Red Moscow

As soon as the group walked up to the second floor, a major walked over to them.

The small cadres walking in front saw each other and hurried forward to say hello: "Comrade Army Representative, there is a general who wants to see Comrade Factory Director. I wonder if he is in the office?"

The major tilted his head and looked behind the young cadre, just in time to see Sokov who was supported by Asiya and Koshkin, trotted forward, stood at attention and saluted: "Hello, Comrade General! This is the instrument factory Major Kudrin, the representative of the army, I resolutely obey your orders, please instruct!"

Sokov gently broke free from Koshkin's support, raised his hand and returned a military salute to the other party: "Please rest easy, Major Kudrin! I am Lieutenant General Sokov. I need to find the director of the instrument factory. Do you know where you can find him?"

"Of course, Comrade General." Major Kudrin didn't associate the young general in front of him with the accomplished general who often appeared in newspapers and radio. However, in the face of a commander whose military rank is much higher than his own, he still showed due respect: "Comrade factory manager is in his office, talking with a family member of an employee. I will take you there to find him."

"Misha!" Assia whispered to Sokov after hearing what Kudrin said, "Could the employee's family members he mentioned be my mother?"

"It's possible." Sokov felt that the possibility was great, so he nodded: "When we go to the office, we can get the answer we want to know."

Since there were military representatives leading the way, it was obviously inappropriate for small cadres to follow. After saying something to Sokov and the others, he reappeared and returned downstairs.

Soon a group of people came to the door of the factory director's office. The door was not closed, and they could see everything in the room clearly by standing in the corridor. Asiya, who was supporting Sokov, suddenly exclaimed, and rushed directly into the door, following her and hugging a middle-aged woman standing in the room.

Sokov saw that the middle-aged woman was somewhat similar to Asiya, and guessed that this should be Asiya's mother, so he walked into the room with a cane.

Assia pulled the middle-aged woman in front of Sokov, and introduced with a blushing face, "Mom, this is my husband, Misha."

"Hello, Mom!" Sokov waited for Assia to finish speaking, then took the initiative to reach out his hand to the middle-aged woman, and said respectfully, "I am your son-in-law Misha. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The middle-aged woman looked at the young general wearing a brand-new military uniform in front of her, with an unbelievable expression on her face. She never dreamed that the son-in-law she had never met was actually a general.

Major Kudrin, who was standing next to him, waited for the two parties to meet and exchange greetings, and said to Sokov with a smile: "Comrade General, let me introduce you, this is Comrade Prazolev, the director of the instrument factory. "

"Hello, Comrade Factory Manager." Sokov came here to help Assia find out about his father, and his attitude towards the factory manager was naturally very friendly. He said politely, "Nice to meet you."

Prazolev looked at Sokov and asked excitedly: "Comrade General, I would like to ask, are you General Sokov who once served as the commander of the 27th Army?"

"Yes, Comrade Factory Director." Sokov gave an affirmative answer to Prazolev's question: "I am the General Sokov you mentioned."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Prazolev immediately stretched out his hands and held Sokov's hand tightly, and said with some gaffe: "Comrade General, it is my honor to meet you here. To be honest You said that half a year ago the Bureau of Industry organized a condolence team to go to your army for condolences. I originally signed up, but I fell ill unexpectedly two days before departure, so I couldn’t go, otherwise I would have been able to do it half a year earlier. know you."

Sokov glanced at Major Kudrin, the military representative next to him, and seeing the shocked expression on his face at the moment, he couldn't help asking Prazolev in surprise: "Comrade director, how did you recognize me?" I am very curious, even a soldier like Kudrin did not identify himself, how did Prazolev do it?

"Comrade General," Prazolev replied with a smile: "My son is also in the 27th Army. In the photo he sent back to me, there is a photo of him with you. I often look at this photo, naturally I just remembered you. As soon as you walked in, I felt familiar, so I asked tentatively, but I didn't expect it was really you."

