red moscow

Chapter 2630

The person sent by Bezikov to purchase food has not returned yet, but the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have arrived first.

The colonel was still the leader. He came to the duty room at the door, found Sokov and Yakov, saluted, and asked expressionlessly, "Comrades Generals, please tell me whether you have sent people to help the British Embassy purchase food?"

"Yes, that's true." Sokov was secretly surprised when he saw the colonel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs appear. He thought that the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had a very good nose. Less than an hour after the people sent to buy food had left, they came to the door. If there were no spies from the Ministry of Internal Affairs among the soldiers besieging the embassy, ​​it would be a miracle.

"Comrade General," the colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs asked in a condescending manner, ignoring the fact that Sokov's rank was higher than his, "Who allowed you to help the embassy purchase food? Aren't you worried that they might use this method to pass on information to the outside world?"

Sokov frowned and said dissatisfiedly: "Comrade Colonel, please pay attention to your attitude. The rank of general is higher than that of colonel, not vice versa. The tone of your speech to me makes me feel like I am a colonel, and you are the general."

Hearing Sokov's harsh tone, the colonel realized his impoliteness and quickly changed his face and said respectfully: "I'm sorry, Comrade General, I was worried that the people in the embassy would pass on the news to the outside world, so I spoke a little rudely. Please forgive me."

"Comrade Colonel," Yakov next to him interrupted, "We have already considered the situation you mentioned. In order to prevent the embassy from passing information to the outside, we not only prohibited anyone in the building from going out, but also carefully checked the purchase list they provided to us. Here, this is it." As he said, he handed the original purchase list in his hand to the colonel.

The colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs took over the purchase information and saw that it was all written in English. He asked the two men in surprise: "Comrades Generals, didn't you send people to help the embassy purchase food? Why is the purchase list still here?"

Yakov looked at Sokov next to him and smiled and replied, "Misha was worried that the British would tamper with the list, so he wrote a new purchase list himself and asked our soldiers to purchase according to the list."

"Comrade General," the colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs read the list over and over again, and then expressed his opinion: "If the British want to use this list to convey information to the outside world, they usually use two methods. The first is to use invisible ink to write on paper. After writing, once the ink dries, the handwriting on it cannot be seen. When the person who receives the letter only needs to roast it over a fire or soak it in water, the words on it will appear. Of course, it may also be necessary to apply a specific potion before it can be displayed."

After saying that, the colonel took out a lighter and used the flame to heat the paper.

Sokov and Yakov leaned over to see if there would be any new writing on the paper. Unfortunately, some parts of the paper were almost burnt, and no new writing appeared.

"Obviously, the method of roasting with fire is not correct." After the colonel found that this method did not work, he picked up the teapot on the stove, poured a cup of water into an empty cup, and then soaked part of the paper in water: "Now, let's change the method of soaking in water to see if any fonts will appear."

The colonel's test results were the same, and there was still no writing on the soaked paper.

Seeing this, the colonel scratched the back of his head and said awkwardly: "It seems that we should use a special potion to smear it on the paper to see if the font can be revealed."

"Colonel," Yakov couldn't help but interrupt again when he saw this: "I think you should go back and apply a special potion to the paper to check if there is any hidden content. Now, I want to ask, what is the second method you mentioned?"

"The second way to pass on information is to use these words to write articles." The colonel continued: "If it is a printed book or newspaper, spies usually use a special tool frame and place it above a fixed paragraph, so that they can piece together the information they want to know through the letters exposed in the small frame. For handwriting like this, they often use a certain letter of the word in each row to form an important piece of information."

After listening to him, Yakov looked at Sokov again and said to the colonel with a smile: "Comrade Colonel, Misha has considered everything you are worried about. When he copied the shopping list, he changed all the English words on it into Russian, so that even if the other party saw the list, they would not be able to obtain any information."

When the colonel heard what Yakov said, his eyes widened in surprise and he asked Sokov in an incredulous tone: "General Sokov, is this really the case?"

"Yes." Sokov nodded and said, "In this way, we have completely cut off the embassy's way of conveying intelligence to the outside world. By the way, I think there is something wrong with the purchasing location designated for us by the embassy's purchasing department. You know, everyone there, from managers to ordinary employees, is a native Chinese. Why do they use an English purchase list? Do they think that the people at the purchasing point can understand the English on the list?"

"I understand, Comrade General. I also think this purchasing point is suspicious. It might be a British intelligence station." The colonel said, "I will report to my superiors as soon as possible and ask them to monitor the purchasing location."

Sokov originally wanted to ask the colonel to take people to destroy the purchasing point, but then he changed his mind and thought that they were arrogant internal affairs personnel. Although his military rank was not low, they might not obey his orders. Even if he gave them orders, they might not execute them and would alert the enemy. It was for this reason that Sokov did not say a word and watched the colonel salute him and Yakov and then turn around and leave the lounge.

As soon as the colonel left, Yakov was a little surprised: "Misha, why didn't you let the colonel go and take down the purchasing point directly? Maybe this time we can catch a big fish. Then you and I can benefit from it, and maybe we can have another medal on our chest."

"Yasha, although our military ranks are higher than that colonel, you didn't notice that he was very arrogant in front of us, and he spoke in a condescending manner, as if he was the superior and we were his subordinates." Sokov said with a serious expression: "If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have lost my temper with him just now."

Yakov laughed dryly and said, "We can't help it. They are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and naturally look down on ordinary generals like us. By the way, Misha, do you think they will take down that purchasing store?"

