"Yes, Comrade General." The conductor said firmly: "I have been to Siping City once. There are indeed no fortifications in it. It looks like a very ordinary city. I heard the commander stationed in the city say,
Fifty years ago, Tsarist Russia built the Dongqing Railway and built a train station here, named it Five Stations. Later, the Kwantung Army occupied this place and changed Station Five to Siping Street."
After listening to the conductor's words, Lu Jin asked Sokov with some surprise: "Misha, you said that there are strong defenses in Siping City. Who did you hear that from?"
Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "I think since this city is located between Fengtian and Xinjing, it will definitely be regarded as a key defense area by the Kwantung Army, so I take it for granted that there will be strong defenses in the city."
After everyone finished eating, Sokov saw that the car had not started yet, so he stood up and said to Lukin: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I want to get out of the car and go for a walk."
But Lu Jin waved his hand to stop him: "Misha, the train will leave soon. If you can't come back after getting off the train, it won't stop the train to wait for you. It will affect the normal railway operation."
Mobilize.”
Listening to what Lu Jin said, Sokov also felt that if he really got off the train, if he couldn't make it back in time for the departure time, the train would really have to stop and wait for him, which would definitely affect normal operations.
After thinking about this, he said helplessly: "Ah, forget it. Anyway, we can return to Fengtian in two or three hours, and it won't be too late to walk around then."
Although he said this, Sokov kept looking out the window. He really wanted to see what this city, which would determine the fate of Northeast China in the future, was like.
Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long before the train started again and headed towards Fengtian.
"Misha," Lu Jin asked suddenly: "Have you told the chief of staff about our return to Fengtian today?"
"When I called yesterday, I told Yasha that I would return to Fengtian today at the latest."
"So you didn't notify the Chief of Staff?"
Sokov hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Before leaving today, I didn't call Yasha to tell him when we would arrive."
Lu Jin said regretfully: "If I had known earlier that I had not notified the chief of staff, we should have got off the car and made a phone call when we stopped at Siping just now, telling him our arrival time and asking him to arrange a vehicle to pick us up.
"
"It doesn't matter." Sokov said casually: "It won't be too late for me to call him when we get to Fengtian. If you can't wait, we can ask the station to arrange a vehicle for us. I believe they will be very happy to help us.
of."
When the train was still a few kilometers away from Fengtian, it suddenly stopped.
Soon, the conductor, accompanied by the conductor, came to the carriage where Sokov was sitting, and said anxiously: "Comrade General, it's bad, the railway in front is blocked, our train can't pass, I wonder if you can come forward.
Let's negotiate and let us enter Fengtian smoothly."
Knowing that the road ahead was blocked, Sokov couldn't help but frowned and asked: "What's going on? Where did the troops come from and dared to cut off the railway?"...
The train conductor replied with some embarrassment: "I heard it is your 53rd Army."
Sokov originally thought that friendly troops came from somewhere and cut off the railway without authorization, but when he heard that it was his own troops, he felt more at ease. He stood up and said: "Comrade conductor, go and get the commander of that troops."
Call him and tell him that I'm waiting for him to explain to me about cutting off the railway."
Seeing that Sokov was willing to come forward to resolve the matter, the conductor's face showed joy. He agreed and left with the conductor.
After the conductor and others left, Sokov called a guard and told him to check the situation outside to see what was going on and why there were troops cutting off the railway. Then he said to Lukin: "Deputy
Comrade Commander, which army do you think was responsible for cutting off the railway?"
"If no new troops are stationed in Fengtian, it should be General Afnin's 18th Guards Army." Lu Jin said thoughtfully: "But why they cut off the railway, I don't know the reason."
"When the commander of the road closure force comes over, we will be able to figure out what happened." When Sokov said this, he felt quite uneasy. He was worried that something big would happen during his absence.
happens, otherwise there would never be a situation where railway transportation would be cut off.
