()||9<黑屏1>0,10BGM_Empty: ()||BGM_ev2410_LaNuitAVG_Door_Open_CloseAVG_Chimes656<黑屏2>:...Inside the bar at Stasi HQ, Wiesbaden District. ()||AVG_footsteps_cave:The server bows respectfully and leads the guests into a secluded box. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||Stop_AVG_loop:Two non-alcoholic Negronis, please. ()Server||:Yes, ma'am. ()||0.5ClothingUp:The server soon returns with two glasses filled with pink liquid. After putting down the drinks, he leaves the box in silence. ()||:Now that they will no longer be disturbed, Romy picks up her glass and gives it a swirl. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:I hope my order is to your taste, Colonel Felix. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:Non-alcoholic Negroni. Exactly what I'd expect you to order, Frau Romy. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:You did say once that you like to keep your work and recreation separate, and that you don't drink on the job. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:So I'm still on the job right now? NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:I'm guessing you don't like any of the bars in the Wiesbaden District.+Especially one so close to the White Zone.+This is practically a staff's canteen.+Since we're having a meeting at what's basically a workplace, we're on the job.+But at your rank, are you ever NOT on the job? NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:You're just like General Riefenstahl—so thoughtful and always on top of things. Speaking of which, how has the general been doing lately? NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:My father is in pretty good shape. He's taken to going on walks and fishing since he retired. Apart from some old injuries, he's doing great. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:That's very good to hear. With a daughter like you, I'm sure the general has nothing much to worry about. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||ClothingUp:What about you, Colonel? Is there anything that troubles you? NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:I just have to keep the Hugo Eberlein Guard Regiment in check. Other than that, there's nothing else for me to worry about. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:No wonder they say, General Schweinsteiger is the foundation, and you and the sturdiest chunk of granite on that foundation. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:The Eberlein Guard Regiment remain loyal to the Socialist Unity Party and we accept the leadership of every party chairman. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:I suppose I'm not the first to have heard this. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:You're obviously not the first to have asked me that question, nor will you be the last.+And no matter who comes asking, my answer will always be the same. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:Even if the party falls apart? NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:...Frau Romy, what I'm about to say may sound a bit blunt, but I speak from the heart.+I am a natural-born soldier, not a natural-born politician.+When the party is in disarray, the Eberlein Guard Regiment is the best holy sword.+When the party falls apart, we are the empty crown. NPC-Romy(1)Felix<同时置暗>||:You promised General Riefenstahl that you would no longer get involved in military affairs after entering the civil service. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||ClothingUp:I am still keeping this promise.+Right now you're talking to Romy Riefenstahl, Director of the Ministry for State Security, not the daughter of Heinz Riefenstahl. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:Now, what I want to discuss with you is not just the affairs of the SED.+It has become a national issue concerning the German Democratic Republic itself.+Regarding the progress of the URNC... I think you and I are both clear that no one can stop history from unfolding.+Just like slavery, no matter how prominent it once was, it is destined to be left behind in the march of history. ()Felix||:...I have the right to remain silent on this matter.+You should understand that if we join this melee, it won't bring clarity to the situation—only further escalation and destruction.+War is in your interest; for you, it is a bargaining chip.+But for us, war is only about advancing and death.+We cannot stop the war, so we retain the right to sheathe our swords. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:I am not a fanatical warmonger. NPC-Romy(0)Felix<同时置暗>||:But you have a strong thirst for power. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||:...Someone with no desire for power wouldn't be the commander of the Hugo Eberlein Guard Regiment.+You seem to be implying that you were forced into this position.