Chapter 1994

   "Wait a minute, Comrade Sokov, why do I feel that something is wrong with this matter?"

  Malinin's words confused Sokov: "What's wrong?"

"As far as I know, all the gold in our country's banks is gold bricks cast in accordance with international standards." Ma Lining said on the other end of the phone: "That is to say, each gold brick weighs ten kilograms, and a wooden box is even if it contains only gold bricks." Ten gold bricks, that is one hundred kilograms, plus the weight of the wooden box, it will naturally be even heavier."

"That's right," Sokov nodded, and said, "Even if there are only ten gold bricks in a box, plus the weight of the wooden box, it would be more than 100 kilograms. At least two strong men are needed to carry it." Gotta move."

"That's right, that's what I really want to say. 180 tons of gold, calculated according to 10 kilograms of a gold brick, then there are 18,000 gold bricks transported by the convoy." Ma Linin calculated the accounts for Sokov like an accountant: "Every ten gold bricks are packed in a wooden box, which is 1800 boxes."

After counting the number of gold bricks and how many boxes have been divided into these data, Ma Linin raised his own doubts: "Comrade Sukov, think about it, a box weighs more than 100 kilograms, and at least two strong men are needed to carry it." Affordable. How many people are needed to throw 1,800 boxes of gold into the swamp in a very short period of time?"

  Sokov heard what Malinin said, and he was right in his heart. To sink 1,800 wooden boxes weighing 100 kilograms into the swamp in a very short period of time, it would take at least a few hundred people. But it would be nice to have a platoon of troops escorting gold from the bank, so there are still many doubts about throwing the wooden box containing gold into the swamp.

   "Comrade Chief of Staff of the Front Army," Sokov realized that there were still many things that were not clear about this matter, so he said to Ma Linin apologetically, "I will verify this matter again, and report to you after I have fully figured it out."

   "Comrade Sokov, don't worry." Ma Linin said on the phone: "Now that the commander is away, it's not too late to report this kind of thing when he comes back."

  After putting down the phone, Sokov immediately told Milesyev: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, please invite soldier Timofey here. I have many questions to ask him."

When Sokov was on the phone with Malinin just now, Milesyev, who was standing aside, heard a few words in it, and he also realized his recklessness. Just hearing Timofey talk about this matter, he hurried over to Suokov. Cove reported that if the matter is finally proved to be false, he may also bear certain responsibilities.

  Hearing Sokov's order at this moment, he quickly nodded and agreed: "Okay, Comrade Commander, I'll go and bring him here immediately."

  Ten minutes later, Milesyev reappeared at the headquarters, and he came in with a thin soldier, who should be the fellow Timofey he mentioned.

   Sure enough, the next moment he reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, this is my friend Timofey. Timofey, this is our commander, General Sokov."

   "Hello, Comrade Commander." Hearing what Milesyev said, Timofey hurriedly raised his hand to salute Sokov: "Soldier Timofey is ordered to come!"

   "The military salute is very standard." Sokov nodded at Timofey and said, "How long have you been a soldier?"

   "Two years, Comrade Commander."

   "I've been a soldier for two years, so I'm considered a veteran." Sokov looked at his shoulder and asked with a smile, "Why are you still an ordinary soldier?"

   Timofey didn't know how to answer Sokov's question, so he didn't speak, but laughed awkwardly.

  Sokov was eager to find out about the gold matter, so he didn't go around in circles, but asked straight to the point: "Comrade Timofey, you said that you participated in the transfer operation of the Minsk National Bank in June 1941?"

   "Yes, Comrade Commander."

   "I would like to ask, how many vehicles were involved in the transfer of gold?"

   "24 vehicles, Comrade Commander." Timofey replied without thinking.

   "How many vehicles are there for transporting gold?"

   "14 vehicles, Comrade Commander." After Timofey answered the question, without waiting for Sokov to ask again, he took the initiative to say: "But the amount of gold on each vehicle is different."

   "Why is it different?"

   "Some trucks contained three hundred boxes of gold, while the vehicle I was in was only loaded with one hundred boxes."

   "Why is there a difference?"

   "The reason is very simple. Some vehicles carry heavy loads, so they naturally carry more gold."

