Hearing the story told by the man, Sokov's face jumped. He couldn't help but think of a movie "The Pianist" he had watched before he traveled through time. The film was based on the Polish Jewish composer and pianist Varady.
Adapted from Slo Szpilman's autobiography, it describes the story of Polish Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's difficult survival during World War II.
Sokov naturally associated the man in front of him with the movie he had watched. He organized the vocabulary in his mind, and then asked: "Is your name Vladislo Szilman or Varady?"
Slough Schipilman?”
As soon as the words came out, Sokov saw Agelina's eyes widen in surprise. She didn't expect that Sokov would suddenly say two Polish names, and she couldn't help being shocked. The man's face was also full of shock.
He was shocked, and after a while, he murmured: "Mr. General, my name is Vladislo Szpilman, how do you know my name?"
Naturally, Sokov would not tell the two people in front of him that he had seen this name in a movie. Instead, he changed the subject in time and asked: "Spilman, do you know that the German captain who helped you was named
What’s the name?”
"I don't know, I don't know." Spielman shook his head and said, "He never told me his name."
"Why?" Agelina next to her asked puzzledly: "Since he is willing to help you and often provides you with food, why doesn't he tell you his name?"
"The reason is very simple." Sokov guessed that Spielman could not answer Agelina's question, so he said first: "After the German army invaded Poland, it was announced that anyone who sheltered Jews in their home or property would have their whole family executed;
Those who provided food or water to Jews would also be killed. This was the most severe torture during the German invasion of Europe. Even if the person who helped Spielman was an officer, he would not dare to reveal his identity easily, otherwise he would also be killed.
Life is in danger.”
After Sokov's reminder, Agelina immediately remembered that when she was in Warsaw, she knew that such a rule existed. She had received an order from her superiors and was absolutely not allowed to have public or private contact with Jews, so as not to trigger the Gestapo
attention, resulting in the destruction of underground organizations.
After the three of them were silent for a while, Sokov asked again: "Spilman, since you don't know the name of that officer, how do you plan to find him? Are you going to search in one place after another like now?
?”
"Yes, Mr. General." Spielman said with a wry smile: "Although this is a stupid way, as long as he is still in Warsaw, there is a chance to find him."
"This method won't work." Sokov waited for Spielman to finish speaking, then shook his head and said, "Those prisoners may not have to do hard labor in the same place every day. For example, the place you came to today is cleaning up the ruins.
This is a group of German soldiers, and there may be another group tomorrow. In the same way, the German prisoners who clean up the ruins in this area can be changed every day, so the prisoners in other areas may not be fixed."
When Agelina heard this, she immediately understood what Sokov meant. She added her own opinion when translating: "Mr. Spielman, you don't know the name of the German captain who helped you.
You can only search everywhere aimlessly. Maybe he did not come here to work for various reasons today, but he may be arranged to work here tomorrow. And you happen to have searched for this place today, so you will not come back tomorrow. In this way
, you missed the opportunity to meet."
When Spielman heard this, he realized that what he said made sense. Maybe he had failed here today, and he would search elsewhere tomorrow, and maybe he would miss his benefactor. Thinking of this, he grabbed Sokov
raised his arm and said emotionally: "Mr. General, please help me."
The soldiers guarding the prisoners of war in the distance saw that the Poles they had driven away actually grabbed a general and were worried that something would happen, so they ran over with their guns in hand. From a distance, they pointed at Sokov
Asked: "Comrade General, is there anything I can do for you?"
Spielman, who was grabbing Sokov's arm, saw the soldier running away from him running over. He was so frightened that he hurriedly let go of Sokov's arm, took a step back, and lowered his head nervously, waiting for what might come.
punish.
Unexpectedly, Sokov waved his hand to the soldier and said: "It's okay, comrade soldier, I met a Polish friend and I am chatting with him."
The soldier stopped and said to Sokov: "Comrade General, I'm really sorry. I didn't know he was your friend. If I offended him just now, please forgive me."
