Chapter 88 Farewell

I thought that Kirill and the other two would retreat after hearing from me how difficult the Battle of Smolensk was. Malashenko, who had long regarded the three people who followed him as close friends, did not want them to follow him into Smolensk, a human meat grinder that devoured hundreds of thousands of lives.

But what Malashenko did not expect after he said it all was that the principle of facing difficulties head-on and not fearing life and death has never been a joke since ancient times, especially when the most sincere friendship between men is covered with a layer of life-and-death comradeship.

"No matter how big the difficulties are, we can overcome them together, comrade commander! With you by our side, we can't be afraid of the Germans!"

"Yes, just like Nikolai said! As long as our crew is together, the Germans can't defeat us!"

"Sir, we have already discussed it! We won't give up unless you agree. You can take our crew to the Smolensk front!"

In the distant future that has long been destined by the dust of history, Lin Jie was just an ordinary "sea turtle" office worker who returned from studying in Moscow.

In that materialistic and materialistic trend of money worship, Lin Jie, who had just entered the society with a passion for school, had seen too many betrayals and abandonments.

From the initial shock and anger to the final numbness.

Whenever Lin Jie lies in bed in the dead of night, feeling the precious moment of tranquility after a busy day, he can always find those numbers that have become empty and shut down but cannot bear to delete again and again.

As an idealist, Lin Jie always hopes that his friends and the environment around him can develop in the best direction, but the cruel reality repeatedly pours the thorns of cold human hearts on him.

When Lin Jie, who is indifferent and helpless, finds that he is the only one around him who is like a "fool", an idealist with beautiful hopes for human hearts. The childish ideals accumulated in the school days were finally shattered by the cruel reality at this moment. In order to protect himself from being hurt by others, Lin Jie has to hide his true heart and show it to others with a "mask" like everyone around him.

If things continue to develop along the established trajectory, Lin Jie, whose wheel of life is slowly turning forward, will probably keep this "mask" face for the rest of his life.

But when Lin Jie woke up and turned into Malashenko, who had long been lost in the long river of history and was not remembered by anyone, he felt for the first time in this special era that people who did not show masks could sublimate people's hearts so truly, and gather peers and partners under the same flag and the same ideal, just like a complete will without any hypocrisy and ugliness.

Those ideal fragments that were deeply buried in Lin Jie's heart after being broken finally condensed and sprouted again at this moment. Seeing that his ideals could be turned into reality little by little in this special era, Malashenko, who was full of mixed feelings, could finally be excited and happy to affirm that these comrades who followed him were not just talking.

Malashenko, who seemed to have a burning flame in his heart, finally stood up from the bed with the support of the ideals that had reunited in his heart. His right arm, raised in the air, seemed to be as strong and tenacious as the power of faith and steel.

"I swear here, my comrades! The soldiers gathered under the same red flag will never perish easily under the enemy's guns! From today until this great war ends in victory, we are the glorious and legendary No. 177 crew! Never separate!"

When Malashenko's passionate words full of faith echoed in the hearts of everyone present with a soul-stirring charm, a staggering figure with one hand leaning on a cane, supported by the people beside him, appeared in front of everyone at this time, blocking the sunlight coming in from the door.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting your oath, Major Malashenko. But I want to interject, are you still short of people in the No. 177 crew?"

When the fifth fist with the injured right arm trembling gathered in the air, Malashenko stared at the man in front of him with a firm and smiling face, but did not respond with any unnecessary rejection. The words after the smile were as powerful as the loud oath before, which was enough to convince people.

"Of course, you are welcome to join, Lieutenant Iushkin."

At the last moment before leaving by train to the Smolensk front, Malashenko received an unexpected gift from the hurried Political Commissar Petrov, a set of shiny Soviet tank major dress uniforms and a set of equally new tank major fireproof combat uniforms.

"I guess you won't have the chance to get a new uniform from the logistics department during your trip to Smolensk. The war on the front lines is tense everywhere. It's awkward enough for you to wear a lieutenant uniform while you're a captain. We can't let you, a newly promoted major, continue to report to Smolensk in a lieutenant uniform."

"Although our 20th Tank Division suffered heavy losses, we can still get two major uniforms."

After saying that, he handed the two brand-new military uniforms in his hands to Malashenko and stood still. Looking at the young man in front of him, Petrov, who had mixed emotions as if he was bidding farewell to his own relatives, immediately took off the top of his head. The big-brimmed hat revealed the black and white hair that was almost bald, and he slowly spoke.

"I won't say any more unnecessary nonsense, Malashenko, as you said, there is no need to mobilize troops to say goodbye to each other. The child Kirill is in your hands, you must help me Take good care of this little guy and hopefully he will grow up to be like you today."

After staring at Malashenko in front of him with determined eyes, he gently put his right arm on Malashenko's shoulder. After saying goodbye, Petrov's political commissar, who didn't know when we would meet again, then finally said goodbye. Open your mouth.

"No matter what the fighting is like on the front line, or how crazy the Germans are who are sweeping in overwhelmingly. Promise me, Malashenko, you will come back alive as a hero!"

After hearing the sincere words from Petrov's mouth, which were spoken from a personal perspective rather than a public official capacity, Malashenko, whose eyes were slightly moist, immediately repeated the words that he had promised to Commissar Petrov many times. blurted out in a solemn military salute.

"We will definitely fulfill our mission, uncle!"