Arc of Fire

Filippov, shocked, looked up at his much taller classmate, “Why? Just because he made you clean the latrine?”

Vasily replied, “It’s a feeling, think about it, why didn’t he let the tallest one, me, carry the flag?”

"Because you irritated him,” Filippov answered instantly.

"No! It’s because carrying the flag is dangerous!” Vasily said confidently, “He wants me to stay alive. Later, he even found the best ‘old sergeant’ to train me!”

The term “old sergeant” is an informal nickname for an experienced and respected senior non-commissioned officer.

Filippov said, “He just doesn’t want you causing trouble! I think Natasha was right; you’re always daydreaming!”

At the mention of Natasha, Vasily’s face darkened; she once was his girlfriend, but she took the initiative to break up with him because “you’re always daydreaming.”

Realizing his friend’s gloominess, Filippov quickly tried to make amends, “She also said you were full of idealism and romanticism, look on the bright side.”

Vasily stubbornly said, “I think this time it’s not daydreaming. The brigadier really thinks I suit his taste.”

"Oh come on, you’re the first person our principal can’t stand! Which general would think you suit his taste?”

"You don’t know? I heard that when the brigadier was at the military academy, he was the person his principal despised the most! That’s why he sees himself in me!”

Filippov was left speechless.

Just then, Sergeant Grigori entered, “What’s taking you so long?”

Before he could finish talking, he frowned deeply and snatched the tool from Vasily’s hand, “That’s not how to use this! Haven’t you ever cleaned out the privy in the village?”

"No,” the two of them answered in unison.

Vasily said, “We’re both city folks.”

Filippov added, “His dad is a music professor!”

"Don’t talk about that,” Vasily said, his brow furrowed, his expression even worse than when he heard Natasha’s name.

Grigori paused, then looked at Vasily, “Music professor, huh? No wonder you sang well this morning. Too bad the enemy’s bullets won’t go around you just because you have a good voice. Let me teach you how to clean out manure first.”

Vasily asked, “Sergeant, have you done it?”

"Of course, in the village, everyone except the nobles’ children has done it. Don’t look down on this stuff. It’s dirty, but it’s the promise of a good harvest next year. Without it, the cost of fertilizer is unbearable!” Grigori spoke while skillfully working.

————

Meanwhile, Wang Zhong, who was “despised the most by his principal during his school years,” was meeting with his command team at the regimental headquarters.

They covered the electric light with a pillowcase and drew the curtains, gathering around the map table.

Currently, Prosen’s aircraft weren’t conducting nighttime bombing, so there was no command for a blackout, but the men still consciously implemented light control measures.

On the table, on top of the map, lay a list book, and Yegorov tapped the list with his index finger, “It seems like a lot of equipment has been replenished, but when it comes to anti-tank weapons, we only have the anti-tank rifle, and that’s not enough!”

Bishop Popov asked, “So, the anti-tank rifles are not effective?”

"Hitting the side is a matter of luck; the front can only target the viewing ports. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can jam the turret ring,” Yegorov shook his head. “Most of our battalion’s anti-tank rifles were abandoned in Ronied. The anti-tank rifle operators were either killed or captured.”

Popov frowned, “You managed to destroy so many tanks at Peniye without anti-tank rifles…”

"That was done with Molotov cocktails. First, we need to use fire to cut off the enemy infantry and leave the tanks without infantry protection, then approach and throw the Molotov cocktails,” Yegorov succinctly explained.

"But the problem is, most of the weapons we’ve been supplied with are Tokarev semi-automatics, suitable for exchange of fire with the enemy on the plains. The appropriate engagement distance is one to two hundred meters.

"Molotov cocktails, on the other hand, are for close combat and can only be used within fifty meters. At such times, submachine guns are much more useful than semi-automatics.”

After a brief pause, Yegorov raised his voice, “We need anti-tank guns, even 45mm ones would do, but preferably the heavy 76mm anti-tank guns!”

