As the crowd gradually dispersed, Logan quickly walked over to the officer who had helped him out and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your support, Captain!"
The young Air Force captain, who also wore the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and appeared equally youthful, turned around and looked at Logan with some surprise before unexpectedly punching him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Hans, you dare to thank me when you just reported back yesterday! You didn't even bother to come find me! Hmph!"
From their conversation, it was clear that the two had a quite familiar relationship. Rubbing his sore shoulder, Logan replied, "Come on, you know I was swamped with work, didn't you?"
The tall and lean-faced captain chuckled innocently, "Ha, true! Getting promoted and becoming the model company commander appointed by the Führer, of course, you must be swamped! You're really lucky, Hans, to have captured the British Expeditionary Force headquarters single-handedly. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even dare to dream about it!"
"Hehe, pure luck!" Logan chuckled. "Come on, let's go to my place, have some coffee, and catch up!"
"Sure thing! But Hans, I thought you liked tea? I always said tea is overrated, coffee gives you more energy!" The young captain didn't hesitate to follow Logan into the car—a VW82 Kübelwagen, the only four-wheeled vehicle the German Army had capable of airborne operations!
Once they reached Logan's office, the two of them opened up and chatted for a while. Gradually, Logan understood the situation: this person was Karl Schultz, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Parachute Regiment, also from Königsberg like himself, and had worked together in the paratrooper units for many years, presumably establishing a deep friendship.
"I've already discussed this with Colonel Brauer. Since the establishment of the model airborne battalion was proposed by General Student and approved by the High Command, we must fully support it. However, we did suffer significant losses in the Netherlands and Belgium. Once we replenish with a large number of paratrooper reserves, our combat effectiveness may decline. But... it seems like the High Command doesn't intend to continue using paratroopers in the next phase of the battle, probably after defeating France, the war will be almost over!" Schultz spoke objectively, considering the current situation of the German armored group having already torn apart the French makeshift "Weygand" Line near Monceau and made significant advances, with Rommel's 7th Panzer Division leading the charge.
"That seems reasonable, but the British won't surrender easily, and the Soviets still pose a significant threat to us!" Logan analyzed objectively according to historical facts.
Schultz wasn't surprised by this response and sighed, "Maybe! Anyway, we need to be prepared for both!"
"By the way, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"When selecting personnel, can you lend me your most experienced non-commissioned officers and soldiers?" Logan said. "I'm currently building a unit from scratch!"
"Sure thing, buddy! But..." As soon as Schultz mentioned this "but," Logan's heart skipped a beat, thinking he might have some excuse.
"To be honest, since you're building a unit from scratch, especially a model unit under the attention of the High Command, selecting experienced non-commissioned officers has its benefits. However, using personnel with less experience isn't necessarily a bad thing! We discussed this issue a long time ago. New recruits lack experience, but they're like blank sheets of paper ready for you to write on. On the other hand, the thinking of old soldiers is already fixed, and they may not be as receptive to new tactics as the new recruits, nor as enthusiastic!"
Logan pondered for a moment. "That makes sense!"
"Hey, you were the one who told me all this back then, remember?" Schultz laughed.
"Uh... " Logan had no explanation.
Fortunately, Schultz didn't delve deeper. He continued, "So here's the deal! I'll recommend you two very smart and creative non-commissioned officers, and I'll give you 10 second-class soldiers who are absolutely qualified in basic tactical operations. None of them are over 30 years old. How about that?"
With the matter settled, Logan's answer naturally was a "yes."
As they continued chatting, Stephenberg knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Captain, a car from the Führer's Guard Flag Unit has arrived. The officer on board says they're here to deliver a gift to you on behalf of Colonel Dietrich!"
"A gift?" Logan was somewhat surprised.
"I'll head back now!" Schultz got up to leave but was stopped by Logan.
"We still have dinner to catch up on! Come on, let's go see!" Logan said, partly to reassure himself and partly to have this "outsider" legitimize his actions.
On the way, Logan briefly explained his connection with the Führer's Guard Flag Unit to Schultz. Soon, they arrived at the barracks' entrance, where a half-track armored car was parked outside.
"Lieutenant, I'm here on behalf of the Flag Unit leader to escort them!" The SS officer looked friendly, but Logan couldn't recall his name immediately.
Clearly, he hadn't noticed Logan had been promoted and was now wearing new insignia on his collar and shoulder.
"You mean..." Logan suddenly guessed the answer.
With the help of two SS soldiers, "Little Sophie Marceau" got out of the car with her two younger siblings. Seeing Logan, the fear and unease in the eyes of the three children finally eased slightly, but not entirely. They took a few steps forward, timidly looking at this young officer in a sharp German uniform.
The SS officer broke the awkward standoff, saying to Logan, "The French woman with them stepped on a mine near Münke two days ago. Unfortunately, these three children have become orphans. There seems to be no one else they can turn to!"
"So Colonel Dietrich sent them to me?" Logan's tone carried no reproach.
The SS officer said, "Hmm, the Flag Unit leader thought you might take them in. But he also said if you didn't intend to, we should just send them to an orphanage."
Logan didn't immediately reply. Instead, he walked over and asked in French, "Giselle, would you be willing to come with me along with your siblings?"
The girl held her younger siblings tightly and asked, "Can you promise not to separate us?"
Logan smiled lightly and replied, "Of course, in the name of the dandelion!"
The girl nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing—probably because she didn't have much choice.
"Alright!" Logan stood up and said to the SS officer, "Please convey my gratitude to the esteemed Flag Unit leader. I'll accept this gift with thanks!"
"Very well, I'll deliver the message. Have a pleasant day!" The SS officer gave a fleeting smile and then got into the car and left.
Logan led the three children into the barracks. The guards at the entrance didn't dare to stop them. Curiously, Schultz asked, "Hey Hans, who are they?"
"Unfortunate war orphans. I plan to adopt them!" Logan said. "But they are French. Will it be troublesome?"
Schultz glanced at the departing SS armored car and replied, "Hmm, maybe a little, but since they were sent by the SS, there shouldn't be too much of a problem!"
Logan understood his meaning immediately. If there were any troubles, it would likely come from the SS and the secret police.
"Can they stay with me?" Logan asked. Despite not being a senior officer, he at least had his own room and a dedicated adjutant.
"Absolutely not!" Schultz and Stefenberg replied simultaneously.
Looking at them, Logan said, "Um... then I'll have to temporarily place them in a nearby hotel or with local residents, right?"
"Then hire a temporary nanny!" Schultz suggested.