Cannon Fire Arc

The report came swiftly.

"Colonel Eugene said they found a squad of the Tribunal's internal guard troops. The sentry reported to the division headquarters, refused to let them pass, and a fight broke out," Pavlov put down the receiver, "Could this be a case of 'a flood breaking the Dragon God's temple'? After all, Major General Kiriyenko did dispatch a special force of the internal guard to sweep the enemy."

Wang Zhong: "Contact Kiriyenko and ask him how far his internal guard troops have advanced."

Pavlov immediately picked up the receiver: "Connect to the Army Group. What? Check the lines immediately!"

After he spoke, he put down the receiver and looked solemnly at Wang Zhong: "The phone lines to the Army Group have been cut. Things are getting more suspicious."

Wang Zhong: "Send a telegram to the Army Group to confirm the situation. Also, update Kashuk's army on the situation. The enemy may be targeting more than just us."

Pavlov turned and hollered for the communications staff officer.

Wang Zhong turned to gaze at the western bank, now completely enveloped in night. Because it was the 20th, the moonlight was decent enough to clearly see the enemy tanks in the fields.

The Ante Army's repair capabilities were too poor; otherwise, they might have been able to fix a good number of these tanks.

Wang Zhong thought for a moment, then said, "I'll go personally to see if these really are enemies."

"No way," Popov and Pavlov objected in unison.

Then, the two exchanged glances and with a gesture of courtesy from Pavlov, Popov said, "It's night now, and the situation is very complicated. Even if you ride in a tank, there could be danger. What if, apart from those disguised as the internal guard, there are also forces masquerading as others?"

Wang Zhong thought to himself that as long as he could confirm they were enemies, he could highlight them. This wasn't like General Skorobo, who had been forced to betray his country. If it were a special enemy force, his cheat would light the people up.

He tried to persuade Popov: "Look, during Orachi's breakout, I was the first to charge on a tank."

Popov: "During Orachi's breakout, any of us could have died in the next second, it didn't make much difference where you were. It's different now – if you're in the division headquarters, you won't die. So stay put in the division headquarters, don't go anywhere, and let the troops handle the problem."

Wang Zhong: "Trust me, I handle things faster!"

Popov turned to Pavlov, seemingly suggesting "If I can't persuade him, you try." Pavlov immediately picked up the phone: "Connect to the division commander's wife's position."

Wang Zhong: "Alright, fine, I won't go!"

However, he had already heard Liu Xia's voice from the receiver: "Hello? Who is it?"

Pavlov: "Division headquarters here. The commander intends to personally investigate the firefight in the rear. What is your opinion?"

Ludmila: "He is not allowed to go. Tell him to trust his subordinates a little more!"

Pavlov: "You are not allowed to go; you need to trust your subordinates a little more."

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Wang Zhong: "I freaking heard that! Fine, fine, I won't go. And your tone just now was disgusting!"

Pavlov shrugged his shoulders and said to the other end of the phone: "Thank you, Ludmila Vasilyevna."

He deliberately used her full name and patronymic as a form of respect.

After he spoke, he hung up the phone.

Wang Zhong: "We need to strengthen the security of the division headquarters as well. Grigori!"

The sergeant major pushed open the door of the bunker and snapped his heels together with a loud click.

"Go inspect the sentries; thoroughly check for any suspicious individuals."

The sergeant major nodded and left.

Then Wang Zhong pulled out a pistol blessed by the Grand Patriarch and slapped it onto the map table.

Nelly: "Would you like some tea?"

Wang Zhong gestured with his empty cup towards Nelly.

Holding the teapot, Nelly filled his cup to the brim.

Touching the teacup, Wang Zhong yelped from the heat: "Aow!"

…

Half an hour later, two soldiers escorted a blood-covered internal guard officer into the bunker.

Upon seeing Wang Zhong, the officer shouted: "You are in rebellion! How dare you fire upon the internal guard! We are on a secret mission from the Tribunal!"

Wang Zhong switched his view and found the man had a red name, but couldn't understand the name of the unit.

It seemed he really needed to learn Prosen Speech; otherwise, even if these things were highlighted, he wouldn't understand them.

Now reassured, Wang Zhong said, "We have already sent a telegram to confirm this matter. If you do have a secret mission, we will help you to complete it, Mr. Judge."

Judge: "You've already alerted the target! The mission has failed! You'll all be brought before the Tribunal! Just you wait!"

Wang Zhong: "If that's the case, we'll accept the Tribunal's judgment. We are devout followers of the Secular faction, and we trust the Tribunal to make a fair ruling. Instead of worrying about that, shouldn't we be considering how to remedy the situation now?"

At that moment, several real Judges entered the room, with a Major leading them nodding at Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong pointed to the Judge Major: "Meet your colleagues."

The captive turned around and, upon seeing his "colleagues," was unfazed: "We are..."

The Major interrupted him: "You better pray first. Hymn Monk, if you please."

