German Red Prince

"This is a photo I brought to you, Xavito."

Thorne took out the photo and handed it to Harvey's mother. After receiving the photo from Thorne and seeing that familiar face, Harvey's mother's breathing became rapid. There was no mistake, this was a photo of Harvey and her from back then.

“Harvey, where is he? Where?” Maria’s voice trembled as she gripped Thorne’s arm tightly, holding the photograph.

For years, there had been no news of Harvey. Today, someone suddenly delivered a photo. With a mother's intuition, Maria had a bad feeling.

"I'm very sorry, ma'am, Harvey is not coming back."

Thorne took out Harvey's nameplate and handed it to Maria. "He was a great warrior, worthy of everyone's respect."

Maria was speechless as she received the plaque, despite countless attempts to comfort herself: perhaps Harvey didn't like life here and had gone somewhere else; perhaps Harvey had married and had children; perhaps Harvey was still alive...

But after receiving the blood-stained nameplate, Maria knew that her fantasy was ultimately just that—a fantasy.

"Thank you sir."

After learning the exact truth, Maria calmed down considerably, and her voice stopped trembling. Now, all she wanted to know was where Harvey had gone.

"Excuse me, sir, where is Harvey buried?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know exactly where it is. I only know that it's a very far place."

"What did Harvey do while he was alive? Can you tell us?"

Looking into the mother's pleading eyes, Thorne didn't know how to express himself. Although the political environment in the Kingdom of the Rhine was much more relaxed than in Prussia, joining the International Brigades against Germany was a crime of treason in any kingdom. At least for now, he couldn't tell the mother the truth.

“I’m sorry, madam, I can’t tell you right now. It’s a very confidential mission. You will know when the time is right. But I can tell you that Harvey was a great warrior. He fought for a very great cause during his lifetime.”

Hearing Thorne say this, Maria knew that it would be futile to ask any more questions. She wiped away her tears and thanked Thorne.

"Thank you, sir. I haven't even asked your name yet. I don't know how to thank you properly."

“Nikolas von Thorne,” Thorne replied to Maria.

Upon hearing the name, Maria was stunned for a moment, looking at the young man in front of her in disbelief. No wonder he looked so familiar; the recent newspapers were full of photos of this prince.

"You are a great mother. It is an honor for the Kingdom of Rhine to have such a brave warrior as Harvey."

After seeing Thorne off, Maria went into the house, sat on the sofa, and looked at the photo in her hand. At this moment, she was not very sad, but rather somewhat relieved. Compared to her previous various imaginations, at least Maria knew now that Harvey was indeed not coming back.

Maria was comforted by the fact that Harvey had always been a good boy, a boy she was proud of. The fact that even the prince of the kingdom came in person showed how important Harvey's work was.

“Hijar, come with me to see Harvey in a few days,” Maria said to her son, who was clearing the table.

Haigar was somewhat surprised to hear his mother say this. His mother had never believed that his brother had died, and had not even attended the funeral. Why was she suddenly telling him this now?

"Mom, what's wrong?" Haigar walked towards his mother, who had just gone out and seemed to be acting strangely.

"Your brother is not coming back."

Maria handed the photo to Haigar, lay down on the sofa and let out a long sigh, trying hard not to let her tears fall.

"Come with me to see him in a few days, to see your brother."

On his way back, Thorne was also thinking about how many of these warriors who fought in foreign lands didn't even leave behind their names.

They were all great internationalists and should not be forgotten.

Their families should not be ashamed of what they did, nor should they be subject to the judgment of others. With such lofty beliefs, these people should not be forgotten in the long river of history.

Thorne didn't want the day when these people were mentioned again, they would be seen as a bunch of hooligans or bandits in some people's mouths.

When a soldier dies in battle, the first things flies notice are his flaws and wounds. They suck at him, buzzing around, feeling proud and thinking they are more heroic than the fallen soldier.

Go away, flies! Though you have wings and can buzz, you can never surpass the warriors, you insects!

Chapter 170 Suitable Candidate

Regoye was still busy in that small, cramped studio. He had been completely devoted to this little newspaper.

A large portion of the salary he received was invested in the newspaper's operations. As the newspaper gradually developed, Regoye felt a growing sense of pride.

It seems that all the hard work last night was worthwhile; Regoyer's article was a great success, and the entire newspaper office was bustling with activity. Seeing this scene, Regoyer also felt a sense of accomplishment.

When he first arrived, the "Citizens' Gazette" was deserted, but now, thanks to their joint efforts, this small place can hardly accommodate so many people anymore.

"Looks like we've had a great success this time." Delt smiled and patted Regoye on the shoulder. It was clear that the president was very satisfied with the current situation.

