red moscow

Chapter 3093

Sokov carefully took a delicate watch from the opened box and examined it closely in his palm. He gently turned the watch over, focusing his gaze on the back of the case. Near the twelve o'clock mark, a unique serial number was clearly engraved. This serial number is unique to each watch, representing not only the model number but also implying its year of manufacture, material composition, and other important information—like a silent identity card.

When Sokov recognized the familiar numbers, his facial muscles twitched involuntarily, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. He was certain it was the very watch he had accompanied Khabarov to choose. This discovery flashed through his mind like lightning—did it mean that Khabarov's friend, Braun, was among the German officers and soldiers captured that day?
This thought weighed heavily on Sokov's mind. He took a deep breath, solemnly handed the watch to Chief of Staff Karsokov, his expression unusually serious, and asked in a low but firm voice, "Comrade Chief of Staff, please tell me truthfully, where did this watch come from?"

“Comrade Brigade Commander!” Karsokov was clearly not expecting Sokov to suddenly raise this question. He was stunned for a moment, a hint of panic flashing across his face, but he quickly regained his composure and repeated his previous explanation: “I have already reported that this is one of the spoils of war handed over by the troops below.”

“I know this is spoils of war.” Sokov realized his question might not be clear enough and quickly explained further: “What I need to know now is, which battalion delivered this watch? More importantly, where is the original owner of this watch now? Is he among the prisoners?”

“According to our brigade’s registration records, this batch of spoils should have been sent by the Third Battalion,” Karsokov replied calmly. He paused slightly and then added, “Regarding the current owner of this watch—the German soldier who originally wore it—I need to get more details from Captain Nazorov before I can make an accurate judgment.”

Upon hearing this, Sokov immediately showed urgency. He was worried that delays might lead to unforeseen circumstances, so he urged without hesitation, "In that case, call Captain Nazorov right now! I need to know the exact answer as soon as possible; there can be no time to lose."

Karsokov noticed the serious and urgent expression on Sokov's face. Although he was somewhat puzzled as to why the brigade commander was so concerned about the life and death of an ordinary prisoner, he did not ask any questions. Instead, he quickly picked up the telephone receiver on the table and connected to the Third Battalion Command Post.

As soon as the call connected and he heard the answer from the other end of the receiver, Karsokov said without hesitation, "I am Lieutenant Colonel Karsokov, the brigade chief of staff. Have Captain Nazorov answer the phone immediately. I have something important to tell him."

The person who answered the phone seemed hesitant before replying, "Comrade Chief of Staff, Battalion Commander Nazorov is currently outside tallying the battle results and inventorying supplies. It may take some time. Would you mind waiting a while, or calling back later?"

"No! This is extremely important and cannot be delayed." Karsokov raised his voice sternly. "No matter what he's busy with right now, you must find him immediately and make him answer the phone right away! That's an order, execute it immediately!"

Upon hearing the chief of staff's resolute tone, the other party quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes, Chief of Staff! I'll go find the battalion commander right away. Please wait a moment."

Not long after, Captain Nazarov's familiar voice came through the receiver: "Comrade Chief of Staff, this is Nazarov. I'm at the phone now. What important instructions do you have?" "Comrade Captain," Karsokov said, glancing at Sokov standing beside him, before continuing, "Do you remember that your battalion recently delivered a shipment of spoils to brigade headquarters?"

"I remember, I remember, of course I remember!" Nazorov replied hastily, his tone even carrying a hint of expectation. He had originally thought the chief of staff was calling to praise their battalion for handing over their spoils of war, and even offered to say, "These spoils were carefully selected by us, and I think they are of quite good quality, so I specially sent them to the brigade headquarters. I wonder if you are satisfied with these spoils?"

"Comrade Captain, I have a specific question for you now." Karsokov ignored his previous remarks and pressed on directly, "Among these spoils of war, there is a uniquely shaped watch. Do you remember it?"

“Yes, I remember.” Upon hearing this, Nazorov finally realized that the chief of staff’s call might not be for praise, but rather related to the peculiar watch. He quickly replied, “This watch was captured on the battlefield by one of my soldiers. Because I thought its design was very unique, I guessed that the brigade commander might be interested, so I specially sent someone to deliver it to the brigade headquarters.”

"Then, what about the owner of the watch?" Karsokov pressed on, but then realized his question might not be clear enough, so he added, "I mean the German soldier who originally wore this watch. Is he dead or alive? Did you capture him, or was he killed in battle? I need to know his specific situation."

When Karsokov asked this crucial question, Sokov's heart leaped into his throat, almost bursting out. He clenched his fists, his heart churning with turmoil. At that moment, he was almost certain that the German soldier wearing the watch was very likely Khabarov's friend, Wern. If Wern had indeed perished on the battlefield, then not only Khabarov, but also Victoria and himself, would probably forever lose the chance to return to the future—this thought sent a chill down his spine.

Nazorov remained silent for a long time, a clear look of difficulty on his face. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, his voice slightly heavy: "Comrade Chief of Staff, our company killed quite a few enemies in the previous battle and captured fifty or sixty prisoners. As for whether this watch was found on a prisoner or on the body of a German soldier, I don't know the specifics yet. Could you give me some time? I need to investigate carefully and find out exactly what happened."

Faced with Nazorov's request, Karsokov hesitated. He was hesitant to make a decision, so he subconsciously turned his gaze to Sokov, his eyes clearly pleading for help, obviously waiting for the latter to make the final decision.

Sokov sensed Nazarov's predicament and noticed the look in Karsokov's eyes. He took a deep breath and decisively said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, immediately send someone to Captain Nazarov and have him arrange for people to carefully question the prisoners to see if they can find the owner of this watch."

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Karsokov nodded vigorously. “I will have someone send the watch to Captain Nazorov immediately.”

(End of this chapter)