red moscow

Chapter 2645

"I'm just going to a meeting at the General Staff Headquarters. I'm not being kept alone by Marshal Zhukov. How much time can it take?"

"Seryosha," Asiya waited until Sokov finished speaking, then came to Seryosha and asked with concern, "Did you go back to your old residence today to check?"

"Yes, Asiya, I have already seen it." Seryosha shook his head and said, "But my house has been allocated to someone else by the staff of the housing management department. It seems that I can only live in your house permanently in the future."

"No problem. You are Misha's good friend. You can stay as long as you want." After saying this, Asia asked curiously, "Didn't you write to the housing authority here when you were in Siberia and ask them to reserve the house for you?"

"No." Seryosha said, "I asked the staff of the housing management department, and they said that according to the data, I have died on the battlefield, and I have no immediate relatives, so this house has become an ownerless house and can be allocated to anyone who needs a house."

Asiya chatted with Seryosha for a few more words before turning her attention to Sokov: "Misha, what was discussed at the General Staff meeting today?" After she asked this question, she added, "If it involves confidential information, you don't have to tell me."

"It's nothing more than the military exercises that will be held in Europe next month." Sokov thought that there was not much confidential information in today's big meeting, so he said boldly: "I have been appointed as the commander of the 4th Guards Army, under the command of General Malinin's central group. In three days, I will set off."

"Ah, you're leaving in three days?" Asia said in surprise, "Why is it so sudden?"

"Although the exercise won't start until the end of next month, as commanders, we must go there first to familiarize ourselves with our troops, lest when the exercise begins, we don't even recognize everyone in the command center. How can we command the battle then?"

"What about Seryosha?" Asia asked anxiously, "Aren't you trying to find him a stable job?"

"I plan to let Seryosha go to Europe with me." Sokov said, "Although he can no longer serve as an officer, he should have no problem being an ordinary soldier."

"Misha, you didn't even ask Seryosha whether he wanted to."

"Asia, I'd like to go to Europe with Misha." Seryosha said, "I have nothing to do in Moscow anyway, so why not go to Europe with Misha and try my luck? Maybe there will be some unexpected gains."

"Where is Major Vaseligov?" Asia continued to ask. "Didn't he go back to the old house with Seryosha for breakfast? How come Seryosha has come back now, but he is nowhere to be found?"

"Axia, I asked Major Vaseligov to contact Lieutenant General Lukin." Sokov said, "You may not know that Lieutenant General Lukin has been officially appointed as the deputy commander of the Odessa Military District and will take office in two days. I want to have a good chat with him before he leaves."

"I never thought that Lieutenant General Lukin would get a new position right after returning from Siberia." Asia said enviously, "Misha, I wish you could be appointed as the commander of a military district somewhere, even if it's just a deputy position."

"Ashia, don't worry, you never know your dream will come true someday."

Vaserigov came back at lunch time and reported to Sokov: "Comrade General, I have contacted my former colleague and he said he will contact Lieutenant General Lukin as soon as possible. Please don't worry."

"Don't worry, don't worry." Sokov knew very well that Vaserigov had done his best. Although he didn't know when Lukin would contact him, he did not blame him. Instead, he said, "We are just about to have lunch. Please sit down and eat with us."

After Vaserigov found a seat and sat down, he asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade General, you are going to Europe in a few days. Who do you plan to take with you?"

Sokov considered that his superiors had assigned people to protect him, and it would be inappropriate for him to take them all with him when he went to Europe. After thinking for a while, he said to Vaseligov: "Major, apart from you, you only need to take the two guards who are going to Siberia with you. Let the rest of the people stay here."

"So how long will we be gone?"

"I don't know." Sokov said uncertainly, "Maybe I can come back after the exercise. Maybe I have to stay in Europe for a while."

"Oh, I see."

After lunch, Vaseligov left the living room and went to find the two guards who had just returned from Siberia. He told them that they were about to go to Europe and asked them to make all preparations in advance.

