Chapter 68: Unexpected Person
This so-called "Shawers Raid Hero Medal" was only awarded to Yuri. Considering that there will be no similar medal to be awarded in the future, Yuri was very honored to have obtained an out-of-print medal. After several years, this thing might be able to sell for some money.
In addition to Yuri, Vasily received an Order of the Red Banner, but Demel, as the political commissar, did not receive any medal. However, it is estimated that the Military Commission will give him other rewards.
Yuri's medal and certificate were awarded by Stalin himself, while Vasily's medal was awarded by Voroshilov. When Stalin put the medal on Yuri's chest, the whole hall burst into thunderous applause and the bright lights of the spotlight flashed continuously.
In the following period of time, Stalin asked Yuri many questions with great concern, such as the morale of the front-line troops, the casualties of the soldiers, and any requirements. In addition, Stalin also asked about Yuri's family situation. When he heard that his father was once the commander of the cavalry corps, he praised Yuri. When he heard that Yuri had not married and had no girlfriend, Stalin criticized Malenkov jokingly, saying that his logistics work was not in place. What's even more speechless is that Malenkov also made a serious self-criticism and promised Stalin that he would solve this problem as soon as possible.
For more than half an hour, Yuri followed Stalin, and because he had to keep smiling all the time, he felt the flesh on his cheeks became stiff.
After the conversation with Stalin, Yuri met Voroshilov again. The only marshal in the Politburo, he informed Yuri with a smile that he had been officially promoted to lieutenant colonel. The marshal asked him to go to the Military Commission tomorrow morning to handle the relevant procedures.
Just after finishing his conversation with Voroshilov, Yuri met another funny-looking guy with a fat face and round-framed glasses. After the introduction, he learned that the other person was Alexander Sergeyevich Sherbakov, the current First Secretary of the Moscow Provincial Committee and the Moscow Municipal Committee.
Sherbakov told Yuri that, at the request of the Military Committee and with the approval of the Moscow City Party Committee, he had approved a house for Yuri on Kutuzov Street in the Presnensky District. He informed Yuri to go to the Moscow City Party Committee tomorrow afternoon to handle the relevant procedures.
It has to be admitted that if a person is lucky, he can pick up gold ingots even if he just lowers his head. The merit brought by Shawers' coincidence really had a great impact on Yuri. He even had his own house in Moscow, which was simply unimaginable in the past.
The so-called banquet did not last long. At nearly 1 o'clock, with Stalin's departure, the participants also dispersed one after another. For Yuri and the other two, it was impossible for them to stay overnight in the Kremlin. They were led by a captain of the Internal Guard and stayed in a reception office belonging to the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street.
The reception desk is not large, it is just a 3-story building on the street. The outside of the building looks very old, probably left over from the Imperial Russian era. However, compared to the outside, the interior decoration of the building is very good, especially the room, which is well decorated and fully furnished, and there are even carpets on the floor.
Yuri's room was on the east side of the second floor. It was a large suite with a bedroom, bathroom and toilet. In the living room, in addition to sofas, coffee tables and the like, there was even a phonograph and a number of discs in the cabinet.
Perhaps because he had just experienced a noisy event, although it was late at night, Yuri was not sleepy at all. He took a shower, turned on the gramophone, and casually put in a disc. When the music sounded, it was Chopin's Nocturne.
Lighting a cigarette, Yuri stood in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the streets of Moscow at night. What replayed over and over in his mind were the scenes he had witnessed at the banquet not long ago.
Everything that happened tonight, in Yuri's opinion, can be summed up in two words, that is "acting". Yes, it was acting, a situational drama with many actors. Before attending this banquet, Yuri thought that even if he was not the protagonist, he would at least be the second male lead or something like that. But reality told him that not only was he not qualified to be the protagonist, the second male lead or something like that, he was not even a supporting actor. The role he played was just a prop.
Sad? Not really. Only those who can't see things clearly, or those who feel they can never get rid of the role of a prop, will feel sad. Yuri just feels a strong sense of unwillingness. At the same time, he has a kind of envy from the bottom of his heart for those who can be in the first circle.
