Chapter 10, The Unsheathed Sword

The work of national security must not be relaxed in the slightest. As defenders of the ironclad line of the Soviet Union, I, like my comrades, take Comrade Dzerzhinsky as a model and devote myself to the work in the field of security with unparalleled enthusiasm. The report by Shcherbin gradually came to a close, and then he suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "As the sword drawn in defense of the Soviet Union, we must sniff out and eliminate traitors..."

In fact, the most important thing is to have someone who understands Italy in command! Major General Sahatovsky added, "A good leader can turn plans into practice! What we need now is such a person!"

Then I will briefly discuss! Upon careful consideration, there is still more than a year until the Olympics. Even if it really comes to letting Shelov carry a bomb, that is a matter for the future. For now, engaging in some verbal sparring is not out of the question. With this thought in mind, Shelov no longer restrained his strong-willed demeanor. From the current situation, since the foreign comrades came to power, Italy has transformed into a mixed economic system, supported by the market provided by the Soviet Union and the financial assistance from the United States. Italy has now emerged from the difficult circumstances of the past few years! We have achieved a good start; Italy is our breakthrough point in Europe. Therefore, we are willing to make sacrifices to ensure that Italy becomes a positive example, allowing Europeans to understand that socialism is not to be feared, transitioning from hostility towards us to acceptance!

"Does Comrade Shelov have any comments?" Major General Sakhatovsky inquired, replacing the oxygen-deprived Sherepin.

The National Security Council plenary meeting was held in the grand auditorium, with Chairman Xie Lieping positioned in the center of the podium. On either side of him were the fifteen vice-chairmen of the Central Presidium of the National Security Council, including two first vice-chairmen. Facing the podium in the front row were Xie Luofu and over twenty directors from various major bureaus, with nearly two hundred departmental officials seated behind them. There were also representatives from the Red Army Intelligence Bureau and the GRU in attendance, as well as leaders from KGB offices in major cities and directors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from key regions, along with numerous commanders from internal troops and border defense agencies, including representatives from the KGB stationed in the four major clusters and the sixteen military districts across the country. The total number of attendees was nearly one thousand.

This is the authority of the First Bureau. As the director of the Third Bureau, I should not interfere in the external intelligence work; that would be meddling in the affairs of the First Bureau, a mistake I cannot afford to make!" Shelov kept retreating, nearly causing the director of the First Bureau beside him to burst into laughter, as if to say, haven't you interfered enough already?

I... there is no problem! Sherlock glanced at the prevailing situation around him and decisively refrained from adopting a confrontational attitude. After all, it was just a matter of overseeing some affairs in Italy, something he had done before!

The entire auditorium, despite its large number of attendees, was silent. Xie Lieping summarized the achievements of the National Security Council over the past year into the microphone, and only during pauses could one hear applause that seemed rehearsed.

"Italy is absolutely indispensable!" Shelov stated emphatically, "We can sacrifice a portion of the market to supply Italy's exports without any problem. Even if we engage in a tug-of-war with the United States, it will ultimately be beneficial for us, because during this tug-of-war, it can serve as a pilot project for the Italians to closely observe the advantages and disadvantages of both economies. The strengthening of Italy's mixed economic system in recent years is evidence of this!"

Continue! The ashtray on the desk in front of Xie Lieping is already filled with cigarette butts. At this moment, he is drinking a glass of water while listening to the direct supervisor of the Italian project analyze the situation.

From the podium, Shelepin looked at the numerous officials below, feeling a rare surge of emotions! This represented the entirety of the Soviet secret front's power, not merely a meeting of the KGB itself. The last time such a scene occurred was during Beria's tenure at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A few years ago, it was with the support of these same individuals that Beria gained the ability to challenge anyone.

Do not be modest, we can all see the results of your work in Italy!" Comrade Shchelepov reminded his subordinates to get to the point, "Comrade Sakhatovsky is absolutely right, none of the comrades present know Italy better than you do...

This was decided with the swiftness of a thief stealing a bell without covering his ears. When Xie Lieping announced the decision, there was not a moment's pause; only after finishing his words did he take a deep breath, alleviating some of his oxygen deprivation.

As the sword unsheathed by the Soviet Union, one must only sniff out and eliminate traitors...'' Sherlov looked expressionlessly at the hammer and sickle flag above the podium, raising his voice in unison with thousands of Soviet representatives.

During Sherlov's brief tenure as a diplomatic ambassador, the achievements he garnered were sufficient for this diplomat of intelligence background to leave a significant mark within the diplomatic system. The Italian Communist Party directly overturned the Christian Democratic Party, setting a precedent for Western European communism to control the nation through parliamentary elections for the first time. As for the spread of pyramid schemes, it is merely a minor aftereffect that has not affected the Soviet Union, and those present would not take it to heart.

As soon as the words fell, all eyes once again focused on Comrade Xie Luofu. Xie Luofu cleared his throat and was about to refuse, when he heard Xie Lieping loudly say, "This matter will be handled by Comrade Xie Luofu. He has the leadership authority over the reconstruction work in Italy and the activities during the Olympic Games. We can make it to the next question..."

General Sakhatovsky was not entirely wrong; as the direct planner of the Italian upheaval, Shcherov indeed understood that place better than others. Once Shcherov had finished elaborating on all his ideas with great enthusiasm, ... Shcherbin led the applause, and a wave of warm applause echoed in the conference room ...

In that case, we will contact the engineering troops to form a construction team to provide assistance for the sports hall in Italy!" Xie Lieping glanced around and said, "The First General Bureau will dispatch agents from the Fifth Division to the Italian branch to assist the engineering team, while also selecting a group of comrades from other divisions to blend in with the personnel of the assistance engineering team, taking this opportunity to gather comprehensive information about the situation across Italy!"

This struggle has been unfair from the very beginning, as everyone present is equal to him in rank. In terms of experience, Shcherbov is even more superficial, as there are many veterans here who have served the Soviet security agencies for over twenty years, with histories that can even be traced back to the Beria era. "Yuri, share your thoughts!" Shcherbov gently reminded, as the Chairman of the KGB, Shcherbov assessed the situation and instantly aligned himself with the people.

All members present, dressed in various military uniforms, stood up in unison, delivering a powerful and rhythmic shout, "As the sword unsheathed by the Soviet, we must only sniff out and eliminate the traitors