As soon as the group walked up to the second floor, a major came over.
The young cadre walking in front saw the other party and hurriedly came forward to greet him: "Comrade military representative, there is a general who wants to see the comrade director of the factory. I wonder if he is in the office?"
The major tilted his head and looked behind the young cadre, and happened to see Sokov being supported by Asiya and Koshkin. He quickly ran forward, stood at attention and saluted: "Hello, comrade general! I am the instrument factory.
Major Kudlin, the army representative, I resolutely obey your orders, please give instructions!"
Sokov gently broke away from Koshkin's support and raised his hand to return a military salute: "Please rest a moment, Major Kudrin! I am Lieutenant General Sokov. I have something to talk to the director of the instrument factory.
Do you know where to find him?"
"Of course, Comrade General." Major Kudrin did not associate the young general in front of him with the accomplished general who often appeared in newspapers and radio. However, when facing a man with a much higher military rank than himself,
Commander, he still showed due respect: "Comrade the factory director is talking to a family member of an employee in his office. I will take you to him right now."
"Misha!" After Asiya heard what Kudrin said, she whispered to Sokov: "Could the employee's family he mentioned be my mother?"
"It's possible." Sokov thought it was very likely, and nodded: "When we go to the office, we will get the answer we want to know."
Since there was a military representative leading the way, it was obviously inappropriate for a small cadre to follow him. After saying something to Sokov and others, he returned downstairs again.
Soon the group of people came to the door of the factory director's office. The door was not closed. Standing in the corridor, they could see everything in the room clearly. Asya, who was supporting Sokov, suddenly exclaimed and rushed straight in.
Entering the door, she hugged a middle-aged woman standing in the room.
Sokov saw that the middle-aged woman had some similarities with Asiya between her eyebrows, and guessed that she must be Asiya's mother, so he walked into the room with a cane.
Asiya pulled the middle-aged woman in front of Sokov and introduced her with a blushing face: "Mom, this is my husband Misha."
"Hello, mother!" Sokov waited for Asiya to finish speaking, then took the initiative to extend his hand to the middle-aged woman and said respectfully: "I am your son-in-law Misha. I am very happy to meet you."
The middle-aged woman looked at the young general wearing a brand-new military uniform in front of her with an expression of disbelief on her face. She never dreamed that the son-in-law she had never met was actually a general.
Major Kudlin, who was standing next to him, waited for the two sides to finish their greetings, then said to Sokov with a smile: "Comrade General, let me introduce to you, this is Comrade Prazorev, the director of the instrument factory.
"
"Hello, comrade factory director." Sokov came here to help Asiya inquire about his father. Naturally, his attitude towards the factory director was very friendly. He said politely: "Nice to meet you."
Prazorev looked at Sokov and asked excitedly: "Comrade General, I would like to ask, are you General Sokov who once served as the commander of the 27th Group Army?"
"Yes, Comrade Factory Director." Sokov gave an affirmative answer to Prazorev's question: "I am the General Sokov you mentioned."
After Prazorev received a positive answer, he immediately stretched out his hands and held Sokov's hand tightly, and said with some gaffes: "Comrade General, it is my honor to see you here. To be honest,
You said that the Industrial Bureau formed a condolence group six months ago to visit your troops. I originally signed up, but I fell ill unexpectedly two days before departure, so I was unable to go. Otherwise, I would have been able to go half a year earlier.
Getting to know you."
Sokov glanced at Major Kudrin, the military representative next to him. Seeing the shocked look on his face, he couldn't help but asked Prazorev in surprise: "Comrade Factory Director, how did you recognize me?"
I am very curious, how did Prazorev do it without even a soldier like Kudrin identifying himself?
"Comrade General," Prazorev replied with a smile: "My son is also in the 27th Army. In the photo he sent me back, there is a photo of him and you. I often look at this photo, and naturally
I will remember you. As soon as you walked in, I felt familiar, so I asked tentatively, but I didn't expect it was really you."
