Red Moscow

After a long journey of more than ten days, the train finally entered the Yaroslavl Railway Station in Moscow.

After the train stopped, Sokov stretched, stood up and said, "Thank God, we finally arrived at our destination. It's been such a long ride this time, and I won't take the train again for at least half a year." .”

"Misha, that's not necessarily the case." Yakov said with a half-smile after hearing this: "Maybe in a week or two, we will have to take this train to Siberia again to supervise the construction of the prisoner of war camp."

When he thought of taking a week or two to rest in Moscow and possibly heading to Siberia again, Sokov's head was spinning: "What are we going to do next? Should we go back to our respective homes, or report somewhere?"

"I don't know either." Yakov said, "How about we ask Bezikov. He is responsible for protecting our safety. Maybe he knows something."

Before Yakov could find Bezikov, Bezikov came to the door first: "Two comrades, generals, Moscow has arrived. Next, we should report to the designated department."

"Which department are you going to?" Sokov asked rhetorically.

Bezikov shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, I don't think I can answer your question."

Sokov was a little confused: "You don't know where to report?"

"According to the usual practice, someone should come to pick us up." Bezikov said: "Don't get out of the car in a hurry. Wait until the person who picks you up comes."

"Okay, let's stay here and wait for them." After Sokov said, he sat back on his bed again.

Before the people who picked them up arrived, Bashilashvili and Sharap came over to say goodbye: "Two comrades, generals, we are here to say goodbye to you."

"Bashilashvili," Sokov asked with concern, "have you found a place to stay?"

"Yes, General Sokov." Bashilashvili replied: "We will live in the guest house on Arbat Street in the near future. You can find us there."

"Bashilashvili, Sharap!" Sokov stretched out his hand to the two of them and said in a friendly tone: "We will see you later!" Then he said to Bezikov, "Comrade Major, please send them off. .”

After sending Bashilashvili and Sharap away, Yakov still asked Sokov: "Misha, do you think they are sure to take over the project of replicating the Amber Room?"

"Yasha, this is impossible." There were no outsiders in the box, and Sokov no longer had any scruples: "According to my analysis, your father will not agree to carry out replicating amber for at least three to five years. He would think that the reason why the Amber Room could not be found was because the Germans hid it. Instead of spending a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to replicate an Amber Room, it would be better to send more people to it. If you search, you may find something unexpected."

After listening to Sokov's words, Yakov thought about it for a while and felt that what the other party said was very reasonable. He asked in surprise: "Misha, since you can think of this day, then why didn't you say anything when Yubasilashvili and Sharap were getting along with each other these days?"

"I see that the two of them are in high spirits, and I can't bear to pour cold water on them." Sokov said: "Actually, even if I don't say it, they probably know it. The reason why they behave so high-profile in front of us is nothing more than It is to make us their allies, which will be very helpful for them to gain a foothold in the country."

"But we are all soldiers. When it comes to construction, we have no say."

"Yasha, that's not what you said." Sokov reminded Yakov: "Don't forget, your status is quite special. Only by hugging your thighs can they quickly gain a foothold in the country."

Yakov said with a smile: "I am just an ordinary general, how can I help them."

"I have just said that your status is quite special." Sokov continued: "Maybe Bashilashvili has carefully inquired about your origins before dating you. Don't look at what he has done to us during this period. Both of them are more respectful, but in fact his main target is you, and I am just a foil."

Even if Yakov wanted to refute Sokov's statement, he didn't know where to start. He could only smile awkwardly, and then said: "Misha, maybe your judgment is correct. They just want to rely on my background to gain a foothold."

"It seems that you also understand this." Sokov reminded Yakov: "If Bashilashvili and others come to you for help, just help once or twice occasionally. Don't help with everything, so as not to cause them to have trouble with you." Dependence.”

"Misha, I understand what you mean. I will be more careful in the future."

