Chapter 001 The Führer Awoke

Dear Leader, I am immensely pleased to see you restored to health" Baumann stepped forward and greeted in a slightly exaggerated tone

Leader

Doctor Morel was quite surprised by the "Führer's" request, but years of obedience had conditioned him to respond reflexively. He gently assisted the "Führer" to the wardrobe mirror.

"Please come in." The Germans are known for their punctuality; Hoffman, already dressed neatly, looked up at the wall clock, which indicated that half an hour had just passed.

"Who are you? How did I end up here?" Hoffman scrutinized the other person warily

Hoffman thought to himself: It is only natural for one to appear pale; anyone who suddenly becomes the Führer would feel anxious and fearful. However, he was not foolish enough to reveal the fact that he was not the Führer—if he dared to say so, there would surely be those who would go to great lengths to treat him as a madman

Hoffman struggled to sit up: "Help me to the mirror."

With a crisp sound of "clang," the cup fell to the ground. Hoffman awoke to find himself lying comfortably in bed, with no trace of his grandfather. Just now, he had merely knocked the cup off the bedside table with a stretch of his hand

Then let's talk while we eat Hofmann waved his hand dismissively and walked out first

No

The doctor gently closed the door as he left, but Hoffman did not pay attention to this; his mind was racing, and he had to think of a strategy for his situation

The moment he thought of this terrifying outcome, he could not help but tremble. At this very moment, he recalled old Hoffman’s words: "... but you are also the most unfortunate, for what you are about to face is an empire so tricky and difficult..." So this is how it is!

Morel smiled awkwardly, as he certainly knew the truth of the matter: three nights ago, at the campaign discussion meeting held at the Ukrainian headquarters in Vinnytsia, General Franz Halder, the Chief of the General Staff, had another heated argument with the Führer regarding the situation on the Eastern Front. The furious general even slammed the table, and the meeting ultimately ended in discord.

Hoffman certainly knew what situation he was facing. As a research authority, he encountered a myriad of time-travel works every year, ranging from seemingly serious strategic inferences to vivid literary novels, as well as meticulously crafted academic papers, all of which he dismissed as fantasies with a laugh. He never expected that the most absurd and incredible myth of time travel, which he found most unbelievable, would turn into reality.

Three individuals arrived from outside. The first was Martin Bauman, a familiar face that Hoffman quickly recognized. The second was Morel, and the last person was less familiar to Hoffman. After rummaging through his memory, he recalled that the individual was Rudolf Schmont, a Major General in the army, the Führer's chief adjutant, and currently the most trusted staff officer of the Führer.

What on earth is going on? Hoffman shook his head in disbelief, making every effort to control his emotions to prevent this astonishing turn of events from showing on his face

"Morel, my dear doctor..." He paused, then slowly asked after some consideration, "What is the date today? How long have I been unconscious?"

August 23, 1942, marked the peak of the Soviet-German War. According to the normal course of history, by May 1945, which is just a little over two and a half years later, the Soviet Army would have planted the red flag on the roof of the Empire State Building, while they themselves would be committing suicide in a dark and damp basement

Hoffman nodded, knowing that Morel would definitely report his recent performance to Bowman. These were individuals who were exceptionally familiar with the Führer, and he must not reveal any flaws. He then replied nonchalantly: "Thank you all for your concern. The events of the past few days have left me a bit disheartened, but after some rest, I feel invigorated and ready to continue leading the Empire forward"

What are you calling me ... ...

Where is this place? He cautiously surveyed his surroundings. Has he been taken to a hospital? However, the layout around him did not resemble a hospital room; it was more akin to a house in an eagle's nest. He struggled a bit, but felt no obvious discomfort in his body

Absolutely not

The next day, after breakfast, during a walk, the Führer could not contain his anger and complained to the party affairs chief and head of the Chancellery, Martin Bormann, about Halder's defiance and repeated opposition to him. In a fit of emotion, he lost attention to his footing and stumbled, hitting his head against a stone.

Thank you for your advice. Hoffman waved his hand, saying, "Let them wake me up in half an hour; for now, I need to calm down and think about some things by myself."

"Your Excellency, at present, your blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse are all normal," Morel said solemnly as he set down the stethoscope. "For the sake of the Empire, you should take care of your health"

Hoffmann made up his mind and opened his eyes wide to look in the mirror: that iconic face, the thick little mustache beneath the nostrils, is truly one of a kind in the entire century and across the globe—indeed, it belongs to the Führer of the Third Reich

Once again, a voice of the leader

While contemplating, I was astonished to discover that my consciousness was rapidly merging with that of the Führer, without any resistance or delay. The myriad thoughts in the Führer's mind were completely absorbed and integrated, becoming a part of Hoffmann's autonomous consciousness— the world remained the same, yet the Führer was no longer the same Führer

He glared at the latter with dissatisfaction and said, "Führer, General Schimont was originally supposed to report to you about the personnel arrangements first, but now lunch is ready, may I ask?"

I must change this destiny

Today is August 23, 1942. As for the fainting, it cannot really be classified as such. The day before yesterday, you accidentally fell while walking due to some emotional agitation. There were no obvious external injuries, but you experienced symptoms of dizziness. Due to the excessive humidity in 'Wolfman', for health reasons, you took a special train back to 'Eagle's Nest' to rest. On the way, you complained of a headache, and I administered a bit of barbiturate. You probably slept for a few more hours, and it is now almost 11 o'clock in the morning

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was even more astonished; this was certainly not the tone he usually spoke in

Leader

Martin Bormann's current position of power is entirely due to the Führer's strong support; without this backing, he would be nothing. It now seems that Morell is overreacting; the Führer is perfectly fine!

"Head of State." A rhythmic knocking sound echoed at the door, "Can we come in?"

He obediently lay back down and sighed: "I am fine, perhaps it is just because I worry too much about this country"

He recalled Einstein's famous saying: It is precisely because I so despise authority that fate has punished me, allowing me to become an authority myself. It is precisely because I so despise time travel that fate has punished me, allowing me to actually travel through time. And it just so happens that I have traveled into the body of such a person

Hoffman kept his eyes half-closed, not daring to look at the reflection in the mirror, but the words of the other party echoed in his ears: "Führer, the incident yesterday morning truly frightened us."

Baumann clearly let out a sigh of relief; he was quite startled when Morel came to report that the Führer's mental state was not very good.

Morel explained while speaking in a cautious tone: "Esteemed Leader, could you please lie down for a few more minutes to allow me to conduct a thorough examination... Your complexion appears somewhat pale, and it seems that your mental state is not very good either"

Oh my!

Hoffman subconsciously touched his nose, and the sensation was markedly different from before. Looking at his hands, he felt something unusual as well. What was even more alarming was that he could actually feel the thick beard under his nostrils with the back of his hand—he had never grown a beard before

Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a hurriedly entering man in a white coat exclaimed in surprise: "The Führer? You have finally awakened?"

"Your Excellency? I am Morel, your most loyal doctor..." The man in the white coat was clearly taken aback by this question and repeatedly explained himself.