"Yes, Comrade General." The conductor said conclusively: "I have been to Siping City once. There are indeed no fortifications in it. It looks like a very ordinary city. I heard the commander stationed in the city say, Fifty years ago, Tsarist Russia built the Dongqing Railway and built a train station here, named Five Stations. Later, the Kwantung Army occupied this place and changed Station Five to Siping Street."

After listening to what the conductor said, Lu Jin asked Sokov with some surprise: "Misha, you said that there are strong defenses in Siping City. Who did you hear that from?"

Sokov replied with some embarrassment: "I think since this city is located between Fengtian and Xinjing, it will definitely be regarded as a key defense area by the Kwantung Army, so I take it for granted that there will be strong defenses in the city."

After everyone finished eating, Sokov saw that the car had not started yet, so he stood up and said to Lukin: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I want to get out of the car and go for a walk."

But Lu Jin waved his hand to stop him: "Misha, the train will leave soon. If you can't come back after getting off the train, it won't stop the train waiting for you. It will affect the normal railway operation." Transfer.”

Hearing what Lu Jin said, Sokov also felt that if he really got off the train, if he could not make it back in time for the departure time, the train would really have to stop and wait for him, which would definitely affect normal operations. After thinking about this, he said helplessly: "Ah, forget it. Anyway, in two or three hours, we can return to Fengtian, and it won't be too late to walk around then."

Even though he said this, Sokov kept looking out the window. He really wanted to see what this city that would determine the fate of the Northeast in the future looked like.

 Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long before the train started again and headed towards Fengtian.

“Misha,” Lu Jin asked suddenly, “have you told the chief of staff about our return to Fengtian today?”

“When I called yesterday, I told Yasha that I would return to Fengtian today at the latest.”

 “So you didn’t notify the Chief of Staff?”

Sokov hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Before setting off today, I didn't call Yasha to tell him when we would arrive."

Lu Jin said with some regret: "If I had known earlier that I had not notified the chief of staff, then when we stopped at Siping just now, we should have got off the car and made a phone call to tell him our arrival time and ask him to arrange a vehicle to pick us up. "

"It doesn't matter." Sokov said casually: "It won't be too late for me to call him when we get to Fengtian. If you can't wait, we can ask the station to arrange a vehicle for us. I believe they will be very happy to help us. of."

 The train suddenly stopped when it was still a few kilometers away from Fengtian.

Soon, the conductor, accompanied by the conductor, came to the carriage where Sokov was sitting, and said anxiously: "Comrade General, it's bad, the railway in front is blocked, our train can't pass, I wonder if you can come forward. Let’s negotiate and let us enter Fengtian smoothly.”

Knowing that the road ahead was blocked, Sokov couldn't help but frowned and asked: "What's going on? Where did the troops come from and dared to cut off the railway?"

The train conductor replied with some embarrassment: "I heard it is your 53rd Army."

Sokov originally thought that the friendly troops came from somewhere and cut off the railway without authorization, but when he heard that it was his own troops, he felt much more at ease. He stood up and said: "Comrade conductor, go and call the commander of that unit and tell me that I'm waiting for him to explain to me the cutting of the railway."

Seeing that Sokov was willing to come forward to resolve the matter, the conductor's face showed joy. He agreed and left with the conductor.

After the train conductor and the others left, Sokov called a guard and told him to check the situation outside to see what was going on and why there were troops cutting off the railway. Then he said to Lu Jin: "Comrade Deputy Commander, which army do you think was responsible for cutting off the railway?"

"If no new troops are stationed in Fengtian, it should be General Afuning's 18th Guards Army." Lu Jin said thoughtfully: "But why they cut off the railway, I don't know the reason."

"When the commander of the road closure force comes over, we will be able to figure out what happened." When Sokov said this, he felt quite uneasy. He was worried that something big would happen during his absence. happens, otherwise there would never be a situation where railway transportation would be cut off.

 The soldiers sent to inquire about the situation did not return. The commander of the road sealing force, led by the train conductor, came to the carriage of Sokov and others.

Seeing Sokov, the commander quickly raised his hand in salute and reported respectfully: "Comrade Commander, Captain Masita, Commander of the Second Battalion of the 122nd Regiment of the 41st Guards Division, is reporting to you that our battalion is executing the orders of our superiors. Road mission, please give instructions!”

“Please rest a moment, Captain Masita.” Sokov walked up to Masita and asked with a straight face, “Can you tell me whose order you came to block the railway?”

"It was the order of the division commander, Major General Ryazanov." After Masita said the name of his division commander without hesitation, he added: "He was also under the order of the army commander, Lieutenant General Afunin."

“Oh, so it was Commander Afnin who issued the order to close the road?”

"Probably not," Masita replied with some embarrassment: "He also made such a deployment after receiving orders from his superiors."

When Sokov heard this, he became even more confused. Apart from himself and Lukin, Afunin's superiors were only Yakov and Gorokhov. The only person in Fengtian City who can give orders to General Afunin is Yakov, but why would he give such an order?

But he knew that even if he asked Masita, the other party might not know the reason. He could only change the subject: "Comrade Captain, please tell me, why are you closing the road?"

"There is a troop of unknown origin that arrived near Fengtian by train." Masita replied: "The order given to us by our superiors is to stop them on the railway and not allow them to enter Fengtian."

"Troops of unknown origin?" When Lu Jin heard this, he couldn't help but asked curiously: "I wonder where they came from?"

When Masita heard Sokov's question, he scratched the back of his head and said hesitantly: "It seems like troops coming from the fortress?" "Troops coming from the fortress?" Lu Jin asked with shock on his face after hearing this: "Yes. Coming from Dongning Fortress?"

