Sokov didn't know the phone number of Lunev's office, so he called the telecommunications office directly and politely said to the operator: "Hello, could you please put me through the office of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs."
When he said this, Sokov was still very uneasy. He was worried that the operator would tell him that the Ministry of Internal Affairs was a dedicated line and the phone he was using could not access it, just like yesterday.
But what he worried about did not happen. After listening to his words, the operator politely said: "Please wait a moment, I will put you through the deputy minister's office right away."
After waiting for a short time, a strange female voice came from the receiver: "Hello, this is the switchboard of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Which deputy minister do you want to talk to?"
"Lunev!" Sokov said: "Deputy Minister General Lunev!"
The switchboard operator said in a polite but distant tone: "Please identify yourself."
"I am Lieutenant General Sokov. I used to work with Deputy Minister Lunev in the 27th Army."
After Sokov revealed his identity, he guessed that the other party might ask him some questions, and he began to think about how to answer. Unexpectedly, after hearing his name, the other party said in surprise: "You are on the Kursk battlefield."
General Sokov who annihilated two German SS divisions?"
Sokov smiled and replied: "If you're talking about Sokov who defeated the Skeleton Division and the Imperial Division, that's me."
"General Sokov," the operator said with some excitement, "please wait a moment, I will immediately connect you to Deputy Minister Lunev's call."
Soon, Sokov heard Lunev's voice: "I am Lunev, is it Misha?"
"Yes, it's me." Sokov said with a smile: "You didn't expect that I would call you, did you?"
"Misha, where did you make the call?" Lunev knew that the Ministry of Internal Affairs used a dedicated line and ordinary numbers could not be called, so he asked tentatively: "You are not at the Frunze Military Academy at the moment.
Bar?"
"No, I'm not at home." Sokov replied with a smile: "Didn't I tell you yesterday that I had moved to a courtyard on Lenin Street? I am calling you at home right now."
"Oh, do you have a phone at home?" Lunev asked, "What's your phone number?"
Sokov saw a small note taped to the phone base with a five-digit number written on it. He guessed it might be a phone number and read it to Runev.
"Misha," Lunev asked with interest after memorizing Sokov's phone number: "Tell me, why did you call me?"
"Lunev, the thing is like this." Sokov said into the microphone: "I want to go to the town of Khimki, but you have to transfer several times to get there from me. Can you send me a train?"
A car?”
Lunev did not reply to Sokov immediately, but asked in surprise: "What are you doing in Khimki town?"
"Asia's parents live in the town of Khimki," Sokov explained to Lunev: "I want to take advantage of these two days to go there and visit the two elderly people."
Knowing that Sokov wanted to borrow his car to visit his father-in-law and mother-in-law in Khimki Town, Lunev readily agreed: "Since you want to visit Asiya's parents, I will send you a car immediately.
The driver is still Lieutenant Koshkin, just wait for him at the gate of the community in half an hour."
After confirming the vehicle, Sokov put down the phone and started to change clothes. Yesterday he went out wearing casual clothes, and today he went to visit his parents-in-law. To show his grandeur, Sokov put on his brand-new general uniform. With the help of Asia,
Next, he wore many medals.
When Sokov and Asiya came to the door of the compound, the sentries standing at the door saw Sokov's military uniform and the medal on his chest. Not only did they not check their passes, they all stood at attention.
Salute to Sokov. Seeing the sentry at the door saluting him, Sokov quickly raised his hand and returned the salute.
After walking out of the gate of the compound, Sokov and Asya stopped and stood on the roadside waiting for the car driven by Lieutenant Koshkin.
"Comrade General," a sergeant at the door came over and asked politely: "Are you waiting for someone here?"
"Yes, Comrade Sergeant." Sokov nodded and gave the Sergeant a positive answer: "I'm going out later and I'm waiting for the bus here."
"Comrade General, it's too cold outside." The sergeant smiled and said, "There is heating in the duty room. You'd better go in and sit and wait."
Sokov felt that it was indeed too cold outside today, so he turned to look at Asiya to see what she meant. Before he could speak, Asiya had already said to the sergeant: "Comrade Sergeant, thank you for your kindness.
