Gaidar and I were about to leave for the front, and both the separate division and the 4th regiment needed someone to take charge on a temporary basis. My gaze swept over the three regimental commanders one by one, Captain Sedelikov would have been the most suitable candidate, but he was absent-minded and obviously out of shape at this time; The commander of the second regiment, Oleg, was only a captain, and let him manage the entire independent division, which may be a little lacking. Since the commanders of these two regiments are not suitable, then the remaining commander of the third regiment, Captain Kosgaard, can only be chosen.

I habitually cough to get everyone's attention. After everyone's eyes were focused on me, he said bluntly: "Comrades, Captain Gaidar and I are about to rush to the front. During the time I was away, the affairs of the 1st Qiē Division of the Independent Division were in the charge of the commander of the 3rd regiment, Captain Kosgaard. Do you understand? ”

Hearing me ask this, Captain Oleg, probably because of my designated temporary head, not Sederikov but Kosga, was a little surprised, he glanced at the captain in surprise, frowned slightly, stood up and replied loudly: "Understood!" ”

Cosgaard obviously did not expect such a good thing to befall him, and after a moment of surprise, he jumped up from his seat and also raised his voice and replied, "Understood! Then he lowered his posture and expressed his heartfelt feelings to me, "Comrade division commander, you can rest assured that I will conscientiously complete the task you have entrusted me." ”

The voices of the two alarmed the distraught Sederikov, who woke up from his state of trance, stood up in a panic and replied in a mock manner: "Understood! ”

I glanced at Sederikov dissatisfied, turned my head and ordered Kosga: "Comrade Captain, during the time I was away. You are responsible for the training of the troops. In accordance with the resolution at the last meeting. Targeted training subjects are carried out. At the same time, you need to draw a group of trustworthy fighters and organize several more patrols around the camp to conduct non-stop patrols. The first is to prevent the enemy's sneak attack, and the second is to prevent the appearance of real deserters. ”

Kosgaard asked with concern: "Comrade division commander, how long are you going to leave this time?" ”

I shook my head and replied, "Well, I can't say that." Maybe half a day, maybe a day, depending on the situation we go to reconnoitre. Anyway, during the time I was away, you were fully responsible for every qiē of the independent division. ”

"Yes, please rest assured, I promise that I will successfully complete the tasks you have assigned me."

I nodded at him and Oleg, and without even looking at Sederikov, I beckoned Gaidar to leave the command.

When we reached the edge of the forest, jeeps and trucks were still waiting for us. When I saw the guard squad sitting motionless in the truck, I couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied with Vera: the guard squad was sent to keep me safe. You're good, I've gone to the headquarters to fight back and forth. You and the fighters of the guard squad are still sitting in the car and have not moved.

However, because I was in a hurry, I didn't bother with Vera and walked straight towards the jeep. Gaidar was not slow to react and opened the door for me a few steps ahead. When I got into the car, he closed the door, opened the passenger door, and sat straight in.

Seeing Gaidar close the door, I reached out and patted the driver on the shoulder and whispered: "Comrade driver, let's drive." ”

The jeep hurried towards the Orlovka region. On the road, although there were quite a few checkpoints, the jeep I was riding in was Chuikov's car, and the commanders and fighters at the checkpoints were already familiar with it. As soon as they saw our car appear, they didn't check it at all, but just moved the barricade and let it go.

I don't remember how many checkpoints I passed, but Gaidar, who was sitting in the front row, suddenly turned back to me and said: "Comrade division commander, there is something I don't know whether to tell you or not. ”

Hearing him say this, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows, and said in my heart, is it time for you to retreat? But in front of Chuikov's driver, I couldn't have a seizure, so I could only say vaguely: "If there is anything, just say it." ”

Gaidar glanced at the driver warily, with a look of intent and stopping. I waved my hand and said disapprerovingly: "Comrade Captain, the driver is a very reliable person, if there is anything, just say it, he will not leak it." ”

Hearing that I had already said this, Gaidar no longer scruples and said: "Actually, in the command just now, Captain Shederikov's abnormal expression, I think you also saw it, otherwise you would not have let Captain Kosgaard take charge of commanding the troops, you must know that there is still a big gap between the abilities of the two." ”

"Why did he suddenly appear in such an abnormal appearance?" I am also very curious about Sederikov's gaffe and anxious to know the real answer.

"You mentioned the matter of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Warlord, probably because of this that frightened him."

"The Overseers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs!" When the driver heard the captain say this, he couldn't help but interject, "What are they afraid of?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Captain. You must know that although the Overseers are subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, they only shoot at cowards who flee on the battlefield, and do not kill people indiscriminately. "As much as I am disgusted with the Overseers of the Ministry of the Interior, I still have to judge them from a neutral point of view in public.

