Arc of Fire

Chapter 610: Chapter 53: A Memorial to Forget

Wang Zhong withdrew his gaze and saw Grigori standing not far ahead, looking down at the bodies on the ground.

His chest tightened, and he quickly rushed to Grigori’s side, looking down.

Yakov and the radio operator lay on the ground, their eyes open, staring at the sky.

It seemed he had not reached the tank wreckage.

Grigori: “I told you, seeing a black cat is not a good omen.”

Wang Zhong stepped forward, squatting down to study Yakov’s face.

In a moment, Wang Zhong remembered many, many things.

"Do you remember which month he took over Vasily’s shift?” Wang Zhong asked, “I can’t quite recall.”

Wang Zhong looked down at his palm: “September, October… not even two months, yet I feel like he had been by my side for many, many years.”

As he spoke, Wang Zhong touched Yakov’s chest, found the position of the diary, unbuttoned the pocket, and pulled out the notebook.

He opened the first page of the diary, which read: “August 17th, clear weather. Starting today, I am to serve as General Rocosov’s Deputy Officer, very nervous. Natalia carefully checked my uniform several times to make sure I make a good impression on the General.”

Wang Zhong read slowly, the scene of that day reemerging in his mind.

Just then, someone called out, “General, General! We have repelled the attack of the Prosen combat group, and were just about to… General?”

Wang Zhong stood up, closed the diary, and nodded to the informant: “Continue.”

The man glanced at the bodies on the ground, awkwardly fidgeting with the ammunition on his chest: “Uh, maybe I should wait a bit, maybe

Wang Zhong: “Grigori, take care of Yakov’s belongings, secure his soldier’s ID tag.”

"Yes.” Grigori immediately bent down, starting to search Yakov’s pockets.

Wang Zhong turned to the informant: “Report the situation.”

"The counterattack was very successful, although the enemy’s artillery prevented us from continuing to advance, it also caused the enemy’s total rout; those not struck by our charges were all scattered by heavy artillery. Currently, they have stopped two blocks away from Pozharsky Street.”

Wang Zhong: “Arrange ground guidance. We’ll bomb them too.”

"It might cause friendly fire

Wang Zhong: “Our troops have dispersed, even if there is friendly fire, it’s only a few combat teams. Arrange the artillery strike!”

After issuing the command, he suddenly remembered he could just observe the coordinates, so he pulled to an overhead view, and on the edge of the view, he found the enemy.

Wang Zhong looked down at Grigori: “Is the radio still functional?”

Grigori handed over the radio with the microphone and backpack: “You can try it.”

Wang Zhong took it, fiddled with it, and then heard the Prosen’s urgent calls through the earpiece.

Even though he couldn’t understand, Wang Zhong felt the Prosen were quite urgent.

He shouted directly into the microphone: “Sukabule, just wait. Once my artillery comes down, you all are going to sky high!”

After saying that, he threw down the radio and yelled: “Now, immediately get me a radio operator! Right now, immediately!”

The Prosen Thirty Corps Commander held the radio: “What do you mean? You have tanks and armored vehicles, and even flamethrower tanks specialized for urban combat, and you were routed by a mere infantry charge?”

The other end of the radio urgently shouted: “They’ve gone mad! They must be on drugs! Those stimulants from the Imperial Academy of Sciences! I saw it with my own eyes, they were all set aflame yet still bravely advanced forward! Only drugs could do this!”

Thirty Corps Commander: “I don’t believe it! If they had such drugs, they would have used them already. Plus, no one could continue to charge after being set on fire; humans have an instinct to avoid harm!”

"This is the truth! Commander, we’re going to lose! We should start retreating now, we can still save some of our troops if we retreat now!”

Commander: “No, I think you’re just trying to excuse your own cowardice. Where’s Hoffman? Where’s that Nov Hoffman? I need to talk to him!”

"Hoffman Brigadier is already

Their conversation was cut off as a loud voice bellowed in Antenese, and the Thirty Corps Commander couldn’t make out what he was saying.

He immediately turned to his Deputy Officer, who was also wearing headphones: “What’s this Antean saying?”

"He says that when his artillery comes, he’ll send us all to the sky.”

The Commander thought for a moment, then took the microphone to ask: “Which Antean General is speaking?”

After speaking, he gestured with his eyes to the Deputy Officer.

The Deputy Officer immediately translated into Antenese.

However, no reply came—because the speaker had already thrown the radio aside.

The Thirty Corps Commander pondered for a moment, then asked the Deputy Officer: “Do you think it’s possible that this is Rocosov himself? Could it be because he personally led the charge that the enemy troops have such fighting spirit?”

Chief of Staff frowned, “The Front Army Commander personally leading a charge? No, that’s impossible.”

"A hundred years ago, Bagration also personally led the shooting army in a charge and forcibly crushed the Carolus Army, allowing the Ante Troops to escape to safety. Otherwise, that Conqueror there would have captured the Tsar, and there wouldn’t have been the Yeburg debacle afterward.”

