Chapter One: New Life

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  Even if we all fall in battle, Germany will live on!

  In the coming bitter years, setting an example is more important than living!

  In early May 1945, French Resistance leader Charles de Gaulle set out from Paris and drove to Berlin to attend the German surrender ceremony. At that moment, his heart was filled with nothing but a desire for revenge. However, when he arrived at his destination, his vengeful mood vanished. From the moment he crossed the Franco-German border, he no longer saw a single intact city, village, or even building. Except for women, children, and the elderly, he did not see a single healthy adult male. As the Europeans say: The Germans fought a war that lasted 12 minutes past five; they paid a terrible price for their sins.

  More than 20 years later, two Soviet writers visited a small town in West Germany with only tens of thousands of people. In the center of the town square stood a monument, through which they learned that when the war broke out, the town sent more than ten thousand sons to the front line and formed a division. During the war, this division suffered three devastating blows, and the townspeople replenished it three times. By the end of the war, more than 30,000 people never returned, leaving behind only one sentence engraved on the monument: "Even if we all die in battle, Germany will still exist." The small town was just a microcosm of wartime Germany.

  In September 1939, the total population of Germany was only 80 million, including all Germans in Austria and Czech Sudetenland. Yet this mere 80 million people managed to mobilize 17 million men during the war. From the scorching equator to the icy Arctic, from the Pyrenees to the distant Volga River, 6 million of Germany's best sons and daughters died on the soil of more than 50 countries.

  Certain age groups, such as boys born between 1918 and 1923, were almost entirely wiped out.

  ……

  If there were ifs, then maybe everything would be different...

  ……

  May 12, 1915 was a wonderful day for the Strack family. After ten years of marriage between Herr von Strack and Liliana, the long-awaited heir to the family was finally born amidst the anticipation of the entire family.

  Mrs. Lilliana, who had just given birth, was overjoyed and hugged the little one tightly, despite her weak body, she sincerely thanked God for giving her a healthy baby. Her husband, Hal-von-Stark, stood beside the bed with a thoughtful expression on his face, seemingly worried about what to name the little one.

  "I think the name I previously prepared for the child doesn't suit him. Look, he's so brave, if not for the doctor's guarantee that he's very healthy, I'd be puzzled as to why I didn't cry for him."

  "Hmm... dear, what name do you think would bring out our child's bravery? Caleb? Shuel?"

  "Kahn!"

  "Are you sure?"

  "I think so. Kahn - brave, wise, hardworking and strong, the qualities a German should have, I hope he can inherit all of them."

  "Karn von Stark... Liliana was quite satisfied with this name, the late fruit must be strong enough, and the Stark family would be inherited by Karn von Stark from now on."

  The little guy who just came to this world at this moment is absolutely not the expression that a newborn baby should have, it's an expression of confusion and incomprehension. The couple was intoxicated with joy, if they knew what the little guy was thinking in his heart, they would definitely be shocked.

  ……

  Aren't I already dead?

  Xu Yang, born in a small coastal town in southern China. On March 26, 2007, he retired from the army and on his way home, encountered thugs robbing a single woman, and bravely intervened to help her. The robbed woman was a stranger to him, and after she escaped, Xu Yang was left with multiple stab wounds, bleeding profusely in a ditch, and died due to lack of timely rescue.

  The next day, Xu Yang's body was found by a street sweeper along with a woman's handbag. The handbag contained the woman's ID and some money. After the street sweeper reported the case, the police found the owner of the handbag.

  The woman's name is no longer important; what matters is that it once again proves that good people don't necessarily have a good ending.

  The woman claimed that Xu Yang was a member of the gang and had a falling out over the division of spoils, leading to an armed fight. As for how she escaped, she said that with her high IQ of 180, she could think of hundreds of ways to escape at any time, and using the situation to trigger infighting among the gang members was just one of them.

  It's so unfair!

  Xu Yang didn't believe in the existence of souls before, but after 'witnessing' everything that happened after his own death, he believed.

  I've never seen a more shameless woman than her!

  Xu Yang's heart was filled with resentment, he had tried to take revenge before, but it was laughable that he could only think about it, they were already people from two different worlds.

  How I wish I could have done more things.

