At noon, Rokossovsky and Lukin reached a consensus on the coordinated operation between the two armies. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 After a brief lunch, Rokossovsky took Lobachev and left with them and drove back to the station.

On the way, Lobachev said to Rokossovsky with emotion: "Comrade commander, the establishment of contact with General Lukin's troops is equivalent to saying that in the future, the right flank of our army does not need to deploy too many troops for defense, and the commanders and fighters of the 19th Army will be able to make it impregnable." ”

"That's right, Comrade Military Commissar." Rokossovsky was also very happy to reach an agreement on mutual defense with Lukin, and he said with a smile: "After the two armies reach an agreement, no matter if either side is attacked, we can get support from the other side, so that we will no longer be alone in the battle." ”

"By the way, Comrade Commander." Lobachev waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, and then added: "I think we should go to the 20th Army again tomorrow and talk to the new commander, General Yershakov, about cooperation." ”

Rokossovsky, who has always been cautious, immediately agreed with Lobachev's proposal: "Yes, then we should go to General Yershakov and establish the necessary contacts with him." In this way, the left and right flanks of the army group will be able to ensure security, and we will be able to better fight the fascist aggressors. ”

When several people happily returned to the headquarters, as soon as Rokossovsky entered the door, he saw Malinin sitting at the table in a daze with a sad face, and hurriedly asked with concern: "Chief of staff, what's wrong with you?" ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's voice, Malinin woke up from his state of distraction, he quickly stood up, squeezed out a smile on his face and greeted: "Comrade commander, comrade military commissar, you are back!" ”

Rokossovsky noticed that Malinin's expression was a little abnormal, and immediately guessed that something must have happened, otherwise he would never have such a reaction, so he waved his hand and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, is there something wrong?" ”

"The front command has given us an order." Malinin said and picked up a note on the table and handed it to Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, look, this is my phone record. ”

Rokossovsky took the note from Malinin's hand with a puzzled look on his face and read it carefully. After reading the above content, he couldn't help but feel cold, this cold was not caused by the weather, but because of the cold air that came out of the bone marrow of anger, making his whole body cold from the top of his head to his heels.

Lobachev was very good at observing words and feelings, and when he saw that after Rokossovsky read the note, his face turned blue and his breathing became short, and he suddenly understood that something was wrong. He hurriedly pulled Rokossovsky's sleeve and nervously asked: "Comrade commander, what's wrong?" ”

Rokossovsky shoved the note into Lobachev's hand, and then said angrily: "General Konev approved the first part of our plan about defense, but the second part about forced retreat did not. And let's withdraw our troops in Vyazma and deploy all our troops in the area between the Vopi River and Yaltsevo. ”

"What, let's withdraw from Vyazma?" Lobachev was also taken aback when he heard Rokossovsky say this, and he hurriedly took the note in front of his eyes and carefully read it. After reading the contents of the note, he also frowned and asked in wonder: "Strange, how could General Konev give us such an order?" ”

Ma Lining said angrily: "The reason why our group army has been able to achieve a series of victories is that it has adjusted the deployment of troops and the tactics used in light of the actual situation on the battlefield. Now let us concentrate all our troops in the area between the Vopi River and Yaltsevo, which not only shortens the depth of our defenses, but also greatly reduces the maneuver space of our troops. In this way, in the face of the German offensive, we had to fight a brutal and protracted positional war with them. ”

"If we deploy all our troops in the narrow area from the Vopi River to Yaltsevo," Rokossovsky added with a serious expression, "it is tantamount to handing over the initiative on the battlefield to the Germans, and we can only stay in the existing defensive positions and be beaten passively." No, I'm going to give General Konev a call and ask what the hell is going on! ”

After Rokossovsky finished speaking, he reached for the phone on the table. He had just grasped the microphone, and before he could pick it up, a hand pressed against the back of his hand. He turned his head and saw that the owner of his hand was Lobachev, and then asked with some dissatisfaction: "Comrade Military Commissar, why don't you ask me to call the commander of the Front Army and ask what is going on?" ”

Lobachev shook his head at Rokossovsky and said: "Comrade commander, since General Konev gave such an order, even if you call to ask, he will not take it back casually. Moreover, you have also said that we can only carry out the orders given by our superiors unconditionally, not question them. ”

Hearing Lobachev say this, Rokossovsky had no choice but to let go of the microphone and said helplessly: "Okay, Comrade Military Commissar, since you say so, then we will obey the order of the Front Command, abandon the defensive positions in Vyazma and transfer all the troops to the designated area. ”

Then he turned around and instructed Malinin: "Chief of Staff, immediately call the troops stationed in Vyazma and tell them to be ready to leave in the evening and rush to the new fortified area overnight." ”

"Comrade commander," Malinin waited for Rokossovsky to finish, and reminded him: "The distance from Vyazma to Yaltsevo is not close, and even if the troops start a forced march after dark, they will not be able to reach the new defense zone before dawn." ”

"Do you have any good suggestions?" Rokossovsky asked faintly.

