Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Susaikov said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, it's getting late. You should go and rest first. If you have anything to do, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Zakharov called the lieutenant colonel who led Sokov and told him: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, take General Sokov to a nearby hotel. Remember to tell the person in charge to arrange a good stay for him." s room."
The lieutenant colonel nodded, and then made a gesture of invitation to Sokov: "Comrade General, please."
The distance from the headquarters to the small hotel is about five hundred meters. The lieutenant colonel knew that Sokov's leg was injured, so he deliberately walked slowly so that the other party could keep up with him.
When they were approaching the small hotel, the lieutenant colonel suddenly asked: "General Sokov, I heard that you are looking for an open-pit mine near Uman. Is there such a thing?"
Hearing the lieutenant colonel's question, Sokov couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking about such a confidential matter, how could an ordinary lieutenant colonel know about it? But then I thought about it, and it was not surprising that this person seemed to be highly regarded by Zakharov and knew some inside stories about the headquarters.
When he thought about the other party asking this question, although there was no one around, he deliberately lowered his voice, as if he didn't want more people to know.
Before answering the question, Sokov asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I don't know how to call you?"
"My name is Georgy Melekhov." The lieutenant colonel replied: "You can call me by my first name or my last name."
Sokov thought that Zhukov's first name was also Georgi, and it would be confusing to call him by his first name, so he decided to call him by his last name: "It turns out to be Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov. I want to ask, why are you asking about this?" "
Melekhov hesitated for a moment, and then asked cautiously: "Comrade General, can you help me keep the secret?"
Sokov nodded, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret."
After receiving Sokov's assurance, Melekhov said: "Comrade General, I have an older brother, a real brother. When the war broke out, he served as the battalion commander of the 97th Border Column of the 12th Group Army of the Southwest Front. Duty. Since our army could not withstand the German attack in the early stages of the war, his border column followed the main force and moved towards Kiev. However, their troops were later deployed in the Uman area and were finally annihilated by the Germans."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov, was your brother sacrificed or captured?"
"After the Battle of Uman, some commanders and fighters successfully broke through and retreated to Kiev." Melekhov said: "Although I heard that my brother's border column was annihilated by the German army, I always had a sense of luck in my heart. , thinking he was still alive, I specifically asked those commanders and fighters who had successfully broken through to see if anyone knew the whereabouts of my brother."
Seeing the sad expression on Melekhov's face, Sokov understood that the other party must not have found his brother among the survivors. After a pause, he then asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you think your brother is still alive and even being imprisoned in the open-pit mine in Uman?"
"That's right." Melekhov nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "I think this is very likely. After all, according to the information obtained, the enemy held tens of thousands of our prisoners of war in that mine."
"Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov." Sokov felt that as long as his troops could find the open-pit mine and rescue the commanders and soldiers trapped inside, it would be just a piece of cake to help Melekhov find his brother, so he was happy He said: "As long as my troops liberate the open-pit mine, I will personally investigate your brother's matter."
"Thank you, General Sokov. Thank you so much."
The two people soon arrived at the small hotel. The person in charge of the hotel was a lieutenant. Seeing Melekhov's arrival, he quickly stepped forward to greet him and greeted with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you are here!"
When he saw Sokov following Melekhov, he quickly stood at attention, raised his hand in salute, and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade General, welcome to your arrival!"
"The general will stay with you tonight." Melehov said to the person in charge: "Please help him arrange a good room."
"Don't worry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." The person in charge of the hotel said, "I will arrange the best room for him."
…………
Early the next morning, Sokov was awakened by a rapid knock on the door.
He sat up straight and did not put on his shoes immediately. Instead, he raised his voice and asked dissatisfiedly outside: "Who, who is outside?"
"Yes, Comrade General." Melekhov's voice came from outside the door: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov."
Hearing that the person knocking on the door was Melehov, Sokov did not wear a coat, but bent down and put on his boots, walked slowly to the door, reached out and opened the door.
"Hello, Comrade General!" Melekhov, who was standing outside the door, raised his hand and saluted him when he saw Sokov appear at the door, and said politely: "Chief of Staff Zakharov ordered me to To wake you up.”
"What's wrong with him?"
"That's it, Comrade General." Melekhov explained to Sokov: "We received a notification from the Supreme Command saying that Marshal Zhukov will arrive in an hour, so that we can prepare for the reception. Chief of Staff Comrade said that you have a good relationship with Marshal Zhukov and wants you to go to the airport to greet him."
Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Susaikov said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, it's getting late. You should go and rest first. If you have anything to do, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Zakharov called the lieutenant colonel who led Sokov and told him: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, take General Sokov to a nearby hotel. Remember to tell the person in charge to arrange a good stay for him." s room."
The lieutenant colonel nodded, and then made a gesture of invitation to Sokov: "Comrade General, please."
The distance from the headquarters to the small hotel is about five hundred meters. The lieutenant colonel knew that Sokov's leg was injured, so he deliberately walked slowly so that the other party could keep up with him.
When they were approaching the small hotel, the lieutenant colonel suddenly asked: "General Sokov, I heard that you are looking for an open-pit mine near Uman. Is there such a thing?"
Hearing the lieutenant colonel's question, Sokov couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking about such a confidential matter, how could an ordinary lieutenant colonel know about it? But then I thought about it, and it was not surprising that this person seemed to be highly regarded by Zakharov and knew some inside stories about the headquarters.
When he thought about the other party asking this question, although there was no one around, he deliberately lowered his voice, as if he didn't want more people to know.
Before answering the question, Sokov asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I don't know how to call you?"
"My name is Georgy Melekhov." The lieutenant colonel replied: "You can call me by my first name or my last name."
