"Mr. Schmidt, I hear you're in charge of special procurement for East Germany?" a deputy minister in his fifties asked. His name was Vladimir, an old bureaucrat with shrewd eyes.
"Yes." Werner put down his wine glass. "We're mainly responsible for procuring certain… difficult-to-acquire items from the West."
Vladimir smiled. "By difficult-to-acquire, do you mean embargoed goods?"
"You could say that." Werner smiled back. "That's why I've come to Prague this time—to see if there's a possibility for us to cooperate."
"Of course there is." Vladimir raised his glass. "Czechoslovak and East Germany are brother nations; we should help each other. Mr. Schmidt, if you need anything, just ask."
"Then I won't be shy." Werner also raised his glass. "I want to establish a transit station in Prague, specifically to handle the transfer of certain… sensitive materials. Of course, this would be mutually beneficial."
Vladimir's eyes lit up. "That's an excellent idea. We can discuss the details."
The meal lasted for three hours. By the time it was over, Werner had exchanged business cards with everyone present.
It was already 11 p.m. by the time he returned to the hotel.
Werner took off his coat, collapsed onto the bed, and closed his eyes.
'The first day went fairly smoothly.'
'But the real challenges are yet to come.'
************
The next day, Novak took Werner to see several potential warehouse locations.
Ostensibly, Werner was examining the warehouses' size, location, and transport access. In reality, he was observing the surroundings—where the surveillance was, where the guards were, and where would be suitable for smuggling.
"How about this warehouse?" Novak pointed to an old factory building near the train station. "The location is great, and it's not far from customs."
Werner walked into the factory, his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space.
Vines crawled up the walls, a few windows were broken, and discarded machine parts were piled on the floor.
"Not bad," Werner nodded. "What's the rent?"
"Well…" Novak looked a bit troubled. "I'll have to ask my superiors. But I don't think it will be expensive; this factory has been abandoned for several years."
"I'll leave it to you, then." Werner patted Novak's shoulder. "By the way, Comrade Novak, I wanted to ask you something."
"Please, go ahead."
"Are there any… less-than-official merchants in Prague?" Werner lowered his voice. "You know what I mean."
Novak froze for a moment, his expression turning complicated. "Mr. Schmidt, are you talking about… the Black Market?"
"You could say that."
Novak hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding. "Yes. Actually, the Black Market in Prague is quite active, especially around the Old Town. If you really need it, I could… introduce you to someone."
"I would be very grateful." Werner smiled.
***************
That evening, Novak took Werner to a small tavern in the Old Town.
The tavern was in a narrow alley. There was no sign on the door, only a single, dim yellow lamp.
Pushing the door open, they entered a smoke-filled room. A dozen or so people were inside—some playing cards, some drinking. Everyone looked at Werner with wary eyes.
"Mira is inside," Novak whispered. "The one in the leather jacket."
Werner followed his gaze.
A man in his forties was sitting in the corner, with a mustache and wearing a black leather jacket, talking to someone. He had several rings on his fingers, one of which was gold.
"Mira Kovac," Novak introduced. "One of Prague's biggest Black Market traders."
Werner walked over and sat down across from Mira.
Mira looked up, his eyes scanning Werner from head to toe, then a playful smile appeared. "From East Germany?"
"How did you know?"
"That coat of yours." Mira pointed to Werner's gray coat. "Standard issue from the East Germany state-run clothing factory. I've seen plenty of them."
Werner smiled. "It seems you have a sharp eye, Mr. Mira."
"In my line of work, you'd be dead long ago without a sharp eye." Mira poured Werner a glass of liquor. "So, what do you want from me?"
"I want to do some business," Werner said directly.
"What kind of business?"
"All kinds." Werner took a sip of the liquor; it was strong. "I need a partner in Prague who can help me handle some goods… that can't be moved through official channels."
Mira stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed. "Interesting. An official agency from East Germany wants to partner with a Black Market trader?"
"Times are changing," Werner said. "The Czech Republic is undergoing reforms. East Germany needs to be more flexible, too."
Mira lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. "What do you need?"
"Warehouses, channels, and connections." Werner listed them off. "I need a place to secretly stockpile goods in Prague, channels to bring goods in from the West, and… connections to get through customs and the police."
"That won't be cheap."
"I know." Werner pulled a stack of West German Marks from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This is a deposit. If our cooperation goes well, there will be more."
Mira's eyes lit up as he looked at the stack of money. He reached out, picked up the cash, counted it quickly, and then stuffed it into his pocket.
"Done." Mira extended his hand. "From now on, I'm your eyes and ears in Prague."
************
「December 1964, East Berlin.」
When Werner returned to East Berlin, he brought back a thick report.
The report contained a detailed analysis of the Czech economic reform trends, listed the main points of Ota Hicke's theories, and predicted the political changes likely to occur within the Czech Party in the coming years.
But this report was not for Gunter.
It was for the Stasi.
"Comrade Von Brown, this is my observation report from Prague." Werner placed the report on Von Brown's desk. "I think you should take a look."
Von Brown picked up the report and flipped through a few pages, his brow slowly furrowing. "You think the reforms in the Czech Republic will spiral out of control?"
"That's right." Werner sat down, his voice firm. "Comrade Von Brown, I spent a week in Prague and met with many people. The reformist faction within the Czech Party is much larger than we imagined. They don't just want economic reform; they want political reform."
Von Brown put down the report, his gaze turning sharp. "Do you have evidence?"
"No direct evidence, but there are many signs," Werner said. "Novak—that young official from the Ministry of Foreign Trade—he told me that many people within the Czech Party support 'democratic socialism.' They feel the Soviet model is too rigid and needs to be changed."
Von Brown lit a cigarette and was silent for a long time.
"Werner, if what you're saying is true, then sooner or later, something big is going to happen in the Czech Republic."
"Yes," Werner nodded. "And when it happens, it could spill over into East Germany. Think about it: if the Czech Republic really democratizes, what will our people think? Won't they… want the same thing?"
The color drained from Von Brown's face.
"You mean—"
"I mean, we must prepare in advance," Werner said. "Monitor developments in the Czech Republic, find out who their reformists are, and take measures when necessary."
Von Brown stared at Werner for a long time, then slowly nodded. "You're right. I will submit this report to the Director."
"Comrade Von Brown, there's one more thing," Werner said. "If the Stasi needs to build an intelligence network in Prague, I can help. I've already gotten to know some people there who could serve as contacts."
"You're willing to assist the Stasi's work in Prague?"
"Of course," Werner said. "For the sake of national security, it's my duty."
Von Brown stood up, walked over to Werner, and clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Werner, you are a good comrade."
Walking out of Stasi Headquarters, Werner took a deep breath of the cold winter air of Berlin.
Now, he was both Koko's liaison in Prague and an intelligence asset for the Stasi.
These two identities gave him enormous room to maneuver.
But the most crucial part was—no one knew his true objective.
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