Wang Zhong: “For example?”

“Gyuki’s virus.”

Wang Zhong nodded and said to Olga: “Let’s go, we need to leave anyway.”

“Hey, wait, are you that Marshal Rocossov?” Dr. Indiana pointed at Wang Zhong, “My God, I’ve been carrying your card with me, got it from buying war bonds, can I get your autograph?”

Wang Zhong felt like this autograph scene resembled something from one of the Indiana Jones movies… was it the third one? Where a little-bearded Dr. Jones handed him a diary in an emergency, asking for a signature.

From a failed art student to the bottom of the military academy… it seems quite reasonable?

Wang Zhong took the card and signed his name.

At this time, the battalion commander of the guards came in to report: “There’s a big hole in the yard, we’re preparing to investigate it.”

Wang Zhong: “No need, there might be ancient viruses down there. Blast the entrance with explosives, remember to clear nearby buildings before detonation. We’re heading back to Ante now.”

“Yes.”

Wang Zhong looked at Dr. Jones: “Prosen is on its last legs, Doctor, don’t let them find any ancient superstitious artifacts.”

The doctor replied seriously: “Those superstitious things don’t exist; they’re just ancient myths. For example, here in Mamluk, they believe black cats are messengers from the land of the dead, encountering one means you’re going to die, yet I’m perfectly fine.”

——–

Yegorov discovered a black cat lying on a still-warm engine hood in front of the new Headquarters parking lot.

The black cat’s yellow eyes were like two gems, reflecting light even in broad daylight.

It stared at Yegorov, its pupils like slits leading into an abyss.

The driver swung the car crank to drive the cat away, but the cat remained motionless, fixating on Yegorov.

“Wait,” Yegorov stopped the driver, “Don’t we have canned fish? Open two for it.”

The driver was shocked: “From Factory 651? That’s the latest product, very popular.”

The new type of canned factory 651, constructed with Federation-supported technology, produced fish cans that received widespread praise from the entire military, even exchanged privately for alcohol.

Yegorov: “Give it the cans, once the car’s heat dissipates, it’ll leave.”

“Yes.”

Yegorov entered the Headquarters, peered at the newly hung map: “Good, Headquarters is only fifteen kilometers from the Prosen border, we finally broke through.”

The Chief of Staff said: “Don’t even think about going to the Oder River side, the Prosens set up observation posts and radio listening stations on the other side, they seem to use some triangulation method to locate our radio signals and then launch artillery strikes.

“If you are spotted at the front line, it’s a death sentence! I can’t bear the Marshal’s wrath.”

Yegorov chuckled: “I won’t go. But Chief of Staff, once we cross the river, it’s Prosen territory. Don’t say the guerrillas haven’t been cleared and halt the Headquarters’ advance!

“While operating within enemy territory, Headquarters can’t be far from the troops, or there’s no time to respond to emergencies.”

The Chief of Staff could only say: “We will certainly move forward in good time, don’t worry.”

Yegorov sat down, suddenly laughed: “If we honestly stay behind, perhaps the Division Commander will charge forward himself, and when he does, don’t stop me! I’m advancing on reconnaissance to cover for the Division Commander, understand?”

The Chief of Staff looked even more worried.

——–

Before the plane landed, Wang Zhong leaned against the porthole and saw the Oder River to the west.

It’s the traditional boundary between Melania and Prosen, but after Prosen annexed Melania, they drove all the Melanians living on the east bank of the Oder River away, where exactly is unknown, the Ante Military and Tribunal have yet to find out.

Many speculate that these Melanians have been massacred.

Prosens migrated a large number of Prosen civilians, occupying the east bank of the Oder River.

The Prosens’ intention was to use the fortress city group on the east bank of the Oder River to stall if the Empire’s core area was threatened.

Wang Zhong switched to an overhead view, seeing most of the towns on the east bank looked different from ordinary Melanian towns, with most of the town signs in Prosenese.

The plane’s landing airport was located within these “Prosenized” cities.

After delivering Wang Zhong to the front line, Tsar Olga would take the refueled plane back to the capital.

Once Wang Zhong landed, he saw Popov’s bald head and immediately asked: “Pavlov didn’t come?”

“He’s too busy, you know, the original orderly reinforcement plan went haywire due to our unexpected progress.”

Unexpected progress meant the light infantry’s penetration unexpectedly crumbled the enemy’s defenses.

Wang Zhong: “It’s fine he didn’t come, I need to see the front line.”

Popov: “What? At least take a tank. I’ll arrange for a Rocossov Type II.”

Wang Zhong: “Type II is in production?”

“Yes, it’s already being equipped on a small scale, with receiving units generally reporting that after expanding the cannon caliber to 122mm, loading is significantly more laborious, and the firing rate has slowed.

“Many tank operators feel it’s still better to use the 100mm cannon.”

Wang Zhong: “If the Rocossov Type II performs poorly on the battlefield, we’ll consider modifying its design.”

A brief pause followed, then he continued: “The priority now is to understand the enemy’s deployment across the river. To achieve this, I must immediately visit the front line for observation.”

Popov watched Wang Zhong leave swiftly after finishing speaking, murmuring: “Damn, Pavlov’s going to be furious.”

He looked up to find Tsar Olga watching him from the gangway, smiling playfully.

“Don’t worry,” Olga said, “My brother’s life is so resilient even the Grim Reaper can’t take him. If the Grim Reaper truly seeks him, he’ll surely shatter the Reaper’s skull with his submachine gun and rip its robe in two.”

Popov: “Saint Andrew said something similar, yet he passed away. Forget it, I also believe the Marshal is under great fortune’s protection.

“This could be a phenomenon produced by some scientific law we haven’t discovered yet.

“Anyway, at this point, we should ‘believe in science.’

——–

Wang Zhong rode a Jeep towards the river, soon entering the first town with a strong Prosen style.

He then discovered a heap of corpses hanging from the street lamps beside the road.

He immediately ordered the Jeep to stop, asking the priest organizing the handling of the bodies: “What’s going on? Aren’t these towns supposed to be full of Prosens? Weren’t the Melanians exterminated?”

The priest saw it was Marshal Rocossov and quickly saluted: “Reporting to the Marshal, these are Prosens. They were hanged with labeled signs.”

Vasily picked up a sign and translated the Prosenese writing: “I refused to let my child die for Prosen, I’m a traitor to the motherland.”

Wang Zhong: “Their last madness, truly damnable.”

He then saw a series of child-sized corpses on the roadside and walked over.

The children all wore military uniforms a size too large, a boy’s pants were too long, with the cuffs rolled multiple times, gathering at the pants’ bottom.

Wang Zhong: “Is it common for Prosens to use children as soldiers?”

“No, Marshal, maybe because these families only moved here after Melania fell, most are newlyweds without children. We checked the city mayor’s registry, the city had 12 children over 11 years old, all lie there.

“Their uniforms indicate they belong to the People’s Self-defense Team, most members are adult males, while some are adult females.”

Wang Zhong nodded and asked: “Were the children killed by machine guns?”

“Yes, they attempted to attack our tank with a rocket launcher and were killed by the tank’s machine gun and accompanying infantry’s submachine guns.”

Wang Zhong simply nodded. This can’t be helped. If not killed, they would have been killed themselves, so these children had to be sent to death, a crime committed by those who forced them to the battlefield.

Wang Zhong: “Let’s move on to the river and see what Prosen’s land is like.”

Vasily: “Maybe it’s a terrifying country filled with skulls, where rivers flow with blood.”

Wang Zhong: “You’re describing Hell, aren’t you?”