Chapter 100

David's Camp is located within a national park in Maryland, serving as a retreat for the President of the United States. The name "David's Camp" was given by Eisenhower, using the name of his beloved grandson, imbued with a sense of freedom. Some say the original name, Shangri-La, was more poetic, but that's nonsense; how could it be better than the name of the President's grandson?

The climate here is very comfortable, lacking the humid heat of coastal areas. Shelepov felt it was similar to the climate of a summer resort, neither too cold nor too hot. As for the scenery, Shelepov, who lacked artistic sensibility, could not find the right words to describe what he saw. After looking for a long time, he could only say it was "not bad."

Not far away, on the golf course, Eisenhower and Khrushchev were taking a stroll. The relaxed atmosphere was clearly not suitable for Shelepov, who was dressed in his KGB uniform, and he had no leisurely mood. From today, Shelepov's mind could not stay calm. Although he was still in the United States, his thoughts were all on Moscow. Today was September 25th, Valya's due date. Unlike the last time, Shelepov remembered his wife's due date, but the same thing was that he was still not in the country. Combining these two things, it indicated a problem: in such situations, not being by his wife's side had two possibilities. One was that he was a truly great person, but he belonged to the latter category, with a more pronounced trait of being a scoundrel.

"Comrade Chairman, you seem a bit restless today!" The adjutant noticed Shelepov circling around a big tree and came over to greet him. Not only the Soviet agents but also the American security personnel noticed Shelepov's unusual behavior. From an agent's perspective, unusual behavior was always very suspicious. Someone was already approaching Shelepov, preparing to deal with the suspicious person.

"Call me Deputy Chairman, I've corrected you several times! Today is my wife's due date, and I can't concentrate!" Although Shelepov was talking to the Soviet agents, he tilted his head and glanced at the American security personnel nearby with ill intentions. "Tell those Yankee swine to get lost. I'm in a bad mood today!"

"Ah!? Yes, of course!" The Soviet agent was taken aback and immediately turned to communicate with the surrounding American security personnel.

"Mr. Khrushchev, the blockade of Berlin is contrary to the purpose of your visit. If our two countries are to coexist peacefully, we must consider the human rights of the people in West Berlin. I have heard that the GDR is building a canal around West Berlin, which is almost complete. This clearly cuts off the lifeline of the people in West Berlin. I hope the Soviet Union will consider my proposal!" Eisenhower made a gesture inviting Khrushchev to sit down. The two found a bench at the edge of the golf course and sat down.

"If the Soviet Union interferes with the GDR's actions, your newspapers will again claim that the Eastern European countries are Soviet satellites with no autonomy. Moreover, the GDR is nearing the end of the project. It is too late to stop it now! The workers involved in the construction come from fraternal countries other than the Soviet Union. If we interfere, we will offend other fraternal countries and isolate ourselves. This is probably what you Americans hope to see the most!"

Stasiyana translated Khrushchev's words into perfect English, adding some metaphors that made Eisenhower look at her sideways. These were idioms from his hometown, which people who did not live there would not understand. Eisenhower was of German descent, and many of the colloquialisms in his area were derived from German. The fact that this golden-haired girl understood so much made him wonder if she was sent by the GDR to assist Khrushchev.

"Alright, Mr. Khrushchev, do you know how to play golf?" Eisenhower changed the subject, shifting to a lighter topic.

"No, but as a curious person, I am very willing to learn!" Khrushchev did not hide his weakness, but he took up the golf club without hesitation, ready to compete with Eisenhower.

Although both had the desire to dialogue and avoid a full-scale confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, they also viewed each other as competitors and were unwilling to yield in any field. Neither noticed that the American and Soviet security personnel had gathered on the opposite side.

"The tighter you grip the club, the more easily the muscles related to your swing will tire. Imagine driving a car; if you grip the steering wheel as tightly as possible, you will quickly become exhausted and your muscles will easily strain. Therefore, a proper grip will increase your clubhead speed and reduce your energy expenditure." Eisenhower explained while demonstrating the swing to Khrushchev.

Khrushchev tried a swing with great interest and said, "In our ideal planned community, there should be a golf course, a swimming pool, and a gym to help people build strong bodies?"

Eisenhower was unconvinced. If any community had such complete facilities, the investment would be astronomical, especially since golf courses take up too much space. Khrushchev's idea was unrealistic.