Although there were only three of us in the car, Gaidar looked around vigilantly, and then said in a low voice: "A few days after Captain Shedelikov was imprisoned in the punishment camp, a group of personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came and took the lieutenant and his people in the barracks to the open field, and in the name of destroying the weak-willed elements, they fired at them with machine guns. More than a dozen people were killed on the spot, and an equal number were injured. The captain, on the other hand, because after the person standing in front was hit by a bullet, the body spun around in place, slammed into his body, and knocked him to the ground, so he escaped the fate of being hit by the bullet. Originally, he thought that he would definitely die, but unexpectedly, the gunners of the Ministry of Internal Affairs saw that the machine guns had knocked everyone down, and there were no survivors in the future, so they packed up their weapons and left, and the captain was lucky enough to lose one life. ”

It was the first time I had heard about what had happened to Captain Sederikov, but I cautiously asked Gaidar: "Comrade Captain, who did you listen to when you said about Sederikov?" ”

"Listen to whom." Gaidar said with some anger: "I saw it with my own eyes. Originally, Captain Sedjerikov after the execution of the people in their barracks. It's our turn to barracks. Fortunately, the officers in charge of the corrections camp came out to negotiate with the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He said that he could send us to the front line, so that we could use our blood and lives to clear the name of the crimes committed against the motherland. In this case, the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reluctantly left the correctional camp. ”

After Gaidar finished speaking, I hurriedly said to him: "Comrade Captain, what you just said, don't mention it to anyone in the future, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble." Then I turned my head and told the driver, "Comrade driver." Don't sue anyone for what you just heard, or you'll be in trouble. ”

The people who can become Chuikov's drivers are usually not ordinary people, and this clever driver is no exception. Hearing what I told him, he pretended to be confused and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I've been busy driving, and I haven't heard a word of what you just said. ”

Hearing the driver say that, I didn't finish. Just smiled slightly at his back. And Gaidar, after talking about Captain Sederikov's secret, also remained silent. The whole carriage fell silent.

After a few more minutes, the speed began to slow down. The driver turned to me and asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it's almost time to get to the headquarters of the Guards Division, where should I park my car?" ”

I looked out the window and saw that it was only seventy or eighty meters away from the hidden part where the headquarters was located, so I patted the driver on the shoulder and ordered: "Comrade driver, you can find a place to stop the car." The rest of the way, we can just walk over it. ”

The driver readily agreed, pulled the jeep firmly to the side of the road, and then turned back to me and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you can get out of the car." ”

When I pushed the door and got out of the car, I deliberately said to the driver: "Thank you, comrade driver!" ”

The driver actually replied in accordance with the regulations: "Serve the USSR!" ”

I walked out of the car and looked back at the truck parked not far behind, wondering if I should go over and give orders to Vera or they would sit still in the truck again. While he was hesitating, Gaidar had already crossed me and strode towards the truck, while shouting the order: "Guard squad, get out of the car!" ”

I looked at Gaidar's back, nodded in satisfaction, then turned and walked towards the division headquarters with my submachine gun in my hand.

Just after walking more than ten meters, a person suddenly rushed out of the spur. I took a step back, put the submachine gun in my hand, and asked vigilantly, "Who is it?" ”

The man stopped, stood there and asked in a low voice, "Is it Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina?" ”

Hearing that the other man was speaking Russian and calling out my name, I lowered my gun and replied, "Yes, I'm Oshanina." Who are you? "When I asked, my finger was still on the trigger, and if something was wrong, I could just lift the muzzle of the gun and shoot the bullet out of the chamber in the shortest possible time.

The other party still said in a deep voice: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it's me." Don't shoot, I have something to say to you. After saying that, without waiting for me to respond, he walked towards me.

When the man walked only five or six steps away from me, I could finally see his face. When I saw his face clearly, I couldn't help but be surprised, wasn't this the captain of the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who had just been in the command headquarters with an arrogant and arrogant attitude, and what was the matter with him looking for me at such a late hour, should he take any action against me? Thinking of this, I quietly raised the muzzle of the submachine gun by an inch.

Unexpectedly, the captain walked up to me, snapped upright, and at the same time raised his hand to salute me, and said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I beg your pardon, I am sorry for what happened tonight." It's just my duty, and there are some things that I can't help but do. After saying these inexplicable words, he turned away without hesitation without waiting for me to speak.

Looking at his departing back, I was suddenly confused, what happened, why did this arrogant and arrogant captain treat me with a respectful attitude, and even came to me to apologize? Just when I was puzzled, Gaidar's voice sounded in my ears: "Comrade division commander, who was that person just now?" ”

I smiled bitterly and said, "Who else could it be?" He was a captain in the supervising team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the scout of our division was captured by him as a deserter. ”

"What? It's him! Gaidar said as he reached for his waist and drew his gun.

