Red Moscow

Sokof began to write the basic data of the PKM general-purpose machine gun on the drawing: "The total length of the gun body is 1192mm, of which the barrel is 645mm long, the rifled part is 550mm long, there are 4 riflings, right-handed..."

The captain who was responsible for assisting Sokov in his work saw Sokov write down a group of data on the drawing, and quickly poured him a cup of tea and placed it on a corner of the table. After doing all this, he quietly retreated to the wall and sat on a chair in the corner, so that when Sokov had any instructions, he could appear in front of Sokov at the first time.

Sokof did not notice what the captain was doing. After writing the data, he began to consider some details: the ammunition was fed by traditional ammunition belts, which is also a common method for general-purpose machine guns. However, the machine gun ammunition belts of the United States and the Soviet Union are different. The U.S. military uses a scatterable ammunition belt. The advantage is that the ammunition belts are directly scattered after being used, and will not become dead weight, which will not affect subsequent combat. At the same time, the length of the ammunition belt is very flexible. The disadvantage is that it is slightly wasteful, and the scattered ammunition belt components are not easy to collect.

The Soviet army's ammunition belt is non-dispersible. After firing, the belt is still hanging on the gun body, which will form a dead weight. Although the relative flexibility of the non-dispersible belt is not that high, the advantage is that it is more economical, and the newly added bullets can be quickly loaded into the belt through tools.

The PKM general-purpose machine gun used a 250-round long belt in the early days, and later changed to a 25-round short belt. After a considerable period of testing, it was changed to 100-round, 200-round, and 250-round belts according to actual battlefield needs, which greatly increased flexibility. Later, it was equipped with belt boxes of different sizes. The most common one in the bipod light machine gun mode is a 100-round aluminum alloy belt box.

The detailed data of each accessory of this machine gun is in Sokov's mind, but he doesn't want to take out these data too early. It's not that he doesn't want to finish the work quickly and rush back to see Asia as soon as possible, but because if he designs too fast, the design drawings that were originally said to take ten days and half a month, you take them out in one or two days, and the person in charge above will think that design work is a very easy thing.

In the following days, after Sokov drew a drawing of spare parts, he would deliberately make repeated revisions, giving people an illusion that he had designed an ideal general-purpose machine gun through continuous trial and error.

It was not until the eighth day of accepting the mission that Sokov finally completed all the drawings.

He put down the drawing tools in his hand, turned his head and called the captain sitting in the corner: "Comrade Captain!"

The captain hurriedly stood up and came to Sokov, straightened his back and asked: "Comrade General, what do you want?"

"The drawings have been drawn, what should I do next?"

"Comrade General, please wait a moment, I will call my superiors for instructions." After saying that, he turned and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, the captain came in from outside and said to Sokov, who was sitting at the table drinking tea: "Comrade General, I have asked my superiors. You can hand over this drawing to Comrade Ustinov in person. He is in his office right now."

"That's great. Take me there quickly."

When Sokov arrived at Ustinov's office, he found that the military expert named Andrei from last time was also there. I just don't know if he was reporting to Ustinov, or if he came here specially after learning that his design drawings had been completed.

Sokov came to Ustinov, raised his hand and saluted, and said: "Comrade People's Commissar, the design drawings of the new machine have been completed."

"Very good, Misha, you did a good job." Ustinov took the drawings and handed them to the military expert next to him: "Comrade Andrei, please take a look at this design drawing and tell me what you think."

Andrei agreed, took the drawings, spread them out on the conference table next to him, and then carefully checked the parts data on each drawing.

Ustinov scratched the back of his head and said to Sokov: "Misha, we are about to start an important research and development project. I wonder if you are interested in participating?"

Important research and development project? Hearing what Ustinov said, Sokov suddenly remembered that the Soviet Union seemed to have officially established an atomic bomb research and development team in April 1946. This huge project was secretly carried out in the Kurchatov Institute. This institute was established in April 1943 and is the most important research and development institution in the field of high-energy physics and nuclear physics in the Soviet Union. It was named after Kurchatov, the first director of the laboratory and the father of the Soviet atomic bomb.

