Arc of Fire

Chapter 64

Ten minutes after the air raid.

The last open flame was extinguished through the combined efforts of the third company and the first company that came to assist.

When the flames disappeared, the young soldiers cheered as if they had won a tremendous victory.

Popov shouted: "Don't celebrate just yet! Quickly check if there are any usable parts on the burned vehicles! Also, inspect those vehicles that were strafed-fix any issues if there are any, and if there aren't, drive them to the repair shop for the mechanics to check again."

The soldiers' cheers died down, and Wang Zhong whispered: "Wouldn't it be okay to let them be happy for a little while?"

"I don't think that's beneficial for the future," Popov replied, showing an uncompromising attitude. "This is within my scope of work."

Wang Zhong clicked his tongue.

However, the army does need to maintain good discipline, and Popov wasn't wrong, so he didn't say anything more.

Popov issued a new order: "Squad leaders, check your numbers and see if anyone is injured or has been killed."

In truth, Wang Zhong had already confirmed through his overhead perspective that there were no casualties, but at this moment, he pretended not to know, watching the veteran squad leaders count heads.

At that moment, a carriage appeared at the base's entrance.

The guard at the gate initially wanted to stop it but, after recognizing the driver, chose to open the railing.

Yegorov, holding a long pole used for driving the carriage-whatever it's called-drove an old horse pulling a two-wheeled cart into the camp.

Wang Zhong: "You've got this skill too?"

Yegorov let out a long sigh as he stopped the carriage, jumped down, handed the driving pole to a guard, and looked at Wang Zhong seriously: "I'm a farmer. There's no farmer who doesn't know how to drive a carriage."

At this time, a few civilians got off the carriage, and upon seeing the general's star on Wang Zhong, they became uneasy and stood there awkwardly.

Yegorov: "Let me introduce them. These people have volunteered to help us. This is Androvich, a tailor; this is Pierre, a chef; and finally, this is Nikolai, a shoemaker."

Wang Zhong's brows twisted into a knot: "What do you need these people for?"

Yegorov said seriously: "Tailors and shoemakers are very important! Otherwise, when the muddy season comes, just wait for the soldiers to fall ill! Are you even an Ant person?"

You're right, I'm not.

But Wang Zhong could only put on the act of a spoiled noble who knows nothing of human suffering.

To change the subject, he asked: "What about the chef? We already have a field cooking team."

"Yes, yes, it's always potato, onion, and carrot soup with dry bread. I'm not complaining about the ladies' cooking, but we need to diversify our diet!" Yegorov said, turning to the chef. "What dishes are you good at?"

Pierre pushed up his glasses: "Traditional Carolingian cuisine. I was the head chef for Lord Boye in our area."

Wang Zhong frowned: "So, your name isn't Peter but called Pierre-you're actually Pierre?"

For a time, all of Europe admired the French court, so some Russians would change the pronunciation of their names to sound "French." For example, Pierre in *War and Peace* is actually named Peter, but using the French pronunciation made it seem more "fashionable."

Wang Zhong had initially thought this chef was doing the same.

Pierre adjusted his clothes: "I am indeed Pierre, a Carolingian. I fled here after Carolingian fell."

Wang Zhong: "Ah... I see..."

Popov teased: "Perfect, Alexei Konstantinovich loves French cuisine. You can be the General's personal chef."

I have this kind of lore?

Wang Zhong shook his head: "It's good that you're here. As a chef, you must be skilled at managing ingredients, right?"

"Yes. I was the head chef for the lord. I managed the entire kitchen's operations," Pierre said, proudly lifting his head.

Wang Zhong: "Good, then you'll manage the food supplies for our provisions. If the troops run out of food, I'll hold you accountable!"

----

July 4, 914 of the Julian calendar, Wang Zhong had just put on his general's uniform when Popov burst into his bedroom: "Alexei Konstantinovich, I've found communications personnel!"

Wang Zhong: "Really? So the person in charge of maps doesn't need to go to headquarters to copy them anymore?"

Normally, battle situation updates are broadcast publicly by the Southwestern Front headquarters in Agsukov. As long as you have decoding capabilities, anyone can receive and interpret them, then recreate the frontline situation on a map.

The Rokosov Battle Group currently doesn't have its own radio communication company, so every day they have to go to the supply depot headquarters to copy the updated maps.

Until yesterday, this task was done by Pavlov himself. Today, it can finally be handed over to two artillery cadets.

If they had their own radio company, they wouldn't need to waste time going to the supply depot headquarters.

