red moscow

Chapter 2585

"The exact time is still unclear." Sokov wanted to tell Yakov the time of his return to Moscow, but Zhukov, who had said he would be back soon, suddenly stopped making any moves in the past two days. He could only wait passively: "If it's fast, it will be in one or two days; if it's slow, it will be after the New Year. Marshal Zhukov has the final say on when to leave."

"Oh, that's how it is." Yakov said sensibly, "No matter when you come back, remember to inform me in advance."

Just as Sokov was about to hang up the phone, Yakov suddenly said, "By the way, Misha, there is something I almost forgot."

"what's up?"

"Comrade Ustinov called me to his office today and mentioned you during our conversation."

"Comrade Ustinov mentioned me?" Sokov asked in surprise, "What did he say?"

"The main question was when you could return to Moscow and whether you could work at the General Armament Department," Yakov said. "I told him that since you showed no signs of returning to Moscow, it might not be realistic for you to work at the General Armament Department."

Sokov nodded and continued, "What does Comrade Ustinov say?"

"He was silent for a while, then asked me for your phone number and said he might call you."

"Ustinov wants to call me?" Sokov thought to himself, "Why does he want to call me? Even if he wants me to work in the General Armament Department, isn't he too impatient?"

With such doubts, he asked cautiously: "Yasha, is there any new design task in the General Armament Department recently? Of course, if it involves confidential information, you don't have to answer me."

"The research and development of new weapons is ongoing," Yakov said disapprovingly, "There's nothing to keep secret."

Sokov couldn't help feeling uneasy as he didn't get the information he wanted from Yakov. He wondered what Ustinov would say if he really called him.

While Sokov was stunned, Yakov dropped another earth-shattering news: "Misha, a big thing happened in Moscow today."

"A big thing, what big thing?"

"Marshal Chernyakhovsky was ordered to return from the Far East, but the plane he was on crashed, and all the passengers and crew on board were killed."

When Sokov heard Yakov mention Chernyakhovsky's name, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated. In real history, Chernyakhovsky died on February 1945, 2, but because of his appearance, history deviated here. After the opponent encountered German artillery bombardment, he was only seriously injured but did not die. Not only did he receive the rank of marshal, he even participated in the August Storm operation as the deputy commander of the Far East Army.

But Sokov never dreamed that history would be so correct. Although the war was over, Chernyakhovsky still could not escape the fate of death. He sighed softly, and then said to Yakov: "Yasha, you once served as the deputy chief of staff of the Third Belorussian Front, and Marshal Chernyakhovsky was your superior. You will definitely attend his funeral."

"That's for sure," Yakov said. "If you happen to be in Moscow when he is buried, I hope you can go with him."

"Don't worry, Yasha," Sokov said, "If I happen to be in Moscow during Marshal Chernyakhovsky's funeral, I will definitely go."

The two chatted for a few more words before ending the call.

After Sokov hung up the phone, he was inevitably a little depressed. Marshal Chernyakhovsky's sudden plane crash would cause a series of chain reactions. For example, in real history, Chernyakhovsky was on his way to inspect the troops. When he got off the car to observe the terrain, he was hit by German artillery and died of serious injuries. But because Yakov, who was rescued by him, unexpectedly became the deputy chief of staff of the Third Belarusian Front, he accompanied Chernyakhovsky to inspect the troops. When he stopped to inspect the terrain on the way, he was hit by German artillery, but because he took evasive actions, he was only injured to varying degrees.

Now that Chernyakhovsky died in a plane crash, would Yakov, who should have died in a German prisoner-of-war camp on April 1943, 4, also have an accident? If something happened to him, he would not only lose a good friend, but also a talisman.

The phone on the table rang. Sokov thought it was Yakov calling again, but when he picked up the receiver, he realized it was Zhukov who called: "Misha, I just received news from Moscow that Marshal Chernyakhovsky had a plane crash on his way back to Moscow from the Far East. All the people on the plane were killed."

"Yes, Comrade Marshal, I just learned about this as well."

"Oh, you just found out about this?" Zhukov asked in surprise, "How did you find out about this?"

"It was Yasha, Yasha told me." Sokov replied, "Comrade Marshal, you should remember that Yasha once served as deputy chief of staff of the Third Belorussian Front, and Marshal Chernyakhovsky was his superior, so he was probably the first to know about the air crash."

"Oh, so that's how it is. I understand." Zhukov said, "Misha, I originally planned to fly back to Moscow the day after tomorrow. But now something has happened. Comrade Stalin called me and told me not to take the plane anymore. Therefore, if we want to return to Moscow, we can only take the train."

Thinking of the night attack in Poland, Sokov was still somewhat afraid. If the gangsters didn't have heavy weapons, he might not be able to escape danger so easily. On the way back to Moscow, he didn't know whether the train he was riding would be attacked by gangsters again.

But then he thought, he was really worrying too much. If big men like Zhukov and Malenkov were to take a train back to Moscow, they would definitely be arranged on a special train. Not to mention a few gangs, even a regular army would have a hard time attacking the special train. Once attacked, not only would the nearby ground troops rush to rescue as soon as possible, but before that, there would probably be a group of air force bombers to teach these ignorant gangs a lesson on how to behave.

"Comrade Marshal," Sokov asked tentatively, "Will I take the train back to Moscow with you?" He asked this because he was worried that Zhukov would arrange for him to take a plane. Although the plane from Berlin to Moscow might not have any accidents, he still had some psychological trauma after such a plane crash.

"Of course, you must return to Moscow with me. Comrade Malenkov will also be with me." Zhukov paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about something. When he spoke again, his tone became particularly stern: "Misha, I am going to give you an important task."

