The condolence performance was scheduled to start at seven o'clock in the evening, but when Rokossovsky was packing up his things and preparing to leave the office, the high-frequency phone on the desk suddenly rang. He grabbed the microphone and put it to his ear and said loudly: "I'm Rokossovsky, where are you?" ”

Antonov's voice came from the earpiece: "Hello, Comrade Marshal, I'm Antonov. ”

"Oh, it's Comrade Chief of the General Staff." Hearing that it was Antonov who called, Rokossovsky first thanked him: "I heard that Aleksandrov's Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe was sent to us by you, and on behalf of all the commanders and fighters of the Second Belorussian Front, I would like to express my gratitude to you!" ”

"Comrade Marshal, there is no need to say words of thanks." Antonov said dryly: "I called you because something special happened." ”

"Something special?" When Rokossovsky heard Antonov say this, he couldn't help but chuckle in his heart, feeling that it was definitely not a good thing, but he tried his best to ask in a calm tone: "Comrade Chief of the General Staff, can you tell me what happened?" ”

"Comrade Marshal, I just returned from the office of the Supreme Commander himself half an hour ago." Antonov said with some embarrassment: "The decision has just been made to launch a final assault on Berlin at the beginning of April. According to his meaning, Katukov's 1st Guards Tank Army should have become the first of our army to enter Berlin. ”

As soon as Antonov's words were finished, Rokossovsky blurted out: "What do you mean by being in charge, are you going to transfer Katukov's troops from us?" "The Kremlin and the General Staff like to privately call Stalin the head of the house, and Rokossovsky likes this title very much, at least more affectionately than the Supreme Commander himself.

"That's right, Comrade Marshal, that's what it means to be in charge." Antonov continued: "Taking into account the time required for the build-up and replenishment of troops, General Katukov's tank army should be returned to Marshal Zhukov in five to seven days at most, so that this force could be the first to storm Berlin. ”

Rokossovsky waited for Antonov to finish speaking, and then he was silent for a while before he asked: "Comrade Chief of the General Staff, does Marshal Zhukov know about this?" ”

"Yes!"

"What does he think about this?"

"Marshal Zhukov said that it will take at least ten days for the tank army to return from the existing area of operations, reassemble and replenish." Antonov replied: "Therefore, Katukov's troops must be returned within a week." ”

Rokossovsky put down the phone, sat in his position and thought quietly, now that the battle has reached a critical juncture, although the German army's resistance is only a lasting, but if Katukov's tank army is transferred, it is equivalent to taking a salary from the bottom of the kettle, giving the German army a chance to breathe, and will make the troops pay a heavier price in the next battle.

He had the heart to call Zhukov to discuss the delay in the return of the tank army, but after thinking about it: Zhukov is too stubborn, as long as it is a matter of recognition, nine cows will not be able to pull it back, not to mention that this matter is personally instructed by the Supreme Commander himself, and it is even more difficult to convince the other party than to ascend to the sky.

Rokossovsky sat at his desk, smoking a cigarette sullenly, and when his hand reached for the cigarette case to take out another cigarette, he realized that the cigarette had been smoked and the ashtray on the table was full of cigarette butts. Just as Rokossovsky got up to call the colonel outside the door to help him get another pack of cigarettes, the phone on the desk rang.

The call was from Deputy Commander Trubnikov, who, seeing that Rokossovsky had not shown up for a long time, had prevented the performance from starting on time, so he took the initiative to call the headquarters and urged Rokossovsky to hurry to the theater: "Comrade Marshal, why are you still in the office?" Comrade Aleksandrov said that if you do not come, tonight's performance will not begin. ”

After such a reminder from Trubnikov, Rokossovsky immediately remembered that tonight was a condolence performance of the Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe, and if he did not show up, with Alexandrov's character, the performance might be postponed indefinitely. You must know that there are hundreds of commanders above the regimental level in the theater today, and if you delay it for too long, it will lead to unsafe factors. He hurriedly replied: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I will rush over immediately. ”

Although Rokossovsky did not want to make a big show, when he set off, the officers in charge of his security work arranged a medium jeep full of soldiers in front of and behind his car. The motorcade came to the entrance of the theater, and as soon as the car stopped, Trubnnikov trotted out of the theater, personally helped Rokossovsky open the door, and reported to him: "Comrade Marshal, the conductors participating in the performance have arrived, and as soon as you arrive, the performance can begin." ”