"Perhaps soon we'll be able to move out of this little place, and then we'll have to celebrate properly."

“It’s such a good thing we had this opportunity, Paul,” Regoye said to Delt. If it weren’t for this chance to participate in the parade, their newspaper would probably have remained silent forever.

The newspapers sold during the military parade at least gave their newspaper a small boost in reputation. They didn't expect anything bigger, and such opportunities were rare. They were already quite satisfied with this, as it meant they had taken another small step closer to their goal.

“Although we’re still so small now, who knows, maybe one day we’ll be just like the Rheinische Zeitung?” Delter said half-jokingly.

The Rheinische Zeitung was not originally called the Rheinische Zeitung, but the Daily Rheini. At that time, it was about the same size as the Civic Gazette. The newspaper had little reputation and could barely make ends meet.

But for some unknown reason, it is said that it was because the content of their newspaper one day caught the attention of His Highness Thorne that they rose to prominence and became the industry giant they are today. This story has inspired many small newspapers to work hard, hoping that they might be noticed by His Highness one day.

Delt thought so too. What if His Highness Thorne saw their newspaper and became interested? Wouldn't that be a meteoric rise to power?

Just as he was looking forward to the future, the newspaper office door was pushed open, and a scene that Delt could never have imagined was now happening in real time.

The person who entered the room was someone Delt would recognize even if he were reduced to ashes—wasn't it Prince Thorne, whom they had been "longing for day and night"?

"Am I dreaming?"

Delt suddenly felt a little unreal. He was unsure if he was dreaming. Had he been too busy last night to concentrate?

Everyone in the newspaper office stopped what they were doing. Time seemed to stand still in the room. Everyone stared at Thorne in a daze. The prince of the Rhine Kingdom had really come to their newspaper office?

"Good morning, everyone. Hope I haven't disturbed your work?" Thorne broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere by speaking first.

"Are you Prince Thorne? Are you really Prince Thorne?"

Delt slowly walked forward, still unable to believe it. Was all of this real? Or was it someone's prank?

However, Delt quickly rejected this idea himself. Who would dare to impersonate a member of the royal family? Wouldn't that be courting death?

“Of course, the real deal.” Thorne stretched out his hands and stepped forward. “What? Aren’t you welcoming me?”

"No, no, no, how could that be? I'm just too excited. My goodness, I never expected His Highness Thorne to come to our newspaper office. I am Delt, the editor-in-chief of the Citizens' Gazette. It is a great honor for His Highness to visit our newspaper office."

Delt quickly stepped forward to greet them, and the other people from the newspaper also gathered around. After all, it was a rare opportunity to see a member of the royal family up close these days, and no one wanted to miss it.

However, just as everyone was about to move closer, two men in black uniforms stood in front of Thorne, staring at everyone present.

Seeing that these two were not to be trifled with, the crowd stopped pushing forward and retreated to watch from a distance.

Delt also stopped awkwardly halfway, unsure whether to go forward or backward. Thorne waved his hand, signaling the bodyguard to step back.

Because Thorne liked to wander off and would disappear at the drop of a hat, there had been several assassination attempts against him before. Fred was worried, so he sent someone to follow Thorne to prevent anything from happening.

Thorne wasn't used to it at first, as he had never received this kind of treatment in his previous life, and it felt a bit strange. However, Thorne quickly got used to it, and it was a good experience for him, letting him feel what it meant to be an "important person".

"I found a really good newspaper today and wanted to take a look."

Thorne took out the "Citizens' Gazette" he had read that day. "There's a very interesting article in it called 'Watching Over.' I wonder who the author is. I'd like to meet them."

Happiness came too suddenly. I never thought this day would actually come. My mouth must be blessed. Delt felt like he was about to cry.

He quickly pushed the still-dazed Regoye in front of Thorne, thanking himself for suddenly thinking of going for a drink, thanking himself for running into Regoye, and thanking himself for running up to talk to him. His newspaper was really about to have a change of fortune.

"This is the author; he's also a reporter and editor for our newspaper," Delt introduced.

"Oh? So you mean you took this photo too?"

Thorne pointed to the photo of "Watching Over" in the newspaper. He had to admit that the angle and composition were excellent; it was the kind of photo that grew on you the more you looked at it.

"This is a talent," Thorne thought to himself. He was about to begin his next move and was looking for a suitable reporter.

Given that Regoyer can take such photographs and write such delicate articles, he is clearly a very suitable candidate.

“Hello, I really like this article. Can we talk about it?” Thorne said to Regoye.

At this moment, Delt suddenly became nervous again. Thorne wanted to talk to Regoye. What if Regoye was interested in his abilities and tried to poach him?

