Arc of Gunfire

The vanguard team sent by Pavlov has found a suitable headquarters location in the city of Agsukov.

So Wang Zhong, who entered the city first, came here to spend the night.

As soon as the leading colonel of the pioneer team saw Wang Zhong, he gave him a document: "This is the procedure for tomorrow's Liberation Day."

Wang Zhong: "Liberation Day? I thought it was just an entry into the city, a relatively simple one."

"Of course it includes the city entry ceremony. The troops who are expected to participate in the city entry ceremony tomorrow are currently resting in three middle schools outside the city. Before dawn tomorrow, they will have tidied up their housekeeping and put on shining medals, just like they did in Shepetovka. ”

Wang Zhong: "It is necessary..."

"The local church asked for it."

The parishes that were originally operating underground were directly transformed into local churches after liberation. In Shepetovka, this approach quickly restored the order of production and life in the entire city.

Wang Zhong: "Did they ask for it?"

"Yes, it can boost morale. The liaison officer from the local church has arrived, you can ask him."

The colonel pointed to the clergyman next to him.

"I am the liaison officer of the local church." The priest took a step forward. "Although the Prosin people's conspiracy to massacre the city was shattered, we also paid huge casualties. Soon the citizens will find that the dead people will not die. Because liberation brings resurrection, the destroyed house will not be repaired immediately because of liberation.”

After a brief pause, the priest continued: "And you may also know that the railway transportation in Agsukov will not be restored for a while. The logistics department of the army has to supply the troops, and there is very little capacity that can be spared. In a short time, The supply of sausages and cheese in the city will be tight, and even pickles will be available on a ticket basis.”

When Vasily heard this, he immediately said: "The pickles are all supplied by ticket. The situation is really bad!"

Priest: "Yes, there is also a shortage of fish and meat - but one thing, canned Spam is enough, but that stuff -"

Canned Spam was very delicious at the beginning of the war, but after the recipe was changed to increase production, the Allied Forces evaluated it as pig food.

Of course, the canned Spam with a changed recipe will still be regarded as a delicacy by the British Army.

But in Ant, these cans are not so popular. After all, all Ant people had eaten delicious and cheap unlimited "doctor sausages" before the war.

Wang Zhong: "In other words, the masses need such a celebration to temporarily forget the troubles of reality."

Vasily: "I think that as long as the wine management is enough, everyone will not be worried."

"That's the problem." The priest looked helpless. "There's not enough wine. And because a large amount of high-altitude private wine was made into Molotov cocktails and thrown at Proson's armored vehicle, the wine was especially not enough."

Wang Zhong: "Understood, Liberation Day, a grand entry into the city, I will give a speech."

"Just like you did at Shepetovka," the priest added.

Wang Zhong: "I understand. Then can I revise Shepetovka's speech and use it?"

Priest: "Of course, the key is for you to give a speech. You have a deep connection with our city. You are a close friend of the crown prince who died on the outskirts of the city, and you are the son of the old duke. During the two years of Prossen occupation, you have been from time to time. Some people will go to the cemetery in the suburbs in the middle of the night to lay flowers.

“By following these people, the Prosen military police and the Imperial Household Ministry’s special agents arrested many of our comrades—and wrongfully accused many good people who simply went to express their condolences.

"Tomorrow you just have to give a speech, even if it's just to shout slogans."

Wang Zhong took a deep breath: "Then I can't handle the errands, Vasily - no, Neli, go get me some coffee, make some. I have to write the speech tonight."

Nellie: "Okay, I will also prepare some midnight snacks. Chef Siris didn't follow, so I will cook this time."

Wang Zhong: "No problem. Uh, don't put Prosen's eyeballs in the sour cream."

Neli pursed her lips and looked at Wang Zhong without speaking.

Wang Zhong was embarrassed: "Well, you know I'm joking, right?"

Nellie: "There is a poem by Siris that says: Aspirations eat the meat of Huns when they are hungry, and drink the blood of Huns when they are thirsty. So if you want to follow Siris's example, I can also do the same——"

Wang Zhong: "That poem is a metaphor! A metaphor!"

Nelly: "I know, I'm kidding."

Wang Zhong stared at Neli for a few seconds and said, "Neli, people will laugh when they are joking."

Nelly grinned.

Vasily: "You're just smiling but you're not smiling."

Gregory quickly pulled him back: "You, if you make her anxious, I really can't protect you. She has a poker face and can't see the signs!"

Neli ignored Vasily and Grigory, turned and left.

Wang Zhong patted the table where the typewriter was placed: "Vasily, come here and take notes. I'm going to write a speech."

————

August 8, Agsukov, Liberation Day.

The local church organized efforts to decorate the main road - the main "decoration" was to push the remains of vehicles into the alleys on the side of the road.

Ant's troops, neatly dressed and with medals on their faces, lined up in four columns and marched into the city proudly to the sound of military music - even though many troops had already entered the city yesterday.

