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Munich
Ostrorog Prison
Strasser passed through the gate of the prison under the watchful eye of the guard, then walked down a long corridor until he reached a solitary cell. A tall, young guard opened the door and informed Strasser to call for assistance if he needed anything. After expressing his gratitude, Strasser entered the room.
With the closing of the iron gate, the creaking sound awakened the imprisoned prisoner. He was a tall man, and the scar on his face indicated that he was not to be trifled with. The man raised his head and looked at the visitor with some confusion.
"Who are you again? Have I seen you at the headquarters in Bavaria? What's your name?"
"Gregor Strasser."
"Yes!" Rom looked at the Nazi Party member, who was five years younger than him, with great interest.
"So, is there something you want to discuss with me today? As far as I know, today is the day of Hitler's final trial. Why are you here to see me instead of going to see your Führer?"
"No, no, no. In my eyes, you and Hitler are equally important figures for the Nazi Party. Hitler is the brain, and you are the limbs; both are indispensable."
Strasser began to flatter.
"Those sycophants only know how to please the Führer but have no concern for you. They are truly a bunch of profit-seekers."
"Hahaha, what an interesting young man," Rom said, unable to suppress a chuckle. He quickly became serious again. "You are trying to sow discord, young man. I have always been open-minded and very tolerant of others."
"How can you not be tolerant?" Strasser thought to himself. "After all, you are a homosexual."
"But Adolf might be a different story. What do you think would happen to you if I told Hitler what you just said?"
"You wouldn't do that. I'm very confident."
"Oh? Why is that?" Rom narrowed his eyes. "Although you are the head of the Political Organization Department, that doesn't intimidate me. I am the leader of the Stormtroopers, which I built from the ground up. The Nazi Party could still function without you, but without me, the Nazi Party would be crippled."
"I am not threatening you, Mr. Rom," Strasser said without changing his expression. "I am here today not for personal gain, but because we are allies. We share the same goal and are willing to fight and sacrifice for it, something Hitler cannot offer you."
"What goal?"
"To achieve true National Socialism."
Munich
Landsberg Prison
Hitler He grabbed his head in distress, and after thinking for an hour, he still couldn't figure out why the chief justice had added a clause to the verdict that was different from what Franz had told him.
Suppose I can't get a reduction in my sentence, then I must serve the full five-year term before I can be released. By that time, even the yellow flowers will have cooled, and even if the Nazi Party still exists, I will be an insignificant figure.
At this moment, his old friend and admirer Franz Gürtner pushed open the door of the room. As the Minister of Justice of Bavaria, it was easy for him to enter and leave the prison, and the luxurious single room where Hitler lived was also arranged by him.
Hitler quickly stood up and asked:
"Franz, what is going on? Why was the verdict like this?"
Franz sighed, "I don't know. I personally asked Chief Justice Geauga Nenadze about it. He told me he had sentenced you according to the lightest sentencing standards. As for why he couldn't reduce the sentence, he explained that it was requested by higher-ups."
"Those higher-ups are nonsense. The German government is currently busy squabbling over reparations with the French people. They have no energy to target me, a local leader. It must be my enemies working behind the scenes. Who could it be? The Social Democratic Party? The Communists? Or is there a traitor among us in our party?" Hitler angrily smashed the wine glass in his hand.
Franz analyzed, "Leader, I believe it is very likely not arranged by external forces. After all, your rebellion against the authorities and your speech criticizing the Treaty of Versailles resonated with the German people. Everyone sees you as a hero of Germany. If someone were to stand up and persecute you at this time, once exposed, they would likely face public backlash that could affect their support ratings. You know that in the recent Congress elections, we, the Nazi Party, secured 32 seats and have gained a certain level of political influence."
"You reminded me; that Strasser guy is truly despicable for not obeying my orders to participate in the Congress elections. How can we, the Nazi Party, compromise with the government? If it weren't for his letter of apology, which was quite sincere, I wouldn't have considered assigning him to Berlin to oversee the party's work in the north." Hitler slapped his thigh, "Could it be him, Franz?"
Franz reported:
"After you were imprisoned, I had people watching Geauga's mansion all the time. In fact, no one related to the Nazi Party has visited him. This guy usually keeps a low profile and mostly stays at home drinking."
"If there are no suspects from both inside and outside the party, then who could it be?" muttered Hitler. "It can only be seen by who benefits the most from my prolonged imprisonment. Is it Ludendorff? Or is it..." Hitler didn't continue, not wanting to believe the name he was about to say. Franz, sitting across from him, kept wiping the cold sweat off his neck with a handkerchief. Suddenly, Hitler burst into laughter.
"Don't be nervous, I'm just joking, Franz. I already know who the mastermind behind the scenes is. It must be a conspiracy by the Jewish people. These guys held back Germany during World War I, and now they're trying to hold me back. When I get out of prison, I will definitely cruelly retaliate against them."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Franz nodded repeatedly like a little chick pecking at grains.
Munich
Ostrorog Prison
Ernst Rom nodded approvingly.
"You make a valid point. We have quite a few similar understandings regarding National Socialism, and I believe we can be like-minded comrades," he shifted the topic. "But why can't you and Hitler coexist peacefully? As fellow party members, shouldn't you unite and strive together?"
Strasser shook his head. "It's not that I am unwilling to do so; it's that Hitler is unwilling. In his mind, personal power always takes precedence over the principles of the National Socialist Party. When the two come into conflict, he will undoubtedly choose the former without hesitation. For this, he would even betray long-time comrades to become a capitalist and a stool pigeon for the Juncker nobility."
"I don't believe Adolf is that kind of person. What you're saying is just something that hasn't happened yet, and I won't betray my close comrade-in-arms."
"You don't need to believe me, you just need to believe the facts. How about we make a bet, Mr. Rom?"
"What kind of bet?"
"It is now April 1, 1924. Let's see over the next ten years, if we come to power, whether Hitler will continue to implement the contents of the 25-point program. If I win, then please support me in becoming the leader of the Nazi Party. If I lose, I will resign from all positions within the party and transfer all power to you."
Strasser deliberately emphasized the word "you." Seeing Rom's eyes light up, Strasser knew he had succeeded halfway. He quickly seized the opportunity and continued:
"What are you still hesitating about, Mr. Rom? This bet poses no harm to you. If I lose, you not only uphold your National Socialism ideals, but also expand your influence further. If I win, you still uphold your beliefs and gain a powerful ally. All you have to do is sit back and watch now, and take action in the future to uphold the Party Constitution, which is what you should be doing, isn't it?"
Strasser placed his hands on Rom's shoulders and leaned in to speak in a voice only they could hear:
"As far as I know, Hitler despises homosexuality. He once ordered the stormtroopers to kill some Jewish people, claiming that homosexuality corrupts societal morals.
I am more tolerant, Mr. Rom. You wouldn't want to lose leadership of the stormtroopers because of your sexuality, would you?"
Hearing this, Ernst Röhm's pupils dilated sharply, as if someone had seen through his very soul.
At the prison entrance, the guard who had received Strasser took a shower after seeing him off and then walked into Rom's room with a slightly alluring demeanor. He was surprised to find his old acquaintance sitting in a chair, deep in thought.
"What happened, Ernst?"
The pure-blooded German asked, "Is everything okay?"
Rom looked at the dark clouds in the sky outside the window, "It's going to rain."
He has a premonition that his life is likely to encounter a major turning point.
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