As he spoke, he took out a wallet from his pocket, opened it, pulled out a photo inside, handed it to Sokov and said, "Look, this is a photo of him and you."

Sokov took the photo and saw that it was a photo of himself and a sergeant. Looking at the sergeant's familiar face, Sokov thought for a while before he remembered that this was a soldier from the Belkin Regiment of the 84th Division. He killed more than 30 German officers and soldiers, and took this photo with him when he was awarded an honor by himself.

Sokov couldn't remember the soldier's name for a long time, but since Prazolev showed this photo to himself, it is necessary to say a few words. As he handed the photo back to Prazolev, he said with a smile: "Comrade director, your son is amazing. Before we took this photo, we had just finished a battle. He personally blew up two a German tank and killed more than 30 German officers and soldiers."

Although Sokov mentioned the record, Prazolev has long known it, and he has said it to others on many occasions. However, others think that achieving such a record is too far-fetched. Every time Prazolev brought up the matter, everyone just echoed it casually, but they were skeptical in their hearts.

Among those who were skeptical, Major Kudrin, the military representative in the factory, was naturally indispensable. Hearing what Sokov said at this moment, he couldn't help asking: "Comrade General, has he really achieved such a result?"

Sokov noticed that Prazolev frowned slightly, as if he was dissatisfied with Kudrin's question. He smiled lightly and said, "Comrade Major, the result of the battle is of course real."

"Comrade General, to tell you the truth, I have also fought on the front line before." Kudrin said to Sukov: "At that time, in order to destroy a German tank, we had to sacrifice at least seven or eight soldiers. Therefore, I Hearing that one person wiped out two tanks, one cannot help doubting such a record."

"Comrade Major, you are right." Sokov said: "In the early days of the war, because our commanders and fighters had no anti-tank experience and weapons were not handy, we would naturally have to pay a lot if we wanted to destroy the enemy's tanks. But after more than two years of war, our commanders and fighters have grown up, and the weapons they possess are more powerful than before, so the price we pay for encountering German tanks on the battlefield will be much smaller.”

"So that's the case." Kudrin nodded, then turned his gaze to Prazolev who was standing next to him, and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade director, I always thought you were exaggerating your son The results achieved. Now that General Sokov said that, I realized that I didn’t understand the situation. I’m so sorry.”

"It's all right, Comrade Army Representative, we are partners. If there is anything going on in the future, you can speak directly to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings." After Prazolev said this, he thought that Sokov would not Appearing in my office for no reason, I asked cautiously: "Comrade General, I want to ask, what do you want to do when you come to my place today?"

"That's right, Comrade Factory Director." Sokov explained to Prazolev: "I came here to inquire about the whereabouts of my father-in-law. It is said that he went to the maintenance station on the front line in a few months. How's the situation?"

"Your father-in-law?!" Prazolev was taken aback when he heard Sokov say this, and then he understood what was going on: "Oh, you are talking about Bakanidze? That's right, how many of them I did go to the maintenance station on the front line a month ago, and was responsible for repairing the instrumentation of the bombed tank.”

"Misha," the mother-in-law, who had been silent all this time, said to Sokov, "Before you and Asya came, I was talking to the factory manager about this."

"Then do you know where my father-in-law is now?"

"I don't know." Sokov's mother-in-law shook her head and said, "Comrade Factory Manager said the location of the maintenance station is confidential, so he can't tell me. I've been dawdling here for a long time, but I still haven't gotten the answer I want."

"Comrade director," Sokov asked Prazolev in puzzlement, "Why didn't you tell my mother-in-law where my father-in-law is?"

"Comrade General," Prazolev said with a look of embarrassment, "you should know that in order to prevent leaks, the location of our army's frontline maintenance station is absolutely confidential."

"Comrade factory director, are you worried that my mother-in-law will leak the secret?"

"I don't think she should."

"Since you think she won't, why can't you tell her where my father-in-law's maintenance station is?"

