Although Sokov had never met this "mother" and had been looking for various reasons to delay the time of meeting her, he felt a little sad when he heard that she was killed by a German bomb.
"Misha," Yakov continued to see Sokov in a daze, "My father was also very sad when he learned about this. He sent a special plane to pick you up from Stalingrad."
After hearing what Yakov said, Sokov understood in his heart why there was a special plane to pick him up. He thought that Ustinov had great magical powers and could directly mobilize the plane. Only then did he realize that it was the order given by the Supreme Commander himself. However, he felt that this matter was a bit of a big deal. He just needed to notify himself of the news, and there was no need to recall himself from the front line. After all, it was during the war, and no one had lost his relatives.
"Yasa," Sokov looked up at Yakov and asked, "Where is my mother's body? I want to see it."
"After the factory was hit by a bomb, it collapsed immediately. We have not finished cleaning the ruins yet." Yakov replied awkwardly: "And judging from the collapse of the factory, even if the ruins are cleaned, the complete body may not be found."
"Comrade Sokov, people cannot be resurrected. Please mourn!" Ustinov came over and stood in front of Sokov, and said tactfully: "We will sooner or later pay the blood debt from the Germans."
"Comrade of the People's Committee," Sokov looked at Ustinov and said expressionlessly: "I request to return to the Stalingrad front immediately, where I will attack the invaders of Faxi Temple, and avenge my mother and the millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians who died."
"Don't worry, Comrade Sokov." Ustinov raised his hand and patted Sokov's shoulder twice. "I'll help you come back from the front line and take a few more days. According to the current situation analysis, the troops in Stalingrad City will not take major actions in a short time. In addition, you can take time to meet the technical engineers in the equipment department and introduce him to the use of several new weapons."
"Yes!" Sokov replied: "I will fully cooperate with the work of technical engineers."
As soon as Sokov finished speaking, the phone ringing on his desk rang. Ustinov walked over quickly, picked up the microphone and put it in his ear, and said loudly: "I am Ustinov, where are you?...what, she is here again?...No, I have said this a long time ago, and there has never been a precedent for privately buying tanks."
Buy a tank in private?!Sokov heard Ustinov say this and couldn't help but ask Yakov quietly: "Yasha, do you know what's going on? There is actually a private person who wants to buy our tanks. What's going on?"
"There was a middle-aged woman named Mary. Her husband died heroically in the battle to defend Kiev." Yakov explained to Sokov: "She received this bad news not long ago and rushed from far away Siberia to ask for revenge on her husband. But because she was too old, her request for enlistment was rejected by the recruitment office.
She found out from somewhere that she could make an exception by donating technical equipment to the army. Therefore, she asked someone to come here to ask if she could sell her a newest tank. She planned to donate it to the army, and then join the army to avenge her husband and use the enemy's blood to commemorate her lover's spirit in heaven."
The private tank was to avenge the army. When Sokov heard this, he suddenly felt very familiar. He frowned and thought for a long time, and vaguely remembered that in the history of the Patriotic War, there was indeed a lady who drove the tank she bought to join the army and made many achievements in the battle. Unfortunately, when he was reading the post, he just glanced a few times and didn't look closely. He didn't remember what the heroine was named, and he didn't know if she was talking about the same person as Yakov.
After putting down the phone, Ustinov smiled and said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, you have heard it all. Our people are determined to fight against the invaders of Faxi Temple. They even want to buy technical equipment and join the army by themselves..."
"Comrade of the People's Committee," Sokov heard this and felt that no matter whether the woman who asked to buy a tank was the heroine he saw in later posts, he should help the other party, so he asked Ustinov: "Can I let me meet that woman?"
"You want to meet the woman who wants to buy a tank?" Ustinov's face showed a surprised expression: "Why?"
"Comrade of the People's Committee, I think it is a great thing for this woman to buy tanks and join the army to fight against the German army, and we should support it." Sokov looked at Ustinov and said, "not to hit her enthusiasm."
"But there has never been such a precedent for buying tanks in private."
"The war we fought with Germany is unprecedented." Sokov replied: "In order to defeat the enemy, we should take all the measures we can take, and we should let more people participate in this war in order to defeat the enemy faster."
After hearing what Sokov said, Ustinov remained silent for a long time, finally nodded and said, "I understand, Comrade Sokov, maybe you are right. I will call and ask them to bring the woman here."
After Ustinov called, less than twenty minutes later, the adjutant at the door brought a middle-aged woman wearing a headscarf into the room. Ustinov said to the adjutant: "Comrade Lieutenant, thank you, there is no business for you here, you can go out first."
After the adjutant left, Ustinov looked at the woman and asked, "You are Maria Okjabriskaya?"
"Yes, I am Maria Okjabriskaya." The middle-aged woman replied, "My husband is called Ilya Okjabriskaya, and he unfortunately died in the battle to defend Kiev. Comrade of the People's Committee, I want to join the army, avenge my husband, and use the blood of the enemy to pay homage to his spirit in heaven."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but think in his heart: "Maybe Maria's husband Ilya did not die, but was captured by the German army. After all, in the Battle of Kiev, the number of Soviet troops was captured as many as 650,000." However, he could only think about this kind of thing in his heart, but he could not say it out, otherwise Maria's joining the army would definitely fail.
