Chapter 22

If the necessary support had arrived, Shefov would have long since confronted the military district commander head-on, without having to play the role of a mere talker. He waved for Isayev and Motny to put away the pistols they were holding against the secretary of General Galitsky. Without support, Shefov still had to make a trip to the Transcaucasian Military District. Even if he could only be a talker, he had to show his stance, and this matter could not be considered over.

"Are you here to show the authority of the Main Military Administration?" General Galitsky threw the briefcase he was holding onto the table with a loud thud. This action indicated that the old Red Army soldier, who had been through the Soviet Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, did not buy into Shefov's show of force.

If an ordinary person faced the anger of a general, they might temporarily avoid the sharp edge, but Shefov was not an ordinary person. As for the Transcaucasian Military District commander's clearly hostile attitude towards the KGB, he could understand it. Twenty-one years ago, this general had once fallen into the hands of the NKVD and barely escaped with his life, one of the few lucky survivors from the Red Army system.

Even today, General Galitsky still harbored resentment over the brutal interrogations by the NKVD. But regardless of what General Galitsky thought, Shefov, bound by his duties, still had to be here.

"The Main Military Administration already has authority, it doesn't need me to show it!" Shefov said calmly, "Our usual absence does not mean we do not exist. Keeping the Red Army and the Central Committee in step is the purpose of the Main Military Administration, whether you like it or not! And let me remind you, Comrade Galitsky, cooperating with us rather than resisting is what a Red Army soldier should do. You wouldn't want the events of twenty-one years ago to happen again, would you?"

"Are you threatening me?" General Galitsky suddenly raised his head, his expression fierce like an angry polar bear.

"Yes!" Shefov's expression did not change, and he said in a neutral tone, "According to the statement on the retirement age of Red Army officers approved by First Secretary Khrushchev, the retirement age for generals is sixty-five. Comrade Kuzma Nikitovich Galitsky, born in 1897, you have three years left in service. I hope you can stand your last post with dedication before retirement, implement the spirit of the Central Committee, and build a strong Soviet armed force..."

Shefov's words were not just a written report or a suggestion to the old Red Army soldier. The key point of this long speech was that the sixty-two-year-old General Galitsky was not far from retirement. Now, Shefov might not have much leverage against this active Red Army general, but in two or three years, after Galitsky retired, he would just be an ordinary old man.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense, with only the steady gaze between Shefov and Galitsky. Galitsky's gaze was full of resentment, while Shefov's remained unchanged, just like when he was sketching a vase.

"How do you want to handle the deserters?" Shefov did not continue to press, but asked the next question.

"According to the military court's judgment after they are caught, I will not interfere!" General Galitsky wisely discussed the handling of the matter, which was better than both of them stubbornly making the atmosphere even more tense.

"Hand them over to our secret court, and the military court comrades won't have to work hard!" Shefov walked to the window, pushed it open, and squinted, feeling the warm sunlight, "This is a typical case, and it needs to be handled in a typical way, otherwise the relationship between the Red Army and our department might become very bad..."

Someone had to back down in this matter, and Shefov naturally hoped it would be the Red Army. As for the Main Military Administration backing down, ha! He had never considered such a possibility. Over time, the old generals and marshals from World War II would gradually exit the historical stage, the difference being whether they retired with dignity or fell from grace.

"Will they come out alive after going to the secret court? Maybe they have their own reasons!" General Galitsky's voice was somewhat distant, as he had been to the secret court twenty-one years ago.

"I will definitely execute these two deserters! Watching enemy underground publications, dissatisfaction with society, assaulting national security personnel! I suspect they have been influenced by imperialism!" Shefov turned around, and with each word, the charges against the two deserters increased, but he was not framing them; it was all according to the law.

At that moment, the phone on the table rang, breaking the tense conversation. General Galitsky picked up the phone, "Here, it's fine, just a visit, no, absolutely not..." He then glanced at Shefov and handed him the phone, "It's for you?"

For me? Who knows I'm here? Shefov suspiciously took the phone and heard the distinctive voice of Serov, "Yuri, stop fooling around, get back quickly! What are you doing as the head of the Main Military Administration in the Caucasus instead of being in Moscow?"

"I came to handle the matter!" Shefov's face was quite awkward, hoping Serov would show some mercy on the phone, as he was still trying to maintain his image in front of Galitsky. If he were scolded now, he would lose all face.

"From now on, I allow you one week in the Caucasus. I must see you in Moscow in seven days! I have an important task for you, one only you can handle..." Serov clearly suppressed his emotions as he ordered.

"One week? Alright, in one week, I should be able to catch the two deserters involved. I heard the internal troops have already narrowed down the suspicious area, and I believe there will be results in a few days!" Shefov sighed, his superior really understood him well, having been discovered as soon as he arrived in the Caucasus. But what task?

"Alright, don't delay!" Serov repeated the return date with a tone of concern. For his ace and ticking time bomb, he really had no other options.

Putting down the phone, Shefov said to General Galitsky, "I have a request, to mobilize the Red Army troops for a combat exercise to search a 300 square kilometer suspicious mountain area. If Comrade Galitsky disagrees, the internal troops can also accomplish this task! I must execute them..."

"Of course, it's good to catch them early!" General Galitsky had no reason to refuse, especially since it would get this dangerous Caspian Tiger out of his hair sooner. He had heard the phone call and was surprised that even the KGB chairman's call could not immediately summon Shefov back.

The conversation between Serov and Shefov was different from a typical superior-subordinate dialogue, and this was evident to General Galitsky, suggesting that this young head of the Third Main Directorate had a special status within the KGB.