Sokov was about to continue inspecting the defense areas of other divisions. After chatting with Nikitin for a while, he was about to leave, but at this time Lunev suddenly snorted, covered his abdomen with both hands, his face turned livid, and his expression looked particularly strange.
happy.
"Comrade Military Commissar, what's wrong with you?" Seeing Lunev's sudden illness, Sokov couldn't help but panic, and asked with concern: "What's wrong with you?"
"Misha, if I'm not wrong, it may be an attack of acute appendicitis." After Lunev said this to Sokov, he looked up at Nikitin: "General Nikitin, could you please call some military doctors?
?"
Nikitin was also startled when he saw Lunev's sudden illness. If something happened to the military commissar of the Army Group, he would be in trouble. At this time, he heard Lunev talking to him.
, nodded vigorously and said, "No problem, I'll call the military doctor over right away."
The chief of staff standing nearby said to Nikitin: "Comrade division commander, the military doctors may be busy at the moment. I will go there personally and invite the director of the field hospital to come over and ask him to examine Comrade Military Commissar."
A few minutes later, a middle-aged military doctor, led by the chief of staff, walked into the division headquarters.
Seeing the military doctor entering the door, Nikitin immediately came forward and said anxiously: "Comrade Dean, you are here! The military commissar of the Army Group has a sudden illness, possibly acute appendicitis. Please check him out."
After Sokov learned that the person who came was the director of the field hospital, he also came forward and said politely: "Hello, comrade director! I am the commander of the group army Sokov. My military commissar may be acutely ill."
Appendicitis attacks, please help him get a checkup."
The dean nodded after hearing this, and then asked someone to find a stretcher, let Lunev lie on it, and then began to examine him.
During the examination, Sokov, Nikitin and others were anxious, but they did not dare to speak casually, lest they interrupt the director's diagnosis.
After the director examined Lunev, he said seriously: "Comrade Military Commissar, your guess is correct. It is indeed acute appendicitis."
"I'm in severe pain," Lunev said, "Can you give me some painkillers?"
"Comrade Military Commissar, just prescribing painkillers is useless." The dean shook his head and said, "I suggest you perform surgery immediately, otherwise your life may be in danger."
But Lunev said with concern: "But the war is still going on. Is it appropriate for me to have surgery at this time?"
As Sokov, who comes from a later generation, he naturally understands that acute appendicitis may seem like a minor problem, but if it is not taken seriously, once suppuration becomes infected, it may become life-threatening. Thinking of this, he said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I think you
You should listen to the director's words and perform surgery immediately, otherwise it may really endanger your life."
"If I undergo surgery, I'm afraid I won't be able to cooperate with your work for a long time."
"It doesn't matter, Comrade Military Commissar." Sokov comforted him and said, thinking that he could still carry out his work normally even without Lunev's cooperation, not to mention that a small appendix surgery would not last long.
After the operation, you can recuperate for a week at most before you can return to normal and return to your command position. Comrade Dean, am I right?" He said the last sentence to the Dean.
"Yes, Comrade Commander, you are right." The dean nodded in approval of Sokov's statement: "Appendix surgery is a minor surgery. You can get out of bed and walk around on the same day of the surgery, and the wound will be basically healed within seven days."
Seeing that everyone was persuading him to have surgery, and the pain in his lower right abdomen getting worse and worse, Lunev felt that his life might really be in danger if he didn't have surgery, so he nodded slowly and said, "Okay.
Well, Comrade Dean, please proceed with the operation as soon as possible."
When Lunev was lying on a stretcher and being carried outside by several soldiers, Sokov wanted to follow him, but Lunev said to him: "Misha, don't you still want to inspect?"
, then forget about it. After the operation, I will stay at the field hospital of the 120th Guards Division. You can come and see me at any time."
Since Luniev did not want to affect his inspection work, Sokov would no longer force it. However, Luniev's operation was not a trivial matter. Sokov called Sidorin before leaving the division headquarters.
He called and told him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let me tell you something. When we were inspecting the headquarters of the 120th Guards Division, Comrade Military Commissioner suddenly suffered from acute appendicitis and was sent to the field hospital for surgery. Surgery
After this is completed, he will recuperate here for a period of time."
"Comrade Commander," Sidorin said: "The conditions of the division field hospital are not comparable to those of the group army field hospital. I think it is better to send the military commissar back for surgery."
"The director of the division field hospital is going to personally perform the surgery on Comrade Military Commissar. I think there is no need to go back and forth." Sokov said into the microphone: "Besides, in a few days, the group army field hospital will also be moved forward.
Then just choose the location here.”
"That's okay." Sidorin nodded and said: "In this way, Comrade Military Commissioner will not have to move before he recovers. By the way, Comrade Commander, wherever you plan to inspect next, I will contact you in advance.
Say hello to the unit commander."
"I plan to go to the 118th Infantry Brigade and the 202nd Tank Brigade next." Sokov thought about the enemy sneaking in now. Although he brought a guard company with him, who can guarantee that no accident will happen? If he and the enemy are required in advance,
By greeting the inspecting troop commander, they could arrange some things in advance to minimize the possibility of danger. It was out of this consideration that Sokov agreed to Sidorin revealing his whereabouts to the following people
Commander: "Say hello to the two brigade commanders."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Sidorin said, "I'll call them immediately."
Since Lunev stayed in the division field hospital for surgery, a seat was vacant on the jeep. When Sokov invited Lednikova again, she did not refuse, but sat on it generously.
Sokov's side.
After the car started, Lednikova asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade General, is the chief just now from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
Sokov knew that Lednikova was asking about Lunev, so he nodded, and before she asked again, he took the initiative and said: "Yes, General Lunev is the deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a member of the Supreme Command.
