Red Moscow

When Sokov's plane landed in the defense area of ​​the Ukrainian Second Front Army, Ponejielin and others who arrived only a dozen hours earlier than him received a notice unexpectedly: "Whether it is assigned to the commander of the Front Army The personnel who serve as staff officers of the Ministry, or the personnel who go to the 53rd Army to serve as regiment-level commanders, the original distribution plan is invalidated, and further notice is awaited."

Upon hearing the news, Pornegerin asked the officer who conveyed the notice in surprise: "Comrade commander, what is going on? Why is the previously formulated distribution plan suddenly invalidated?"

The officer shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and said helplessly to Pornegelin: "I'm sorry, Comrade Major, I'm just conveying the notice from the superior. I don't know why the superior suddenly announced that the distribution plan is invalid. .”

After the officer who conveyed the notice left, many students gathered in the hall immediately surrounded them and asked Ponegerin in one voice: "Major Ponegerin, what happened? Why did you arrange it for us in advance?" Will his position be canceled suddenly?"

The officers who came to convey the notice didn't know the reason, let alone Ponegerin, who was new here and didn't know anyone. However, in the face of the raging students, he raised his hands and kept pressing down, and at the same time said loudly: "Comrades students, be quiet, please be quiet!"

However, his voice was overwhelmed by the noisy voices of the students. Seeing that the situation was not good, Muzichenko and Kirillov quickly followed suit. The voices of the three finally silenced all the students.

"Comrades students," Ponegerin said to everyone after the room became quiet, "I think General Konev's sudden order must be due to his reasons. Please stay calm."

In order to stabilize the emotions of many students, Ponegerin paused for a moment after saying this, and added: "I will go to General Konev now and ask what is going on."

After explaining a few words to Muzichenko and Kirillov, Ponedelin walked to the door alone and rushed to the sentry at the door and said: "Comrade sentinel, I have something urgent to see General Konev, please." You take me there, okay?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the sentry glanced at Pornegelin's epaulets, and replied blankly: "I'm sorry, Comrade Major. I have received orders to protect your safety. Let no one get out of here."

Ponegelin heard the voice of the sentinel: My task is to watch over you here, and not allow any of you to leave here until I get an order from my superiors.

Ponyjelin, who had a bad nose, had no choice but to turn around and go back into the house.

Seeing Ponedelin go back and forth, Muzichenko hurriedly leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Ponedeline, why are you back?"

"The sentry won't let me go out."

"Ah, the sentries won't allow you to go out?" Muzichenko became nervous when he heard that, "Isn't that putting us all under house arrest?"

"If there are only three of us, there is such a possibility." Pornegelin was also thinking about the same problem, but he quickly came to a conclusion: "But besides us, there are nearly fifty-nine students , General Konev can’t put them under house arrest for no reason, right?”

"Since we are not under house arrest, why did we suddenly cancel the original work assignment?"

"Muzichenko, I don't know, but I think something must have happened that we don't know, so the original assignment was cancelled."

"Then how are you going to explain it to the students?"

"How else can I explain it?" Ponegerin said with a wry smile, "Naturally speaking the truth."

"No, you must not tell the truth." Muzichenko quickly stopped Ponedelin's attempt: "If you really tell the students the truth, it may cause unnecessary confusion."

Ponegerin asked hesitantly: "Then how should I reply to them?"

"Let's just say it's getting late, and General Konev is resting. If there is anything else, we can only talk about it tomorrow."

"Okay." Ponegerin nodded after hearing this, and said, "That's the only way to go."

When Ponejielin walked back among the students, Captain Sukharev raised his voice and asked, "Comrade Major, why did you come back so soon? Have you seen General Konev?"

"No." Ponegerin replied bravely: "Student comrades, General Konev has gone back to rest. If there is anything to do, I can only go to see him tomorrow during the day. It's getting late, everyone goes back to their rooms Go and rest."

