I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 959: You Can Do That?

On the shores of the North Sea, German Wilhelm Port.

William II, accompanied by Admiral Scheer, hurriedly inspected the navy and then, escorted by guards, walked into the lounge.

His purpose in coming to the lounge was not to rest; there was an extraordinary meeting waiting for him here.

The aide-de-camp opened the door and ushered William II inside, then bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

The curtains in the lounge were tightly closed; outside, the sun was shining, while inside, the lights were on.

Under the light, two men in suits and ties were sitting in front of a square table in the center of the living room, drinking coffee. Seeing William II enter, they stood up simultaneously, bowed, and introduced themselves in fluent German:

"Your Majesty, my name is Klaus, representing the British Government to liaise with you."

"I am Michael, here on behalf of the United States Government."

William II glanced at the two men, nodding to indicate they should sit down.

This was a secret negotiation between Germany and Britain and America, of which even Hindenburg was unaware.

"So." William II didn’t take off his gloves, pressing the sword at his waist as he sat down on the chair, and asked coldly, "Can you represent your respective governments?"

"Yes, of course." Klaus nodded, "I assure you, Your Majesty, you can rest assured, we have no reason to deceive you."

Michael agreed, "Us being able to sit here itself is a kind of assurance."

Meaning they were risking their lives since William II could have them executed at any time.

Klaus had met with William II several times before; he was previously the ambassador to Germany at the British Embassy, only to be expelled after the war broke out.

Seeing that William II was still not at ease, he spoke directly:

"We have common interests, Your Majesty."

"We do not want a strong France, nor do we wish for Shire’s so-called ’Spirit of France’ to undermine our colonies."

"I believe you do not wish for that either."

William II did not reply, shooting Klaus a cold glance, seemingly pondering his words.

This was not a trivial matter. If the deal with Britain and America were exposed, Hindenburg and Ludendorff could promptly oust him under the pretense of the "emperor allying with enemies to betray the country," and he would be eternally condemned by everyone.

American ambassador Michael seemed to perceive William II’s concern, reassuring him, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, we will arrange everything reasonably, and no one will know of your alliance with us."

Then he added, "Moreover, you seem to have no other choice, do you?"

A flash of anger passed through William II’s eyes. Did they dare to speak to the German Emperor in a threatening tone?

But he held his temper and didn’t lash out.

Michael was right; he indeed had no other choice:

Externally, Shire’s mighty army posed a layered threat.

Internally, Hindenburg and Ludendorff continually garnered military control and popular support through the war, leaving William II nearly isolated!

After considering for a while, William II sighed deeply, "Speak, how do we cooperate?"

Klaus and Michael exchanged a glance, a hint of satisfaction appearing on their faces.

"It’s simple." Klaus directed his gaze back to William II, "We need reparations, as compensation for Germany starting this war..."

"How much?" William II asked.

He knew it was inevitable. Without sufficient benefits, Britain and America would not cease the war.

Klaus gazed at William II, gently stating a number, "33 billion, in US Dollars."

William II was startled by the figure, incredulously looking at the two, and upon confirming they were not joking, angrily shouted through gritted teeth, "You’re insane, Germany’s annual GDP is only about 8 billion dollars; we might never be able to repay this debt."

(Note: Before the war, Germany’s GDP was approximately 12.5 billion dollars. By 1917, it had deteriorated to 8 billion dollars due to the war, with a significant part being wartime military production, GDP not related to the citizens’ living conditions and income.)

"Hear me out, Your Majesty." Michael reminded:

"Consider Russia; you might defeat it and get a compensation from Russia."

"Additionally, there are resources."

"Like oil, coal, iron mines, etc."

William II shook his head:

"But they are not under my control."

"Even if they are, it’s the army that would defeat Russia, and you should know I can’t control the army."

"Hindenburg wouldn’t let that compensation and resources just vanish."

Michael pointed his finger in front of William II: "Then, take the army back from Hindenburg!"

William II looked at Michael in confusion; surely, this guy didn’t know the army no longer trusted his command.

Klaus chuckled:

"We know, Your Majesty."

"But if we are allies, it will be different."

"We will relax the naval blockade on Germany, so the materials will be under your control."

Michael added, "We can do it subtly, for example, make it look like merchant ships full of materials were seized by German warships."

William II responded with an intrigued "Hmm."

It was a good plan; the German Navy’s vigor still remained, it’s only that they dared not operate due to being surrounded by British warships.

If British warships were willing to cooperate now, it was another matter.

Klaus continued:

"This will not only allow you to control materials but also greatly boost your prestige, as it’s you commanding the Navy to victory."

"Moreover, there is room to maneuver regarding the Hindenburg Line."

William II was puzzled, "Hindenburg Line?"

That pertained to the army under Hindenburg’s command, in which he had no say.

But Klaus said:

"We will launch a fierce attack on the Hindenburg Line, Your Majesty."

"Losing Saarbrücken, Hindenburg won’t hold for long there."

"When the line is about to collapse, if you can heroically lead a surprise counteroffensive, securing victory..."

William II understood, Britain and America were cooperating with him to stage a performance, enabling him to regain control of the army.

Then, Britain and America would receive reparations, while he could secure power and status, leaving everyone satisfied.

Yet William II responded with a bitter smile:

"Gentlemen, you seem to have forgotten the most critical point: Shire."

"As long as he’s willing, his troops can penetrate deep into Germany and force us to surrender at any moment."

"Saarbrücken isn’t far from the Ruhr Industrial District either."

Klaus’s voice was filled with confidence:

"There won’t be any issue, Your Majesty. Our troops are on the frontline, with Shire’s forces stuck in the middle of our defense line."

"We can retreat dozens of kilometers under your brave offensive."

"By then, Shire’s forces will be isolated and deep within enemy territory."

William II had his mouth half-opened.

Could it operate like this?

It seemed Britain and America were willing to go to any lengths to ensure Shire’s downfall!