Sokov was sitting in the living room, chatting with Seryosha and Asia, when a soldier came in and reported: "Comrade General, there is a commander outside who wants to see you."

"Who is it?" Sokov asked.

The soldier thought for a moment and replied, "He is a lieutenant general, and he limps a little when he walks."

After hearing the soldier's description, Sokov immediately guessed that the person coming must be Lukin, so he stood up and went out to greet him.

When I arrived at the door, I saw Lu Jin standing outside the gate.

"Lu Jin, why are you standing at the door? Come in quickly." After saying that, he stepped forward to support the other party and walked towards the villa, continuing, "This is not the place to talk. Let's talk in the living room."

When Lukin appeared in the living room, Asia showed an expression of disbelief: "Comrade Lukin, why are you standing up?"

"Asia, hello, long time no see!" Lukin greeted Asia and explained, "My superiors arranged for the prosthetics factory to customize a pair of prosthetic limbs for me so that I don't have to sit in a wheelchair every day."

"You seem to be walking quite steadily, without even a cane."

"When I first started practicing, I used crutches for a few days," Lu Jin said with a smile. "Later, I found that once I became dependent on the crutches, I couldn't walk normally. So I threw away the crutches and practiced walking independently. In just half a month, I could walk like a normal person."

“That’s great.” Seeing that Lukin no longer had to sit in a wheelchair, Asia was happy for him from the bottom of her heart. “Without a wheelchair, it will be more convenient for you to go anywhere. By the way, you didn’t walk here, did you?”

"Of course not," Lukin shook his head and said, "Anyway, I was appointed by my superiors as the deputy commander of the Odessa Military District. I have a special car, driver and guards, so I don't have to walk when I go out."

After saying this, Lukin turned his head and looked at Sokov and asked, "Misha, you are in such a hurry to see me, there must be something important, right?" "Yes, I do have something important to see you about." Sokov saw that besides himself and Lukin, there were only Seryosha and Asia in the living room. He didn't have to worry about them revealing his secret, so he said boldly, "According to various signs, Ukraine will suffer a serious drought this summer, which will have a serious impact on grain production."

"Misha," Lukin interrupted Sokov before he could finish, "I am the deputy commander of the military district. Food production is not my responsibility."

"Lukin, don't be anxious. It's not too late to express your opinion after you finish listening to me." After seeing Lukin nod in agreement, Sokov continued, "If there is a large-scale reduction in grain production or even a total crop failure, the army's food supply will become difficult, and it may turn into a major famine, similar to the one in the 1920s."

Hearing Sokov talking about the great famine in the 1920s, Lukin could not help but shudder. He thought to himself, if what Sokov said was true, who knows how many people would have died in the famine. But he was just a deputy commander of a small military district, so what role could he play?

Thinking of this, he asked tentatively: "Misha, what can I do to alleviate the crisis caused by the reduction in food production?"

"You certainly can't take care of other places, but in the Odessa Military District where you are stationed, you can plant a large number of drought-resistant crops such as potatoes and corn on the wasteland in May and June, thus ensuring that your troops have enough food when the harvest season comes."

"Is it that simple?" Lukin asked in surprise, "Just relying on my troops to grow some potatoes and corn can alleviate the famine?"

"It is obviously unrealistic to alleviate the famine in the whole Ukraine." Sokov said seriously to let Lukin know the situation, "But if your men grow corn and potatoes on a large scale, then at least your troops can be guaranteed supplies without any major problems."

After listening to him, Lukin nodded slightly and said, "Misha, what you said makes sense. If I really arrange for the officers and soldiers to grow a lot of potatoes and corn, even if there is a drought, the food supply for the officers and soldiers can reduce the adverse effects to a minimum."

Seeing that Lukin agreed with his statement, Sokov felt very relieved: "Lukin, if you can really do this and let the officers and soldiers plant a large number of drought-resistant crops, it will not only solve their food supply problem, but also provide a part of it to support local residents and minimize the disaster."

