Arc of Fire

When Wang Zhong arrived at the headquarters, he reminded himself to avoid General Skorobo, so before entering the map room, he made sure to take care of the guards and peeked through the slightly ajar door.

Then he saw the Front Army Chief of Staff, the Front Army Bishop, and General Skorobo together.

At the door, he could hear them discussing the situation.

General Skorobo: “The idiot son of the Rokossovsky family really has no military sense! If the enemy’s heavy forces to our north were to head south, wouldn’t our forces in front of them attack? It’s completely unreasonable!”

Damn, they’re still discussing my statement from yesterday, thought Wang Zhong, better not go in and further provoke General Skorobo.

Just as he was about to leave, someone from inside opened the door that was slightly ajar, and the staff officer shouted, “Who’s eavesdropping?”

Great, even this little crack in the door didn’t escape notice.

Upon seeing it was Wang Zhong, the staff officer was stunned for a moment, then said to the guard by the door, “Why didn’t you let the Major General come in?”

Guard: “Reporting, the Major General told me not to make a fuss!”

At this point, General Skorobo called out, “Isn’t this our military genius, Major General Rokossov? What ‘Takami’ insight brings you here?”

Wang Zhong: “I don’t have any ‘Takami’ insight, I am here to…”

He looked at the Chief of Staff – according to Major General Chekhov’s words, the Chief of Staff was a good man, not like General Skorobo.

But wouldn’t it be too obvious to directly say he was looking for the Chief of Staff?

Wang Zhong was hesitating when the Chief of Staff spoke, “Are you here to request troops?”

“Uh, yes!” Since the man had addressed it directly, Wang Zhong shamelessly admitted it.

Chief of Staff: “We do have some scattered forces newly transferred from the rear that haven’t been assigned to reinforce any division yet. It would be reasonable to assign these forces to your newly-formed temporary 151st Division.”

“Unreasonable!” General Skorobo interrupted the Chief of Staff, “Those precious forces should be given to real soldiers! I’ve heard, Rokossov, that you wet yourself on the battlefield!”

Fucking hell, how does everyone know?

Sergey, I’m going to kill you!

General Skorobo continued to mock, “Do you believe someone who wet himself on the battlefield could achieve those battle results? No, I simply don’t believe it!”

Chief of Staff: “But the Prussians also have a high regard for Rokossov…”

“The Prussians have high regard for the White Horse General! This guy just happened to have a white horse, and he took the credit for the achievements! The real White Horse General must have died long ago!”

Chief of Staff: “Enemy 15th Tank Division’s commander Lundorf died at Loktov, and at that time, it was Brigadier General Rokossov who was conducting the defense there. The previous situation at Peniye also matches up.”

General Skorobo pursed his lips, and his sanitary beard really looked like “that someone” on Earth when he did so.

After pondering for a few seconds, the general answered, “Even if it’s true, that would only prove he’s an excellent tactician! Strategic matters, being more theoretical, wouldn’t be understood by someone who ranked last in a military academy!”

Wang Zhong: “Since you’ve acknowledged me as a tactician, shouldn’t you fill up my division with troops? Wouldn’t a tactician be just right to command a division?”

Chief of Staff: “What forces do you need?”

Before General Skorobo could speak, Wang Zhong raised his voice, “I want a motor transport battalion, a communications company, an anti-tank gun battalion, and laborers!”

“As for laborers,” the Front Army Bishop spoke up, “you should go to the church. The church is organizing Labor Camps, as well as laundry and cooking squads; all personnel related to logistics can be requested from the church, as the Secular faction has a closer connection to the people and stronger mobilization capabilities.”

So that’s how it is, laborers and logistics can be requested from the church – back at Loktov, Pavlov had taken care of logistics, and Wang Zhong was not aware of this.

Wang Zhong: “Then, what about the anti-tank guns…”

“No way!” General Skorobo bellowed, “Even if it’s a 45 mm anti-tank gun, don’t even think about getting one!”

Chief of Staff: “We’re about to counterattack soon anyway, what harm will it do to give him a battalion of such defensive weapons?”

General Skorobo looked at the Chief of Staff, “Are you siding with him? Do you really believe those exaggerated achievements he boasts of? If he had destroyed six hundred tanks, the enemy confronting us would be too blunted to use by now!”

Wang Zhong felt wronged in his heart, I truly never claimed to have destroyed six hundred enemy tanks.

General Skorobo turned to Wang Zhong, “In any case, if you want laborers or whatever, go to the church! For a motor transport battalion, too, go to the church! I won’t give you a single soldier or piece of technical weaponry! These precious weapons mustn’t fall into the hands of someone who’s just toying around!”

Great, now I’m just toying around.

At that moment, Wang Zhong was very angry and wanted to hit General Skorobo in the face with a punch.

In the past, he might have done just that.

But now, he couldn’t do something that could cause him to lose his command. The high ranks of the Ante Army were like this, full of vermin, and losing command would be like pushing his troops into the fire.

Wang Zhong, holding back his anger, saluted General Skorobo, “Thank you for your assessment, then I shall take my leave.”

As he turned around, he heard Skorobo shout, “Guard! Remember, Major General Rokossov is not to be let in without an appointment!”

The Front Army Chief of Staff reminded, “Our staff department also has his brother, Brigadier General Rokossov, it would be inappropriate not to let him in as well, right?”

General Skorobo cursed something, inaudible to Wang Zhong.

————

Once outside and on the jeep, Ludmila asked, “What do we do now?”

Wang Zhong: “First, let’s go to the church for the Labor Camp, laundry and cooking squads, and also for the army tailors and blacksmiths.”