Naturally, Sokov would not blame a soldier for such a trivial matter. He smiled and asked the soldier: "Comrade soldier, which part do you belong to?"
Although the soldier didn't know which part Sokov belonged to, when he saw his admiral's epaulettes, he still replied respectfully: "Comrade General, we are from the garrison headquarters."
When he learned that the other party was from the garrison headquarters, Sokov couldn't help but his eyes lit up. Since the troops that guarded the German prisoners of war were under the jurisdiction of the garrison headquarters, couldn't he just go directly to the garrison commander? Sokov couldn't help feeling sorry for himself.
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"Comrade soldier," Sokov asked, looking at the soldiers: "Do you know where the garrison headquarters is?"
"I know, Comrade General."
"Then please show us the way. I want to see the garrison commander in Warsaw."
Under the leadership of the soldiers, Sokov and others came to the garrison headquarters.
The officer on duty at the door showed a surprised expression when he saw a general appearing at the door of the headquarters. He quickly stepped forward to salute and said respectfully: "Hello, comrade general, what can I do for you?
Is this for you?"
"I want to see the garrison commander in Warsaw. I wonder if he is free now?"
"Comrade General, please wait a moment, I will call his adjutant." When the officer on duty was about to go to the duty room to make a call, he specifically asked Sokov's name: "Comrade General, I don't know what to do.
Call you?"
"Sokov, just tell the garrison commander's adjutant that there is a general Sokov who wants to see the garrison commander."
A few minutes later, a major officer hurried to the door and saluted Sokov who was standing here: "Hello, General Sokov! I am the adjutant of the garrison commander. On the order of the commander, please go to him.
's office."
Sokov nodded and followed the adjutant into the building.
Soon, they arrived outside the garrison commander's office. There were many officers standing in the corridor. Judging from the uniforms on his body, there were both Soviet officers and Polish officers. They should be waiting to be received by the garrison commander.
Seeing Sokov appearing with his adjutant, the officers, whether chatting or sitting, all stood at attention, made way for Sokov, and saluted him with attention.
After entering the office, Sokov saw a bald, middle-aged major general sitting behind his desk and writing something.
"Comrade Commander!" the adjutant stepped forward and reported to the garrison commander: "Admiral Sokov is here!"
The major general raised his head and saw Sokov clearly standing in front of him. He quickly put down the pen in his hand, stood up and walked around from behind the desk. He took the initiative to reach out to Sokov and said in a friendly tone: "Hello,
General Sokov, I am Major General Mandraka, commander of the Warsaw garrison. Welcome to Warsaw!"
When shaking hands, he said to the adjutant standing next to him: "What are you still doing? Why don't you quickly pour tea for Comrade General!" After letting go of Sokov's hand, he greeted politely: "Comrade General, you are welcome."
Please take a seat quickly."
After Sokov sat down, Mandrake glanced at Spielman, and then asked curiously: "Comrade General, when did you come to Warsaw?"
"I arrived not long ago. To be precise, it was less than an hour before the train I took entered Warsaw West Station."
"Can I ask what you brought to this city?"
"Of course." Sokov needed the help of Major General Mandreka, so he naturally did not hide his purpose. Then he pointed to Spielman sitting next to him and said: "This is the famous pianist in Warsaw.
Mr. Spielman, he often plays piano on the radio."
After hearing Sokov introduce Spielman, Mandrake walked over to shake hands with him and said politely: "Hello, Mr. Spielman, I heard the beautiful piano you played on the radio today.
Qu, I didn’t expect to see you here today.”
"Comrade Major General," Sokov continued: "Mr. Spielman is a Jew who suffered persecution during the German occupation of Warsaw. After the failure of the Jewish uprising in Warsaw, he has been hiding in the ruins. Fortunately, he met
A kind-hearted German captain often provided him with food so that he could survive until the day my family liberated Warsaw. Some time ago, he heard from a Jewish friend of his that he saw a prisoner of war in a prisoner of war camp.
German captain, the captain said that he had helped Mr. Spielman, and he hoped that the other party could convey the news that he was being held here to Mr. Spielman, and ask him to rescue him from the prisoner of war camp."