Of course, more importantly, with a communications company, they could directly receive orders. Right now, higher-ups have to relay orders to the Rokosov Battle Group through the supply depot headquarters.

However, Wang Zhong always felt that the higher-ups might deliberately leave his battle group here to idle.

After all, the headquarters' war reports are already claiming that a counterattack is imminent.

After learning yesterday that he had become a celebrity, Wang Zhong specifically sought out newspapers from the past few days to read-previously, he didn't bother because it was quite challenging for a 21st-century Earth youth who had transmigrated to read these papers.

Judging by the newspapers alone, the front line is in a overwhelmingly favorable position. The Prossen Empire has suffered heavy losses under the resolute resistance of the Ante Empire's army, and the tide of war will soon turn.

This style of "annihilating a hundred million enemies and retreating like the wind" felt all too familiar.

Wang Zhong had a bad premonition.

He could only do his best to prepare his troops as much as possible.

"Let's go," Wang Zhong said, draping the Guards' cape assigned to him over his shoulders. "Take me to see them. Where are they?"

Popov: "They're positioned in the house next to headquarters. I'll take you there."

----

Two minutes later, Wang Zhong frowned as he looked at the Tribunal squad lined up before him.

"Didn't you say it was a communications company?" he asked Popov. "How is this a disciplinary unit?"

Popov: "You misunderstood, Alexei Konstantinovich. They are a local Tribunal counterintelligence unit, responsible for using radio detection vehicles to locate enemy spy radios."

"They've all been trained in using telegraphs and decoding. The best part is, since they are Inquisitors themselves, there's no need for an armed confidentiality Inquisitor to stand watch during decoding. Captain, introduce yourself to the Brigadier General."

The Captain leading the team stepped forward: "We've already obtained the radio and codebook. Before you arrived, we had started decoding today's battle situation update!"

Wang Zhong: "What about counterintelligence work?"

Captain: "All individuals suspected of espionage in the area have already been executed. There's no longer a need for radio detection."

Such efficiency-should I say, as expected of the blue-capped Tribunal?

Popov added from the side: "Since they're idle anyway, I brought them over. It saves time compared to waiting for higher-ups to assign a communications company."

At this moment, Pavlov came out of headquarters and immediately frowned upon seeing the blue-capped figures: "You actually brought over the Tribunal's radio detection squad? Do you know how many reports I'll have to write for this?"

Wang Zhong said seriously: "I know you can handle it, Pavlov. You're a professional soldier full of honor, an outstanding clerk!"

"Don't flatter me with rainbows. Look at the bags under my eyes! You're well-rested, but look at me!"

Pavlov's dark circles were indeed very noticeable. It was clear that the Chief of Staff had been working himself to the bone.

Wang Zhong decided to make a quick escape to avoid listening to Pavlov vent: "Bishop, isn't it time to go welcome the ceremonial troops assigned to us today?"

As mentioned yesterday, the Crown Prince intended to assign the Palace Etiquette Department's parade specialists to Wang Zhong, likely including the flashy but impractical multi-turret heavy tank T35.

Wang Zhong's current thought was that, whether they're useful or not, he'd take them and make use of them.

The T35's armor is thin, so dig a pit and bury the body of the tank to use it as a fixed artillery position. The 76mm cannon and 45mm cannon on that tank aren't just for show.

That tank even has machine guns!

As long as they're used properly, they can eliminate the Prossenian devils.

Popov glanced at his watch and nodded: "That's right. If the military train isn't delayed, it should be here by now."

However, due to enemy air raids, military trains are often delayed.

Yet Wang Zhong truly had nothing else to do. Everything he could handle right now was logistics-related, and his external view cheat wasn't of any use.

He also didn't know how to handle the paperwork of the Ante military system. The original owner of this body didn't know how either-all related subjects were scored zero, and he only graduated because of his good relationship with the Crown Prince.

As a Chinese person, Wang Zhong could barely communicate using the original owner's spoken language skills. Writing, however, resulted in a slew of grammatical errors. Once, Lyudmila asked him to write a letter home, and after struggling to write a single page, Lyudmila pointed out seventeen mistakes.

From then on, Wang Zhong firmly stuck to his "illiterate" persona.

In short, unwilling and unable to do clerical work, Wang Zhong decided to slip away and wait for the ceremonial team.

"I'm heading to the train station to wait. You all carry on! Grigori! Bring the car over!"

Wang Zhong shouted as he walked toward the vehicle.

Popov: "I'm coming too."

Pavlov: "What are you coming for? Help me with the paperwork! As a Bishop, part of the paperwork requires your stamp anyway!"

