Stalin's chief of guard had long heard about Rokossovsky's imminent transfer. Although the others were chatting with Boskorebeshev, they were always watching the movement in the house. As soon as he heard the door, he immediately stopped talking, turned his head to look at the door, and saw Rokossovsky, whose face was full of grief and indignation, coming out of it.

After throwing a sympathetic glance at the other party, the chief of the guard got up to meet him and said politely to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Marshal, your accommodation has been arranged, and I will arrange for someone to send you there." ”

Rokossovsky waved his hand and asked weakly: "Comrade General, let go of the matter of returning to your residence." Do you know where Marshal Zhukov is? ”

"He should be in the General Staff." The chief guard handed Rokossovsky back to him as he spoke, and asked tentatively, "Do you need me to come with you?" ”

"No need." Rokossovsky waved his hand and staggered out, he now couldn't wait to see Zhukov and have a good chat with him.

When Rokossovsky walked out of the office, the chief of the guard found that his military coat was still hanging on the coat rack, and quickly took off the coat and chased after him.

Boskoryshev silently watched what was happening in front of him, and his heart was full of sympathy for Rokossovsky. At this moment, the telephone on the desk rang, he picked up the receiver and put it to his ear, and immediately heard Stalin's voice coming from inside: "Yes, Comrade Pos Krebeshev, Rokossovsky is gone?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Poskorebeshev said respectfully: "He went to the General Staff with your chief of guard. ”

"Oh," Stalin asked slowly on the phone, "and what was his expression like when he went out?" ”

Pos Krebeshev recalled Rokossovsky's reaction at the time, and then replied: "The mood does not look high, a little lost." ”

"I see." After Stalin said something blandly, he hung up.

Rokossovsky, who was in a trance, walked forward along the corridor one foot deep and one foot shallow, and the people passing by in the corridor were just some shaking shadows in his eyes, and he couldn't tell who the other party was at all, but walked towards the office of the General Staff by feeling. And the captain of the guard, who was holding the military coat, was worried that something would happen to him, so he could only follow him step by step.

The chief of operations, Shtemenko, was standing in the corridor, explaining things to an officer, and when he saw that something was wrong with Rokossovsky, who came over, he hurriedly said to the officer: "You go and get busy first!" After sending off the officer, he greeted Rokossovsky and asked with concern: "Comrade Marshal, what's wrong with you?" ”

But Rokossovsky could not hear anything and continued to move forward. The chief of the guard, who was following him, leaned close to Shtemenko's ear and whispered to him: "The appointment was officially announced to him today, and then it became like this. ”

What the chief of the guard said, Shtemenko, as one of the insiders, naturally knew what it meant. He asked with some concern, "How long has he been like this?" ”

The chief of the guard looked left and right, and although he saw that there were no outsiders in the corridor, he still lowered his voice and said, "From the old man."

Rokossovsky's gaffe frightened Shtemenko, and he asked a little nervously: "Then do you know where he is going?" ”

The chief guard first shook his head, then nodded, and said: "When he came out of the old man's office, he was still quite conscious, so he asked Marshal Zhukov where he was. I said in the General Staff, and he came straight over. ”

Fortunately, Rokossovsky walked to the door of the General Staff and stopped. The staff officers who were busy inside immediately stopped what they were doing, straightened up and stood in place to salute him. Rokossovsky ignored the officers and went straight into Antonov's office and sat down on the couch by the door. Shtemenko and the chief of the guard walked in after him, staring at him nervously, still wondering if he should find a doctor to see him.

After sitting on the sofa for a while, Rokossovsky gradually came to his senses, and as soon as he looked up and saw Shtemenko and the chief of the guard standing in front of him, he asked them: "Where is Marshal Zhukov?" ”

"The marshal and the chief of the General Staff are not in the General Staff." After answering Rokossovsky's question, Shtemenko did not wait for him to ask any more, and continued: "They went to inspect the reserve troops, and they may not be able to return until tomorrow." ”

Shtemenko thought that Rokossovsky would be furious when he heard this, so he glanced at the chief of the guard, ready to work together to subdue him when the other party lost control of his emotions. After hearing this, Rokossovsky just nodded slightly, looked at Shtemenko and asked: "Is there any smoke?" ”

"What?" Seeing that Rokossovsky not only did not react aggressively, but was still looking for himself to smoke cigarettes, Shtemenko hurriedly asked a question to make sure that he had heard correctly: "Comrade Marshal, what do you want, cigarettes?" Seeing Rokossovsky nod in confirmation, he hurriedly took out the cigarette case from his coat pocket and handed it over.

Rokossovsky took the cigarette case, took a cigarette from it and lit it, and thought quietly as he smoked. At this moment his mood had gradually calmed down, and he was transferred to the Second Front, leaving the honor of seizing Berlin to Zhukov, the most prestigious commander of the Red Army, which had long since happened. I've done everything I need to do, but I still can't change this established history. Since it is something that you have been mentally prepared for, when it actually happens, what do you have to be upset about?

He sat on the couch, cigarette after cigarette. When he was no longer worried about not being able to command the First Belorussian Front, he reached for the cigarette case, only to find that the dozen or so cigarettes in it had been smoked by himself. He raised his head and looked at Shtemenko, and said with some embarrassment: "I'm sorry, Comrade Minister of War, I finished your cigarettes. ”

Seeing that Rokossovsky spoke clearly, Shtemenko couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart, and hurriedly laughed and said: "It's okay, let's finish smoking, I'll go out and buy it later." By the way, Comrade Marshal, do you still smoke? I'll help you get some. ”

Shtemenko's words reminded Rokossovsky of a friend who lived in Russia before saying that Russians like to smoke not only alcohol, but also smoke, and sometimes when walking on the road, you can meet people who come up to you for cigarettes, men and women, young and old. This is simply unthinkable at home, but in Russia it is perfectly normal.

"Thank you, Comrade Chief of Operations, I have smoked enough." Rokossovsky stood up and waved his hand at Shtemenko, apologetically: "I have caused trouble for you by recklessly breaking into here." After speaking, he cast his eyes on the chief of the guard, "Comrade General, please send someone to take me back to my residence!" ”

When the chief of the guard heard Rokossovsky say this, he immediately felt like he had been amnestied, and hurriedly turned his body to the side, made a gesture of invitation, and said politely: "Comrade Marshal, please come with me, and I will take you back to your residence." ”