I couldn't help but be overjoyed to see my former subordinates reappear in front of me, and I couldn't help but stretch out my hands and grab his arm, shaking it vigorously, and at the same time excitedly said: "It's you, Captain Yushchenko." ”

Yushchenko's face also showed a knowing smile, and he replied: "Yes, Comrade Division Commander, I didn't expect that after such a long time, we would meet again. As he said this, his gaze swept over my collar badge, and the smile on his face became even brighter, "Comrade Division Commander, congratulations on regaining the rank of general. ”

I dragged him to the table and sat down, and I was surprised at his presence, why would my superiors send my former guards all the way here. In order to find out what was going on, I asked Yushchenko curiously, "Comrade Captain, who sent you to Mamayev Gang?" ”

To my question, Yushchenko gave Kirillov a few wary glances, and then cautiously replied: "Comrade division commander, it was General Bezikov himself who sent us here. ”

After listening to Yushchenko's explanation, I learned that they were sent by my old friend Bezkov, and at the same time I felt that he was now also prosperous, and he was actually promoted from colonel to general, knowing that in the Central Guard Regiment, it is much more difficult to be promoted from colonel to major general than in combat units.

I hurriedly introduced Yushchenko to Kirillov: "Political commissar, deputy division commander and chief of staff, let me introduce to you that this Captain Yushchenko from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was the commander of the guard company when I was the commander of the 8th Guards Division, from now on. He officially became a member of our Red Banner Independent Division. ”

Yushchenko: When I introduced his identity to several other divisional commanders. He got up from his seat. Stand straight and stand in place. Next, when I introduced the members of the division to Yushchenko, without mentioning a name, he gave a military salute to the other side, and then stretched out his hands to shake the other party's outstretched hand.

As soon as I finished introducing them, Basmanov came over with a teapot and a grin. I took the teapot from his hand, held it in both hands and handed it to Yushchenko, and said, "Captain Yushchenko, I haven't had time to introduce you to this major yet." He was the commander of the guard battalion, Major Basmanov. From now on, it's your immediate boss. ”

Basmanov waited for me to finish speaking, and explained to me with a smile on his face: "Comrade division commander, when the captain came just now, we had already introduced ourselves. But after saying this, he still looked at Yushchenko and said politely: "Comrade Captain, let's get to know each other again, I am Major Basmanov, the battalion commander of the guard battalion of the Red Banner Independent Division, and you are welcome to the Independent Division." As he spoke, he took the initiative to extend his hand to Yushchenko.

Yushchenko hurriedly put the teapot in his hand on the table, and first raised his hand to salute Basmanov. Only then did he stretch out his hands and hold the other party's hand. At the same time, he said politely: "Hello, Comrade Major." ”

All mutual introductions are over. Yushchenko suddenly said to me: "Comrade division commander, before this visit, General Bezikov specially entrusted me with a gift for you. ”

"Gifts, what gifts?" Although Bezikov and I had a good relationship and had lived and died together, it seemed that we had never exchanged gifts, and when I heard Captain Yushchenko's words, I couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Captain, I wonder what kind of gift General Bezikov entrusted you?" ”

Yushchenko did not speak, but took off a spear from his back, held it in both hands and handed it to me, and said respectfully: "Comrade division commander, General Bezikov knows that you like this new weapon, and your original gun was lost during the breakthrough of Lyuban, so I will definitely bring you another one." ”

I excitedly took Yushchenko's assault rifle, which later became famous as the AK47 assault rifle. I deliberately checked the number on the gun and found that it was actually 77, you must know that the number seven is the most auspicious number in Russia, and Bezikov did not know how much trouble it took to get this assault rifle. After all, it's an old friend, who actually gave me such a thoughtful gift.

"Comrade division commander, what kind of gun is this?" Among the people gathered around, except for Kirillov, who was a political worker, everyone was a real soldier, and when they saw this new weapon that they had never seen before, their eyes couldn't help but light up. When Akhromeyev was in the Volkhov Front before, he had seen this assault rifle, and he had to be quite calm. When Bandereev saw this gun, he was even more overjoyed, snatched the new assault rifle from my hand, looked at it again and again, and asked curiously: "When was this new gun developed, and why have I never seen it?" ”

I was excited for a moment when I saw the assault rifle that Yushchenko handed me, but then I thought that this weapon that was ahead of its time, once captured by the Germans on the battlefield, with their strong military production capacity, would not be long before this new rifle could be copied and equipped with a large number of troops, which would be an unimaginable disaster for the Soviet army. Therefore, after hearing Bandereev's question, I said worriedly: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, since the advent of this gun may be a major advance in the history of the development of light weapons in the world, its development is absolutely secret. A batch was produced during the Battle of Moscow, but only a small number of troops were equipped to prevent leaks. ”

After saying this to Bandereev, I asked Yushchenko: "Captain, how many of these assault rifles did you bring with you this time?" ”

"Assault rifles?!" When Yushchenko heard my question, he was stunned for a moment, but then he understood that what I was talking about was the new rifle he had just handed over to me, and he quickly replied: "Report to Comrade Division Commander, we have 121 people this time, and each of us has a new rifle of this type, each with ten magazines. ”

I mentally calculated that one magazine holds 30 rounds, and ten magazines are 300 bullets. Since the bullets used in these assault rifles do not match the bullets we use now, once they run out of bullets, these guns can only be used as burning sticks.