"Comrade General, the regulations are the regulations." Prazolev said rather helplessly: "In order not to reveal the secrets, even the family members cannot tell them the specific location."

"Comrade factory manager, the regulations are dead, but people are alive." Sokov frowned slightly and said: "When we implement the orders of the superiors, we also play by ear according to the actual situation."

After saying this, Sokov paused for a while, and then continued to ask: "How many people did the factory send to the frontier maintenance station?"

"A total of 76 people, Comrade General." Major Kudrin next to him replied first.

"76 people." After repeating the number, Sokov looked at Prazolev and said, "That is to say, there are 76 families who worry about the whereabouts of their sons, husbands and fathers every day. I Right?"

"Yes, Comrade General, you are right."

"Since you think what I said is right, the employees who go to the front should be allowed to get in touch with the family members who stayed behind." In order to properly handle this matter, Sokov came up with a compromise method: "We must meet each other." It is impossible, but it is possible to communicate, at least let the family members in the rear know that their relatives are still alive.

As for leaking secrets, I think that's something you worry too much about. Not to mention, the correspondence addresses in the army are all battlefield mailbox codes, and even if there are irregularities in the letters, they will be obliterated by the wartime letter inspection agency. In a word, even if family members and front-line workers are allowed to keep in touch with each other by letter, there will be no leakage of secrets. "

Prazolev thought about it carefully, and what Sokov said was very reasonable. Even if a worker in the frontline maintenance station accidentally leaked the contents of the letter, it would be obliterated by the wartime letter inspection agency before the letter was sent. Even if the letter fell into German hands, it would do no harm.

Although Prazolev was already willing to let his family members communicate with the frontline workers, he did not express his opinion immediately, but looked at Kudrin and asked, "Comrade Army Representative, what do you think?"

When Kudrin heard Prazolev's question, he couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded. He said to himself that you are the director of the factory, and you only need to nod for such a thing. Why do you have to drag me? But since the other party has already asked, Kudrin can only bite the bullet and answer: "Comrade director, I am just your deputy. As long as it is your decision, I will definitely support it."

Seeing that Kudrin, the military representative, did not object, Prazolev made up his mind. He walked to the desk, picked up the phone on it, dialed a number, and said into the microphone: "I am Prazolev, and the director of the factory office will send a notice in the factory. Those at the maintenance station will all come to the factory to register tomorrow."

Asiya's mother saw that the problem she hadn't solved for an hour or two was properly resolved because of Sokov's few words, and she couldn't help feeling a little more fond of her son-in-law in her heart.

Now that the problem has been solved, there is no need to stay in the factory, so Assia offered to go home.

When the car left the factory gate, he met Mitchak who was on duty again. Seeing Asiya and her mother sitting in the car, he greeted loudly: "Is everything settled?"

"It's resolved." Asiya's mother said proudly, "After my son-in-law talked to the factory manager, it was resolved."

When the car drove away from the gate of the factory area, a young militiaman walked up to Michik and asked curiously: "Michik, tell me, who is Asia's husband? Our factory manager?"

"It's a general, a very young general." Mitschke looked at the car going away, and said to himself, "Maybe I should visit Bakanidze's house some other day and find out who the young man is. Who is your general?"

And Sokov, who was sitting in the car at the moment, already knew that his mother-in-law was called Nina. But the other party seemed a little uncomfortable when she heard that she was calling her mother, so she changed her name: "Nina, Asiya and I are going to stay at home until evening, do you think we should go buy some food and cook at home?" meal?"

"In the state-run store, there are no other dishes except potatoes, onions, and cabbage." Nina said awkwardly: "Misha, this is your first visit, can't I just let you eat these shabby things? "

"Comrade General," after Nina finished speaking, before Sokov could speak, Koshkin rushed to say, "Why don't we go to the military store to buy something?"

"Do you know where the nearest military store is?"

"knew."

"Okay, now that you know, take us there."