I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 200: Chapter 110: Farewell to Vonke

He wore a dark overcoat with the collar turned up to hide half his face, his hands shoved in his pockets. Seeing Werner approach, he nodded but said nothing, merely gesturing with his eyes for Werner to follow.

The two circled the monument and walked to the edge of a copse of trees behind it. It was more secluded here, with only the rustle of wind through the leaves for sound.

Vonke stopped, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and stuck one between his lips to light. The flare of the match flickered in the darkness, illuminating his weary face.

"Smoke?" Vonke offered the pack.

"Thanks." Werner took the pack, drew out a cigarette, and lit it with the match Vonke held out for him.

They stood there, silently taking a few drags. Neither was the first to speak.

It was Vonke who finally broke the silence.

"Werner, how long have we been working together?" His voice was low, as if he were talking to himself.

"Almost two years."

"Almost two years," Vonke repeated, exhaling a puff of smoke. "In that time, I’ve watched you go from a petty Black Market peddler to the biggest underground merchant in East Berlin. I’ve also watched you go from a clueless greenhorn to the sly old fox you are now, someone who can maneuver within the Stasi itself."

Werner didn’t reply, waiting for him to continue.

Vonke turned to face him. "I know you’ve hidden many things from me. You just never left any evidence."

"Comrade Vonke—"

"Don’t bother explaining." Vonke waved a dismissive hand. "I’m not blaming you."

He took a drag from his cigarette, the tip glowing on and off in the darkness.

"I called you here today to tell you something." Vonke’s tone turned serious. "Von Brown has approached you, hasn’t he?"

Werner’s heart rate quickened, but his expression remained impassive. "He has."

"What did he say?"

"He wants me to do some things for him," Werner answered vaguely. "On the Black Market side of things."

"Is that all?" Vonke stared into his eyes. "Werner, we’ve worked together for this long. You should know I’m not an idiot. Von Brown wouldn’t go to all the trouble of meeting you at the House of the German People just to discuss Black Market business."

Werner fell silent for a few seconds and took a drag from his cigarette.

"He wants me to be his frontman."

Vonke let out a long sigh upon hearing this.

"I knew it." He stubbed out his cigarette, grinding it into the snow with his foot. "Von Brown is too ambitious. He isn’t satisfied with being a lieutenant colonel. He wants to climb, and the higher, the better."

"Isn’t that normal?" Werner asked. "Who doesn’t want to climb the ladder?"

"There’s nothing wrong with wanting to climb." Vonke turned, his back to Werner, and gazed at the distant monument. "The problem is he’s in too much of a hurry. In the Stasi, those who climb too fast often die just as quickly."

He paused.

"You agreed to it?"

"I said I’d need three days to consider."

"Consider?" Vonke scoffed. "Werner, you already have your answer. You’re going to agree, aren’t you?"

Werner didn’t deny it.

"Because refusing him means declaring open hostility," Vonke continued. "Von Brown doesn’t let disobedient people off the hook. If you refuse, he’ll find a way to crush you, or he’ll just arrest you as a dissident. So you don’t have a choice. You have to agree."

He turned and faced Werner.

"Am I right?"

Werner nodded.

"So you called me here today to talk me out of accepting Von Brown’s offer?"

"Talk you out of it?" Vonke shook his head. "I have neither the right nor the power to do that. The situation is bigger than any one person, Werner. If you decide to go with Von Brown, I can’t stop you, and I won’t try."

He took another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

"I called you here today simply to remind you of something." Vonke’s gaze grew sharp. "Von Brown is the kind of man who only uses people; he never truly helps them. The promises he gave you—protection, resources, a future—it’s all pie in the sky. The moment you’ve outlived your usefulness, or the moment he gets into trouble, he will throw you to the wolves as a scapegoat without a second thought."

"I know," Werner said.

"As long as you know." Vonke took a drag from his cigarette. "There’s one more thing. I’m probably going to be transferred."

Werner looked up.

"When?"

"Soon." Vonke’s tone was calm, as if he were discussing a trivial matter. "Director Schmidt is purging the conservatives, and old cadres like me are first on the chopping block. I expect to be transferred to another department, or forced into retirement, by next month. March, at the latest."

"What are your plans?"

"Plans?" Vonke let out a bitter laugh. "What plans could I have? All I can do is obey the Organization’s arrangements. Twenty-six years I’ve worked for the Stasi, and in the end, I’m still just a pawn. When the Organization tells you to go east, you go east. When they tell you to go west, you go west."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette.

"But maybe it’s for the best. Getting out of this world might let me have a few days of peace."

Werner looked at Vonke’s weary face and suddenly felt a pang of pity for the old man. He had given most of his life to the Stasi, only to be abandoned by the very organization he had served so loyally.

"Werner, once I’m gone, you’ll be on your own," Vonke said. "As for Von Brown, you deal with him as you see fit. But remember one thing: don’t put all your eggs in one basket."

"What do you mean?"

"It means you need to leave yourself an escape route," Vonke said, lowering his voice. "No matter how close you get to Von Brown, always maintain some distance. His ship might look sturdy, but it could capsize at any moment. Your job is to jump off before it does."

Werner nodded.

"I understand."

Vonke looked at him, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. It wasn’t concern or worry, but something more complex, like a seasoned veteran watching a new recruit head off to the battlefield.

"You’re a clever man, Werner. So clever that sometimes I think you’re less a Black Market peddler and more a spy from God knows where," Vonke said. "But clever people have a weakness—they tend to be too clever for their own good. You think you can control everything, that you can play all sides with ease. But the world doesn’t work the way you think it does. There are some things that cleverness alone can’t solve."

He pulled an envelope from an inside pocket of his overcoat and handed it to Werner.

"What’s this?"

"A list," said Vonke. "It contains the names of some trustworthy old-timers within the Stasi. Colleagues I used to work with. They don’t hold high ranks anymore, but they’re dependable people. If you find yourself in trouble down the line, you can go to them for help."

Werner took the envelope. It felt heavy in his hand.

"Comrade Vonke, I—"

"Just take it," Vonke interrupted. "I’m not giving this to you because we’re good friends. I just don’t want to see a capable man end up in prison or dead in some ditch because he made a wrong move."

He paused.

"I’ve been in the Stasi for many years. I’ve seen this sort of thing too many times. People with promising futures who ended up meeting a miserable end because they backed the wrong horse or got betrayed. I don’t want that to happen to you."

He stubbed out his cigarette and straightened the collar of his overcoat.

"I should be going," said Vonke. "We probably won’t see each other again. Werner... take care of yourself."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!