Chapter 75

Yuri Yefimovich Andropov, the head of the KGB, held the rank of Lieutenant General! He rose to prominence in Azerbaijan, serving as the First Secretary of the Communist Youth League of Azerbaijan, and later succeeded Alexei as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan. Due to the prison clearance operation, he was transferred to serve as the ambassador to Italy, earning the nickname "Caspian Tiger." During his tenure, the Communist Party overwhelmingly defeated the Christian Democratic Party, and upon his return to the Soviet Union, he was promoted to Major General and worked in the First Chief Directorate, overseeing foreign intelligence.

He successfully quelled the uprisings in Poland and Hungary and was active in Egypt for a long time, influencing the Middle East through Egypt. He was closely associated with General Ibrahim Abboud, the commander-in-chief of Sudan. During this period, he continuously solved the cases of Peter Popov and Pyotr Popkov, and was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed as the head of the KGB a year ago. He is the youngest and most trusted head of the KGB by Shelepin. After taking office, he purged the Zhukov group and, at the beginning of the year, oversaw the construction of the Berlin Wall in Berlin, with the unrest in West Berlin suspected to be related to him!

Evaluation: Andropov is ruthless and cruel! In his early days, he was not particularly outstanding among his peers in the Soviet Union. Due to the large number of male casualties in the Soviet Union, Andropov, though young, was reasonable in Azerbaijan. The reason he became the youngest Lieutenant General in the Soviet Union is that he adapted more quickly than any of his peers after entering the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He is known as a "firefighter" in the KGB, active in various tasks.

"This guy is simply incredible!" Nixon received Andropov's resume and general background from his agents, which could be obtained through public channels, but this still revealed a lot! At first glance, the information seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, Andropov was linked to many hot news stories, "It seems the person responsible for my security is quite a formidable individual?"

There is an eight-hour time difference between the United States and Moscow. Nixon, who had just arrived in Moscow, was very energetic and, with nothing to do at the state-owned hotel, could only chat with the embassy until very late! He had intended to discuss Berlin with Khrushchev but discovered that the Soviet planner of the Berlin crisis was right in front of him!

"Andropov's parents were killed in the Battle of Kiev. He was appointed as the First Secretary of the Communist Youth League of Azerbaijan at a young age because his parents were close to Soviet Marshal Baghramian, who arranged his job before coming to Moscow!" The staff at the U.S. embassy explained.

"So, he's a little guy who benefited from his parents' protection!" Although Nixon said this, he did not mean that Andropov was incompetent. Many people are capable, but few have opportunities. Andropov was fortunate to have both, which made him the ace director of the Soviet KGB.

At the same time, the ace director he spoke of was at the waiting room of the Moscow railway station, where Andropov had come to see off the newly appointed Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Major General Shirekov, along with his family. Shirekov was leaving Moscow for Kiev today, along with his wife and two children.

Andropov and Shirekov, both in military uniforms, chatted at a distance from others. "Ukraine is a very important place for the Soviet Union, and it is currently stable! However, we cannot ignore any potential instability. We must address these issues before they arise. You must do your best as the Deputy Chairman in Ukraine!"

Shirekov's position ranked seventh among the Deputy Chairmen of the KGB in Ukraine, fifth excluding the two First Deputy Chairmen. His main responsibilities focused on the cultural sector, public intellectuals, local nationalists, and teachers and students, similar to the tasks of the Second and Fifth Chief Directorates.

"I will assist my wife in her work!" Shirekov clearly understood Andropov's meaning and subtly expressed his loyalty!

Andropov looked at the rows of tracks ahead without responding, finding it too obvious to say such things, even if he understood them.

"Director, receiving Nixon in the Soviet Union is a great opportunity! It can make many people remember you," Shirekov brought up Andropov's current work, trying to pass the time before the train arrived in half an hour.

"He's just a mascot. If Morgan were to visit, I would take it seriously. As for increased exposure, it's a mixed blessing. For our work, frequently appearing in the newspapers is not a good thing!" Andropov clearly lacked interest, as attracting the enemy's attention was never a good idea.

"You will have to put in a lot of effort in Ukraine. Valya is promoting Russian education. She is my wife, and I cannot stand by and watch her struggle. We will use reason where we can, and take action where necessary. If all else fails, there is always Kazan! Russian education must be promoted, and anyone who stands in the way will be crushed!" Andropov patted his subordinate's shoulder and added, "By the way, I remember you are from Belarus?" If these methods fail, the executioners of the Mendeleev Action Department will have to be deployed.

"I am a Soviet citizen!" Shirekov answered in a standard Andropov-like manner, which made Andropov himself unable to hold back, pointing at Shirekov without saying a word.

Andropov's years in the KGB were not wasted. The head of the secret police, Alexei, was his ally, including the remnants of Beria's faction behind Alexei. He himself promoted Mendeleev, the head of the Action Department responsible for assassinations, Kudryash, the commander of the Central Asian border troops, Igor, the commander of the Caucasian internal troops, and this Shirekov, who was heading to Kiev. He also had a batch of mid-level KGB officials. He personally oversaw the military management of the Red Army and remotely controlled the overseas enterprises of the First Chief Directorate. Although it did not form a faction, who knew what the future held.

The Soviet Union had four major ethnic centrifugal risks: the Baltic states, which were the latest to join the Soviet Union, Central Asia, which had the largest area, the Caucasus, which had the most ethnic groups, and Ukraine, which had the largest population! Starting with the simplest, Ukraine was the most suitable. Although it had the largest population, it shared the Slavic language with Russians, and the resistance and support were both with Khrushchev. If successful, it could be extended to other regions. Most people might not realize that the Russian Empire was much larger than the Soviet Union.

At 5 a.m., Andropov was woken up by Isayev. He sat up, closed his eyes, and listened, then opened his dead fish eyes and cursed, "Is this idiot sick? Why is he acting like a CIA agent? Did he choose the wrong career?"

Andropov was not worried that Nixon would cause any major news, but he was concerned that Nixon might be killed on the spot by Soviet citizens who had received class education.

"Want to see the real Moscow? Have I been living in a bubble all this time? He can't even adjust to the time difference and won't let me sleep properly. A bunch of selfish imperialists, coming to Moscow for a private visit?" Andropov grumbled, getting out of bed naked, looking down for a while, and then asked, "Where are my boxers?"

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