In the Bukovina Jewish community, the elderly Feld was busy settling his fellow Jews, and it was clear he was very experienced. Centuries of migration had taught the Jewish people to be adaptable. Even in a new place, everyone could quickly adjust. In fact, Austria was not the first choice for Russian Jews to migrate in. Initially, everyone planned to leave Europe altogether and Bukovina was just a transit point. However, after arriving here, everyone discovered that while Austrian public opinion was somewhat unfavorable towards Jews, there were no large-scale anti-Semitic movements actually breaking out. As for the imprisonment of Jewish capitalists, that was child’s play. These days, Jews around the world were having a hard time, and going to prison for no reason was commonplace. The Russian Empire, in particular, was the most hostile. Even those who sought refuge with powerful figures in the Russian government were often extorted. Based on years of life experience, Feld and several other Jewish leaders believed that Austrian officials were simply trying to make money. Coincidentally, an anti-Semitic movement also broke out in America during this period. Suddenly, there was nowhere else to go, so everyone discussed it and decided to stay and observe the situation for the time being. After the investigation team’s list was finalized, seeing it was entirely composed of “their own people,” the Austrian Jewish upper class who had escaped arrest were relieved. Everyone unanimously believed that the matter had passed. In this discordant world, the Jewish people had survived by relying on their unity in times of crisis. After discussing it, since they had nowhere else to go and the anti-Semitic movement in Austria had subsided, everyone decided it was better to stay. They could at least look out for each other. Money made things easier. Although they hadn’t obtained Austrian citizenship, with the help of their Austrian co-religionists, they quickly bought a piece of land to rebuild their homes. Looking at the bustling construction site, Feld smiled with relief. He hadn’t been idle these past few days, gaining a deep understanding of Austria through his local brethren. Happiness was all relative. Compared to the living conditions in the Russian Empire, Austria could be considered paradise. A society ruled by law was good. For the vast majority of ordinary Jews, their biggest worry was the lack of order. “Mr. Feld, something terrible has happened!” A loud voice shattered Feld’s good mood. Frowning, Feld asked with concern, “Ralph, what’s wrong now?” There was no choice. They had become like startled birds, paying extra attention to every move in the outside world. Ralph replied breathlessly, “Mr. Gleier and Mr. Oscher was arrested by the Austrians, and even their families were taken away. I went out to inquire, and I heard it was because they were implicated by Mr. Leo. The charges seem to be failure to report a crime and illegal profit. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. Anyway, many of our people have been arrested, and they are all prominent figures in the Bukovina region.” Hearing this terrible news, Feld’s face turned ashen, and his body trembled. If Ralph hadn’t been quick-witted and supported him, who knows what might have happened. After a moment, Feld, having regained his composure, sighed helplessly. There was nothing he could do. He really couldn’t understand the current shift in the situation. They had been told everything was fine, but suddenly the situation had deteriorated again. “First, let’s contact our local brethren. They have some connections here and will receive news more easily than us. Tell everyone to prepare to move again. If things don’t look right, we’ll leave Austria.” Ralph nodded. Faced with the current situation, he had long since panicked, so he would naturally do whatever Feld said. Looking at Ralph’s continuous nodding, Feld showed a bitter smile. Leaving was easy to say, but truly difficult to do. Every migration of the Jewish people was a history of blood and tears. Often, it was a fall from one hell into another. The word “home” was too unfamiliar to them. All they had were temporary settlements, never knowing when they would have to move again. ... Once the floodgates were opened, it wasn’t so easy to close them again. With an order from the investigation team, a large number of implicated individuals were imprisoned. Accompanying this was a blizzard of complaint letters and confessions. Pull one hair and the whole body is affected. The big Jewish capitalists had connections with powerful figures in the Austrian government, so the smaller capitalists naturally could only cozy up to minor officials. Not everyone had the mental fortitude to stubbornly refuse to confess. More ordinary people, after being arrested by the police, confessed everything they knew. Some, in order to reduce their sentences, even revealed hearsay and unverified information. From central government ministries down to local street offices, implicated individuals were everywhere. Looking at the submitted case files, Count Witters nearly fainted from anger. With so many people involved, truly dealing with them according to the law would mean offending a vast number