While the two were talking, a major general, accompanied by Bezikov, walked into the box.

When Sokov and Yakov saw the person coming, they guessed that they must be sent by their superiors to pick them up, and they stood up quickly.

"Comrade Commander, Comrade Chief of Staff." Bezikov introduced to the two of them: "This is Major General Grom from the Ministry of Defense. He has been ordered to pick you up to report."

"Hello, General Grom!" Although Sokov's military rank is much higher than this general, he knows very well that people who can hold positions here in Moscow must not be simple, so he took the initiative to greet him and said: "Nice to meet you!"

"Me too, General Sokov." Grom smiled and said, "I have heard about your deeds before, but today I finally met you in person."

After shaking hands with Grom, Yakov smiled and asked: "General Grom, which department of the Ministry of Defense do you belong to?"

Sokov has been on the front lines and is not familiar with the makeup of the Ministry of Defense. At this moment, when Yakov asked, he was also very curious as to which department of the Ministry of Defense the other party came from.

"I'm from the General Headquarters." After Grom said where he was from, he was worried that Sokov didn't understand the composition of the Ministry of Defense. He also specifically explained: "General Sokov, you have been on the front line. I am not familiar with the various departments of the Ministry of National Defense, so I will introduce it to you first. The Ministry of National Defense consists of the General Staff Department, the General Political Department of the Army and Navy, the General Cadre Department, the General Inspection Department of the Armed Forces, the General Training Department, the General Logistics Department, and the General Department. Ordnance Department. The Weapons and Equipment Department where General Yakov worked before is subordinate to the General Ordnance Department."

After listening to Grom's introduction, Sokov laughed dryly, and then said: "I really didn't expect that the Ministry of National Defense actually has so many departments under it."

"Comrade generals, the car to pick you up is on the platform. Please come with me."

Everyone got off the train and came to a corner of the platform, where five or six black cars were parked.

Grom walked to the side of a car, opened the rear door, then turned to Sokov and Yakov and said: "Comrade generals, please get in the car."

After driving for half an hour, the convoy arrived at the street where the general headquarters is located.

Grom got out of the car first, and then said to Sokov and Yakov who came out of the car: "Comrade Generals and Comrade Deputy Minister are waiting for you in the office. Please come with me!"

In this way, led by Grom, Sokov and Yakov entered the building and came to the minister's office on the second floor.

"Report to Comrade Deputy Minister," when the three people entered the office, Grom reported to a bald, middle-aged general sitting behind his desk without a military cap: "I have reported General Sokov and General Yakov brought it!”

The middle-aged general raised his head and nodded to Grom: "Comrade Grom, thank you. There is nothing for you to do here. You can go and do your work first."

After Grom left, the middle-aged general walked out from behind the desk and came to Sokov and Yakov. While shaking hands with them, he introduced himself: "Let me introduce myself. I am Lieutenant General Orehov is the deputy head of the General Headquarters Department, and I also serve as the head of the General Headquarters Department of the Air Force.”

After Sokov figured out the identity of the deputy minister in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder. If he and Yakov were to be assigned work, it should be someone from the Army who was responsible for it. Why is it that someone from the Air Force is now making arrangements for him and Yakov? what about work?

While Sokov was thinking about it secretly, he heard Orehov say to Yakov: "General Yakov, after our research, we are going to send you to the General Ordnance Department. Do you have any objections?"

"No, Comrade Deputy Minister." Regarding his own arrangements, Yakov replied readily: "I obey the arrangements of my superiors. After all, I have worked in the Weapons and Equipment Department for a long time and am very familiar with everything there. "

Orehov was very satisfied with Yakov's attitude. He nodded, and then said to Sokov: "General Sokov, there are big differences regarding your next appointment. Today I called you here just to ask for your opinion."

