The Rise Of A Billionaire 1943-Chapter 177 - 190

Berlin was indeed able to help a great deal. After all, he was German, and so was his Special Operations Team. They were much more familiar with Germany, and most of them could even speak English.

Thus, a special unit under the Allied Command Task Force was formed. While the main task force operated in the British, American, and French occupation zones, Berlin personally led his team into the Soviet-occupied zone. There, they recruited people from the target list—not only bringing in a large number of experts and scholars, but even managing to smuggle them out from right under the Russians’ noses into the Allied occupation zone, where they were then put on planes to Tunisia.

Once the recruitment began, planes were flying back and forth between Germany and Tunisia almost every day. In the days that followed, hundreds and thousands of scientists, engineers, and their families left the ruins of Germany. While the vast majority of Germans endured hunger, cold, and the scars of war in that damp, chilly spring, these scientists and their families were basking in the bright Tunisian sunshine and enjoying plentiful food.

Former military barracks became their new homes. Here, there was not only an ample supply of coffee and milk, but even German favorites like butter in the fridge, and of course, fresh fruit.

In short—this place was like paradise.

For those who had emerged from scarcity and hunger, the military camp in Tunisia was nothing short of heaven.

However, living in this paradise came at a price.

That price was actually quite simple: the professional knowledge they possessed.

"Would you like a banana?"

In an interrogation—no, it should be called an interview—room, Link pointed to the bananas in the fruit bowl.

"Thank you, sir. I already had some yesterday."

Gernot Zipp replied politely.

"The children love bananas. They’ve never tasted them before—only seen them in the botanical gardens or in pictures. Thank you so much for your care."

Dr. Zipp’s gratitude, like that of the others, was heartfelt—perhaps even more so, because he had been recruited from the Soviet-occupied zone. There, he had encountered danger several times, and even his wife had suffered harm. God bless, he was now able to leave with his family, and on the way to the Allied zone, he had already promised his wife and children that, no matter where they ended up, he would ensure they lived safely and happily.

Now, the opportunity was right in front of him.

"...I was born and raised in Austria. In the 1930s, I studied physics at the University of Vienna. After that, I began working for the German Air Force, researching radar and aircraft propulsion systems..."

Over the next hour, Gernot Zipp reported on his work in detail, even taking his research records out of his briefcase. These recruited scientists and engineers had all carefully preserved parts of their research. Some had brought hundreds of kilograms of documents—materials that were undoubtedly extremely valuable. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Of course, some people only kept their knowledge in their heads—not because they had no records, but because they had to destroy them.

Soon, Dr. Zipp left the interview room. Like many others, he worried about whether he would get the job. After all, he wasn’t famous, and the work he did was rather common.

But this place was like paradise.

Though the room was a bit warm, the comfortable and safe environment, combined with the plentiful food, made his wife and children look forward to the future with hope.

"God bless, I must get this job!"

In this camp, some people came for a better life, while others sought protection. For example, some doctors who had survived the concentration camps—though their medical skills were outstanding and they had obtained a great deal of research data there, everyone knew at what cost those results had been achieved. So, they needed protection, and top medical experts were also within the scope of recruitment.

As the recruitment expanded, some people not originally on the list—such as those in the missile field—also joined. Although Wernher von Braun had voluntarily surrendered to the Americans, giving them access to the core technology and talent in missile development, only 115 experts and engineers from his team were willing to surrender. As conditions in Germany worsened, more experts and engineers accepted employment with the company—after all, employment was different from surrender.

Even in Tunisia, during interviews, some German engineers—especially those involved in military equipment research—insisted:

"Sir, I am not surrendering, but accepting your employment. I know you are a company that does not belong to any country..."

It seemed that, for these German experts, emphasizing this point was the only way to prove—they had not betrayed Germany.

People often like to find a rational excuse for their actions. In fact, this was the reason Berlin and his Special Operations Team were so successful. Compared to others, he understood the last shred of fragile German pride. By helping them preserve that dignity, they were much more willing to accept recruitment.

Moreover, as Borneo Company was an independent entity—not affiliated with any country—it was easier to win their approval. After all, they weren’t collaborating with Germany’s enemies.

Finally, after completing the recruitment of a physicist, watching the man and his family carrying their simple luggage...

After getting into the car and leaving, I found myself thinking back to my earlier conversation with that physicist.

"Will Germany still exist after the war?"

"Only God knows that. Over a hundred years ago, there was no Germany, but Germany lived in people’s hearts. Perhaps, after this war ends, Germany as a nation will cease to exist, but the idea of Germany will remain in many people’s hearts."

In their hearts!

For today’s Germany, perhaps that is their only future: a Germany under long-term Allied occupation.

At that time, even if Germany still exists, it will be nothing more than a puppet under Allied rule.

Berlin silently lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and paced back and forth in the room. The Russian boots on his feet tapped out a "clack, clack" on the wooden floor. Dressed in a Russian military uniform, he was indistinguishable from an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

To work more conveniently in the Soviet-occupied zone, he and his commando subordinates were impersonating Russians. This was extremely dangerous—they could be executed as spies at any moment. But precisely because of this, they could safely pass through checkpoints; no one would ever check the credentials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, nor question their actions.

Still, the risk was considerable!

"Berlin..."

Once again, he murmured the name "Berlin." Compared to other regions, there were more scientists and engineers there, teaching at universities or working in laboratories. But now that Berlin was under Soviet occupation, how could he get into Berlin under the Soviets’ noses and extract those people?

At this thought, Berlin’s brow furrowed deeply. He also thought of some friends. Now that Berlin had been occupied, were those friends still alive? Or had they perished along with the Third Reich?

Berlin didn’t know, but he longed to return to Berlin—not just for the mission, but because that was Berlin, and he was Berlin.

Soon, after a brief moment of melancholy, Berlin drove away. He was riding in an American jeep. Among the Soviet officers and elite troops, American vehicles were preferred; an officer driving an American car was definitely a status symbol.

That day, just like any other, when passing through a checkpoint, the Russians glanced briefly at his papers. One of them looked curiously at his car.

Just as someone was about to ask him something, suddenly a Russian burst out of the checkpoint, firing his submachine gun into the sky.

He shouted loudly as he fired:

"Surrender! Surrender! Ura! The Germans have surrendered!"

In an instant, the entire checkpoint was filled with gunfire and cheers.

Everyone was celebrating, cheering for Germany’s surrender. The celebratory gunfire echoed in the air, and Berlin was pulled out to join in the festivities.

He celebrated along with the others, his face beaming with joy, but inside, he was in pain.