Chapter 25

"During my absence from the country, the work of the General Administration of Military Management will continue as usual. Send me a summary report every month! I can still keep an eye on things from Berlin!" Kirov looked at his subordinates and set the tone for the operation of the General Administration of Military Management.

After the meeting, Kirov took out a stack of blank papers, all filled with his sketches. This wasn't Kirov boasting; the sketches weren't of vases or such things, but of military equipment, including the J-7E fighter, the T-64 tank, and the T-72 tank—weapons that had not yet appeared but were not considered advanced in the future.

All the sketches were annotated with the data of these weapons, and of course, there was a disclaimer: "For reference only!" He summoned Isayevna and instructed her to categorize the sketches: "Send the aircraft sketches to the MiG Design Bureau, the tank sketches to the Kharkov Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau, and the helicopter sketches to the Mil Design Bureau!"

"Director, did you design all these?" Isayevna looked at Kirov's works as if she had discovered a new continent. It had to be said that the recent sketching lessons had not been in vain; at least they looked quite convincing.

"I drew them. Didn't you see the 'For reference only' note?" At this moment, Kirov had to keep his achievements and reputation hidden. If he were living in the United States, he might have made a fortune with these designs. But the environment in the Soviet Union was different; it was almost impossible to become a millionaire unless the Soviet Union collapsed.

Kirov could only ensure the authenticity of these relatively less advanced weapons from the future. More advanced weapons, like the F-22 fighter, had specific parameters that were not accessible to the general public, and without practical combat experience, even speculation was impossible.

"Do you want to sign them? Otherwise, they might not be taken seriously!" Isayevna gathered all the sketches and said.

"No need. Just give them directly to the chief designers of the design bureaus! What difference would it make if I signed them? I'm not a chief designer, and I don't need extra income!" Kirov refused without hesitation. The honor for these Soviet weapons should belong to their original chief designers. He was just trying to help the design bureaus avoid detours, not to plagiarize.

For Kirov, this was a routine matter, like working hard to earn money instead of robbing. The credit for the appearance of these weapons should go to their original designers, not to Kirov, who was relying on his memory. The right path was always open, and there was no need to take the wrong path of plagiarism. If it were a capitalist thing, Kirov would have to think again.

Recently, his body and consciousness had become increasingly aligned, which was very gratifying. A very healthy body and a powerful brain—Kirov wouldn't trade them for a mountain of gold, as he wasn't short of money and had plenty of time to plunder the world.

For the remaining half month, Kirov mostly spent his time traveling, the only difference being that while most people would bring one woman, he brought two. "Sometimes I think I must be a pretty incompetent man, needing my women to go out and work?"

"Why do you say that? Isn't it about gender equality?" Valya, holding Kirov's arm, smiled. She hadn't had such a relaxed outing in a while and was enjoying the easy atmosphere. "You've been very good to me. Do you want to turn me into a lady of leisure? The city government's banner can attest to that..."

The mention of the banner almost made Kirov laugh. He wondered how the selection of model couples was made. Was it based on Saudi standards? If so, Kirov was indeed deserving, as he hadn't openly married four wives.

"I'm just a little better than the average Soviet man!" Kirov didn't feign modesty. Compared to the average Soviet man, Kirov's qualities were truly radiant.

The reason for the difference in their perceptions of men was that among the men Valya knew, Kirov was an anomaly. His attitude toward women was completely different from that of the average Soviet man. Kirov's attitude was influenced by his time in China, where treating women well was a given, with no reason needed. He didn't see any problem with being good to women, just as eating when hungry was a natural instinct.

"Once you start working in Kyiv, don't get too anxious if you encounter problems. If you can't solve them, come to me!" At the train station platform, Kirov took the last opportunity to nag. "Your happiness at work is most important. If you're unhappy, come back! I'll contribute to the country, and you can contribute to me at home..."

Valya nodded frequently, even if she no longer paid attention to Kirov's words, she still listened obediently. She knew this was Kirov's way of showing his love. Finally, he hugged Valya, paused, and then pulled Yelena over for a hug. "I'm going abroad. As long as you two are safe, I have nothing to fear..."

Since Kirov had taken on a KGB mission to Berlin, he had arranged for Yelena to accompany Valya to Ukraine. Today, he was actually seeing both of them off.

"Be careful in Berlin. Have more internal security police around you!" Valya leaned close to Kirov's ear. "I'm afraid the Americans might cause trouble over Hungary..."

"Only I kill; no one can kill me!" Kirov patted the woman's back and, seeing the nearly empty platform, urged, "Alright! Get on the train. When you get back to Ukraine, visit your parents and our daughter..."

Kirov watched the train disappear from sight, lit a cigarette, and turned around. "I've been very happy lately. Usually, when I'm happy, something unhappy happens! Tonight, I'm going to Berlin. Too bad for them!"

In matters involving national-level confrontation, there were no lone heroes like in the movies. Kirov brought over a hundred people from the Fourth and Eleventh Directorates, including translators, internal staff, field agents, police, and disguise experts.

When Kirov and his team got off the train in Berlin, the welcoming party was equally large. The East German Ministry for State Security (Stasi) was already waiting at the train station, with German colleagues in light gray uniforms standing in a row. The leader was tall and had a serious expression.

"Director of the Third Directorate of the KGB, Yuri Yefimovich Kirov, Major General!" Kirov couldn't hide his inner shock; this was the first time he had seen someone as young as himself with a Major General rank.

"Director of the Foreign Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry for State Security of the German Democratic Republic, Markus Wolf. Hello, Comrade Kirov, welcome to Berlin!" Markus Wolf's narrow eyes flashed with interest, clearly very curious about Kirov.

Kirov's handshake with Wolf symbolized the collaboration between the Soviet KGB and the East German Stasi in the ongoing Berlin crisis.