of people. Showing leniency was even more impossible. Perhaps before the lid was lifted, there might have been a chance to cover things up, but not anymore. The dignity of the law could not be violated. Since the evidence was conclusive, they had to be dealt with, or those above wouldn’t spare them. … Paul Bodis, looking haggard, said, “Lord Count, the situation is completely out of control. There are over ten thousand officials involved nationwide, including dozens of high-ranking government officials. To be honest, the people pleading for leniency these past few days have almost broken down my door. I believe it’s the same for everyone here. Some even have relatives and friends directly involved. Now we’re on the hot seat. If we let them go, those above will definitely not spare us. If we handle this by the book, we’ll be isolated in the future.” There was no way around it. It was their own fault for overestimating their colleagues’ integrity. They thought they were the only ones profiting in the gray areas, but they didn’t expect to find like-minded individuals all over the country. Generally, this kind of hidden power-for-money transaction is difficult to investigate. As long as the parties involved don’t speak up, it’s hard for outsiders to understand the internal relationships. In normal times, everyone often criticized those stupid corrupt officials, but no one expected that they themselves would be dragged into it one day. Count Witters nodded, “Paul is right. The current situation is indeed out of control. To put it bluntly, the evidence that has already been exposed is enough to send us to prison. If we weren’t the ones in charge of this case, perhaps we would be the ones running around trying to pull strings right now. Having reached this point, do you think it’s better for us to go to jail ourselves, or for others to go in?” Reality was cruel. Unintentionally, they had become a knife, a knife aimed at the Austrian bureaucracy. In fact, from the moment they joined the investigation team, everyone had been mentally prepared for this issue. However, they still held onto a sliver of hope. After all, the Austrian government was strict on official corruption, leaving little room for corrupt officials. The bureaucracy seemed quite clean, and they hadn’t anticipated that there weren’t only a few worms in the system. Yet, reality was harsh. There were many “smart people” who knew how to exploit their positions to make money, while only a minority of fools directly embezzled government funds. The matter wasn’t over yet, and already over ten thousand people were involved. If the investigation continued, there was no telling how many more would end up in prison. Needless to say, as the person in charge of this case, Count Witters would inevitably become the target of everyone’s hatred. Alberti said fiercely, “Order the arrests. Having reached this point, we have no room to retreat. Even if we stop now, no one will appreciate our kindness. The lid has already been lifted. If we don’t continue the investigation, someone else will. At that point, the few of us will be in a terrible situation, having offended both those above and those below. With multiple offenses combined, we could even lose our titles.” Hearing the words “lose our titles,” those who were still hesitating suddenly solidified their stance. They had no other choice as the current case was too massive. Having reached this point, it definitely required influential figures to take responsibility. Coincidentally, everyone in the investigation team was qualified. As the main culprits shielding the Jewish criminal syndicate, failing to severely punish them would make it impossible to explain to the Austrian public. Offending people would at most make it difficult to advance as an official. Anyway, within the rules, as long as they maintained a righteous stance later, no one could really do anything to them. But once they lost their titles, it wouldn’t be as simple as not being able to advance, it could even lead to their own deaths and the extermination of their families. Political struggles were always bloody. Rather than placing hope in others’ illusory “gratitude,” it was better to go all out. Seeing that everyone had unified their stance, Count Witters also breathed a sigh of relief. The most feared thing at a time like this was the division of their small group. Even if they faced isolation in the future, everyone present could band together for warmth, which was better than being a lone wolf. After a moment, Count Witters slowly said, “Since everyone has made their choice, then let’s handle things officially! Having taken this step, we must be careful moving forward. The outside world will be watching us with a magnifying glass, and we absolutely cannot show the slightest flaw. No matter who comes to plead for leniency, no one can show the slightest hint of softheartedness. Even if it involves our own relatives, we must deal with them according to the law. An image of impartiality and integrity will be the foundation for our future in the political arena.”
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https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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