Meanwhile, outside the door, the Soviet surveillance personnel were about to switch shifts.
"Odoev, how's it going, have those East Africans made any unusual moves?" A Soviet youth in civilian clothes asked at the entrance of the hotel where Malazov and his group were staying.
The young man named Odoev complained, "Absolutely not, from my observations over these past few days, they are just typical East Africans, spending their days enjoying themselves and indulging in pleasures."
"Watching them is completely pointless and is nothing but a waste of our department's valuable time and energy. It would be much better to investigate contraband at the docks instead of wasting time here."
Upon hearing this, the Soviet youth said to Odoev, "There's no other way. East Africa is a red-listed country, so we have no choice but to pay close attention to anyone coming from there."
