"Young man, you have a good face."
"What?"
Hans felt that his life was indeed unlucky.
There were still 20 minutes left until his shift ended.
Just a little more patience , and Hans would finally reach the long-awaited end of his shift, but then he encountered an extraordinary character—a mix of foreigner + old man + fortune-telling charlatan, the kind that would probably scare even Satan away.
"Haha, people often say that. What can I help you find?"
"I do need something. But more importantly, young man, what's your birth date?"
Hans tried to maintain his service-industry smile and steer the conversation elsewhere, but this old man was more persistent than Hans had anticipated.
Not only did he speak fluent Chinese, unlike a foreigner, but he was also overly familiar.
"Come on, I'm not going to eat you. Just tell me already."
For some reason, the old man was unusually impatient, constantly urging Hans.
Should he just forget about respecting the elderly and call the police?
"But then my off-duty time would be delayed..."
Hans could tolerate many things, but compromising on this was out of the question.
Besides, just telling his birthday probably wouldn't cause any major issues.
With the thought of "just say it and get him to leave," Hans opened his mouth.
"Sigh... January 18th."
"January 18th... Hmm, just as I thought."
Seemingly satisfied with Hans's birthday, the old man's lips curled into a smile.
Although Hans didn't know what significance this date held for the old man, it at least didn't seem like a bad thing.
"As you can see, I'm German."
"Oh, really?"
Although he responded this way, Hans actually couldn't tell at all.
Judging by appearance alone, the old man was just an ordinary Westerner. How could Hans possibly distinguish whether he was German, British, or French?
"And January 18th is a day of great significance for us Germans. Do you know why?"
A German memorial day?
If it were a Chinese memorial day, Hans might have known, but how could he possibly be familiar with a holiday from a distant country?
Still, he wasn't completely clueless.
"Is it the day the German Empire was founded?"
"Oh, it seems you're quite knowledgeable?"
"I have some interest in history."
Once, Hans had dreamed of becoming a historian.
However, due to his parents' opposition and the harsh reality of historians living in poverty, Hans gave up on that dream.
His family wasn't particularly well-off to begin with.
In the end, Hans had to let go of his aspirations, enroll in a barely reputable university, and choose a somewhat respectable major. But look at him now—still working odd jobs.
The harsh treatment of humanities students by fate is everywhere.
Add to that the century-defining disaster caused by a certain pandemic and the continuously worsening economic environment, and the path to finding a decent job has become even more arduous.
A common yet unfortunate young man in 21st-century China.
This is Hans.
"Exactly, January 18, 1871, that glorious day at the Palace of Versailles."
Of course, the old man couldn't possibly know the desolation in Hans's heart.
Instead, he was lost in his own world, continuing with a nostalgic expression.
"That was the moment when we Germans truly came together as one."
For a long time, Germany had been divided into numerous small states, and this was the first unification in German history.
The Kingdom of Prussia, victorious in the Franco-Prussian War, proclaimed Wilhelm I of Prussia as the first Emperor of the German Empire at the Palace of Versailles in enemy France, declaring the establishment of the German Empire.
This scene was even painted into an oil painting and included in history textbooks, making it an extremely famous historical event.
Ironically, less than half a century later, France would return the humiliation to Germany in the same room, the same place, through the Treaty of Versailles.
"The Empire was great."
The old man, as if reminiscing about the good old days, continued with a faint smile.
"The splendid banquets at Sanssouci Palace, the imperial troops marching through the Brandenburg Gate. Everyone looked up to us, envied us."
"From the Meuse to the Memel, from the Adige to the Belt."
"Ah, yes, these words are rarely heard now."
The names Hans mentioned come from the first stanza of the current German national anthem, "Deutschlandlied," referring to various geographical locations.
"The Meuse" refers to the Meuse River basin, including Luxembourg and the broader Alsace-Lorraine region.
"The Memel" is the northernmost part of Prussia, now the city of Klaipėda in Lithuania.
"The Adige" is the Adige River basin in northern Italy, once part of the Austro-Hungarian Sudetenland.
"The Belt" refers to the Little Belt strait, indicating the Schleswig-Holstein region and its nearby waters.
These four places represent the maximum extent of the German Empire's dominion and are symbols of its glory.
However, Germany eventually lost these territories entirely due to its own actions.
World Wars.
Germany not only initiated the two most devastating world wars in human history but also lost both of them.
This not only resulted in Germany losing vast territories but also led to the division of the country into East and West Germany.
As the saying goes, "Those who play with fire will eventually get burned."
"However, in modern Germany, isn't discussing these lost territories a taboo topic?"
This is precisely why the first stanza of the German national anthem is never sung.
The second stanza is also rarely performed due to its perceived gender-discriminatory content.
Thinking of this, Hans grew even more suspicious of the old man.
"Sir, you're not a Nazi, are you...?"
"Shut up!"
The old man, who had been smiling kindly, instantly twisted his face into an expression of furious rage upon hearing Hans's words. His angry roar struck Hans's ears like a hammer.
"Do you think I would associate with that trash? I'm just an old man who misses the old empire."
"No, no, sir, no matter how old you are, you couldn't possibly have been born during that time, right?"
The fall of the German Empire occurred over 100 years ago, in 1918. No matter how you look at it, this old man couldn't possibly be over 100 years old.