  He wandered, opening his eyes for the first time again, and saw this world once more. Everything had become so unfamiliar. All he knew was that reincarnation really existed!

  Where am I now?

  ……

  May 12, 1925. Ten years had passed since the events of that fateful day. Xu Yang was now a ten-year-old boy and today was his birthday. At Liliana's suggestion, the Stark family decided to invite friends over for a banquet.

  Ten years was enough time for Xu Yang, who possessed the wisdom of his past life, to understand too much. The Starks were a traditional Junker aristocracy with great influence in Germany, and their family's industries were so numerous that they were staggering. Due to the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, the Stark family's munitions factory had transformed into producing tractors and automobiles, which, combined with the family's farm operations, could still bring in considerable profits.

  The protagonist of the dinner party was carefully dressed up, but tonight Xu Yang was destined not to be too much in the spotlight, as people nowadays prefer to treat banquets as a means of socializing.

  Harold mingles with the crowd and greets the guests, his unique noble demeanor always making them feel respected. His witty conversations often bring out happy laughter from the guests.

  The guests attending the dinner party came from all over Germany, among whom Johann-Friedrich-Leopold-Sieckert was the most eye-catching. He always wore a 1915-style military uniform, monocle and a standard Prussian officer's attire. There had been some criticism of his dress, but his response could always turn criticism into praise.

  "Uncle Siebert, thank you very much for coming all the way from Berlin."

  At this time, Feng Weijun was chatting with a friend he hadn't seen in many years and slowly turned around after hearing Hal's greeting. Today, the old general looked very happy: "Where is Xiao Jia?"

  Harr was accustomed to von Sydow's laconic speech, and he did not dare slacken in the slightest with this renowned old general, who was also a bosom friend of Harr's father. Although Harr's father had passed away many years ago, the friendship between the two families still seemed unbreakable.

  General von Schlichting beckoned to his wife to bring the children over. A group of noblewomen escorted Lilianna, all of them making a unique Junker salute to General von Schlichting, not daring to speak much and quietly staring at this respected old general.

  Xu Yang was dazed by the noise of the banquet, on the verge of falling asleep, when he suddenly caught a whiff of something unusual and perked up. He saw an old man in military uniform sizing him up. The first thing that entered his eyes was a row of shiny medals, as well as the peculiar monocle, under which Xu Yang felt like he was being scrutinized by a sharp gaze, giving him the illusion that he wasn't just a ten-year-old kid, but a newly enlisted soldier undergoing inspection by a superior officer.

  Feng-Westcott saw Xu Yang's gaze lingering on the medals on his chest, and his subconscious proudly puffed out his chest. Like many soldiers, Feng-Westcott enjoyed being envied by others for having so many medals, as medals represented honor.

  Honorary medal; In March 1915, he took over as Chief of Staff of the newly formed 11th Army in Eastern Galicia. On May 2, the 11th Army and the Austro-Hungarian 4th Army launched a major offensive together, annihilating the Russian 3rd Army like withering leaves, advancing 100 miles within two weeks. The 11th Army captured 140,000 Russian prisoners within 12 days, recaptured the Austrian fortress of Przemy?l in one month, and was awarded by Emperor Wilhelm II himself.

  By the end of June, the 11th Army captured over 250,000 prisoners when it took Lemberg, then Warsaw on August 4 and the fortress of Brest-Litovsk by the end of August. The 11th Army advanced a total of 300 kilometers, completely eliminating the Polish salient by the end of September and thoroughly relieving Russian pressure on Galicia. Von Mackensen was promoted to colonel-general. At the same time, they were transferred to the newly formed Mackensen Army Group, with the task of completing what the Austro-Hungarian army had failed to do - eliminating Serbian resistance and opening up a route to the Balkans and Turkey. The attacking force consisting of the German 11th Army, the Austro-Hungarian 3rd Army and the Bulgarian 1st Army launched an attack on October 6, and by the end of November all Serbian forces were either destroyed or fled to Albania and Greece. A total of 150,000 prisoners were taken, and von Mackensen received the Pour le Mérite.

  "This kid is special." Von-Sieckert snatched Xu Yang from Liliana's hands and pulled him to his side, discovering that the little guy was stretching out his hand to grab at the medal; "He would make a great warrior if he enlisted!"