Khrushchev's idea was realized in some communities during Brezhnev's era, though without golf courses, but with swimming pools, gyms, and outdoor sports centers! The investment in communities during Brezhnev's era was too high and was not widely promoted, but they still replaced the basic housing of the Khrushchev era in some places, taking the place of Khrushchev's buildings.

"Comrade Khrushchev, President Eisenhower! It seems our security personnel are having some trouble!" Stasiyana, holding a file and following the two leaders, suddenly looked at the other side of the golf course, drawing Khrushchev and Eisenhower's attention. They then noticed the two groups of people facing off about 200 meters away. In the middle, two people were grappling. As Khrushchev and Eisenhower took a few steps, Shelepov had already pinned an unknown American agent to the ground with a classic freestyle wrestling move, panting and taunting, "Elite of the Marine Corps? Not only you, but even Medvedev, that bear, couldn't take me down in time..."

"Anyone else? Next!" Shelepov sat on the American soldier, hooking his fingers in a provocative manner.

"Yuri? What's going on?" When Khrushchev arrived, Shelepov already had two people under him. Shelepov, on his way to becoming a superman, was loudly shouting. His KGB uniform had been taken by a Soviet agent, and he was wearing a white tank top with the red KGB slogan on the back, which was particularly noticeable.

"Comrade First Secretary, we had a friendly and cautious sparring session with our American colleagues! It enhanced our friendship!" Shelepov, standing up from the two American soldiers, said while putting on his clothes, "Actually, I think a tug-of-war would be more appropriate!"

"Really ridiculous, don't you know a KGB Deputy Chairman should be more composed?" Khrushchev regretted his words as soon as they were out. Shelepov was indeed not old enough to be composed, so he grunted angrily.

Eisenhower was very interested in the Russian letters on Shelepov's tank top and whispered to his translator, "Sniff out and eliminate traitors! The famous saying of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the KGB, as the first principle of KGB operations!"

Eisenhower nodded in understanding. Seeing the guns piled on the ground next to the two groups, he knew they had not come to the point of drawing weapons. It was at most a mutual dislike, and the outcome was decided by physical strength. However, this KGB Deputy Chairman, who did not look particularly strong, had unexpectedly taken down two tall and muscular American soldiers, which was unexpected.

Moreover, from Khrushchev's words, even the scolding was not severe, just a show for him.

"You now know the strength of the Soviet KGB, so you should learn more!" Eisenhower said to the somewhat dejected American soldiers. As a former military man, Eisenhower did not object to such physical confrontations, but this time the Americans lost.

Eisenhower's words made Khrushchev secretly pleased, as the KGB was created by him, stripping the Ministry of Internal Affairs and making it his ace in the hole, with all the functions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs but directly under his command.

On the surface, the KGB seemed similar to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and even after Shelepin's efforts to streamline the organization, the number of personnel did not decrease much. The internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were still under the command of the KGB, and the KGB even formed border troops from the internal troops. Why did Shelepov always say the KGB was far inferior to the Ministry of Internal Affairs? In terms of hardware, the KGB was not inferior to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but one power was reorganized and reclaimed by Khrushchev, which was the reason he trusted the KGB.

This was the most feared power of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the Great Purge: the power of trial! The Ministry of Internal Affairs could arrest and try suspects without anyone's approval, while the KGB retained only the power of investigation. The original trial power of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was reclaimed by Khrushchev. The KGB was still feared, but in the eyes of the Central Committee members, it was not as intimidating.

From the beginning to the end of the Soviet Union, from the Cheka to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the KGB, from Stalin to Khrushchev to Brezhnev, the KGB system actually became weaker. After Brezhnev came to power, because the KGB under Shelepin could still play a significant role in the action to overthrow Khrushchev, Brezhnev further restricted the KGB. By the Brezhnev era, the KGB system was no longer a department that could challenge the rules alone.

This small incident did not cause a big wave, only a minor confrontation between the security personnel of the two leaders. The young men had a couple of tussles, and Eisenhower did not take it to heart. The two leaders still had many things to discuss and soon left to continue their private conversation. Eisenhower turned back and said, "You can prepare for a tug-of-war!" In the end, the military man Eisenhower still wanted to give the Americans a chance to save face. (To be continued.)

PS: Now you know why the KGB is not as powerful as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, right?