.Our car will be here soon, so we won’t cause any trouble to you.”
Since Asiya had rejected his kindness, the sergeant said nothing more, raised his hand and saluted Sokov, then turned and returned to his duty station.
The two of them stood in the snow and waited for a short time before a black car drove over from a distance. Without looking at the license plate, Sokov knew it was the vehicle driven by Koshkin. After all, this car had been driving for three consecutive months.
Inside, it takes him to and from the hospital and the Frunze Military Academy.
Sure enough, the car stopped in front of the two people.
As soon as the car stopped, Koshkin got out of the car by opening the driver's door, walked around from the rear of the car, opened the rear door, and respectfully asked Sokov and Asiya to get in the car.
After the three of them got into the car, Koshkin turned around and asked Sokov: "Comrade General, are you going to the town of Khimki?"
"Yes, I'm going to Khimki town."
After the vehicle started, Koshkin drove with his eyes fixed ahead and asked Sokov, who was sitting in the back seat: "Comrade General, where should we go in Khimki Town?"
Sokov didn't know where Asiya's parents' home was, so he could only look at Asiya for help.
"Lieutenant Koshkin, my parents live in the workers' village of the instrument factory." Asya said to Koshkin: "Do you know which place?"
"I know," Koshkin nodded and said, "I have been to that place before and know the way to go."
After driving for more than ten minutes, the car gradually approached the town of Khimki.
Since the German troops have been driven thousands of kilometers away from Moscow, the threat of war faced by the city has been completely eliminated. The barricades and roadblocks that were originally everywhere along the way are now basically invisible.
, as if it had never appeared in this city.
Seeing the empty highway, Koshkin said with emotion: "After two years, Moscow finally doesn't have to worry about being attacked by the Germans."
"Yes." In response to Koshkin's statement, Sokov nodded and said: "The Germans have been driven thousands of kilometers away from the city by our army. If they want to enter Moscow again, they will not be able to enter Moscow until we are here."
Under the escort of military commanders and soldiers, he entered the city as a prisoner of war."
"Comrade General," Koshkin suddenly became interested after hearing what Sokov said: "I heard that the German officers and soldiers captured on the battlefield will be sent to Siberia in the shortest possible time. No prisoners have ever entered.
Moscow."
"It didn't happen before, but it doesn't mean there won't happen in the future." Sokov thought about the 57,000 captured officers and soldiers of the German Army Group Center who were paraded on the streets of Moscow after the Belarusian Campaign, and said to Koshkin:
"I believe that in the near future, we will have the opportunity to see Germans parading on the streets of Moscow, fulfilling their dream of entering Moscow in a unique way."
"Well, Comrade General, what you said makes sense. Maybe there will be such a day."
Seeing that the buildings in Khimki Town were already visible in front of him, Koshkin continued: "Before the major counterattack under Moscow began, the German army once had a reconnaissance team that bypassed our defense line and tried to enter Khimki.
Muki Town. But before they entered the town, they were blocked by a small force. Although this small force was small in number, they tenaciously resisted the German attack and persisted until the militia force at the nearby instrument factory
Arrive."
When Sokov heard Koshkin mention his proud achievements, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl up slightly. He turned to look at Asiya beside him, and thought again that it was after that battle that he got to know her.
Asiya comes to visit relatives.
"Lieutenant Koshkin," just as Sokov stared at Asya lovingly, Asya suddenly asked Koshkin, who was sitting in the front row: "Do you know who is commanding this small unit?
?”
When Sokov listened to Asiya asking Koshkin if he knew who was commanding the small force that blocked the German reconnaissance unit, Sokov showed a knowing smile on his face. He felt that he would hear from Koshkin in the next second.
Hear your own name.
But Koshkin's reaction was far beyond Sokov's expectations. He actually shook his head and said: "Asia, I don't know. To be honest, the one who resisted the German reconnaissance detachment in Khimki Town was just a group of people.
With a small force of about ten people, I estimate that even if some people survived after the battle, they probably died in the two years of fighting."