A soldier who doesn't want to be a marshal is not a good actor, and an actor who doesn't want to be the protagonist is not a good soldier. This is Yuri's ambition. To translate this sentence, it means: Yuri thinks he is both a good soldier and a good actor, so he wants to be a marshal and the protagonist.
Since his rebirth, Yuri has been unable to find the goal he should pursue in this new life for a long time. He once regarded living a good life as his goal, and he also regarded being an excellent soldier as his goal. He thought about becoming a famous general like Zhukov and made efforts for it, but now, he feels that Zhukov is a bit low, because no matter how great this great man is, he will at best be the second Voroshilov in the future.
When Yuri thought of Voroshilov, he couldn't help but think of his military uniform and the stiff smile on his face. Perhaps, in the eyes of others, Voroshilov was lucky to be able to join that small circle, but in Yuri's view, it was just a compromise and a shame.
A moment of servility is nothing. As long as one's pride is still there, it is just bearing humiliation. But servility for a lifetime is not the same thing. Yuri can't imagine that after decades, when he is already gray-haired, he still has to smile at someone, or even some guys who only know how to play . If that happens, he will feel that he would rather die than live.
The battlefield is a place that can test people the most. Death that may come at any time can make a person's will as hard as steel. What is war? In the most vivid description, it is a party doing everything it can, using all the resources and means it can use, to put the opponent to death. This is the bloodiest and most direct game. People who are not confident enough and have weak willpower cannot win any war, because their fragility has already made them lose at the starting line.
In the past few months, Yuri has been on the front line of the battlefield. He has seen too many deaths. From the initial palpitations when he saw others die to the later indifference of the soldiers' lives and deaths, as a time traveler, his willpower, or his character, is becoming more and more resolute and tough.
Now, Yuri, who is gradually maturing and becoming stronger, has begun to turn his attention to power. Greed is taking root deep in his heart and will grow and develop little by little.
“Knock, knock…”
A soft knock on the door penetrated the piano music and reached Yuri's ears. He was startled and woke up from his wild thoughts. He threw away the cigarette butt that had long been extinguished in his hand, looked at the clock on the table, and said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open from the outside, and a slim figure walked in.
The man was wearing the uniform of the Internal Security Force and a dark blue boat-shaped hat with a red edge that was used exclusively by female soldiers. Judging from his epaulettes, he was a captain.
"Why is it you?" Yuri was surprised when he saw the beautiful face of the person who came. "When did you come to Moscow?"
The person who came was Julia, with whom Yuri had had a one-night stand. This woman who had disappeared for several months and now suddenly appeared as a captain of the Internal Guard was full of mysteries that confused Yuri.
"What? Are you not welcome?" Julia closed the door casually and stood at the door and said with a smile.
"Of course not." Yuri felt a little wary, but he still smiled and said, "I just feel a little, no, very surprised."
"Won't you invite me to sit down?" Julia looked at him privately and said casually.
"Oh, of course, take a seat," Yuri said with a smile, "What would you like to drink? Let me take a look first... um, there's red wine, and vodka, oh, and... tea."
That’s right, there really was tea, and it was Chinese tea. Yuri hadn’t noticed it before, but when he saw it, he became even more alert.
"Vodka bar," Julia walked in and sat down on a sofa, crossed her legs casually, took a cigarette from the coffee table in front of her, lit it, and then watched Yuri busy with interest.
Yuri could feel the eyes focused on him, but he pretended to know nothing. After not seeing each other for a few months, he could sense the changes in Julia. This woman had always been scheming, and now she had inexplicably become a captain of the Internal Guard. God knew what secrets she was hiding.
After washing two cups and picking up a bottle of vodka, Yuri walked over to sit opposite Julia, put a cup in front of her and filled it halfway, then asked with a smile, "When I met Olga before, I asked her about you, but she didn't know where you were. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to meet you when I came to Moscow this time."
"After I graduated from school, I was transferred to the Moscow Military District," Julia said. "It happened to be a military district performance, and because of my outstanding performance, I was transferred to the Security Committee. Later, the Security Committee was merged into the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, and I entered the system of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs again."