As he spoke, he took out a wallet from his pocket, opened it, pulled out a photo inside, handed it to Sokov and said, "Look, this is a photo of him and you."
Sokov took the photo and saw that it was a photo of himself and a sergeant. Looking at the sergeant’s familiar face, Sokov thought for a while before he remembered that this was a member of the Belkin Regiment of the 84th Division.
A soldier, due to his heroic performance in the battle, he blew up two German tanks and killed more than 30 German soldiers. When I awarded him a medal, I took this photo with him.
Sokov had long forgotten the name of this soldier, but since Prazolev showed this photo to himself, it was still necessary to say a few words. While handing the photo back to Prazolev, he
He smiled and said: "Comrade Factory Director, your son is amazing. Before we took this photo, a battle had just ended. He personally blew up two German tanks and killed more than 30 German officers and soldiers."
"
Although Prazorev had already known about the record Sokov mentioned and had told it to others on many occasions. However, others thought it was too far-fetched to achieve such a record. Every time Prazolev
When Zorev mentioned this, everyone just agreed casually, but they were skeptical in their hearts.
Among the skeptics, Major Kudrin, the military representative in the factory, was naturally indispensable. When he heard Sokov say this, he couldn't help but ask: "Comrade General, has he really achieved such results?"
Sokov noticed that Prazorev frowned slightly, as if he was dissatisfied with Kudrin's question. He smiled faintly and said: "Comrade Major, of course the results of the battle are real."
"Comrade General, to tell you the truth, I have fought on the front line before." Kudrin said to Sokov: "At that time, in order to destroy a German tank, we had to sacrifice at least seven or eight soldiers. So I
When I heard that one person destroyed two tanks, I couldn't help but have doubts about such a record."
"Comrade Major, you are right." Sokov said: "In the early days of the war, because our commanders and soldiers had no anti-tank experience and were not familiar with weapons, it would naturally take a lot of effort to destroy the enemy's tanks.
But after more than two years of war, our commanders and fighters have grown up, and the weapons they possess are more powerful than before. Therefore, when encountering German tanks on the battlefield, the price paid will be much smaller."
"So that's it." Kudrin nodded, then turned his gaze to Prazorev who was standing next to him, and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade director, I always thought you were exaggerating your son.
The results achieved. Now that I heard General Sokov say this, I realized that I didn’t understand the situation. I’m really sorry.”
"It's okay, comrade military representative, we are partners. If anything happens in the future, you can tell me directly to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings." After Prazolev said this, he thought that Sokov would not
Appearing in his office for no reason, he asked cautiously: "Comrade General, I would like to ask, what's the matter with you coming to my place today?"
"That's right, Comrade Factory Director." Sokov explained to Prazorev: "I came here to inquire about the whereabouts of my father-in-law. It is said that he went to the maintenance station on the front line a few months ago. I don't know what happened recently.
How is the situation?"
"Your father-in-law?!" Prazorev was stunned for a moment when he heard what Sokov said, and then he understood what was going on: "Oh, you are talking about Bakanidze, right? Yes, there are several of them
I did go to the maintenance station on the front line a few months ago and was responsible for repairing the damaged tank instruments."
"Misha," his mother-in-law, who had never spoken, said to Sokov, "before you and Asiya came, I was discussing this matter with the factory director."
"Then do you know where my father-in-law is now?"
"I don't know," Sokov's mother-in-law said, shaking her head: "Comrade the factory director said that the location of the maintenance station is confidential and cannot be told to me. I have been here for a long time, but I still haven't gotten the answer I want."
"Comrade Factory Director," Sokov asked Prazorev in confusion: "Why didn't you tell my father-in-law's location and tell my mother-in-law truthfully?"
"Comrade General," Prazorev said with an embarrassed look, "you should know that in order to prevent leaks, the location of our army's frontline maintenance station is absolutely confidential."
"Comrade Factory Director, are you worried that my mother-in-law will leak the secret?"
"I don't think she can."
"Since you think she doesn't know how, why can't you tell her where my father-in-law's maintenance station is?"