   "You said that when you encountered an air raid, the leader of the bank who led the team ordered you to throw the gold into a nearby swamp. Is this true?"

   "Yes, Comrade Commander." Timofey nodded his head and said back to the phone: "The leader of the bank has indeed issued such an order. When the gold was thrown into the swamp, I also participated in the transportation."

   "You also participated in the transport?" Sokov looked at the other party's thin figure and asked jokingly: "I wonder how many of you are carrying a box of gold?"

   Timofey raised his right hand and replied with his palm facing Sokov, "There are five people in total."

  Sokov thought about it. Although Timofe was short in stature, it was really not a big problem for five people to carry a box of gold. He was silent for a moment, and then asked: "How many boxes of gold did you throw into the swamp?"

   "The group I'm in dropped twelve boxes of gold back and forth." Timofey said thoughtfully, "The rest were thrown down by the soldiers escorting the cart."

   "What about the other 13 cars?" Sokov asked, "Is it also thrown down box by box?"

   "Most of them are like this." Timofey said: "But the car with 300 boxes of gold didn't unload it directly, but rushed into the swamp directly."

   "What?" Sokov couldn't help being surprised when he heard Timofey say this: "Did the car directly into the swamp?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Timofey nodded, and continued: "The driver jumped out of the car before it rushed into the swamp. I saw the car full of gold sinking slowly. into the swamp."

A series of pictures appeared in Sokov's mind, one after another trucks loaded with gold rushed into the swamp with full power, splashing mud into the sky, and then sank slowly, gradually being overwhelmed by the mud rushing around. submerged.

  He knew very well in his heart that the depth of the swamp was limited, even if he wanted to sink the car with gold into the swamp, it would be impossible to sink in one place. Thinking of this, he asked Timofey: "When you sank gold, how far was the distance between the cars?"

   Timofer recalled for a moment and said, "About thirty meters."

  After listening to Timofer's words, Sokov nodded and said, "So, based on the distance between the vehicles, the width of the gold spread in the swamp should be about 400 meters."

   "That's right, Comrade Commander." Timofey said affirmatively, "It's almost that wide. Even if the area of ​​the swamp changes, if you want to search for it, you can still find it easily."

   Sokov then asked a few more details, and Timofey answered them very carefully. After asking all the questions that should be asked, Sokov nodded at the other party and said, "Comrade Timofey, you can leave. If we really found the batch of gold you mentioned, we will definitely not treat you badly." Yours, at least your rank and position will be adjusted accordingly."

   Facing the pie that Sokov drew for himself, Timofey was so excited that his hands trembled even while saluting.

  After sending Timofey away, Sokov looked at Sidolin and Ponedelin and asked, "Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander, do you think what Timofey said is credible?"

  Sidorin did not express his position immediately, but Ponegerin said: "Comrade Commander, I have analyzed some details based on what he said. This matter should be true. But I am a little worried..."

"worry about what?"

"Although Timofe said he was the only survivor, he was in a coma for a while after all." Ponegerin expressed his doubts in his heart: "Perhaps during the time he was in a coma, there were other survivors. left?"

"Well, there is this possibility." Sidolin next to him added: "In this way, it is not ruled out that these survivors joined the local guerrillas, and at the right time, salvaged the gold that sank into the swamp. come out."

   "I don't think it's a big possibility." Pornejelin shook his head and said, "The guerrillas don't have any lifting machinery. How can they pick up the gold sunk in the mud?"

   "Comrade Deputy Commander, there are always more solutions than difficulties." Sokov recalled the footage of salvaging tanks from the swamp in his later videos, and thought of the possible ways for the guerrillas to salvage gold. He picked up a pen and drew a schematic diagram on the paper: "Look, if you find a tree nearby, hang a guide wheel for hanging things, and then send people into the swamp, find a wooden box containing gold, tie a rope or an iron chain , with a pull of the guide wheel, the wooden box can be pulled out of the mud smoothly."

  Pornegelin was a little surprised after reading the schematic diagram drawn by Sokov: "It's so easy to fish out the gold?"