"Comrade People's Commissar," Sokov did not answer Ustinov's question immediately, but asked tentatively: "I would like to ask, what kind of research and development work is it? Is it the development of new aircraft, ships or tanks? If it is the research and development of these technical equipment, please forgive me for being incompetent, after all, this involves my knowledge blind spot."

"No, Misha, it's not what you said." Hearing Sokov's question, Ustinov seemed a little embarrassed, not knowing whether he should tell the truth. Tell the truth, this is a serious leak; but if you don't tell it, Sokov might refuse.

After thinking it over, Ustinov stood up and walked to a wooden cabinet against the wall behind him, took out the key to open the cabinet door, took out a file bag from it, and then walked back to the table. After he sat down, he took out a document from the file bag and handed it to Sokov: "Misha, before I tell you the answer, please sign this confidentiality agreement first."

Sokov took the confidentiality agreement and did not immediately check the contents. Instead, he tentatively asked Ustinov: "Comrade People's Commissar, since you want me to sign the confidentiality agreement, it proves that this research and development work is related to our country." National destiny. If I don’t want to participate in this huge project after knowing the answer, will I be locked up in an isolated place?”

Ustinov said nothing, but tapped his fingers on the table. At the beginning, his tapping speed was very slow, almost once every two seconds, but as time went by, his tapping speed became faster and faster, even reaching three times per second.

Sokov could guess from Ustinov's actions that he was engaged in a fierce ideological struggle. If he doesn't sign a confidentiality agreement, then he won't tell him what R\u0026D work he wants to participate in; but if he signs a confidentiality agreement and learns about the R\u0026D project he wants to engage in, but is unwilling to participate, then he may not be able to leave again. Easy.

"Comrade Andrei," Ustinov stopped tapping on the table and turned to ask the military expert standing in front of the conference table, "Have you finished reading the drawings?"

"Yes, Comrade People's Commissar, I have finished reading it."

"What do you think of this design?"

"It's quite good." Andre said: "But how effective it is in actual use will only be known after the prototype gun is produced."

"How long does it take to make a prototype gun?"

Andrei raised his hand to look at the time, and then gave Ustinov a specific time: "Comrade People's Commissar, if you give me 48 hours, I will be able to produce three to five prototype guns based on this drawing. ”

"Okay." Ustinov nodded and said, "Then I will give you 48 hours. I hope you can deliver the goods on time."

"Comrade People's Commissar, don't worry." Andre rolled up the drawing and said confidently: "In 48 hours, you will be able to see the prototype gun."

Ustinov turned to Sokov and said: "Misha, you go back to your office to rest for two days. After testing the prototype gun, you can go home."

Sokov raised the confidentiality agreement in his hand: "Comrade People's Commissar, what about this confidentiality agreement?"

Ustinov sighed softly and said: "Put it on the table first. As for whether to sign it, we will wait until the test of the sample gun is completed."

After Sokov left the office, Ustinov looked up at Andre and asked: "Comrade Andre, tell me, is it okay if Misha is allowed to participate in this major project?"

Regarding Ustinov's question, Andrei shook his head without thinking, and then said: "I admit that General Sokov has a unique talent in weapons design. But if we want to carry out important research and development projects, we need high-energy He is a talent in the field of physics and nuclear physics, let alone a military expert. Even if he is a small arms designer, he will not play any role in such a huge research and development project. "

Andrei's words made Ustinov make his final decision: "If this is the case, then I will not invite him to participate in this major research and development project." After saying that, he picked up the confidentiality agreement on the table and Stuffed into the document bag: "Comrade Andre, time is tight, you should go back quickly to arrange the production of the prototype gun."

Besides, Sokov returned to his office and asked the captain: "Comrade Captain, can I call home?"

"Yes, of course." The captain said reasonably: "Your design work has been completed, and it is completely okay to call your family. However, I would like to remind you that you cannot reveal to your family what you designed."

