father - home

Anders Schulz came at the right time, and it was even more coincidental that he was greeted by the loud and eager cry of the baby.

"What? Is this Zhen Yusheng? When?"

"It was midnight last night."

"Is it a boy?"

I nodded.

"Hearing this cry is a boy, with a loud voice!"

"Where is crying, it's just screaming."

I welcomed Anders Schulz into the living room and greeted him like an old friend.Although I never really trusted the Gestapo; although he always asked for generous rewards for every help, and I am afraid that this time I came here for this purpose, but he has been of great help to me.I am sincerely prepared to thank you and try to be as warm and thoughtful as possible.

"Probably hungry, wait a while to feed the milk, take it down and have a look, it's so big, 4.6 kg."

"Really? I'll have to see then, 4.6kg, my god! I've never seen anything this big."

"No."

"Then Zhen Yu must have suffered. Is she okay?"

"It was a hell of a mess. Thank goodness it's all right."

Mr. Reininger brought coffee, and I happened to take the opportunity to go to the study.

When he came back, Anders Schulz was craned his neck to carefully examine a landscape oil painting on the wall.Strictly speaking, it is not the painting, but the artist's signature in the lower right corner of the canvas.His face was so close that his nose almost touched the mahogany frame.Peeping at other people's belongings without the owner's consent like this is not a classy thing.However, Anders? Schulz is not a classy person, and such a vulgar performance is not once or twice.

As if I didn't care, I walked behind him and coughed lightly. "This is Bentheim Castle by the Dutch painter Van Ruisdael. The castle is on the border between the Netherlands and Germany." (Note: Jachob Isaakszoon van Ruisdael) ( 1628-1682) was a prominent Dutch oil painter and printmaker, and one of the outstanding landscape painters of the 17th century.)

"Is it real?"

"should be."

The fact that "it's authentic" made Anders Schulz's eyes shine, but he was still a little uncertain. "Is this Van Luisdal famous?"

I felt a wave of disgust. "Not famous. He is a poor painter. Although there are many paintings, there are probably hundreds of them, but he can't support himself. It is said that there is no cemetery for burial after death. It can be seen that his paintings are worthless." I am telling the truth. , but there is no causal relationship between the painter's poverty before his death and the value of his posthumous works.The premise is right, but the result is wrong.Seeing the disappointment on Anders Schultz's face, I secretly sneered.I think my father spent double the market price to buy this painting back then, and he cherished it very much.Dad really liked it.Money has a price, but art is priceless, and people like Anders Schulz will only spoil and desecrate art.

Anders Schulz sat back on the sofa resentfully, not paying attention to the painting anymore.

With a sincere expression on my face, I put the things I brought on the coffee table. "Mr. Schultz, thank you very much this time." I smiled slightly, and first took out the check from the envelope, "Here is [-] marks, please be sure to accept it." Then I opened the blue velvet box, "This is for your wife Yes." The husband and wife have coveted this for a long time.

Sure enough, Anders Schultz couldn't move his gaze immediately.

Inside the blue velvet box is my mother's pearl necklace. Eighty Tahitian pearls are almost identical in color and size, and it is more than enough to wrap around my neck three times.Once, Anders Schulz brought his wife to visit unexpectedly, and the mother happened to be wearing this string of pearl necklaces.As soon as his wife saw it, she stared at it. With such virtue, she wished she could snatch the necklace and put it on her neck.Anders Schulz praised the necklace from the sidelines.

"This...this...too..." That's right, Anders Schultz's hand holding the blue velvet box was a little trembling, with a silly expression and flattered expression.I smiled again, the luster of the pearl is too dazzling, anyone will be inexplicably moved in front of it, let alone someone who wants to take it for himself in his dreams.

I was wrong!For those who have been carefully cared for since childhood and lived in an ivory tower, no matter how much they have experienced, they will not be able to fully understand human greed, cowardice and cruelty, and they will not be able to in a lifetime.I was so childish and superficial that I was still laughing at people.

Anders Schulz closed the box to hide the pearl's brilliance, and his expression became gloomy and humble again, even though he was smiling all over his face. "I thank you for my wife, Baron, you are a very good man."

He has said this sentence many times, why do you feel different today?There is less humility and flattery, and more arrogance and sarcasm.

"I'll accept the necklace, but I can't take this one."

He bounced the check!How did he return the check?Is it a sudden conscience discovery or is it more insatiable?I froze there, at a loss.

"You keep this money for yourself, you will need it right away." He smiled amiably and pushed the envelope back to me with confidence.

"But... I don't know what you need."

"I know. I'm not polite." He smiled invariably, a smile that made people shudder. "You are right, this is a big job, and I have taken a lot of risks, so the reward should be more, isn't it too much?" He took out a document from his briefcase. "I spent some time preparing for this. Of course, I also want to wait until Zhen Yu is born. I don't like to force others to make things difficult for me."

He picked up the cigar on the table, struck a match himself, and looked at me while lighting the cigarette.He was waiting for me to look at the document myself.

I tried my best not to shake my hands, control my breathing, and control myself not to jump violently and throw the Gestapo in front of me out the door. "It's impossible!" I tried to remain calm, indifferent, and arrogant, but I still didn't do a good job in throwing the document back to him. The document jumped on the coffee table and landed between the two of them.

