Chapter 34

"How could I not know? Of course, it was the Red Army that won, just your U.S. Army's combat power on land!" Shelepov's expression was as dramatic as if he had discovered an alien, and he mocked the U.S. Army's combat power without restraint. He told the people around him to pack up their things, and both Petrovich and the representative of East Germany were preparing to leave. Shelepov took a few sheets of paper from the drawing board held by Lukani and handed them to the representatives of the three countries, saying, "I'll leave you a memento!" As for the sketch of the U.S. representative, Shelepov personally handed it over, whispering, "The sketch for them is just a memento, but yours can be used as a memorial photo on a tombstone! To commemorate your failed diplomatic career!"

He patted the U.S. representative on the shoulder, his gaze passing over him to the old man behind, and in a tone of an old friend, he advised, "Comrade Smith, I think you are not suitable for working in hot spots. A place like Norway or Canada would be more suitable for you. Find a place to spend your last few years leisurely. Goodbye..."

He did not drag his feet; in a short time, all the Soviet personnel in the meeting room had left, and the speed of their departure was almost too fast for anyone to react. At this moment, the British representative stood up to block them, saying, "Mr. Shelepov, closing the door to dialogue will only exacerbate the current tense situation, which is not what the Soviet Union wants to see!"

"Gentleman, we really have nothing to talk about!" Shelepov still maintained basic politeness towards the British, simply saying, "It seems the Americans think they can take us for granted, so let's see! Let the situation in Berlin develop naturally. From the beginning, you never intended to unify Germany. For the past five or six years, your three countries have consistently avoided the Soviet Union's suggestions for German unification. Since you fear German unification, why use it as a bargaining chip? I must tell you one thing: no one can threaten the Soviet Union on land. The combined land forces of NATO are no match for the Western Group. Goodbye..."

Shelepov waved to Isayevna, who was packing up the equipment, and left the meeting room with his secretary. A few minutes later, the Soviet convoy below the building left with the soldiers, as if they had never been there.

The representatives of the three countries looked at each other, and finally, the British representative said to the U.S. representative, "Stevenson, why did you threaten the Soviets? Even if we don't achieve anything, we can't close the door to dialogue. If the situation in Berlin worsens due to this negotiation, we will all be held responsible!"

"How was I supposed to know this Soviet would be so stubborn? If he had taken a step back, the problem would have been solved!" Stevenson was also quite indignant, as Shelepov's actions before leaving were a clear insult, even giving him a sketch specifically meant to be a memorial photo. Having been singled out by Shelepov, he naturally had a poor impression of his opponent.

"You are all wrong; Shelepov never intended to negotiate with us!" The old man Smith, who held the title of advisor, suddenly spoke up, "He came here just to see our attitudes with his own eyes. After figuring out our bottom line, he will take action. As for negotiations, he may have never intended to negotiate from the beginning..."

"Mr. Smith, it seems Shelepov knows you. I saw him greet you when he first came in!" The French representative's heart stirred as he recalled the conversation between Shelepov and the American old man when he first entered, but no one had paid attention to this detail at the time. Now it seemed that this American advisor and the Soviet general had some history.

"Yes, we know each other! I am just a failure in front of him!" Smith shook his head and smiled bitterly, "A few years ago, I was the U.S. ambassador to Italy, and he was the Soviet ambassador, but his real identity was a colonel in the predecessor of the KGB, the NKVD. Subsequently, you know what happened. The Italian Communist Party came to power, and Shelepov quickly became the head of the Main Directorate with a major general's rank. This person is known as the Caspian Tiger within the Soviet Union. He says he has never compromised since he started working, which might be one of the few true things he said today..."

"If Shelepov is really the overall head of the Soviet side, then what he said about not negotiating in the future might be true!" Stevenson said, somewhat disbelieving, "Why would the Soviet Union send such a person?"

"I don't know either, but I do know he is the youngest head of the KGB and a well-known ace director. Shelepov is first and foremost a KGB agent, and only then a diplomat. So I believe he is also trying to find a way to break the deadlock in Berlin!" It must be said that Smith did not waste his experience of being defeated by Shelepov. He learned from his mistakes and shared all the information he knew.

The Soviet convoy passed through the checkpoint. Sitting in the back, Shelepov closed his eyes and instructed, "Edit the recording, remove the part about mutual threats, but keep the part about German unification. Once it's done, hand it over to the Stasi in Germany. At the right time, announce it to all the residents of Berlin. I don't believe the Germans would not want all the troops to withdraw and become a neutral country like Austria. Unless the Germans are all Nazis..."

The machine started by Isayevna was not just an anti-eavesdropping device; it was essentially a surveillance device. However, Shelepov used the pretext of anti-eavesdropping to openly record the entire meeting, fooling the representatives of the three countries.

"After all this time, they still haven't improved!" Shelepov sighed, "Smith is definitely telling those representatives about my style, but what's the point? He himself is a defeated opponent!"

The treasure Shelepov brought back to the country was like a drop of water in the ocean, but the reward was quick. Soon, someone from Moscow came to find Shelepov and awarded him the Order of Labor. Shelepov himself felt a bit embarrassed by this high-minded medal, which was awarded to him for stealing treasure from the British.

"Maybe we should send the person who awarded the medal to Ukraine; Valya is more deserving of this medal than I am!" Shelepov was indifferent to the medal. At this rate, the medals on his chest would eventually be enough to serve as a bulletproof vest.

Compared to receiving another medal, what was more surprising was that Shelepov actually found a Chinese restaurant in East Berlin, which was quite rare. Out of curiosity, Shelepov took two secretaries to try it out.

The owner was a Chinese man in his thirties, who was very polite to Shelepov and his two companions, especially after learning they were Soviets, showing an unusual level of enthusiasm. However, Shelepov felt this enthusiasm was a bit excessive!

"Where are you from, Comrade Chinese?" Shelepov asked in Russian. The owner seemed not to understand, and after a long time, he said, "My name is Cai Zhiwu, I'm from Northeast China, and I know a little Russian!"

"The food is very good, I will come again!" After the meal, Isayevna paid the bill, and the group left.

"Investigate the people who interact with this Asian. There's something wrong with him!" After leaving the Chinese restaurant, Shelepov remained silent for a long time and finally gave the order when he returned to the base, "If there's a problem, don't arrest him! See if there's any shadow of West Berlin behind him!"

Northeastern Chinese, who is he fooling! It's generally impossible for foreigners to distinguish regional accents, but unfortunately, Shelepov could. This person's speech had no trace of a Northeastern accent, but rather a hint of a Southern Chinese accent.