I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 234: Chapter 17: The Congo Puzzle

For the next two weeks, Werner worked tirelessly to set up the deal.

He contacted a trading company in Switzerland.

His contact was a middle-aged man named Hans Weber. He was very cautious on the phone, never mentioning the word "weapons," only referring to them as "goods."

"We all know what kind of goods we’re talking about," Weber said on the phone, his voice low. "Is the client’s account ready?"

"It’s ready," Werner said, looking at the account information Gunter had given him. "Once the money arrives, when can the goods be shipped?"

"Three days. Through normal trade channels, disguised as industrial equipment."

"What about customs—"

"You don’t need to worry about customs," Weber interrupted. "We’ve been using this route for three years; it’s very safe. You just need to make sure the money arrives."

After hanging up the phone, Werner let out a long sigh of relief.

The whole process was smoother than he had imagined.

The channel Gunter provided was already well-established. Every step had someone responsible for it; he just had to do his part.

But the smoother things went, the more uneasy Werner felt.

It meant this system had been in operation for a long time. It meant that before him, countless similar deals had been conducted in secret.

He was just a small cog in this giant machine.

A few days later, the client in Laos confirmed receipt of the goods. Gunter was very satisfied and praised Werner in an internal meeting.

"Highly efficient and very professional," Gunter said. "Comrade Werner has proven his capabilities."

His colleagues applauded, their eyes filled with a mix of envy and jealousy.

Werner remained outwardly humble, but inside, he was mulling over the precautions Anna had mentioned.

Every time he met with Gunter, he had a miniature tape recorder in his pocket. After every deal, he would write a detailed work log.

He was preparing for the dangers that might come.

***********

One evening in early May, Werner sat in his apartment, flipping through a newspaper he subscribed to from West Germany.

An article in the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung caught his eye: "Analysis of the Congo Situation: The Possibility of Escalating Conflict."

The article analyzed the political situation in the Congo, concluding that the conflict between government forces and rebel militias could soon erupt into a full-scale war. It also mentioned that both sides were secretly procuring weapons.

Werner stared at the article for a long time.

In his mind, the familiar electronic voice sounded.

[System Notification: Major business opportunity detected]

[Analysis of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: In June 1963, the conflict between the Congolese government forces and rebel militias will fully escalate. The demand for weapons on both sides will surge, with an estimated market size of over five million US Dollars.]

Werner put down the newspaper and lit a cigarette.

’Congo.’

He remembered that this had indeed happened in history.

The Congo in the sixties was a chaotic mess, with various factions vying for territory. It was a massive arms market, and a massive meat grinder.

’If I make my move in advance—’

Werner picked up the phone and dialed Anna’s secret number.

"It’s me," he said. "Can we meet tomorrow? I’ve come across some intel, could be a big opportunity."

"How big?"

"Potentially a deal worth several million US Dollars."

"The villa in the suburbs. Eight P.M."

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

「The next evening, at the suburban villa.」

After hearing Werner’s analysis, Anna’s expression turned grave.

"The Congo?" she repeated. "You saw this in a newspaper from West Germany?"

"Yes, and from some other sources as well." Werner handed her the article from the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung. "Look at this analysis, it’s very professional. And I’ve asked around—Western arms dealers are all keeping an eye on the Congo."

Anna read the article carefully and was silent for a long time.

"If this assessment is correct," she said, "it is indeed a huge opportunity. But the risk is also immense."

"I know," Werner said. "That’s why I want to involve Von Brown."

Anna looked up, her expression complex.

"You want to drag the Stasi into this?"

"Not drag them in," Werner explained. "It’s about having Von Brown use the Stasi’s intelligence network to help us monitor the entire supply chain. At the same time, if something goes wrong, having the Stasi behind us will make us safer."

Anna paced back and forth in the room, contemplating the feasibility of the plan.

"This is tantamount to tying the Stasi and Koko together," she said. "If something goes wrong, no one gets away."

"But it also means no one would dare to sacrifice us easily," Werner said. "Anna, think about it. If only Koko is involved, Gunter can pin all the blame on me if things go south. But if the Stasi is also in on it, he wouldn’t dare act recklessly."

Anna stopped pacing and stared at him for a long time.

"You’re already starting to play the game of balancing power," she said. "Tying different factions together to have them constrain each other."

"I learned from you," Werner smiled.

Anna smiled too.

"Fine," she said. "But you’d better think carefully about how you’re going to convince Von Brown."

"I know what to say."

「Three days later, in a secret Stasi office.」

Von Brown sat behind his desk, listening to Werner’s report with a blank expression.

"The Congo," he repeated, his voice cold. "Where did you get this intelligence?"

"A newspaper from West Germany, and some of my business contacts in the West," Werner said. "Comrade Colonel, I believe this intelligence is worth taking seriously. If the situation in the Congo truly escalates, it’s an opportunity for us."

"You’re reporting this to me because you want the Stasi involved?"

"I just think that if Koko is going to conduct business on such a large scale, it should be under the supervision of the Stasi to ensure nothing goes wrong."

Von Brown lit a cigarette and said nothing.

"Colonel, think about it," Werner continued. "If only Koko is involved, and something goes wrong, the Stasi would be in a passive position without prior knowledge. But if you are aware of the situation beforehand, you can both ensure the security of the transaction and take necessary measures if needed."