To my military commissar."
When Lednikova and Lunev exchanged codes, she only knew that the other person was from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but she did not expect that his position was so high, only one or two levels lower than Beria. Thinking of this, she felt a little bit
He asked anxiously: "He knows that we were assassinated by German agents today. Will he punish us next?"
Lednikova was right to worry. A group of agents from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came out to perform a mission, but were actually plotted against by German agents disguised as Soviet soldiers. Their weapons and documents were even taken away, which even caused the group to be harmed.
He was almost shot as an enemy by his own people. If the superiors really wanted to hold him accountable, I'm afraid not a single member of the team would be able to escape.
"Second Lieutenant Lednikova," Sokov saw Lednikova's worries and comforted her and said: "Don't worry, Lunev is now my military commissar and no longer the deputy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Minister, I don’t think he will pursue this matter anymore, so just keep it in your heart.”
"Is it true, Comrade General?" Lednikova asked with surprise and joy: "Is it true that he will not pursue our mistakes?"
Sokov was worried that Lednikova would not believe what he said, so he nuzzled at Koshkin, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, and said: "This captain was Comrade Military Commissar's subordinate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He told Lu
I know General Nev’s character very well. If you don’t believe it, you can ask him and see if you will be punished?”
"No, Second Lieutenant Lednikova." Koshkin half-turned around and said to Lednikova, who was sitting in the back row: "Comrade Military Commissar is a very kind person. When you were rescued, he
I didn’t say anything, so I won’t punish you later, so don’t worry.”
After receiving Koshkin's confirmation, Lednikova felt a little more at ease: "That's good, that's good, now I feel relieved."
"Koshkin," Sokov said to Koshkin, who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat, after the convoy continued to drive for some distance, "did you see any supply points on the way?"
In today's large corps operations, several supply points are usually set up along the way to refuel passing vehicles, provide food for commanders and fighters on the roadside, etc. When Koshkin heard Sokov ask this, he immediately thought that he left too early this morning.
, who had not eaten yet, quickly replied: "Comrade Commander, we haven't seen the supply point yet. But please don't worry, you will be able to see the existence of the supply point soon."
Sokov nodded and said nothing, but he was thinking in his heart: The number of supply points is still too few. We have walked so far and we didn’t see any of them. Those soldiers who are marching on foot may be missing many times.
We had to go on the road hungry, so it seemed like we should send a message to the Army Logistics Department and ask them to increase the number of supply points.
The convoy drove forward for a few more minutes. Koshkin suddenly turned around, pointed forward with his finger, and said excitedly to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, there is a supply point on the roadside in front. We can eat there first."
Grab something and then rush to the unit you want to inspect."
"Well, I think it's okay." Sokov was already so hungry that his chest was touching his back. When he heard that there was food ahead, he immediately became energetic. However, he still reminded Koshkin: "Koshkin, let the team
Find a suitable place to park, and don't block the normal movement of other vehicles, do you understand?"
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Koshkin said confidently: "The location chosen for the supply point is very open. Even if there are twenty or thirty trucks parked, it will not appear crowded."
When the convoy stopped in the open space next to the supply point, the soldiers of the guard company got off the car one after another. After a brief formation, they were ready to go to the food supply point to collect food. After eating, they could also go to a nearby tent to rest for a while.
.
Just when Sokov was about to walk over, he was grabbed by Lednikova: "Wait a minute, Comrade General, please wait a minute."
Sokov turned to look at Lednikova. He was about to ask her what was going on and why she suddenly pulled him, but he saw the other person said with a horrified look: "Comrade General, I saw it, I saw it."
He got it."
"He? Who is he?" After Sokov said this impatiently, he suddenly thought of a possibility, and an expression of disbelief suddenly appeared on his face: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, you said it was the ones who attacked you.
German?"
"That's right, that's right." Lednikova nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "Look among the people standing by the tent eating, there is a major with his arm wrapped in a bandage and hanging on his chest.
, it was he who led the team to attack us."
Sokov looked in the direction Lednikova said and saw a major with a wounded arm. His bandaged arm was hanging on his chest and he was gnawing a few slices of bread in his other hand. But he
He was not alone. There was a soldier-looking man next to him, holding a lunch box in his hand, which seemed to be filled with soup. After the major finished eating the bread, he took a spoon from the soldier's hand and scooped it up in the lunch box.
A spoonful of soup...
"Comrade Second Lieutenant, please tell me." Sokov asked Lednikova with a serious expression: "Did the soldier next to him also participate in the attack on you?"
Lednikova stared at the soldier carefully, then shook her head and said: "There is no such soldier among the people who attacked us."
"Then take a look and see if there are any of their people nearby?"
Hearing what Sokov said, Lednikova searched the crowd of people eating again. After a while, she said in a positive tone: "Comrade General, five or six steps away to the right of the major
There is a second lieutenant at that location, and he is on the same team as him."
Sokov quickly looked towards the location where Lednikova said, and sure enough he saw a second lieutenant. Since the second lieutenant was surrounded by ordinary soldiers, it was easy to identify him. After confirming the two targets, Sokov continued to ask
: "Is there any more?"
"No more." Lednikova shook her head and said, "At least no one found them among the crowd."
Sokov quickly called Koshkin over, told him in a low voice what Lednikova had discovered, and then ordered him to take someone to pretend to go there for a meal, quietly approach the major and second lieutenant, and control them by surprise.
stand up.
After hearing this, Koshkin looked at Lednikova and asked: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, are you sure that there are only two of them here and that no other accomplices are here?"
"Yes, Comrade Captain, I'm sure." Lednikova said in a firm tone: "Don't forget, I am from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and my basic ability is to have a photographic memory of people. This is