Hearing that there were big differences between his superiors about his work arrangements, Sokov couldn't help but wonder how he could have allowed his superiors to have a fierce conflict over his work arrangements. However, he still tried his best to ask in a calm tone: "Comrade Deputy Minister, I wonder how my superiors plan to arrange for me?"

"General Sokov, listen, there are three choices before you now." Orekhov said with a straight finger: "The first one is to go to Berlin and serve as the garrison commander there. This appointment is Marshal Zhukov's. Proposed."

Sokov thought that Berlin would later be the forefront of the Cold War, and he knew nothing. Even if he went there, he might not be of much use, so he interrupted and asked: "What about the second option, Comrade Deputy Minister."

"The second option is to work in Kiev." Orehov said: "Be responsible for managing all the troops in Ukraine. This is Comrade Khrushchev's request."

Zhukov recommended him to serve as the garrison commander of Berlin. Sokov felt that this was excusable, but based on his friendship with Khrushchev. He was a bit too bold when he proposed that he take charge of the Soviet troops in Ukraine. You know, the total number of Ukrainian front troops is at least two million, and he does not feel that he is qualified for this job. Moreover, according to historical records, a great famine will break out in Ukraine in 1946, and a quarter of the population will starve to death in the famine. If you go there, you may be stigmatized. Therefore, this option could only be given up. He just wanted to know what the third option was as soon as possible.

"Comrade Deputy Minister, I wonder what the third option is?" Sokov asked.

Hearing Sokov ask this, Orehov had a surprised expression on his face. Because in his opinion, whether it is going to Berlin or Kiev, it is a good job that others can only dream of, but Sokov in front of him seems to be dismissive of this. He coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and continued: "The third option was proposed by Marshal Vasilevsky. This time our army captured more than 600,000 Kwantung troops in the Far East campaign. You You should know that in order to alleviate the shortage of labor in our country, this group of prisoners of war will not be repatriated for the time being. They will be sent to Siberia for labor reform. And your task is to manage this group of prisoners of war."

Knowing that his superiors were indeed interested in sending him to Siberia to manage the Kwantung Army prisoners of war, Sokov asked with some urgency: "Comrade Deputy Minister, I wonder when my superiors are going to let me set off?"

"Don't be anxious, General Sokov." Orehov said with a smile: "If it were me, I would definitely choose to go to Berlin or Kiev, and I would never choose the ice and snow of Siberia. You know, where to stay In one year, you will be at least ten years older."

But Sokov was thinking in his heart at this moment: "Since my superiors have arranged for me to go to Siberia to manage the Kwantung Army prisoners of war, then I will definitely not disappoint their expectations and will definitely use these prisoners of war as cattle and horses. In real history, there are Nearly 500,000 people have returned to the island country. There are too many 500,000 people. They all flocked back to the island country at once. Not only is it difficult to find jobs, but so many idle people have nothing to do all day long, which will also become a factor of instability. Try to fight for it yourself Controlling the number of people returning to the island country to less than 50,000 will solve possible social conflicts in the island country."

"General Sokov, General Sokov!" Just as Sokov was thinking about it, he suddenly heard Orekhov calling him. He couldn't help but trembled. Then he concentrated and asked: "Comrade Deputy Minister, what else do you have?" Something?"

"I see you are laughing non-stop. Is there anything you are happy about?"

Sokov thought to himself, I am thinking about how to reduce the 500,000 prisoners of war originally returned to the island country to 50,000. However, he certainly could not tell Orekhov truthfully about such a good thing. He could only say perfunctorily: "Comrade Deputy Minister, I want to go to Siberia here. Maybe I can reunite with some old comrades who fought side by side in the Far East. Naturally, I feel happy in my heart." .”

"So that's what happened." Orehov didn't expect that Sokov was perfunctory, so he believed it. He turned to look at Yakov next to him, and continued: "Comrade generals, you go back and rest first. If anything happens, I will send someone to find you in two days."

Sokov and Yakov agreed, raised their hands to salute each other, then turned and walked out of the office.