When Sokov got into the car, he saw Asia in his carriage, so he handed her the paper bag in his hand and said, "Asia gives you this, you leave two, and all the rest will be distributed to the wounded."
Asia took the paper bag, took the light from the carriage lights, looked inside, and asked in surprise: "Misha, where did you get the apple?"
"The station army representative gave it." Sokov said this and looked around. He found that his carriage was not too crowded, so he pulled Asia to sit down in a corner and asked with concern: "Are you tired of marching these two days?"
Asia thought about Sokov's question, then nodded and said, "A little bit. But I've gotten used to it for a long time. By the way, when will we reach our destination?"
"It's hard to say." If we were to leave Kursk, Sokov could still give a rough date for Asia's question. But after today's incident, he found that there were too many uncertainties and could only say vaguely: "We have to take a train to Kazan, and then take a transport ship from Kazan from Volga River Fleet to Stalingrad. The time is about half a month to one month. Of course, this is still relatively optimistic, otherwise it will not be available for two months."
Sokov's words surprised Asia. She asked curiously: "It's only more than a thousand kilometers from Moscow to Stalingrad. We take trains and transport ships to get there. Even if the speed is slow, we can still get there in a month. Why do you say that it may not be possible for two months?"
Sokov said helplessly: "Asia, you don't know, the capacity is tight now. I am very worried that after we arrive in Moscow, we can find a train to Kazan, let alone a transport ship for the Volga region fleet."
"No," Asia leaned close to Sokov's ear and asked in confusion: "Didn't Comrade General Staff have arranged transportation for us? Are you still worried about any accident?"
Sokov turned his head and looked at Asia and asked back, "Asia, do you know why we were going back to Moscow by train instead of the truck convoy that had been agreed in advance?"
After hearing this question, Asia frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know, why?"
"Because when our troops arrived here, the truck convoy prepared by our superiors had been transferred to perform other tasks." Sokov thought that Asia was not an outsider, so he told her in detail what happened in the city today.
After listening to Sokov's story, Asia was scared into a cold sweat. She grabbed Sokov's arm tightly and said excitedly: "Misha, you said you pointed the gun at the officer on duty at the garrison headquarters. Is this true?" Seeing Sokov nodding and admitting, she became more and more nervous, "Misha, you are a commander, how can you be so impulsive? What should the troops do if something happens to you? What should I do?"
Sokov heard her concern for herself from Asia's tone, and then reached out to her shoulder and said softly: "Asia, don't worry, I have a sense of responsibility. If I didn't do this at the time, the commanders and soldiers of the entire brigade would have to walk back to Moscow. You also know that the proportion of new recruits in our brigade is large. If they were allowed to walk more than 500 kilometers again after completing more than 100 kilometers of march, it would inevitably cause a considerable non-combat reduction. Even... deserters may appear."
"A deserter appeared?" Asia repeated the word and asked in surprise: "Is it really that serious?"
"That's right." Sokov nodded and said affirmatively: "Before we set off, many new soldiers were unwilling to leave their homes, which caused the morale of the army to be shaken. If our march was too difficult this time, the unstable factors that were finally suppressed would rekindle again, and it would not be so easy to clean up the mess."
The two sat in the corner and chatted in a low voice. As they were chatting, Sokov suddenly found that Asia had no sound. He turned his head and found that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He quickly adjusted his sitting position and let Asia rest his head on his legs so that he could sleep more comfortably.
At dawn, the army entered the Kursk Railway Station in Moscow. Because Sokov had maintained a fixed position for too long, when the troops started to get off the train, he couldn't stand up. Seeing his embarrassed look, Asia chuckled, and then called two soldiers to help help Sokov out of the army.
There are nine train stations in Moscow. The troops were going to Kazan, so they were definitely not transferring in this train station. So after getting off the train, Sokov asked the station's military representatives and found out that they were going to Yaroslav Railway Station, where there was a train to Kazan.
However, when Sokov led his troops to Yaroslav Railway Station, the military representatives at the station were not there, and they were the deputy stationmasters. When they heard that Sokov and his friends were going to Kazan, the deputy stationmaster shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the army line to Kazan has been full. If you start queuing now, it will be your turn in about forty-five days."
When Sokov heard the deputy webmaster say this, his hand couldn't help but put it on the gun holster around his waist. He wanted to pull the gun and knock the deputy webmaster out of the air. His troops were going to Kazan, but it would have to wait a month and a half later. Fortunately, Belkin found Sokov's, and grabbed his hand, and asked the deputy webmaster with a smile: "Comrade Deputy Webmaster, our transfer was arranged by the Supreme Command, and we were asked to rush to Kazan as soon as possible. Can you think of a solution?"
The deputy stationmaster didn't know that he had walked in front of the gate of hell, and said to Belkin in an official voice: "Comrade of the deputy battalion-level political commissar, the dispatch of the military line was arranged by his superiors, and I have no right to change it. I advise you to go back and wait for a month and a half before coming." After that, he turned around and left.
"Comrade Brigade Commander, what should we do now?" After the deputy stationmaster walked away, Belkin let go of Sokov's hand and asked helplessly: "You can't really wait here for a month and a half, right?"
"If you don't want to wait, there is another way." Sokov looked at Belkin and said in a muffled voice: "Let our commanders and soldiers walk to Kazan. It's not far anyway, only more than 700 kilometers. Our soldiers should be able to reach their destination within half a month, just as we have to do a long-distance training."