Sufang Batu Wendusu entered the room.

Nelly's shoulders immediately tensed up.

Sufang smiled at Wang Zhong, "Hi."

Wang Zhong said, "I didn't know the Hymn Monk had this function?"

Sufang said, "If it's a sincere prayer, I can feel it. The more devout, the more obvious it is. But actually, many people are not very devout when they pray."

"But the Judge is definitely devout, even somewhat fanatical," said the Major Judge who had called Sufang in.

The captive's face had turned red, and he suddenly lunged towards Wang Zhong!

Nelly threw the teapot in her hand, spraying the man's face with scalding tea.

The captive let out a scream like a slaughtered pig, and his charge came to an abrupt halt.

Popov lunged forward, pinning him to the ground with the force of a mountain.

As he hit the ground, Wang Zhong clearly heard a sound like an egg cracking against the edge of a chopping board,

Wang Zhong stood still, never having moved, because the captive was actually quite far from him.

Grigori put down the submachine gun whose safety he had already disengaged—just now, he had been in the perfect position to fire without hitting anyone else outside the target.

Vasily moved in front of Popov and snatched the knife from the captive's hand, "How did this knife remain on him? Your search wasn't thorough enough."

Grigori said, "I didn't do the search. It should have been me. Mine."

Pavlov also came over, took the knife from Vasily's hands, "It looks poisoned, best hand it over to the Tribunal's poison expert."

Wang Zhong said, "Vasily, ask him in Prosenian what unit he's from and what his mission is."

Vasily immediately translated.

Though pinned down by Popov, who was bear-like, the captive still managed to laugh, "You... will be annihilated! Prosen will ultimately triumph."

Wang Zhong said, "Alright, I've grown tired of matching wits with Prosenian captives. Leave him to the gentlemen of the Tribunal."

"Thank you for supporting our work," said the Major Judge with a smile, stepping forward to replace Popov in holding the man down, while another Judge brought out handcuffs and chains, securely binding the captive.

The Major then said to Wang Zhong, "If you're tired, go to sleep. I estimate we'll have the results by tomorrow night."

Wang Zhong, "That long? The pilot spilled the beans in less than an hour."

The Major laughed, "I sense a familiar scent on this man. They've been trained to resist interrogation; it won't be easy to make them confess. If we're unlucky, it might take days; they might have to be sent to a rear Tribunal base equipped with a complete interrogation facility."

Wang Zhong nodded, "It's in your hands now."

The Major then escorted the captive away.

Wang Zhong looked at Pavlov, "Confirm our casualties."

"Already confirmed. The reserve troops had thirty-two dead and fifteen injured. Those sons of bitches fought fiercely," Pavlov cursed.

Wang Zhong clicked his tongue, "These men died in battle against the enemy, apply for pensions in the event of death in action. No, they protected the key units of the division; we should apply for medals. You handle it."

Pavlov nodded, "Don't worry, my level-six clerk will take care of it."

Wang Zhong nodded, then looked at the time, "It's time for the artillery barrage. Did we capture any prisoners? Did they reveal where their division and regiment headquarters are?"

Pavlov pointed at the map, "It's marked here. But today we didn't capture any officers above the rank of lieutenant, so it might not be accurate."

Wang Zhong, "Never mind, bombard."

————

An hour and a half after the artillery shelling, the Major Judge entered the bunker, "He confessed."

Wang Zhong was surprised, "Huh? So, is it the 21st already?"

"No, the enemy isn't as formidable as we imagined," shrugged the Major Judge, "He belongs to the Brandenburg unit, an enemy force specialized in disguise and infiltration. They parachuted down today with the 100th Airborne Ranger Division.

They have three other squads: one in charge of sabotaging our communication lines, one tasked with surveying our artillery positions and airfields, and another whose mission he did not know."

Wang Zhong asked, "What about the mission of their unit?"

"To assassinate you," the Major said seriously.

Wang Zhong frowned, "To assassinate me, they dispatched an elite unit to kill a brigadier general?"

"Yes. According to the confession, Prosen seems to believe that you are one of the spiritual pillars of Ante's ongoing resistance. Killing you would rapidly dismantle the entire Ante Army's will to resist."

Wang Zhong laughed dryly, "How could I be so important? Even without me, the Grand Patriarch would lead the Ante to continue the resistance."

The Major said, "You don't have to downplay your importance in front of us. We also consider you one of the spiritual pillars of the resistance."

Wang Zhong shrugged, "Okay, I know the general situation now..."

The Major interrupted Wang Zhong, "We think it's necessary to strengthen your guard, so a real Inner Guard battalion is currently on their way here."

Wang Zhong said, "Thank you for your concern. Let me clarify in advance, if the situation becomes critical, I will commit the Inner Guard battalion to combat as a fighting force."

"Please do so," the Major Judge stated, "We excel in dealing with any form of the enemy. Any form."