I was guided by the lieutenant to a tent next to me. As soon as I entered the tent, I saw that the telephone headset was resting on an ammunition box, and the two soldiers sitting in the tent saw me enter the door and quickly stood up and saluted me.

I nodded at them, then put the earphones to my ear, heard Vatutin's voice coming from inside, and hurriedly said, "Hello, Comrade General." You are calling at this time, do you have any instructions? ”

Unexpectedly, Vatujing suddenly asked in a serious tone, "Are there any other people around you?" ”

"Yes, Comrade General." I glanced inside the tent and replied, "There is also a lieutenant and two fighters, both communications soldiers. ”

"Let them avoid it." Vatutin said in an unquestioning tone: "What we are going to talk about next is not for them to hear. ”

I covered the microphone, turned my head to look at the lieutenant and his men in the tent, and hesitated to say anything to them. However, the lieutenant was evidently discerning, and when he saw my move, he immediately waved at his men, and the three of them left the tent together.

When I was the only one left in the tent, I immediately said to Vatutin: "Comrade General, now that I am the only one left in the tent, if you have anything important, please tell me." ”

"Comrade Oshanina, first of all, I would like to congratulate you on the successful liberation of Izyum and the rendezvous with the main forces of the South-Western Front, after successive victories in leading the liberation of Belgorod and Kharkov." Vatutin did not say anything directly, but first praised me, and then said: "Comrade Stalin was very happy when he heard about your achievements, and he offered to give commendations to all division commanders, regiment commanders, and other commanders and political functionaries. At the same time, the commanders of your group armies will be awarded the Order of the Great Patriotic War of the 1st degree. ”

Since it was not the first time that I had received the medal, I felt happy in my heart, but I was not ecstatic, so after Vatutin finished speaking, I asked in a calm tone, "Comrade General, do you have anything important?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Oshanina." When Vatutin heard me ask, he hesitated and said: "Comrade Stalin has called me specifically and asked me to ask for your opinion and see what you plan to do next." ”

When I heard him say this, my heart sank, and my heart said that it was coming again, do you have to go to work in the place? I took a deep breath and tried my best to ask in a steady tone: "Comrade General, I don't know how the Supreme Commander himself intends to arrange for me?" ”

"Two choices. The first is to remain in the troops, and after a short rest in Izyum, the whole army marches in the direction of Priluki, ready to participate in the battle for the liberation of Kiev. Vatutin's tone became calm again: "The second is to go to work in the locality, according to Comrade Stalin's hint, if you go to work in the locality, maybe in a few years, in the house next to Red Square, you will still have some say in what decisions are made." Or after the liberation of Ukraine, you will go to work in Kiev as a deputy of Comrade Khrushchev. ”

Vatutin's words made my heart beat faster, and I began to weigh it up, and after a few years, I would have a certain say in important matters, that is, I would have the opportunity to enter the highest committee in the future and become one of the dozens of people with the most power. This proposal inevitably shook my original idea of staying in the army.

"Comrade Oshanina, what do you think?" Vatutin then asked on the phone: "If you have made up your mind, I can reply to Comrade Stalin immediately." ”

"Comrade General, please...... Please wait a little longer and let me think again. Hearing Vatutin's urging, I replied in a bit of a panic: "This matter is very important, I have to think about it again." ”

"I'll give you two minutes." Vatutin said in a flat tone: "In two minutes, you will give me a final reply, because Comrade Stalin is still waiting for my reply." ”

I quickly thought about the advantages and disadvantages of staying in the front and working in the rear, and if I had never considered going to work in the local area ten minutes ago, this "pie" thrown by Vatujin made me hesitate.

"It's two minutes," Vatutin's voice came through the earpiece again, and I didn't have a precise answer in my heart. I heard him then ask, "How is it, have you thought about it?" ”

It was at this moment that it occurred to me that I had been trying to avoid going to work in the rear ever since I crossed into this world. Because of the cultural differences between the East and the West, some of my abnormal behaviors are probably not easy to be noticed on the battlefields where the war is raging, but if I go to the rear organs and deal with those old oilmen every day, I may soon be discovered by them. Thinking of this, I decisively said to Vatutin: "Comrade General, I have thought about it!" ”

"And what did you decide?" Vatutin asked tentatively.

"I decided to stay on the front line and stay with my fighters." In order not to prevent Vatujin from stepping down, I also added: "I have been on the front line for two years and have adapted to life here, and if I am transferred to the rear at this time, I estimate that I may have to find a way to adapt to that environment for a long time." Rather than that, I might as well stay on the front lines, stay with my fighters, and think about how to win a few more battles. ”

As soon as I finished speaking, I held my breath and quietly listened to Vatutin's reaction. Unexpectedly, he actually sighed with relief and said, "Oshanina, I know that you will not go back to the rear to work." Your departure is a huge loss for our entire Voronezh Front. ”

Although I knew that Vatutin's evaluation of me was a bit exaggerated, I also knew in my heart that he said this in the hope that I would continue to be the commander of the Sixth Guards Army, so that when any campaign was carried out, I would have at least one unit in my hands that could handle it. I paused for a moment, and then said: "Comrade General, after our Sixth Guards Army has successively carried out offensive battles in Belgorod, Kharkov and Izyum, the troops have suffered heavy casualties, and at the same time the ammunition has been exhausted, I wonder when you will be able to replenish us?" ”

"At present, all units are facing the same situation as you, and it may be difficult to get replenished in time." Perhaps to ease my heart, he continued: "But I will give priority to the replenishment of your army. (To be continued.) )