Arc of Gunfire

After the tank crossed the bridge, Wang Zhong ordered: "Stop."

There was a loud bang, and the tank stopped on the road leading to the approach bridge.

Wang Zhong shouted to Melania's guerrilla fighters passing by the tank: "How to get to the radio station?"

Melania stopped and looked at Wang Zhong blankly.

Wang Zhong remembered that although Melania’s language is very similar to Ant language, not everyone in Melania can understand Ant language.

So he called to the sergeant of Melania's People's Army who was paying attention to him: "Do you know Antese?"

"Understood, Marshal."

Wang Zhong: "Then translate and tell him that I'm asking for directions to the radio station."

The sergeant immediately had a conversation with the guerrillas, and then told Wang Zhong: "He said just go straight along the road at the end of the bridge, less than two kilometers."

Wang Zhong: "Okay, it's better to use the remaining brave men to chase the poor bandits. The enemy is always in a state of collapse. We can't give them a chance to breathe. Send an order to the entire army to keep moving forward!"

At this time, a guerrilla with two identification tapes on his arm ran over and said to Wang Zhong in Ant language: "I will be a guide to guide you to the radio station! The Pulosen bombed us and the radio station. The tunnels and temporary telephone lines were discovered somehow, and we are very worried about the situation of the radio station.”

Wang Zhong patted the big speakers on both sides of the turret: "At least they are still broadcasting."

"Yes," the guerrilla said, "We were using radios to boost morale before, and then the Prossens used cannon to blow up the entire room where the radios were."

As he spoke, the guerrilla pointed to the ruins not far away: "In that house, the owner of the house was also killed, along with several guerrilla fighters."

Wang Zhong glanced at the room and said to the guerrillas with two identification marks: "The enemy will pay with blood. Are you the guerrilla captain?"

"The captain has died. We are the living ones now. Whoever is willing to take command should tie an additional identification tape. Enemy snipers will stare at this and fight, so not many people will grab it. You have to be careful. The enemy snipers may wait until daybreak. Will fire.

"Now they are afraid of exposing their position to gunfire and dare not shoot."

Wang Zhong: "I remember. Come up and take us to the radio station."

The vehicle-mounted infantrymen behind the tank turret reached out and pulled Melania onto the tank.

"Go straight!" he said.

Wang Zhong: "Go straight! Turn on the headlights, be careful not to fall into the crater."

The tank engine roared and the steel beast slowly started.

Wang Zhong looked at the surrounding ruins by the tank's headlight.

He saw a towering tree, burning like a torch, illuminating the surrounding ruins.

The Melania people with bayonets pointed kept walking in front of the tree, paying no attention to the falling sparks.

The tank drove past the tree, and Wang Zhong suddenly found a toy pony lying in the broken wall next to the tree and under the burnt beams.

Wang Zhong stared at Xiao Ma for several seconds until he was blocked by a broken wall.

——Are you still late?

But the speakers were still blasting that same Hellman speech: "Continue to be a thorn in their throats, a storm that will never turn back, until the world knows we stand for justice."

Wang Zhong actually still couldn't fully understand what he was saying, but he could feel the belief contained in his words.

This reminded him of a passage in Thomas Macaulay's "Ancient Roman Narratives" that he had always liked. That passage was about when ancient Rome faced the invasion of Sextus, the gatekeepers Horatius and The story of two warriors holding off an army of thousands.

This section of "Horatius on the Bridge" has been quoted in many works.

For example, the movie "Darkest Hour" about Fatty Qiu, or the final ending of Wang Zhong's favorite comic "Gun Girl".

"Horaceus, the gatekeeper, said:

“Everything in this world is subject to death.

"To protect the tombs of our ancestors, to protect the mothers who nurse their babies, to protect the pure girls who are about to light the sacred fire, and to die against the shameless villain Sextus, how glorious it is.

"Your Majesty the Consul, please order the bridge to be demolished. The one thousand enemy troops on the bridge must be resisted with the strength of three people! Which warrior will guard the bridge with me?"

In Hellman's speech, Wang Zhong heard the same spiritual core.

Coincidentally, the rebels also happened to have a bridge to guard.

Wang Zhong recalled the story in the ancient Roman narrative poem. He remembered that in the end, Horatius actually jumped into the river and swam back to Rome after successfully demolishing the bridge.

I wonder if Melania’s Horatius has such luck.

————

Melania occupied the military headquarters.

