Seeing that I was showing signs of anger, Yushchenko did not dare to sell it again, and hurriedly asked me tentatively: "Comrade General, before I answer your question, can I ask you two questions?" ”

"Captain, if you have any questions, just ask them quickly." I was impatient with his mysterious behavior.

Seeing that I had agreed to my request, Yushchenko cautiously asked: "Comrade General, what I said is if, if you are the commander of a group army and want to get acquainted with another commander of a group army that you do not know, will there be any other way besides holding meetings and coordinating operations?" ”

I frowned and thought about this question about him, and found that there was really no other way to make friends other than the two situations he mentioned. Moreover, as a commander of a group army, without the permission of his superiors, he makes friends with the commanders of friendly forces who are not subordinate to each other, which will cause unnecessary suspicion. Thinking of this, I nodded silently and agreed with what he said.

He then asked, "Moreover, even if you know the commander of another army group, can you casually enter the opponent's defense zone and check his defensive deployment?" ……”

Before Yushchenko's words were finished, I immediately guessed what he was trying to express, and I couldn't help but raise my hand and pat my forehead, and said with annoyance: "Confused, really confused!" ”

As soon as I said this, I saw Yushchenko's face flushed with shame and he closed his mouth in some embarrassment. For his reaction, I was stunned for a moment, and then I understood that he was misunderstanding me and scolding him, and quickly explained: "Comrade Captain, don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about you, but about myself. Such a simple truth, I am all reminded by you. Only then did I understand, isn't this still confused? ”

After listening to my words, Yushchenko did not speak, but smiled bitterly.

I then said what he wanted to say: "Captain Yushchenko, I understand what you mean. You are trying to tell me that this time I followed General Rokossovsky to the front line to inspect it. I had the opportunity to meet many senior commanders who I would not have known before, and to increase my network in the military. At the same time, putting forward my own unique views on the construction of forward defensive positions can also increase the sense of identity of these commanders with me. Am I right? ”

After hearing my question, Yushchenko's face finally showed a look of relief, he nodded vigorously and said affirmatively: "Yes, Comrade General. What I want to express. That's what it means. After a pause, he asked tentatively, "It's getting late, do you need something to eat?" ”

He didn't say anything, and I didn't even realize that my stomach was rumbling with hunger. As soon as he said this, he suddenly felt so hungry that he panicked and sweated profusely, and hurriedly nodded his head and urged him: "Captain, I'm really hungry." Let the guards outside get something to eat. ”

He nodded and walked to the door. A guard was called. whispered a few words to the other party. The warrior said yes and left quickly down the hallway.

Yushchenko returned to me and reported to me: "Comrade General, I have sent someone to fetch dinner. You wait a little while and you're ready to eat. ”

Anyway, we had to wait a while for dinner, so I chatted with Yushchenko: "Comrade Captain. How long do you think we can stay here and General Rokossovsky to go to the front? ”

To my question, Yushchenko thought for a moment and replied: "I estimate a week or so at most. ”

"A week?" After listening to Yushchenko's answer, I asked with interest: "I can ask." What did you base your judgment on? ”

After listening to my question, Yushchenko laughed: "Comrade General, according to the arrangement of your superiors, in mid-April, you will go to the United States with the delegation, have you forgotten?" ”

If Yushchenko hadn't mentioned going to the United States, I wouldn't have thought about it, because in addition to thinking about going to the front with Rokossovsky, I was thinking about whether Vasily's operation would be successful tomorrow.

When I think about Vasily's operation, I can't help but feel a little bit more confused. I looked up and asked Yushchenko: "Captain, do you think Vasily's operation will be successful tomorrow?" ”

After hearing this, Yushchenko first nodded, and after a while, he shook his head again, and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade General, it's hard to talk about this. Although Dr. Sergey made a statement, saying that in tomorrow's operation, he would do his best. But no matter how I look at it, I feel that when he said this, he was a little lacking in confidence. ”

While he was talking, the guard, who Yushchenko had sent to look for food, had already walked in with a tray. In addition to slices of bread, sliced sausages, and even a few steaming baked potatoes were in the tray.

