red moscow

Chapter 2640

The middle-aged man paused, as if stunned by the sudden shout.

He was stunned for a moment, then quickened his pace, passed the lieutenant, and asked Sokov tentatively who was standing in the crowd: "Misha, is that you?"

"Yes, Seryosha, it's me." Sokov confirmed his identity from the other party's voice. It was indeed his good friend Seryosha. He quickly took two steps forward, took off the cloth covering his face, and opened his arms: "I didn't expect to see you here."

When the two hugged, Sokov patted Seryosha on the back and said angrily: "Since you are still alive, why didn't you contact me? You don't know that when I heard the news of your death, I was sad for several days."

Seryosha laughed dryly and replied, "I was only wounded and captured, but I didn't die. After I was rescued from the prisoner-of-war camp by our army, I wrote you several letters, but I never received a reply, so I stopped writing to you."

Hearing what Seryosha said, Sokov thought that maybe the other party's letters were sent to the wrong place. For example, even if Seryosha sent his letters to the army groups where he had served, no one would forward them to him. It was normal that his letters did not receive a reply.

The lieutenant who came out with Seryosha was stunned to see Seryosha hugging a general. He didn't expect that his subordinates actually knew such an important figure. After the two hugged, he asked cautiously, "Bogdan, what's going on? Who is this general?"

"Comrade Lieutenant, let me introduce you to my good friend, General Sokov. He is not only my good friend, but also my neighbor. After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, we joined the army together." Seryosha explained to the lieutenant: "Also, my real name is not Bogdan, but Seryosha."

"It's not Bogdan, it's Seryosha." The lieutenant asked in confusion, "What on earth is going on? Can you explain it to me?"

In fact, not only the lieutenant wanted to know the answer, but even Sokov wanted to figure out why Seryosha used the name Bogdan.

"Comrades, this corridor is not the place to talk. Let's go somewhere else." Before Seryosha could explain, Lukin, who was standing behind him, said, "Comrade Lieutenant, do you have a suitable place to talk?"

"Yes, Comrade General." The lieutenant replied hurriedly, "There is a meeting room next to it. You can go there." After that, he led the way and took everyone to the meeting room.

Although the conference room is not big, it can easily accommodate more than twenty people.

The soldiers who followed in all sat down near the door, leaving the seats inside for the two generals and the middleman in military uniform, so as not to disturb their reminiscing.

After Sokov and the other two sat down, Seryosha looked at Lieutenant General Lukin sitting next to him and asked Sokov in surprise: "Misha, who is this general?"

"Seryosha, let me introduce you to Lieutenant General Lukin." Sokov introduced to Seryosha, "He is in charge of the prisoner-of-war camp where prisoners of the Kwantung Army are detained. He was also my deputy commander during Operation August Storm."

Hearing what Sokov said, Seryosha quickly stood up and saluted Lukin: "Hello, Comrade General! Nice to meet you."

"Me too, Seryosha." Lukin nodded to Seryosha and then asked curiously: "I'd really like to know why you use a pseudonym?"

"Comrade General, this is what happened," Seryosha said. "After I was injured and unconscious, someone bandaged my wound and covered me with a military uniform. Later, when I was captured by the Germans and entered the prisoner-of-war camp, the German in charge of registration identified me as Bogdan based on the military ID card in the uniform."

"Doesn't the military ID have a photo?" Sokov asked puzzledly, "Didn't the Germans compare the photos?"

"That's the problem," Seryosha said with a wry smile. "The soldier who left his uniform behind must have died, because his military ID card, which he put in his jacket pocket, was shot with a hole right where the photo was, and it was covered in blood. The German in charge of registration identified me as Bogdan."

"Even if the Germans mistook you for Bogdan, why didn't you reveal your identity when you were rescued from the POW camp by our officers and soldiers?" Lukin asked.

"Of course I revealed my identity, but the soldier who was responsible for registering our information registered us according to the files left by the Germans." Seryosha explained with a smile: "Although I repeatedly told him that my name was Seryosha, not Bogdan, he would not listen at all. So, I was sent to the labor camp here under the name of Bogdan."

"Since you have been released, why don't you return to Moscow?" Sokov asked in confusion, "Why do you want to stay in this freezing cold city?"

"Misha, you know that there is not much left in my family." Seryosha sighed and said, "And I have tried to contact you many times, but there was no response. I don't know how you are doing. So after leaving the labor camp, I thought about it again and again and decided to stay here."

"So that's how it is." After Sokov figured out what was going on, he sighed and said to Seryosha, "Since I met you here, I can't just leave you here. How about this, when I return to Moscow, you come back with me."

"Misha, I already have a formal job here." But Seryosha seemed very hesitant: "If I follow you back to Moscow, I won't be able to find a new job."

"Don't worry, Seryosha," Sokov comforted him, "as long as I'm here, you don't have to worry about anything. If you continue to stay here, you can only live under someone else's name. You don't want to have someone else's name engraved on your tombstone after you die."

Perhaps it was Sokov's last words that touched Seryosha. He nodded slowly: "Okay, Misha, since you said so, I will go back with you when you return to Moscow."

Since Seryosha had decided to return to Moscow with Sokov, there was no need to stay in the food processing plant. Seryosha found the lieutenant, explained the situation to him, and then followed Sokov and Lukin to leave the food processing plant.

As soon as everyone returned to Lukin's command post, a lieutenant colonel ran over in a hurry with a telegram in his hand.

He walked quickly to Lukin and handed him the telegram: "Comrade General, this is a telegram for you." Sokov saw that Lukin frowned after reading the telegram, and couldn't help asking curiously: "Lukin, what happened?"

"The superior's telegram said," Lukin looked up at Sokov and said, "someone will be sent to replace me tomorrow, asking me to return to Moscow as soon as possible to accept the new appointment."