"Comrade Marshal, please give the order." Sokov said to Zhukov quickly, "I will definitely complete your task."

"This mission is neither difficult nor easy. It requires you to guard a person on the train and prevent him from contacting anyone." Hearing Zhukov's order, Sokov was stunned at first, then thought of a possibility and hurriedly asked cautiously: "Comrade Marshal, is the person you want me to guard the one I saw in the basement a few days ago?"

"Yes, that's him."

Sokov recalled that he had asked Zhukov how to deal with this fake Truman. Zhukov told him that he was about to leave office and that Sokolovsky would be responsible for how to deal with this person. But after just a few days, the other party changed his mind.

"Comrade Marshal, didn't you say some time ago that this man would be handed over to General Sokolovsky for handling?"

"Yes, that was what we thought at the time." Zhukov said, "Although we missed the opportunity, if we let him stay in Berlin, he would be useful sooner or later. But something went wrong on the American side. According to our intelligence analysis, Truman will not appear on German soil in the next two to three years. Therefore, it is obviously inappropriate to keep him in Berlin, so he must be transferred back to Moscow."

"Comrade Marshal, I wonder what went wrong with the Americans?" Sokov muttered to himself. What could possibly go wrong with the Americans? Unless Patton died. Thinking of this, he asked tentatively, "Could it be that something went wrong with General Patton?"

"Misha, your guess is correct. According to the information we received, Patton is dead." Zhukov said, "Without Patton, it will not be easy for us to enter the area actually controlled by the US military under the banner of visiting him, let alone implement the top-secret plan to steal the sky and replace the day."

After listening to Zhukov's words, Sokov couldn't help but sigh in his heart that Zhukov was too honest. If it were someone else, he would not even consider taking the fake president back to Moscow for imprisonment, but would directly kill him and make him disappear from this world. After all, only the dead can keep secrets.

Thinking that he would soon leave Berlin, Sokov made his request to Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, since we will soon return to Moscow. I wonder if I can see Adelina again before I leave?"

"No!" Unexpectedly, Zhukov rejected Sokov's request very straightforwardly: "For security reasons, the time of our return to Moscow must be kept absolutely confidential. Although I also know that even if Adelina knew when you would return to Moscow, she would not disclose this information. But after she knew that you were leaving, her mood would definitely be affected. If there are hidden enemies in the translation team, they will definitely get the information they want through these details."

Since Zhukov had said this, what else could Sokov say? He could only smile bitterly and said, "Okay, Comrade Marshal, I understand. Then I won't meet with her. I will call her after I return to Moscow."

……

The next morning, Sokov was awakened by the rapid ringing of the phone while he was still asleep.

He got out of bed, walked barefoot to the phone, picked up the receiver, yawned and said, "I'm Sokov!"

"Hello, Misha!" A familiar voice came from the receiver: "I am Ustinov."

When Sokov heard that the person who called him was actually Ustinov, he suddenly woke up. He stood at attention and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade People's Commissar, I am glad to receive your call."

"Misha, I didn't disturb your sleep, did I?" Ustinov, who was on the other end of the phone, obviously heard Sokov's yawn and said apologetically, "I forgot there is a time difference between Moscow and Berlin."

Sokov knew very well that Ustinov had called him so early in the morning not to reminisce about the past, but to have something important to tell him. So he asked respectfully, "Comrade People's Commissar, do you have any instructions for me?"

"You are in Berlin now. It is unrealistic to ask you to work in my General Armament Department in the short term." Ustinov said, "But I want to make a request to you."

"What request?"

"Don't write any novels for the time being," Ustinov said seriously. "I wonder if you can provide me with the design drawings of a new weapon as soon as possible."

"Ah, the design drawings of new weapons?" After Sokov understood the other party's intention, he asked awkwardly, "What kind of weapons do you want?"

"It is obviously unrealistic to ask you to design new aircraft and tanks," Ustinov said. "The design of these new technical equipment requires the cooperation of a team of dozens of people. It is impossible for you to complete it alone."

"Comrade People's Commissar," Sokov added as soon as the other party finished speaking, "You asked me to design a new type of warship, but I can't do it. I'm not cut out for it."

"Yes, yes, it's not realistic to ask you to design a new type of warship." Ustinov said reasonably: "Then, can you design a light weapon that can be equipped to the troops?"

"Light weapons?" Sokov pinched his chin and said, "That's not impossible."

"Really?" Ustinov seemed a little excited when he heard Sokov say that. "That's great. I wonder when you can provide us with the sketch?"

"Comrade People's Commissar," Sokov could not help but smile bitterly when he saw Ustinov was so impatient. "I want to think about it carefully. The earliest I can give you the sketch of the new light weapon is after the New Year, which is around mid-January. I wonder if it will be too late?"

"Not too late, not too late at all." Ustinov said with a smile, "I thought you would have to wait until March at the earliest to provide us with the sketch of the new light weapons, but I didn't expect you to provide it in January. This is beyond my expectation."

Sokov was stunned when he heard this. He was worried that Ustinov would think it was too late if he said mid-January. He didn't expect that the other party would think that it was very fast to produce a design sketch in March, which was not a formal drawing.

After hanging up the phone, Sokov walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, thinking about what kind of light weapons he should release ahead of time.

The assault rifles were already in service in the troops under his command as early as 1942 and can be ignored.

The only weapon that can provide powerful firepower for infantry, besides submachine guns and assault rifles, is machine guns. So, let's make the Soviet Army's most classic PKM light machine gun available in advance.