Chapter 13: Berlin Winter and a New Acquaintance

"Ah! This is Germany, Berlin, I've arrived!" Li Yuxuan stood on the platform of Berlin Central Station, watching the bustling crowd and the Gothic station dome, and couldn't help taking a deep breath. The air was filled with a mix of coal smoke and bread, and in the distance the bell of a carriage and the roar of a steam locomotive could be heard. This was early‑20th‑century Berlin, a city both ancient and steeped in industrial atmosphere.

He dragged his suitcase, followed the address and found the preparatory dormitory of the Berlin Military Academy. The dormitory was a small attic, and outside the window faced a Training Ground; before dawn each day the soldiers' drill slogans could be heard. Li Yuxuan set down his luggage, looked at the German Empire flag fluttering outside, and silently urged himself: I must master the skills of the German Army.

But after a while, he could no longer laugh.

"Damn, nobody told me German exams were this hard!" When the results of his first tactical assessment came back, Li Yuxuan stared at the red X on the test paper, his headache about to explode. The tactical lessons taught by the German instructor were all Latin terms, the sand‑table simulation demanded minute‑by‑minute precision in troop deployment, and even the drawings had to be measured with a set square to millimetre accuracy—far more complex than what he had studied in Japan.

He could only grit his teeth and cram, spending days in the library copying notes, and nights in the dormitory running map simulations until late. When he could no longer endure, he thought of Jiang Ruiyuan, wondering how that fellow was faring at the Japanese Army University.

That evening, he received a Letter from Japan, written by Jiang Ruiyuan. The letter said he was at the Army University doing drills with the instructor, being jostled by Japanese classmates, and even having to run errands for those majors, looking like a "spun top being pulled."

"No way, buddy, why are you letting the Japanese spin you again?" Li Yuxuan read the letter, both angry and amused, "Poor principal, why can't you change that temperament?" He picked up his pen to reply, urging Jiang Ruiyuan to stop taking offense at the Japanese classmates, to learn real skills, and finally added, "When I get back I'll teach you German artillery tactics and make sure they see how formidable we are."

Berlin's winter arrived early; snow began to fall in November. Li Yuxuan wrapped his thin coat tightly, trudged through the packed snow to a café near the school to review—there was heating, and cheap black coffee could be bought.

"It's really cold today!" he rubbed his reddened hands, sitting by the window, watching the street outside blanketed in white snow. The café played soothing piano music, and the calendar on the wall read November 1909. "The Qing government won't fall much longer, I guess." he murmured, feeling both anticipation and unease. What kind of world would follow the Revolution? A flourishing Republic, or a warlord melee? He couldn't say, so he pushed those thoughts aside and lowered his head to read "Artillery Tactics Illustrated."

"Sir, is anyone here?" a clear German voice rang beside him.

Li Yuxuan looked up and saw a young man in a Cadet Uniform, short in stature but with an especially sharp gaze, like a hawk. "No, please have a seat." he quickly moved aside.

"Alright, thank you, sir." The young man sat down, ordered a cup of hot cocoa, his eyes landing on the book Li Yuxuan had spread out, "Your German is excellent, not like a foreigner just arrived in Germany."

"I've practiced for a long time." Li Yuxuan smiled, "My name is Li Yuxuan, I'm from China."

"Aierwen Longmei'er." The young man extended his hand, his fingertips a bit rough, as if years of gripping a gun had left marks, "I study at a nearby Military Academy."

Li Yuxuan felt something stir; the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it.

In the days that followed, they often ran into each other at the café. Rommel was not very talkative, but whenever military topics came up he became unusually loquacious. He would point to reports of military exercises in the newspaper, dissecting each side's tactical gains and losses, always pinpointing the key points; sometimes he would sketch on paper, demonstrating how a small force could fix the enemy's main body, his clear reasoning leaving Li Yuxuan silently amazed.

"Damn! Who's this guy? He's got some military talent." Li Yuxuan grew more admiring, even feeling this fellow's tactical gift surpassed Jiang Ruiyuan's.

"You know, Li." One day, Rommel finished his last sip of hot cocoa and suddenly said, "My dream is to become an engineer, to design the strongest fortress."

Li Yuxuan was stunned: "Huh? I thought your dream was to become a general, given such high military talent."

Rommel smiled, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, "My family wants me to join the army, saying a soldier can bring glory to the family. In truth I prefer blueprints and formulas; they're far quieter than guns and artillery." He paused, then added, "But I also plan to enlist next year; after all, it's my duty."

Li Yuxuan watched him and suddenly thought of himself. How many times had he been pushed forward by the times? He had originally only wanted to scrape a living in the Republic of China, yet he had gradually ended up at a German Military Academy, and would later be swept into the vortex of revolution and war.

They talked from tactics to weapons, from the German Army to China's new troops, and even debated the role of cavalry in future wars. Rommel believed cavalry would be replaced by Armored Vehicles, while Li Yuxuan thought that in complex terrain cavalry's mobility remained irreplaceable—a conclusion he drew from later knowledge, which made Rommel nod repeatedly.

"Your view of future warfare is very unique," Rommel said seriously, "even bolder than our Military Academy professors."

"Just a wild guess," Li Yuxuan replied vaguely, "I can't claim these are proven decades later."

It wasn't until evening, when the café was about to close, that Rommel packed his things and stood up: "Li, goodbye. Tomorrow I'm going to take part in a field exercise, and I may not be able to come here for a long time. I hope I can still see you."

"Same here, Rommel." Li Yuxuan shook his hand, "Wish you a smooth exercise."

"This year I've made another interesting friend." He gathered his books, left the café, snowflakes landing on his face, icy and biting, "What a pity, he's German."

On future battlefields, could they become enemies? The thought flashed, Li Yuxuan quickly shook his head. At least for now, they were just two young men passionate about the military, sharing each other's dreams and doubts on a foreign winter's day.

Back in his dormitory, he wrote in his diary: "Winter 1909, met Rommel in Berlin. The man possesses an extraordinary tactical gift, yet loves engineering, truly fascinating. I wonder what the scene will be like when we meet again someday."