"What are you going to do?!" As soon as he pulled out his gun, I spotted him, and I quickly grabbed his wrist. He was stopped severely. I looked at the captain in the distance. He lowered his voice and said to Gaidar: "You are not allowed to come nonsense. Put your gun away. ”

Indignantly, he inserted the gun back into the holster, and said unwillingly: "Is it that my warrior died in vain?" ”

"If you shoot, your warrior will die in vain!" I said coldly, then shook my head at him and ordered: "The guard squad is on standby, you give me to the division headquarters." ”

When I walked into the headquarters, I saw that in addition to Chuikov and Lyudnikov, I was surprised to find that Titov, the commissar, was also there. hurriedly stepped forward to salute him, and said with a smile: "Hello, Comrade Political Commissar, I haven't seen you for a long time, you are okay!" ”

Titov returned the salute, stretched out his hands and grabbed my hand tightly, shook it vigorously, and said: "Hello, Comrade Oshanina, I haven't seen you for so long, I miss you very much!" ”

I'm catching up with Titov. Chuikov, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked: "Oshanina, who is this?" Is it a newly brought back engineer? ”

"Yes. Comrade Commander. I quickly let go of Titov's hand and walked over to Gaidar's side. Although Chuikov had seen him before, as a general with great opportunities, it was estimated that he had forgotten about this captain, so I specially introduced Chuikov: "This is Captain Gaidar, the commander of the 4th Regiment, and he is also a senior construction engineer, so I brought him back." ”

Chuikov got up and walked up to Gaidar, shook his hand, shook it vigorously, and said: "Comrade Captain, you probably also learned what happened from Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina. Truth be told, I don't have much hope that I can get that engineer back, so the burden of continuing to scout will fall on you. ”

Gaidar straightened his waist and replied to Chuikov in a loud voice: "Please rest assured, Comrade Commander, I promise to complete the task." ”

When Chuikov finished speaking, I asked Lyudnikov with concern: "Comrade Colonel, how long will it take to withdraw the search party and gather the scouts?" ”

Lyudnikov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and replied: "At least two hours, it can't be any faster." You must know that the size of the search party is too small, and it is not equipped with the necessary communication equipment, so if I want to recruit them back, I can only send someone to inform them. ”

"No, no!" Chuikov objected resolutely, saying: "Two hours is too long, and before the reconnaissance troops approach the settlement, it will be dawn." Then they will be spotted by enemy sentries and kill them all like targets. ”

At this time, Titov stepped forward and asked Chuikov for instructions: "Comrade Deputy Commander, since it has taken too long to recover the original reconnaissance detachment, then we might as well re-form a new reconnaissance detachment. ”

"A new reconnaissance detachment?" I have to say that Titov's mention of political commissar yì is very attractive, not only does it make me excited, but even Chuikov is thinking about whether he should do it. After a deep groan, he asked Titov with a stern expression: "Comrade Political Commissar, who do you think this reconnaissance detachment should be composed of?" ”

Hearing Chuikov's question, Titov immediately took it upon himself to say: "I am familiar with the terrain near the settlement, so I will be the leader of this reconnaissance detachment." In order not to expose the target, the number of such reconnaissance detachments should not be too large. As for the players, that's how I think about it. This engineer counts as one, and I'll bring two more guards. ”

"No way!" The first to jump out against it was the division commander Lyudnikov, who said confidently: "Comrade commissar, your combat post is in the division headquarters, not to run near the enemy's positions to be a scout. ”

Chuikov glanced back at the excited Lyudnikov and did not respond to him, but asked me: "Oshanina, what do you think?" ”

I don't know why Titov suddenly had the idea of going out on his own, so I can only cautiously say: "Let's listen to what Commissar Titov himself has to say." ”

Chuikov nodded approvingly and said to Titov: "Tell me, Comrade Commissar. If your reasons are sufficient, I personally approve you to be the captain of this reconnaissance detachment. ”

"Comrade Deputy Commander......" Lyudnikov didn't expect Chuikov to say this, and just as he opened his mouth to say a few words, he was interrupted by Chuikov's wave, he stared at Titov and asked: "Comrade Political Commissar, please tell me your reasons, we will all wait to hear it." ”

Titov stretched out his hand to the side and said, "Everyone, please come here." With that, he led the way to the map hanging on the wall. When we were all standing beside him, he pointed to the map with his baton and said, "To the west of this settlement, there is a large forest, and our reconnaissance detachment can sneak in at night and scout the enemy's defensive positions at close range. ”

"How far is the forest from the settlements, Comrade Commissar?" Gaidar asked a bold question, but instead of criticizing him for not speaking without permission, they collectively turned their attention to Titov, waiting for his answer.

"It's less than four hundred meters." Titov said confidently: "Due to the relatively large area of the forest, if the reconnaissance detachment lurks here to reconnoitre, it is very unlikely that it will be discovered by the enemy." ”

When I heard that there was a forest of considerable size less than 400 meters away from the settlement, I couldn't help but feel excited and wanted to see the terrain for myself. Only when I have first-hand information will I be more confident when I command in a few days of battle.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but speak first: "Since the terrain is conducive to the concealment of the reconnaissance detachment, I agree that Political Commissar Titov will lead the team to carry out the reconnaissance mission." Speaking of this, I deliberately paused for a moment, and when everyone's attention was focused on me, I announced in shock: "I will also join this reconnaissance detachment and go on a reconnaissance mission with Commissar Titov." (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank the book friends: the precious votes cast by the dead hedgehog, Bingyue Xinkong, Chu Tiehua, and q1979072.