"Comrade General, the rules are the rules." Prazorev said helplessly: "In order not to leak secrets, even their families cannot tell them their specific locations."
"Comrade Factory Director, regulations are dead, but people are alive." Sokov frowned slightly and said, "When we implement the orders from our superiors, we also act according to the actual situation."
After saying this, Sokov paused briefly and then continued to ask: "How many people did the factory send to the forward maintenance station?"
"There are 76 people in total, Comrade General." Major Kudlin next to him answered first.
"76 people." After Sokov repeated the number, he looked at Prazorev and said: "That is to say, there are 76 families who worry about the whereabouts of their sons, husbands and fathers every day. I
That’s right?”
"Yes, Comrade General, you are right."
"Since you think I'm right, then we should let the employees who go to the front line get in touch with their family members who are staying behind." In order to properly handle the matter, Sokov came up with a compromise: "We must meet in person."
It's impossible, but it can communicate. At least it can let the family members in the rear know that their relatives are still alive.
As for leaking secrets, I think that's what you are worrying about. Don't mention it. Correspondence addresses in the military are all field mailbox codes. Even if there are any irregularities in the letters, they will be obliterated by the wartime correspondence inspection agency.
In a word, even if the family members and the frontline workers are kept in contact through letters, there will be no leakage of secrets."
Prazorev thought about it carefully and found that what Sokov said was very reasonable. Even if a worker at the frontline maintenance station accidentally leaked confidential information when writing a letter, the wartime information would be removed before the letter was sent.
It was obliterated by the letter censorship agency. Even if this letter falls into the hands of the Germans, it will not cause any harm.
Although Prazorev was already willing to let his family members communicate with frontline workers, he did not immediately express his position. Instead, he looked at Kudrin and asked: "Comrade military representative, what do you think?"
When Kudrin heard Prazolev ask this question, he couldn't help but feel dumbfounded. He thought to himself, "You are the director of the factory. All you need to do for this kind of thing is to nod. Why do you have to drag me along? But since the other party has already asked,
Kudlin could only bite the bullet and reply: "Comrade factory director, I am just your deputy. As long as it is a decision you make, I will definitely support it."
Seeing that Kudrin, the military representative, did not object, Prazolev made up his mind. He walked to the desk, picked up the phone on it, dialed a number, and said into the phone: "I am
Prazorev, ask the director of the factory office to issue a notice in the factory that all those whose relatives have participated in the frontier maintenance station should come to the factory tomorrow to register."
Asiya's mother saw that the problem she had been grinding for an hour or two could not be solved, but was properly solved because of Sokov's few words, and she couldn't help but feel a little better about her son-in-law.
Now that the problem has been solved, there is no need to stay in the factory anymore, so Asiya offered to go home.
When the car left the factory gate, he met Michik on duty again. When he saw Asiya and her mother sitting in the car, he greeted loudly: "Is everything settled?"
"It was solved." Asiya's mother said proudly: "After my son-in-law had a few words with the factory director, it was solved."
When the car drove away from the gate of the factory, a young militiaman walked up to Michik and asked curiously: "Mitchik, tell me, who is Asiya's husband? He was so easily persuaded.
Our factory director?"
"It's a general, a very young general." Michik looked at the car going away and said to himself: "Maybe I should visit Bakanidze's house another day to find out more about this young man.
Who is the general?"
Sokov, who was sitting in the car at this moment, already knew that his mother-in-law was called Nina. However, the other party seemed a little uncomfortable hearing him call her mother, so he called her by her name instead: "Nina, Asya and I want to talk to each other."
If we stay at home until evening and then leave, do you think we should buy some food and cook it home?"
"In the state-owned stores, there are no other vegetables except potatoes, onions and cabbage." Nina said awkwardly: "Misha, it's your first time here, can't I just let you eat these shabby things?
"
"Comrade General," after Nina finished speaking, before Sokov could speak, Koshkin rushed to say: "How about we go to the military store to buy something?"
"Do you know where the nearest military store is?"