Chapter 352 - 135: Interrogation

Chapter 352: Chapter 135: Interrogation

"When did you start preparing the protective supplies?"

"Late April," Werner said. "Around the 20th, I placed an order from West Germany."

"What order?"

"Replenishing our labor protection supplies," Werner said. "I ordered them for a few factories—masks, gloves, work uniforms."

"And the iodine tablets?" Von Brown stared at him. "Iodine tablets aren’t work safety supplies."

"The iodine tablets were added later," Werner said. "Margaret suggested we buy extra medical supplies to keep in stock."

"Keep in stock?" Von Brown stood up, planting his hands on the table and leaning forward. "Werner, don’t play dumb. What use are things like iodine tablets in peacetime? They only have two uses—nuclear war or a nuclear accident."

Werner watched him calmly, saying nothing.

"You knew in advance that Chernobyl was going to explode, didn’t you?" Von Brown’s gaze was intense. "You placed the order on April 20th, the power plant exploded on the 26th, Sweden detected radiation on the 28th, and on the 29th, you had the goods shipped into East Germany. With timing that precise, you’re telling me it’s a coincidence?"

"Comrade Von Brown, you should know that business relies on instinct. I sensed something wasn’t right, so I made preparations in advance."

"Sensed what?"

"That the Soviet Union’s nuclear power plants aren’t safe," Werner said. "It’s no secret. Western intelligence agencies have been monitoring Chernobyl, and I’d heard some rumors from my clients. So I figured, if something were to happen, the price of protective supplies would go up, so I ordered some ahead of time."

Von Brown scoffed. "Rumors? You placed such a large order based on rumors?"

"Yes," Werner said. "And my gamble paid off."

The room fell silent, the only sound the two men’s breathing.

Von Brown slowly sat back in his chair, his expression grim. "Alright, let’s say you were just lucky. Then let me ask you another question. You sold large quantities of protective supplies on the Black Market, and then gave them away for free after the May Day parade. Is that not speculative profiteering? Is that not profiting from a disaster?"

"Speculative profiteering?" Werner pulled a document from his briefcase and pushed it across the table to Von Brown. "Comrade Von Brown, please look at these accounts."

Von Brown opened the ledger.

"The iodine tablets cost me eight Marks, and I sold them for ten," Werner said calmly. "The masks cost me three Marks, and I sold them for four. The protective suits cost me twenty Marks, and I sold them for twenty-five. Each item was marked up by only twenty to thirty percent. Is that what you call speculative profiteering?"

Von Brown’s expression grew darker.

"Do you know the prices in West Berlin?" Werner continued. "Iodine tablets are going for a hundred Marks, masks for twenty, and protective suits for two hundred. If I really wanted to profit from this disaster, I could have sold everything at West Berlin prices and made ten times the profit. But I didn’t."

Von Brown said nothing.

"And there’s more." Werner produced another document. "I also distributed a batch of supplies for free, with a total value of over fifty thousand Marks. After the May Day parade, I went to five working-class neighborhoods and handed out iodine tablets door-to-door. You can go ask those residents if I charged them any money."

"Why did you give them away for free?" Von Brown stared at him.

"Because I saw those families. They had just finished the parade, standing in the rain for three hours, their children shivering," Werner said calmly. "They had no protection whatsoever from the radiation. I couldn’t bear to watch, so I paid out of my own pocket to give the supplies away. Was that wrong?"

Von Brown’s hand trembled slightly.

"Comrade Von Brown." Werner stood up. "If you want to accuse me of profiting from a disaster, please, go ahead. But I suggest you consider the consequences first."

"What consequences?"

"Right now, the story of how I’ve been helping people is spreading all over the streets of East Berlin," Werner said. "How do you think the families who received the iodine tablets will react when they hear the Stasi arrested me? They’ll think the government hid the truth, made its citizens march in radiation, and the Stasi stood by and did nothing while only one businessman offered help. Now the government is going to arrest that businessman? Why? Because he helped the people?"

Von Brown’s face went livid.

"The Western media has already reported on the May Day parade," Werner continued. "The whole world knows the East German Government made its people march through radiation. In this situation, arresting me will only make matters worse."

Von Brown shot to his feet. "Are you threatening me?"

Werner looked at him calmly. "You know better than I do how much pressure the Politburo is under right now. The scandal from the May Day parade is already giving a lot of people headaches. If a new headline pops up, ’Stasi Arrests Businessman for Helping Citizens,’ how do you think the Politburo is going to react?"

Von Brown glared at him, utterly speechless.

Werner picked up his briefcase, turned, and walked toward the door. He opened it and left.

Von Brown stood alone in the interrogation room, watching the door slowly swing shut. His fists were clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms.

***********

After leaving the Stasi Headquarters, Werner hailed a taxi.

The car pulled away, driving through the streets of East Berlin.

Outside the window, he could occasionally see people wearing masks, their faces etched with anxiety.

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Sir, you should be wearing a mask. They say the radiation hasn’t completely dissipated yet."

"I have one." Werner pulled a mask from his briefcase. "Would you like one?" ℴ

The driver was taken aback for a second. "This... how much?"

"It’s free. A gift," Werner said, handing it to him.

The driver took the mask, too moved to know what to say. "Thank you. Really, thank you. My work unit dragged me out to the parade on May Day. I stood in the rain for three hours and have been worried sick ever since."

"It was definitely dangerous those few days," Werner said.

"The government didn’t tell us anything, and they still made us march." The driver lowered his voice. "Everyone in West Berlin was hiding at home while we were standing in the rain. It wasn’t until later, when I listened to a West German broadcast, that I learned the rain was full of radiation."

The driver’s voice trembled. "I have a five-year-old daughter, and her kindergarten dragged her to the parade, too. I’m worried sick every day now, afraid something might happen to her."

"She should be alright," Werner said. "Are iodine tablets still available for purchase?"

"You can’t buy them anymore." The driver shook his head. "The pharmacies say they’re out of stock. I’ve pulled every string I can think of and still couldn’t find any."

Werner took a box of iodine tablets from his bag. "Here, take this."

The driver was stunned. "This... this is too precious."

"Just take it," Werner said. "It’s for your daughter."

The driver took the iodine tablets as tears streamed down his face. He pulled the car over to the side of the road, turned around, and gripped Werner’s hand tightly. "Sir, I don’t know how to thank you. You’re a good person, a truly good person."

"It’s nothing," Werner said. "Times are tough for everyone."

"No, it’s not nothing." The driver wiped his tears. "On May Day, I was standing in Alexanderplatz, looking at those high-ranking officials on the grandstand, safe and clean behind their glass. I remember thinking, ’They’ve never thought of us as human beings.’ It’s only now, after meeting someone like you, that I know there are still good people left in this world."

The car started up again and continued on its way.