After more than a day of running, Yang Mingzhi finally arrived in Yekaterinburg on the morning of September 28th. After a year and a half, he stood here again.
The war changed so much, and the city also underwent tremendous changes.
Take a look at the bustling train station, which fully proves the city's huge strategic value and strong production capacity.
He was not allowed to leave the train station and enter the city for a walk, and the military train would only stay at the largest station in the city for a mere three hours. The time was very short, and Yang Mingzhi had to give up the idea of a short trip.
What was going on in the city? He just stood on the platform, wandered for a while, smoked for a while, and then got back into the warm carriage.
To be honest, staying outdoors is definitely not a good option.
The air was filled with a burnt smell, the smell of insufficient coal burning. Yang Mingzhi vaguely remembered that the last time he came to this city, the air was relatively clear. A year and a half later, everything has changed. As for the reason, Yang Mingzhi
If you think about it for a moment, you will understand that they are crazy about making weapons.
Yekaterinburg is in a very important strategic location. The city is built at the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains. It is the largest heavy industry city in the Ural region and an extremely important railway hub connecting the east and west.
Yekaterinburg is so important both during the Tsarist period and now that even the last tsar died in the Ibatyev Palace in the city.
Nowadays, a population of more than one million has formed a huge city. A city with a population of one million is a giant for the Soviet Union. Even in peacetime, the number of cities in the Soviet Union with a population of more than one million can be counted on one hand!
A large amount of high-quality coking coal and iron ore were transported to the city, and even some special industrial raw materials aided by the United States were transported here for processing. The ore was turned into various alloys, and finally into various weapons.
For example, the production capacity of submachine guns in Novosibirsk has just begun to increase, while the production capacity of Yekaterinburg and Bobosha submachine guns has exceeded 2,000 pieces a day!
There are even two factories in the city that are dedicated to the production of official versions of RPGs and are constantly improving them.
A considerable number of anti-tank guns and field guns were also pulled out from the arsenal in the city and rushed directly to the front line in military columns.
Yang Mingzhi did not have more time to visit this huge railway station. When his military train arrived, five freight trains were unloading production raw materials one after another, and two other military trains were loading goods. Those were some orders.
This is an exciting cargo. Each truck is loaded with two 57mm anti-tank guns, and three series locomotives will pull fifty trucks at a time.
One hundred anti-tank guns can equip two anti-tank artillery regiments.
That's right, the Soviet Union has formed a large number of anti-tank artillery regiments. Actual combat has proved that the 57mm anti-tank cannon can defeat the German improved Panzer IV tanks with a crazy increase in frontal armor thickness at a distance of 1,500 meters, as long as it can be fired accurately.
Its side armor can still be penetrated.
As for the RPG series weapons that have made great achievements in combat, as the German army increased the thickness of tank armor and installed fence nets, their attack effectiveness has been weakened a lot. However, they are still excellent anti-tank weapons at a distance of one hundred meters.
Those factory workers who specialize in the production of RPGs have been busy working and have no idea that the original designer of the weapon will land in the city on September 28th.
Yang Mingzhi also lacked knowledge of Yekaterinburg's military industrial production capacity, and it was impossible to inquire about something with the officials here.
"How do you feel? Sure enough, our carriage is still warm." Feludov asked.
"It doesn't matter if it's cold, it's just that the air is a little dirty."
"Well, the air does not smell good. What I know is very limited..." As he said, Filudov looked at the window, "The whole city has turned into a giant arsenal, and her production capacity is more powerful than Novosibirsk."
"I feel this. Production capacity can be measured by the amount of coal burned. If coal is burned more, there will be more coal powder in the air."
"Ah, you really know everything," Fryudov agreed.
"My understanding is limited. In comparison, our Dobrov knows even less." After saying that, Yang Mingzhi deliberately patted the young Dobrov on the shoulder.
At this moment, Dobrov was acting a little shy. His twenty years of life were basically spent on studying. Studying was for the purpose of building the Soviet motherland. Now, he considers himself a special soldier who defends the country. This sense of pride and responsibility is self-evident.