Delt also knew that Regoye was a rare talent, and that it was clear that he had a better future with Prince Thorne than with him, as it was a chance to rise to the top in one step.

Moreover, he was completely incapable of competing with someone like Prince Thorne; he only owned a small newspaper and had nothing to offer Regoye.

However, if His Highness Thorne wishes, he can make Regoye the editor-in-chief of the Rheinische Zeitung, or even allow Regoye to establish his own newspaper.

“Of course, Your Highness Thorne.”

Regoye was somewhat at a loss. He had been marveling at how close the Rheinische Zeitung reporters could get to photograph such an important figure, and now this person was actually standing right in front of him.

Although Thorne's decision to come to this newspaper was impromptu, and the original plan was to find someone from the Rheinische Zeitung, he still had trouble finding a suitable candidate.

I just happened to see Regoye's article in the newspaper today. Instead of going to the newspaper office to pick someone myself, I might as well find someone ready-made.

Thorne's next focus was on the war-torn North Africa region.

Chapter 171 Economic Independence

"President Delt, please come along."

Thorne greeted Delt, saying that although the newspaper was not a large publication, its quality was exceptionally high.

After reading their newspaper, Thorne became interested; it seemed he had found another treasure.

"Mr. Regoyer, how did you manage to write this article?"

In Regoye's cramped office, Thorne asked his question: at a time when newspapers were all praising the powerful military strength of the Kingdom of Rhine, it was very rare to find a report that focused on these unsung soldiers.

“When I saw the young faces of these soldiers, I had the idea to write this article,” Regoye said, carrying a large stack of books off the sofa and sitting down awkwardly.

"Most of these soldiers are only in their early twenties. At this age, they leave their families to protect the safety of the entire Rhineland. I admire them very much."

“You’re right, sir, they are all worthy of respect.” Thorne nodded in agreement. “You took quite a few photos during the parade, didn’t you? May I see them?”

"Of course, Your Highness."

Regoye retrieved the photos he had taken from the drawer and handed them to Thorne, who looked at each of the images Regoye had recorded.

It has to be said that he was really skilled, especially since he saw his own photo and saw Thomas and Heydrich standing behind him.

"This photo is great! Can I have it?"

“It is my honor, Your Highness.” How could Regoye refuse Thorne’s request? He was overjoyed that Thorne had approved the photos.

"Let's get down to business, Mr. Regoyer."

Thorne looked at Regoye and said, “I greatly admire your abilities. The Kingdom of Rhine will be handling some matters and is short of professionals. I need someone as capable as you.”

"I would like to ask if you are willing to join. First of all, I want to tell you that if you are willing, you may encounter some dangerous things next, but of course you have the right to refuse."

As expected, they came to negotiate with Regoye. Delt swallowed hard, looking somewhat disappointed. Although he really didn't want Regoye to leave, the man was capable, and this small place couldn't fully showcase Regoye's talents.

Everyone has the right to pursue a better life, and if someone wants to leave, Delter has no reason to refuse to let Regoye go.

"this......"

Regoye thought for a while, hesitated for a moment, and then refused.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness Thorne, although I really want to go, I'm worried about this newspaper. After all, I've worked so hard for it for so long, and I'm a little reluctant to leave."

Despite Thorne's offer, Regoye gritted his teeth and refused. Although it was a chance to rise to the top overnight, and he loved challenging himself, he was still reluctant to give up the newspaper to which he had poured so much effort.

"Hahaha, Mr. Regoye, what kind of person do you take me for? Do I look like the kind of person who only knows how to poach other people's partners?"

Thorne laughed. He had thought someone had no other reason than that. Turns out, it was because they couldn't bear to part with the newspaper. That would be easier to resolve.

"Of course you won't leave your newspaper. Your newspaper is so great, why would I come here to poach your staff?"

“I’m actually quite interested in your newspaper; it has many interesting stories. So I’d like to make an investment. What do you think, Mr. Delt?”

"With pleasure, Your Highness!"

Delt quickly replied, afraid that Thorne would change his mind. He never dared to dream of having such a powerful backer. His newspaper had actually turned its fortunes around overnight thanks to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you.” Thorne shook Delt’s hand and looked at Regoye.

"Mr. Regoyer, how about it now? Would you like to reconsider?"

"No need to think about it, Your Highness Thorne, I'm willing to go."

Upon hearing that Thorne wanted to sponsor the "Citizens' Gazette," Regoye did not hesitate and immediately agreed.

“Then I’ll be borrowing your reporters for a while, Mr. Delt.” Thorne smiled. “But don’t worry, the reporters and editors at the Rheinische Zeitung are very helpful and are always ready to come and assist.”

"Thank you, Your Highness Thorne."