"Actually, there are many ways to get gold out of the swamp." Sokov continued: "For example, if the water in this area of ​​water is drained with a pump, the swamp will become a peatland. After the soil on the ground dries up , Just go straight over and dig out the wooden box."

After Sokov finished talking about the two ways to take out the wooden box, he frowned again: "If the gold that sank into the swamp was only taken away by the guerrillas, then it doesn't matter, after all, our people are using this batch of gold." .But if it is discovered by the Germans and salvaged, it will be troublesome."

"Yes, if this batch of gold falls into the hands of the Germans, it will be really troublesome." Sidolin said with a serious expression: "The thing I am most worried about now is to report this matter to the superiors ...Although Chief of Staff Malinin is still skeptical about this matter, he will definitely report the matter to his superiors according to the regulations. If the superiors really send people to search for this batch of gold, but they cannot find the gold at that place, I am afraid that There will be trouble."

"Comrade Chief of Staff, you don't worry too much." Seeing Sidolin's sad face, Sokov comforted him and said, "For the higher authorities, this batch of gold has long been lost in the war. Now we have found this It’s too late for the relevant departments to thank us for the clues of the gold batch, even if they can’t find the gold, they can’t blame us, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

  The three of them were talking when the phone on the table rang. Everyone stared at the ringing phone, but no one answered it. Sidolin even turned around and asked Sokov, "Comrade Commander, do you think it is the call from the superior to inquire about the gold?"

   "Yes or no, you will know as soon as you answer the phone."

Sidolin hesitated for a moment, but still grabbed the microphone and stuck it to his ear. After listening for a moment, he stood up abruptly and said loudly: "Hello, Comrade General! ... Yes, he is here! ... We need him Answer the phone?"

  As soon as Sokov heard Sidolin's tone of voice, he knew that the person who was talking to him was Rokossovsky, so he quickly reached out to answer the receiver. When he heard Rokossovsky's voice coming from the receiver, he said respectfully, "Hello, Comrade General!"

   "Misha!" Rokossovsky asked tentatively: "I just received a call from Chief of Staff Malinin. It is said that you have the whereabouts of the missing gold from the Minsk National Bank?"

"Yes, Comrade General, we do have clues about the gold." Sokov didn't know what Rokossovsky thought about this matter, so he could only reply cautiously: "But is the gold still there?" , we don’t really know.”

   "Why do you say that?" Rokossovsky asked a little puzzled.

"Comrade General, this war has been going on for three years, that is to say, it has been three years since the Germans occupied Belarus." Sokov said: "I am worried that the Germans may have discovered the missing people during such a long time." gold, salvaged it, and sent it to the German treasury."

   "Misha, why did I hear Chief of Staff Malinin say that there was only one survivor in the gold **** team." Rokossovsky said with some surprise: "Did he reveal the hidden gold location to the Germans?"

"The soldier said that when they were bombed by enemy planes, he was in a coma for a while." Sokov quickly explained to Rokossovsky: "Maybe during the time he was in a coma, there were other The survivors left the destroyed convoy and fled elsewhere. If these survivors were captured by the Germans, in order to survive, they would not rule out revealing the secrets of the swamp to the Germans and leading the enemy to find this batch of gold.”

   "It seems that I need to report this matter to the Supreme Command and ask them to use our agents lurking in Belarus to conduct a detailed investigation into whether a large amount of gold was seized during the German occupation of Belarus."

"Comrade General, I think in order to avoid detours, let our intelligence personnel lurking inside the German army in Belarus investigate carefully to see if the Germans really stole this batch of gold." Sokov said: "In this way , it can prevent us from doing useless work.”

"Well, that's right, that's how I think about it." Rokossovsky finally said to Sokov: "If there are any new instructions from the Supreme Command, I will let Chief of Staff Malinin notify you as soon as possible .Good luck!" After finishing speaking, he hung up the phone without waiting for Sokov to speak.

Sokov put down the phone, and said to Ponedelin and Sidolin: "Comrade General just said on the phone that he will report the matter to the Supreme Command, and then the superiors will use our army to lurk in the area occupying Belarus. Intelligence personnel within the German army are investigating this matter. Chief of Staff Marinin will notify us as soon as the final result is known."

  (end of this chapter)