Chapter 63

As the petals of the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misa opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

While dancing gracefully, Cherov was thinking about one thing, "After the incident in West Berlin, would Kennedy still dare to come to West Berlin and claim that he is a Berliner? Perhaps, without waiting for the domestic forces in the United States to take action, the residents of West Berlin, whose attitude towards the United States has drastically changed, could get rid of him..."

At the end of the dance, Petrovich, who had been waiting here, sat on a chair and said to Cherov, who was walking back, "Comrade Cherov, the French and British representatives in West Berlin have jointly expressed to us that they are willing to restart negotiations, and both sides can adopt a more constructive approach to solve the problem?"

Cherov picked up a glass of whisky and drank it in one gulp, listening to Petrovich's words, then tilted his head and said, "This means that the United States, represented by Stevenson, has not made such an indication? At this time, they still want to save face and use the UK and France as a shield? If they are so concerned about their face, there's no point in talking. Tell the representatives of the UK and France that the attitude of the United States is crucial in the negotiations, and have Stevenson propose to restart the negotiations. Also, I have already decided to return to Moscow in ten days. If the negotiations are not restarted within ten days, there's no point in talking. The Soviet Union can interpret this as a lack of sincerity from the three countries..."

"Alright, I will inform the representatives of the three countries. I'll take my leave then!" Petrovich was far from as relaxed as Cherov. Although he was not a novice in the diplomatic system, this was the first time he had partnered with a representative as destructive as Cherov. No, he should say he was assisting Cherov. Since the arrival of the KGB Chief in Berlin, the crisis had turned from a game of chess into a boxing match. Cherov directed the intelligence agencies of the two countries to take heavy-handed actions, making Petrovich's blood pressure rise every time he faced the latest developments.

"Would you like a drink? Work and entertainment should be combined. One's stance should be firm, but it can also be appropriately adjusted, right?" Cherov raised his eyebrows and tried to persuade Petrovich to stay. The agents in the room, dressed in the uniforms of the two countries, had found their dance partners again, and who knows, they might even have a romantic international encounter tonight!

"Being an agent is really a job that can't be exposed to the light!" Cherov sensed a feeling of fear from Petrovich, a skill he definitely didn't have before. But since his body had recovered, he had developed this perception. Cherov, who was good at self-regulation, smiled and watched the dancing agents, muttering to himself, "It's very fitting for my profession, it should be a good thing! But... what about Yuri?" Another glass of whisky was finished, and he was drinking more and more like an old Russian...

The venue for this round of negotiations was still in West Berlin. The Soviet delegation entered West Berlin through the diplomatic personnel-only crossing at the Berlin Wall. Compared to the last time they were here, the overall atmosphere was different. The most obvious change was that there were fewer people on the streets. Many pedestrians stopped when they saw cars with Soviet flags, their eyes revealing complex emotions. The events of the past few days had made these people realize that, whether it was East Germany or West Germany, the United States or the Soviet Union, they were all the same, with no essential differences.

"Check for any surveillance devices!" After getting out of the car, Cherov did not stop and directly entered the building. Safety first, what if someone tried to take him out? Better safe than sorry; he couldn't rule out the possibility that some bored person might want to create a big news story.

"Nice to see you all again!" Cherov sat directly opposite the representatives of the three countries, wearing a false smile. "Not long ago, the whole world has changed again. Sometimes, when we are in the world, we can't even imagine whether we will still exist in the next second. Don't you think I'm right, Mr. Stevenson?"

From Stevenson, Cherov sensed a clearly suppressed hatred, while the representatives of the other two countries did not have such strong feelings. "General Cherov, regarding the unrest orchestrated by the Soviet Union..."

Cherov stood up and gestured for the Soviet personnel behind him to leave, saying without turning back, "If you can speak human language, do so. If not, go find a black-backed howler!"

"General Cherov!" Smith slowly stood up and walked over, holding Cherov back, and said in a moderate tone, "The United States has appointed me as the head of this negotiation. We can have a sincere talk..."

"Oh, you're in charge now?" Cherov put on an exaggeratedly surprised look. "Then I can forgive this small fry who doesn't know his place. I've said it before, he's a failure as a diplomat. See? I was right..." As he spoke, he sat back down, his eyes fixed on Stevenson's head.

"What are you doing?" Stevenson suppressed his anger and asked. Cherov's gaze made him very uncomfortable.

"Nothing. I've never been pointed at by a tank, I'm afraid I might forget you!" Cherov said in a low, threatening tone. "Now that you are no longer the negotiator, please leave. I want to talk to Comrade Smith!"

"Stevenson, you go down first..." The representatives of the UK and France also stood up and said. They had noticed the conflict between Cherov and Stevenson. Stevenson had been relieved of his duties as the negotiator, but the UK and France representatives were too polite to say it directly. Now that Cherov had said it, they did not want Stevenson to disrupt the negotiations. With him around, Cherov would only focus on mocking him instead of negotiating seriously.

"Alright, I'm a soldier, let's get to it quickly!" Cherov did not hesitate to spread out the documents he had prepared and began to list them one by one. "First, the three occupying powers, no, the British and French police, must bring to justice the soldiers who killed 124 West Berlin residents. Second, immediately hand over the power of the occupying forces and hold elections in West Berlin! Let the Berliners manage themselves. Third, quickly withdraw the troops, and West Berlin will become a demilitarized neutral city..."

Cherov rambled on, presenting the current conditions of the Soviet Union and East Germany. These conditions were newly proposed to adapt to the current situation, representing the stance of the Soviet Union and East Germany on this matter.

"General Cherov, your demands are excessive!" The old man Smith directly rejected Cherov's conditions. This was simply impossible.

"I know you won't agree. After all, the occupying forces have extraterritorial rights, and even if they commit crimes, they cannot be tried by West Berlin! Asking you to withdraw your troops is even more impossible. After your recent massacre of West Berlin residents, holding elections for the West Berlin parliament and government now would be a concern, as it might result in the rise of forces that oppose you. You dare not do any of these things!" Cherov kindly closed the documents and smiled at the representatives of the three countries. "I'm just presenting the Soviet Union's conditions for you to consider!"

"Years have passed, and the general is still so honest, and seems even more direct than before!" The old man Smith said with a bitter smile.

"Sorry, it's a professional habit!" Cherov stood up as if he and Smith were old friends. "The world changes every day. In fact, I have already completed my mission in Berlin! Whether there is an agreement or not, it won't affect my return to the country in a few days!"

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