"What does it matter? As long as I hold love for the empire in my heart, that's enough."
As he spoke, the old man placed his hand over his heart.
"To think he's such a devoted fan of the German Empire."
It's said that Germans, due to the trauma of starting world wars, rarely show patriotic sentiments. But now, it seems that's completely untrue.
Of course, compared to Nazi Germany, one of the worst regimes in Earth's history, the German Empire was indeed somewhat better.
But the German Empire also committed typical imperialist atrocities, such as the Herero and Namaqua genocide.
In Hans's view, they're just two sides of the same coin.
"However, no matter how powerful the German Empire was, it ultimately fell."
The old man seemed to notice Hans's lukewarm reaction and sighed after glancing at him.
"Wilhelm II led the empire to its demise."
Wilhelm II.
The last emperor, the final Kaiser, who led the German Empire to its ruin with his poor diplomatic skills and judgment.
When this name was mentioned, the old man's expression darkened.
Anger?
No, it seemed more like regret and sorrow.
"If only someone like you had been by the Kaiser's side back then, perhaps the empire wouldn't have ended up that way. It's truly a pity."
"Pfft! Me? Old man, you must be joking. Hearing you say that, one might think I'm Bismarck."
"Who knows? In my eyes, you do have that potential."
"Ah, it's your fortune-telling again, right? That's all just feudal superstition, superstition."
Hans had often heard that Germans had a disastrous sense of humor, but now it seemed that this was just another prejudice.
Comparing the Iron Chancellor who founded the German Empire to an ordinary store clerk—what could be a more absurd joke than that?
And even the formidable Bismarck was eventually dismissed by Wilhelm II.
Even if Hans truly had the talent the old man spoke of, it would be useless if the leader was incompetent.
"Haha, think what you will. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
*Thud.*
"Ring these up for me."
The old man smiled casually and placed two cans of soda on the counter.
"Fanta?"
"It's the taste of nostalgia."
The taste of nostalgia?
Now that he thought about it, Fanta was indeed created during World War II when Coca-Cola's German subsidiary couldn't obtain ingredients due to the American embargo, making it a substitute for Coke.
In Germany, it was a beverage with quite a history, so the old man's description made sense.
"Wait, I don't remember seeing him take anything out of the fridge. When did he grab these?"
Perhaps he had been a bit distracted while chatting with the old man.
"Here, take one for yourself. Thanks for listening to this old man ramble."
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly. Please, don't trouble yourself~"
"Go ahead, you're busy."
"Alright then! Take care~!"
Ding-dong—
The shop door closed.
"Turns out he's quite a nice old man after all."
At first, Hans had thought he was some scammer who had picked up bad habits after coming to China, but now it seemed he had misjudged him.
Sure, he talked a lot, but people like him, who would treat a part-time worker to a drink, were rare.
In today's cold and indifferent world, such kindness was truly precious.
Click!
Sss—
As the can was opened, the crisp sound characteristic of carbonated drinks accompanied the slight overflow of bubbles from the rim.
*Gulp~ Gulp~ Gulp~*
Hans drank the soda in one go, the distinctive orange aroma and sweet taste of Fanta lingering in his mouth.
Perhaps it had been a while since he last had a carbonated drink, as the bubbles caused a slight sting in his throat, but it was oddly refreshing.
"Ah— that's more like it."
*Swish—* Putting down the can, Hans wiped the traces from his mouth.
"Huh?!"
*Thud!*
What's going on?
His body suddenly became unresponsive, and Hans collapsed forward.
Before he could even scream, he was overwhelmed by indescribable pain.
It felt as if his entire body had been mercilessly struck.
"Could the drink I just had be tainted?"
But the cash register showed everything was normal during checkout.
And even if it were slightly expired, it shouldn't make someone feel like they're about to die, right?
"Ugh... *cough cough cough...*"
For some reason, his throat felt blocked, making it hard to breathe.
Despite his desperate attempts to stay conscious, it was futile.
As seconds ticked by, his vision grew increasingly blurry.
"Am I really going to die like this? Because of a can of Fanta?"
Forget about the embarrassment, it just felt too absurd.
What was the point of all the hardships he had endured in the first half of his life?
*'Hearing you say that, one might think I'm Bismarck.'*
*'Who knows? In my eyes, you do have that potential.'*
The words of the old German man he had just met seemed to echo in his ears again.
He really hoped the old man was right.
If there really is an afterlife, Hans doesn't want to die so pitifully and without any achievements again.
When Hans was just a child, his mother would often semi-forcefully nag him with Buddhist scriptures, saying:
"Hans, you must be kind to others. If you do evil, you'll go to hell after death!"
Looking back now, how is it possible for someone to go through life without doing any evil? But regardless, his mother's words have always stayed in his mind.
So, is this hell?
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Apparently not.
"Uh..."
"Are you too scared to speak?"
Actually, it's less about being scared and more about being bewildered and at a loss.
When Hans regained consciousness and opened his eyes, he was so moved to tears by the fact that he wasn't dead.
"Well, that's understandable."
Until the man in front of him, trying hard to look serious, appeared.
"Anyway, thank you."
After saying this, he shyly stroked his iconic W-shaped mustache.
He is the famous Wilhelm II.
"You saved my life."
The last emperor of the German Empire.
"Wait, what?"
Who saved whom?