Shulka knew that in order to calm the anger of the soldiers and gain their trust, he had to tell the truth, and to hide or force it would only add fuel to the fire...... Soldiers are not fools, and they don't want to be taken for fools.

"How do you know that?" Shulka was asked.

"German prisoners confessed!" Shulka replied, "I was being interrogated as a traitor, so I was lucky to know what they had confessed!" ”

Many people know this, so it's very convincing.

"But you didn't tell us!" Another soldier blamed Shulka: "You might be in the same league as them!" ”

Okunev objected on the spot: "Think with your brain, comrade, of course Shulka was ordered not to say this!" ”

The soldiers nodded in agreement, they all had similar experiences and understood this.

"I don't want to justify anything!" "But I think you should think about the Major's difficulties," Shulka said...... What can I do if I tell you this? Have you ever thought about this! Tell you we don't have reinforcements? Even the enemy has already broken through more than a hundred kilometers into our country? What do you think is going to happen?! ”

The soldiers were silent for a moment.

"Let's see!" Shulka threw his hands at the crowd: "Tell you that the result is like this, everyone does not want to fight, they all think that there is no hope of victory, and then the Germans can easily break through our defenses, stick their bayonets in our chests, and aim their guns at our heads...... Or there is another option, that is, as the Germans say, they will treat the prisoners preferentially, and you can survive with the status of "prisoner" 'honorably'! ”

Although Soviet soldiers were generally dissatisfied with the high-handed policies of the Soviet Union, they still looked down on those who were greedy for life and afraid of death. Therefore, there was a look of disdain on everyone's faces.

"In other words, we have two options in front of us!" Shulka continued: "Death or capture! Do you want to die? ”

No one answered.

There is no need to ask, the people standing here don't want to die, otherwise they should be holding a gun to their head in a corner.

"Do you want to be a prisoner?" Shulka asked again.

The soldiers shook their heads, and several gave negative answers.

"Well, then, we have only one way to go!" Shulka said: "Like the major said, break through at seven o'clock in the evening. You should know very well that this is the only way to survive......"

"They're liars!" Someone shouted: "They have lied to us, why should we fight for them by their orders!" ”

"No, comrade!" Shulka objected: "We did not fight for anyone, not for officers, not for the people, not even for the USSR!" ”

At this point, the instructor tried to stand up against it, but was stopped by the quick-eyed Major Gavrilov.

"Don't do anything stupid, Comrade Altu!" Major Gavrilov whispered in the instructor's ear.

"Don't you understand, comrades!" Shulka continued: "We are fighting for ourselves, in order to be able to live, and what could be more important than being alive? ”

The soldiers were silent for a moment, and then someone said: "Shulka is right, we are fighting for ourselves!" ”

"Yes, for myself to be alive!"

"To live, you must unite and organize a breakout!"

……

But the soldiers were still a little worried, they were worried that the officers, especially the instructors, would settle accounts after the fall.

Shulka understood this, of course, and he turned his gaze to Major Gavrilov behind him.

Major Gavrilov understood, and he stepped forward and said: "I promise that there will be no responsibility for this incident, as if it had not happened!" ”

As he spoke, Major Gavrilov glanced at the instructor again.

The instructor stood up a little reluctantly and said, "I promise that I will not hold anyone responsible for this incident when it never happened!" ”

In fact, the soldiers don't need to worry about this at all, at least not at the moment, because even if they break through, it will be nine deaths, and it is not certain who will live to the end. Maybe the instructor won't be able to break through? Or maybe someone shot him in the back?

However, it was a bit of psychological comfort to be able to get this assurance, and the soldiers scattered back to their posts in twos and threes...... Fortunately, the Germans did not attack just now, otherwise there would be no need to choose.

Major Gavrilov didn't say anything, just patted Shulka on the shoulder and left.

Major Gavrilov was very smart, and now it was taboo to get too close to him, otherwise Shulka would be suspected of being in league with him.

"Wow, Shulka!" Okunev said: "I only found out today that you are so good at talking......"

"No way, Okunev!" Shulka replied: "I was forced! ”

"Forced?"

"I want to live too!"

Okunev nodded in understanding.

If you want to live, you have to do it, but the other people's minds are not as clear as Shulka's.

The fighting during the day went well, and the Germans launched several more attacks, as usual, but after receiving supplies and even a dozen mortars, the Soviet defenses were significantly improved.

This was unexpected by the Germans, so they were repulsed again and again, the defensive line did not move an inch, what changed was that there were more corpses of German soldiers on the battlefield, and there were some casualties in the Soviet camp.

If this continues, it is likely that things will be as Shulka had hoped, and by seven o'clock in the night the central fortress and the Kobrin fortress will break north at the same time and take the Germans by surprise.

Of course, this could not be a complete breakthrough, especially the troops of the central fortress, who first had to break through the banks of the German blockade to reach the Kobrin fortress, and then continue to the north along the gap opened by Major Gavrilov.

But on the one hand, the Germans were defenseless, and on the other hand, it was only two miles north to enter the forest...... Entering the forest almost means being safe.

So, if nothing else, there are still a significant number of people who can succeed.

At five o'clock in the evening, the soldiers ate the "Last Supper" in the setting sun.

This time they weren't going to save, because no one was sure if they would have the next meal alive.

Then they silently took care of their bags...... Breaking out is different from fighting in peacetime, they have to think about the follow-up of entering the forest, so they have to carry some ammunition and food, and even have to choose between the two.

"I'll choose to bring a few more bullets than food!" Matvey raised the bullet in his hand and stuffed it into his satchel.

Matvey was right, it was summer, and the warm climate made the forest full of animals and edible plants.

Shulka was about to ask the other soldiers to do the same, when gunfire rang out on the other side of the trench......