Dealing with this family was an exhausting feat. Especially after having just come back from the war in Manchuria no more than a week prior. In the past, however, it was more tolerable. As those at the gathering generally left him and his family alone.
But Bruno’s recent infamy as a fearsome general within the German Army had caused all kinds of pests to flock to his side. Cousins he didn’t even know he had, as well as the families of those they were engaged tried their best to establish ties with the man.
In fact, Bruno could have sworn this was the largest family gathering yet. And though his father may think that was something to be prideful about, as it meant their power and prestige were growing. Bruno found it nothing but irksome.
There were simply too many here who had posed no actual benefit to the family. Leeches, sucking away at the family’s fame and fortune. It was truly a troublesome matter, one if it had been left to Bruno’s hands would have resulting a culling so to speak.
But the man managed, as best he could, at least to entertain these leeches and vultures. Making no promises, but rather paying them mere lip service, as that was the most respect they deserved from him. As for Bruno’s wife, she was always nearby, clinging to his side.
Not only to make sure that none of these little hussies could manipulate her man, or blackmail Bruno into doing something he shouldn’t. But also simply because Heidi found it to be her duty as a wife to share the social burdens her husband was forced to bear.
Meanwhile, Eva, Erwin, and Elsa gathered with the other children. Who in the past had made fun of them for their mother’s questionable heritage. But now they weren’t saying anything. In fact, they seemed quite timid, afraid even.
Though it was nice to no longer have to listen to the brats whisper in the background. It was almost equally as irritating for them to behave like the three of Bruno’s children were some kind of monsters that they had to be very careful around.
The three kids, of course could not understand the lengths to which their father had gone to in order to protect them. Lengths that may have caused these spoiled little noble children to become fearful. Either way, Bruno could only keep an eye on his kids for so often.
Eventually, after drinking six beers in the span of two hours, and smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. Bruno found an opportunity to escape from the leeches and vultures of the party which had flocked to his side.
And that came in the form of his eldest brother Franz. The man approached Bruno as several women of varying ages tried to get in the young general’s good graces. No doubt the man intervened because of the fact that Heidi looked like she was about to snap. To say that she had “stabbing vibes” was an understatement.
Perhaps it was because of this that Franz put on a polite façade as he asked the women to allow him some proper time alone with his brother.
“Pardon me, ladies. I do not wish to interrupt the fun you seem to be having with my youngest brother. But the Generalleutnant and I need to have a word alone. It’s a family matter you see…”
The women naturally did not stand on ceremony, and thanked Franz for his kindness as they walked away. Leaving Bruno and Heidi alone with Franz. Who once he was sure nobody was listening reached into his coat pocket and grabbed a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Bruno as he expressed his true thoughts aloud.
“Fucking harlots, trying to con a married man into sleeping with them and in front of the man’s wife no less. Utterly disgraceful… I see you have had your own troubles little brother. Since you appear to be out of cigarettes would you like one of mine?”
Bruno did not even respond as he grabbed a cigarette from the pack his brother was holding out in front of him and lit it aflame before taking a long drag. Once he exhaled a large plume of smoke to the wayside, he was quick to ask his oldest brother bluntly what was so important that he would go out of his way to help his youngest brother.
“And to what do I owe the pleasure? If you think I’m indebted to you because of this matter, I will assure you I was handling things just fine without your interference….”
Franz chuckled and shook his head, before voicing his thoughts on his youngest brother and the man’s arrogant attitude.
“Paranoid until the bitter end, aren’t you? Believe it or not, Bruno, we’re not all out to get you… I mean, don’t get me wrong, those little shits Julian and Kurt. I’m sure they have something planned for later this evening to humiliate you and your family. But I don’t care about the petty jealousy of those fools.
No, I’m far more interested in the little genius of the family. I get the feeling that you have other designs in mind that you are hiding away, no doubt for the future. Am I right? How about I buy them from you? And I don’t mean the pittance I paid you for the previous ones. What do you say?”