General Hawk: "I cannot retreat! I refuse!"

Chief of Staff: "But panic is spreading now. It is impossible to prevent the troops from disintegrating before dawn, just like we cannot stop the avalanche. The best response is to retreat now, wait for dawn to gather the troops, and prepare for counterattack!"

General Hawk: "Didn't they say they were all elite troops? What's the panic?"

"I don't know. We have lost contact with the headquarters of most of the troops. Now the city is in chaos. We don't even know how many people and tanks there are in the Ant Army entering the city!"

General Hawke: "You guys are incompetent! Where are the troops across the river? Can't we cut off the enemy's supply lines entering the city?"

"They have broken up. Rumors say that half a million Ant troops have entered the city and all the troops are retreating. According to the intelligence we have received, many people threw away their weapons and equipment and crossed the river at night. You can see it when you go to the river bank now. We saw a lot of soaked soldiers with no weapons on them!”

General Hawke cursed, thought for a few seconds, and sighed: "Retreat, set up a battle line five kilometers outside the city, and gather the troops."

"yes."

After the adjutant and chief of staff turned around to implement the order, the general came to the window and looked at the burning city: "How could things become like this?"

But he soon smiled again: "Fortunately, we set fire to many houses for lighting during our night operation, so the Ant people will be left with a scorched earth."

At this time, the adjutant came back and asked in a low voice: "How should I explain to His Majesty the Emperor now?"

General Hawke's smile froze.

Just then, the red phone on his desk rang.

The general made a quick decision and unplugged the phone.

The phone went silent.

————

Emperor Prosen pulled the receiver away, checked it suspiciously, and then put it back to his ear, but still couldn't hear any sound.

He hung up the phone and looked at the generals who still had tired faces.

"You guys! Can't you get some coffee and come over here?"

Celtic Marshal: "I am very old, Your Majesty, and coffee can no longer keep me awake. In the future, my adjutant, General Gustav, can be invited to have emergency meetings like this late at night."

Generally speaking, adjutants will not have the rank of general, but will only receive a golden adjutant ribbon. But Marshal Celtic's situation is different. He has to command the entire headquarters and is under great pressure, so his adjutant has also been given a lot of authority to help him manage the headquarters. At this time, the rank of colonel is not appropriate.

Therefore, the adjutant of the Celtic marshal was a general and did not wear the ribbon of adjutant.

His Majesty the Emperor looked at the Marshal: "If coffee doesn't work, you can try the stimulant we just developed for the commandos. I have been using it. It can make me concentrate for a long time and stay energetic."

The Celtic marshal looked embarrassed. He knew the main ingredients of those stimulants. To be honest, he didn't want to use them on himself at all. After all, he wanted to live a little longer.

Emperor: "I called General Hawke of Melania's occupation force, but the call was suddenly disconnected. Regarding what is happening in Melania's capital, the Imperial Intelligence Department has only received very little information. We don't know what happened. What.

"General Steiner reported their situation. The left wing of their army group was broken through by Rokosov. As for how the breakthrough was made, no one knows. According to the calculations of the headquarters, Rokosov should have run out of supplies. ! How can he break through our defenses without supplies? "

General Moltke: "Suvorov once said that shooting is a coward, but bayonet is a hero. Maybe it is really the bayonet that determines the outcome."

"Bastard!" the emperor scolded, "How is this possible? But if you don't think so, you can only think that Rokossov's troops flew over, which is even more terrifying."

The emperor paused: "Bayonets! Humph, bayonets!"

Marshal Celtic: "It may also be a new weapon. Ant has been studying mysterious powers. According to our investigation, the fog that they occupied Yeisk two years ago was initiated by the Ant people."

Duke Redwedge of Rabbeville immediately said: "The Clutter Bureau also mentioned that Ant has developed a brainwashing broadcast tower. Using the broadcast tower, we can complete the brainwashing and turn our soldiers into theirs!"

"This is so fucking nonsense!" The emperor slapped the table.

Duke Redwidge: "But the characteristic of Clutter Bureau's intelligence is that maybe we will find out that it is valuable real intelligence."

In fact, these are all just a matter of luck. They are just a blind cat and a dead mouse. It's just that the blind cat of the Clutter Bureau has laid ten thousand mousetraps, but he can always catch one or two real mice.

The emperor was silent for a long time and then said: "Deploy three of the divisions that have just been formed to the Eastern Front."

