Novel

A cold autumn rain pelted the military base, turning the parade ground into a muddy mess. All the soldiers and officers had long since donned raincoats, and only twenty-year-old Felix stood there, completely drenched, struggling to hold a huge umbrella over Captain Andrei's head. Felix desperately wanted to serve and be involved in military affairs, so he tolerated being treated as a "pawn," used as a runner by officers on a "fetch and go" basis. But what hurt him most was the indifference of thirty-four-year-old General Roman Alexandrovich. Every time Felix brought him reports from other commanders, the successful, cold, and stern general wouldn't even look at him. He simply took the papers and uttered a curt, "Get lost." Today had reached a boiling point. Captain Andrei, lazily watching the soldiers at work, turned to the drenched young man and said mockingly: — With an appearance like yours... All I can do is satisfy the men in the barracks. Felix's appearance was indeed delicate and handsome, but his temperament was always fiery. He was never one to be easily offended. Unable to bear the insult, Felix slapped the officer hard, nearly dropping his umbrella.

• You have no right to say that! At that very moment, a general approached them with quick, heavy steps through the veil of rain. Roman Alexandrovich despised the circus and hazing. For him, the army was a place of iron discipline, where any conflicts were to be resolved solely by words. Without a word, the general gave Felix a sharp, hard backhand slap for daring to raise a hand against a superior officer. The umbrella flew out of the boy's hands and into a puddle. "Attention!" Roman Alexandrovich commanded in a steely, thunderous voice, glaring at his subordinates. "There will be no farce in my army. Private, you'll be court-martialed for assault. Captain Andrei, go to my office, I await your report on your behavior. Both of you, on the carpet. Now."