Chapter 71

In the office of the Chairman of the KGB at No. 11 Lubyanka Square, Chairman Serov scrutinized the report from the Main Directorate of Military Administration with a serious expression. Across the desk, Chekhlov ate and drank noisily, his engagement not a bit less intense than Serov's focus on the report.

"Yuri, this does not align with our national policy!" Serov gently put down the report on the adjustment plan for the Arab region. Although the document did not explicitly state it, how could Serov, in his position, not understand Chekhlov's intentions?

"Ah!" Chekhlov belched, shaking his head, "Am I not in line with our national policy? It also aligns with the lifestyle our government has always advocated! Atheism, national equality! My adjustments are very much in line with the spirit of the Central Committee. The motherland tells us to give some brotherly nations special care and support in education. Fine! We can also respect the customs of minority nations! But are we raising grandfathers? Care should be mutual. In some issues, shouldn't we also be considered? Soldiers should obey the Soviet, not a particular religion!"

"Although that's true, you know the First Secretary and the former General Secretary have different attitudes on this matter! Of course, if it's limited to the Red Army's deployment in the Arab region, I can agree to your adjustment report!" Serov stood up, speaking earnestly. The people he referred to were naturally Khrushchev and Stalin. Khrushchev, born in Ukraine, had a deep affection for Ukraine, which influenced the Soviet Union's national policy. Stalin, on the other hand, was a thorough Russifier, despite being Georgian, and aimed to turn all nations into Soviet citizens.

"Thank you, Chairman, that's settled, it's just a small matter!" Chekhlov stood up, flattery pouring out, celebrating the approval of his adjustment plan, "Chairman, I'm not deliberately creating problems for you to solve. I'm worried that future directors won't dare to issue such orders! So, it's better to solve problems during my tenure and not leave them for my successors. Small problems might ferment into big ones if left unresolved..."

If one had to compare the Soviet Union's ethnic issues with another vast, multi-ethnic country, it could only be China. The severity of the problems was undoubtedly more serious in the Soviet Union, where the dominant ethnic group barely exceeded half the population, far less resilient than the Han Chinese, who make up 90% of China's population. If the Soviet Union continued to indulge, it wouldn't wait for the Central Asian and Caucasian nations to cause trouble; the Russians would be the first to object.

By the time of the Soviet Union's dissolution, Russians were the most dissatisfied with the national policy, far more than any other ethnic group in the Soviet Union. It's easy to see why: Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Turkmen, each numbering from a few million to over ten million, who could bear the constant need to cater to them?

Of course, the Soviet Union had its advantages, such as the KGB, an organization that eliminated problems.

"I know you mean well, but your methods are too direct, and you don't even try to hide them! It makes you an easy target!" Serov sometimes found it strange that his director, despite being so young, acted as if he were fleeing, racing against fate, as if some danger were chasing him.

"Those wine-bags in the Nationalities Committee? I'm not afraid of them, I'm not afraid of anyone..." Chekhlov, with a look of disdain, pulled out two cigarettes from his pocket, one of which he stuffed into Serov's mouth, and mumbled, "They're just for show. I don't believe those nations have no culture beyond religion! Wearing black robes doesn't make you cultured. I could pull a regular student from a national university and see who has more knowledge!"

"Are you coming to my office to bite the pillow, little tiger?" Serov silenced his director, no one could interfere with KGB operations, but some always found ways to cause trouble, "You have something to do, go ahead! I need to go to the Kremlin! Remember to think about the General Secretary's security in the next few days..."

Chekhlov chuckled knowingly and was promptly ushered out of the office by Serov. Serov usually appeared in only two places during the day: the KGB headquarters or the Kremlin.

Today, Chekhlov indeed had another matter to attend to, a meeting with the directors of the First Directorate and the Border Troops Directorate. Checking the time, he realized it was almost time, so he left the KGB headquarters, following Serov's suggestion. "Is it Sunday? Why is the Cultural Palace so lively?" Passing by the Cultural Palace between the KGB headquarters and the First Directorate headquarters, Chekhlov saw children with red scarves all over the square, likely organized by a primary school.

"These children are so cute, I want a child too!" Isayevna, though driving, had a tone of longing in her voice. Seeing the children playing stirred a chord in her heart that had never been touched before.

Chekhlov fell silent for a moment, understanding the unspoken meaning in her words, but he was hesitant, afraid. After a long pause, he said, "Let's wait a few years, there will be an opportunity."

Passing through the safest children's playground in the world, they arrived at the headquarters of the First Directorate. The distance between the two headquarters was easily walkable. Today, Chekhlov came here mainly to meet with the directors of the other two directorates.

"Has Comrade Zelyanov arrived?" Chekhlov asked as soon as he reached the First Directorate. General Zelyanov, the head of the Border Troops Directorate and the commander of the border troops, was the leader of the 300,000-strong border troops under the KGB. Without this department, the KGB wouldn't have allowed Chekhlov to frequently travel abroad to "make money." The KGB's annual budget of over $2 billion from the government was largely consumed by the border troops and the internal security forces, putting a heavy financial burden on other departments. The command of the internal security forces was under the KGB Presidium, and the budget was shared by the various directorates, making the Border Troops Directorate more noticeable in budget issues.

"The Border Troops Directorate is far away, but he should be here soon. Rest for a moment! Let's discuss the situation in Iraq," General Sakhatovsky poured a glass of water, which Chekhlov immediately took, as he was thirsty after his meal.

"You've been abroad for half a year, I want to update you. According to the Middle East Department, the Kassem government in Iraq, while you were working in Berlin, around March, opened fire on Shiite civilians demanding democratic elections. The exact numbers haven't been released, but our agents estimate about 300 deaths. The Shiites were the first to react, followed by the threatened Sunnis. Currently, the strongest force is still Kassem's military government," General Sakhatovsky explained the current situation, sipping his water.

"Director, Comrade Zelyanov has arrived!" Sakhatovsky nodded to his secretary, "Please bring Comrade Zelyanov in. This time, we need the cooperation of the three directorates!"