The story of the Red Stalingrad has come to an end here, but some other related matters derived from it have not yet ended.
It had just been a day since Malashenko returned to Moscow and fell into the arms of his beautiful wife.
Lieutenant Colonel Malokov, a good comrade from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, paid another visit, found Malashenko and personally brought a piece of extremely shocking news.
"What did you say? Comrade Stalin wants me to see him? Just this afternoon?"
Looking at the shocked and unbelievable expression on Malashenko's face, Malokov, who said it was the first time he saw Malashenko like this, quickly smiled and spoke to Malashenko to comfort and explain.
.
"Don't worry, this is something you can do safely."
"The order was given orally by Supreme Leader Comrade Stalin himself, so there is no written order. Strictly speaking, this is even a secret that only those who are deemed qualified to know can know. Of course, you yourself must be included in it.
But don’t mention it too much to other people, even your fiancée.”
There were only two people in the deserted apartment, Malashenko and Malokov. Natalya was called away by the theater troupe this morning and said she had something urgent to deal with, and she could finish it in about a morning.
, I can’t get home until noon.
Malashenko didn't know if this was Malokov's deliberate arrangement to intentionally separate Natalya to avoid complications, but it was obvious that Malokov, who was half-spoken, did not stop there.
"Objectively speaking, this was a secret summons by Comrade Stalin. You will not even see any record of this incident in any reports or books. Maybe it will be made public in a few decades, but at least not now
, do you understand what I mean? My good brother."
"..."
Although Malashenko could understand the literal meaning of what Malokov wanted to express, he couldn't understand some deeper things.
What reasons do you have for Comrade Stalin to secretly summon you? Could it be that you have done something terrible that will make you considered a traitor?
No, if that were the case, I'm afraid he would have been captured by the Ministry of Internal Affairs long ago, and Malokov wouldn't be sitting next to him with such a smile, drinking and chatting with him, calling him brothers, with an arrest warrant in one hand and a pen in the other.
A gun pointed at one's head is probably a reasonable situation, and a large group of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' action team must be placed in the room to be considered normal.
And all this bad stuff didn't happen right now. Does this mean that Comrade Stalin summoned him for some good reason?
Malashenko, who had been thinking in his heart for a long time, was neither clear nor undecided, but since the order from the supreme leader had been conveyed in place, it was something he could not refuse. What's more, it was arranged for Malokov to be with him.
When conveyed by someone with whom I have a good relationship, it conveys a relatively warm and gentle meaning to some extent, rather than being cold and cruel.
If Malashenko guessed correctly, this is probably also a way of conveying "relaxation" to himself.
He was talking about appetizers and took two more sips of vodka. Malokov, who had finished his order, only had one glass and would not drink more. After all, there was still a lot of work waiting for him as the team leader in the afternoon to lead people to handle it.
"Okay, that's it. I came here just to tell you this. The time is set at the Kremlin at 1:30 in the afternoon. You have less than an hour and a half to prepare. If you need to take my tailwind
If you have a car, I can take you there, do you need it?"
Being disturbed by this sudden event, I was no longer in the mood to wait for my beautiful wife to come back.
Malashenko, who was holding the wine glass in his hand, was a little depressed and wanted to take another sip, but when he thought that the man he was going to meet in the afternoon was the iron and loving father of the entire Soviet Union, Malashenko was afraid that the smell of alcohol would leave a bad impression on Comrade Stalin.
Ke, after all, he nodded slightly while putting down his wine glass.
"Give me ten minutes and I'll go tidy up. It'll be ready soon. Wait for me here."
Driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal, and you will be severely fined by the police if caught.
But Malokov, who had drunk two ounces of vodka, didn't care about such trivial matters at all. The small flag of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was stuck on the front hood of the car. This was his pass to travel unimpeded in Moscow, and no one dared to stop him.
, as long as you don’t drive to the Kremlin or certain military restricted areas, you can drive however you want in the city, and no one will dare to ask any unnecessary questions.
Putting on the brand-new tank soldier colonel's uniform that Natalya had washed for himself, Malashenko, who was a little confused, touched the stubble on his chin and looked out the car window, with a pair of bright eyes.
I don't know what I'm thinking about.
Looking at the troubled expression on Malashenko's face, Malokov smiled calmly and then held his hand on the steering wheel and spoke quietly, opening the topic.
"I was received by Comrade Stalin at the political and ideological conference of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with other comrades. When it was my turn, he shook my hand warmly and encouraged me to contribute more to the motherland in my post.
.”
"At that moment, I felt that my life had been sublimated. This whole life was worth it. Comrade Stalin recognized my work. I swear that I am willing to dedicate everything to the motherland and fight to the end with all saboteurs and enemies! Even in the future
It doesn’t matter if the children don’t remember my name, there are always people like me who need to contribute to the motherland.”
Malokov said this to reassure his good brother Malashenko and to express that Comrade Stalin was a good leader who was kind to his comrades.
But how could the sincere Malokov know the true identity of his good brother? Malashenko, who had never mentioned his true identity to anyone, not even Natalia, heard that Malokov
After these words, I felt something different in my heart.
"Many things will be deliberately forgotten or even erased. There are not just one or two people who are not remembered. You and I are just a small boat on this sea of forgetfulness."
The words of emotion confined to his heart were accompanied by a sigh. Malashenko, who had already thought about some things, smiled and answered to his good brother.
"I know what to do, trust me."
Malokov, who was turning around the intersection with his hands on the steering wheel, was a little surprised, but after being stunned for a moment, he quickly changed his smile.
"This is the best. I believe you can do it. Believe in yourself! Come on!"
After going through various complicated procedures and waiting, Malashenko, who surrendered his personal weapons and was searched three times, finally stood in front of the final door with a not-so-relaxed mood.