Chapter 304: Chapter 381 Operation Starvation (5)

The car entered the city, and Dennis looked out of the window at the familiar streets. He couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. "Things seem much more desolate here. Dad, when did you change the car?" He remembered that before the war, his father used to drive a German Mercedes-Benz. Now, the emblem on this car was from an American Ford. The comfort level was far from the previous Mercedes-Benz.

"Is the government prohibiting people from using German products?" Dennis asked.

His father shook his head. "Not exactly. It's just that this car is more fuel-efficient. Fuel is scarce domestically now, and sometimes even if you have money, you can't buy gasoline."

Dennis fell silent for a moment and then asked, "Does the Prime Minister have no intention of negotiating with Germany?" Negotiating after defeat was a normal course of action. The side proposing negotiations would offer some compensation and territorial concessions. If dissatisfied, they could regroup and plan for future battles.

In Dennis's view, the British Empire urgently needed peace talks. Hundreds of thousands of elite troops were trapped in Dunkirk, becoming German prisoners of war, producing various supplies for Germany. The once-proud Royal Navy had suffered heavy losses, and even the performance and quantity of the Air Force's fighter planes were inferior to the German Luftwaffe. He couldn't understand why, in the current situation, the Prime Minister was still so adamant.

What Dennis didn't know was that the British high command, represented by Churchill, was not entirely against negotiations. They were willing to negotiate as long as Germany returned to the 1918 borders, and if necessary, even the 1914 borders would suffice. However, the European territories they had swallowed must be relinquished.

Germany's conditions were more straightforward: they wanted to station troops on British soil, with a minimum of 200,000 soldiers.

Only when both sides were desperate would they agree to each other's terms.

His father sighed. "This Prime Minister is quite stubborn. He has no intention of negotiating at all. It seems he intends to fight Germany to the bitter end."

The atmosphere in the car grew heavy. If both sides persisted in fighting without compromise, would this war continue for years, just like the last one? Dennis wondered how long he would remain in the prisoner-of-war camp.

His mother's tears welled up again. "Dennis, can't you stay here and not go back?"

Dennis firmly replied, "No, Mom. There are thousands of comrades in the prisoner-of-war camp. If we don't go back, they won't have a chance like ours to return home and visit their families. Besides, I'm a brave soldier, not a coward who goes back on their word. I won't let the Germans look down on me, nor will I allow our own people to gossip! Rest assured, my behavior in the camp has been good, and maybe I'll soon have another opportunity to visit home." After consoling his mother, Dennis noticed that the street view outside the window had become unfamiliar. "Wait, Dad, did you take the wrong route? This isn't the way home, is it?"

His father looked somewhat embarrassed. "Uh, we've moved."

"Moved? Why would we leave our perfectly fine home?" Dennis asked, puzzled. The family used to live in a small villa, so why were they now in this run-down old apartment on the outskirts?

His mother sighed deeply. "It's all because of this war. Your father wanted to expand the factory and mortgaged quite a few things to borrow money from the bank. But when the war broke out, various supplies became scarce, and the factory couldn't get raw materials for months. Naturally, it couldn't operate, and not only could we not pay the workers' salaries, but we also couldn't repay the bank loans. As a result, the bank seized the collateral we had put up earlier."

Dennis's mouth hung open in shock. "So you mean we're bankrupt?"

His father, getting out of the car, looked displeased. "After all this time, you come back, and you're talking about these unpleasant matters. Don't worry, son. Your father has weathered many storms. This difficulty is nothing. I've already pulled some strings, and soon the factory will shift to producing military supplies. Then everything will be back to normal."

After some comforting words, the three of them climbed the narrow stairs to the third floor and entered a room. It was a small one-bedroom apartment. As Dennis surveyed the almost furniture-less "shabby house," he overheard his mother whisper to his father, "Darling, go get some meat. Our son has come all this way; we should at least have a good meal."

His father looked hesitant. He wanted to treat his son to a feast, but their financial situation was tight. After a moment's thought, he whispered, "How about I sell the car?" The old car was their only possession.

"Dad, Dad, don't bother. I have money." Dennis quickly stopped his father from leaving. From a pocket in his clothes, he pulled out a handkerchief bundle and carefully unwrapped it, revealing a handful of coins and a few banknotes.

In the past, most people know that the currency units in the UK are pounds and pence. More precisely, it should be "new pence," where 1 pound equals 100 new pence. The term "new pence" was used because before 1971, the UK had a complex system of currency with various units, making conversions confusing for those unfamiliar with it.

Before the currency reform in 1971, the UK used a system of pounds, shillings, and pence (often abbreviated as "£sd" or "LSD"). Here are some of the key units:

1. Pound (£): The main unit of currency. There were 20 shillings in a pound.

2. Shilling (s. or /-): There were 12 pence (written as 12d) in a shilling.

3. Penny (d.): The smallest unit of currency. There were 240 pence in a pound.

For example, £2 14s 5d could be written to represent 2 pounds, 14 shillings, and 5 pence. The terms "£/L," "s," and "d" originated from Latin words: "Libra" (pound weight), "solidus" (20 of which made up one Libra), and "denarius" (240 of which made up one Libra with 12 being equal to one solidus). These denominations were in use from the 7th century.

After World War II, the US replaced the UK as the world's economic center, and the dollar became the standard. In 1971, the UK underwent currency reform, adopting a decimal system: 1 pound = 100 new pence.

Dennis handed his mother the coins from the handkerchief. "Mom, here's a total of twenty pounds, thirteen shillings, and ten pence. It's not much, but it should help with household expenses."

Although 20 pounds might not sound like a lot, considering purchasing power, it's equivalent to much more in today's terms.

The couple exchanged surprised glances. "Dennis, where did you get so much money?"

Dennis shrugged. "We've been working in the prisoner-of-war camp, and the Germans pay us wages." Of course, these wages were only a fraction of what they earned outside. "Also, no need to buy meat. We get to eat it quite often in the camp." Although the quality and taste of the meat weren't great, at least it was meat.

"!!" The couple was shocked once again. What kind of prisoner-of-war camp was this, where the food was better than what they had?