+But in fact, you know full well that sometimes when you're put in a certain position, the best thing to do is to accumulate enough strength and power to be worthy of that position. NPC-Romy(0)Romy||0.5Rope:It is a cliff with no way down. Either you climb, or you die. NPC-Romy(0)Felix<同时置暗>||:Sorry, I'm not a bureaucrat—I don't have the gift of eloquence for negotiations. ()||AVG_20Winter_Drink_Tea:Felix drains the content of his glass, then he turns the vessel upside down to show that he hasn't left a single drop. ()Felix||BGM_Empty:Looks like I've finished my drink. ()||ClothingUp:Felix rises to his feet and bows slightly in apology. ()||<黑点1>: ()||AVG_BaseDoor_Open<黑点2>:Whoosh—the frame around the large oil painting hanging on the wall behind him suddenly lights up. With a soft mechanical hum, the frame swings off the wall.+Felix slowly pulls the frame all the way open, revealing an intricately constructed room. A man is sitting inside, drinking on his own. ()Felix||:Secretary Groß?! ()||Rope:Felix slowly returns to his seat. The man in the hidden chamber stands up and walks over to join them with a smile. ()||:Romy makes her way to the entrance of the box and gestures toward the server in the distance. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||:Three Negronis, please. ()||<黑点1>: ()||<黑点2>AVG_Door_Open_CloseAVG_Chimes:Three glasses of pink liquid smelling strongly of alcohol are soon served. ()||ClothingUp:Romy picks up her glass with a smile. NPC-Romy(1)Romy||0.5:What's the rush, Colonel Felix...?+I believe we're just getting started. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9<黑屏2>BGM_Empty: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||412<黑屏2>GF_EV9_Story:...Romy's office. ()||AVG_21Winter_Click_Keyboard:Hoffman checks if all relevant personnel has received and read the notice. ()||:Across the table, Q is leisurely sipping her coffee. NPC-maya(0)Q||:The justifications, specific measures, and inspection methods for strengthening the security within the White Zone are all clearly stated.+Even the template and procedure for bilateral reporting of the new measures are highlighted.+As expected of Herr Hoffmann. NPC-maya(0);NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:In the past, we only needed to report the access list to the garrison, but there were still plenty of screw-ups. Now we need to report to both the Stasi and the garrison at the same time.+I can't imagine how many mistakes there will be. You can't be too meticulous.+What about you? Any progress on your end? NPC-maya(0)Q;NPC-Hoffmann(1)||:Hard to say.+If your job is to publish a chemistry textbook, then my job is to get students to break down stable salt into sodium ions. NPC-maya(0);NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:...You could consider using some catalysts. NPC-maya(0)Q;NPC-Hoffmann(1)||:Believe me, I've been pouring the stuff in already, but I worked too closely with them in the past. It's kinda difficult to get dirt on them without showing up as a turncoat witness, you know? NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:That's why this task was given to you. ()||Rope:Q puts down her coffee and sits up straight. NPC-maya(0)Q||:So you really haven't heard anything about Project Valkyrie?+Has it really been scrubbed clean? NPC-maya(0);NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:...All we know from public knowledge is that it's related to the wife and daughter of Oberstein, the incumbent Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Vice-President of the State Council.+As for the specific report, you can read it for yourself. NPC-maya(0)Q;NPC-Hoffmann(1)||:Practically everyone who knows anything about this has gone to Antarctica with the Relics Agency. The information we have could be entirely false. NPC-maya(0);NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:Sometimes, what we need isn't factual information.+But useful information. NPC-maya(1)Q||:...Thanks for the tip. ()||AVG_20Winter_Book:After tidying up the documents scattered all over her desk, Q gets up to leave. NPC-Hoffmann(1)Finn Hoffmann||:What about J's disappearance? Is it really no big deal? NPC-maya(2)Q;NPC-Hoffmann(1)||:...Since no body has been found, someone will eventually come knocking.+Don't worry, getting rid of bodies has always been a complicated craft. NPC-maya(2);NPC-Hoffmann(2)Finn Hoffmann||:...Do you think he may have gone back to his hometown? I've been hearing him muttering something about selling pork knuckles back at home. NPC-maya(2)Q||0.5:...Herr Hoffmann, thank you for making me laugh for three seconds straight even as I get crushed under a mountain of work. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9<黑屏2>BGM_Empty: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||85<黑屏2>:...In the temporary command room. ()||AVG_tele_connect:Click. A call request from an encrypted comms channel. AR18(2)AR-180,100||GF_22W_BGM_3:Commander, it's the Earl. ()Commander||:... ()||0.5AVG_tele_connect:After keeping the communicator on hold for a few more seconds, the Commander nods and gestures for the call to be answered. ()Commander||:Earl. NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||:I believe the last time we spoke, we still had an ideal mentor-mentee relationship. NPC-Griffin(0)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:...I once had a lot of respect for you. NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||:Respect—which implies looking up to me.+Now you have matured to a point where we can speak on equal terms. NPC-Griffin(0)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:You have met whom you wanted to. NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||:I'm not getting in touch because I need you—quite the contrary.+Right now, you need me.+I hope ambitious young people can walk a bright and promising path—+not rush into the White Zone and spark a violent commotion. NPC-Griffin(0)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:... NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:Your current situation is no better than when you were trapped in the Black Zone—if anything, it's worse.+But even so, I'm still willing to offer you help, just as I did in Avernus. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:... NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:It's good for young people to have their own ideas.+I know you don't agree with some of my decisions, but I've already made significant concessions.+I know I shouldn't try to keep an eagle bound under my protection.+I only need to wait—wait for the day when the weary bird returns to its nest. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:...And you believe the time has come. NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:There are no eternal enemies, Commander. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||0.5:Only eternal interests. NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:What we went through was merely a small, internal conflict.+It wasn't fatal. Our interests are bound together, and our positions are aligned.+No matter what happens, G&K stands behind you.+That holds true for you, for Kryuger, and for me. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:...Then what's the plan this time? NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:I sent you from the Neo-Soviet Union to Berlin because of Morridow. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:Yes, and this mission has revealed to me a glimpse of the real world. NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:Young people are always so full of curiosity. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:Will you tell me the truth? NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:No, you must unearth it and find out for yourself. That way, you will find it easier to accept. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:... NPC-Griffin(1)Earl<通讯框>||:If you wish to find out William's true identity and what he intends to do...+You must first get to the bottom of one thing—Project Valkyrie. NPC-Griffin(1)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:...Maybe I don't even care about the whys and the whats anymore. I just think he needs to pay for everything he's done. NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||:The choice is ultimately yours.+If you want to learn the truth, investigating this is the only way.+If you want to eliminate him, then I can offer you one last bit of help.+Romy and I aren't exactly close, but the Stasi has already taken one step towards us. NPC-Griffin(0)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:... NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||0.5:Given your current situation, it would benefit you greatly if you could secure the Stasi's cooperation. NPC-Griffin(0)Commander<同时置暗><通讯框>||:Thank you, Earl. NPC-Griffin(0)Earl<通讯框>||0.5:Finally, some genuine words from you. ()||AVG_tele_disconnect0.5BGM_Empty:Click. The Earl terminates the call. ()||ClothingUp:After pondering for a moment in silence, the Commander turns to AR-18. ()Commander||BGM_ev2410_MareLunaris:...+AR-18. AR18(2)AR-180,100||:If you're asking for my opinion...+I think you need more information.+To take on an enemy, you must have a comprehensive understanding of him. AR18(2)Commander<同时置暗>||:...But this is most certainly a trap.+He would never have contacted me if this wouldn't benefit him in some way. AR18(3)AR-180,100||0.5:Perhaps you should think of it from another perspective.+Instead of worrying about how this would benefit him, consider what you want to accomplish and whether this would help. ()Commander||:...+What do I want to accomplish? ()||ClothingUp:The Commander unconsciously drums their fingers on the desk. The chaotic rhythm betrays their unease. ()Commander||:In the very beginning, all I wanted to do was to expel Sangvis Ferri forces so that the Griffin base could operate in a safe and stable environment.