"Go pick it up!" On top of the fourth anti-aircraft tower (there are seven anti-aircraft towers, with two in Hamburg, number four and five), as Josh tossed a baseball, four large dogs that had been with him in Austria—Saint Bernards bought from Uncle Randolph—sprang into action.
The four dogs, three males and one female, were named Monday through Thursday, since Josh wasn't very creative with names.
For the two months that Josh had been away, the dogs had been looked after by Ophelia in Austria, and so when Ophelia came to Germany, she brought them along.
Although they were only four months old, as giant dogs, they were already bigger than adult golden retrievers and had a huge amount of energy.
Josh had to arrange for someone to take them out for walks every day, and had also specially renovated the top floor of the fourth tower as his living space so the dogs wouldn't feel cramped and become depressed.
The seven anti-aircraft towers built by Germany were not just towers but square buildings, 70 meters in length and width.
After removing the roof's bunker and surrounding it with railings, it became a vast playground, nearly as large as a soccer field (as per FIFA regulations). If you used a basketball court as a measure, it would be equivalent to 11 courts.
So, when Josh played baseball with the four dogs on the rooftop, as long as he didn't throw recklessly, there was no issue.
"BOSS, the fleet just sent a telegram; they should be arriving in about an hour!" While Josh was having a great time playing with the dogs, Ophelia came up to the rooftop to report.
"They're finally here. Go inform Vito and the others. I'll take a quick shower!" Josh nodded, calming the four large dogs and handing them over to the servant standing by, before heading downstairs.
Half an hour later, a convoy departed toward the port.
When they arrived at the port, only a few minutes passed before a grand fleet appeared at the mouth of the Elbe River.
Despite the impressive sight of hundreds of transport ships and cruise liners, it was not a big deal for Hamburg's port, the largest in Germany and the second largest in Europe. The largest port was Rotterdam, which was surpassed by a joint Belgian port in 2022.
Although it had been bombed before, it was one of the first targets the U.S. military repaired when they occupied it, using hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war as labor. Although it hadn't been restored to its pre-damage condition, it was fully functional.
Moreover, due to military control, aside from American ships, no other foreign ships were allowed into the port, so there were no concerns about handling capacity or order.
However, the dock Josh was at wasn't a cargo dock but a passenger terminal, so he didn't need to worry about the goods.
He was waiting for Hugh Jones, the president of the Roxxon Group.
As the second highest-ranking figure on the current council and leader of the second largest American conglomerate, Josh, as a newcomer, still needed to give him some respect.
In the long term, there was no direct conflict of interest with the Roxxon Group, and there was no personal feud like with Calvin, so it wasn't bad to interact more with him.
Soon, a luxurious cruise liner docked, and Hugh Jones, with a young woman in tow, walked down the VIP passage first.
"Welcome to Germany, my friend. How was the journey? Comfortable enough?" Josh greeted him as he and Ophelia approached.
"Overall, not bad. The range of movement was a bit small, though. The Atlantic is beautiful, but after a while, it gets boring!" Hugh Jones smiled and shook Josh's hand.
"Well, that's good. Although Hamburg is still rebuilding, if you don't look at the ruins, the overall scenery is still quite nice. By the way, this is Ophelia Salkisten, one of my assistants in Europe. Hugh, if you need anything, feel free to let her know!" Josh introduced her.
"So, it's Ms. Salkisten. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Hugh Jones instinctively glanced at Ophelia's chest—though her figure was stunning, his attention was on a seemingly insignificant brooch.
This brooch was a symbol of Hydra's mid-level operatives, and behind it, there was a barely visible Hydra insignia.
As soon as he saw it, Hugh Jones knew Ophelia was "one of them" and immediately greeted her warmly.
Though Ophelia was clearly Josh's person, being a local power in Europe, it didn't hurt to build a good relationship with her to facilitate his own actions.
"Alright, this isn't the place to talk. I've already prepared a place for you to stay, and I'm sure you'll like it!" After the pleasantries, Josh warmly invited Hugh Jones into the car, while Ophelia took care of the other details.
The place Josh prepared for Hugh Jones was another anti-aircraft tower, the fifth one, with the top floor renovated similarly to Josh's residence, for Hugh and his entourage.
As for the cost...it would all be deducted from the council's funds.
As one of the council's top figures, no one would argue about spending more money on Hugh Jones.
"Wow, this place is a bit unexpected. It's fantastic. Thank you, Josh!" After Josh showed him around, Hugh Jones immediately took a liking to the residence.
After all, what man wouldn't like this fortress-like architecture? And after the renovations, it was as comfortable as any mansion.
More importantly, it gave a strong sense of security.
"Haha, no need to thank me. We're partners!" Josh smiled slightly; as long as Hugh was happy, that was enough.
Hugh Jones came to Europe mainly as a supervisor.
What Josh feared most was that he might cause trouble.
However, from what he saw, it didn't seem like that was his intention, which was good for Josh.
For the next period, Hugh Jones indeed did as Josh expected. Aside from casually inquiring about the progress of the council's various investments in Europe, he mostly spent his time sightseeing and flirting with women.
Seeing this, Josh relaxed and focused on various business developments, using the council's funds and channels to expand his own endeavors but in the end, Josh still overestimated the situation.
Hugh Jones indeed didn't interfere with Josh's business, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in other matters.
"BOSS, there's been an incident!" That night, after Josh completed a deal with Daenerys and was chatting happily, Ophelia knocked on his study door.
"What's going on? Why are you in such a hurry?" Josh apologized to Daenerys, closed the transaction system, and opened the study door, his tone tinged with irritation.
"Sorry, master, but it's urgent. Hugh Jones is missing!" Ophelia spoke softly. When it was just the two of them, she always referred to Josh as "master," and Josh had slowly gotten used to it.
"Hugh Jones? What happened to him?" Josh frowned as he heard this.
"His group, along with a whole platoon of soldiers, has gone missing. According to military sources, it's likely connected to vampires!" Ophelia said helplessly.
"Vampires? Isn't the military investigating this? How could Hugh Jones get involved with those things?" Josh's head started to ache as he processed this information.
Hugh Jones held too much power in the council. If anything happened to him in Europe, Josh, as a semi-local figure, would bear significant responsibility.
It's possible the other old men in the council might even shift the blame onto Josh, or worse, kick him out of the council.
Though Josh wasn't afraid, he didn't want to find himself at odds with the council over something like this but right now, the priority was to figure out what had happened!
"I can't do much. After all, Hugh Jones has his own connections in the military. From what I've heard, he got interested in vampire rumors from one of his military friends. He even used his connections to personally participate in a military investigation. This time, he and his men disappeared while investigating an abandoned town near the Rhine barracks' female camp," Ophelia explained, her face filled with helplessness.
In terms of status, Ophelia was just Josh's subordinate, and couldn't intervene with someone of Hugh Jones's level, who was Josh's equal.
In terms of connections, Hugh Jones, being a top American capitalist, had just as much influence in the military, and in the German-American sector, his authority far outweighed Ophelia's.
So, if Hugh Jones wanted to do something, Ophelia had no authority to stop him. At best, she could arrange for some spies to keep an eye on him, but she had to be careful not to let him find out.
Hearing this, Josh nodded. This wasn't Ophelia's fault. She had done well to inform him as soon as possible.
"I understand. Notify Vito and the action team, give everyone the beast serum, and bring the gear from the underground warehouse. We're leaving immediately!" After a moment's thought, Josh gave the order.
No matter what, Josh had to rescue Hugh Jones. Even if he was dead, Josh had to find the body and give the council an explanation.
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