red moscow

Chapter 3153

“Comrade General!” After a moment’s thought, Gulia cautiously replied, “Judging from all the signs, it should be a coincidence. After all, it’s unknown when we will pass through that area. It’s impossible for the mastermind to let an attacker dressed strangely and attracting attention stand by the roadside for a long time. Moreover, no signs of organization or premeditation were found at the scene. The attacker’s actions seemed hasty and isolated.”

“Gulia, you think the same way I do.” Sokov nodded slightly after Gulia finished speaking, agreeing with her. A hint of weariness flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained firm: “This is just a coincidence. We were unlucky and happened to run into it. However, it also reminds us that even though the war is long over, we cannot let our guard down in this city that was occupied by the enemy for a long time.”

Gulia pushed Sokov's wheelchair slowly into the house, the wheels making a soft creaking sound on the stone pavement. Just as they were about to enter, Sokov suddenly turned his head, sunlight illuminating his slightly pale face from the side. He whispered to Gulia, "Gulia, thank you. If it weren't for your and Captain Chekalov's timely response today, I probably would have met with misfortune in the attack. Your courage and professionalism have deeply comforted me."

"Comrade General, you're too kind." Gulia lowered her head somewhat shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed. She straightened the hem of her military uniform, her voice soft yet firm: "Protecting your safety is my responsibility. If you suffer even the slightest harm, it would be a dereliction of duty on my part."

Upon entering the living room, Gulia carefully helped Sokov to sit on the soft sofa, then pushed the wheelchair beside it to make sure it wouldn't get in the way. She straightened up, her hands at her sides, and asked respectfully, "Comrade General, is there anything else you require? If not, I need to leave for a while to check the guard arrangements outside and ensure that similar incidents do not occur again."

Sokov was about to nod in agreement to Gulia's request, letting her go about her business. Just then, the telephone rang suddenly nearby, its sharp, urgent sound shattering the tranquility of the living room.

Gulia immediately turned around, walked quickly to the phone, grabbed the receiver and held it to her ear, her voice remaining as calm as ever: "This is General Sokov's residence. May I ask who you are?" As she listened to the voice on the other end of the line, her expression gradually became serious, and her brows furrowed slightly.

After listening for a moment, she immediately covered the microphone with her hand and handed it to Sokov, saying in a somewhat nervous tone, "Comrade General, it's Marshal Zhukov calling. He sounds very urgent; it might be something important."

Sokov slowly stood up, took a deep breath to make sure he was alright, and then walked over. His steps were slow, but each one was as steady as a rock. He took the microphone from Gulia, adjusted his breathing, and then said in a deep voice, "Hello, Comrade Marshal!"

"Misha!" Zhukov asked anxiously on the phone, "I just received a report from the garrison command that you were attacked en route. How are you? Were you injured?"

“Yes, Comrade Marshal. I am perfectly fine.” Sokov straightened up and quickly replied, “Today, on my way back to headquarters from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I was suddenly attacked by unidentified men. They threw grenades at my vehicle and opened fire with submachine guns, but fortunately, Captain Chekalov, who was sent by General Gulia and Butko to escort me, returned fire decisively and killed them, which is why I am safe and sound. Thank you for your concern!” Although Sokov’s tone was calm, his voice was still slightly tense as he recalled the harrowing experience.

"It's good that you're alright, thank goodness." Zhukov breathed a sigh of relief, but then, remembering something, he asked with a hint of reproach and doubt, "But what were you doing at the Ministry of Internal Affairs..." Before Zhukov could finish speaking, he immediately realized why Sokov had gone to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He tapped the table lightly with his fingers thoughtfully and asked tentatively, "Was it because of the assassination attempt that happened on the street yesterday?" "That's right, Comrade Marshal. You guessed correctly." Sokov nodded. "That's why I went to the NKVD in Odessa specifically to communicate with them and work together to find clues in the case."

Zhukov learned of Sokov's attack from the garrison command, but he knew nothing about Sokov's visit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Hearing Sokov's words, he leaned forward and quickly asked, "I see. So, how did it go? Did the Ministry of Internal Affairs find any clues? Are they related to your attack today?"

“We have some initial leads, Comrade Marshal.” Sokov reported in detail to Zhukov the analysis he had made in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and concluded by saying, “Lieutenant Sutulova, who accompanied Major Sofia shopping, saw the woman who committed the crime with her own eyes. She is currently drawing a portrait of the perpetrator. Once the portrait is completed, the Ministry of Internal Affairs can use it to launch a full-scale manhunt throughout the city.”

After Zhukov finished speaking, he pondered for a moment and said, "Misha, although the war ended more than a year ago, this city is not peaceful. For your safety, don't go out unnecessarily lately. Understand?"

"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Sokov knew that given his physical condition, he could only continue to stay at home to recuperate and was temporarily unable to start work, so he went along with it and said, "I will stay at home and take good care of my injury."

After finishing the call, Sokov sat back down on the sofa, touching his throbbing wound. A question lingered in his mind: during his second time travel, besides gaining fluency in German, his body could also heal rapidly from injuries. Why hadn't this self-healing ability returned to this era? Otherwise, his injuries wouldn't still be failing to heal.

"Comrade General!" Just as Sokov was deep in thought, Gulia tentatively asked him, "Is there anything else? If not, I have to go and attend to other matters."

“Go ahead, go ahead.” Sokov thought that if Zhukov hadn’t called, Gulia would probably be busy with her work right now. He waved to the other man, indicating that she could leave. “I’ll sit here by myself.”

Although Sokov's injuries were no longer serious, Gulia was still worried about leaving him alone in the house. Before leaving, she specifically reminded him, "Comrade General, if you need anything, just call out and someone will come in."

"Okay, I understand." Sokov nodded. "You can go ahead and get back to work."

(End of this chapter)