"Agree!" Andropov, Chernenko, Serov, Ustinov all nodded. For them.

   During the Brezhnev era, Suslov finally gained the supreme power, and could influence the political situation. This was the golden age of his "grey bishop" career. After Khrushchev retired, he was the fourth person behind the Troika. And after Brezhnev eliminated the leaders who didn't take him seriously and stabilized the political situation, Suslov quickly rose to the de facto number two, firmly controlling domestic and foreign affairs. and the power of thought.

Khrushchev could not do without Suslov. Mostly he wanted to use his professional ability and experience in cultural forms to help him manage his ideological work. Brezhnev was even more inseparable from Suslov. The general secretary has almost zero ideological authority.

   Except for Khrushchev, no one in the Central Presidium opposed Stalin, thinking that most of the achievements of the Soviet Union were closely related to Stalin. After Khrushchev retired, it was imperative to re-establish Stalin's image. Brezhnev can't do this, neither can Shelepin and Kosygin. No one can replace Suslov's role in rebuilding the Soviet Union's own thinking and rejecting some of the pro-Western ideas of the Khrushchev era.

   Suslov's influence extends to every other area where change is desired, either to undermine or to suppress. All these conservative behaviors took place under the supervision of Suslov, the great ideological steward. Under the circumstance that every matter of the Soviet system must be handled by the central government and decided by the supervisor, the second secretary said: The re-Stalinization of the Soviet Union was of course fully responsible. So far, Suslov is doing very well.

A few days later, the bust of Suslov was completed, and the funeral began. As a great leader, Brezhnev naturally did not need to carry the coffin for the second secretary, but this funeral was the treatment of the general secretary. It was far more grand than when Khrushchev died, so other members of the Central Presidium came forward, carried Suslov's coffin, and buried Suslov in Red Square.

When the coffin fell, Serov, who stood side by side with Andropov, Chernenko, and Ustinov, clearly heard the gasps of several old people around him. , This kind of physical work is really terrible, Serov said silently in his heart, "This is the first..."

   Soon there will be a second, third, fourth. If Kosygin, who died a year ago, and Podgorny, who died a year later according to history, are counted, the Soviet Union in history has successively passed away the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Kosygin, and the second secretary of the Soviet Union, Seuss, in three years. Love, General Secretary Brezhnev, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Podgorny, General Secretary Andropov, General Secretary Chernenko, Defense Minister Ustinov. Cadres from other members of the Central Presidium have not been counted.

   Just when Reagan regrouped in the United States to fight the Soviet Union, this kind of thing happened in the Soviet Union. It is really unfortunate. Of course, the most unfortunate thing is that while the important cadres of the Soviet Union are dying one after another, Ge Tutu is on the rise.

Fragments of the    funeral were broadcast nationwide on the evening news, and important cadres from all parties and countries had positive comments on Suslov, and dozens of countries sent telegrams to express their condolences. Suslov's death also had an impact on Brezhnev. As for how much it affected Serov, I don't know, but the general secretary did feel depressed for several days.

   The most important thing is, who will fill the vacancy of Suslov, in other words, who will be the next successor, who will be the second secretary and become the Soviet Union to build the Soviet Union’s ideas? Brezhnev is so old, who is the second secretary, at least if Brezhnev does not object, he is almost the next general secretary.

"I think only Comrade Andropov has this ability!" At Andropov's home in the evening, Foreign Minister Gromyko, Defense Minister Marshal Ustinov, KGB Chairman Serov, and Andropov The husband himself, the leaders of the four departments sat together.

   "You also know that Comrade Chernenko also wants to sit in this position." Andropov said noncommittally.

   "Chernenko has always been a coordinator, and it seems inappropriate to say that he is an ideological authority." But the actual meaning is translated from the rigid language of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is a very simple meaning, no!

   Chernenko has been Brezhnev’s longest comrade-in-arms since the dismissal of Central Secretary Kirilenko. In other words, the No. 2 figure in the Dnipro gang. Is it not enough for Brezhnev to be the general secretary himself? Do you want another Dnipro gang boss to do it again? In a country as big as the Soviet Union, apart from the Dnipro gang, there are no other cadres who are capable? Not to mention others, the four leaders in charge of the powerful department would definitely disagree.

"Comrade Chernenko is accustomed to following instructions rather than making his own decisions." Serov rubbed his fingernails and said quietly, "In all aspects, he is inferior to Comrade Andropov, is it because he is The general secretary's old subordinate, we will push him up? This is not in line with the principle of collective leadership."

   Soon, the four people reached an unanimous attitude on this matter and recognized Andropov as the second secretary.

   There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the candidate for the second secretary, and Brezhnev also knew that this matter could not be delayed. It's not a few years ago, and to put it badly, he himself may die at any time.

A few days after Suslov's death, Brezhnev convened all the members of the Central Presidium together, the First Secretary of the Ukrainian Party Committee Shcherbitsky, and the First Secretary of the Kazakh Party Committee Kunayev also rushed to the area. Moscow. Including the neutral First Secretary of the Moscow Municipal Committee Grishin, the First Secretary of the Leningrad Municipal Committee Romanov, etc., all participated in this meeting.

They are all decision-makers in the Soviet political circle. Of course, they know that this meeting is of great significance, and it can even be said to determine the future fate of the Soviet Union, but in fact Serov does not think that Chernenko is Andropov's opponent. On the one hand, Andropov overwhelmed Chernenko. If Serov himself competed with Chernenko, it would be a bit of a suspense, but when the two of them compete, the suspense is actually not big.

   Even Chernenko's eldest brother, Kirilenko, is no match for Andropov, let alone him.

  At the beginning of the meeting, the atmosphere was a little unusual. It seemed that they were sitting together to discuss, but in fact, it was already very clear.