After the guards had put the things on the table one by one, Yushchenko took out two bottles of Coke as if he were playing a trick and said to me proudly: "Comrade General, the comrades from the headquarters have sent us a lot of this American Coke, so you can taste it tonight." ”

I watched him cleanly remove the cap from the Coke bottle, take two teacups from the side, and prepare to pour the Coke inside. I was afraid that he would make the mistake of adding water to Coke again, so I hurriedly reminded him: "Captain, this kind of Coke is drunk directly, don't add water and sugar to it." ”

When he heard me say this, he couldn't help but be stunned. After a while, he weakly retorted: "Comrade General, but I see that the comrades in the headquarters all drink like this. ”

I snorted heavily through my nose and said, "If they drink the wrong way, why don't you follow them?" ”

"Won't it?" When Yushchenko heard me say this, he said with some disbelief: "One or two people have the wrong way to drink, and it is reasonable." But if the whole headquarters drinks like this, do you also say that they drink in the wrong way? ”

"Comrade Lieutenant," I patiently explained to Yushchenko, "there are things that are not what the majority of people think is right, they are correct. As far as I know, even some of the highest-ranking commanders drank Coke in the wrong way. This drink can be drunk without adding water or sugar. However, when drinking it in the summer, put a few ice cubes in the cola to prevent heatstroke and cool down. ”

Yushchenko saw what I was saying, so instead of pouring water into the Coke, Yushchenko took a big sip from his glass. When I saw his brows shrinking, I couldn't help but ask curiously: "Captain Yushchenko, how does it taste?" ”

He picked up the cup again, took a sip of Coke, and then replied, "Although this drink has a sweet taste, I really can't get used to it." ”

"Drink a few more times and get used to it." After I said this casually, I asked, "My superiors said they were going to send me an English teacher, but I don't know if they came here when we left." ”

Yushchenko had just put a slice of bread in his mouth when he heard my question, and replied in a panicked voice: "Comrade General, I'll go and ask." With that, he got up from his seat and walked out of the door again.

After two or three minutes, he walked over to me and sat down again. "Comrade General, I just asked the guards who stayed behind, and he said that before General Rokossovsky's men came down, a sergeant had come. The sergeant wore a pair of round-rimmed glasses and looked very gentlemanly, saying that he was an English instructor assigned to you by his superiors. Because you were not there, our warriors have sent him away to come back tomorrow. ”

Next, I asked Yushchenko and several other guards about the arrangements for food and lodging, and then turned the conversation to Kiev. I asked: "Comrade Captain, how many people are still in Kyiv in our special guard company?" ”

"There are probably seventy or so more." Yushchenko understood what I wanted to ask from my words, and quickly replied: "The weapons they are equipped with are all assault rifles, but the number of bullets is very scarce. At most one more battle, these effective ammo will be depleted. Do you think we should send a telegram to General Rybalko and ask him to order the fighters of the Special Guard Company to destroy all these weapons at the last critical moment, so that they do not fall into the hands of the Germans? ”

I thought about it, and finally shook my head and said: "No, although Kyiv is currently under siege by the German army, it will not be too dangerous for the time being." After all, the main forces of the Germans are still to be used against our heavy army group in the Kursk region, and they do not dare to draw too many forces to carry out a counterattack on Kyiv. After thinking about it, I added, "Also, after a while, the assault rifles will be massively equipped with troops, and even if the Germans capture a few and bring them back, they will not be able to complete the development and production of short-barreled bullets in a short time." ”

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved." Yushchenko spoke, finished the stack of slices of bread in front of him in a few bites, stood up and asked me: "May I leave, Comrade General?" ”

I nodded at him and said, "You go back and rest, and go to the hospital with me tomorrow." I didn't see the success of Vasily's operation, and my heart was never at ease. ”

Early the next morning, I arrived at the hospital with Yushchenko and two other guards. Just in time for Vasily to be in a wheelchair and about to be wheeled into the operating room. I hurriedly stopped the nurse of the cart, walked over and shook Vasily's hands, comforted him: "Comrade Vasily, don't be nervous, Dr. Sergey is very skilled, he will definitely succeed in removing all the pus from your eyes." I believe that it will not be long before your vision returns to normal. ”

The last time I had surgery, four or five hours had passed before I knew it, and it didn't feel like it had been long. Today, when Vasily's operation was about the same, I was so anxious that I kept walking around the operating room with my hands behind my back, hoping to see a nurse come out to get something, so I could ask her about the situation in the operating room. Unfortunately, for several hours, the door to the operating room was closed, and no one entered or exited. (To be continued......)