When the soldiers sent to inquire about the situation did not return, the commander of the road sealing force, led by the train conductor, came to the carriage where Sokov and others were staying.
Seeing Sokov, the commander quickly raised his hand in salute and reported respectfully: "Comrade Commander, Captain Masita, Commander of the Second Battalion of the 122nd Regiment of the 41st Guards Division, is reporting to you that our battalion is executing the orders of our superiors.
Road mission, please give instructions!"
"Please rest a moment, Captain Masita." Sokov walked up to Masita and asked with a straight face: "Can you tell me whose order you came to block the railway?"
"It was the order of the division commander, Major General Riazanov." Masita said the name of his division commander without hesitation, and then added: "He was also under the order of the army commander, Lieutenant General Afunin."
"Oh, so it was Commander Afuning who issued the order to close the road?"
"Probably not," Masita replied with some embarrassment: "He also made such a deployment after receiving orders from his superiors."
When Sokov heard this, he became even more confused. Apart from himself and Lukin, the only superiors to Afunin were Yakov and Gorokhov. And the only people in Fengtian City who could give orders to General Afunin were
There was only Yakov, but why did he give such an order?
However, he knew that even if he asked Masita, the other party might not know the reason. He could only change the subject: "Comrade Captain, please tell me, why are you blocking the road?"
"A unit of unknown origin took a train and arrived near Fengtian." Masita replied: "The order given to us by our superiors was to stop them on the railway and not allow them to enter Fengtian."
"Troops of unknown origin?" When Lu Jin heard this, he couldn't help but curiously asked: "I wonder where they came from?"
When Masita heard Sokov's question, he scratched the back of his head and said hesitantly: "They seem to be troops coming from the fortress?"...
"The troops coming from the fortress?" Lu Jin asked with shock on his face after hearing this: "They came from the Dongning Fortress?"
"No, it's not Dongning Fortress." Masita hurriedly shook her head and said, "It's another fortress with a name that's not easy to remember."
"Comrade Deputy Commander, you don't need to ask, I know where it is." Seeing Lu Jin still asking, Sokov interrupted him: "He must be talking about Shanhaiguan. If you are not familiar with the terrain,
It is difficult for ordinary people to remember this word."
"Yes, yes." Masita nodded vigorously after hearing what Sokov said, and said in a positive tone: "Comrade Commander, this is the Shanhaiguan you mentioned."
"Where is this force now?"
"Just one kilometer ahead." Masita reported to Sokov: "The tank truck they were riding in has been stopped by my troops. The commander they led also tried to negotiate with us, but unfortunately we
No one could understand what they were saying."
"Comrade Captain," although Sokov knew Chinese, it was impossible for him to act as the translator himself. Doing so would arouse suspicion from others and bring him a lot of trouble, so he asked Masita: "Where is this place nearby?"
Is there a phone number you can use to contact your superior?"
"There are no telephones around here." After Masita said this, she saw a disappointed expression on Sokov's face and quickly added: "But we carry a radio. If you have any instructions, you can contact us through the radio.
Contact the division headquarters.”
"Comrade Captain, you should go back immediately and send a telegram to General Ryazanov, asking him to first allow the friendly trains to enter Fengtian Railway Station, and then find someone who understands Chinese to act as an interpreter to facilitate communication between the two of you."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Masita nodded and said, "I'll go back and send a telegram immediately."
"I think you can bring the operator and radio station here." Sokov said, "It will be more convenient."
When Masita went back to find the operator and radio station, the soldier sent to reconnoiter the situation came back. He reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, we have figured it out. On the railway hundreds or thousands of meters away from here,
There was a tanker truck with more than a dozen carriages parked, surrounded by our soldiers guarding it. I went over to inquire and found out that the people in the truck were all Chinese troops from other places, because their superiors did not allow them to enter Fengtian City.
, so they sent troops to stop them on the railway."
