The office was thick with smoke. Portraits of Marx, Engels, and Ublis hung on the wall.

Vonke was reviewing a file marked "Top Secret." He looked up at Werner, his eyes still filled with suspicion.

"Comrade Vonke, I have something important to report." Werner got straight to the point.

"What is it?" Vonke put down the file and leaned back in his chair.

"Someone is stealing state relief supplies on a massive scale, damaging our country’s reputation." Werner pushed an envelope across the desk, his tone indignant yet restrained. "This is evidence I happened to capture."

Vonke’s eyes instantly sharpened.

He dubiously opened the envelope and pulled out the photographs. When he saw the one of Otto portioning out medicine, his expression immediately darkened.

"Otto Braun..." Vonke spat out the name. "That bastard. We’ve always suspected something was off with him, but we never had anything solid."

Werner sneered inwardly.

’That idiot Otto thinks he and Vonke are friends. He has no idea the Stasi have been investigating him for a while.’

"I didn’t want to get involved in this sort of thing," Werner said, putting on a pained and heartbroken expression and clenching his fist. "But when I see scum like this damaging our country’s reputation, I just can’t stand by."

Vonke examined each photograph carefully, then looked up to scrutinize Werner, a dangerous glint in his small eyes.

"How did you get these?"

"I’ve been participating in the Church’s charity events recently, wanting to contribute a little to building our nation." Werner had his story ready, his expression sincere. "I happened to notice some issues with the distribution of supplies, so I kept a closer eye on things. Who knew I’d uncover a problem this serious."

"Charity events?" Vonke narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with obvious suspicion. "Comrade Werner, since when did you become interested in charity?"

The crucial moment had arrived.

Werner looked deeply into Vonke’s eyes, his voice becoming sincere and emotional.

"Comrade Vonke, when you spoke with me a few days ago, it made me deeply reflect on my actions. I lay in bed all night thinking—who am I? Why am I alive? What should I be doing for our country?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the Social Unity Party flag fluttering in the distance.

"I realized that as a citizen, I can’t just think about myself. I should do more to benefit the people, to perfect our system, and to show the imperialists what a true nation of workers and peasants looks like!"

His speech was delivered with impassioned fervor, accompanied by perfectly timed gestures.

Vonke nodded repeatedly as he listened, the suspicion in his eyes gradually replaced by approval.

"Excellent, excellent!" Vonke slapped the table. "Comrade Werner, it seems our previous conversation really had an effect. This is the awareness every citizen of our German Democratic Republic should have!"

"It’s all thanks to the Party’s teachings," Werner said humbly. "Also, if you need my cooperation in investigating Otto’s other criminal activities, I’m on standby. I believe a parasite like him wouldn’t commit only this one crime."

Vonke nodded in satisfaction. "We will act immediately. If what you’ve reported is true, you will have made a major contribution to the state."

Werner lowered his head humbly. "It’s what any citizen should do. For our great German Democratic Republic, no sacrifice is too great!"

Inwardly, however, he was sneering. ’That dumb pig Otto wanted to send me to prison? Let’s see who’s going to prison now!’

「Two hours later, in the Church’s backyard.」

Otto was discussing the distribution of the next shipment with a few of his accomplices, completely unaware that disaster was about to strike.

He sat on a wooden crate, dangling a cigarette from West Germany between his lips, looking like a local tyrant.

"That kid Werner hasn’t been around to bother us lately. The Stasi must have scared him off." Otto chuckled smugly, the fat on his cheeks jiggling. "Just as I said, with people like him, you have to strike first. I’ve already given Comrade Vonke the heads-up; we can take care of him anytime."

"Brilliant, Boss!" a few of his underlings flattered. "How could a small-time Black Market peddler like him dare to fight us?"

"Exactly! We’re public officials. What is he?"

Just then, the iron gate to the backyard was violently thrown open with a deafening CLANG.

Vonke burst in with four heavily armed agents, each brandishing a submachine gun, their faces grim and menacing.

"Ministry for State Security! Nobody move! Hands up!"

Otto’s face turned deathly pale. The cigarette fell from his hand, a wisp of smoke rising from where it landed.

He wanted to run, but his legs were as weak as noodles; he couldn’t take a single step. The underlings beside him were so terrified they dropped straight to their knees.

"Otto Braun, you are under arrest." Vonke cuffed him personally, his movements rough. "The charge is theft of state relief supplies and sabotage of socialist construction."

"I... I didn’t... This must be a misunderstanding..." Otto’s voice trembled as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Vonke sneered, pulled the photographs from his pocket, and waved them in Otto’s face. "A misunderstanding? These pictures speak for themselves! Comrade Otto, you’re a real model Party cadre, aren’t you!"

The moment Otto saw those photos, he knew it was all over.

He looked around wildly.

"Who took these? Who was it? I want to know who betrayed me!"

Vonke yanked on the handcuffs, dragging Otto toward the gate. "Comrade Otto, you’d better start thinking about how you’re going to explain these photos in court."

Watching Otto’s pathetic figure being dragged away, his underlings were scared out of their wits and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.

Werner stood at the main gate of the Church, watching the scene from a distance, already calculating his next move. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

’With Otto gone, the Church’s charity channels will be completely under my control.’

’And I just earned credit with Vonke. For the short term, at least, I won’t have to worry about being investigated.’

「That night, at the Golden Deer Tavern.」

Fatty Wolf was sitting at a table drinking. When he saw Werner walk in, he froze for a moment, then gave a slight nod in greeting.

The tavern was hazy with smoke, and a few regulars were talking quietly in a corner.

Werner could feel everyone’s eyes on him—the news of Otto’s arrest had already spread throughout the entire Black Market circle.

"I hear Otto was arrested?" Fatty Wolf’s tone was calm, but his eyes held a clear probing look.

"Yes," Werner said, sitting down across from Fatty Wolf, his expression neutral. "Corrupt people always get what’s coming to them. Bartender, a beer."

The bartender poured him a beer with a rich head of foam. Werner picked up the glass and took a sip.

Fatty Wolf lowered his voice and leaned forward.

"Werner, we’ve worked together for a long time, so there’s something I have to warn you about—this business runs deep. Don’t go around making enemies."

Werner heard the warning in his words but remained calm. "Boss Wolfgang, I just do legitimate business. If someone wants to get into shady dealings, they can’t blame others for not playing nice."

"You think Otto was into shady dealings?" Fatty Wolf stopped what he was doing and stared directly at Werner. "Kid, Otto may have been a little greedy, but he had connections to the Mole. This isn’t some small-time street squabble—the Mole has insiders at the armory who specialize in moving so-called ’scrap materials’ off the books. Do you know what that stuff sells for on the Black Market?"

Fatty Wolf lowered his voice even more. "Those leftover chemical byproducts from the armory—they’re worthless on paper, but the Mole gets his hands on them directly and flips them for triple the profit. The small workshops, dye makers, even the underground photo developers, they’re all scrambling for that stuff. With Otto arrested, it’s a slap in the face to the Mole. They’re not going to let this go."

’The Mole?’ The name registered with Werner.

He knew of the Mole—a recently risen big shot in the Black Market, young, ambitious, and aggressive in his methods.