After understanding Sokov's purpose, Mandreka nodded, and then asked Spielman: "Mr. Spielman, I don't know the name of the German captain who helped you and which prisoner of war building he was held in."
Where is the camp?”
Mandreka's question stopped Spielman. He shook his head and said awkwardly: "My friend said that he once asked the name of the German captain at that time, and the other party told him. But because of the distance at that time,
It was a bit far away, and the Soviet troops guarding the prisoners of war came to drive him away, so that he didn't even hear the other party's name clearly."
After hearing what Spielman said, Mandrake put his bare forehead with his hands and said awkwardly: "Mr. Spielman, there are as many as 50,000 to 60,000 German prisoners of war in prison camps in Warsaw.
, As for the officers, there are probably thousands of them, and it may not be an easy task to find a captain whose name is unknown among them."
As soon as Mandrake finished speaking, the adjutant came in carrying a tray with three cups of hot tea. When he bent down to place the hot tea in front of Sokov and others, Mandrake suddenly spoke
Asked: "Adjutant, who is in charge of the German prisoners of war?"
The adjutant was stunned when he heard this question, but he still answered truthfully: "Colonel Balanin is in charge. Do you want him to come over?"
"Yes, ask him to come over. I have something to ask him about."
The adjutant agreed and quietly walked out with the tray.
A few minutes later, a tall and thin middle-aged colonel walked into the room and asked Mandrake: "Commander, what do you want from me?"
"Comrade Colonel," Mandrake said bluntly after introducing Sokov to Balanin: "General Sokov and the Polish pianist are looking for a German captain in the prisoner of war camp. I think
Let you help them."
After listening to Mandrake's words, Balanin turned to look at Sokov and asked: "Comrade General, I wonder what the name of this German captain is?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel Balanin." Sokov said apologetically: "We don't know his name, we only know that he is a German captain."
Seeing that Sokov and others did not know the name of the German captain they were looking for, Balanin couldn't help but frowned. However, he did not give up easily, but continued to ask the next question: "Since I don't know his name
What's his name? Then you know when he was captured, right?"
"Why, weren't the prisoners held in your prisoner-of-war camp captured at the same time?"
"Yes, Comrade General, some of the prisoners held in prisoner-of-war camps were captured in October 1944, and some were captured in February 1945. If you know the approximate time of his capture, we can narrow down the scope of the search.
.”
Sokov turned to Spielman and asked: "Mr. Spielman, do you know when the German captain was captured?"
Spielman thought for a while and replied: "When he left, he told me that the Russians, no, the Soviet army was forcibly crossing the Vistula River. He and his troops were ordered to withdraw outside the city to build new defenses. I
I think he was captured at that time."
"I understand." Balanin nodded and said, "As long as we know the approximate time of his capture, we can greatly narrow down the search scope. Comrade General, if you have no objection, I would like to ask you to go to my office.
Let’s find this unknown German captain together.”
Sokov agreed to Balanin's proposal, and after bidding farewell to Mandrake, the three of them followed Balanin to his office.
Balanin opened a filing cabinet, took out two prisoner of war rosters, and placed them in front of Sokov: "Comrade General, these are the names of German officers captured in February 1945. Look at you."
Is the person you are looking for inside?"
Sokov opened one of the rosters and found that it only contained information such as name, military rank, age, and place of origin, not even a photo.
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov closed the roster and said to Balanin with a frown: "There are only names, military ranks, ages and places of origin, and not even a photo. How can we find it? No matter how capable we are, we can't find it."
We cannot judge who is the person we are looking for based on such simple information."
Hearing what Sokov said, Balanin couldn't help but blush with embarrassment. He asked with some embarrassment: "Comrade General, do you have any good ideas?"
"Mr. Spielman." Sokov did not answer his question immediately, but turned to ask Spielman next to him: "Can you tell me how old the German captain who helped you is?" He was deeply afraid of the other party.
Not understanding what he meant, he specifically explained: "We can find the person you are looking for based on the approximate age."