red moscow

Chapter 3134 The Imposter Captain (Part 1)

Not long after Lukin left, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside. A young nurse rushed in, her face slightly flushed and her breathing a little rapid, clearly having run all the way there. She steadied herself and said to Asya, "Asia, your phone is in the director's office. It's Marshal Zhukov calling."

Upon learning that it was Marshal Zhukov calling, Asya guessed that the meeting must have ended and the Marshal was calling specifically to inquire about Sokov's injury. She quickly turned to Sokov, her tone both urgent and gentle: "Misha, the Marshal is calling to inquire about your injury. You should lie down and rest. I'll take this call and be right back."

"Wait a minute," Sokov said somewhat awkwardly, his voice revealing the fatigue and boredom of being bedridden for so long. He shifted slightly, trying to sit up more comfortably, but his wound still made him uncomfortable. "Lying in bed all day is a bit uncomfortable; I feel restless all over. Could you find me some books? They'll help me pass the time, so I don't get bored."

Asya didn't refuse Sokov's request. She knew her husband was an avid reader, and spiritual comfort was especially important during this period of recuperation. She turned to the nurse and asked, "Nurse, do you have any novels I can read? Preferably something relaxing."

The nurse thought for a moment, tapping her chin lightly as she recalled a few books in her collection. Then, she nodded and said, "I have a German novel here, a newly translated one, and it's quite interesting. If Comrade General would like to read it, I can bring it to him."

Upon hearing that it was a German novel, Sokov began to ponder. He recalled how, during his second time travel, he had unexpectedly gained fluency in German, which gave him a unique affinity for German literature. Even if it wasn't a translated novel, but an original German book, he should be able to understand it easily. This thought made him somewhat anticipate the book.

Shortly after the nurse left with Asya, the ward door opened again, and the nurse returned alone, carrying a neatly bound book. She walked to the bedside and handed the book to Sokov: "Comrade General, this is the book. You can read it to pass the time. If you don't like it, I can find another one."

As Sokov reached for the book, his fingers inadvertently touched the rough paper of the cover. He casually asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, "What's the book called? I'd like to see if the contents suit my taste."

“The Fake Captain,” the nurse replied calmly.

Upon hearing the title, Sokov's eyes widened in surprise, his pupils slightly contracting. He instantly recalled the film of the same name he had seen in his later years, a film with a gripping plot that exposed the absurdity of war and the distortion of humanity. He couldn't help but think to himself, "The German writer is quite efficient; he's written the novel so quickly, and it's already spread to the Soviet Union."

But when he looked closely at the book cover, Sokov frowned slightly. He remembered that *The Fake Captain* was about a nineteen-year-old ordinary German soldier who, using a captain's uniform he found, impersonated an officer, gathered the scattered soldiers into a special task force, and looted and plundered across the soon-to-be-fallen German soil, wielding the power of arrest and life and death under the Führer's name. But the cover depicted an old man with a large mustache, a serious face, and wearing an old-fashioned World War I uniform—completely incongruous with the World War II setting, leaving him utterly perplexed.

Seeing Sokov frown, the nurse assumed he was dissatisfied with the book and quickly asked tentatively, "Comrade General, do you not like reading this kind of book?"

“No,” Sokov quickly waved his hand, trying to hide his doubt, and explained in as calm a tone as possible: “When I heard the title was ‘The Fake Captain,’ I thought it was a story set during World War II, but the person on the cover is wearing a German uniform from World War I. This surprised me a bit; perhaps I’m mistaken, or perhaps this is a different edition.” He wondered to himself whether this was an early work or if there was a mistake in the translation, but in any case, it piqued his curiosity, and he decided to open it and read it carefully.

To his surprise, the nurse looked puzzled and said, "That's right, Comrade General. The background of this book is before the outbreak of World War I, and it is based on a true story."

The nurse's words made Sokov even more puzzled. He squinted and carefully examined the nurse: "Comrade Nurse, you said that this novel is based on real historical events?" His voice was tinged with disbelief, as if he was trying to sort out his thoughts.

