Galand and his squadron of fighters finally arrived safely at the French airfield. Logan also boarded an SDKFZ14 armored communication vehicle, following the convoy of "moving" vehicles quickly toward the legendary... countryside villa!
The sky was pitch black, but cannon fire could still be faintly heard from the northeast. Logan knew it was the British fleet bombarding Wootton Harbor. The last air raid by the German Air Force had only temporarily deterred the British ships, but they seemed determined to make some breakthroughs on this night. The German Air Force was eager to launch an attack as soon as the Luftwaffe withdrew!
Logan wasn't worried about Wootton Harbor. The elite troops of the Reich Guard flag unit, assembled quietly near Newport Harbor, consisted of two armored companies and four mechanized infantry companies, with over twenty tanks. Though the infantry hadn't received their "magic mallets" yet, it couldn't be denied that they were still the best-equipped and most resilient ground force in the German army!
To guard against potential British bombers flying over from across the channel, the vehicles on the road only used dim headlights, and German soldiers with flashlights directed traffic at every intersection—there weren't many vehicles passing by at this time, mostly motorcycles for liaison and dispatch, as well as trucks returning empty after transporting ammunition and supplies from Portsmouth Harbor.
Before Galand could finish his cigarette, the "countryside villa" described by Steffenberg appeared before them. As the headlights swept over, Logan realized this was probably not something an ordinary wealthy person could afford: the circular plaza was at least ten meters in diameter, with a fountain in the middle and a massive building constructed of large stones, four stories high and thirty to forty meters wide, each window fitted with large French windows. It was practically a small castle!
However, one thing Steffenberg hadn't exaggerated was that such traditional villas often had castle-like sturdy outer walls. Logan had visited many castles during his years in Germany, especially those that still stood proudly despite centuries of wind and rain on precarious terrain, which left him deeply impressed!
Just before entering the villa, Logan suddenly caught sight of a familiar car—a shabby-looking one, packed with suitcases—such vehicles were common on evacuation routes, but Logan had a strange feeling.
"Rent, are they here?"
"They?" Although Steffenberg had also participated in the last Operation Sword, he didn't react for a moment. After all, when his soldiers requisitioned this place, there were 31 British civilians of all ages and both genders inside the spacious villa, looking like frightened rabbits when they saw the armed German soldiers. Steffenberg hadn't paid much attention then, just instructing the soldiers to arrange them in several empty but sturdy rooms on the top floor and guard them. Previously, as long as civilians didn't offer armed resistance, the German armed forces wouldn't offend too much.
Logan took off his military cap and scratched his head, "That fat woman and her three daughters, nieces, we met on the way to Portsmouth Harbor that night!"
"Oh! I didn't notice then!" Steffenberg glanced around and saw Rinsen Fritz directing two soldiers to carry a radio inside the villa.
"Hey, Rinsen, do me a favor, go upstairs and see if those four women we met on the last visit to White Island are here!"
"Oh, okay!" Without asking much, Rinsen went upstairs—this poor guy was the one who went to fix the car for those British women last time, though he didn't manage to fix it in the end. But it seemed the memory was quite deep.
Logan hadn't intended to make things so complicated, but seeing Rinsen trotting away, he didn't say much more, following Steffenberg into the villa.
"The hall is divided into two parts, the left side is the document processing area, the right side is the communication equipment area, and there's a large reception room on the second floor, which we've set up as a command center. What do you think?" Steffenberg gestured with interest.
Logan wouldn't say anything bad about his subordinate's meticulous work, just said in his usual tone, "Well, my friend, there's no need to make it too complicated, as long as it's functional!"
Steffenberg, however, said seriously, "There aren't many people working in the office now, but once the Air Force and SS command structures move in, the personnel and equipment will be quite impressive. I suggest planning early!"
"Oh, by the way, General Dietrich said he'd arrange the troops and come over?" Logan's tone lacked confidence. Although Dietrich was his good friend, he was still a general. Despite his recent rapid promotion, he was only a controversial Air Force colonel. Even though he had been quickly promoted due to orders from the Führer to "command every German soldier landing on the island", Logan still tried to be careful when mobilizing the troops of the Reich Guard flag unit, and always sought Dietrich's opinion on any units larger than a company.
"Yes, I expect him to come by car after dinner!" Steffenberg said, "Dinner is almost ready. Come, enjoy some aristocratic treatment!"
"It's good enough to fill your stomach on the battlefield. There's not much to fuss about. I only had a few biscuits for lunch, and for dinner... What's good to eat?" Logan said so, but his eyes were curiously scanning the various furnishings in the room—some familiar, some unfamiliar, but all seen or heard of before. Behind the thick curtains, the chandeliers and sconces made it a completely different world inside, and as for the paintings on the walls, oh God, "The Massacre of the Innocents," was it genuine? Logan remembered that the original painting had sold for £49.5 million in the 21st century!
