"Comrade Commander, do you have anything to do with him?" Maslov turned his face to look at Tang Shaohua and said, "Although I have been in the same cavalry battalion with him before, we have not been in contact for a long time due to the different branches of the army. If you really have something important, I can give him a call. ”

Tang Shaohua glanced at the corridor where subordinates walked around from time to time, hesitated for a moment, lowered his voice and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, follow me to the office, I want to have a good talk with you." ”

The lieutenant on duty, who was sitting outside the door of Rokossovsky's office, saw the army commander and the chief of staff walking side by side, and quickly stood up and stood straight behind the desk with his waist straight. He was surprised to find that the commander did not walk straight into the office, as usual, but stopped in front of him and ordered himself in a stern tone: "Comrade Lieutenant, I have important business to discuss with the Chief of Staff. During this time, no one is allowed to come in. Do you understand? ”

"Yes!" The lieutenant on duty hurriedly agreed.

After coming to the office and sitting down, Maslov asked curiously: "Comrade commander, I beg you to say that you and General Putukhin have nothing to do with each other in their work. Why are you in a hurry to find him today? ”

Tang Shaohua thought for a while and said in a calm tone as much as possible: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if I say that we will soon fight with the Germans, do you believe this? ”

"What, to fight with the Germans?" Maslov's face changed greatly, and then he lowered his voice and reminded Tang Shaohua, "Comrade Army Commander, I don't know where you heard the rumors?" ”

"Not a rumor, Comrade Chief of Staff." Tang Shaohua knew very well in his heart that if he wanted the chief of staff to be willing to help him be a messenger, he must first make him understand that the war was imminent, so that he would do his best to complete the tasks assigned to him. "What I say is the truth, based on a series of actions of the German army on the other side of the border."

"Comrade Commander," Maslov asked rhetorically with a smile on his face and a mocking tone, "did you never think that your analysis might be completely wrong?" ”

In response to Maslov's questioning, Tang Shaohua said: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I have analyzed it on the basis of information obtained from all sides, and although the results I have obtained are incredible, they are absolutely not far from the real facts. ”

Hearing Tang Shaohua say this, Maslov restrained the playful expression on his face, and asked seriously: "Comrade Army Commander, is what you said true?" Seeing Tang Shaohua nodding affirmatively, he couldn't help but hold his head in his hands and said in a loud voice: "My God, my God, this is simply incredible, the Germans actually want to fight on two fronts at the same time." ”

"Nothing is impossible, my comrade chief of staff." Tang Shaohua saw that although Maslov was still a little skeptical of everything he said, his attitude was no longer as resolute as just now, so he hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "Before the Germans attack us, I think it is necessary for us to take some measures to reduce the losses in the early stage of the war. ”

Maslov removed his hands from his forehead, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Comrade Commander, although I still have some doubts about everything you said, as your alumni and comrade-in-arms, I am willing to help you. Say, what are you going me to say to General Putukhin? ”

"It's simple, Comrade Chief of Staff." Seeing that Maslov was willing to help him, Tang Shaohua's heart was ecstatic, but he still tried to say in a calm tone: "I would like to ask you to call General Putukhin and ask him to order the Air Force to shoot down those reconnaissance planes that crossed the national border, and to inform the commanders of those airfields close to the national border not to line up our fighters closely along the runway. At such a density, not to mention being bombed by enemy planes, even if a monkey throws a grenade, it can reimburse all our planes. ”

Maslov used the confidential phone on his desk to dial the commander of the Air Force of the Military District, General Putukhin. As luck would have it, it was Putukhin himself who answered the phone. Hearing Maslov's voice, he immediately smiled and said: "Hello, dear Alexei Gavrilovich! It seems that since you were transferred to Rokossovsky's mechanized corps as chief of staff, the two of us have not seen each other again. How did you remember to call me today, is there anything going on? ”

Maslov glanced at Tang Shaohua on the other side and said, "Hello, Comrade General. I am calling you today because Comrade Rokossovsky has a few words that I want to convey to you. ”

When Putukhin heard his old friend say this, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What does he want to say?" ”

"Comrade Rokossovsky said that according to all indications, the Germans may launch an offensive against us in the near future." Maslov stubbornly relayed to Putukhin what Tang Shaohua said, "He suggested that the Air Force shoot down those reconnaissance planes that crossed the national border. At the same time, in order to prevent the German army from sending the air force to destroy our fighters on the ground in the early stage of the war, we should let the airfields close to the national border evacuate the planes, and do not line up our fighters closely next to the runway. ”

After waiting for Maslov to finish speaking, Putukhin sighed and said: "Comrade Maslov, you may not know that at the military meeting the day before yesterday, I reported to the commander that German reconnaissance planes had crossed the national border many times and penetrated deep into the hinterland of our country to conduct reconnaissance. When I asked him for permission to shoot down all the planes that crossed the border, he denied it. He said that the order given to us by the General Staff was that it was absolutely not permissible to shoot down the Germans' reconnaissance planes, so as not to provoke the Germans and provoke their armed provocations. At the same time, he also told me that in addition to normal training and patrols, the Air Force must obtain permission from the leadership of the military region to use any aircraft. ”

When Tang Shaohua heard this, he knew that Putukhin, as the commander of the Air Force, also had limited rights, and now he could only settle for the next best thing, choosing to evacuate the planes and save as many fighters as possible. So he moved closer to Maslov and whispered: "Comrade Chief of Staff, please tell General Putukhin that even if you can't shoot down the German reconnaissance planes casually, you must evacuate the planes at the airport, even if only on weekends every week." ”

Before Maslov could speak, Putukhin had already heard what Tang Shaohua said. He immediately retorted: "No, Comrade Maslov, please tell Rokossovsky that the way he said is not allowed by the regulations. I'm sorry, but I can't grant any of your requests. Good bye! After saying that, he hung up the phone without hesitation.

Tang Shaohua fell back into his chair, the strength of his body seemed to be drained all at once, and his eyes looked ahead in a daze without focus.

After Maslov put down the phone, he saw Tang Shaohua leaning on the back of his chair in a daze, so he asked carefully: "Comrade commander, if you have nothing to do, I will go back first, I still have a lot of work to do." ”

"Thank you, Comrade Chief of Staff." Tang Shaohua waved at him and said to Maslov in disappointment in an indescribable tone: "Although General Putukhin does not believe your words, we have just done everything, and the rest is left to fate." ”

Maslov nodded, stood up and saluted Tang Shaohua, turned around and walked out of the office with firm steps.

After Maslov had left for a long time, Tang Shaohua still sat motionless in his position, he knew in his heart that although he had tried hard and tried his best, history still continued to develop according to a fixed trajectory, and there was no deflection because of his arrival.