He is Already a Tycoon at a Young Age! - Chapter 96



Only Krnovel

Episode 96 – The Woman Who Hides a Secret

December 1921

The first international exchange event has come to a close.

As the president of the association, I was naturally given the task of giving the farewell speech.

“Now, Mr. Adolf Hitler, the newly appointed Colonel of Kentucky, will give a farewell speech.”

“Wow!”

This is really embarrassing.

Colonel of Kentucky…

The highest rank awarded in the state of Kentucky. Of course, it was not an actual military rank, but rather an honorary title given to civilians.

‘If you were discharged as a German sergeant and became a colonel in the US state of Kentucky… how many ranks would you have been promoted to?’

Uncle Hitler, Rocket Man, Colonel Hitler. The nicknames keep getting stranger and stranger.

‘No matter how much I think about it, I feel like I should fry some fried chicken.’

I wonder if I should wear a white suit next time. I stopped my distracting thoughts and went up to the podium.

Eyes looking at me.

They were all young people who had left their hometowns and traveled to America.

From the teens to the twenties.

They were all diverse, regardless of social class or gender.

‘They say there are many cases where people find lovers while traveling.’

Actually, I’m too busy to be in a relationship.

I’m so jealous.

Come play for free and make a lover.

“For years, soldiers here in the United States and in Europe have had to fight and kill each other on the battlefield. But even within that, there have been efforts for peace and harmony.”

I recited the speech I had memorized in my head.

After practicing with Roosevelt, it became much easier to use hand gestures.

“Christmas 1914. On the Western Front, German and British soldiers put down their rifles and sang carols together.”

The famous Christmas truce.

The soldiers exchanged gifts and played soccer with enemy soldiers without permission from their superiors.

Could there be a story more inspiring to humanity than this?

“There are people in every trench and in every uniform. As the Lord Christ said, all men are brothers.”

I said.

“We don’t have to kill each other just because we speak different languages ​​and believe in different ideologies and religions. I hope that everyone gathered here will remember what you felt during this trip.”

At the end of the speech, the atmosphere became more solemn and calm than at the beginning.

“The future is in your hands.”

After coming down from the podium, I greeted the young people.

“I read Hitler’s autobiography and really wanted to meet him. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to come to the United States…”

“Is it true that you fought on the Western Front? Why did someone like Mr. Hitler serve as a private and not as an officer?”

I shook hands and thought to myself, “I wonder if Werner von Braun is here too.”

A genius in rocketry.

The engineer who sent mankind to the moon.

You must have been at the last convention too.

Would people still be interested in rockets in this day and age?

‘It was a project that started on a whim, but it turned out better than I expected.’

When I proposed it to German President Ebert, I didn’t have high expectations.

But the results far exceeded my expectations.

If this becomes a regular event every year, my influence will grow even more.

It could also be used diplomatically.

‘If only we could somehow get France involved.’

As I continued my thoughts, someone stopped me.

A young-looking woman who looks like she just graduated from high school.

It feels familiar.

Who is it?

“Mr. Adolf Hitler? Are you Mr. Hitler?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I have been sending letters and phone calls for the past few days, trying to somehow meet Mr. Hitler…”

“Hey, don’t come too close. If you want to get an autograph, please have a pen and paper ready.”

Detective Burns, who was in charge of escorting her, stopped the woman.

“You don’t have to do that. It doesn’t seem like you’re trying to kill me.”

I gestured that it was okay and looked back at the woman.

“I’m sorry, but I know many of you have been worried since the attack in Germany. You’ve been trying to see me for a few days. Is there something you need to do?”

“I didn’t come here to get Hitler’s autograph. I came to the United States on this international exchange, and I was told that I had to get a job in order to obtain new immigration status… Oh, sorry! I didn’t even introduce myself.”

The woman spoke in a lively tone.

“Riefenstahl. My name is Leni Riefenstahl.”

Leni Riefenstahl.

It’s Riefenstahl.

‘So that’s why it felt familiar.’

The greatest film and documentary director in Nazi Germany. He was definitely on the invitation list.

I looked at her and smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Riefenstahl.”

＊＊＊

[Triumph of the Will]

Could there be a more controversial film than this one hour and fifty minute documentary?

‘A film documenting the Nazi Party Rally in Nuremberg.’

Video quality and filming techniques that were ahead of their time.

Triumph of the Will influenced numerous later films, including Star Wars and Gladiator.

[The greatest work in the history of propaganda]

The first scene starts with Hitler flying in on an airplane, and the film ends with the Nazi party anthem, Horst Wessel.

Even in the 21st century, there are neo-Nazis who watch this movie and idolize Hitler.

“If you want to get a job… do you want to immigrate to the United States?”

“Yes, America is the land of opportunity. Anyone who has heard Mr. Hitler’s story would think so.”

Riefenstahl nodded.

“I want to become the best dancer in the world. America is the stage where I can realize my dreams.”

She’s a dancer.

Did Riefenstahl become a film director after her knee injury?

‘I wish I could become a film director, but…’

I can’t force that.

Before the injury, I think he was considered a genius dancer.

“I contacted the immigration office and they told me to consult with the International Exchange Association first. They didn’t even bother to listen to me.”

“I’ll look into it. There are many other young people who want to stay in the United States, besides Ms. Riefenstahl. The U.S. government will also look into it positively.”