Anders Schulz stood up unhurriedly, brought the document in front of me again, and held it down with his hand. "It's possible... Let's start with a reward for merit. We've known each other for a year, and we've had a great time working together. You're a generous man, Baron, and that's why I'm willing to help you. Judging from past cooperation, I The reward I want this time is not too much, it is to help you save someone from the Gestapo. If it weren't for me, you would never see Zhen Yu and her children again. I know that you love Mr. Fu more than your life Now, Mr. Fu's life and death are uncertain, you must keep Zhen Yu's mother and son, not only for Mr. Fu's entrustment, but also for your own spiritual comfort. Look, I not only helped you save Zhen Yu, but also saved you, so Great credit, isn’t that too much to ask for?”

Anders Schulz's words took me by surprise.He knew it all, so why... I raised my head.The small eyes hidden under the thick eyebrows are like two black holes, unfathomable, and the thick lips are greedily swallowing clouds, and the pure aroma of a good cigar has become unbearable.

"Don't look at me like that, Baron, do you think I'm a loyal believer in National Socialism?" Anders Schulz shook his head with contempt. "I'm not in the secret police for my faith, I'm not helping you out of sympathy, you should understand that. When the secret police gave me the right to get what I wanted, and you have it here. What gay, Jews, not even spies, have nothing to do with me, unless, I can get something out of it. Usually, the parties don't give me much, so I just have to do business, at least that will get me a promotion. But you are different , Baron, as far as I know, you own shares in Krupp, Deutsche Bank, properties in Dresden, East Prussia, and your mother has a house inherited from her natal family in Frankfurt. Among so many properties Here, I only ask for Caesar's Manor, which is neither excessive nor will it affect your life. As I said, I don't like to be forced, especially you, Baron. I am your most loyal friend. I can give you up to half a year You can move in leisurely after everything is arranged in the new residence. Your mother is a noble and elegant lady, and I don't want to cause any inconvenience to her."

His tone, his expression, are all unfamiliar to me.This is the real him, cunning, greedy, and ruthless. From the transfer agreement of the Caesar Manor in his hand, it can be seen that he has made thorough preparations. The topographic map, size, buildings, and vineyards of the manor , forests, docks...sailboats on the pier, tens of thousands of bottles of wine in the wine cellar, the number of plant varieties in the vineyard, saddles for carriages in the stables, furniture and furnishings in the big house, etc., and even paintings, carpets and hands. The Meissen coffee tableware you are holding is listed one by one, and the terms and conditions are detailed and clear.My expression was stiff, I felt numb, I had nothing in my mind, I only thought of one thing, I hope the Yuan Qinghua that Zhao likes in the restaurant is not included.

I turn to the last page of the agreement.Anders Schulz, with a cigar in his mouth, took out his pen, unscrewed the cap and handed it to me.

I didn't answer, just stared at him.There is no humility, obedience, or flattery on his face anymore. There is a smile on his mouth, full of confidence and certainty.I leaned back, raised my legs, and said disdainfully, "I won't sign."

"You will sign." He was neither angry nor in a hurry, and sat on the opposite sofa like me, crossing his legs. "I think you haven't seen the situation clearly, baron, it's not a question of whether you want to, but you can only listen to me." He took a sip of coffee and a cigar, and said slowly, "Since you put Zhen Yu After you were rescued, the nature of the matter changed. Before that, you were at best a fool who blindly helped your friends. Although you were suspected of being gay, once Mr. Fu and Zhen Yu got married, and Mary made such a fuss, your This suspicion was completely removed. But if you saved Zhen Yu, you committed treason. If you don't sign this, you will not only lose the Caesar Manor, but all your property will be confiscated, you and your The family members will be imprisoned in concentration camps, as well as Zhenyu's mother and son, you can no longer protect them..."

"You're going to report on me!"

Anders Schulz shook his head with a smirk. "How could I report on you? I am your most loyal friend. But without my protection, how long do you think you can hide it?... Let me tell you, the little fox has already suspected you."

Schulenburg?I was surprised again.

"Remember the nurse on duty in the obstetrics ward of the Robert Koch Hospital on the night of the air raid? She didn't die, but was slightly injured. After you left Berlin, the little fox went to her. She said that you went to the hospital that night I've seen Zhen Yu, the air raid siren went off as soon as you left. The little fox didn't believe that under such circumstances, you would leave Zhen Yu behind, and you didn't tell him that you had been to the hospital afterwards. Why did you hide it from him? There is only one possibility, that is, during the air raid, you took advantage of the chaos and went back to rescue Zhen Yu. He also asked the hotel manager and found that you hadn’t stepped out of the room for a week after the air raid... That waiter named Anton, you recently Have you contacted him?"

I could feel the blood draining from my face, my hands and feet were cold, and the cold sweat was dripping down my spine.

"Fortunately, the little fox is a busy man, and you have status and status. He didn't want to make a big fuss without conclusive evidence, so he called me and appointed me to come to your place to have a look. If there is any news about Zhenyu's mother and son, let her know."

"what do you want?"

"I said, I won't report on you. I'm tied to you by the same rope, but I never trade at a loss." Anders Schultz flicked the ash into the coffee cup. "If you really don't want to see me, I can only apply for transfer and let someone else take charge of this case. The newcomer, no matter who is more principled and loyal than me, not to mention the little fox imposed Pressure." He came over, stooped and picked up the agreement. "Oh, by the way, and one more thing, your coachman, Wiedeker, was registered at the bureau before I took charge of Mr. Fu's case. He is a good citizen, law-abiding, and faithful to his duty. Responsibility, of course I am the one who contacted him, you don't have to worry about it before today, but in the future..."

I jumped up, snatched the agreement, took out the pen, and signed my name on the last page.