I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 222: Chapter 5: The First Opponent

Werner sat at his corner desk in the Special Procurement Department, staring at the pile of procurement reports before him.

The clatter of typewriters, the ringing of telephones, and the hushed conversations of his colleagues blended into the usual office noise of Koko. He had just completed his fourth procurement mission: obtaining a batch of West German Zeiss lenses for the Dresden Optical Plant.

The shipment was originally stuck on an export control list. Werner had gone through a middleman in Austria, taking a roundabout route to bring the goods in, disguised as "educational equipment." The factory sent a thank-you telegram to Koko the same day they received the goods.

"Comrade Werner."

Otto Rehman stood by his desk, a document in hand. A rare smile graced the face of the cadre, a man in his fifties.

"Another new job?" Werner asked, looking up.

"No." Otto placed the document on the desk. "Letters of commendation. From the Leipzig Chemical Plant, the Dresden Optical Plant, and the Rostock shipyard. Three of them. The Minister personally approved them, saying you’re highly efficient."

Werner opened the file and glanced through it.

The letters were all written in a standard, official format, but between the lines, he could sense the excitement of the factory directors. In East Germany, a country plagued by shortages, getting Western equipment on time was like finding an oasis in the desert.

"You’ve done well," Otto said in a low voice. "Much better than those old bureaucrats. Koko has been around for less than a year. A lot of people were transferred from other departments, and they brought their old bureaucratic habits with them, dragging their feet on everything. You’re different. You have your own way of doing things, and you get them done quickly."

Werner read between the lines.

Hannas Quist, the deputy director of the Special Procurement Department, was forty-five years old and a party member for twenty years. He’d spent over a decade at the Ministry of Foreign Trade before being transferred to Koko three months ago. The man had worn a sour expression since Werner’s first day, and his words were always laced with sarcasm.

"Comrade Hannas is very experienced," Werner said politely.

"Experienced?" Otto scoffed. "He got used to sitting behind a desk at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and now he’s brought the same old routine to Koko. He wants everything to go through layers of approval, but by then, the opportunity is long gone. You should be careful. He’s been asking about your channels lately, and he’s even told the Minister that your methods are questionable."

Werner nodded. He had sensed Hannas’s hostility long ago.

**************

At four in the afternoon, Werner went to the records office to look up procurement files.

Koko’s records office was in the basement. A sign on the iron door read "CLASSIFIED AREA." The archivist was a middle-aged woman with glasses named Greta. When she saw Werner, she handed him the sign-in ledger, her face devoid of expression.

"I need to see the procurement records for projects handled by Hannas Quist over the past three months," Werner said.

Greta looked up at him, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes behind her glasses. "What are you looking into this for?"

"It’s for department work. Director Otto asked me to familiarize myself with my colleagues’ operational methods." Werner handed over the authorization slip signed by Otto.

Greta took the slip, examined it, and turned to enter the archives.

Five minutes later, she returned with a thin stack of manila folders, which she dropped onto the counter with a THUD. "Koko was just established, so there aren’t many files. Put them back where you found them when you’re done."

Werner carried the files to a reading table in the corner and began going through them one by one.

Hannas had been in charge of quite a few projects over the past three months, but his success rate was only forty percent.

More suspicious was the flow of funds. The quotes for several procurements were significantly higher than market price, and the difference was unaccounted for. For two other projects, he had bypassed a source in West Berlin and procured through Switzerland instead, adding an unnecessary layer of intermediary fees.

Werner took out his notebook and carefully jotted down the project numbers and amounts for the suspicious transactions. He needed more concrete evidence.

************

At seven in the evening, Werner left Koko Headquarters and turned down a small side street.

The February night was bone-chillingly cold. The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and there were few pedestrians on the street.

He walked into the Prague Cafe, the meeting point he had arranged with Anna.

Anna was already waiting for him in a booth inside.

She was wearing a dark blue wool suit, her hair tied up in a neat bun. A faint smile touched her lips as she saw Werner approach.

"You’re late," Anna said.

"The records office closed late." Werner sat down and took off his coat.

The waiter brought two cups of coffee. Werner picked his up and took a sip.

"Find anything?" Anna asked.

Werner handed her the notebook.

Anna flipped it open and read, her brow furrowing slightly. "This Hannas... his hands aren’t clean."

"I need solid proof," Werner said. "The accounting records for the last three months aren’t enough. I need to know where the money went."

Anna closed the notebook. "He was just transferred to Koko. He dares to take kickbacks this soon?"

"It’s precisely because it’s a new department that oversight hasn’t been established yet, making it easy to get away with things," Werner said. "Besides, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Trade for over a decade. He must have old connections and knows how to cook the books."

"Makes sense," Anna said. "Does he have a family?"

"A wife and two kids. They live in the Pankow District."

"What about bank accounts?"

"His East German Mark account won’t show anything, he’s not stupid," Werner said. "The key is West German Mark."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "You suspect he has an account in West Germany? He’d dare to open an account in West Germany right after joining Koko?"

"It might not be a new one," Werner said, lowering his voice. "When he was at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, he often traveled to West Germany on business. He could have opened an account back then. The kickbacks from the last three months would have gone right into it. Can you look into it?"

Anna was silent for a few seconds, then picked up her beer mug and took a sip. "I can. But I need time, and a reason. The Stasi can’t just investigate someone from Koko without a clear accusation."

"Then let’s create an accusation," Werner said.

Anna raised an eyebrow, a look of appreciation in her eyes. "You learn fast."

"I learned from you."

Anna smiled and reached out to straighten Werner’s slightly crooked tie.

Her fingers brushed against his chin, a provocative gesture.

Werner’s heart raced. He grabbed her by the wrist. Anna’s eyes glinted; she was like a cat toying with its prey.

"How do you plan to create this accusation?" she asked.

Werner released her hand and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. "Next week, Hannas is going to Hamburg to procure a batch of electronic components. This is his itinerary."

"How did you get this?"

"His secretary likes coffee," Werner said. "West German coffee."

Anna laughed out loud, causing a guest at the next table to glance over. She composed herself and looked seriously at the piece of paper. "You want me to set something up in Hamburg?"

"That’s right," Werner said. "Arrange for him to ’accidentally’ meet with someone from a West German intelligence agency. Get photos. Then you, the Stasi, will have a reason to investigate him."

Anna thought for a moment, then folded the paper and put it in her pocket. "Alright. But you’ll have to cooperate with my operation."

"No problem."

"One more thing." Anna suddenly stretched out her leg, the tip of her high heel rubbing against Werner’s calf. "When this is done, you owe me dinner."

"Just dinner?"

"We’ll see how you perform." Anna stood up and put on her coat. "I’m leaving first. Wait ten minutes before you go."

She walked to the door, then suddenly turned back. "Werner."

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Hannas is no pushover. If he finds out you’re investigating him, he’ll get desperate."

Werner nodded. Anna pushed the door open and left.

***************

One afternoon a week later, Werner was in his office processing documents when the secretary suddenly pushed open the door.

"Werner, Hannas is looking for you."

Werner looked up. "Where is he?"

"The conference room."

Werner stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked toward the conference room.

The Koko conference room was on the third floor. It was a long, narrow room with a world map and the flag of East Germany hanging on the wall.

Hannas Quist was standing by the window, his back to the door, his hands in his trouser pockets.

"Comrade Hannas," Werner said, closing the door. "You were looking for me?"

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