Although Sukharev knew in his heart that Ponedelin was prevaricating himself, but seeing that it was getting late outside, maybe Konev really went back to rest. If he wanted to find out what happened tonight, it was obviously impossible. He could only choose to accept his fate: "Okay, Comrade Major, I will convey your thoughts to everyone."

Seeing that Sukharev was willing to help him persuade the students, Ponejielin was still very happy. He nodded at the other party and said gratefully: "Thank you so much, Captain Sukharev."

"It's okay, it's just a matter of raising your hands."

But what happened next was far beyond Bonegerin's expectations. When Sukharev told the students the reason why Ponejielin left and returned, everyone didn't buy it at all. Since everyone can participate in the training course for intermediate commanders, they are naturally not fools. It is obvious that this reason is perfunctory for him, so he naturally refuses to let it go.

The crowd rushed over with a whoosh, and surrounded Ponejelin in the middle. Major Kryzhuv, the former leader of the training class, took the lead in attacking: "Major Ponedelin, please explain to everyone what happened and why you couldn't even get out the door? General Konev canceled the original After the job distribution plan, how do you plan to arrange us?"

"Yes, yes, explain to us what happened."

Although Pornegelin wanted to stabilize everyone's emotions, the students couldn't listen to him at all, and asked him loudly, trying to get him to come up with an explanation.

Facing doubts from all directions, although Bornejelin wanted to explain, his weak voice was covered by the voices of the students, and no one could hear what he was saying.

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, there were two clear gunshots, and the hall fell silent.

The sudden gunshots surprised the trainees. They wondered who was so bold to shoot next to the headquarters of the Ukrainian Second Front Army. Don't they worry that they would attract nearby sentries.

Everyone turned their eyes to the place where the gunshots came from, and saw three people standing at the door. From the military ranks on their shoulder straps, one could see that one was a lieutenant and the other two were generals. One of the generals was leaning on a cane, holding a pistol with blue smoke from the muzzle in his hand. ,

Everyone recognized at a glance that the person holding the pistol was none other than Lieutenant General Sokov who formed his team, and the general next to him was General Zakharov, the Chief of Staff of the Front Army. Standing behind them was Lieutenant Koshkin who often went to Frunze Military Academy to pick up Sokov.

When the hall was completely silent, Sokov limped forward two steps and said sharply: "Commanders, have you forgotten your identities, what does it look like to be noisy here?"

While Sokov was speaking, several sentries who heard the gunshots rushed in from outside, as if trying to figure out who was shooting. But Zakharov waved at them and sent them away.

"Misha, why are you here?" Ponejielin squeezed out from the crowd and walked up to Sokov with a look of surprise on his face. When he found Zakharov standing beside Sokov, he hurriedly Standing at attention, he straightened his waist and saluted Sokov, and reported according to the order: "Comrade General, the Advisory Group Adviser Major Ponejielin is reporting to you, and I will wait for your instructions!"

"Please rest easy!" Sokov put the gun back into the holster, raised his hand in return, and asked, "Major Pornegerin, can you tell me what happened here?"

"That's right, Comrade General." In front of Zakharov, Ponegerin could only report solemnly in accordance with the regulations: "Not long ago, an officer from the headquarters informed us that the original distribution plan Canceled, everyone stays here and waits for orders. I wanted to ask General Konev, but the sentry at the gate refused to let me go out, and the trainees couldn't get the answers they wanted, so they had a dispute with me."

"So that's the case." Zakharov, who was standing beside Sokov, said with a smile, "Comrade Sokov, let me explain this matter."

Zakharov took two steps forward, smiled and said to the bewildered students: "Commanders, according to the original distribution plan, some of you will stay at the Front Army Headquarters and serve as staff officers. ; while other people will be assigned to the 53rd Army as the staff of the headquarters, or to the army as regimental commanders."