Popov sighed, “In theory, there should be no shortage of 45mm guns. If they haven’t been assigned yet, it’s probably because the logistics system hasn’t been fully restructured yet.

"And because of the bombing by enemy planes.”

Yegorov: “What about the 76mm?”

"Those are already in short supply and difficult to come by,” answered Popov. “Also, I’m here to be a bishop, okay? Don’t treat me like a supply battalion commander. Shouldn’t logistics be handled by the staff officers?”

Pavlov, who suddenly received the conversational ball, replied immediately, “That’s true, but look, do I have anyone here? If you don’t believe me, just take a look at this map on the table!”

Pavlov pushed aside the supply lists to reveal the map.

"This map is what I copy every day by running to the local military depot myself and copying their maps.”

Normally, staff officers are responsible for updating the situation of friend and foe on the map based on the battle reports they receive, but without any staff officers, Pavlov had to update it himself.

Pavlov continued to complain, “Because we have no logistics staff, naturally no one is arranging supplies, and even the laundry and cooking teams in our camp are ones I had to request personally.

"Before, feeding a couple hundred people wasn’t a big drain on supplies, but now all of a sudden we have over a thousand. Tomorrow I’ll have to go to the military depot again to ask for supplies.

"Besides logistics and maps, we also need a communications staff officer. We don’t even have a communications company, nor do we have any mounted couriers. When you add it all up, we’re missing quite a lot!”

Popov: “Shouldn’t the local military depots supply you with radios?”

"They did, but we don’t have telegraphists or cryptographers. Are we supposed to learn how to use radios and decipher codes using a codebook ourselves?” Pavlov sighed, “I know this is because the war started less than two weeks ago, and we have just recovered from the rout, but the situation is still beyond my expectations.”

At this point, Wang Zhong spoke up, “Tomorrow I’ll visit the hospital to see if there might be some telegraphists or cryptographers who were only lightly wounded. After all, they don’t need to operate on the front line.”

The others shook their heads in unison.

Pavlov said, “All the wounded that come here are seriously injured. Where can you find lightly wounded?”

Wang Zhong: “It’s always good to check, right? What if I get lucky and find someone?”

Pavlov shrugged, “Sure, you can try.”

Yegorov: “They say we’re reorganizing the troops that have broken ranks, but it’s been three days, and only we have come here. Where are the troops that broke ranks?”

Everyone fell silent.

The truth was not that there were no troops breaking ranks, but rather that none had come from Ronied.

Wang Zhong slapped the table, “Now we have people. Tomorrow we’ll set up checkpoints outside the city to pull in recruits. The fleeing troops are bound to head east and surely pass through here. I refuse to believe we won’t find anyone!”

Popov reminded him, “The order was only to reorganize the troops retreating from Ronied.”

Wang Zhong slapped the table again, “Screw it! Among the civilians fleeing through here, if there are any who understand paperwork, logistics, or can send telegrams, we’ll persuade them to join too. We’ll tell them they don’t have to go to the front line.”

Popov said, “Why not just conscript them?”

Yegorov added, “You can die away from the front line just the same. Our headquarters is just a brigade command, we can’t be too far from the front, and we’re sure to be bombed all the time.”

Wang Zhong replied, “That’s why we have to tell them the truth and then persuade them.”

Bishop Popov looked at Wang Zhong for a few seconds and said, “Is this really you speaking? Aleksei Konstantinovich?”

It seemed the original owner wouldn’t have been so considerate of the civilian sentiments.

Confidently, Wang Zhong said, “It really is me. Along the way here, I received a lot of help from civilians, which changed my attitude towards them!”

Popov wore a “You’ve got to be kidding me” expression.

Ignoring Popov’s skepticism, Wang Zhong declared, “That settles it. We can’t just assume that Bogdanovka can hold for half a month. We need to act. If the higher-ups won’t supply us, we’ll find our own way. Just like we planned before coming here!”

Yegorov slammed the table with force, “That’s the spirit! These past few days I’ve been so idle I’m practically getting sick from it!”