Koshkin's words caused Sokov to think deeply. If he hadn't happened to participate in the battle to defend the town of Khimki and achieved some results, he would not have attracted the attention of his superiors. Maybe for a long time to come.
He would continue to hold the position of squad leader. If he were just a squad leader, he might really have died in any battle that took place in the past two years, as Koshkin analyzed.
"Lieutenant Koshkin," Koshkin's answer obviously dissatisfied Asiya. She asked displeasedly: "Don't you really know the person who commands the small unit?"
"I don't know." Koshkin really didn't know about Sokov's command of a small force to defend the town of Khimki. After all, this was just an extremely small-scale blocking battle. If it weren't for the fact that the Germans were not far away from the Kremlin
The closest position, this battle will not even be recorded. He asked Asiya curiously: "Asiya, do you know the commander?"
Asiya turned to look at Sokov and said with a smile on her face: "Yes, Lieutenant Koshkin, I do know that commander."
"Is this true?" Koshkin asked in surprise: "Where is he now? Is he still alive?" Before Asiya could speak, he said matter-of-factly, "I think he might have been injured.
He was treated by you, and that's how you got to know him. Am I right?"
"Actually, not only do I know him, but you also know him." After Asiya said this, she held Sokov's arm with her hand, rested her head on his shoulder, and asked sweetly: "Misha,
Am I right?"
"Yes, yes." Sokov said with a smile, "You all know him."
"We all know each other?" Sokov and Asya's words made Koshkin become confused: "Who could it be?" After saying this, his mind was running rapidly, thinking about who among the people he knew.
Who would be the commander who commanded the small force to block the German reconnaissance unit?
After thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure out the answer, so he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Asiya, I really can't think of who it is. Can you tell me?"
"Far away in the horizon, yet so close."
Koshkin was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then said with a shocked face: "What, that small unit was commanded by Comrade General? Is this true?"
"Of course it's me." Sokov naturally wouldn't hide something worth showing off. He nodded and said: "At that time, I was leading the garrison squad and was responsible for the defense of Khimki Town. When I discovered the enemy's reconnaissance unit
When we moved to the town, we immediately asked the town Soviet committee member for help. At first, he didn't believe what I said. It wasn't until the battle started that he realized that the enemy was really coming. He quickly called the militiamen from the instrument factory to come over to support and annihilated the enemy.
The enemy infiltrated."
"Oh my God," Koshkin said with some surprise: "Comrade General, this must be the first battle you commanded. Why haven't I seen the relevant records?"
The question raised by Koshkin was exactly what Asya wanted to know. She asked Sokov: "Misha, tell me, what is going on? Why did you not get killed in this battle you commanded?"
What about recording it?”
Sokov said with a wry smile: "Maybe the scale of this battle was too small. Think about it. At that time, the enemy and our troops outside Moscow exceeded one million, but the number of troops participating in the battle in Khimki Town was only
With a scale of dozens of people, it is inevitable for our superiors to ignore us."
Seeing that the car was about to enter the town of Khimki, Sokov suddenly remembered something important and quickly asked Asiya: "Asiya, tell me, should I go to meet your parents for the first time?
Bring them something?"
After Sokov's reminder, Asiya immediately remembered that she had indeed not brought anything with her when she decided to visit her parents this time. At this time, she was also panicked: "Yes, you accompany me to see my parents, why?"
Can I go empty-handed?"
"This town is not big," said Koshkin, who was driving. "I'm afraid there won't be a military store."
"Then what should we do?" Sokov heard that there was no military store in this town and began to have difficulties: "Where can I buy gifts?"
"Misha, I remember there is a flower shop on the east side of the town." Asiya said, "How about we buy a bouquet of flowers and give it to my mother as a gift."
Sokov felt that Asiya's proposal was not very good. After all, it was a freezing winter, let alone whether there were flowers for sale in the flower shop. Even if there were, I'm afraid the price would be quite high. But in order not to spoil Asiya's interest,
, he still nodded in agreement, and then told Koshkin: "Lieutenant Koshkin, please drive to the east of the town. I want to buy a bouquet of flowers from the flower shop there."
This chapter has been completed!