"Tell me, comrade warrior." Xie Weilian sat at the wooden table, looked at the terrified soldier in front of him and asked, "Why did you kill the first battalion commander and his two soldiers?" ”

"Comrade brigade commander, you have been wronged." The fighter cried out in panic: "I didn't kill, I assure Comrade Stalin that I definitely didn't shoot, not the one I killed." ”

Xie Weilian turned his head and glanced at the fourth battalion commander who was sitting on the side, and saw that there was an embarrassed expression on his face, so he turned his head and continued to ask: "Since you didn't kill the person, who killed it?" At this point, he noticed that the soldier's eyes were flickering, as if he was thinking about how to make up nonsense, so he slammed the table and said loudly, "Is it the gun fired by Corporal Gasang, hurry up and tell me honestly!" ”

The timid warrior was startled by the sound of the table slapping and almost knelt directly in front of Severian. He hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, it was Corporal Gasang who shot alone." ”

After confirming that the murderer who fired the shot was the missing Gasang, Xie Weilian began to understand the reason for the shooting: "Comrade soldier, can you tell me why Gasang shot and killed the commander of the first battalion?" ”

"Comrade brigade commander, here's the thing." The warrior said tremblingly: "After we occupied the town, Corporal Gasang said that there was nothing to do anyway, and he wanted to take us all out for a walk. Passing by a shop, the corporal led us in to find something that would normally come in handy......

On the way out, we happened to meet an officer passing by with two soldiers, and when he saw us coming out of the store with our things in our arms, he ordered us to put our things back. Corporal Gasang refused, and the two got into an argument on the street. The soldier secretly glanced up at Xie Weilian, and said weakly: "Corporal Gasang accidentally shot off and killed a battalion commander. ”

"Nonsense." When the fourth battalion commander heard this, he was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table, pointed at his subordinates and said angrily: "If you say that you killed a battalion commander, you can also explain it with a gun that goes off." Then why did he shoot and kill the two fighters who followed the commander of the first battalion? ”

The words of the fourth battalion commander immediately left the soldier speechless. Anyone with a little common sense knows that it is really a mistake to kill someone, as long as you tie your hands and catch it, you may be able to deal with it lightly. But after he went off and killed people, he actually shot and killed two soldiers who followed the commander of a battalion, and this nature changed, even if he was shot ten times, it would not be too much.

After a moment of silence, Xie Weilian then asked, "Do you know where Corporal Gasang fled?" ”

"I don't know." The warrior shook his head like a rattle and replied, "When he saw that he had killed someone, he was a little out of order." Private Rai told him to flee immediately, saying that if he didn't leave, he would be shot on the spot if he was caught. ”

Hearing this, Xie Weilian turned his head to look at the fourth battalion commander and instructor who were standing aside. Without waiting for him to speak, the fourth battalion commander nodded and walked out of the command post quickly. After two or three minutes, he took two warriors with him and brought in Private Rai from outside.

"Rai," Xie Weilian asked in a stern tone as he stared at the tall and thin warrior, "Since you saw Corporal Gasang killing people, you didn't stop it, and let him escape, are you guilty?" ”

In the face of Severian's questioning, Rai remained silent, just looking down at his toes. Seeing his reaction, the instructor leaned close to Severian's ear and whispered, "Comrade Brigade Commander, this Rai and the escaped Gasang are from the same village. ”

"Rai, do you know what crime a subordinate kills a superior commander?" After learning about the relationship between Rai and Gasan, Xie Weilian thought of a way to pry the other party's mouth open: "Once he is caught, he will be shot immediately, not to mention, and his accomplices will get the same fate." ”

Hearing this, Rai glanced up at Severian and muttered, "I'm not his accomplice. ”

"You didn't stop Gasang when he shot and killed someone. And after he killed someone, not only did you not persuade him to surrender to his superiors, but encouraged him to escape. Xie Weilian snorted coldly and said to Rai, "With just two, I can make you his accomplice." It's up to you whether you want to stay in the army or be shot like Gasan. ”

Although Rai and Gasang are from the same village, they usually have a good relationship. But if he put his life into it because of Gasan's mistakes, Rai would not want to. He hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "Comrade Colonel, if I tell the whereabouts of Gasan, will it be able to alleviate my guilt?" ”

"In this way, it depends on whether the information you provide will be useful for us to capture Gasang who is on the run." Seeing that Rai was relieved and knew that there was hope for understanding this unsolved case, Xie Weilian pretended to be casual and said: "If Gasanken pleads guilty, I promise you that you will never be pursued again." ”

After receiving Severian's assurance, Rai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Not long after Gasang escaped, he returned to the camp and secretly asked me about the situation. I told him that no one was looking after the matter. But he was still not at ease, and said that he would find a place to hide for the time being, and then return to the army after the rumors passed. ”

"Where he's hiding, you know?" The fourth battalion commander asked sharply.

"Yes." Rai shuddered, and replied with some nervousness, "In a basement north of the city, we accidentally discovered it during the battle. It was supposed to be a hiding place for some German resident, with plenty of food and water stored in it, enough for half a month. ”

"Fourth battalion commander!" After waiting for Rai to finish speaking, Xie Weilian immediately ordered the fourth battalion commander: "You immediately take a platoon of people and rush to the north of the city to capture Gasang." In addition, it is the defense area of the second battalion, and I will immediately call the commander of the second battalion and ask him to send someone to assist you in the arrest operation. ”

The commander of the fourth battalion, who received the order, immediately ordered people to find a place to detain all the soldiers in the Gasang class, and prepared to dispose of them after they captured Gasang.

And Severian returned to the brigade command post and reported to Panov by phone: "Comrade Army Commander, after investigation, we should find out the truth about the murder of the commander of the first battalion. ”

When Panov heard him say this, he couldn't help but interject and ask: "Was it the assassination carried out by German agents?" ”

"No, Comrade Commander." In order to prevent Panov from having a wrong contact, Severian hurriedly reported to him the truth of what he knew, and finally said: "I have sent someone to arrest the murderer of the first battalion commander, and I believe that it will not be long before news comes." ”

"If you catch it, shoot it on the spot." As soon as Panov waited for Severian to finish speaking, he immediately said in an unquestionable tone: "We must not be merciful to such bad elements. ”