What an unexpected harvest.

“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to accept it so readily… I really appreciate it.”

“If you fill out the application form at my company, we will contact you later.”

I shook her hand and then walked through the crowd again.

It would be weird if we talked for too long.

“Alf, you and I seem to have quite a big age gap. Ha, did you fall in love at first sight?”

“Stop talking nonsense, Richter. We’re supporting promising talent.”

“A promising talent? Oh, is that someone you know?”

“Have you forgotten how I discovered Disney? Then came Mickey Mouse, the club, and…”

Considering the amount of money Disney has made, Riefenstahl will not suffer any losses.

It was clear that making connections would help me someday.

Because you have talent, whether it’s dancing or movies.

“What’s on your schedule for today?”

“I also need to check on the Hitler Motors situation… Car, Carnegie wants to talk more about the talk show.”

Richter said.

“Or, should I clear some time on my schedule today? I’ve been busy lately.”

“You don’t want to rest?”

Richter smiled and shrugged at my question.

“People should rest when it’s time to rest.”

“I want to do that too, but…”

The world situation continues to change while I rest.

Soon there will be hyperinflation in Germany and a warship reduction agreement in Washington.

Numerous political and economic events.

Everything worked like clockwork.

‘Will the Great Depression happen again?’

Temporary collapse of the capitalist system.

The Black Death started in America.

It probably happens in this world too.

But the scale and timing may be different.

‘I need to increase my weight class just in case.’

To do that, he also acquired Morgan’s shipping business shares.

Only if Hitler’s company grows can I survive.

Radio, entertainment, automobiles, shipping, transportation, culture, democratic ideology and even popular appeal.

There remains a mountain of things to secure.

We also need to understand what’s happening in Eastern Europe and Russia.

I also need to steadily fill up my cash reserves.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done, Richter. Let’s start by making the talk show a success.”

This can be finished quickly.

“Wouldn’t it be okay if I just made a few phone calls?”

＊＊＊

New York

RCA Headquarters

A heavy atmosphere, like a funeral, flowed through the conference room.

“Hitler’s superiority in the field of marketing has already been confirmed.”

“RCA president Sarnoff spoke in a stern tone.

“Hitler actually gained more popularity through the last trial. It is time to change the method.”

All the executives nodded.

The so-called ‘rocket trial’.

Radio broadcasters, including RCA, considered this a blessing.

A heaven-sent opportunity to break Tesla’s radio monopoly.

However, Hitler’s speech as a witness received support from all over the United States.

The same goes for Tesla Radio.

“Then how about we hire some Negroes too?”

An executive said.

“Doesn’t Hitler support Negro broadcasting stations? I hear they make a lot of money there.”

“It’s going to be hard to break into the colored market now. I heard Hitler is already hugely popular in that community. He’s called Uncle Hitler. Even if we were to throw money at it now, how many consumers would we be able to attract?”

“…”

Silence fell again.

Behind the success of Tesla’s radio was the enthusiasm for Hitler.

“As long as Hitler has the Institute for Advanced Research in Technology, we will continue to fall behind in technological development.”

From innovative technologies to high brand image and popular entrepreneurs.

How can I win this?

“I heard that Tesla Radio has been preparing a new program for some time now. I don’t know exactly what it is, but there are rumors that Hitler himself is involved.”

Everyone present let out a sigh at one of the executives’ words.

“Everyone, this is not the time to be so scared!”

Sarnoff slammed the table.

“Even if he’s Hitler, he doesn’t have any weaknesses. Didn’t Hitler Company already expand into not only the radio industry but also the pharmaceutical and automobile industries? He must have already poured in a huge amount of money.”

He said.

“The car business is like a hippopotamus that just makes money until it succeeds. Now is our last chance.”

“Then what do you want us to do?”

“Unlike Hitler, we at RCA can focus our spare cash on radio. A single bullet can easily pierce dozens of sheets of paper.”

Sarnoff said.

“Haven’t there been a lot of star actors coming out of Hollywood recently? They’re hiring them to appear in radio dramas.”

“But what good would it do to bring silent film stars to the radio? People wouldn’t be interested.”

“Rather, it will pique people’s curiosity. Wouldn’t anyone be curious if they could hear the voices of movie stars in their living rooms?”

“indeed…”

Most of the executives nodded.

Movie star.

Using these will help you get public attention.

“We could arouse curiosity by revealing the voices of the stars.”

“But that would cost a lot of money. The ransom alone would amount to tens of thousands of dollars.”

“Then let’s do that. This is a war of attrition. If we focus our capital on radio…”

Sarnoff tapped the table.

“I’m sure we can outlast Hitler.”

===＊＊＊===

Author’s Note

Q: Did Leni Riefenstahl’s films really influence Star Wars and Gladiator?

A: Yes, especially in the case of her masterpiece, Triumph of the Will, she had a great influence on later films with her innovative filming techniques and storytelling.

Commonly cited examples include George Lucas’ Star Wars series and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator films.

In the case of Gladiator, the scene where Emperor Commodus appears was not only shot in the same way, but the exact same scene was also included.

You can see the comparison video by searching for the title below on YouTube.

[Triumph of the Will and Star Wars],

[GLADIATOR (R. Scott, 2000) / TRIUMPH DES WILLENS (L. Riefenstahl, 1934)]