"Yes, I see." Lukin said this and changed the subject in time: "Misha, I heard that they will officially assign someone to serve as the commander of the European troops in the next two days. I wonder if they have assigned you a suitable position?"

"Yes." Sokov nodded and said, "In the meeting this morning, I was officially appointed as the commander of the 4th Guards Army under the Central Group. In a few days, I will rush to Europe. Thinking about our separation, I don't know when we will meet again, so I am anxious to find you and tell you what I am worried about."

"Misha, don't worry." Lukin patted his chest and assured Sokov: "When I arrive in Odessa, I will arrange personnel as soon as possible, select suitable areas, and plant a large number of drought-resistant potatoes and corn to prevent problems with the army's food supply."

"Lu Jin, if you really do this, your actions will definitely be recorded in history in the future."

The two chatted for a long time. Lukin looked at the time, then stood up and said to Sokov, "Misha, I will be leaving for Odessa soon. I need to go back and make some preparations, so I won't stay here for long. I hope we can meet again one day in the future."

Sokov, Asya and Seryosha took Lukin to the gate.

Sokov held Lukin's hands tightly and said, "Lukin, you should pay more attention to your health. If possible, treat your illness so that you can live longer."

"Misha, thank you for your concern. I will take care of myself." When Lukin shook hands with Sokov, he also reminded him, "You have been injured many times before, so your health must not be very good, so you should take care of yourself. I hope that in another 20 years, we can still sit together and talk about everything."

"Twenty years is not enough," Sokov said with a smile, "We have to live at least another fifty years, until the early morning of New Year's Day in 2000, when we will go to Red Square together to listen to the New Year's bells ringing in the Kremlin."

Lukin knew very well that he was already 54 years old. If he wanted to live another 108 years and see the millennium, he would have to live to at least years old, which was simply impossible. But in order not to spoil Sokov's fun, he pretended to be very happy and said, "Then we have a deal. We will go to Red Square together to listen to the millennium New Year's bell ringing."

Watching the black car that Lukin was riding in go away, Sokov turned around and saw Asiya counting something with her fingers. He smiled and asked, "Asiya, what are you calculating?"

"Let me calculate how many years are left until the millennium?"

"Isn't this a simple addition and subtraction problem? There are still 54 years left."

"Misha, if I remember correctly, Comrade Lukin was born in 1892 and is 54 years old this year." Asia said cautiously: "Let alone him, it is unknown whether you can live to that age."

"Then let's work hard." Sokov said with a smile: "Maybe you and I will have the opportunity to hear the New Year's bell when the millennium arrives."

Seeing Seryosha standing in front of the duty room by the door, chatting with the soldiers on duty, Asiya suddenly stopped smiling and said to Sokov: "Misha, come in with me, I have something to ask you."

Seeing that Asiya looked serious, Sokov didn't know what happened, so he followed her back to the living room and asked, "Asiya, what's the matter?"

"There are only two of us here, and I want to know an answer." Asiya said with a straight face.

"what is the answer?"

"Who is Karina?"

Hearing the name that Asiya said, Sokov couldn't help but shudder all over, and then his face flushed red. He didn't know how Asiya knew Kalina's name, but he still tried to pretend to be calm and asked back: "Asiya, why are you asking this?"

"Don't change the subject. Just tell me truthfully, who is Karina?"

The muscles on Sokov's face twitched violently twice, and he murmured, "He's a staff member of the Vladimir City Government. I met him when I was filming a movie. Since we got along well, we chatted a little more."

"Just chatting, nothing else?" Asia asked.

Sokov saw from the expression on Asiya's face that she didn't know as much as he thought, and he felt relieved. He calmed himself down and continued, "When we were filming the movie, we had some work interactions with her, so we naturally interacted more. We even drank tea and had meals together."

"Oh, just sitting together and drinking tea and eating, nothing else?"