"No, it's not Dongning Fortress." Masita shook her head in a hurry and said, "It's another fortress with a name that's not easy to remember."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, you don't need to ask, I know where it is." Seeing Lu Jin still asking, Sokov interrupted him: "He must be talking about Shanhaiguan. If you are not familiar with the terrain, It is difficult for ordinary people to remember this word."

"Yes, yes." Masita nodded vigorously after hearing what Sokov said, and said in a positive tone: "Comrade Commander, this is the Shanhaiguan you mentioned."

 “Where is this force now?”

"Just one kilometer ahead." Masita reported to Sokov: "The tank truck they were riding in has been stopped by my troops. The commander they led also tried to negotiate with us, but unfortunately we No one could understand what they were saying.”

"Comrade Captain," although Sokov knew Chinese, it was impossible for him to act as the translator himself. Doing so would arouse suspicion from others and bring a lot of trouble to himself, so he asked Masita: "Where is this place nearby?" Is there a phone number you can use to contact your superior?"

"There are no telephones around here." After Masita said this, she saw a disappointed expression on Sokov's face and quickly added: "But we carry a radio. If you have any instructions, you can contact us through the radio. Contact the division headquarters.”

“Comrade Captain, you should go back immediately and send a telegram to General Riazanov, asking him to first allow the friendly trains to enter Fengtian Railway Station, and then find someone who understands Chinese to act as an interpreter to facilitate communication between the two of you.”

"Okay, Comrade Commander." Masita nodded and said, "I'll go back and send a telegram immediately."

"I think you can bring the operator and the radio here." Sokov said, "It's more convenient."

When Masita went back to find the operator and radio station, the soldier sent to reconnoiter the situation came back. He reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, we have figured it out. On the railway hundreds or thousands of meters away from here, There was a tanker truck with more than a dozen carriages parked, surrounded by our soldiers guarding it. I went over to inquire about it and found out that the people in the truck were all Chinese troops from other places, because their superiors did not allow them to enter Fengtian City. , so we sent troops to stop them on the railway."

After the soldier finished telling what he knew about the situation, he suddenly realized that Sokov in front of him was the highest-ranking commander in Fengtian. He quickly added: "Comrade Commander, I am not talking about the order you gave me, but the order you gave me. Refers to the commander of the force that blocked the railway..."

"Okay, you don't need to say anything." Sokov waved his hand to the soldier, interrupting what he was saying, and then turned to Lu Jin and said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, it seems that friendly forces from the pass intend to enter Fengtian, but the result is It was stopped by our troops and the railway was cut off."

"Well, that's right." Lukin nodded, and then asked Sokov: "Misha, how do you plan to arrange this army?"

"When I called Yasha yesterday, he mentioned this." Sokov frowned and thought for a while before he remembered that the station location arranged by Yakov for this friendly force was the Su family outside the city. Tun, quickly said: "He said that Marshal Chernyakhovsky was inspecting Fengtian. Naturally, such troops of unknown origin cannot be easily put into the city, so he planned to place them in Sujiatun outside the city. .”

 “Where is Sujiatun?” Lu Jin asked.

Sokov shook his head, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "This should be a small place, I don't know."

"I think your decision is correct." Lu Jin said: "Let this friendly force enter the city first. As for how to settle them, we will wait until we return to Fengtian. It is better than letting the train they are riding stop on the railway and interrupt the operation." Rail transport is stronger.”

Massita soon reappeared, followed by an operator carrying a walkie-talkie.

Sokov thought that the speed of sending the telegram was too slow, so he asked the operator: "Comrade operator, don't you know that you can communicate in plain language with the headquarters in Fengtian City?"

"Of course, Comrade Commander." The operator said, "I will call the headquarters in Fengtian City for you immediately." After saying that, he walked to a corner of the carriage and started calling.

Soon, the radio operator returned to Sokov and handed him the earphone and microphone in his hand: "Comrade Commander, the call has been connected. Comrade Chief of Staff is on the line."

Sokov put on the headphones and said into the microphone: "Hello, this is Yasha, I am Sokov."

Yakov was particularly surprised when he heard Sokov's voice: "Misha, are you back?"

"I am still on the train. To be precise, the train we are on is still a few kilometers away from Fengtian." Sokov said: "Our train was blocked by a unit of the 41st Guards Division. I asked the commander who led the team, and he said that he was ordered by the division commander to intercept the friendly troops coming from the pass and not allow them to enter Fengtian City. Yasha, is this the case? "

"Yes, Misha, that is indeed the case." Yakov replied: "But the order was not given by me, but by the garrison commander in heaven."

"Did it come from the garrison commander?" Sokov thought that before he went to Xinjing, he appointed Bezikov as the garrison commander and Lieutenant Chen as the deputy commander. How could they order the interception of the friendly trains? This is incredible. With such doubts, Sokov asked: "What is going on? Why did Major Bezikov and the others issue such a ridiculous order to intercept our friendly forces?"

“Misha, you are mistaken. The commander of the garrison is not Bezikov.”

 “What, not Bezikov?” Sokov couldn’t help but be stunned after hearing this, and then asked: “Who is that?”

"He is a general, I can't remember the specific name." Yakov explained to Sokov: "His post of garrison commander was personally appointed by Marshal Chernyakhovsky. As for Bezi Cove and Lieutenant Chen have been relieved of their duties by Comrade Marshal."

After Sokov heard this, he finally understood why there were troops intercepting friendly troops from inside the pass. It turned out that Lieutenant Bezikov and Chen, who had been arranged by himself, had been relieved of their duties by Marshal Chernyakhovsky. Thinking of this, he asked with some displeasure: "Yasha, I appointed Major Bezikov as the garrison commander. Deputy Commander Chernyakhovsky is considered a marshal. If I want to relieve them of their duties, You have to say hello to me, right? Now you have dismissed my people without saying a word. This is too outrageous."