.
But as he was about to enter Eastern Europe, which he had never been to before in his life, the worry about the unknown world came to mind again. Besides, after following the director back to the train, as soon as he got on the carriage, he looked at each other with Filudov, who was wearing a blue hat.
"They are guys from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I really don't want to have anything to do with them..." He kept his words in his heart and Dobrov didn't want to say anything. This silence made the lively Feliudov pay more attention.
"Comrade General, it seems that your subordinates are not in a good mental state."
"That's for sure!" Yang Mingzhi shook his head helplessly, "The military train ran very fast, with almost no stops along the way. How could people not feel dizzy after being stuck in the carriage for too long?"
As he said that, he looked around: "Huh? Where's Castellana? He just went down to smoke, why hasn't he come back yet?"
"I came into contact with those people."
"Those people? Oops!" Only then did Yang Mingzhi realize that he had ignored important matters. "I thought they would send people to wait at the station to deliver the leader's new order to the train. They didn't come to respond. I once
I thought the leader didn’t issue any new orders.”
"No! The order exists!" Feliudov shrugged, "As you have seen, this station is more than ten times busier than Novosibirsk Station! There may be three thousand people working at the station now, managing so many people,
When the goods are loaded and unloaded, officials have no time to perform any reception ceremony."
Feliudov explained, and his meaning was very clear. Everything must serve efficiency. There is no need for red tape ceremonies. Kasliura went to the office of the person in charge of the railway station and met the Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel stationed in Yekaterinburg there.
After completing the task handover and returning with the folder, the task is over.
"Okay, I'll just wait. I can't wait to hear the leader's new order. I hope Castellana can arrive before the military train departs."
Feliudov smiled: "You are worrying too much. If he doesn't come back, how can the train leave? We will continue to occupy the current railway until we complete all our tasks in this city."
Yang Mingzhi had no more ideas, so he crossed his legs, sipping black tea with sugar and waited calmly.
Another military column loaded with goods galloped past, heading east. After a while, a military column that had been parked for a long time also set off.
"It seems that they have finished loading the anti-tank gun." Yang Mingzhi said casually.
"It should be so. The railway workers here are always very efficient." After sighing, Feliudov was also a little irritated: "Why is this Castliula so slow to do things?"
"Wait a little longer. As you said, we can't run away until he comes back."
The waiting time was not long, and the three-hour parking limit was not exceeded.
Castelliura and the two soldiers left empty-handed and returned with a black leather briefcase.
As soon as he got into the car, he shouted: "Comrade General, the leader's new order has been issued."
"Oh? Where?" In his excitement, Yang Mingzhi had no time to drink tea.
"It's in the folder. Oh, I'm really sorry. When our Ministry of Internal Affairs handed over official duties just now, I reviewed the document first to make sure it was completely legal. For this reason, I wasted some time."
"So that's it." Hearing this, Yang Mingzhi became a little unhappy, and asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to review even Stalin's order?
Yes! That’s what they were capable of. At least in 1942, it was not illegal for them to do so. So when Khrushchev came to power, Beria, the number one leader of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was completely eliminated, and the new agency KGB was reorganized.
Although the power of the leader has been increased unprecedentedly, it has been stipulated that the leader must be obeyed unconditionally.
Oh, if Stalin was an emperor, their Ministry of Internal Affairs would be positioned as a group of factory guards, reviewing the emperor's edicts. This is trespassing and seeking death!
But Stalin was not the emperor. He was a "puppet on a string" elected by various forces after Lenin's death.
However, who would have thought that he had never been controlled by others, but instead bloodily eradicated his opponents. Today, there are only his allies and supporters in the alliance.
Castelula himself had nothing to hide. He opened his briefcase straightforwardly and handed a printed document to Yang Mingzhi.
"Comrade General, please take a closer look."
"good!"
With no trace of leisurely boredom, Yang Mingzhi sat on a wooden chair and read word by word the document signed by Stalin himself.
It is said that Stalin's handwriting has its own characteristics. According to that handwriting, Yang Mingzhi basically mastered Stalin's signature documents.