"You'll see in a moment!"
Steffenberg, who had no interest in these artworks, teased, and then took the Logan, who was in a state of excitement, to the dining room on the north side of the second floor. When the heavy wooden door was pushed open, Logan was once again astonished: the long wooden dining table was large enough for twenty or thirty people to dine together, with deep blue tablecloths already laid out, and every piece of tableware glistening silver under candlelight. Such a scene, Logan had probably only seen in movies before!
"If it weren't for the distant rumble of cannons, I would have forgotten about this war!" Logan turned his head, somewhat nostalgic, and said to Steffenberg, "The life of the aristocracy is truly enjoyable!"
Captain laughed, "We commoners, if not for this war, would probably never have had such an opportunity!"
"It seems that war isn't all terrible!" Logan was about to sit in a large high-backed chair when suddenly he heard women's voices coming from the corridor, filled with anger, insult, barbarism, violence, ignorance, cruelty, and brutality, saying:
"You Germans, rude, impolite, barbaric, overbearing, violent, ignorant, cruel, let me go! Haven't you ever heard of gentlemen, gentlemanly manners?"
This string of adjectives was almost like a sketch comedy routine, making Steffenberg couldn't help but laugh, and Logan shook his head helplessly—after all, after a hard day's work, teasing these British women was a way to relax.
"Ah, let me take a look, who do we have here? Such a familiar voice. Oh, this elegant lady, is your car broken down again?" Without missing a beat. Logan grinned and spoke in English.
Several steps away, a plump woman in a bulky long skirt stopped in her tracks, her eyes filled with astonishment. After a moment, she blurted out a word:
"Devil!"
"Angels and devils often share the same physique!" Logan deliberately stood with his hands behind his back and his head held high, portraying a gentlemanly appearance. In the lamplight, he also noticed the three girls standing behind the fat woman. Lenzin had brought three soldiers to guard each of them. Women sometimes could display formidable combat power.
"Susan Auntie" stared at Logan dumbfounded, her surprise seemingly transitioning into anger and outrage, but she remained speechless for a moment.
Logan walked past the fat woman at an unhurried pace, focusing his attention on the three young British girls behind her, especially the one who resembled Vivien Leigh and had a cousin relationship with the famous star, Doreen, the "gift of the gods."
"How have you been lately, ladies?"
Whether it was a gentlemanly greeting or a lecherous gaze depended on each person's perspective.
"You scoundrel, trickster, villain!" The voice sounded sultry and soft, adding a touch of charm to the scolding.
"Shameless German devils! Why didn't we see through you last time? If I had known, I would have had you hanged and whipped for three days and nights with a leather whip!" Susan Auntie's daughter revealed her true colors, showing her shrewish nature.
The last one, with her thin lips twitching slightly, didn't speak, but Logan clearly saw tears in her eyes.
"Kill us, or let us go!" Susan Auntie suddenly said decisively.
Logan withdrew his gaze, turning around and saying, "In fact, officers and soldiers of the German Armed Forces never massacre innocent people or mistreat civilians. However, sometimes, for women aged 10 to 60..."
Seeing Susan Auntie clutching her chest, Logan and Steffenberg couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the uproarious laughter left the four British women looking at each other in confusion.
After finally stopping their laughter, Logan said, "Rest assured, ladies, soldiers have their discipline and integrity. We're detaining you purely for operational reasons. Otherwise, if you report our location to the British army after leaving, this house will be blown sky-high within a few hours!"
"That's for the best!" Susan Auntie said indignantly.
"Oh?" Logan thought for a moment. "So, this isn't your house then?"
"It would be better if it were!" Susan Auntie's daughter retorted quickly, "It's all because of you bastards. The last time your troops attacked us, all the ports on the entire Isle of Wight were sealed off by the military. No one was allowed to leave, so we had to come back home. This morning, when you suddenly launched an attack, we hurriedly drove to Newport, hoping to avoid the gunfire. Who would have thought your paratroopers were everywhere, so we had no choice but to hide in this estate..."
"Hahaha, that's fate, isn't it, Miss Doreen?" Logan suddenly stepped forward, lowering his head to look at her delicate face. After that chance encounter, he had specifically inquired about her when he returned to Berlin, only to find out that Doreen had already become famous. Despite being only 27 years old, she had already had children and divorced, and was now settled in the United States as an actress.
Faced with Logan's "sudden attack," the young lady took a step back in surprise, unable to say anything for a moment, her face suddenly flushing red.
Blushing instead of paling, Logan felt secretly delighted: it seemed that he would have the opportunity to enjoy a hearty meal tonight!