East Berlin's June Boat Song

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After Levi was executed, I naturally became the captain of the second reconnaissance team of the Anti-reconnaissance Division.Speaking of Levi, Philip couldn't help but sigh.

"He was a good boy." Philip gave me a look. "I hope you don't mind me saying that."

His smile became lonely, and he said, "I recruited him myself."

Holding a cup of coffee, he looked up at the gray East Berlin sky.We stood on the roof of Building 13 of the Stasi headquarters complex, with a wide view, even the Brandenburg Gate when the weather is good.I didn't have any joy brought by the promotion in my heart, I just kept recalling what Levi said that day in my mind.

He said that I haven't even read a few books, so how can I understand his feelings?

Not long after, a news that shocked the whole world appeared. The supreme leader of the Soviet Union, Comrade Stalin, suddenly passed away on March 3. In an instant, the entire Soviet Union and even East Germany entered a period of time that is still horrifying and chilling in retrospect.

The atmosphere in Karlshorst has never been so depressed. In the white mansion, I didn’t see anyone until late at night, not even Ansolov. When I asked Alyosha, he just blushed. The eyes are silent.At that time, I didn't know that after the death of that person, the Soviet Union was divided into several factions. There was an unprecedented and tragic competition among the top Soviet leaders, and even Julian was involved.

Whether he wanted to or not, Sonia had said that no one could be completely independent.

I asked, what is Julian's position?

Sonia just raised her head, looked at the gray sky, and told me that he and Sasha were the same, they were always on the same side.

Sasha, Sasha belonged to the KGB, and the KGB belonged to Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria.I was frightened into a cold sweat by my reasoning.It turned out to be Beria, that terrible man, the man who was Stalin's right-hand man with Malenkov and helped him carry out the purge activities.

Sasha worked for the KGB of the National Security Council of the Soviet Union and was born in the Cheka. I can understand that he was naturally classified into that man's faction, but what about Julian?

No one answered my question, I know nothing about politics, and even less about the top Soviet leadership.

It's just that after the man's death, Julian became more silent, and often talked with Sasha alone in the piano room.Knowing that those were secrets that I could not participate in, I wisely reduced my time in Karlshorst.Most of the time I try harder to focus on my work, following Philip on tasks large and small.

So that day when I was ordered to capture a group of residents who were planning to defect to West Germany and brought back intelligence, I was surprised to see Mrs. Weasley, Andy's mother, among the crowd at Friedrichstrasse Station.

Despite her frantic efforts to hide it, I could spot the Polaroid she had hidden under her purse.With the current economic situation of their family, they cannot afford such a camera.Before the sharp-eyed Philip had time to arrest them, Director Milk brought a large number of armed policemen into the station and brought them all back to the Stasi prison in Berlin.

There is not even a basic interrogation process.

Mrs. Weasley was holding my leg in prison, crying and begging me to let Andy go.At the top of her voice, she proved to me that Andy had nothing to do with what she was doing.

"I just want to sell some information, because we really can't eat. Food is rationed, no meat, no fruit at all..."

She wept undignifiedly, her cheeks sunken as if jaundiced by hunger, a look of grief but not yet despair.Apparently, I was the only straw for her.

"I will help Andy, don't worry." It was hard not to respond to her entreaties, I comforted her with good words, and helped her sit on the iron frame bed in the corner.Her eyes fell to the ground in a daze, and her thoughts were soon lost on me.It made me very sick to see her, so I gave her a piece of greasy bread, and went away.

I took advantage of my authority to visit her secretly, but I couldn't be found, but I was stopped by a familiar voice when I passed the next cell.

"Rhein."

I turned around in shock, and saw Catherine, who was no longer beautiful, in a prison uniform.Sasha Clinic's head nurse, Catherine.

She is still very beautiful when she smiles, but she is so pale that it hurts her heart.

"You've become the secret police."

She gripped the iron bars, and I still remember the grace and ease with which those hands injected and healed.But at this moment, I couldn't help but choked up.

"Oh, Catherine." I went to her and took her cold, bony hands. "Did they hit you?"

"No, dear, you have to know that the Germans still have gentlemen in their bones. Even though the glory is gone, they will not easily beat women." Catherine kissed the back of my hand: "They just didn't let me in the first few months. I sleep and it makes me listen to a lot of weird noises."

It's mental torture. I looked at the woman in front of me and knew that Mrs. Weasley couldn't escape this.

can i help themHow can I help them?

When I left the white mansion a few days ago, Julian and Sasha, with rare serious expressions, told me in unison that there should be no violations in the near future.Even if I don't quite understand it, I've grown used to revering them.

I could only show an apologetic expression to Catherine, but this bourgeois woman unexpectedly smiled softly, and even showed a lot of regret in her blue eyes, making no secret of her pity for me.I was so frightened by her inexplicable sympathy that I almost ran away.

Gradually, the atmosphere inside the Stasi became more tense than ever.

Minister Zeisel no longer showed a kind and mellow smile, and the depression of terminal illness became more and more obvious in him. Sometimes I even felt that he was about to die.I can't think of what is holding down our top Stasi leader, perhaps an internal struggle?Perhaps the Soviets?I can't guess, only that Milk, who is getting more and more crazy, makes people feel terrible.

"Milk is from General Secretary Ulbricht." Philip smiled bleakly: "None of us can remain independent, can we?"

He said the same thing as Sonia.

What about me?

Who am I?

I'm from Julian, so I'm from Beria, whom I've never seen?

I am Minister Zeisel's man, so I am an opponent of Ulbricht?

So what is the relationship between Julian and Minister Zeisel?It is said that Minister Zeisel was the top chief of the East German secret police appointed by the previous commander-in-chief of the Soviet Army in Germany, so he should have a good relationship with the Soviets.Milk, on the other hand, had no scruples to show his dissatisfaction with him and his dislike of the Soviets, but Ulbricht was very pro-Soviet.

Sometimes, I'm caught in it and just feel dizzy and out of breath.Those are not things that I can touch, I subconsciously stay away

Things started to get even more disturbing in the spring of 1953, and what happened next would affect many of us for the rest of our lives.

Andy came to me crying and begging me to get his mother out of jail.

"Rhein, you are not a worker, you don't know how harsh the Soviets are to us... We can't earn money, we don't have money to eat, food rations can't meet our basic needs..."

"Please, Rhine." Looking at Andy's appearance, I couldn't bear it, and I agreed to him without thinking.Andy immediately moved over and kissed my shoes, and I was moved to tears by his emotion.

So Alan knocked on my door that night, with a rare serious expression: "I heard Andy talking to you, but I don't want you to risk yourself."

He pursed his lips: "The situation now is much more complicated than you imagined."

"But, I can't sit idly by, I owe Andy them too much."

"Rhein, even without your incident, it's the same."

"What?" I frowned.

Allen walked into the bedroom, sat next to me, and got very close to me, as if deliberately lowering his voice.

"A few years ago, the transformation of the system began, which reduced the original industrial production efficiency in Germany. Hundreds of farms, hotels, and merchants were confiscated, and many farmers who were deprived of their property rights fled abroad. In addition, Germany wanted to return to the Soviet Union. Paying huge war reparations and failing to harvest food, under such multiple blows..."

Allen twitched the corners of his mouth: "Ordinary people have no way to survive. In this regard, the East German Socialist Unity Party's prescription is to let workers work twice as much and increase their work share without increasing wages."

He moved closer, almost touching my ear.

"Do you know? No, you do. On average, 3 people flee East Germany every month, but you turn a blind eye, Rhein. You enjoy all the benefits that the Stasi has brought to you. You and the Soviet bigwigs You drive your jeep, taste premium vodka and eat precious caviar in Karlshorst, you ignore the plight of your fellow countrymen and feign obliviousness to dwindling food rations. Rhine, you sleep with the Soviets , become one of them?"