Bandeleyev apparently did not notice my abnormality, and asked me excitedly: "Comrade division commander." You know what features this gun has. And what about its technical parameters? ”

I can't bear to sweep away the interest of Ban Tai Leev. He told him what he knew: "Compared with today's rifles, this assault rifle has a shorter body and a shorter firing range, and the firing distance is kept at 300 meters, which is suitable for close-range assault combat." For example, when we were fighting the Germans in a building, this gun could be very useful.

Assault rifles use the principle of gas-guided automatics, in which the air duct is located above the barrel and the bolt is propelled by a guò piston. Swivel locking bolt. A special short-barreled bullet of 7.62 mm caliber occurred with an arc magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The safety/fast and slow machine is on the right side of the receiver, and you can choose semi-automatic or fully automatic launch mode, and the pull handle is located on the right side of the receiver. The settings of the insurance are: insurance, full bullet, semi-automatic.

When our commanders and fighters charged, in order to overcome their own fears, they would pull the trigger to the end and shoot all the bullets. Assault rifles, on the other hand, will only fire one shot, which greatly saves bullets and improves safety. Its bolt action is reliable, and its mechanical structure can guarantee continuous operation even when firing continuously or when foreign objects such as dust enter the gun. ”

After listening to my introduction, Pantai Leev said unsatisfactorily: "I didn't expect this gun to be so powerful." Do you really want to try it right away? ”

I waited for Pantai Leev to finish speaking, and then poured a basin of cold water on him: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander." It's a pity that it's dark now, otherwise you could really try the gun. ”

Unexpectedly, Basmanov said abruptly: "Comrade division commander, there is a moon tonight, plus there was a heavy snow in the evening, and a layer was spread on the ground, and now the light outside is very good, and it will not affect the effect of the test gun at all." ”

I listened to Basmanov's words, glared at him fiercely, and wanted to raise my foot and kick him twice, and at the same time cursed secretly: This stupid person, don't you see that I am deliberately shirking, I just don't want Pantai Leev to test the gun, and he actually sings against me.

Basmanov also saw the displeasure on my face, but he didn't know what he had done wrong, so he quickly shut his mouth and stood in front of us with an innocent face. And when Pantai Leev heard that the light outside was good, he hurriedly pulled Basmanov and was about to go out.

I thought that Kirillov would come out to stop Pandereev's hasty actions, but when I looked back, I found Kirillov sitting at the table with a blank face, as if he didn't notice what Bandereev was going to do. In this case, I couldn't lose face with the deputy division commander in public, so I had to bite the bullet and let Basmanov pay for Tai Leev to test the gun. At the same time, I also instructed Yushchenko: "Comrade Captain, you go out with Major Basmanov." Let him arrange a lodging for you, and the commanders and fighters of the Special Guard Company. ”

Seeing that Pantai Leyev was going out to test the gun, even Akhromeyev couldn't sit still, and he took the initiative to ask me: "Comrade division commander, although I have seen this new gun a long time ago, I have never used it. Will you allow me to go with the deputy division commander to try out the gun? I didn't speak, just nodded in agreement.

After seeing the figures of Bandereev, Akhromeyev, Basmanov and Yushchenko disappear outside the door, Kirillov suddenly called my rank in a low voice and asked: "Comrade division commander, tell me, what are you doing with the superiors sending us such a special guard company?" ”

As for the guard company sent by the superiors, and the company commander who led the team was my old subordinate, so after hearing Kirillov's question, he said as a matter of course: "Comrade commissar, do you need to talk about this?" Of course, it is to protect the safety of the division headquarters. ”

Unexpectedly, Kirillov sneered twice and said: "Comrade Oshanina, do you really think that they are just here to protect your safety?" They're all from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and in addition to keeping you safe, they're probably tasked with spying on you. ”

Kirillov's earth-shattering words suddenly shocked me into a cold sweat. During the brutal fighting for more than two months, the troops of the independent division were on the verge of being wiped out several times, and I had to put my own guard battalion into battle several times. I thought that the guard company sent to me by my superiors was to strengthen the guard force of the independent division, but I didn't expect that it was sent to monitor me later.

I sat in my seat, and all my strength seemed to be drained at once, and I felt a chill at this moment. I didn't expect that I was so desperate to defend the northern gate of Stalingrad, but my superiors still didn't trust me and actually sent troops from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to monitor me. In order not to arouse my suspicions. They even sent my former guard company commander.