“Yes!” The nurse nodded vigorously, her eyes firm, and continued to explain, “Comrade General, have you heard of Captain Kopenik? This story is very famous in Germany. It’s about how an ordinary person impersonated a military officer and caused a stir.”

“Captain Kopenik?” Sokov repeated the name, then shook his head blankly, somewhat embarrassed, and replied, “Never heard of him.” He stroked his chin, looking both curious and slightly ashamed, as if apologizing for his ignorance.

"Comrade General!" The nurse, perhaps realizing she'd put Sokov in an awkward position, quickly changed the subject: "I have other things to attend to, so I won't keep you company any longer. Please take your time reading this book. If you'd like to read anything else after you finish, just let me know, and I'll find it for you." "Thank you, Comrade Nurse!" Sokov nodded to her and said gently, "Go ahead and do your work; don't worry about me."

After the nurse left, Sokov eagerly opened the book, wanting to find out what Captain Kopenik, whom the nurse had mentioned, was all about. He leaned back against the pillows, adjusting his position to make reading more comfortable.

The book's preface includes an introduction to Captain Kopenick: the protagonist, Fuigert, was born on February 13, 1849, in Tilsit, East Prussia. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison for theft, forgery, and robbery. After his release, he lived in several cities, but was expelled by the police each time due to his criminal record.

He later went to work in a shoe factory in Berlin, but lost his job because of his criminal record. In desperation, he bought some uniform parts from a secondhand store and assembled them into a captain's uniform for the 1st Prussian Guard Regiment.

On October 16, 1906, he went out into the street in his military uniform, stopped a patrol, and then took another group of soldiers who had just changed shifts under his command, thus giving him one sergeant and ten soldiers. He announced to these soldiers that he was carrying out a supreme order given to him by the cabinet. The soldiers, surprisingly without any doubt, willingly followed Captain Foigert on the train to Kopenik, east of Berlin.

During the journey, Floyd bought each soldier a bottle of beer. Upon arriving in Kopenik, he gave each soldier 1 mark so they could have lunch at the train station. After lunch, he announced to the soldiers that his mission was to arrest the city's mayor.

Next, they occupied the city hall, arrested the mayor and chief secretary, confiscated 3557 marks and 45 pfennigs from the city's accounts, and signed a receipt.

Subsequently, Foigert divided his soldiers in two. One group rented a car and took the city's mayor and treasurer to Berlin for questioning; the other group was ordered to continue occupying the city hall and withdraw after half an hour. Foigert, in full view of the crowd, went to the train station, took a train back to Berlin, and changed into civilian clothes at a men's clothing store after disembarking. This is the famous Captain Kopenick Affair.

Upon reading this, Sokov couldn't help but marvel at how Germany truly produced talented individuals. Before World War I, there was Captain Kopenik; now, in World War II, there was a fake captain. Didn't the soldiers who took their command ever question their true identities? He shook his head, thinking to himself: Perhaps it was the symbolism of uniforms and authority that led to blind obedience. Such things were not uncommon on the battlefield; sometimes, a fake commander could disrupt the entire situation.

Just as I was pondering this, I heard footsteps outside the door, light and familiar.

The next moment, Asya appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face: "Misha, I'm back!"

Sokov turned the book he had only read two pages of face down on the bed and asked curiously, "Asya, what did Marshal Zhukov say on the phone?"

“He was very happy to hear that you were awake,” Asia said, her tone tinged with relief. “But he said he’s been very busy with work lately and can’t find the time to visit you right now. He hopes you don’t mind.”

Sokov smiled faintly and then said, "It's alright, I understand. The Marshal has a great responsibility, and I'm already very grateful that he can take the time to care about me. Even if he can't find the time to come see me, it's nothing."

Asya, seeing the book Sokov had placed on the hospital bed, said with some surprise, "I really didn't expect that the nurse would bring you this book."

Sokov was taken aback by this, then asked in return, "What, you've read this book too?"

(End of this chapter)