Arc of Fire

Wang Zhong nodded, then strode out the door. Outside, he turned around and added, “Bring all the maps, and the documents too. Get on our jeep.”

It wasn’t that Wang Zhong didn’t want to walk with the soldiers; mainly, he would get dizzy when he walked with this perspective. Although riding in a vehicle could also make him dizzy, it happened more slowly, and he could monitor the overall situation from a bird’s-eye view for a longer period.

Upon stepping outside, Wang Zhong saw that Captain Sergey was already waiting in the jeep.

"You’re pretty quick with your actions.”

Sergey cracked a wry smile, “If I sit in the car, no one will see my trousers.”

So that was the reason.

Wang Zhong got into the car and turned to Yegorov, saying, “You get in too.”

Yegorov replied, “I need to be where the messengers can find me.”

Wang Zhong clicked his tongue, “Take an Ante Army flag and tie it to the car. Tell the messenger corps commander to look for the jeep with the army flag.”

As they spoke, Yegorov’s guard had already fetched a flag, promptly inserting it at an angle on the rear of the vehicle and securing it tightly with a few turns of a strap.

The base color of the flag was white, layered with a blue X cross in the middle, and at the top, the pattern was a double-headed eagle.

My goodness, the St. Andrew’s Cross Flag combined with the Double-headed Eagle emblem, that’s quite bold.

Yegorov looked at Wang Zhong with suspicion, “Why must you bring me along?”

Of course, because I can have the troop’s view by communicating with you!

Wang Zhong reasoned that if he just drove away, he would immediately lose sight of the third detachment of the Amur Group.

Therefore, Yegorov had to get into the vehicle.

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But he couldn’t disclose that reason, so Wang Zhong began to make up an excuse, “As a commander, of course, you need to be at the very front of the troops at all times, to personally inspect the terrain where battles may occur.”

Sergey looked at Wang Zhong sideways, as if he had much to say.

Indeed, a newbie who had just wet his pants, now suddenly so brave and even keen to scout out the front, anyone would find it strange.

Yegorov clicked his tongue, “That doesn’t sound like something a noble lord would say. The noble lords never go to the front lines; they only draw lines on maps. I experienced that during the civil war.”

Wang Zhong replied, “I’m not quite the same as others.”

It was only because there was no one present who knew the original count that he could bluff so audaciously.

Just as he thought that, Sufang spoke up, “That’s not right. I heard that Count Rocossov was a frivolous scoundrel who always looked down on the commoners and only came to the troops to get a military uniform so he could go back to St. Ye Katerina Fortress and brag to the noble ladies.”

"They also say that the Count never appears on the training grounds, not even for the morning drills.”

Wang Zhong broke out into a cold sweat and could only parry with, “That was then, I’ve metamorphosed. I mean, bombarded into transformation by the Prosen artillery.”

Sufang looked at Wang Zhong, “Really? You do seem quite different from the rumors; you’re not frivolous at all…”

Wang Zhong interjected, “I must remind you, I am your superior officer, the commander of this unit.”

"Ah!” Sufang exclaimed, “Indeed, I shouldn’t speak ill of you.”

At this point, Yegorov had already gotten into the car and looked at his staff officer Pavlov, saying, “You’d better not come with us. In case we’re strafed by an enemy plane and killed, we’ll still have you to command the troops.”

Pavlov nodded.

At that moment, Yegorov’s guard moved to get on the jeep, but Sufang beat him to the punch and slipped into the rear of the vehicle first.

The guard questioned, “Is there… enough room?”

Wang Zhong declared, “We don’t need a guard; you stay with Staff Officer Pavlov.”

Having the bird’s-eye view and the whole army’s perspective indeed made it harder to encounter enemies.

Wang Zhong and Ludmila could have crossed back to their own lines without firing a single shot if they hadn’t been spotted by the enemy while fleeing through the city, or if the military jeep hadn’t chased after them from behind.

Wang Zhong snapped his fingers, and Captain Sergey immediately understood, releasing the clutch, engaging the gear, and stepping on the gas.

The captured jeep roared as it shot forward.

The Amur Group had already begun moving out, and the jeep drove past the troops heading west.

Wang Zhong had just slapped his head when he realized the army flag he’d planted on the jeep was having a good effect; seeing the flag charging ahead first, with Colonel Yegorov sitting in the vehicle, the troops’ morale soared, and they began to shout “Ura”!

The cry of “Ura” suddenly spread throughout the entire column, and everyone looked at the jeep charging ahead with fervent eyes.

Amidst the chants of “Ura,” a booming voice shouted, “Yegorov! Lead us in thrashing those damn Prussians!”

Yegorov shouted, “Remember, our commander is the great Count Rocossov! It is the Count’s orders that have brought us such great success!”

Although Wang Zhong was in a bird’s-eye view, his hearing was unaffected, and he heard Yegorov’s words loud and clear.

At the same time, he also clearly heard that the cheering of “Ura” stopped abruptly after Yegorov had shouted.

It seemed that Count Rocossov had already gained an infamous reputation among the soldiers.

Wang Zhong switched back to the original perspective just in time to hear Yegorov shout, “What are you doing? Don’t stop cheering! Look, the Count is right here, charging ahead with me!”

"Yegorov!” Wang Zhong spoke up, “Let everyone sing a song, something they like, something that can boost morale!”

Yegorov was in a fix, “A song both you and everyone likes, I’m afraid there isn’t one.”

Wang Zhong frowned, “What about a military song?”

"No one likes military songs,” Yegorov said frankly, “what the soldiers like are… well, rather crude things.”

Wang Zhong insisted, “Then let’s have something crude!”

Yegorov agreed, “Alright! Petrov! You start, sing ‘The Girl from the Neighboring Village’!”

The Girl from the Neighboring Village? That didn’t sound like a proper song at all.

Singing such a song at this time, wouldn’t it actually undermine morale? Or should I recite a segment from War General of the Three Kingdoms?

At that moment, Sofya suddenly started singing.

As soon as Wang Zhong heard the tune, a chill ran down his spine; wasn’t this Katyusha?

Legend had it that during World War II, when the Germans played Katyusha on a phonograph on their position, the Soviets heard it and became so enraged that they mounted a charge, took over the position, and captured the phonograph, with all the German soldiers there being gunned down.

Sofya sang, “It was the perfect time when the pear blossoms were in full bloom…”

It really was Katyusha!

After Sofya sang the first verse in soprano, the soldiers marching seemed to have agreed upon it, joining in unison, singing the chorus together.

Katyusha stood on the steep bank

Her song was like the bright spring sunshine

Katyusha stood on the steep bank

Her song was like the bright spring sunshine!

With the song, even Wang Zhong could feel the rising morale.

By this point, the jeep had overtaken the very front of the column, becoming a true pathfinder.

Wang Zhong directed, “There’s a slope ahead, drive up it. I want to have a look at the terrain.”