Belkin knew that Sokov was talking angry that the infantry brigade, which had so many new recruits, marched more than 700 kilometers in half a month, and the troops were not dragged down yet? He smiled bitterly and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, now is not the time to complain. Think about it carefully, is there any other way we can do?"
Sokov thought for a while and then said, "Or what if I call Comrade General Staff, tell him about our situation, and ask him to arrange an army for us."
After the two reached an agreement on their opinions, Sokov found a telephone number in the station office and called the switchboard of the General Staff. However, after a female operator's voice came from the receiver, Sokov said politely: "Hello, please help me to pick up the office of General Wasseylevsky, the Chief of Staff."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the other party said coldly: "I'm sorry, you are using a civilian line and cannot talk to important military units." After that, he hung up the phone without giving Sokov a chance to defend himself.
Sokov held the microphone with a blind voice, looked at Belkin, and said laughing and crying: "Comrade Political Commissar, the switchboard will not help us repost the phone."
Berkin reached out to Sokov and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, give me the microphone, I'll try it."
Belkin's attempt soon ended in failure again. The female operator was unwilling to connect to the Chief of Staff's office for them. After two consecutive calls, the operator might have cut off the line on their side and even the switchboard could not be connected.
The two stood in the office and looked at each other. Belkin put the microphone back on the base of the telephone and asked Sokov with a sad face: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what should we do now? Should we really wait for 45 days to come again?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, do you have any friends in the city?" As soon as Sokov said, he realized that he was not expressing it accurately enough and quickly added: "I mean, do you have any friends in the army? Are you in Moscow now? Since we cannot get through the General Staff, we can only think of other solutions."
Berkin shook his head and said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, although there are generals among my friends, they are now fighting on the front line and are not in Moscow at all. It is impossible to seek help from them." Seeing that Berkin was helpless, Sokov walked back and forth in the house with his hands behind his back, thinking about who to find to solve the problem of the army.
"Comrade Brigade Commander, if I remember correctly, you are a Moscow." Belkin walked Sokov back and forth around the house, holding a hint of luck and asked, "Do you have any friends that can help us?"
When Belkin mentioned his friend, a familiar name suddenly popped up in Sokov's mind. He immediately stopped and turned to Belkin and said, "Thank you, Comrade Political Commissar."
Sokov's mindless words made Belkin confused. He asked in confusion: "Comrade Brigade Commander, what can you thank me?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, you reminded me. I really have a friend in this city who can talk directly with Huasilevsky. I will contact him now." After that, Sokov walked to the table, picked up the phone and started dialing.
As soon as the phone was heard, Sokov said to the microphone: "Hello, please help me find Yakov Jugashvili! Please tell him that my name is Sokov, and I just came back from the front line."
After a moment, Yakov's voice came from the receiver: "Hello Misha! I am Yakov, where are you?"
"Hello, Yakov!" Sokov felt relaxed immediately after hearing Yakov's voice: "I am now at Yaroslav Railway Station in Moscow."
"Damn, why don't I know when you have returned to Moscow?" Yakov said excitedly when he learned that Sokov had returned to Moscow, "I'll send a car to pick you up immediately."
"No need, Yakov." Seeing that Yakov was so enthusiastic, Sokov quickly explained his situation to him: "I led the troops to Moscow to transfer to Kazan. But the deputy stationmaster of Yaroslav Railway Station told me that the current army was full, and we would wait 45 days at the earliest before we could arrange for us to take the bus to Kazan."
"Just kidding, let you wait for 45 days in Moscow. The deputy station manager of this station should be able to drag it out and shoot it." Yakov continued, "Is there anything I can help you?"
"Yakov, this is the case. Our transfer order was arranged by Chief of General Staff Wassevsky. I learned that I could not leave Moscow as soon as possible. I originally wanted to call to report the situation to him, but the operator of the General Staff was unwilling to connect with the Chief of General Staff's office for me." Sokov asked tentatively: "Yakov, can you help me?"
After hearing Sokov's question, Yakov was silent for a moment, and then said, "Okay, Misha, I'll help you. I'll call General Vasilevsky now, and I believe someone will come to deal with this matter soon."
After hanging up the phone, Sokov said to Belkin with a relaxed look on his face: "Okay, comrade of the political commissar, it won't take long before someone will come to the train to help us coordinate the military affairs."
Belkin looked at Sokov and asked in a suspicious tone: "Comrade Brigade Commander, your friend has such great ability to call Comrade General Staff directly?"
"Others may not do it, but he can." Sokov was unwilling to reveal Yakov's identity, but just said vaguely: "Let's just sit here and wait. I believe the superiors will send someone to deal with this matter as soon as possible."
After about forty minutes, several soldiers came in from outside the office. Seeing that a major general was walking in front, Sokov and Belkin could not sit still, so they quickly stood up and saluted each other. After the general returned the salute, he looked at Sokov and asked tentatively: "Are you Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, the commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade?"
"Yes, comrade General! I am Sokov." Sokov looked at the average general and asked respectfully, "I don't know what I should call you?"
"I am Major General Antonov, Deputy Minister of the Operations Department of the General Staff." The general replied: "I am here to solve the military problems for you under the order of Comrade Chief of Staff."
The name Antonov may be very common to Berkin. But to Sokov, it is well-known. The general in front of him is the future chief of staff of the Soviet army. He quickly stood at attention, raised his hand to salute again, and said respectfully: "Hello, General Antonov, I am very happy to know you!"
Chapter completed!