  Von-Staerk's words brought astonished glances from the crowd, as in the eyes of the guests, the heir to the Staerk family could not possibly join the army, and young Staerk's fate was already sealed - he would take over the family business.

  Haru didn't dare to raise an objection directly, and stood aside with an awkward smile. At this time, the butler hurried over and whispered a few words in Haru's ear, which was considered to be helping Haru out of the embarrassing situation. However, Haru didn't become happy, the awkward expression on his face froze for a moment, replaced by a very subtle one.

  "He's actually come." Harl didn't know what he was thinking to himself. He had the musicians stop playing, and when the guests had quieted down and looked over, he said: "Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the excellent speaker Adolf Hitler!"

  The guests in the banquet hall let out a strange cry, and those who had served in the army looked at Hall with an even stranger expression, seemingly dissatisfied that he could invite that mad dog who only knew how to jump around and bark wildly. At this time, there was no small conflict between the Army and the SA (Nazi Party) stormtroopers.

  No matter what the crowd thought, Hitler still walked with his head held high and his proud head slowly entered the banquet hall from the corridor. For a moment, the guests in the banquet hall burst out laughing, and the small mustache under Hitler's nose had apparently become a laughing stock for the upper class of Germany again.

  Hitler's first intention was not the host of the banquet, Hal. He walked straight to von Seekt and said: "General von Seekt, I am honored! I didn't expect to see you here."

  Von Stauffenberg may have been one of the few in the military who was not too averse to Hitler, saying: "Today's protagonist is the heir of the Stauffenberg family - Claus von Stauffenberg."

  Hitler nodded vigorously and walked over to touch Xu Yang's head with his hand, giving people a friendly and close feeling.

  Xu Yang's physique was very strong, and at this moment his height had reached Hitler's shoulder. After making a Junker noble gesture, Xu Yang welcomed Hitler's arrival in the tone of a host.

  Hess, who was always by Hitler's side (he was a member of the Nazi Party and at this time played the role of Hitler's secretary), whispered: "Aren't you looking for a publisher? The Strasser family has an extraordinary influence throughout Germany, they seem to idolize you..."

  Hitler shouted in his unique loud voice: "What a great little guy!" Then, with shining eyes, he hugged Xuyang tightly, causing Liriana to look at her still smiling only son with a worried face.

  What is Xu Yang thinking in his heart?

  The ridiculous little mustache under Hitler's nose makes people laugh, this guy is more despicable than the image in the photo, the man known as the devil, he incited the people to follow him to launch a war with the slogan of reviving the German nation. It's hard to imagine that a simple nation was stirred up by a madman, and the whole nation was fanatical, and the war under the banner of revival caused such a terrible disaster.

  During World War I, Germany was defeated and signed the Treaty of Versailles (full name: Treaty of Peace between the Allied Powers and Germany) with the Allied Powers. The main purpose of this treaty was to punish and weaken Germany, causing a poor domestic economy and widespread unemployment. At that time, Hitler used the employment card to attract the support of the unemployed, and also proposed "a loaf of black bread requires a truckload of marks to buy", triggering people's resentment towards the Allied Powers.

  Actually, war is inevitable. There's an old Chinese saying: "The trend of the times creates heroes."

  The oppressed will rise up against their oppressors no matter who leads them!

  Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison after the failure of the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, where he continued to give speeches and dictated his book "Mein Kampf" to Hess. Due to good behavior (?) he only served nine months, after which he went to the countryside near Obasasalzburg Castle, where he thought out a new method, deciding to gain power by legal means.

  Hitler sought help from Hanns von Dünigen (art publisher) to publish "Mein Kampf" after being politely rejected, and began seeking support from financial groups and German Junker nobles. When he learned that the Staack family was holding a banquet to celebrate the heir's tenth birthday, he decided to attend in person.

  Before that, Hitler said to Hess: "The head of the Strasser family is very weak, but because of this, I can get enough benefits!"

  Now, Hitler thought that the future heir of the Strak family was a good breakthrough. From the people who came to attend the banquet before, he saw light and knew that this young man would be of great help to himself!