Hearing Lukin's words, Sokov smiled. He walked quickly to the table and extended his hand across the table: "Congratulations, you will be able to take up your new position soon."

When Lukin shook hands with Sokov, his face was not happy: "Misha, do you think someone like me can take on any more important work?"

"Although I don't know what job your superiors are going to assign you, I know that you are about to leave this bitter cold place." Sokov said sincerely, "The climate here is not good. If you stay here for a long time, it will have a bad impact on your health."

"Yes, my physical condition is indeed not suitable for staying here for a long time." After saying this, Lukin suddenly asked curiously: "Misha, tell me, who gave the order to transfer me?"

"Before I left Moscow and came here, I met Marshal Zhukov and told him about you." Sokov said, "I think it may be that Marshal Zhukov learned about your physical condition and asked the comrades in the cadre department to issue such a transfer order."

"Yes, that's very possible." Lukin nodded to Sokov: "Misha, thank you, thank you for helping me leave this damn place."

Originally, everyone thought that Lukin's resignation would be very smooth, and he could immediately return to Moscow by train as soon as his replacement arrived.

Unexpectedly, early the next morning, someone reported to Lukin: "Comrade General, there was an escape in the prisoner-of-war camp last night. About 3 Kwantung Army prisoners escaped. After our duty personnel discovered it, they immediately sounded the alarm and sent personnel to hunt them down. So far, 24 prisoners have been killed and have been captured alive. The remaining escaped prisoners are still being searched for."

After hearing this, Lukin was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table and cursed: "Damn it! They actually wanted to escape. It seems that we are too kind to them. We must teach them a severe lesson. Otherwise, as the weather gets warmer, the number of prisoners of war who escape will increase."

Sokov was puzzled when he heard what Lukin said. This place is permafrost. Without enough construction machinery, it is impossible to dig a tunnel or even build a house. How did these damn Japanese escape? With this question, he asked tentatively: "Lukin, how did the prisoners escape? Did they dig a tunnel in the prisoner-of-war camp or escape by climbing over the barbed wire?"

Lukin was surprised. "Misha, don't you know that there are no walls or barbed wire around the prisoner-of-war camps here? It's all snowy and icy. Even if someone tries to escape, they can't get out of this vast snowfield without a compass, a map, enough food, and the necessary transportation."

"Comrade General," the officer who reported the news asked tentatively, "what should we do with those escaped prisoners of war?"

Before Lukin could speak, Sokov interrupted and asked, "Lukin, in your prisoner-of-war camp, besides the Kwantung Army prisoners of war, there should be German prisoners of war, right?"

"Yes, Comrade General." The officer nodded and said, "Near the prisoner-of-war camp where the Kwantung Army prisoners of war were held, there was a group of more than 2,000 German prisoners of war. Due to the severe cold weather, they all lived in an abandoned mine."

Upon learning that there were still German prisoners alive, Sokov had an idea in mind: "Lukin, I wonder if there are any SS or camp management personnel among the German prisoners?"

"Yes." Lukin nodded and gave Sokov an affirmative answer: "But you also know that most of the captured SS or POW camp guards are shot directly. Even if they are not shot, many people will die in Siberia because of the harsh environment."

Sokov waited patiently for Lukin to finish speaking, and then continued, "Lukin, please select ten German prisoners of war who have served in the SS or as guards in prisoner-of-war camps and send them to the Kwantung Army's prisoner-of-war camps. I will help you deal with these escaped Kwantung Army prisoners of war."

The officer was confused when he heard Sokov's words. He didn't know what Sokov's intention was. Lukin had worked with Sokov before, so he naturally guessed what he would do. He ordered the officer: "Didn't you hear General Sokov's order? Hurry up and take ten German prisoners of war to the prisoner-of-war camp where the Kwantung Army prisoners of war are held."

The officers were very efficient. When Sokov and Lukin arrived at the POW camp where the Kwantung Army prisoners of war were held, the ten German prisoners of war were already waiting there.

The German translator brought by Lukin stood in front of the German prisoners and translated what Sokov said for him: "German soldiers, I am General Sokov. I will now give you a task. Behind you are more than 20 prisoners of war from the Kwantung Army. They tried to escape last night but were caught by our soldiers. I ask you to deal with these prisoners who tried to escape in the most cruel way you think."

After listening to Sokov's translation, the German prisoners of war still stood there without moving, with numb expressions on their faces, as if they were not interested in what Sokov said at all.

Seeing that the German prisoners of war did not respond, Captain Yasenko, who was standing next to Lukin, waved his fist and was about to hit them. But he was stopped by Sokov: "Captain, leave this to me."

Sokov knew that the emperor would not let hungry soldiers go, so he said loudly: "Those who perform well will be rewarded with 500 grams of bread and 100 grams of sausage. Who of you is willing to go?"

There will always be brave men when there is a big reward. As soon as Sokov announced his reward, all the German prisoners of war raised their right hands, hoping that Sokov would choose them.

After sweeping his eyes over everyone, Sokov pointed at an officer in a tattered SS uniform and said, "Second-level commando squad leader, it's you!"

After the SS officer stepped out of the line, Sokov had someone bring him some bread and sausages. The officer snatched the bread and sausages from the soldier, squatted on the ground and began to eat them voraciously. Their food was very poor, with only a few potatoes every day, and he hadn't eaten these things for a long time.

In less than two minutes, the officer had finished the bread and sausage in his hand. He wiped his mouth and looked at Sokov, waiting for him to give him orders.

Sokov had someone bring a pistol, handed it to the officer, and said to him: "Next, you can do whatever you want with these Kwantung Army prisoners who are trying to escape. If you perform well, you can get the same amount of bread and sausages."