red moscow

Chapter 3163

Although Sokov had long anticipated that his proposal would be rejected by Zhukov, it would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed when Lukin said that.

He was silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "It's alright. Since Comrade Marshal doesn't agree, then let's just forget about it."

“I also think you should rest for a while longer,” Lukin said. “It’s not too late to start working again once you’ve fully recovered.”

Sensing that Lukin was about to hang up, Sokov quickly called out, "Lukin, wait a minute, I haven't finished saying what I wanted to say."

"Is there anything else?"

"I suggest you contact the head of the police headquarters immediately and have him send someone to the city's industrial bureau guesthouse to search the room where Misha and his colleague are staying. You might find something unexpected."

After listening to Sokov's words, Lukin paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Misha, why search the guesthouse rooms? Do you think there might be something bad in them?"

"I can't say exactly what was in the room; maybe it was a listening device, or maybe a time bomb or something," Sokov said. "Otherwise, I really can't imagine why anyone would kill the naval soldiers who were hosting Misha and his group, and then go to such lengths to house them in the Industry Bureau's guesthouse."

“Hmm, you’re right.” Lukin agreed with Sokov’s assessment: “Now that you mention it, I also feel there’s a conspiracy at play here. I’ll contact the head of the police headquarters immediately and have him arrange for a search of the rooms in the Industry Bureau’s guesthouse.”

After ending his call with Lukin, Sokov sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and quietly pondered the recent events.

“Misha.” Asya sat down next to Sokov and asked curiously, “Do you really think there’s a bug or a time bomb in the room where Yasha and the others are staying?”

Sokov glanced at Asya and said calmly, "This is just my speculation. We'll have to wait for the police headquarters' search results to see what actually happens."

Standing to the side, Gulia, hearing Sokov's words, couldn't help but interject, "Comrade General, you're right. So many things have happened in Odessa recently, indicating that there are many unstable factors in the city. Maintaining sufficient vigilance is absolutely necessary."

“Gulia, I want to ask you something,” Sokov looked up at Gulia and asked, “How is the supply of goods in the city?”

"Comrade General, you are an important person in the military region and enjoy special treatment." Gulia looked at Sokov and asked with some confusion, "How is the supply of materials outside? It has no impact on you. Why are you asking about this?"

In response to Gulia's confusion, Sokov explained: "When Yasha visited, she told me that Moscow now has a sufficient supply of goods, so much so that many military stores that were originally only open to soldiers are now also open to ordinary residents."

After listening to Sokov's words, Gulia shook her head and said, "Comrade General, Odessa is just a coastal city, and the supply of materials is naturally not comparable to that of the capital, Moscow. Not only are the military stores in the city not open to civilians, but even if soldiers want to enter, they now have to go through strict checks, unlike before when they could enter simply by wearing a military uniform."

“Misha.” Listening to Sokov and Gulia’s conversation, Asya asked in confusion, “Why are you asking this?” “I said a long time ago that Ukraine would face a severe food shortage this year due to the drought,” Sokov said with a serious expression. “Now it seems that my prediction will soon come true, and with the reduction in food production will come widespread famine.”

Asya had heard Sokov mention more than once that this year's drought would lead to reduced grain production and even a large-scale famine, so her expression didn't change much when she heard him say that.

But Gulia's face showed a dismissive expression after hearing this: "Comrade General, I think you are overthinking it. During the two years that the Germans occupied Ukraine, large areas of farmland were destroyed by the war, resulting in a significant reduction in grain production, but there was no food shortage. Now that the war is over, even if grain production is reduced due to drought, it will not cause a famine."

Sokov didn't argue with Gulya's opinion; he simply smiled bitterly to himself. The upcoming grain requisition order demanded a staggering 400 million poods of grain—a very low figure for Ukraine, once known as the "breadbasket of the Soviet Union," before the war. But now, Ukraine had only been at the end of the war for a year, with vast tracts of farmland abandoned and a severe drought looming. 400 million poods would be the final straw.

Sokov glanced at the wall clock, then said to Gulia, "Gulia, it's getting late, you should get some rest." With that, he stood up and slowly walked towards his study.

"Misha!" Asya quickly caught up, asking with concern, "Where are you going?"

Sokov stopped and turned to Asya, saying, "I'm going to my study to read for a while. If you're tired, you should get some rest."

Asya took Sokov's arm: "Let me help you over."

Sokov did not refuse; he gave a soft "hmm" and let Asya help him walk toward the study.

Entering the study, Asya helped Sokov to a chair by the desk, then turned to close the study door. She returned to Sokov, her expression serious, and asked, "Misha, is a great famine really coming?"

Asya's words reminded Sokov of a sculpture he had seen in Kiev in later years: a woman with a headscarf and a blank expression, sitting on the ground holding a dead baby. The sculpture, called "Mother," was carved from black marble to commemorate those who died in the Great Famine of 1946.

Only he and Asya were in the room. Sokov felt there was no need to hide anything, so he nodded and said in a grave tone, "That's right, Asya. Judging from the current situation, a great famine is unavoidable."

"Will people starve to death?" Asia asked cautiously. "About how many people will starve to death?"

Sokov didn't immediately answer Asya's question, but instead continued, "In the 1920s, Ukraine experienced a great famine. Although the exact death toll was kept strictly confidential, analysis of the data that has been gradually released suggests a shocking number of deaths. If a similar famine were to occur again this year, the death toll would likely be not much different."

After saying this, Sokov felt unusually irritable. He waved his hand at Asya and said impatiently, "It's getting late, you should go and get some rest."

"And what about you?"

"I'd like to read a little longer," Sokov said. "I'll take a break when I get tired."