  Hitler racked his brain but could not find a plausible reason to approach the heir of the Strak family, at this time he was just a slightly influential and excellent orator in people's eyes, a crazy Austrian dwarf in the eyes of opponents.

  Liliana persuaded Xuyang to leave and took him back to the bedroom on the grounds that the child was still young and needed enough sleep.

  After dinner, Hitler asked to speak with Halder alone.

  Hitler did not express his own thoughts bluntly and asked: "What do you think of Germany now?"

  Harl answered frankly: "Not good, even terrible."

  Having gotten the answer he wanted to hear, Hitler's eyes turned serious and he suddenly raised his hand, pointing at Hall and blurting out: "You should be a nationalist!"

  Harrer was clearly taken aback. Hitler's words were always laced with a strong demagogic appeal that made one stop thinking. In the following conversations, Hitler repeatedly emphasized the current crisis of Germany and the harm caused by Jews to Germany, even believing that Germany would lose the war because of the Jews.

  "You should support me! Support me financially and in terms of publicity! Your Excellency, I have always believed that the Junker nobility has made a great contribution to Germany. You have an extraordinary influence on high society, and with my reputation among the people, we can create a new Germany! A new, powerful Germany!"

  If I had to describe Hal's current state of mind, all I can say is that he is on the verge of collapse. For two hours, a full two hours, Hitler kept repeating those topics over and over again.

  At last Hitler took a sip of his coffee and spoke in a calm tone, "Your only son, he is healthy and strong."

  Harrer was relieved that Hitler finally changed the subject, saying: "Yes, Carr is very strong, he is the pride of the Starker family. Mr. Hitler, do you want to publish 'Mein Kampf' through my channel?"

  Hitler said nothing, staring silently at Hjalmar. Hitler's eyes had been damaged by poison gas and looked somewhat strange, but undeniably they gave one an eerie feeling of oppression.

  "I see," Hal said somewhat dejectedly, "so how much funding do you need?"

  Hess replied for Hitler: "Our party needs funds to strengthen itself. Your Excellency, one million, ten million pounds."

  Hare didn't hesitate for a moment and agreed right away. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to ask why they wouldn't accept their own currency - the mark.

  January 11, 1923, France and Belgium jointly occupied the Ruhr industrial area of Germany, which is the heart of German industry. The occupation of the Ruhr caused severe damage to German industrial production, economic collapse, devaluation of the mark, and inflation reaching astronomical figures.

  Perhaps it was because Harald agreed too readily? Hitler began to take liberties: "This is only the first political donation, we will need your help again in the future. If our cause succeeds, you - Harald von Staack! I will ensure that the Staack family receives benefits beyond their wildest dreams!"

  Hal handed over the signed check and said casually, "Do you know what's going to happen in Rogano?"

  Hitler's expression was one of obvious surprise; he turned to Hess, and without any prompting, looked up expectantly for Hjalmar's next words.

  Harrer said: "Stresemann (German Foreign Minister) has already set off for Switzerland, where he will meet with the British, French, Belgian, Italian, Polish and Czechoslovak delegations in Lugano...". He paused to elegantly pull out three cigars from his breast pocket, offering one to Hitler who declined.

  "Continue." Hitler apparently attached great importance to this news.

  Harr still looked weak: "Uh... sorry, I didn't know you don't smoke. It's like this; you also know that after the war, our government has been pursuing a policy of taking advantage of the contradictions between the victorious countries and between them and Soviet Russia to survive in the cracks. And England, America and other countries have been economically supporting us Germany against the Soviets, and politically backing us..."

  Hitler's face lit up with sudden understanding: "I see!" He jumped to his feet, "I should take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality!"

  ……

  Harold sat quietly on the sofa, watching the butler see Hitler out. When the two men's silhouettes disappeared around the corner, he was no longer that weak, foolish and deceivable figure.

  The side door of the living room was opened and Liliana walked in: "Have they left?"

  Harold puffed on his cigar and smiled: "That man is after our kids."

  "Hmm?" Liliana wasn't surprised at all: "Dear, are you sure this is a good investment?"

  "Of course!" Harl stood up and hugged Liliana's waist: "I've had people investigate, he has great development potential. A good investment is one that needs to be put in at the right time, foolish people would think that the Junker nobles are only suitable for being local lords."