This document was indeed signed by Stalin, and it was also stamped with an extremely important official seal, thus giving it the highest legal effect.
The content of the document surprised Yang Mingzhi.
"Is Stalin so impatient? As soon as I arrived in Moscow, I had to get a glimpse of the Kremlin as soon as possible! Oh, are we going to have dinner together? My face is so big..."
"Ah?! What's going on, I'm still living in the Kremlin? It's so disgusting, I'm afraid I have to be monitored by Beria. But I may not have much choice."
"Huh? These follow-up arrangements are really vague. Meeting with some experts to discuss firearms matters? Ustinov, there really is this Ustinov!"
After muttering a lot inside, Yang Mingzhi couldn't help but sigh that throughout September, he was so busy that it was hard to describe in words.
From war-torn Belarus to Moscow, then from Moscow to the hinterland of Siberia, and now back to Moscow.
The spatial distance is extremely astonishing, and almost every day is busy! One month is like half a year. The intensity of work, the hardship of traveling and traveling, as well as the pressure of life and the feeling of fatigue are no less than what I commanded at the end of June and the beginning of August.
A battle that almost drained the blood of soldiers and civilians in the swamp.
Even fatigue had to be endured, and Ustinov's name was specifically mentioned in Stalin's documents.
This name has been mentioned countless times by many people. In Novosibirsk, especially the mayor Umov did not hesitate to praise it. On the train, Felyudov and Kastyura also said a lot.
heap.
"Ah, the meeting of two legendary young people, is this what you want? Comrade Stalin?"
Yang Mingzhi calmed down and gently placed the documents on the wooden table on the wall of the carriage.
He looked at Kasteura: "It seems that the leader's order documents were delivered from Moscow to Yekaterinburg very quickly?"
"Yes, General! Some of my colleagues from the Lubyanka headquarters were responsible for escorting this document. They arrived by plane yesterday and are waiting for our arrival."
Yang Mingzhi nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. This shows that the leader attaches great importance to me and our military column. It seems that we have to have a good chat about the next thing. After all, we are going to meet the leader of the alliance. I and I
Dobrov must be in the best mental state and best dressed. He must reflect the ironclad character of our soldiers and the elegance and vigor of Dobrov's young scientific workers."
"Yes." Kasteura replied concisely: "I think the Ministry of Internal Affairs will go through the formalities as quickly as possible. On the night of the 29th, you will sleep in the bedroom of the Kremlin."
"Since it is the leader's wish, of course I support it. In fact, if I had a choice, I would rather live in the villa assigned to me. As far as I know, that villa still seems to belong to me, although it was damaged during the bombing.
It’s damaged.”
The two Lubyanka personnel did not know about this matter.
Yang Mingzhi shrugged: "It seems that for this matter, I must pull Dobrov out of the box now."
"You'd better be like this." A strange smile appeared on Feliudov's face: "What a lucky young man. If he is really talented, I think the leader will reuse him."
"That's his honor. First, he must prove his talent, at least to my satisfaction."
"Then he satisfies you?" Felyudov continued.
"Yes! But..." Yang Mingzhi hesitated for a moment, "He has the ability to become a researcher, but such people are often not good at words. I am just very worried that when he sees Comrade Stalin, he will be so nervous that he can't speak.
.”
"I can understand this. He deliberately avoids my eyes. It seems that he is afraid of me? Just because I am a staff member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Young Dobrov needs some education from Lubyanka."
Education? What kind of education can they create? They are simply violent institutions that maintain the authority of the Soviet Union.
Yang Mingzhi is not complaining. In fact, what Feliudov said is right. If Dobrov is no longer nervous about meeting people with "blue hats", then his fear of meeting Stalin and other senior personnel will probably be weakened.
many.
No, it was precisely out of fear of authority and power that young Dobroff just wanted to stay in the box for the time being, even though he also wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Yang Mingzhi didn't want this young man to pull him out forcefully. Even if he was shaking, he still had to have a good talk with the guys from the Ministry of Internal Affairs today.