Miss Fei Na, everyone, I still have things to attend to and can't stay long, please excuse me! Miss Fei Na, thank you for your kind invitation, please convey my respects to Uncle, Auntie, and the two brothers, goodbye!"

  Since they have different values and ways of doing things, there's no point in staying any longer. As for the engagement, Zhang Haino thought it would be better to wait for a more opportune moment next time.

  Without waiting for the beautiful iceberg woman to make a move, Zhang Hainuo strode out of the room in large steps. All the way, he was thinking that Xiao Bailian and Xiao Bianzi, those two young masters, were not good people, and he really didn't know whether Fen Na was with them because of family business needs or shared interests. If it was the former, then it could be understood, but if it was the latter, as the saying goes "birds of a feather flock together", then the inner world beneath her beautiful appearance could be imagined.

  As Zhang Hainuo rode the horse carriage away from Lübeck Manor, he suddenly felt that although this manor was beautiful, it lacked a certain inner temperament. Fink Manor may be old and worn out, but it gave people a very warm feeling!