Pittance? Did this man realize what he was saying? The money which his brother had paid him years ago was by no means a small fortune. Just how wealthy was the von Zehntner family to consider such a vast sum a pittance?
If the current exchange was roughly 4 German Marks for every U.S. Dollar, then Bruno had received over 2.8 million German Marks for the designs he gave his family. Sure, when these weapons finally entered service, and were produced in the millions for use in the German Army, they would no doubt generate a significantly larger sum for the von Zehntner family.
But even so, if adjusted for inflation, then the fortune his brother had given him would have been the equivalent of over 25 million dollars in 2024. And Bruno had already invested a significant amount of this money into domestic and foreign industries. Whether it was those German, Swiss, and Austrian corporations that would one day become known across the world.
Or those from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, et cetera. Bruno had invested a large portion of his money into the global market, and in doing so secured the wealth of his family for the decades to come.
Despite this, Bruno reserved a significant amount of the money his brother had given him for his own personal ventures. After all, there were many designs that Bruno had in mind which his family’s current arms factories were simply incapable of producing.
They were, after all designed with producing small arms and artillery in mind. But machines of war? Well, that was a future industry that had not yet become a reality outside of naval warfare. And it was a much more profitable industry at that.
For example, Bruno began acquiring factories, tooling, engineers, machinists, et cetera together for the purpose of building his own military industrial corporation. While there was no doubt that his oldest brother Franz would be inheriting the vast majority, if not all the von Zehntner family’s wealth, and industry upon the death of their father.
The reality was that Bruno had only given his brother designs that were suitable for their family’s current factories. No doubt these would be important weapons for the coming war. And would generate an immense profit over the coming decades.
But there were still three areas of industry for the German War Machine, that the corporation known as Waffenwerke von Zehntner were not involved with. One of those industries had yet to be even developed. As the invention of the airplane was still a relatively recent phenomenon.
Bruno intended to begin the production of aircraft for military use in the coming years. But it was not just military aircraft that Bruno intended to begin the production of, rather he also intended to have factories for the manufacture of armored vehicles as well. In addition to this, he had begun acquiring land to construct a naval shipyard at.
In essence, Bruno intended to leave his extended family with the production of things like rifles, machine guns, pistols, grenades, mortars, rocket launchers, and artillery. While he took over the heavy industry of making aircraft, armored vehicles, and ships. That was, after all, where the real money was at when it came to the military industrial complex.
After all, the price per tank was significantly higher than that of the price per artillery piece. Let alone when one began comparing aircraft and naval vessels. And it was with all of this in mind that Bruno simply smirked at his brother and flicked his cigarette to the ground. Which he stomped out after finishing it. His words were quite smug as he informed his brother that he indeed had plenty of designs in mind, but they were for his own use only.
“Oh, dearest brother, you are correct to assume that I have so much more in this head of mine. But I have plans of my own for the future. After all, it wouldn’t be fair if I simply gave you all of my fortune generating ideas for, as you describe a mere pittance.
Though I must thank you, the compensation you gave me for my previous blueprints has indeed gone a long way towards making me and my family very wealthy for generations to come.
Still… There are some things I have planned for the near future that you might be able to help me with. I’ll send them over to you when I am done with them. As for the price, that can be negotiated upon when I am finished with the initial drafts.
Now come along Heidi, there are still many family members I have yet to speak with. And time waits for no man!”
After saying this, Bruno walked off, leaving Franz to sigh and shake his head. He had tried, but in the end, Bruno had his own plans. It was a pity. He was even willing to go so far as to give the boy part ownership of the family company after their father died.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder to what heights this genius little brother of his would rise to in the coming years. And because of that, Franz wasn’t the least bit mad at Bruno.
For those of you wondering, I changed the amount of money that Bruno received from his family for his weapon designs from the equivalent of one million U.S. Dollars per design, to 100,000 after I actually did the math and realized how ridiculously wealthy that would have made the man, especially when taking into account the era that Bruno lives in. He literally would have never needed to work a day in his life.