————

Early the next morning, the Rocossov battle group’s streamlined team immediately sprang into action.

Popov took his men to the train station to receive the military supplies designated for the battle group.

Yegorov led people to set up checkpoints on the western roads of the city to detain passersby.

Pavlov went to the military depot headquarters to plead poverty.

Yeca Neiko and Sofan went to the local church to plead poverty.

Wang Zhong went to the hospital to see if there were any loopholes to exploit.

Everyone was in motion.

Wang Zhong, accompanied by Grigori and his assigned driver Vasily, boarded the Jeep, with Grigori at the wheel.

Just as they were about to set off, Ludmila suddenly rushed out of the dormitory, grabbing the rear car door, “Wait, take me with you, Alyosha!”

"What are you going to do?” Wang Zhong asked in confusion, “Can you… treat the wounded?”

After all, she was a prayer hand, and since she could guide rockets to their target like missiles, she could probably make use of Holy Light or something—right?

Ludmila said, “What are you rambling about? Isn’t the healing power of Holy Power only found in legends? It’s like Prosen’s Valhalla.”

Wang Zhong responded, “Then what use are you at the hospital? It’s dirty and…”

Suddenly, Wang Zhong saw Pavlov off in the distance, wobbling on a bicycle as he appeared!

With Pavlov’s size, he would need at least a 26-inch bike to fit him, and a 28-inch would feel “right.”

But he rode a 24-inch bike, looking like a bear curled up on a fire hydrant.

Looking at his posture on the bike was so uncomfortable for Wang Zhong to watch.

Pavlov charged towards Wang Zhong, stumbling as he got off the bike, but luckily Vasily was quick to jump out of the Jeep and catch him.

Confused, Wang Zhong asked, “What’s going on? Did the enemy break through the line? Where is your Jeep?”

Pavlov panted, “I left… left the driver to guard it!”

"Guarding what?”

Grigori immediately flipped off the safety of his submachine gun and checked the chamber with a click.

Pavlov waved his hands frantically, “No! That’s not it! I… damn it, let me catch my breath.”

After tossing aside the bicycle and leaning on Wang Zhong, Pavlov caught his breath for about half a minute.

Having recovered somewhat, he said to Wang Zhong, “This morning, I went to the military depot headquarters…”

"I know that part. Get to the point,” Wang Zhong interrupted him.

Pavlov replied, “Oh. Do you know about the repair factory in the city?”

Wang Zhong nodded, “I know. They fix cars, what about it?”

Pavlov explained, “They have more than just cars there. They also keep the stuff that wasn’t destroyed when the cars were strafed. Anything intact was taken by the military depot command, and the broken pieces were left there.

"Then the mechanics saw all those broken guns piled up and took parts to assemble three guns. Two 45mm ones, and one 76mm!”

Wang Zhong’s mouth formed into an “O” shape.

"Doesn’t anyone want the guns?” he asked.

Pavlov exclaimed, “They just finished assembling them yesterday and reported it today. I rushed to the repair factory when I saw the report and had the driver guard them with a loaded pistol, forbidding anyone to take them. If we grab them now, they’re ours!

"I can’t drive, so I borrowed this bicycle from one of the mechanics…”

Wang Zhong questioned, “Then why didn’t you stay there yourself and let the driver come back in the Jeep to report?”

Pavlov paused, confused, “Huh? Oh, right. No, wait, the guns! Hurry, we’ve got to grab those guns! Maybe no one wants the 45s, but the 76mm is a treasure!”

Wang Zhong slapped his thigh, “Great! Vasily, run and order the first squad to stop their training and assemble here on the run!”

Vasily didn’t move.

Wang Zhong asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

Vasily replied, “We should send the third squad, they’re from the Artillery School after all.”

Wang Zhong and Pavlov looked at each other, then cursed, “You stubborn mule, can’t you follow orders for once without arguing?”

"So, I’ll go call the first squad?”

"No, call the third squad.” Wang Zhong glared at Vasily with a murderous look, “Run! And run fast! Don’t make me kick your ass!”