"We should find ways to mobilize transport vehicles to transport troops and supplies." When he heard Rokossovsky's question, he immediately replied: "In this way, not only can the burden on the commanders and fighters be reduced, but they can also be transported to the designated position in the shortest possible time." ”

"Okay, I'll take care of that." Rokossovsky guessed from Malinin's tone that he might have a whole in mind, so he confidently entrusted him with this task, "Before noon tomorrow, I will see the troops from Vyazma deployed in the new defense zone. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Ma Lining said confidently: "If you can't make a mistake, I promise to complete this arduous task." ”

Taking advantage of the fact that Malinin went to make a phone call, Lobachev asked Rokossovsky another question that he was currently facing: "Comrade commander, the attrition of our troops in the early stage of the battle was very serious, and although the higher authorities gave us a certain supplement, this supplement was almost negligible for our losses. I think we still need to rely on our own strength to replenish the soldiers we urgently need. ”

"Comrade Military Commissar," Rokossovsky had a headache when he talked about the replenishment of soldiers, knowing that the residents of nearby cities and the villagers in the collective farms in the countryside, except for those who had been evacuated to the rear, had mobilized the rest of the young and middle-aged people, and he did not know how to scatter beans into soldiers, and he really did not know where to go to collect soldiers, so he could not help but integrate the old people and children into the army, so when he heard Lobachev bring up the old story, he could not help but say in embarrassment: "Even if we want to replenish the troops, there is no place to replenish them." ”

Originally, he thought that Lobachev would retreat from the difficulties when he heard what he said, but he did not expect Lobachev to smile and say: "Comrade commander, you still don't know, there are quite a few workers in several mechanical factories and processing factories in the city who have come back one after another, and most of them are young and middle-aged, if we mobilize them to join the army, we can replenish some of the lost soldiers." ”

"Since they are factory workers," Rokossovsky's face did not show any joy, but said with a frown: "Won't recruiting them all into the army affect the resumption of work at the factory?" ”

"At this time, how can the factory still reopen." Lobachev shook his head and said: "The useful equipment in the factory was transported away one after another as early as when the Germans approached Smolensk, and now the factory is an empty shelf. With the evacuation of the factories are some leaders and production backbones, and the rest are ordinary workers, instead of letting them stay at home to drink and beat their wives, it is better to persuade them to join the army and do their part to defend the motherland. ”

"Since this is the case, then gather these as soon as possible, hold a mobilization meeting, and mobilize them to join our troops." After saying this, Rokossovsky thought for a moment, and then added: "I will go with you then." ”

Towards evening, Rokossovsky and Lobachev returned to the city of Yaltsevo. Outside the office building of the No. 1 Machinery Factory, several hundred workers from different factories gathered, and they all gathered together, nervously asking each other about what important things were going to be done when the army sent someone to inform them of the meeting.

Rokossovsky and Lobachev made their way through the crowd and came to the front of the office building. There is a rostrum more than half a person high and an area of more than ten square meters, and there are two tables on the stage, and there are several people sitting behind the tables, including officers in uniform and people in civilian clothes. Seeing that the two leaders of the group army were coming, the people on the rostrum stood up one after another and came forward to greet them.

When the workers in the audience saw a big man on the stage, they began to discuss: "Look, there is a general here, who seems to be preparing to mobilize us to join the army." ”

"What's wrong with the general?!" Someone said unconvinced: "It's not that we are going to be cannon fodder, so I won't be deceived." Anyway, even if the Germans called, I could still go into the factory and continue to work as a worker. ”

"That's right," his words immediately resonated with many people, and the people around him said in a gossipy: "If we can't defeat the German army, what's the use of us going in, and when the Germans come, we'll be all finished." ”

It was precisely because the workers' minds were very confused that after the mobilization meeting began, the speeches of several political cadres became a harp to the cow, and it had no effect at all. Seeing that the situation was not good, Lobachev quickly stood up, bypassed the table, walked to the edge of the rostrum, picked up the microphone and shouted loudly: "Comrades, fierce enemies, are approaching Yaltsevo step by step, we cannot watch them break into the city, we must purify their attempts and drive them away from here, so that they will never be able to enter my city......"

The people sitting on the rostrum thought that after Lobachev's impassioned speech, the workers would enthusiastically sign up for the army. As a result, Lobachev dried up his saliva, but the few registration points placed under the rostrum still no one cared. Instead, someone in the crowd began to heckle, and the workers standing in front of the building began to disperse one after another.

Rokossovsky originally thought that Lobachev would appear, and he didn't need to draw his own snake at all, so he always sat behind the table without saying a word. At this moment, seeing that the crowd began to disperse, he couldn't help but feel anxious, and he knew in his heart that once the people dispersed, it would not be as easy as it was now to gather them. Thinking of this, he got up and walked quickly to the edge of the rostrum, standing with Lobachev. "Comrades, comrades," he shouted to the workers who were beginning to disperse, "Comrades, please listen to me. ”

Hearing Rokossovsky's shout, the workers who were about to leave stopped and turned their heads to look at the general standing on the rostrum, wanting to hear what he would say next.

Seeing that all the workers had regained their footing, Rokossovsky raised his voice and shouted: "Comrades workers, the Germans are now on the west bank of the Woppi River, and if they go well, they will rush into Yaltsevo in half a day at most." I do not ask you to fight for the Motherland, nor do I ask you to fight for Stalin; Neither fighting for fame nor for honor, none of this has much to do with you.

When our troops could not withstand the German attack, they could move to other areas. And once the Germans storm Yaltsevo, they will loot the city where your ancestors have lived for generations, burn your houses, loot your property, and strengthen your wives and daughters. You join the army to fight this just war, not for someone else, but precisely for yourselves. ”

After Rokossovsky's words, there was a long silence in front of the office building. Just when he thought that what he had just said had no effect, suddenly a worker wearing a peaked cap rushed out of the crowd, he quickly came to the desk of a conscript, leaned down and put his hands on the table, and said to the officer sitting behind the table: "Comrade commander, I want to join the Red Army, please write my name." ”

Seeing that someone had taken the lead, the rest of the people couldn't bear it anymore, and they flocked to the recruiting officers one after another. Just a minute or two later, there was a long line of applicants at several desks. (To be continued.) )