I am German and also not a native English speaking, by the way :)
Thank you for the compliment.
gripping from beginning to end.
Good to know, since how I began the story, actually was intended to be a bit boring (people babble and swagger around the subject for the sake of talking) in order to make later a point. LoL
And I was not sure if the reader makes it up to the point where it gets interesting.
Well, I think that sometimes the stories we create, take their own course, and surprise us. For me, this is a clear example.