A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

The summary sent back by Falkenhausen and Neviger using the highest level of cipher was enough to strike Hitler and several high-ranking officials like a bolt from the blue.

Himmler, his face grim, pondered for a long time before speaking: "This is an extremely serious leak, and we must take immediate preventative measures. The intelligence department must act immediately, dig out the moles hiding within, and thoroughly investigate how the information was leaked to the Far East."

Blomberg and Göring were also moved.

Himmler's words, seemingly casual and matter-of-fact, subtly implied that the War Department's communications bureau was to blame for its oversight and that "preventive measures" needed to be taken. Furthermore, his statement also implied that his security services should be fully authorized to conduct thorough reconnaissance.

Himmler rose rapidly in recent years, wielding immense power. As Police Chief and SS National Leader, he was a powerful and influential figure.

Under his meticulous management, the SS expanded rapidly, gaining complete control of the police force. His capable assistant, Heydrich, personally oversaw the SS Security Service, a secret intelligence agency that struck fear into the hearts of German political figures, and it had already infiltrated key departments extensively. The Gestapo had grown into a powerful organization that inspired terror, and it was beginning to show signs of being able to influence domestic and foreign policy.

Himmler played a crucial role in consolidating the Führer's rule. In a series of power struggles, he used insidious schemes to eliminate his opponents, achieving immense power. Even high-ranking figures like Field Marshal Blomberg, Minister of War, and Göring, Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, were wary of him.

Himmler's words seemed to suggest a power grab.

The SS and the Wehrmacht already had mutual animosity, but Himmler's words were so eloquent that no one could refute them. Blomberg could only remain silent and helplessly swallow this bitter pill.

"Fortunately, it's not too late to discover it now, and it hasn't caused any irreparable serious consequences." Goring seemed to be trying to smooth things over, and said in a deep voice, "However, we must be careful from now on, and take effective measures immediately against both internal moles and enemy intelligence agencies."

Göring appeared to be defending Field Marshal Blomberg, but in reality, he had long coveted the position of Minister of Defense. However, the reason why he was intentionally protecting Field Marshal Blomberg this time remained unknown to others.

"The most urgent task is to patch the vulnerabilities of the Enigma machine as soon as possible; this is of utmost urgency," Blomberg nodded and said. "Based on the intelligence we have, we can conclude that this incident was orchestrated by enemy agents through instigation and collusion between insiders and outsiders. Given the Chinese people's deep understanding of the cipher machine, it was certainly not something that could be accomplished overnight. But we must find out exactly who did it, when it happened, and how it got into the hands of the Chinese as soon as possible."

Blomberg was no ordinary man either; in just a few words, he pointed out the key to the matter, while also implying that the enemy's infiltration activities had a long history and that the intelligence department's counter-espionage work was ineffective.

Goering nodded slightly and said, "I completely agree with the Marshal's view. China is not our external enemy, and we have no conflict of interest in Europe. They are our partners. Regardless of whether they have the strength, they have no reason or need to expose themselves. This matter must be handled properly to avoid adverse international repercussions and diplomatic passivity."

Göring's "Intelligence Research Directorate" was highly effective in monitoring domestic and international telegraphic communications and deciphering codes. It, along with the "Military Intelligence Directorate" under the War Department, belonged to the Wehrmacht system and dominated military intelligence and foreign affairs. Himmler, on the other hand, had the SS Security Service and the Gestapo secret police, which dominated domestic affairs. Although these major intelligence systems had different main functions and powers, they also overlapped, competed with, and checked each other.

After the defeat in World War I, the Military Intelligence Service was greatly weakened and restricted by the Treaty of Versailles. It was not until the last year or two, under the leadership of the new director, Canaris, that it gradually began to improve.

Göring's words also implicitly reminded Himmler, whose power had grown in recent years, not to overstep his authority and monopolize power. On this point, he and Blomberg were on the same side, both of them not wanting Himmler's SS system to become too powerful.

Himmler looked gloomy, and though he was displeased, he said nothing more.

These individuals, who have been immersed in politics for many years, are all shrewd and cunning figures.

