Free Web NovelChapter 95: Chapter 5: Anna’s Purpose
At six in the evening, Werner returned to his apartment in the Prenzlauer Berg District. freёwebnovel.com
He had just taken off his coat, ready to rest, when the doorbell rang.
Werner walked to the door and looked through the peephole.
It was Anna.
His heart began to pound.
’What in the world does this woman want?’
She wore a beige trench coat, its belt tied meticulously. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and her face was done in tasteful, light makeup. At first glance, she looked like an ordinary professional woman. It was only her eyes—they were too sharp.
"Good evening, Comrade Betelich," Anna said with a smile, her voice as gentle as if greeting an old friend. "You don’t mind if I come in for a bit, do you? Section Chief Vonke asked me to have a few words with you."
Werner opened the door and gestured for her to enter.
He had to stay calm. He couldn’t let her see that he already knew about Eva.
"I was just about to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?"
"Then I’ll gladly accept." Anna stepped inside, her eyes sweeping impassively around the room.
She examined everything meticulously, yet feigned a casual air.
"You have a nice place here," Anna said, sitting down on the sofa. "Is that coffee from Brazilian beans? It smells much better than that ersatz coffee."
"A gift from a friend," Werner said from the kitchen as he made the coffee. He didn’t want to elaborate. Besides, Anna already knew where his coffee really came from.
"I can imagine," Anna said with a small smile. "Before the Wall went up, you could buy this sort of thing anywhere. Now, I’m afraid it’s getting harder and harder."
Werner came out carrying two cups of coffee.
"Here you are." He handed the coffee to Anna.
Anna took the cup and took a small sip.
"Good coffee." Anna set her cup down and leaned back against the sofa, her posture looking relaxed. "Actually, while Section Chief Vonke did send me, I also wanted to speak with you privately."
"About what?"
"About the Wall." Anna picked up her coffee cup, looking at Werner through the steam. "The Wall has been up for a few weeks now. How do you feel about it?"
The question was rather abrupt.
"What is there to feel?" Werner said. "Life goes on."
"Well said," Anna nodded. "But for us, the Wall going up means many things have changed. For example, our channels for acquiring Western intelligence have been cut by more than half, just like that."
She said it casually, as if making small talk.
"This is a big problem for the organization," she continued. "You know, intelligence work is like warfare. If you don’t understand your enemy, it’s like fighting with your eyes closed."
Werner raised his coffee cup and took a slow sip.
"So you need new channels," he said.
"Clever." Anna smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "I do enjoy talking to intelligent people. It saves time. That’s right, we need new channels. And you... you have connections in West Berlin, a way in, don’t you?"
"I’m just a businessman," Werner said.
"And that’s precisely why you’re more suitable," Anna said. "Our people are too conspicuous; Western intelligence agencies watch them wherever they go. But you’re different. You’re just a merchant. No one would suspect you."
She paused for a moment, observing Werner’s reaction.
"Besides, there are differing opinions within our organization. Section Chief Vonke’s generation is experienced, but their way of thinking can sometimes be a bit... conservative."
Werner raised an eyebrow. "Conservative?"
"Yes." Anna’s tone held a hint of resignation. "They think that as long as they manage East Germany well and keep a tight watch on the people, security is guaranteed. But those of us in the younger generation believe that to truly protect our country, we must understand the enemy. Understand the West’s politics, economy, culture... understand their way of thinking."
She made a lot of sense, but Werner detected a hint of something wrong.
"Sounds very forward-thinking," Werner said, his tone noncommittal.
"Isn’t it?" Anna smiled. "So we need more materials from the West—newspapers, magazines, government documents. Can you help with that?"
"All I have access to is commercial information," Werner said.
"Commercial information is also important," Anna said. "Besides... your status is different now, isn’t it?"
She picked up her coffee cup and took a slow sip, but her eyes never left Werner.
"I heard... you were recently transferred to a company under the Ministry of Foreign Trade, as a procurement consultant?"
Alarm bells went off in Werner’s mind.
’How does she know that?’
’This transfer was arranged by Section Chief Klein through internal channels. Theoretically, no outsider should know about it.’
"You’re well-informed," he said calmly.
"In our line of work, being well-informed is a must." Anna smiled, but the smile carried a hint of probing curiosity. "The Ministry of Foreign Trade is a great place to be, and procurement is an especially cushy position. To be honest, I’m quite curious. How does a worker from a machinery plant suddenly become a procurement consultant?"
She said it lightly, as if sharing gossip between friends.
But Werner knew it was a test.
"I just happen to know a few people," he said. "I helped them with a small favor, they found me useful, and they offered me a position."
"What kind of small favor?" Anna asked, her tone still casual.
"Just... getting my hands on certain things from time to time." Werner was being deliberately vague. "You know, some things are hard to find, but there are always people who need them. I just happen to have the means."
"Oh, I see." Anna nodded, as if a light had just dawned. "So you have quite a few officials as clients now?"
Werner looked at her and didn’t respond.
Anna wasn’t in a hurry either. She took another sip of coffee, then said nonchalantly:
"I’m actually very curious, what are these clients of yours like, usually? I mean, outside of work."
"What are they like?" Werner repeated.
"Yes," Anna said. "For example, what’s their attitude toward Western goods? Do they simply think the quality is better, or... do they have other ideas?"
As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Werner, as if observing his every minute reaction.
Werner was silent for a few seconds. Anna was trying to draw him out. On the surface, she was making small talk, but in reality, every question was a probe—testing how much he knew about those officials, their political leanings, and whether any of them were suspicious.
But her line of questioning, the focus of her attention, made Werner feel that something was off. If the Stasi were just trying to root out a mole, they would have asked directly, "Has anyone been acting abnormally?" or "Has anyone been in contact with the West?" But Anna wasn’t doing that. She was asking, "What’s their attitude toward the West?" and "What are they like as people?"—this was more like searching for a target, not investigating a suspect. Like a hunter selecting its prey.
"I just sell things," Werner finally said. "I sell them what they want. As for what they’re thinking, I don’t know, and I don’t care."
"Is that so?" Anna smiled, but her smile held a trace of disbelief. "Werner, you’re an intelligent man. People who do business have keen powers of observation. I don’t believe that you haven’t noticed anything at all."
Werner looked at her, and a suspicion slowly formed in his mind:
Anna’s goal wasn’t just to gather intelligence for the Stasi.
She was looking for officials who could be corrupted, who could be won over.
That wasn’t the Stasi’s playbook.
That was the playbook of Western intelligence agencies.