"I'm sorry, Comrade Deputy Commander." Rokossovsky apologized to Trubnikov for being late and having to back the show: "Something happened temporarily, so it was delayed." I'm sorry to keep you waiting here. ”

"Please, Comrade Marshal." Trubnikov knew that Rokossovsky had nothing important to do and would never be late, so he said reasonably: "I think everyone can understand why you are late." ”

The two walked into the theater, and the fighters on duty on the stairs or corridors came forward to salute. Entering the theater, the conductors at all levels, who had already been seated, noticed Rokossovsky's arrival, and also got up from their seats and saluted him. It wasn't until Rokossovsky walked to the first row and sat down that they re-seated.

After Su Bojing waited for Rokossovsky to sit down, he asked in a low voice: "Comrade Marshal, why are you so late?" ”

"I'm sorry, Comrade Military Commissar." Rokossovsky shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "Before leaving, I received an important phone call, and then I thought about something, so I delayed." ”

Su Bojing asked curiously: "Is it still for the 65th Army and the Tank Army to fight for the road?" ”

"No, it's something else." Rokossovsky shook his head and replied, "The show is about to start, so I'll tell you more about it when I get back." ”

As the red curtain slowly opened, Rokossovsky saw that the stage was already full of people. In the middle of the stage stood a dead row of men in black uniforms, who looked like chorists, and the band sat in front of them. A heroic female soldier walked quickly to the microphone in the middle of the stage, and after raising her hand to salute the commanders present, she did not say any clichés, but directly began to announce the curtain: "The first program, the song "Holy War", lyrics: Kumachi, composer: Alexandrov, singing: Red Banner Song and Dance Troupe Men's Choir. ”

As soon as the melody was remembered, Rokossovsky stood up without hesitation, because he knew very well in his heart that this song, which had inspired the military and civilians of the whole country to fight tenaciously against the invaders during the war years, had the reputation of "second national anthem" in later generations, even if the Soviet Union did not exist in the end, but when the music of this song sounded, all Russians would stand up and pay tribute to this great work!

Therefore, Rokossovsky took the lead today, and was the first to stand up when the music sounded. When Subotin, Trubnnikov and others saw Rokossovsky get up, they also stood up. Seeing that the highest-ranking commander had already gotten up, the commanders sitting behind him also did the same, and they also stood up one after another.

When the blood-pumping song was over, Rokossovsky and the others sat down again. Su Bojing, who was still in a state of excitement, suddenly remembered something, so he lowered his voice and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, I heard that when the Third Front attacked Königsberg, it was unable to break through the enemy's defenses because of the enemy's stubborn resistance. At this moment, an armored car equipped with an audio system rushed quickly towards the enemy from our position, and played this song through the car speaker, and the fighters, who had been suppressed by the enemy's fire, got up from the ground one after another, shouted 'Ula', bravely rushed forward, and broke through the German defense line in one fell swoop......"

To Rokossovsky, what Su Bojing said was more like a joke, but it also reminded him of a man who had almost forgotten, and he leaned towards Su Bojing so that he could get closer: "Comrade Military Commissar, do you know how Shura is doing now? ”

"Shura?!" Su Bojing repeated the name and said with some confusion: "I seem to have heard this name somewhere before." ”

"Shura is the younger brother of the heroine Zoya." Rokossovsky saw that Subotin did not remember Shura at all, so he reminded him: "The tank company that first rushed to Elbin was Shura's company, but his tank broke down in the middle of the road, so he did not take part in the battle in Elbin." Later, because he took the wrong path, he joined the Third Front. ”

"Oh, oh, it's him." After such a reminder from Rokossovsky, Su Bojing immediately remembered who Shura was. He was silent for a moment, and then replied: "When I return later, I will inquire with General Makarov, the military commissar of the Third Front, and maybe he knows about Shura." ”

Rokossovsky and Subokhin kept their eyes glued to the stage as they spoke. After the second song was sung, the female soldier came out again to announce the curtain, and she said in a voice as crisp as a lark: "Next show, Cossack saber dance ......"

"The saber dance is about to begin." When Su Bojing heard that the next show was a saber dance, he hurriedly coughed and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, if there is anything, let's talk about it after the performance is over." ”

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