Hitler observed coldly, without uttering a word. He was indeed a ruthless and powerful figure, having already seen through everything.

Intricate political struggles, power grabs, and factional infighting are unavoidable in any country, under any political system, and in any period.

As an old Chinese saying goes: Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.

Given Hitler's status and authority, it was difficult for him to interfere much. As the Führer, what he needed to do was to maintain a relatively balanced and delicate situation, allowing the conflicting parties to check and balance each other. This was the art of ruling his subordinates as the supreme leader.

However, Hitler also had a headache: the intelligence system, which had expanded rapidly in the past few years, had defects that were difficult to make up for in a short period of time. The relationships between the various intelligence agencies were complicated, and without a unified leadership and coordination body, it was difficult to form a unified cooperation and division of labor mechanism.

Hitler, not wanting things to become too tense, said, "The War Ministry must take all necessary measures to safeguard national security, conduct secret internal counter-espionage investigations, and the Communications Bureau must immediately improve its cipher machines."

He then gave the group a meaningful look and said, "You all need to coordinate as one, clarify your leading responsibilities, cooperate closely, and work together to dig out the moles within, uncover the enemy's intelligence network, and cut off their intruding hands! The cause of the German Empire cannot afford to fail!"

This was a warning from the leader, and the men knew it all too well. They all replied in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Hitler was very satisfied; balancing the various factions and controlling the situation was precisely the way to manage his subordinates.

Falkenhausen and Newegel soon received several top directives from Berlin:

1. Obtain more information about cracking Enigma.

Second, investigate the source of China's access to classified intelligence.

Third, ascertain the true intentions of the Chinese people.

Looking at the reply, Falkenhausen said to Neviger, "It seems the Führer has made up his mind, no matter the cost."

During that period, the secret telegrams exchanged between the German military advisory group in Nanjing and the highest levels of government in Berlin suddenly became much more frequent.

Falkenhausen and Neviger continued to send more detailed information back to Berlin, and Hitler gradually came to understand the whole story.

He silently murmured a name: "Song Hongfei, he's truly an unfathomable person."

Last year, Song Hongfei, a member of the Chinese delegation to Europe, left a very deep impression on him. Now, he has developed an even stronger interest in this Chinese man who was described as unfathomable by the "mysterious forces" superhumans.

After pondering for a long time, a faint smile appeared on his lips. He said to Goring beside him, "It seems that the Chinese are dissatisfied with their passive position in the cooperation. They want more say and better prices."

Göring was the head of Germany's "Four-Year Plan" in preparation for war, and his power and influence were so great that he was known as the "Economic Tsar." He was fully aware of all matters related to the cooperation between the two sides.

Göring was well aware that Sino-German cooperation, especially in arms purchases and military cooperation, had aroused strong dissatisfaction from Japan, which had lodged representations with Germany on several occasions. Hitler was also very troubled by the relationship with this arch-enemy in the Far East and hesitated on certain cooperation projects.

The Chinese people want to use this to demonstrate their strength and put pressure on Germany, showing that they are by no means a pushover.

Goring thought for a moment, then said, "The mole has been uncovered. A man named Schmidt within the communications bureau leaked information to the French intelligence agency for money. There are clues indicating that the French also provided intelligence to the Poles, and they have a military cooperation agreement. However, we are still investigating how the Chinese obtained it."

Hitler nodded; he had, of course, already been informed of this intelligence.

Since China's "military reorganization plan" began in the 30s, it has had military cooperation not only with Germany but also with many other European countries, including France and Poland. So, did France and Poland exchange intelligence with China? That's unlikely; who would provide intelligence to their adversary's partners?

Hitler and Göring fell into deep thought; it was a very perplexing question.

After a long silence, Göring asked again, "The mole Schmidt has been arrested. Should we punish him severely?"

Hitler's eyes flashed, and he said, "No, secretly control him, let him continue to provide false information to the other side, and have the intelligence department closely monitor him to ensure that everything goes smoothly. But, he must not be allowed to access anything of value again."