Chapter 64

"Is General Shefov returning to the country?" For some reason, upon hearing this news, the old man felt a sense of relief. Clearly, Shefov was the one they were negotiating with, yet he had the thought that perhaps it would be better if someone else took over.

"Are you happy about my return?" As Smith regained his composure, he met Shefov’s gaze, which seemed to see through everything! Strange, a few years ago, this guy wasn’t as sharp? He’s so perceptive, it’s almost inhuman! Shefov continued, "Actually, I’m also happy. Returning to the country means I can do something meaningful, instead of just talking here and getting nowhere, especially when we’re in a deadlock. Why do we need people for this? We could just get a dog to bark and it would do the job just as well..."

The British representative’s face immediately fell, "General Shefov, what you’re doing is no different from a diplomat’s work!"

"Of course, that includes me. Five or six years ago, I was also an ambassador abroad!" Shefov recalled the past with a wistful look, shaking his head slightly, "So, from that time on, I never wanted to work in the diplomatic system again!"

While boasting, Shefov had the other staff pack up their things. As he reached the door, he said, "I’ve given you the Soviet Union’s conditions. Find a translator who knows Russian! If you agree, come find me; if not, solve the problem yourselves. Comrade Smith, I hope you live a few more years, and that we have the chance to meet again..."

But in an instant, Shefov pushed the door open again, took out two photos from his uniform pocket, and tossed them on the table, saying lightly, "Tell Stevenson that his children are very cute!"

The representatives of the three countries looked at each other in the empty conference room, at a loss about the entire negotiation process, which lasted less than twenty minutes. The British representative picked up the photos Shefov had left on the table. The background was a wooden building typical of the American South, with a boy and a girl on it, "These are Stevenson’s children? Shefov is threatening us, saying he’ll kill our children if we don’t agree to the Soviet Union’s conditions!" It had to be admitted that the British representative had a vivid imagination, instantly making this incredible inference.

"It’s probably a show of force. Using assassins to target diplomats’ children has already crossed the line for intelligence agencies. Shefov has a characteristic of strictly adhering to the KGB’s code!" Smith said uncertainly.

What kind of characteristic is that? Smith’s words made the representatives from Britain and France want to laugh. They often dealt with their own intelligence agencies; isn’t it normal for an agent to follow the rules?

As the overall head of the operation in Berlin, Shefov had achieved the basic goal of stabilizing the continuous outflow of East German population. Everything else was a bonus, an unexpected gain.

"Comrade Petrovich, the rest of the time will depend on you to negotiate with the representatives of the three countries!" On the day before his departure, Shefov invited friends he had worked with during the Berlin crisis, including the commander of the 65th Guards Tank Regiment, Oleg, and the head of the Stasi, Markus Wolf. As for the commanders of the Western Group of Forces and other high-ranking figures, he had already said his goodbyes earlier. Most people were happy to see the dangerous aura of the KGB chief leave, hoping Shefov would leave as soon as possible.

"Comrade Shefov has laid a good foundation. Any progress in the next negotiations will be a gain!" Petrovich patted his thigh, "If I can’t even handle this, what right do I have to call myself a diplomat..."

Petrovich’s words made everyone laugh heartily, the small room filled with smiles. For East Germany, the incident had been satisfactorily resolved, and the unrest in West Berlin would likely not make East German residents want to flee in the short term.

Leaving the Fourth Directorate of the First Chief Directorate, responsible for Germany and Austria, to handle the aftermath, Shefov prepared to leave with a dozen agents. Just as he arrived, the head of the Stasi’s foreign intelligence service, Markus Wolf, came to the station to see him off. Four months had passed, and the two had worked together through the Berlin crisis. If there was still a crisis in Berlin, it was now directed at the West. Compared to the pressure the Soviet Union faced in Berlin, the United States was now more eager to calm the unrest among West Berlin residents.

"My friend, due to time constraints, I may need to return to the country to handle some matters. However, I’ve already mentioned some issues. There are many places in the world where we can make a difference, such as Algeria in North Africa and Iraq in the Middle East. Both places are at war, and I hope our KGB and your Stasi are ready!" Shefov said in a tone of an old friend, "You have professional training teams; it would be a waste to let them sit idle!"

"We have already seriously considered this. If there is room for action, we are willing to use our ally’s strength to help the Soviet Union!" Markus Wolf looked at the crowd around them, "When we complete the river diversion project, which should be in the second half of the year, we can discuss it in more detail. By the way, are you not taking back the two Chinese and nine Russians captured from the Chinese restaurant?"

"Leave them to you. They are compatriots, and I don’t want to kill them myself!" Shefov looked up, letting the sunlight fall on his face, and said with a hint of melancholy, "Different positions mean no mercy. This time, consider it a favor. Alright, I’m getting on the train!" Shefov finished speaking and turned to enter the carriage.

Although there were Chinese and Russians among them, from an organizational perspective, these people were from the CIA and the Military Intelligence Bureau. From a political standpoint, whether they were White Russians or overseas Chinese, they were currently enemies of the Soviet Union and China. Only from an ethnic perspective was there a bit of kinship, but that was not a reason to be lenient. The White Russians and the Military Intelligence Bureau, trained by the CIA, were considered separatist forces by the Soviet Union and China.

Markus Wolf stood straight at the train station, watching until the train slowly pulled away. He then called over his adjutant and asked, "Did you get any valuable information from the interrogation?"

"No, Director! The captured spies were at most half-year graduates of a crash course!" The adjutant nodded.

"Then they are just small fish. Execute them all!" Markus Wolf made a subtle throat-cutting gesture.

At the same time, in the Chairman’s office at Lubyanka Square No. 11, Serov clenched his teeth as he read the report from the KGB in Azerbaijan, finally focusing his gaze on Alexei, the head of the Fifth Directorate, "A violent attack has occurred in Azerbaijan. You must immediately have the secret police quell the unrest, especially before Yuri returns..."

"But Yuri is already on the train and will be back tomorrow! There’s no time. I can’t even imagine the consequences if he finds out the Chechens are causing trouble!" Thinking of Shefov’s usual methods, Alexei swallowed hard.

"There is time, you have at least a week!" Serov did not let the sudden event affect his judgment. Based on his understanding of Shefov, he confidently said, "Yuri will definitely go to Kiev and stay in Ukraine for a few days first!"