He looked sideways at Sokov and continued: "The reason why the distribution plan was suddenly canceled is because Major General Tarasov, the commander of the 53rd Army, was injured and could no longer command the troops. General Konev proposed to the Supreme Command Apply, and intend to hand over this force to General Sokov to command."

"Here! Now your General Sokov has come." He pointed to Sokov with his hand and said, "Since he has come, there is no need to divide you into two parts, so Kogne After discussion, General Fu and I decided to cancel the original distribution plan and arrange for all of you to follow General Sokov to the 53rd Army."

"Ulla!" As soon as Zakharov's words fell, Sukharev roared like crazy.

Along with this roar, Victor's high-decibel tenor voice sounded.

Major Milesiev was also infected, and he shouted unconsciously: "Ulla! Ulla!! Ulla!!!"

The next moment, this building, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, endured the most terrifying sound wave attack in history. More than 60 military officers shouted like a tsunami, and the sound seemed to blow off the roof of the hall.

The sentinel standing at the door couldn't help but poke his head in and look around when he heard the shouts in the hall. After seeing the situation in the hall clearly, meaningful smiles appeared on their faces, and then they returned to their posts and continued to stand guard.

Hearing the cheers from the students, Sokov felt warm in his heart. He raised his hand and pressed down a few times, motioning for everyone to be quiet.

The students who saw his action shut their mouths in an instant, and the whole hall became quiet again.

"Students and comrades, I am very happy to be able to fight side by side with you again." Sokov said emotionally: "I am going to meet General Konev now to accept a new combat mission. Maybe we will fight together one day." Liang is about to set off, and when you are in the new army, you may not have the chance to sleep if you want to have a solid sleep, so go back to your respective rooms to rest now."

After Sokov said this, seeing that everyone was still standing there, he cleared his throat and said loudly: "Everyone has it, listen to my password: stand at attention! Turn back! Targets, your own! Let’s go together for the price!”

Seeing everyone, including Ponegerin, turn around and walk to their respective rooms according to his order, Sokov couldn't help but smile. He turned to Zakharov and said: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, please take me to see General Konev."

On the way to the headquarters with Sokov and Koshkin, Zakharov smiled and said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, if you don't show up today, Ponedelin doesn't know how to get away. "

Hearing what Zakharov said, Sokov couldn't help but thumped in his heart. He couldn't help asking Zakharov: "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, I want to ask, you sent someone to notify them of the cancellation of the work distribution plan. Why didn't you explain the reason? If you explained the reason, I don't think the scene we just saw would have happened."

Regarding Sokov's question, Zakharov smiled wryly, and said awkwardly: "Comrade Sokov, you are still in the confidential stage of taking over as the commander of the 53rd Army. In order to prevent the leakage of information, the Germans will be alerted , So when I sent the notice to your troops, I deliberately didn’t specify the specific reasons. But I didn’t expect that we would make things worse by doing this. If you didn’t show up in time, I’m afraid the situation would be completely out of control.”

Sokov didn't want to get entangled in this kind of matter, so he changed the topic in time: "By the way, it's getting late now, has General Konev gone back to rest?"

"No." Zakharov replied confidently: "Since the start of the siege of Cherkasy, General Konev has basically never left his headquarters, and he sleeps only three or four hours a day. Sometimes he just fell asleep with great difficulty, and when he received a new battle report, he had to wake him up again. From the beginning of the battle to the present, in just half a month, he has lost more than ten catties."

He looked at Sokov and said with a smile on his face: "But now that you are here, at least he doesn't have to worry about the affairs of the 53rd Army. I believe that the area under your responsibility will never allow a living German to pass through." .”

"No, Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army, your statement is not quite right." Sokov said: "At least those Germans who put down their weapons and surrendered can still pass through my defense zone alive."

Zakharov laughed loudly after hearing this, and said repeatedly: "That's right, that's right, I believe that many Germans will put down their weapons, pass through your defense zone with their hands raised high, and report to our prisoner-of-war camp."