"You can drive a car, a tractor?" Ustinov asked.
Sokov knew very well what Ustinov asked about this. If he could drive a car or a tractor, then learning the posture of a tank would be twice the result with half the effort. Unexpectedly, Maria shook her head and replied: "No, I used to be a worker in a canning factory and could not drive a car or a tractor at all."
When he learned that Maria could not drive cars and tractors, Ustinov spread his hands and said helplessly: "Comrade Maria, you are not young anymore and have no experience in driving cars or tractors. I think it's a bit too late to learn tank driving skills at this moment."
Before Maria was brought here, a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart, thinking that Ustinov was finally moved by himself and agreed to join the army. But at this moment, her heart suddenly became cold when she heard what he said. She bit her back teeth and said, "Comrade People's Commissar, I am indeed not young anymore, but I don't have the experience of driving cars and tractors, but I can learn. As long as I give me three months, no, two months, I will definitely learn to drive tanks."
Sokov thought to himself, how long did it take to learn to drive a tank? It seemed like two weeks. Other friends drove tanks to crush scrapped cars for fun, but he liked the feeling of rushing around when driving a tank...
"No, two months are too long," Ustinov shook his head again and said, "And you can't guarantee that you won't become panicked when you see the enemy on the battlefield."
"Please believe me, Comrade of the People's Committee." Seeing that Ustinov rejected his request, Maria was a little anxious. She danced and said, "I can definitely learn the driving skills of tanks in the shortest time."
"Comrade of the People's Committee," Sokov saw that Ustinov was planning to pour cold water from Maria, and quickly stood up and said, "I think Maria can go back to Stalingrad with me. I have a tank brigade under my command, which allows her to learn tank driving skills there. If you are lucky, you can master tank driving skills at most half a month to one month."
Maria didn't expect someone would come forward to speak for him, so she cast a grateful look at Sokov. When Ustinov saw this scene, he was silent for a moment and asked Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, do you really think she can learn how to drive a tank in such a short time?"
"Comrades of the People's Committee, the female workers of the Red October factory, learned to use anti-aircraft guns in less than a week, and successfully shot several German planes." Sokov said with strikingly: "Since the female workers can master the skills of using anti-aircraft guns in so much time, I also think that Comrade Maria can learn tank driving skills in a short time."
"Well, Comrade Sokov." Ustinov nodded and said, "Then I will hand over Maria to you. If she can't learn how to drive a tank within the specified time, then send her back to the place immediately and continue to be her cannery worker."
Maria was not stupid either. When she heard Ustinov say this, she realized that the other party agreed to join the army. She quickly bowed deeply to the other party and said gratefully: "Thank you, Comrade People's Committee, I will never forget your great kindness."
"Don't thank me." Ustinov waved his hand first, then pointed at Sokov and said, "Let me introduce you to the Mamayev hill, who had just returned from Stalingrad, who was defended by the 41st Guards Division under his command, in two or three months, he repelled hundreds of attacks from the German army. You can't embarrass him when you have arrived in such a glorious army."
"Don't worry, Comrade of the People's Committee." Maria said excitedly: "I will not let you down. I will attack the German invaders on the battlefield and avenge my husband." After that, Maria turned around and bowed to Sokov.
Sokov felt that the other party's bowing method was a bit like saying goodbye to the body, so he quickly sideways and said, "Maria, leave your address. I will send someone to find you before I leave Moscow."
After Mary left with great gratitude, Ustinov asked Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, are you really going to take Mary back to Stalingrad?"
"That's right." Sokov nodded and said in a affirmative tone: "My men happen to have a tank brigade, and I can let Maria go there to study. War is the best teacher, and I believe that Maria will become an excellent tank driver in no time."
"She said she wanted to sell her property and buy a newest T-34," Ustinov asked Sokov tentatively: "Do you think she really has the ability?"
"I think there should be some." Although Sokov was not sure whether Maria was the heroine he knew who bought tanks to the battlefield, after hearing Ustinov's question, he nodded vigorously and replied: "I think since she has already said this, the change of mind may be very small."
"What should I do if the tanks do?" Ustinov continued to ask: "Do you transport them from here or find a way from other places? You must know that since the fall of Kharkov, the Red October Factory and the Derzhinsky Factory in Stalingrad are our largest tank production plants. Now due to the war, they have to stop production."
"Because our division firmly controls the Mamayev hill and the workers' new village, the losses suffered by the Red October factory were minimized." Sokov reported to Ustinov: "They can not only make tanks, but also have some tank inventory. If Mary really takes out the money to buy tanks, we can pick up the goods directly in Stalingrad."
"Okay, when we receive the money, you can take Mary to Mamayev hill." Ustinov replied readily: "As for the tanks you need, just extract them from the Red October factory."
When Sokov heard Ustinov say this, he couldn't help laughing. He felt that the other party was also very economical. Although the Red October factory could still produce and assemble tanks, and even have some inventory. However, when these technical equipment were used to equip the troops, they didn't need to pay at all. However, after Ustinov's operation, free tanks cost money to be used, which was a perfect plan.
After Sokov and Yakov came out of the building, Sokov asked, "Yasa, where are we going next?"
"Don't you have a house on Lenin Street?" Yakov said: "I'll send you there. You can rest in your own house these days. If there is anything, I'll come to find you in person."