Having said that, the corps commanders looked at each other in dismay, when suddenly the sound of an exploding shell came.

The corps commander listened for a moment and said, “It seems Hoffman’s combat group has been hit—maybe it shouldn’t be called Hoffman’s combat group anymore. So, do you think it was Rocossov himself?”

Everyone exchanged glances, and finally, the Chief of Staff spoke on behalf of everyone, “Whether it is him or not, firing at the last coordinates called in for a strike can’t hurt.”

When the enemy’s second artillery strike fell, Wang Zhong had already evacuated Pozharsky Street and set up his temporary command post at the intersection.

Every car that came out of the riverbed tunnel could see the Red Flag fluttering in the wind.

Every troop passing through here on their way to the front line knew that General Rocossov was here, not in a safe bunker.

Wang Zhong watched Pozharsky Street being bombed again and said to Grigori, “The enemy must have guessed I came out personally. Perhaps someone even saw me, but I can’t leave the front line now. Otherwise, I would definitely personally fly a plane to scout the enemy’s artillery positions, and really get them.”

He paused and noticed Grigori holding a greasepaper package, then asked, “Is this Yakov’s belongings?”

"Yes, everything is inside. It includes photographs, an unfinished letter, and a pendant.”

Wang Zhong took the package with both hands and squeezed the contents inside.

"You can have a look,” Grigori said, “Yakov wouldn’t mind.”

Wang Zhong fell silent for a few seconds and said, “Yakov was just one of the many warriors who sacrificed under my command. I shouldn’t make exceptions for him.”

Grigori: “He was still someone close to you. I think it’s right to mourn a bit more for those close to you. Maybe it’s my little selfishness, but I hope that if one day I sacrifice, you would also spend a little more time to mourn me.”

Wang Zhong stared at Grigori for a while, then nodded, “I will.”

He then opened the greasepaper package, looked at the belongings inside, and found a book titled “Life Record of General Rocossov.”

He flipped open the record, which interestingly narrated Wang Zhong’s actions in a novelistic tone, with the first chapter titled “On the Ship to Balas.”

"This guy.”

Wang Zhong did not realize that at this moment his expression was unusually gentle, even a bit sentimental.

Just then, a brand new heavy armored vehicle emerged from the tunnel, saw the Red Flag, and stopped immediately. The hatch opened and the vehicle commander climbed out, shouting, “General! General Rocossov!”

Wang Zhong looked up, startled by the heavy armored vehicle.

"What is this?” he asked instinctively.

After asking, he glanced at the Launch rails carried on the back of the combat room, and asked again, “Is this a gas canister launcher?”

The vehicle commander jumped off the vehicle and saluted Wang Zhong, “I am Aleksei Vasilyovich, the commander of this prototype test vehicle! This is the specialized armored vehicle for urban barrier-breaking you requested, with a solid armor plate in front and 80 millimeters thick on the sides of the combat room. It’s basically immune to attacks from the front hemisphere. This at the back is a specially developed 500-millimeter rocket artillery.”

Wang Zhong: “How many millimeters?”

“500 millimeters! In front of this thing, the enemy and their shelters are equally laughable.”

Wang Zhong climbed onto the rocket vehicle, touching the huge rocket shell, his mouth hanging open in awe, “This looks powerful. Come on, bring the paint and a small brush. I want to write something on it.”

Since there were logistics units nearby, Wang Zhong’s order was immediately carried out.

Wang Zhong took a small brush, dipped it in blood-red paint, and wrote on the rocket: For the revenge of the heroic Yakov.

After writing, he looked at it and added three exclamation marks.

Having done this, he commanded, “Paint the number 422 on this vehicle, and hang a Red Flag on the antenna! I want to personally verify the quality of this vehicle!”

The gunner peeking out from the top of the combat room immediately cheered.

The vehicle commander, however, grimaced, “Although I knew it would come to this… well, your request to direct the firing of the first round is quite reasonable.”

Wang Zhong climbed inside the tank, watching the logistics soldiers refresh the tactical number.

Meanwhile, the Red Flag that Nikolai was carrying was also taken off the flagpole and fixed onto the radio antenna.

Once everything was ready, Wang Zhong picked up the microphone: “All units, this is Rocossov, advance! We are going straight to the front line!”

"Alright, I’ve been waiting for this!”

The engine roared to life, spitting out thick black smoke.

The peculiarly massive beast roared, accelerating slowly but unstoppably.

Wang Zhong stood at the commander’s position, watching ahead, thinking that this was more like it.

The vehicle had not gone far when he heard someone shouting his name. Turning around, he saw Pavlov’s bald head; the Chief of Staff was running while shouting, “Come back! Sukabule! It was only because the situation was so critical just now that I let you charge personally. Come back to me!”

Wang Zhong: “When you had this vehicle drive out of the tunnel, did you not foresee this situation?”

Pavlov stopped, looking this way, his helplessness palpable even from this distance.

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