I sat in my seat for a long time. only to come to his senses. I lowered my voice and asked Kirillov in a voice that only the two of us could hear: "Commissar, who do you think they will send?" ”

Kirillov did not answer my question right away, but asked rhetorically: "Comrade Oshanina, please tell me first, who is this General Bezkov that Captain Yushchenko is talking about?" ”

"General Bezikov is the commander of the Central Guard Regiment, which I met when I went to the Kremlin for a military meeting." I gave a general account of how I met Bezikov, and as for the part about Stalin's stand-in, because it involved top secrets. I'm naturally skipping it. It was only vaguely said that we were on the way back to the city to escort important people and encountered a German detachment that had gone around the rear of our troops, but fortunately Bezikov was able to drive and managed to get out of danger with us.

After listening to my story, Kirillov thought for a while, and then said thoughtfully: "Comrade Oshanina, let's analyze who is the most likely. The arrival of the special guard company was relayed to you by Khrushchev with Guò Basmanov, who, despite his high rank, was not able to transfer the powers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at will. General Zhukov is currently the deputy commander-in-chief. He could have mobilized the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but with your relationship with him. I'm sure he won't send anyone to spy on you. All that's left is ......" At this point, he didn't say any more, just stretched out a finger and pointed upward.

I immediately understood this action of his, and knew that he was talking about the Supreme Commander himself. At this moment, I suddenly remembered the plot of the movie I had seen before: one day before the great counteroffensive under Stalingrad, Stalin was working in his office, and suddenly a subordinate named Lapletin ran in and made a small report to him, solemnly reporting: "Comrade Stalin, according to some materials provided by those who arranged for Zhukov to be around, according to reliable sources, Zhukov has claimed that your victory in the Battle of Moscow is his own credit, and there are signs that he has become blind and dares to openly accuse you of your mistakes. ”

After listening to this report, Stalin was silent for a long time, and later, probably considering Zhukov's unreplaced position, asked Lapletin to keep the matter a secret for the time being. However, in this way, a thorn was planted in his heart, so that when he carried out the plan of "Operation Uranus", he kept Zhukov far away from the plan, and did not let him participate in the command of this great counteroffensive under Stalingrad.

When I thought about it, I began to think about whether there was anything I could do that would easily arouse the suspicion of my superiors. I really don't want to know, and I was really taken aback when I thought about it, for example, without asking for instructions, I left the German officers and soldiers who surrendered to Cheng in the army; ingenious proposal of the "water instead of soldiers" plan to blow up the Volga dikes; Ignoring the orders of the Supreme Command, not only did he not examine the commanders and fighters who had been captured by the Germans, but he also took it upon himself to rebel against the two Eastern Battalion units. Either of these could have taken me to court-martial, or even cost me my life.

Thinking about what I've done makes me a little confused. I looked at Kirillov in front of me and nervously asked: "Comrade commissar, then what should I do in the future?" ”

Kirillov, who had more experience in this area than I did, saw that I was so flustered, so he quickly stood up and walked to my side, raised his hand and gently patted me on the shoulder, comforting me: "Comrade Oshanina, don't worry, since Captain Yushchenko is your old subordinate, then I am sure that he will not casually report information to your superiors that is unfavorable to you. Anyway, you have to remember that if you encounter any major events in the future, don't make any claims, ask for more instructions and report more, and leave all the troubles to your superiors to solve. ”

What Kirillov is talking about is exactly what the commanders who were temporarily promoted to important posts after the purge of that year generally adopted a wise strategy to protect themselves. No matter how big or small the matter is, they must always ask their superiors for instructions. Although they did this to protect themselves, after the outbreak of war, after the communication between them and their superiors was cut off, these unassertive commanders were helpless in the face of the surging enemy, and only knew how to drive their soldiers to their deaths.

As we were talking, we suddenly heard the laughter of Bandereev and Akhromeyev at the door, and it seemed that they had returned from a gun test. Kirillov hurriedly lowered his voice and said to me: "Comrade Oshanina, you and I just know what we said, and don't let others know." ”

Because I saw that Bandereev and the others had already entered the headquarters, I didn't speak, but nodded silently, indicating that I understood.

Bantai Leev walked quickly in front of me, put the used assault rifle on the table, and said excitedly: "Comrade division commander, this gun is really amazing. If we can arm a regiment, then we will have an absolute advantage in street battles with the Germans. ”

I saw Captain Yushchenko standing behind them, and although I had a thorn in my heart, I politely asked him: "Captain Yushchenko, has Major Basmanov arranged your station?" ”

Yushchenko hurriedly took two steps forward and replied loudly: "Report to the division commander, everything is arranged." ”

I nodded, and then said to him, "Comrade Captain, you must be exhausted after so many days of traveling, and since the Major has arranged your lodgings, you should go back and rest early." (To be continued......)

PS: Heartfelt thanks to book friends for the two votes of children's shoes with guns! Thank you for the valuable monthly tickets voted by book friends Sparrow 1, Allih, Thindy, T00030003, and Dead Pig Children's Shoes! Thank you for the reward of the old godfather and Yun Shuiyan children's shoes!