Sokov thought that Zhukov's first name was also Georgi, and it would be confusing to call him by his first name, so he decided to call him by his last name: "It turns out to be Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov. I want to ask, why are you asking about this?" "
Melekhov hesitated for a moment, and then asked cautiously: "Comrade General, can you help me keep the secret?"
Sokov nodded, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret."
After receiving Sokov's assurance, Melekhov said: "Comrade General, I have an older brother, a real brother. When the war broke out, he served as the battalion commander of the 97th Border Column of the 12th Group Army of the Southwest Front. Duty. Since our army could not withstand the German attack in the early stages of the war, his border column followed the main force and moved towards Kiev. However, their troops were later deployed in the Uman area and were finally annihilated by the Germans."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov, was your brother sacrificed or captured?"
"After the Battle of Uman, some commanders and fighters successfully broke through and retreated to Kiev." Melekhov said: "Although I heard that my brother's border column was annihilated by the German army, I always had a sense of luck in my heart. , thinking he was still alive, I specifically asked those commanders and fighters who had successfully broken through to see if anyone knew the whereabouts of my brother."
Seeing the sad expression on Melekhov's face, Sokov understood that the other party must not have found his brother among the survivors. After a pause, he then asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you think your brother is still alive and even being imprisoned in the open-pit mine in Uman?"
"That's right." Melekhov nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "I think this is very likely. After all, according to the information obtained, the enemy held tens of thousands of our prisoners of war in that mine."
"Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov." Sokov felt that as long as his troops could find the open-pit mine and rescue the commanders and soldiers trapped inside, it would be just a piece of cake to help Melekhov find his brother, so he was happy He said: "As long as my troops liberate the open-pit mine, I will personally investigate your brother's matter."
"Thank you, General Sokov. Thank you so much."
The two people soon arrived at the small hotel. The person in charge of the hotel was a lieutenant. Seeing Melekhov's arrival, he quickly stepped forward to greet him and greeted with a smile: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you are here!"
When he saw Sokov following Melekhov, he quickly stood at attention, raised his hand in salute, and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade General, welcome to your arrival!"
"The general will stay with you tonight." Melehov said to the person in charge: "Please help him arrange a good room."
"Don't worry, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." The person in charge of the hotel said, "I will arrange the best room for him."
…………
Early the next morning, Sokov was awakened by a rapid knock on the door.
He sat up straight and did not put on his shoes immediately. Instead, he raised his voice and asked dissatisfiedly outside: "Who, who is outside?"
"Yes, Comrade General." Melekhov's voice came from outside the door: "I am Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov."
Hearing that the person knocking on the door was Melehov, Sokov did not wear a coat, but bent down and put on his boots, walked slowly to the door, reached out and opened the door.
"Hello, Comrade General!" Melekhov, who was standing outside the door, raised his hand and saluted him when he saw Sokov appear at the door, and said politely: "Chief of Staff Zakharov ordered me to To wake you up.”
"What's wrong with him?"
"That's it, Comrade General." Melekhov explained to Sokov: "We received a notification from the Supreme Command saying that Marshal Zhukov will arrive in an hour, so that we can prepare for the reception. Chief of Staff Comrade said that you have a good relationship with Marshal Zhukov and wants you to go to the airport to greet him."
Seeing that it was getting dark outside, Susaikov said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, it's getting late. You should go and rest first. If you have anything to do, we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Zakharov called the lieutenant colonel who led Sokov and told him: "Comrade lieutenant colonel, take General Sokov to a nearby hotel. Remember to tell the person in charge to arrange a good stay for him." s room."
The lieutenant colonel nodded, and then made a gesture of invitation to Sokov: "Comrade General, please."
The distance from the headquarters to the small hotel is about five hundred meters. The lieutenant colonel knew that Sokov's leg was injured, so he deliberately walked slowly so that the other party could keep up with him.
When they were approaching the small hotel, the lieutenant colonel suddenly asked: "General Sokov, I heard that you are looking for an open-pit mine near Uman. Is there such a thing?"
Hearing the lieutenant colonel's question, Sokov couldn't help but frown slightly, thinking about such a confidential matter, how could an ordinary lieutenant colonel know about it? But then I thought about it, and it was not surprising that this person seemed to be highly regarded by Zakharov and knew some inside stories about the headquarters.
When he thought about the other party asking this question, although there was no one around, he deliberately lowered his voice, as if he didn't want more people to know.
Before answering the question, Sokov asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I don't know how to call you?"
"My name is Georgy Melekhov." The lieutenant colonel replied: "You can call me by my first name or my last name."
Sokov thought that Zhukov's first name was also Georgi, and it would be confusing to call him by his first name, so he decided to call him by his last name: "It turns out to be Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov. I want to ask, why are you asking about this?" "
Melekhov hesitated for a moment, and then asked cautiously: "Comrade General, can you help me keep the secret?"
Sokov nodded, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret."
After receiving Sokov's assurance, Melekhov said: "Comrade General, I have an older brother, a real brother. When the war broke out, he served as the battalion commander of the 97th Border Column of the 12th Group Army of the Southwest Front. Duty. Since our army could not resist the German attack in the early stages of the war, his border column followed the main force and moved towards Kiev. However, their troops were later deployed in the Uman area and were finally annihilated by the Germans."
"After the Battle of Uman, some commanders and fighters successfully broke through and retreated to Kiev." Melekhov said: "Although I heard that my brother's border column was annihilated by the German army, I always held a trace of luck in my heart. , thinking he was still alive, I specifically asked those commanders and fighters who had successfully broken through to see if anyone knew the whereabouts of my brother."
Seeing the sad expression on Melekhov's face, Sokov understood that the other party must not have found his brother among the survivors. After a pause, he then asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, do you think your brother is still alive and even being imprisoned in the open-pit mine in Uman?"
