Chapter 368 - 13: Scapegoat and Successor

Chapter 368: Chapter 13: Scapegoat and Successor

Koko Headquarters, Werner’s office, 11:00 AM.

Werner returned to his office, closed the door, and walked to the safe.

He opened the safe. Inside were neat stacks of files—his records of all the "sensitive business" he had handled at Koko over the years. Arms deals, contraband smuggling, orders from third-world dictators.

These documents were enough to get him a sentence of twenty years or more in a future court of law.

Werner took out an empty cardboard box and began filling it with the files.

As he was busy, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It’s me." Anna’s voice came through, low and hushed. "Are you in your office?"

"I am. What’s wrong?"

"The Stasi have gone crazy," Anna said quickly. "For the past few days, headquarters has been frantically destroying files. The shredders have been running twenty-four hours a day, and the smoke from burning documents has blackened the entire building. The place is full of ash now. You can’t even see people clearly in the hallways."

Werner frowned. "Is it that serious?"

"It’s more serious than you can imagine," Anna said. "A lot of people are secretly taking files. Some are hauling them out by the boxful. Who knows if they plan to hide them or sell them to West Germany. The security department can’t control it at all, because the security guys are taking files themselves."

"What about Von Brown?"

"Von Brown?" Anna sneered. "Von Brown can’t even save himself. He was called in for a ’talk’ yesterday. Rumor is someone reported him for corruption. Now he’s busy pulling strings, trying to save his own skin."

Werner was silent for a few seconds. "Anna, be careful. Anything can happen at a time like this."

"I know." Anna’s voice softened slightly. "You be careful too. I have to go. Remember to watch TV at three this afternoon. I hear it’s going to be quite a show."

"I will."

After hanging up, Werner went back to sorting the files.

Half an hour later, the cardboard box was full. Werner carried it to the furnace in the basement and began feeding the files into the furnace, one by one. Flames devoured the paper, turning the words that recorded secret deals, illegal procurements, and arms smuggling into ash.

Watching the documents burn, Werner was filled with a strange feeling—a mix of relief and reluctance. These files chronicled twenty-six years of his efforts, twenty-six years of his operations. Now, as they disappeared into the flames, it was as if his past was also being erased, bit by bit.

But it was necessary.

To survive in the new era, one had to cast off the baggage of the old.

**************

Koko Headquarters, conference room, 3:00 PM.

The television in the conference room was on, showing a live broadcast from East Germany’s national television station.

A news anchor sat behind a desk, his expression grave. "Good afternoon, viewers. We are now bringing you a live broadcast of the plenary session of the Central Committee of the German Unity Social Party."

The camera cut to the conference hall, a large room filled with members of the Central Committee. On the stage, Erich Honecker sat in the center, his face haggard and his eyes vacant.

Werner studied Anger’s expression closely. The seventy-seven-year-old man had none of the spirited vigor he’d displayed at the National Day celebration two weeks ago. He looked like a prisoner sentenced to death, awaiting the final verdict.

"He’s finished," Alexander said in a low voice.

"Should have been finished long ago," another Koko official sneered. "The old hardliner. If he had reformed earlier, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation."

"That’s enough," Gunter warned.

On the television, the meeting began. One by one, members of the Central Committee spoke, but no one defended Anger. Instead, they all criticized his policies, condemned his mistakes, and demanded he take responsibility.

This wasn’t a meeting; it was a struggle session.

Werner watched as Anger’s face grew paler and his body began to tremble. Beside him, Krenz—the fifty-two-year-old successor—sat expressionless, his gaze cold.

’They planned this all in advance,’ Werner thought. This wasn’t a democratic discussion, but a carefully orchestrated power-transfer ceremony. The Central Committee had decided long ago to oust Anger; today’s meeting was just a formality.

An hour later, the vote began.

"All those in favor of Comrade Erich Honecker’s resignation from the position of General Secretary, please raise your hands."

Almost everyone raised their hand.

The camera panned across the hall, and Werner saw the same officials who had once bowed and scraped before Anger now unhesitatingly raising their hands to approve his ouster.

’This is politics. No loyalty, only interests.’

"The motion passes," the moderator announced. "Comrade Erich Honecker will no longer serve as General Secretary of the German Unity Social Party."

A wave of complex sighs rippled through the conference room.

"It’s over," someone said.

"It’s really over."

On the television, Anger stood up and slowly left the stage. He walked with a slow, stooped back, like a defeated old man. No one clapped for him, no one shook his hand, and no one even glanced his way.

And so, in silence, he walked out of the hall, out of the center of power, and into the annals of history.

"Krenz is taking over," said Alexander. "What do you think he’ll do?"

"What can he do?" Gunter sneered. "Krenz was promoted by Anger; he’s cut from the same cloth. It’s the same old story, just with a new face. Nothing will really change."

"Then what about us...?"

"That’s why I told you all to get ready. Don’t expect the new government to let us off the hook."

Werner said nothing. He knew Gunter was right—Krenz taking power wouldn’t change East Germany’s fate. The people were no longer afraid. The protests would continue, and the regime would continue to crumble.

The true endgame lay just ahead.

*************

「8:00 PM.」

Werner drove to a secret villa in the suburbs.

He used his key to open the door and entered the living room. A fire was still burning in the fireplace, which meant Anna had already arrived.

"In here." Anna emerged from the study, a glass of wine in her hand. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes, but her spirits seemed decent.

"Are you all right?" Werner asked.

"Still alive," Anna said with a bitter smile. "Though I don’t know for how much longer."

"Where’s Felix?" Werner asked.

"He’s with my mother. Things have been too chaotic these past few days; I can’t look after him."

She handed the wine to Werner and poured another for herself. The two of them sat before the fireplace, drinking in silence.

"How were things at Koko today?" Anna asked.

"Utter chaos," Werner said. "Lots of people are fleeing, lots of people are destroying files. But some departments are still operating as usual, as if nothing has happened. The entire organization is in a state of... schism."

"It’s the same with the Stasi," Anna sighed. "No, I should say the Stasi is even crazier. After Anger was ousted, the Stasi fell into disarray, and they’re destroying files everywhere. I saw someone jump into the Spree River with several boxes of documents, saying they were going to destroy the evidence for good."

"How are things on your end?" Werner asked.

"I’ve destroyed everything dangerous," Anna said. "All the records that could hurt you, the evidence of your cooperation with the Stasi—it’s all been burned. Now, in the Stasi archives, you won’t find a single piece of evidence connecting you to them."

"Good." Werner nodded. "What about you? Your file..."

"Taken care of," Anna said. "I’ve altered all my operational records from over the years. Now, it looks like I’m just an ordinary intelligence officer, with no out-of-line activities."