"I've already reported this matter to General Eisenhower, but his reply was that he was already aware of it and had completely turned it over to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. He also asked me to convey his thanks to you," General McGinnis said a few days later at the command post of the U.S. First Army.
When Josh heard McGinnis' answer, he was stunned.
What does that mean? Does he already know?
"It means that when Schmidt retreated en masse, the Howling Commandos participated in the pursuit and interception. Although Schmidt eventually escaped, his most important subordinate, the scientist Arnim Zola, was captured. After interrogating Zola, Schmidt's superweapon plan was discovered. Barring any surprises, Captain America, his comrades, and the entire Strategic Scientific Reserve may have already infiltrated Schmidt's stronghold. Seeing that Josh was still confused, McGinnis explained the situation in detail.
When he finished, McGinnis wore a look of regret. After all, attacking Red Skull's base and thwarting his insane plan would have been a great accomplishment. If Josh had told him earlier, he might have been able to join the operation.
At that point, Josh didn't know what to say. Was the self-correcting power of history really that strong?
So much had changed, and events had been sped up by months, yet everything still seemed to fit the original plot.
For Josh, though, this was ultimately a good thing.
Even though a lot of time and effort had gone into preparing this "authentic" information, the result was the same.
Now the only concern was whether Captain America could succeed as he had in the original timeline.
From Josh's perspective, the safest course of action would have been for the Allies to mobilize a large force and surround the Alps.
But since the Strategic Scientific Reserve had already been deployed, using the same decapitation tactics as in the original timeline, there was little he could do now.
"All right, Josh, don't overthink it. They will succeed. What you should be thinking about now is whether to follow me to Austria or go to Germany!" Seeing Josh still looking worried, General McGinnis patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile.
"Hmm? You're going to Austria?" Josh asked in surprise.
"Yes. Although the coup led by Karl Renner was successful, their forces are still limited. Resistance is still widespread, so the Allies must support them. Another important reason is that the Soviets have already invaded Hungary. As a result, the Allies have decided to move my First Army into Austria, while the main forces continue to advance north toward Berlin. To be honest, it won't be easy to get to Berlin. Those Siberian brown bears are advancing faster than we are!" McGinnis shrugged.
Unlike in history, where the Yalta Conference dictated the division of Germany and the Western Allies let the Soviets take Berlin to conserve strength, the situation in this world was different.
Much of Central and Eastern Europe had been occupied by Hydra forces.
Now, with Austria, Hungary, and Romania divided between the Allies and the Soviets, the Hydra forces in these areas found themselves isolated.
In addition, the vast plains of these regions were ideal for rapid armored offensives.
Unable to receive reinforcements, Hydra commanders desperately pushed south, concentrating in Czechoslovakia and launching frenzied attacks on Austria and Hungary, hoping to rejoin Schmidt.
This strategy left other areas of Central and Eastern Europe vulnerable.
Seizing the opportunity, the Soviets sent some forces to block Hydra in Hungary while most of their armored divisions swept across the North European Plain and into German territory.
Berlin, only a few dozen kilometers from the border, was now within their reach.
In the face of the Soviets' relentless advance, the Allies had no hope of beating them to Berlin.
Overall, however, the Allies secured more of Germany's territory.
"Of course I'm going to Austria. Even if Germany were completely conquered, its division wouldn't be decided quickly. Besides, I'd like to visit my homeland again. Honestly, it's been over six years, and my memories of it have become hazy!" Josh said with a smile.
Of course, "home" was just an excuse.
Austria was the homeland of the original Josh, not the current Josh, who was a reincarnate. Despite inheriting the memories of the original, he felt little emotional attachment to the country.
The real reason he went was to see Neuschwanstein Castle.
Before coming to Europe, he had promised Margaret that he'd buy the castle as a gift.
Speaking of which, Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for the Disney castle. If Josh bought it, could he charge Disney a licensing fee?
Well, it was just a thought. Although it was widely accepted that Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for Disney Castle, Disney never officially acknowledged it. Such a lawsuit would be unwinnable.
Besides, suing Disney for such a thing was far less appealing than buying the company outright.
Currently, Disney was a large company, but it was nowhere near its future stature, with an estimated value of only a few million - pocket change for Josh, who had profited massively from the war.
Aside from Neuschwanstein, Josh had another goal in Austria.
He intended to absorb the remnants of Hydra.
Through Ophelia, whom he had completely subdued, Josh had gained significant insight into Schmidt's forces.
Despite Schmidt's defeat, Hydra retained considerable resources, particularly its intelligence network.
However, with the loss of Schmidt, the faction had split into three groups:
The First Faction consisted of Austrian and Bavarian capitalists who abandoned Schmidt to ally with the Allies and secure their positions as landowners.
The Second Faction, loyal to Hydra rather than Schmidt, sought to restore the Council of Nine.
The Third Faction, consisting of die-hard Schmidt loyalists, was mostly eliminated during the coup or scattered across Austria, awaiting either annihilation by the Allies or trial.
Josh's goal was to absorb the first two factions.
This would allow him to return to the U.S. with legitimate claims to a seat on Council of Nine.
After much consideration, Josh had decided to join Hydra.
He didn't see himself as a superhero or a moral saint. Having killed, run gangs, smuggled, and profited from war, he was already a villain in the eyes of those overly righteous heroes.
Why not use Hydra's resources for his own benefit?
And who knew? After a few decades, Hydra might even be rebranded.
What if it ended up being called Xiangliu?
(TL/N: "Xiang" (相): Mutual, together, or assist.
"Liu" (柳): Willow (a type of tree).
However, in mythology, Xiangliu refers to a mythical nine-headed serpent or monster associated with floods and destruction. It could be interpreted as "The Nine-Headed Serpent" or simply left as "Xiangliu". So What should I do? Which one sounds more good?
Join Patreon and get early access till chapter 152 (58 Chapter ahead of this chapter).