Popov: "The Crown Prince instructed me to ensure that the items are received by the Rokosov Battle Group. I'm carrying out his orders."

Wang Zhong: "No, I can handle the reception myself. You go help Pavlov with the paperwork."

Popov looked at Wang Zhong with a face full of resentment.

It seems he doesn't like doing paperwork either.

As the two were glaring at each other, the gunner Dimitri led a cadet over, running: "General, sir! You need to take a look at the shells the supply depot sent us!"

Wang Zhong already had one foot on the jeep's step. Hearing this, he looked over curiously and saw the cadet Dimitri brought holding a wooden crate with "76mm shells" painted on the outside.

Wang Zhong: "What's wrong?"

The 76mm cannon was the only treasure in his hands. If the T35 proved unreliable, anti-tank duties would entirely depend on this 76mm cannon.

Dimitri lifted the lid of the wooden crate, revealing the tightly packed "ammunition" inside: "These shells!"

He pulled out one piece of "ammunition" to show Wang Zhong.

"It's canned pickled cucumbers!"

Wang Zhong pressed his forehead.

He had read many anecdotes in various memoirs about mistaken supplies, but usually, they sent the wrong caliber. Sending the wrong type of item altogether was something he hadn't seen much of.

The key issue was that the outside of the crate was clearly labeled as shells.

Wang Zhong: "Go find the Chief of Staff!"

Pavlov: "Looking for me again? Fine, this is indeed something I should handle... Let me see the supply list!"

Taking advantage of the moment, Wang Zhong got into the jeep and patted Grigori's shoulder: "Let's go, quick!"

----

Arriving at the train station, Wang Zhong frowned at the stench of blood.

He stopped a stretcher and asked a wounded soldier who seemed to be in decent condition: "How's the front line?"

The wounded soldier opened his eyes, saw Wang Zhong's uniform and stars, and immediately tried to salute, but Wang Zhong pressed him down: "No need for formalities. How's the front line?"

"It's bad. I'm from the reserve forces, and we were deployed yesterday. The enemy is almost in position to encircle us. Likely, by tomorrow, the wounded trains won't be able to get out."

Wang Zhong's brow furrowed tightly.

He turned to Popov: "Looks like we need to speed up our battle preparations. I think we can start building fortifications today."

Popov: "Have you chosen the location for the fortifications?"

"I have." Wang Zhong nodded. These past few days, whenever he had free time, he studied the overhead map and had already memorized the terrain of Loktov.

He continued: "Our defensive strongpoints should be set up at the fertilizer plant in the southwest. The factory is made of sturdy reinforced concrete, and several high points are perfect for observation posts.

"If we had howitzers, after establishing an observation post up there, we could control the entire southwest side of the city.

"The fertilizer plant's walls are double-layered red brick. If we create small openings for anti-tank cannons, even if the positions are exposed, we can quickly relocate under the cover of the walls.

"If we had tanks, there are several strips of woods on both sides of the southwestern highway. We could set up an ambush there for the enemy."

Popov looked at Wang Zhong, who spoke as if he knew everything by heart: "You... when did you figure all this out?"

Wang Zhong: "Before you arrived, I rode Bucephalus around and scoped everything out."

He probably scoped everything out using the overhead perspective while riding around.

Popov: "But are you sure you want to use the T35 for an ambush? That thing can only manage ten kilometers per hour on rough terrain-a snail's pace, slower than a person walking."

Wang Zhong also frowned: "I meant if we had good tanks. Even a BT7, and I'd go for an ambush."

At that moment, a train whistle sounded in the distance.

An old man came out of the dispatch office. In just a few days, he looked much older: "Hey, Brigadier General, your train is at the other platform. Go up via the overpass."

Wang Zhong waved at the old man and, while walking, said to Popov: "The day you arrived, he still used formal language. Now... do you feel the difference?"

Popov nodded: "People are on edge."

The two of them, along with their guards, crossed the overpass to the other side.

By then, the train was already pulling into the station.

Wang Zhong stopped, standing on the overpass and looking at the objects secured on the long flatcars below.

He suddenly realized that he had been misled by Pavlov.

That guy had casually mentioned the "parade star" T35 heavy tank right from the start, making Wang Zhong forget that the Soviet army before World War II had another favorite for parade ceremonies.

That was the B-4 Steel Hammer heavy howitzer.

Wang Zhong stared at the eight 203mm B-4 heavy howitzers on the train slowly coming to a stop below, his mouth unable to close.

My God, suddenly we're fighting a rich man's war!

Crown Prince! Though I don't know you, you've done a great job!

(End of Chapter)