"Don't worry, Comrade Captain." Sokov said with a smile: "I have learned the confidentiality regulations and know what can and cannot be said. Now, please help me get through the phone at home. I want to talk to my wife. ”

Asiya has not seen Sokov for more than a week. Although the day Sokov stayed at the General Ordnance Department building, Yakov had called Asiya and told her that Sokov had to Working on a weapon design would take about a week or two in the office, so she didn't have to worry.

Now hearing Sokov's voice, Asiya seemed extremely excited: "Misha, are you done with your work?"

"It's basically completed, and now we have to wait for the test work." Sokov said apologetically into the microphone: "It may take two days before I can go back to accompany you. By the way, how are you doing these days, kid? Did it bother you?"

When Sokov asked about the child in her belly, Asiya said happily: "The child kicks my stomach every day. It seems that he also wants to come out to see us soon."

"I also want to see him as soon as possible." Sokov said with regret, thinking that in this era there is no machine that can detect the gender of the fetus, "I just don't know if it is a son or a daughter."

"Do you prefer a son or a daughter?"

Although Asiya has asked this question more than a hundred times, Sokov still did not find her nagging, but smiled and said: "Whether it is a son or a daughter, I like them both, after all, they are all our children. "When he said this, Sokov couldn't help but think of when he was doing business in the market in later generations. Every time the saleswomen with whom he had good relationships asked him whether he preferred a son or a daughter, he would always answer like this.

"My mother went back to Khimki town today," Asiya said suddenly: "She said she would take care of things at home and then come back to accompany me. She would basically not go back to Khimki again before the child was born. Muki is gone.”

"That's good, that's good." When Sokov heard what Asiya said, his mood suddenly became relaxed. With his mother-in-law by her side, even if she was not at home, if something unexpected happened, She can also deal with it in time. "With her by your side, I feel much more at ease."

"By the way, Comrade Eisenstein called today and said that the actress for "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" has been selected, and Serova agreed to play the role of Lida."

"That's great." Sokov eagerly hoped to see on the screen as soon as possible whether the role played by Serova matched the image of Leda in his imagination: "Asya, if you love If Comrade Sunstein calls again, tell him that I trust him and that everything involved in making the movie will be decided by him, and you don’t have to call me to ask for my opinion at any time. Remember?"

"Remember." Asiya replied obediently: "Misha, I will convey your words to Comrade Eisenstein."

After the two chatted for a while, just when Sokov was about to put down the phone, the captain reminded Sokov: "Comrade General, General Yakov is here!"

"Asia, I still have something to do here. I'll call you when I have time."

Sokov put down the phone, turned around and asked the captain in front of him: "Where is General Yakov?"

"I'm here." Yakov walked in quickly from outside the door, opened his arms and came forward to give Sokov a hug, and then said: "I heard that your design work has been completed, and I am worried that you feel too bored. So come and see you and chat with you.”

"Comrade Captain," Sokov called the captain and told him: "Didn't you see General Yakov coming? Why don't you get him a cup of hot tea quickly?"

"Wait a minute," just as the captain agreed and was about to leave the room, Yakov stopped him and ordered: "Comrade Captain, go get some food. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday. , I’m so hungry that my chest touches my back.”

"Comrade Captain, please bring me some food by the way. I'm hungry too."

After the captain left the room, Sokov curiously asked Yakov: "Yakov, you said you haven't eaten anything since last night. Are you staying here to work overtime?"

"That's right. Our army is preparing to upgrade the existing T-34 tanks. The subordinate design bureau reported several different plans. Yesterday, we held a full day meeting to demonstrate which plan was more suitable." Yaco The husband said feebly: "When the leaders discuss, they all forget to eat and sleep. They don't say they are hungry. How dare I, a subordinate, say that I am hungry?"

After hearing this, Sokov laughed a few times: "Yasha, the leaders forget to eat and sleep when working. If you are hungry, you can sneak out to find something to eat. It is not too late to go back to work after you are full."