Viktor Andreev hadn't liked the new Commissar much. Where Orlov sounded a bit insecure, this Viktorov seemed full of himself. Not that he lacked reasons for it, being Stalin's trusted man. Or perhaps "trust" was too strong of a word these days, but at least he seemed to be in tune with the Secretary General's plans for the Red Fleet, and that was something.
Another thing - well, perhaps the main thing - was that Vikor felt punished for a good job. He had gained somewhat of a fame in the Naval Office, and with the Commissar now able to claim he had more important things to do, it fell to
"Comrade Andreev" to present minor new projects to Stalin. Something which himself realised shouldn't make him so nervous, being a Party member, but still did.
In the end, though, Viktor could hardly complain.
When, in the USSR Supreme Council of January, he heard Molotov proclaim
"Our mighty Soviet power must have such sea and ocean fleet that would comply with her interests and would be worthy of our great mission." it seemed to be a simple reference to the Battleships under construction, but then the 10 year plan for the Navy was announced, timed to match the 20th anniversary of the Red Fleet...
It was now clear that having a new Naval Commissar, one whom he felt he could rely on, made all the difference to Stalin.
Ever since, work had tripled, but so had Viktor's motivation. The Soviet Union was building a Navy second to none, and new ideas on how to maximize and use that power were actually being rewarded. The future looks bright indeed!
The shipyards of Leningrad, Sevastopol and Vladivostok fast became some of the main employers in the USSR...