"It's hard to say." Sokov shook his head and said, "If he had taken the initiative to arrest people after seeing the purchase list, he might have been able to catch everyone there. But he insisted that he would go back and consult his superiors first. By the time he consulted, it would be too late. If he sent people to arrest people by then, the place would have been deserted."

"Yeah, you have a point." Yakov nodded and said, "It's a pity that our superiors ordered us to blockade the embassy instead of cracking the British intelligence station. We missed the opportunity to make meritorious service."

"Yasha, this is an extraordinary period, don't get yourself into trouble." Sokov reminded Yakov, "So we should keep a low profile and surround the embassy honestly. As for other things, we just need to turn a blind eye." "By the way, there is a meeting in the Kremlin these days. I wonder what kind of personnel changes will there be?"

"I'm not sure about others," Sokov said, "but Comrade Malenkov's position will definitely change."

"Why?" Yakov asked in confusion, "Misha, why do you say that?"

"I feel like your father considers him his successor, and he might use this conference to confirm his position." Sokov said vaguely, "When your father retires in the future, maybe he will take over."

"No way?" Yakov questioned Sokov's statement: "I think there are many people who can take over my father's position. For example, Zhdanov in Leningrad is a popular candidate. No matter how you look at it, he has a higher chance than Comrade Malenkov."

Sokov was thinking about a question. Zhdanov died in 1948. The attending physician initially wrote that the cause of death was myocardial infarction, but it was finally forcibly changed to functional disorder caused by cirrhosis and hypertension. Such a conclusion suggests that he died of excessive drinking. His death, like the assassination of Kirov, has become an unsolved mystery in history.

However, Sokov could not tell Yakov about this matter, so he could only smile and say casually, "Do you remember what I said to you before we went to visit Marshal Rokossovsky?"

Yakov asked in confusion, "What?"

"Many generals who worked hard in the Great Patriotic War suffered from excessive mental stress, which overdrew their health." Sokov said: "This is why many senior generals were hospitalized after the war. Comrade Zhdanov, as the highest person in charge of Leningrad, suffered no less mental stress than Marshal Rokossovsky during the entire war. Therefore, I am very worried about his health."

Having said this, Sokov deliberately paused, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip slowly, giving Yakov time to digest his words.

After drinking the water, Sokov saw a look of realization on Yakov's face, and then he continued, "Comrade Zhdanov tried his best to prevent the Germans from occupying Leningrad, and seriously overdrawn his health. Although the war is over now, he did not immediately relax, but continued to be busy with post-war recovery and reconstruction. Do you think that under such circumstances, his physical condition can be better than Comrade Malenkov, who is only responsible for the dismantling of German mechanical equipment?"

"Misha, I think I understand what you mean." Yakov nodded and said, "Although Comrade Zhdanov's popularity is higher than Comrade Malenkov's, his health condition has greatly reduced his chances of succeeding my father. Is that right?"

"That's right." Considering that Yakov was his good friend, Sokov decided to reveal some useful information to him: "Given your father's health, he can still work for at least ten years. Do you think Comrade Zhdanov's health can support him until that time?"

After hearing what Sokov said, Yakov began to mutter: "Comrade Zhdanov was born on February 1896, 2, and is now exactly fifty years old."

Sokov did not correct Yakov and said that one cannot say "from which year" when one was born, but asked, "What about Comrade Malenkov? When was he born?"

"January 1902, 1." Yakov was obviously familiar with the birth dates of these important figures. When he heard Sokov's question, he immediately said without hesitation: "He just turned 8 this year."

"That's right. Comrade Zhdanov will be 60 in another ten years, while Comrade Malenkov will only be 54 in another ten years. In comparison, he has the advantage in terms of age."

"Misha, theoretically, you are right," Yakov said, "but everything you said is just speculation. Comrade Zhdanov may live to be eighty or even ninety years old, and then he may succeed my father."

Sokov remembered that Zhdanov's son married Stalin's daughter, thus becoming a relative of Stalin, but he could not remember when the marriage took place. In order to find out more about this, he tentatively asked Yakov, "Yasha, is your sister married?"

"Yes, my sister Svetlana got married last year."

"She was married to Alexey Kapler, the screenwriter of Lenin in October and Lenin in 1918?"

"No." Yakov shook his head and said, "My sister was indeed obsessed with Alexei Kapler, but they have broken up for a long time. She married a classmate named Glikli Morozov last year and gave birth to a son."

"Congratulations on becoming an uncle."

Although he could not remember when Svetlana married Zhdanov's son, Sokov remembered that Svetlana divorced her original husband when her child was two years old. Later, under Stalin's arrangement, she married Zhdanov's son Yuri Andreyevich. After marriage, they gave birth to a daughter, Ekaterina, but the marriage lasted only a few years before they divorced again.

Yakov asked in confusion: "Misha, we were discussing who might take over my father's position. Why did you bring up my sister?"

"Yasha, I'm asking this for a reason." Sokov said this, and before Yakov could ask again, he took the initiative to say, "I once heard a rumor that your father thought highly of Comrade Zhdanov's son Yuri Andreevich and planned to marry his daughter to him. It was because of this rumor that when we were talking about Comrade Zhdanov, I couldn't help but shift the topic to your sister."

"What? There are rumors that my sister is going to marry Zhdanov's son?" Hearing Sokov's words, Yakov's face was filled with shock. "Who told you this? How come I, as her brother, don't know about this?"