Super Zoo-Chapter 797 - 776 Eibek Castle

"Start with the hotel and track down all nearby train and bus stations, all the roads, flights... in short, every possible route that person could use to leave! Find them!"

Major General Vaghnief immediately deduced that this matter was related to that 'cousin sister' who had suddenly arrived and then disappeared without anyone's notice.

"I've already arranged for people from the third and fifth units to investigate. As long as she didn't vanish underground, we're certain to find her." With a lead, the pressure was off the secretary, who managed a rare joke.

"Also, that she-bear is quite famous throughout the Russian Military. It seems she has a good personal relationship with Mr. Su from Huaxia, who is a friend of the Russian Army. We must do our utmost to ensure her safety. Of course, this is assuming she's still alive," Major General Vaghnief said. freēnovelkiss.com

"Don't worry, Director," the secretary nodded, then paused slightly, hesitating for a moment.

"Is there something else?" Vaghnief asked.

"Director, our intelligence department has uncovered something. Still, it's from so long ago, and it might just be a coincidence..."

"Half of the coincidences in this world exist for a reason," Vaghnief said.

The secretary nodded emphatically, "Here's the thing. When examining the ownership information of the explosion site, our colleagues in the archives department discovered that the cellar where the explosion occurred, the manor of the mob, and the village where the inn is located, belonged to a common owner during World War II, decades ago: the 14th Division of Ukraine. Back then, the division's headquarters were in that area."

"The 14th Division of Ukraine? You're not referring to the 14th Division of the Ukrainian Waffen-SS, are you?" Major General Vaghnief asked.

"Your memory impresses me. Yes, that's the one," the secretary said.

Remembering a division from another country that existed seventy or eighty years ago wasn't really about having a good memory. Instead, it was because this division was infamously notorious.

During World War II, the Soviet Union only controlled Eastern Ukraine, which is now the part of Ukraine that is close to Russia. When the Nazi Germans invaded Ukraine, some people in Western Ukraine didn't see them as invaders but rather as liberators and even voluntarily formed a division loyal to Hitler, joining the Nazi SS. This later became the infamous 14th Division of Ukraine.

This pseudo-military division didn't accomplish much on the battlefield; its main role was to assist the Nazi troops in suppressing the resistance within Ukraine and was completely wiped out during the Soviet counteroffensive.

Interestingly, the current conflict between the east and west of Ukraine bears a striking resemblance to the situation back then.

Nationalism, freedom, the economy, major power struggles—these issues trouble the entire world, leaving not a moment of peace.

After listening, Major General Vaghnief leaned back in his chair, silent and frowning deeply.

It was several minutes before he spoke again, "Let's just hope it's a coincidence. Have the intelligence department check into this 14th Division further. Prepare a special flight; I must report this to the president in person immediately."

The secretary left as ordered but felt somewhat puzzled.

As a core figure of power within Russia, the director had extensive authority. Many events that seemed monumental to the average person could be dealt with independently without reporting to the president, or at least not until after the facts had been thoroughly investigated.

Why must a coincidence related to the 14th Division be reported immediately, without any conclusive evidence?

...

Suming and his party landed in a seaside city in Romania and after a transfer of less than an hour, finally arrived at the edge of the Carpathian Mountains.

The Carpathian Mountains are an extension of the Alps to the east, located in central Europe, with a length of 1450 kilometers, starting from the Danube Valley near Slovakia, extending through the border of Poland and Ukraine, to the Iron Gates on the Danube River in southwest Romania, in a semicircular shape sprawling across the land.

The mountains are rich in mineral resources, especially famous for hot springs. After getting off the plane, the farthest the shuttle bus could take Suming and the others was a small village at the foot of the mountain named 'Ferrero'. The village only had a few dozen households, but there were hundreds of springs of various sizes in the nearby mountains, making it a rather famous tourist destination in Romania.

"Ferrero? Isn't that chocolate?"

Chengcheng, led by Zhao Yun, looked curiously at the small village in front of her. The village was built against the mountain, with distinctive wooden houses scattered across a slanted hillside. Every house had many windows, and the window sills were filled with large bunches of colorful flowers, making the whole house seem wrapped in flowers.

"Maybe it's just the same pronunciation," Nangong Yan said, hugging Suming's arm, her eyes full of little stars, "Such a beautiful place, it's like a sea of flowers!"

Nurse Hu was rather a killjoy. She hadn't walked far before she was panting, hands on hips, looking upwards while saying in a bell-like voice, "My goodness, no wonder these foreigners are so healthy, they climb mountains every time they step outside! If you parked a car at the front door here, you'd have to be careful not to let it roll away."

Suming laughed, "It seems like the locals don't buy cars; they generally ride bicycles?"

"What? That would totally wear you out!"

Nurse Hu was no wonder astonished. Ferrero Village was constructed on the hillside, and the whole village only had one main road that was about twenty degrees in slope, steeply heading upwards. All of the houses were built on either side of this main road, with each house situated higher than the one below it.

"Not necessarily, riding up might be tiring, but going down the hill would be easy," Zhao Yun said.

He actually hit the nail on the head. At the very top of the village, from behind one of the houses, out came an old man with a big beard, riding a bicycle that looked a lot like the popular men's 28 from the 80s and 90s in Huaxia, with two large baskets attached to the rear wheel.

When the old man mounted the bike, he pushed off the ground with one foot, and then the bicycle easily glided him down the slope to a point not far from where Suming and the others were standing. He squeezed the brakes, planted both feet on the ground to stop, and laughed heartily at Suming and his party, saying something in a foreign language.

"That's Avitu, welcoming us," Zhao Yun said, smiling as he translated.

Elder Avitu, the village chief of Ferrero Village, was also the host for Suming and his companions, and the former agent of Princess Eugene's castle in the area. Every year, Princess Eugene paid Avitu a sum of money, and he was responsible for arranging regular maintenance and repairs of the castle.

"To think my new boss is so young and handsome. Young man, tell Old Avitu the truth, did Princess Eugene fancy you? So she decided to send you the dowry in advance? Eibek Castle is a castle with a long history, you know," Avitu said, his beard all white but quite cheerful, hugging Suming's shoulder and laughing loud.

Zhao Yun translated, and Nangong Yan was stunned. Did this guy really own a castle?

Eibek Castle? What kind of name is that, who came up with it? Why not call it KFC Castle, McDonald's Castle?