I frowned and pushed him away: "There are no bugs here! Why are you talking like that suddenly?!"

"Are you angry about this?" Allen chuckled, and then said, "But I'm not qualified to judge you, because, hehe, poor Rhine, what choice do you have?"

He suddenly said these inexplicable words that made me feel cold, I pulled him over and pressed him on the bed, and said angrily: "Listen to Alan! You once warned me not to say some things, and now I will tell you the same! I don't want to go to jail to catch you again!"

Allen suddenly hugged me, his eyes showed an unbearable sadness, the banter and uninhibitedness of the past have all faded away, leaving only a heart-wrenching fragility.He hugged me into his arms and stroked my back with his hands, as if he was comforting me, and seemed to be taking comfort from me.

"Okay, Rhine, I was wrong, I won't say those words again."

"There's nothing anyone can do, right?"

His voice was gentle, and I buried my head in his neck in a daze, and the faint smell of disinfectant flooded into my nasal cavity.

It's a reassuring smell, the one I like.

So I hugged him and called his name softly: "Alan."

"Ok?"

"I don't want to lose anyone."

"I love each and every one of you."

I felt Ellen laughing, and he stroked my soft hair and said, "We all love you too, Rhine, really, we all love you."

As for Mrs. Weasley, I tried and failed.

After listening to my defense for Mrs. Weasley, Erich Milk laughed angrily and didn't give me any response. When he walked in front of me, he just slapped me, and his face instantly burned red.I was then provocatively sent to Minister Zeisel, who just looked at me silently and gave me some ice cubes to apply to my swollen face.

"Rhein." He said kindly, "You will encounter many such things."

"Sorry, Minister, I can't... just turn a blind eye."

"You have to learn not to see it... if you want to stay in the Stasi, or in other words, the GDR."

I stared into his loving eyes, and before I had time to clear up my confusion, the secret line from the Military Control Commission went directly to the minister's office.Minister Zeisel answered the phone and told me that General Azrael ordered me to go to Karlshorst within an hour.

"How can it be so coincidental?"

I muttered softly and was about to leave. Minister Zeisel was standing in front of the window, and the bright sunlight hit him from behind, submerging his face in darkness.

"Rhein."

"Ok?"

He smiled suddenly, and I could feel it, even in the darkness, but I could feel him laughing in the faint silhouette.

"Nothing, let's go."

After all, the minister I admire still didn’t say anything, maybe he had already expected the ending, he was thinking, maybe this ending can remind me something.

But at that time I was completely in a fog, and even when I came to Karlshorst, I still tried to get some comfort and comfort from Julian.

Almost the moment I entered the piano room on the third floor, I was grabbed by a strong force, fell heavily to the ground, and received a severe whip.

I curled up on the floor, my whole body was in a daze, the burning pain in my back spread along my skin, and the pain of scratches from sharp objects made me tremble and gasp for breath.Opening my eyes with difficulty, I saw that Julian was holding a military uniform belt in his hand. The metal buckle on the belt had a blood-red luster, and the veins stretched from the back of his white hand to his arm, showing that he just whipped mercilessly strength.

On the other side, under the warm yellow light, Sasha stood silently, the gentle eyes behind the lenses could not bear it, but the coldness still prevailed.

I huddled into a ball and looked up at them tremblingly.

I don't understand, I really don't understand.

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PS: Beria, the second in command of the Soviet Union at the time, was the top leader of the National Security Council (Cheka, GPU, and later renamed the KGB after rectification).Beria had taken over the Soviet atomic bomb program from Kurchatov.This point is very important, related to the following plot.

At that time, many civilians in East Germany used Polaroid cameras provided by the West to take photos of military projects and government buildings to conduct intelligence transactions and obtain money.