After the soldier finished explaining what he knew about the situation, he suddenly realized that Sokov in front of him was the highest-ranking commander in Fengtian. He quickly added: "Comrade Commander, I'm not talking about the order you gave me, but the order you gave me.
Refers to the commander of the force blocking the railway..."
"Okay, you don't need to say anything." Sokov waved his hand to the soldier, interrupting what he was saying, and then turned to Lu Jin and said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, it seems that friendly forces from the pass are planning to enter Fengtian, but the result is
It was stopped by our troops, causing the railway to be cut off."
"Well, that's right." Lujin nodded, and then asked Sokov: "Misha, how do you plan to arrange this army?"...
"When I called Yasha yesterday, he mentioned this." Sokov frowned and thought for a while before he remembered that the station location arranged by Yakov for this friendly army was the Su family outside the city.
Tun, quickly said: "He said that Marshal Chernyakhovsky was inspecting Fengtian. Naturally, such troops of unknown origin cannot be easily put into the city, so he planned to place them in Sujiatun outside the city.
.”
"Where is Sujiatun?" Lu Jin asked.
Sokov shook his head, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "This must be a small place, I don't know."
"I think your decision is correct." Lu Jin said: "Let this friendly force enter the city first. As for how to settle them, we will wait until we return to Fengtian. It is better than letting the train they are riding stop on the railway and interrupt the operation."
Rail transportation is stronger."
Masita soon reappeared, followed by an operator carrying a walkie-talkie.
Sokov thought that the speed of sending the telegram was too slow, so he asked the operator: "Comrade operator, don't you know that you can have a plain language conversation with the headquarters in Fengtian City?"
"Of course, Comrade Commander," the operator said, "I will immediately call the headquarters in Fengtian City for you." After saying that, he walked to a corner of the carriage and started calling.
Soon, the radio operator returned to Sokov and handed him the earphone and microphone in his hand: "Comrade Commander, the call has been connected. Comrade Chief of Staff is on the line."
After putting on the headphones, Sokov said into the microphone: "Hello, this is Yasha, I am Sokov."
Yakov was particularly surprised when he heard Sokov's voice: "Misha, are you back?"
"I am still on the train. To be precise, the train we are on is still a few kilometers away from Fengtian." Sokov said: "Our train was blocked by a unit of the 41st Guards Division.
I asked the commander who led the team, and he said that he was ordered by the division commander to intercept the friendly troops coming from the pass and not allow them to enter Fengtian City. Yasha, is this happening?"
"Yes, Misha, this is indeed the case." Yakov replied: "But the order was not given by me, but by the garrison commander in Fengtian."
"Did it come from the garrison commander?" Sokov thought that before he went to Xinjing, he appointed Bezikov as the garrison commander and Lieutenant Chen as the deputy commander. How could they order the interception of the friendly trains? This is incredible.
With such doubts, Sokov asked: "What is going on? Why did Major Bezikov and the others issue such a ridiculous order to intercept our friendly forces?"
"Misha, you are mistaken, the garrison commander is not Bezikov."
"What, not Bezikov?" Sokov couldn't help but be stunned after hearing this, and then asked: "Who is that?"
"He is a general, I can't remember the specific name." Yakov explained to Sokov: "His post of garrison commander was personally appointed by Marshal Chernyakhovsky. As for Bezi
Cove and Lieutenant Chen have been relieved of their duties by Comrade Marshal."
After Sokov heard this, he finally understood why there were troops to intercept the friendly forces coming from the pass. It turned out that Lieutenant Bezikov and Chen, who were arranged by him, had been relieved of their duties by Marshal Chernyakhovsky.
Thinking of this, he asked with some displeasure: "Yasha, I appointed Major Bezikov as the garrison commander. Deputy Commander Chernyakhovsky is considered a marshal. I want to relieve them of their duties."
You always want to say hello to me, right? Now you have dismissed my people without saying a word. This is too outrageous."