Chapter 2711: 2685: I Want You to Know
Gao Yang insisted on dressing Yarebin in a uniform because he remembered Yarebin wearing a uniform in his dream.
What bothered Gao Yang immensely was that he had just had the dream, yet he couldn’t recall what the uniform Yarebin wore looked like. However, he was sure it was a uniform, absolutely.
“Are you sure Mr. Yarebin liked uniforms? I thought no one from those secret units liked wearing uniforms. Maybe you should ask the Black Demon for some input.”
Joseph had some doubts, but Gao Yang waved his hand and said, “No, it’s definitely a uniform. I didn’t see clearly what kind of uniform it was, but I’m sure it was a uniform.”
“What didn’t you see clearly?”
Gao Yang gestured with his hand and said, “I can ask Hammer; he would surely know what the Black Demon’s uniform looks like, but that’s not what I’m concerned with right now—it’s the military rank.”
Joseph cleared his throat and said, “Sorry, I think it would be more appropriate to replace the uniform with a military uniform.”
Gao Yang turned and looked at Joseph, frowned, and said, “Even if it’s a military uniform, let’s not discuss that first. If my teacher is to be buried in a military uniform, he should at least have a military rank and medals, but I don’t know what his military rank is. I don’t know.”
Joseph said in surprise, “You don’t know his rank?”
Gao Yang said with some embarrassment, “I really don’t know. I’ve always avoided mentioning these topics to him, but it’s simple; I’ll just ask.”
Gao Yang called Hammer again, and this time, Hammer’s voice sounded extremely low.
“Captain, what’s up?”
Gao Yang hesitated for a moment because Hammer’s address made him feel a bit uneasy, so he quietly said, “Don’t call me Captain, at least not now. Hammer, I want to know what my teacher’s rank was. He had a rank, right?”
“Yes, he was a Lieutenant General.”
Gao Yang was taken aback and said, “A Lieutenant General.”
“Beria was bestowed with the rank of Marshal, the latter KGB Chairman was granted the rank of General, the Bureau Chief was granted the rank of Lieutenant General, and so was our Captain’s rank of Lieutenant General.”
Gao Yang exhaled and said, “Got it, a Lieutenant General. So what about the military uniform? What does it look like?”
“It’s the Internal Troops’ Lieutenant General’s uniform, but the hat and insignia are royal blue, and there are also medals. The Captain received too many medals.”
“Would the teacher often wear a military uniform?”
“Of course not, he rarely had the chance to wear one, and it was only during meetings with the highest leaders of the Soviet Union that he would wear a uniform. Usually, this was when he was awarded medals, so of course, he had to wear a uniform. But these were all done secretly. Less than ten people knew about the existence of this Lieutenant General in the KGB and himself.”
Gao Yang exhaled and said, “Understood. I want to bury my teacher in a General’s uniform and ensure he gets the medals he deserves. Maybe I can’t find his medals, but substitutes or replicas will do. The important thing isn’t the medals themselves but what they represent, the achievements, right?”
“Then you’d better prepare a medal record because the Captain received too many medals. You know, Brezhnev had a hobby of distributing medals…”
“No, I think real medals would be better. We can just pick the most important ones for the teacher.”
After speaking, Gao Yang pondered for a moment and then asked, “Hammer, is your health good enough to travel to Moscow?”
“I’m fine, really. I’m fine. I want to go. I really want to go. Can you agree to let me go? I’m afraid to ask you, but I really want to go…”
Gao Yang thought for a moment, then softly said, “I’ll ask the doctor. If you can really move, then no matter how troublesome it is, I’ll make sure you can come. Don’t worry, wait for my call.”
After hanging up the phone, Gao Yang thought for a moment and decided to inform Baskov specifically. He checked his watch; it was nearly four in the morning, but he still made the call.
When Baskov answered, Gao Yang quietly said, “Our teacher has left us, did you know that?”
“Who left? What are you talking about? What do you mean?”
Gao Yang sighed and quietly said, “Yarebin, he’s gone. He left us.”
Baskov was silent for a long time, then replied, sounding lost, “So soon, so soon…”
Gao Yang didn’t speak. He was waiting for Baskov to respond. Although he had decided not to ask Baskov for help, he still wanted to hear what Baskov had to say.
“I’m a bit sad.”
After a long while, Baskov finally spoke, quietly, “I’m very sad. I don’t know how you see me, but I’ve always looked up to the Captain as a father, the person I admired the most, the one I respected the most, the one I loved the most. He’s gone, and I’m very sad. I really am.”
Gao Yang quietly said, “Condolences. He went peacefully, with a smile on his face.”
Baskov sighed and said softly, “I hoped that someday, maybe he would sit down and talk with me like he used to, talk for a long time, but there’s no chance now. Ram, there’s no chance. No one knows my feelings, but you’re his successor, Ram, I want you to know.”
As he spoke, Baskov began to cry, sobbing quietly on the phone, just like Gao Yang had at the beginning.
After crying for several minutes, Baskov finally said through sobs, “If the Captain knew I was crying, he’d have killed me. But I’m really in pain. I shouldn’t be this weak, but I’m really in pain, Ram. Don’t tell anyone, don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“I promise, I swear!”
Baskov sighed deeply and said, “No one can understand my feelings, no one can understand me. Ram, thank you for listening to me, thank you. What you mentioned a few days ago, I will do it, at all costs, I will do it. The Captain would scold me because a funeral is such a pointless thing and would waste all my previous efforts, but I’ll still do it.”
Gao Yang quietly said, “If you mean burying him in the New Saintess Cemetery, then you don’t need to take care of it. I can manage it, Baskov. You shouldn’t intervene. I’m not trying to keep you in place for convenience later on, I just don’t want Yarebin to be angry seeing your actions, truly.”
Baskov quietly asked, “You can do it?”
“I can, trust me!”
“Alright, actually I don’t want to go against the Captain’s will anymore, but if you need help, please let me know. As long as I can help without affecting myself, I really want to do something.”
“I need a uniform and medals. I think my teacher…”
“I have the Captain’s former uniforms and most of his medals. I’ve kept them for a long time, but I’ve been careful, Ram. Come to Moscow, and I’ll give them to you.”
Gao Yang said in surprise, “What did you say? You have them?”
Baskov said solemnly, “Yes, I do. The uniform was taken back from the nursing home where he stayed, and the medals I’ve hidden away over twenty years ago. I have them, come find me!”