Marshal Celtic: "Then the Western Front can only receive assistance from one division?"

"The Allies are so bad at fighting, just one more division is enough." The emperor waved his fist, "We have to fight back! Counterattack while Rokosov is still on his feet! He must be out of men and horses now, so this is our best chance to capture him alive! "

————

At 0345 hours on September 8, Wang Zhong's tank drove into the square in front of the radio station.

The place illuminated by the headlights is full of ruins - it may not be accurate to say that the ruins are ruins. Some houses with wooden structures only have a few pillars left, while others are completely burned down.

The pillar was still broken.

To sum it up in one word, the area around the radio station has turned into a "scorched earth", and even the headlights cannot break away from the blackness of the scorched earth.

The guide who was leading the way was a big man. When he saw this scene, he stood on the tank and started to wipe his tears. While wiping his tears, he muttered: "My home is here. I grew up here. When I was a child, I helped the postman deliver letters to earn pocket money... …”

No wonder he knows the roads so well. He used to run all over the streets as a "little expert in delivering letters" when he was a child.

Wang Zhong patted him on the shoulder and picked up the microphone: "Rokosov called the resistance forces in the radio station! We are approaching from the east, don't fire!"

After a brief silence, the response came from the earphone: "Is it really Rokossov?"

It seems that Melania is still not used to Wang Zhong, the commander-in-chief of the army, personally charging into battle.

Wang Zhong: "Yes, I am Marshal Alexei Konstantinovich Rokosov. I am watching you from the tank."

At this time, Rokosov had seen the guerrillas guarding the radio station from a bird's-eye view.

Hermann was still alive, but he might not be in a good condition, because Wang Zhong saw him lying on a stretcher and motionless most of the time.

At this time, the tank had already arrived downstairs of the radio station. The marble pillars in front of the radio station were almost hollowed out by bullets, and the stairs were also pitted by bombs.

The Ante soldiers who were advancing with the tanks rushed up the steps and hugged the guerrillas who came out of the gate.

Wang Zhong didn't quite understand what they were shouting, probably "You are here" and "Comrade, I've been waiting for a long time."

Soon, the happy crowd made way to both sides, and two soldiers came out carrying Hermann's stretcher.

Wang Zhong climbed out of the turret, tidied his clothes on the tank, and then jumped to the ground to greet this hero of Melania.

At this time, the loudspeaker on the tank was still playing Hermann's speech.

Wang Zhong came to Hermann, and his years of combat experience told him that the old man was dying.

The old man opened his eyes: "I thought you would arrive today during the day."

Wang Zhong: "I heard your broadcast and came here immediately. As an Ant, I understand your feelings. I also lost my country."

But the entire territory of Salia was almost occupied by Proson, so it was also considered a loss of the country.

As for Wang Zhong before the time travel, his motherland was already very powerful, but the painful lessons of the past 150 years were still engraved in his heart. Even in the year before entering the new millennium, the sovereignty of the motherland was trampled on wantonly.

Hermann stared at Wang Zhong for a few seconds and said: "I see the same belief in your eyes, I know you are my companion."

As he said, he raised his hand.

Wang Zhong hurriedly shook his hand.

Hermann's hand was already cold and weak.

Hermann: "There is a bullet in my pocket."

Wang Zhong hurriedly touched his pocket and really took out a bullet.

Hermann: "The bullet of the Ant pistol, shoot it into the heart of the culprit for me."

Wang Zhong: "As the righteous party, we should follow procedural justice. But - I promise you, if the enemy resists arrest, I will shoot this bullet into his head."

Hermann smiled slightly, raised his right hand and held Wang Zhong's hand holding the bullet: "It's an appointment! Your Excellency Marshal!"

At this time, the sun jumped out of the horizon just right.

The sun first illuminated the incomplete roof of the radio station, and then went all the way down, illuminating everything.

Hermann turned his head, glanced at the rising sun, and sighed: "It's really warm."

His hand fell down and drooped beside the stretcher.

Wang Zhong put away the bullet and stepped forward, closed Hermann's eyes, then took off his military cap, held it in his hand, and saluted him.

The people around, whether they were Melania people or Ant people, whether they were guerrillas or regular soldiers, took off their hats and saluted the warriors.

Wang Zhong: "He became a drop of water in the wave of freedom. He became part of the vast ocean."

The falcon flew through the sky, flying in Melania's sunshine.