Chapter 205 Red Heart (Part 2)

With an expression of slight surprise, he stretched out his hand to take the two heavy portions of food from Malashenko's hand. He held them together in his hands and felt them with his rough and calloused hands. With this weight that was enough to extend his life, he didn't know what to say. It took more than ten seconds for the sergeant squad leader to reply to Malashenko in front of him.

"Honestly, sir. Ever since those fascists surrounded us, I haven't seen such a good-quality can for more than a month. Even this compressed biscuit is very rare. A whole time. A pack of biscuits can even be exchanged for two small packs of tobacco, and this is still in the army. If you exchange it with ordinary people, you can even get more."

Eyes full of envy and longing kept scanning and studying the two pieces of food in his hands, but in his heart, there was no trace of greed or deception in the sergeant squad leader since he took over the weight of life with his hands. He quickly raised his head and responded to Malashenko.

"Although even I am greedy for these good things, please don't worry, sir."

"With my honor as a party member and a soldier, I will definitely use these things to take good care of that pair of children. Thank you very much for your generosity."

Watching the sergeant squad leader waving to him, he gradually turned away with a grateful smile. Malashenko, who had an indescribable complex feeling in his heart, then reached out his hand and patted the cold turret dome gently. A, the clear and dull heavy metal echo immediately spread from top to bottom to the entire tank.

"Seryozha, start the train and take us out of here."

The diesel engine, which had never been turned off but was still running, instantly spit out a burst of thick black smoke at Malashenko's order, driving the steel body with a combat weight of nearly 50 tons to surge up again, beside him. Malashenko, who was still rumbling past other subordinate KV1 heavy tanks, quickly returned to the column.

After about a minute of driving on the uneven road again, Malashenko, who had been leaning his upper body out of the turret for a while, finally got comfortable as he watched the road in front of him begin to become smoother. After closing the hatch cover, he returned to the turret.

"You shouldn't give away food so easily, sir. The military supplies we brought from Yelnya are almost exhausted. By then, even you, a major officer, probably won't be able to get enough food under normal conditions. quota, you warned me not long ago that the days to come will be very difficult.”

Malashenko, who had just sat down in the commander's seat, took off the tank cap on his head and gently smoothed his sultry hair without comment. He calmed down for a while in a complicated mood before turning towards his body. The gunner Iushkin, who was admonishing him from the side, spoke slowly.

"I almost forgot to tell you. I have just been promoted. Now I am your lieutenant colonel, battalion commander and vehicle commander. Remember to change my official title in the future."

What! ?

After suddenly hearing the unsurprising words from Malashenko's mouth, the remaining four crew members, who were struck like five thunders, immediately looked at Malashenko with stars in their eyes. .

"This is incredible! Comrade Commander! I can't believe you have been promoted again!"

"Lieutenant Colonel, this time you are a Lieutenant Colonel! You are on the same level as my uncle! Comrade Commander!"

"I've never seen such speed before, it's incredible!"

Compared to the constant exclamations from the members of his own car crew, Malashenko smiled slightly and then took out the still-unheated Lenin Medal from his pocket and gently shook it on his fingertips. among.

"Not only is there a promotion, but there is also a medal award named after the great revolutionary mentor, but I think this is an honor that belongs to our entire independent first heavy tank breakthrough battalion."

In the dimly lit tank, the young guys were still firmly attracted by the bright red and gold thing on Malashenko's fingertips, and their eyes were even more intense than when they saw the beautiful girl. Never have I witnessed this great honor of the Soviet Medal at such a close distance.

"Okay, enough of the small talk, let's get back to the topic."

Under the envious looks of his subordinates, he put the medal back into the jacket compartment of the fire-proof combat uniform and put it away properly. Malashenko, who still remembered the question Iushkin just asked, moved accordingly. blurted out the topic again.

"Iushkin, let me ask you a question. You, me, everyone in this tank, all the comrades in the entire tank battalion, and all our colleagues in the Red Army, we are all fighting for What to fight for?”

Why fight?

Although this question was a bit too sudden for the unexpected gunner Iushkin, as a party member, it was not so difficult to answer.

"Fight to defend the motherland, defend the Soviet Union, fight to defend Comrade Stalin. This is what is taught in the party school, and this is what the political commissars propagate. It is not difficult to answer, Comrade Commander."

After hearing the expected answer from Iushkin, Malashenko smiled faintly, but there was an imperceptible look in his eyes.

"What you said is correct, but not everything. We are soldiers of the Red Army and soldiers who defend our homeland and people."

"When the motherland is in crisis, if we don't step forward and be at the forefront, are we going to let the people behind us be at the forefront for us?"

"The people are one of the objects we protect, and they are also the reason why we fight to the end. But if we, the Red Army soldiers who have been entrusted with heavy responsibilities and trust by the people, cannot even defend the people, is this the same as when we were under the party and military flags? Going against the promise?"

After hearing some short words from Malashenko's mouth, Iushkin was thoughtful. For the first time, Iushkin, who had the theoretical learning spirit in his mind extended, obviously needed some time to summarize it in detail.

"There are many ways to defend the people, and dedication without asking for anything in return is just one of them. No matter where we go, where we fight, or what the final outcome will be, we are all glorious and brave Red Army soldiers. This is what is branded in The red mark on each of us, we will all be forever proud of this great and sacred identity!”

The steel tracks that rolled forward rolled over the ruins and rubble that had been blown up by German air raids on the streets. The prairie cavalry of the new era marched forward bravely in the direction of defending the motherland, as people praised.