Von Brown exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"Werner, you’re a smooth talker," he said. "You know what to say and what not to say."

"I’m just telling the truth, Colonel."

"The truth?" Von Brown laughed. "Half of your ’truth’ is about protecting yourself, isn’t it?"

Werner didn’t answer.

Von Brown stood up and walked to the window.

"I will keep an eye on the Congo affair," he said. "But there’s one thing you need to remember—the Stasi does not work for you. We are monitoring this deal for the sake of national interest, not to protect any single individual."

"I understand."

"One more thing." Von Brown turned around, his gaze turning sharp. "Don’t tell Anna about this. Her responsibility is foreign intelligence; she shouldn’t get involved in this sort of thing."

Werner’s heart tightened.

That wasn’t an expression of concern, but a warning.

"I understand," Werner said.

Stepping out of the Stasi Building, Werner let out a long breath.

The sunlight was blinding. He squinted at the gray building.

Von Brown had agreed, but he had also issued a warning.

’This game is getting more and more dangerous.’

But he no longer had a way out.

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

June in East Berlin was hot and humid.

Werner stood in a seventh-floor conference room in the Koko Building, watching Gunter point at a map.

On the map, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the continent of Africa was circled in red pen.

"The situation is deteriorating faster than we anticipated," Gunter said, stubbing out his cigarette. "Government forces and rebel militias are already exchanging fire in the eastern provinces. Both sides are looking for weapons."

There were only four people in the conference room: Gunter, Werner, and two other Koko executives—Schmidt, who was in charge of logistics, and Weber, who was in charge of finance.

"What’s our advantage?" Schmidt asked.

"Price and speed." Gunter drew a line on the map. "Western arms dealers charge too much, and their delivery is slow. We have a ready stock of Soviet-made weapons: AK-47s, RPG-7s, 82mm mortars—all tried-and-true pieces of hardware. We can ship them immediately."

"Who’s the client?" Weber asked, pushing up his glasses.

"The government forces," Gunter said. "Their Minister of Defense contacted us through the Soviet embassy. They want two thousand AK-47s, five hundred RPG-7s, one hundred mortars, and the accompanying ammunition."

’This is no longer a small-time operation.’

"The budget?"

"One point two million US Dollars," Gunter said, turning to Werner. "Hard currency. No East German Marks."

The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

"A deal this big—" Schmidt hesitated. "Has Moscow approved it?"

"The approval has already come through." Gunter took a document from his briefcase, which bore the seal of the Soviet embassy. "This is an aid request from a fraternal nation. The Politburo has already approved it."

’On the surface, it’s aid, but in reality, it’s business. Beneath the politically correct packaging lies a transaction of cold, hard cash.’

"Werner." Gunter looked at him. "This deal is yours. You’re responsible for the funds and the channels."

"Understood." Werner nodded. "What are the specific operational details?"

"The Ministry of Defense will handle the shipment. It will depart from Rostock Port, destination Matadi Port in the Congo." Gunter traced the route on the map. "But the funds must be in place first. The client will transfer the money to an account in Switzerland. You will be responsible for confirming its arrival and then notifying us to ship the goods."

"A Swiss account?" Werner asked.

"Correct," Weber interjected. "We have a shell company in Zurich. Nominally, it’s a trading company, but it’s actually Koko’s offshore account. After the money arrives there, it will be transferred in batches to East Germany’s foreign currency accounts."

"Why not transfer it directly to East Germany?"

"If the West gets wind of this deal, a direct transfer would expose the East German Government’s involvement. But if it’s routed through Switzerland, it becomes the business of a private arms dealer, and has nothing to do with us."

’So this is Koko’s role in the arms trade: to build a firewall between the East German Government and the international market.’

"What about transport?" he asked. "What flag will the cargo ship fly?"

"Liberia," Schmidt said. "We’re leasing the ship, but it’s registered in Liberia. The captain is Greek, and the crew are all third-country nationals. The cargo will be disguised as industrial equipment; the bill of lading will list it as tractor parts."

"Will customs inspect it?"

"Customs at Matadi Port has already been taken care of," Gunter said with a smile. "The people in the Congo are very easy to deal with, as long as the money is right."

Werner looked at the shipping route on the map, quickly running through the entire process in his head.

’The goods depart from East Germany on a ship flying a third-country flag, get transported to Africa, and the money is routed through Switzerland—every step is designed to cut off any possibility of being traced.’

’This was the arms trade in the Cold War era.’

’Complex, covert, fraught with risk, but astonishingly profitable.’

"Werner." Gunter’s voice pulled him back to reality. "Your task is to monitor the cash flow. The client’s contact will transfer the first installment—five hundred thousand US Dollars—to the Zurich account within three days. Once you confirm receipt, the cargo will begin loading. The remaining seven hundred thousand US Dollars will be paid upon the cargo’s arrival at Matadi Port."

"What if they don’t pay the final installment?"

"That’s Schmidt’s problem." Gunter looked at Schmidt. "Once the cargo arrives at the port, it won’t be unloaded until our people confirm receipt of the final payment."

Schmidt nodded. "I’ll send someone to go with the ship."

"Any other questions?" Gunter asked, looking around at the three of them.

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