But what neither Malashenko nor Kotin knew at this moment was that at the same time, in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, which was not very far away, in the famous building that symbolized the highest power center of the Soviet Union: the Kremlin
In the palace.
A historic event that will determine the future reform and development of small arms in the Red Army is happening quietly.
"Please wait here for a moment, Comrade Marshal. Comrade Leader is summoning Comrade Beria for a talk. I have informed Comrade Leader of your intention. You just need to wait here for a moment. You will be fine soon."
Not everyone can sit on the sofa in the waiting room of the Kremlin. It depends on your status and whether you are qualified.
Comrade Lao Zhu, known as the God of War of the Red Army, obviously has this qualification. Now he is sitting on a small sofa, and the cup on the coffee table at hand is filled with hot water that has just been delivered. This is what he himself called out.
He often stays on the front line of the battlefield, but prefers to drink a sip of plain boiled water.
Facing the briefing from Stalin's secretary, Zhukov, who nodded, just silently expressed that he understood and said nothing more.
The secretary who had done what he had to do quickly left after paying tribute to Zhukov with a smile. Only Zhukov, who was sitting on the sofa thoughtfully with his hand on his chin, was left in the huge waiting room.
.
"What should I say to make it better later? This is the first time I have to report on such a thing."
There is a first time for everything, even for a tough guy like Zhukov who dared to shout loudly in Stalin's office.
Zhukov had made countless face-to-face reports to Stalin, but this was the first time in history that he came to Stalin seriously to talk about a weapon issue.
Although it cannot be said that this visit was just about a weapon issue, the main reason why Stalin summoned Zhukov was to hear what he had gained after returning from the Cherkasy Front and what new information he had brought back that interested him.
information.
But in Zhukov's mind at this moment, reporting to Stalin was just a routine matter. There was nothing special at all. It was just his own job.
The focus is on what comes after the routine: explaining to Stalin the situation of the new assault rifle that Malashenko and Kotin have worked out. This is the focus of the trip.
What Zhukov was thinking about was how to describe the detailed process of the entire incident and how to answer questions that Stalin might ask, so as to ensure that the mess that Malashenko caused would have a good outcome and would not offend Stalin.
Zhukov certainly didn't want Malashenko to ruin his future or himself because of this incident. Zhukov never refuted those who said he was protective of his calf, because he really admired this young man who had an amazing body.
Malashenko has incomprehensible skills and a bit of mystery.
Zhukov, who voluntarily took on the role of a bole, had already made the decision to protect Malashenko before coming to meet Stalin on this trip.
Even if the gun itself is rejected in the end, Malashenko must at least be saved so that he can continue to fight in the army. This is Zhukov's bottom line in the worst case scenario.
Just because the incident itself is so special, Zhukov still hasn't thought about how to deal with various possible situations. Even though Zhukov knows Stalin's personality and character, he is still not sure what Stalin will do in this matter.
I really can't say what kind of attitude that is.
Zhukov didn't have much time to think. Rather than discussing with Beria the Ministry of Internal Affairs' recent plan to launch a purge operation against the occupied Ukrainian territories to prevent the emergence of elite elements and lurking saboteurs, Stalin valued it more.
What kind of different news and surprises can Zhukov bring to him? As for Beria's proposal, we can discuss it later. There is no rush.
"Ah, long time no see, Comrade Marshal! I heard that you have just returned from the Cherkasy front. Thank you for your outstanding contributions to the motherland and the recovery of Ukraine."
"...."
Zhukov never expected that he would bump into Beria, who had just come out of Stalin's office, in the corridor and meet head-on.
To be honest, Zhukov could not say he liked Beria, an intelligence chief and the person in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but he could not be said to dislike him either.
Zhukov had to admit that Beria was indeed very good at handling intelligence. Under his management, the intelligence department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was growing stronger and operating efficiently, and had played a major role in obtaining many vital and useful reports for the Red Army.
If this is the only point of view, Zhukov, as the senior commander of the Red Army, has Beria to thank. This is indeed the case.
But another problem is that Zhukov doesn't like Beria's personality and his way of doing things. You can see the dark side of this man in many things.
Even though Zhukov knows that there are not many people in the intelligence profession who are not like this, or that people who are not like this cannot be in the intelligence profession at all, Zhukov can understand this. But the upright and strong character of an iron-blooded soldier still makes Zhukov not so good.
I am willing to get closer to people like Beria.
"Long time no see, Comrade Beria. The information sent by your Ministry of Internal Affairs was of great help to the smooth advancement of the Battle of Cherkasy and avoided the casualties of many frontline soldiers. For this, I would like to express my gratitude to you on their behalf."
The polite words on his lips sounded nice, but Beria's eyes hidden under the thick round lenses could notice details that ordinary people could easily miss: the smile on Zhukov's face at this time was more of a flow.
It's just a formal smile, and even if there's true feelings in it, I'm afraid it's not sincere.
Just express gratitude for your work, not yourself as a person.
After learning this, Beria was filled with joy and anger. No one knew what kind of sparkle flashed in his eyes under those thick glasses, let alone what he was thinking in his heart.
The words that came out of his mouth were spoken without any hesitation.
"This is what I should do. Comrade Leader is waiting for you and looks forward to meeting you next time."
"Goodbye, Comrade Marshal."
There was no emotional tone or too many verbal expressions. In Zhukov's eyes after walking through a formal cutscene, all that was left in his eyes was the back of Beria walking away in the corridor with his briefcase and the sound of footsteps.
Zhukov, who did not intend to continue to care about this episode, shook his head, calmed down his mood, and after taking a deep breath, he finally stepped forward and opened the door of the office at the end of the corridor in front of him, and stood up.
"Comrade Leader, Zhukov has been ordered to return from the front line and report here!"