Citizens of Agsukov gathered on the roadside, waving red paper flags made by the church and cheering for the troops.

The end point of the troops entering the city was the Municipal Square, and the rostrum of the Liberation Day was set up in front of the municipal building that had been reduced to rubble by Urban's bombing.

Wang Zhong saluted the troops entering the city from the viewing platform next to the rostrum.

After the entire square was filled with troops and the masses, the emcee announced loudly: "Now, please invite the commander of the Khazaria Front, the symbol of victory, the King of the Kingdom of Khazaria, General Alexi Konstantinovich Rokosov, to the stage to announce the liberation of Agsukov!"

Wang Zhong muttered, "Why do you have to say the title of king?", stood up with the speech, walked onto the rostrum, and saluted everyone.

The troops shouted in unison: "Ura!"

Three Ura, each wave was louder than the previous one.

After the cheers, the entire venue fell silent.

Wang Zhong looked at the speech, then folded the manuscript and stuffed it into his pocket. He freed his hands to hold the small speech table on the rostrum, looking at the soldiers and the masses filling the square.

"My fellow countrymen! Two years ago, I was a major general. I left here with my only division and went to Orach to build a defensive position. I was going to stop the Proshen Second Armored Group with the strength of one division.

"This is a very powerful armored group with more than ten times the strength of mine. I was ready to sacrifice my life in Orach.

"But my father and my close friend, the Crown Prince, seemed to think that I could survive. The day I left, they pulled my arm and looked at me, as if to say, 'I know you can fight back.'

"Later, I successfully blocked the enemy in Orach for a few days, and then led the remaining troops out of the enemy's encirclement and arrived in Shepetovka.

"Duke Myshkin sent troops to meet us and sent us to the rear for rest.

"Later, I learned that on the day I left the border of Khazaria, my close friend, the Crown Prince Ivan, and my father died in the suburbs of Agsukov. "

Wang Zhong stopped and scanned the venue.

"I survived. In order to remember everything that happened here, I packed a box of black soil from my hometown in a lunch box and carried it with me at all times.

"Just at the beginning of this year, before the muddy season arrived, I stood on the black soil of my hometown again. I returned the black soil I borrowed from my mother in Khazaria to her!

"And yesterday, I presented flowers to my best friend and my father in the cemetery built by the Prosen people.

"The troops I took away from here were expanded into the First Mobile Army. Two-thirds of the troops in this army are composed of Khazarians. They are always looking forward to returning to their hometown, reuniting with their relatives who stayed here, and seeing the beech trees that dated the girl that year with their own eyes!"

Wang Zhong stopped and looked at those pairs of eyes, and finally his eyes fell on the flag of Melania's First Army.

"However, many people have not returned home. Some are from Brest, a border town further west; some are from Roniezh, Bogdanovka, and Upper Peniye! And our comrade Melania, whose homeland is still under the iron hoof of Prosom!

"Today, we are celebrating here, and this is just a preview! In the future, such celebrations will continue to be held on the land of Khazaria! After we liberate each city, there will be such a ceremony! We will declare to the Prosom Empire that our victory is unstoppable!

"In the near future, we will cross the Tiber River, liberate Bogdanovka, and before winter comes, we will sweep across Western Khazaria!

"We have shed enough blood and sacrificed! Now it's time for the Prosom people to shed blood and sacrifice, and let them use their flesh and blood to stop our tanks!

"We will use their blood to wash the tracks of the tanks! This is just the beginning, comrades! Just the beginning, I promise you!"

After speaking, Wang Zhong took a step back and saluted everyone.

The overwhelming Ura went straight up to the sky.

————

Wang Zhonggang returned to the headquarters and saw Pavlov's bald head.

"You came up so quickly?" He was a little surprised, "I thought you had a lot of work to arrange."

"It's been arranged a long time ago." Pavlov shrugged, "Following you in the war, I have to be ready to move the headquarters forward at any time. I'm used to it. In addition, I also left Popov behind, he can handle a lot of unfinished things. After all, a large part of the logistics is guaranteed by the church."

Wang Zhonggang was about to answer when a small group of officers entered the room.

Pavlov glanced at the officers and said, "The airport on the outskirts of the city resumed operation at four o'clock this morning. These should be from Yebao."

The colonel leading the team saluted Wang Zhong: "Your Excellency--"

Wang Zhong: "We call it Davarishi here."

Colonel: "Commander Davarishi, salute you. We are responsible for conveying the orders of the headquarters."

The colonel took out the order and handed it to Wang Zhong: "General Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov, considering your merits, you are promoted to marshal and appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Ante armed forces."

Wang Zhong looked at Pavlov: "Marshal, I expected it, but what the hell is the commander-in-chief?"

Pavlov: "Maybe... I think you are too young and it is not suitable to be the commander-in-chief, so--I made a compromise. Anyway, you still have to stay on the front line."