If the troops had a large number of mules and horses, then it would be necessary to have blacksmiths to maintain the horseshoes, and if a horseshoe were lost, the blacksmith would need to forge a new one.

From the driver’s seat, Grigori turned back to confirm, “To the local church?”

Wang Zhong nodded.

Ludmila smiled, “This afternoon we just might end up touring all the departments under Argesukov’s jurisdiction.”

————

At the church, things went incredibly smoothly, perhaps due to prior arrangements by the Grand Patriarch – suddenly a large group of several thousand logistics personnel were marching majestically towards the Rokossovsky Estate.

However, the motorized unit still hadn’t come out, only a large group of drivers volunteering for military service had arrived.

Contentedly leaving the church, Wang Zhong asked Grigori, “Do you know the way to 43 Krugen Street?”

“I asked around beforehand,” Grigori replied, “though I’ve never actually been there. Maybe when we get there, we can ask someone for directions.”

Wang Zhong said, “Then let’s go.”

————

43 Krugen Street was a multi-story apartment building, constructed of brick and stone, and looked to have quite a few years on it.

The iron sign above the apartment entrance was embossed with “Marazov Apartment,” although the Marazov name had been smeared over with paint.

Wang Zhong personally pushed open the door to the apartment and saw a room to the left of the corridor, resembling a concierge’s office, where an old lady was sitting inside knitting a sweater.

Just as he was about to speak, Ludmila stepped forward and gently tapped the bell on the windowsill.

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the old lady lifted her head, her gaze lingering on the stars on Wang Zhong’s uniform for a few seconds, “Hello, General, whose child has died this time?”

Wang Zhong was silenced by this remark.

It seemed that casualty notifications were often delivered to the apartment lately.

Seeing Wang Zhong not speak, the old lady added, “Having a General deliver the notice means the deceased must have been a hero, right?”

Wang Zhong suddenly realized and nodded, “Yes, a very brave hero.”

“That’s good, every death should prompt those who live on to lead better lives!”

Wang Zhong always felt the old lady had something about her, able to talk philosophically off the cuff.

He decided to get straight to the point and took out the blood-stained letter that had been in his pocket, reading the address on it, “Argesukov, Krugen Street, Alexeyevna. Do you know a woman by this name?”

“I’m sorry, death comes too suddenly, I wasn’t able to ask about the identity of this Alexeyevna or how old she might be.”

The concierge room old lady sighed, put down her needlework, found her reading glasses and put them on before answering, “She’s 73 this year, her three sons, one big, one middle, one small, all went off to war. So which one is it that has died?”

Wang Zhong reported the gunner’s name.

The old lady said, “So it’s the youngest that has died, give me the letter.”

Wang Zhong asked, “You are Alexeyevna, aren’t you?”

“Who else could I be?” the old lady’s voice held no grief; she just calmly took the bloodied letter.

Unable to help herself, Ludmila asked, “You…are not sad?”

The old lady replied, “I’m used to it by now. During the civil war, my husband, my brothers, they all died in battle. I’m quite adept at receiving casualty notifications. Yesterday, Sarapova from apartment 306 was crying so hard. All I wanted to tell her was that with war, the sooner you get used to such things, the better.”

While speaking, the old lady had already opened the letter, briefly scanning it before saying, “He still got the tense wrong, hopeless as ever.”

After keeping the letter, she looked up at Wang Zhong, “My youngest son is so poor at expressing himself, this entire letter doesn’t convey as much as the bloodstains on it.

“Kind General, do you know how he died?”

Wang Zhong’s mind immediately went to the moment the gunner died.

“It seems you know,” said the old lady, “What a surprise. Tell me, kind General!”

Wang Zhong couldn’t refuse the old lady’s request and started to recount the day’s battle, remembering the moment when an armor-piercing shell hit them, the gunner was still shouting, “The loader has sacrificed himself, hurry and get someone to load!”

Finally, he told her how he had urged for the firing to start quickly, only to look down and realize, except for Su Fang who had just joined as a loader, everyone else inside the turret was dead.

Ludmila’s face was filled with sorrow, “So that’s how it was. It’s the first time I’ve heard you talk about combat on the front lines.”

The old lady looked at Wang Zhong with a gentle face, suddenly stood up and poured a cup of tea for Wang Zhong, “General, you need this more than I do. Drink it, this is red date tea I made myself, it can soothe sorrow.”

With both hands, Wang Zhong cradled the teacup and took a sip.

“Anyway, your son died very bravely, he did it for… for protecting the motherland, for protecting…”

The old lady softly recited:

“All life in this world must eventually face death.

“Given this, to protect the ashes of our ancestors and the temples of the gods;

“To die fighting against a powerful enemy holds the utmost value.

“For the mothers who once doted on us,

“For the wives who now nurture our children,

“For the pure maidens who kindle the eternal flame.

“To shield everyone from the debauchery of the vile villain Sextus,

“How glorious is such a death?”

Wang Zhong happened to know this “Heracles at the Bridge,” and joined in reciting, “Mighty Consul, please take down the bridge quickly.

“Let’s hold back the thousand enemies occupying the bridge with just three men!

“Come on, which two brave souls will stand by me to guard the bridge?”

The old lady said, “Yes, my son was as brave as the ancient heroes; knowing this is enough.”

The old lady gazed at Wang Zhong and topped up the hot tea in his cup.

Wang Zhong took a sip, finding the tea bitter with a hint of sweetness.

The old lady said, “You have many more matters to attend to, right? After all, the invaders are still rampant on our lands. Go now, General. I am just an old lady who can knit sweaters in an apartment, other than sending off my children to the battlefield, there’s not much left I can do for Ante’s mothers. But you still can!”

Wang Zhong took another sip of tea, set the cup down, and turned to leave.

He did not look back.

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