The other end of the phone went quiet, no one spoke, only heavy breathing was heard. After a long time, Stalin's voice came from the receiver again: "You, you are Yakov?! Did I hear you correctly?
!”
"Yes, father." Yakov said with a choked voice: "I am Yakov, I am back!" Then, he emotionally spoke a long list of languages that Sokov could not understand at all.
.
"Misha, let's go out first." Rokossovsky put a hand on Sokov's shoulder and led him outside: "Let the father and son have a good chat."
Coming out of the back room, Rokossovsky closed the door and saw a group of army leaders still sitting at the table, waiting for him to continue assigning tasks. He reached out and picked up the weapons on the table and handed them to Soko
The husband said to him: "Misha, we will continue to hold a military meeting. You go out for a while. When the meeting is over, I will send someone to find you."
Sokov took the weapon from Rokossovsky's hand, raised his hand and gave a ring salute to all the leaders, turned around and strode out. When he stepped out of the headquarters gate, he heard
Rokossovsky said to his subordinates, "Comrade commanders, I just received a call from Comrade Stalin. He instructed us..."
"Where should I go now?" Sokov stood in the building and began to think about this problem. He didn't know when the military meeting would end. If he left, the people sent by Rokossovsky might not be able to find him.
To myself; if I continue to stay here, I don’t know how long I have to wait.
Just when he was in a dilemma, he suddenly heard someone asking him: "Major Sokov, have you finished reporting to the commander?"
Sokov looked up and saw that it was the lieutenant on duty at the door. He smiled and replied: "Commander and the others are having a meeting. I have to wait until the meeting is over before I can continue to report on my work."
After hearing this, the lieutenant thought for a while and took the initiative to say to Sokov: "Comrade Major, according to my experience, this kind of meeting will last at least several hours. You might as well go outside for a walk and find a place to eat. Wait until the meeting is over.
Well, I will send someone to find you again."
The lieutenant's words reminded Sokov that the driver who sent him and Yakov here was still waiting in the parking lot of the square. If he didn't show up for a few hours, he would be anxious. Thinking of this, he smiled and said to the lieutenant:
"My driver is still waiting for me in the parking lot. I'll go to him first. If the meeting is over, please send someone there to find me."
"There is a cafe in the square where you can have a drink." The lieutenant reminded Sokov kindly: "I will send someone to find you as soon as the meeting is over."
As Sokov walked toward the square, he was thinking: I don’t know what Rokossovsky will do with Yakov’s matter, whether he will send someone to send him back to Moscow, or whether he will continue to stay in Sushinich.
?
While he was thinking wildly, he suddenly heard a familiar female voice calling him: "Misha!" Then he felt someone holding his arm. He turned around and saw that the person holding his arm was Asiya.
Just when he was about to ask Asiya why she appeared here, Asiya had already asked: "Misha, when did you come back? How did you come to Susinich?"
"I came back this morning. Because I had something urgent to report to Comrade Commander, I rushed to Sushinich immediately." After answering the question, Sokov asked curiously: "Asia, what are you doing again?
When did you come to Susinich?”
"Didn't you seize a batch of medicines from the enemy's transfer station a few days ago? After the division commander found out about this, he said that there were not enough medicines in the division field hospital and asked us to send some of them. The deputy battalion commander sent me to carry out the task of delivering medicines.
." When Asiya said this, she pouted and said with some dissatisfaction: "You don't even know whether I am in the unknown highlands or not. It seems that you don't care about me at all."
Sokov thought that after he returned to the unknown highlands, he hurriedly sent Yakov to see Rokossovsky. He could not care about other things. At this moment, seeing Asiya angry, he quickly persuaded: "
Asiya, I came to Susinich this time because I have an important matter to report to the commander. For the sake of confidentiality, I only met the deputy battalion commander and hurried here.
Already."
After Asiya listened to Sokov's explanation, she didn't say anything. She raised her hand and patted his buttocks twice. Her sudden move made Sokov confused: "Asiya, hit me."
do what?"
Asiya snorted, pointed to the ground, and said, "Look, what are you stepping on?"
Sokov looked down and saw that his feet were stepping on a rectangular sewer manhole cover, and he casually replied: "Manhole cover."
"I heard the old man say that the sewer manhole cover is a passage to another world." Asiya said softly: "If you accidentally step on it, you have to slap it twice on the buttocks, otherwise you will be pulled into another world by the devil.
of the world.”
The speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional. Asiya's words made Sokov fall into deep thought: "If the sewer manhole cover is really a passage to another world, then if I lift the manhole cover and jump down, will I be able to return to where I belong?"
era?"
Asiya took a few steps forward and found that Sokov had not followed. When she turned around, she found that he was still standing there, staring at the manhole cover on the ground. She stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and asked curiously:
"Misha, what are you still looking at?"
"Nothing, nothing." Asiya's voice woke Sokov out of his thoughts. He quickly shook his head and said in a panic: "You must be hungry, let's find a place to eat."
"Okay, okay." After hearing what Sokov said, Asiya quickly held his hand again: "I happen to be hungry. I know there is a coffee shop in the square with good food. Let's
Just go there and eat.”
Before the two of them reached the square, a corporal trotted up from behind. When he saw Sokov clearly walking side by side with Asiya, he hurriedly stopped running and asked breathlessly:
"Comrade Major, are you Major Sokov?"
"Yes, I am Sokov." Sokov looked at the unfamiliar corporal and asked, "What do you want from me?"
The corporal stood at attention, saluted Sokov, and said to him: "Comrade Major, Colonel Malinin asks you to return to the headquarters immediately, saying that Comrade Commander wants to see you."
"Okay, I'll go back right away."
After hearing Sokov's reply, the corporal raised his hand and saluted, turned around and ran away.
After the corporal left, Sokov held Asiya's hand and said apologetically: "Asiya, I'm sorry. I originally wanted to accompany you to eat, but now I have to see the commander..."
Before Sokov could finish speaking, Asiya said understandingly: "It doesn't matter. The commander wants to see you. This is a big deal. Don't keep him waiting. Go quickly." As he said that, he asked with his hands.
Cove gave him a gentle push on the arm.
Sokov took two steps and suddenly remembered what happened to the driver. He stopped again, turned around and said to Asiya: "The camp's truck is parked in the parking lot on the square. If you see the driver, let me know. I may have to do it."
It takes a long time, let him wait a little longer."
"I got it." Asiya nodded and urged, "Go to the headquarters as soon as possible. Don't keep Comrade Commander waiting."
Sokov waved to Asiya and then strode towards the headquarters.