+Then I wanted to save the AR Team. I wanted to save Machlian. I wanted to save Ange...+But now, even I don't know what I want to accomplish. I seem to have been stuck in a quagmire for so long, I no longer remember the days before I stepped into it, and I can't recall where I'm supposed to be headed. AR18(2)AR-180,100||:... AR18(2)Commander<同时置暗>||:I've led one operation after another, always thinking that the next one would finally reveal the whole truth.+But with each answer, new mysteries emerge—an endless cycle, as if they'll never be solved. AR18(5)AR-180,100||:I understand how exhausting it must feel, Commander.+But hesitation and doubt are the last things you can afford on the battlefield. Now is not the time to waver. AR18(5)Commander<同时置暗>||:I know...+...Maybe I'm just feeling fearful because I'm hitting closer and closer to home.+I know the truth is about to be uncovered, yet somehow, I've started to feel afraid. AR18(2)AR-180,100||:... ()||ClothingUp:AR-18 walks up to the Commander and points at the monitor in front of them. AR18(2)AR-180,100||:You have so many shoulders to lean on—don't carry all the weight alone. AR18(2)Commander<同时置暗>||:These shoulders that I can lean on are also weaknesses that can be exploited. AR18(2)AR-180,100||:You should think more of yourself. AR18(2)Commander<同时置暗>||0.5:You're right. Rather than worrying about others, I really should focus more on myself.+What am I really after on this trip to Germany?+Who am I fighting for? What am I fighting for? AR18(2)AR-180,100||:It may take you a lifetime to find the answers. ()Commander||:Indeed... ()||ClothingUp:The Commander gets to their feet and pats their own tired cheeks. ()Commander||0.6:I may feel lost and conflicted, but I will not stop moving forward... ()Commander||:AR-18, escort me to Nele's residence. AR18(2)AR-180,100||0.5:Yes, Commander. ()||<黑屏1>: ()||9<黑屏2>0.5: ()||<黑屏1>: ()||470<黑屏2>:...In Nele's rented flat. ()||:J looks as fatigued as the Commander. They stare at each other in silence. NPC-Keven(6)J||:Finally remember you have to deal with me, eh, Commander?+How are you gonna do this then, Griffin's way or Statesec's way? NPC-Keven(6)Commander<同时置暗>||:There's no need for this game of probing between us.+I'll cut straight to the chase—I need you to help me contact Ms. Romy. NPC-Keven(6)J||:...You think you've got the bargaining chip to negotiate with Romy?+You have no idea what you're dealing with.+And she isn't the only terrifying woman in the Stasi. NPC-Keven(6)Commander<同时置暗>||:I would like to make a deal, not a declaration of war. NPC-Keven(7)J||:You're just an ordinary PMC commander.+Romy is backed by the Socialist Unity Party and the German Democratic Republic.+To put it plainly, the final boss that you want to fight—the mastermind behind Paradeus—is also part of the Socialist Unity Party.+No matter how confident you are in your plan, I urge you to just give up. NPC-Keven(7)Commander<同时置暗>||:No...+When Ms. Romy handed Task Force DEFY's neural cores over to me, I knew... we would work together again. NPC-Keven(7)J||:...If I remember correctly, hadn't she already helped you back in Avernus?+Is it not clear enough? She can't openly antagonize him.+He is the Vice-Chairman of the Socialist Unity Party... someone who sits in the first three rows. NPC-Keven(7)Commander<同时置暗>||0.5:When I first saw Ms. Romy at Paradeus' underground plant that time, I could immediately tell that she is an ambitious person.+There's no way she'd be satisfied with her current position.+...That's why I want to take a gamble. NPC-Keven(9)J||Rope:Have you gone mad? NPC-Keven(9)Commander<同时置暗>||:This is what I must do for a small fry like me to survive at the table.+I am willing to bet that when it comes to dealing with Paradeus, Ms. Romy will take my side. NPC-Keven(7)J||:...You must have found out already back then... the Stasi was involved in those two production chains. NPC-Keven(7)Commander<同时置暗>||:Which is why... I must speak to Ms. Romy directly.+Her path upward allows no room for mistakes, and this is the perfect time to clean up that mess properly. NPC-Keven(7)J||:... ()||ClothingUp:The Commander tosses a communicator to J. NPC-Keven(10)J||:...I just hope you know what you're doing. NPC-Keven(10)Commander<同时置暗>||:I've never been more clear-headed.+I have a plan—one that will not only allow you to return to the Stasi without issue, but also help you clean up the shady dealings between your people and Paradeus.+And most importantly... I'm going to cut off one of Paradeus' arms and sabotage Project Cocoon. NPC-Keven(7)J||:... ()||0.5: ()||ClothingUp:After a brief moment of hesitation, J raises the communicator. NPC-Keven(12)J||0.5:I'm going on all in with you, even though I barely have anything left. You'd better be making the right call! ()||<黑点1>: