Arc of Gunfire

General Hawke retreated to his new headquarters 20 kilometers outside the city. While taking off his coat, he asked his subordinates: "Has the supervision line been set up?"

"Okay, let's arrange the armored forces occupying the headquarters along the battle line. The defeated troops calmed down when they saw the tanks and armored vehicles."

General Hawke: "Of course we will calm down. Gather the troops, restore the organization, and prepare for counterattack. All the idle staff from the headquarters will work in pairs, and they will be paired with a driver to collect information from the broken troops.

"I want to find out what happened last night, how it happened, and why I moved from the comfort of the occupation headquarters to this shabby house overnight."

As he spoke, General Hawke looked up at the ceiling of the new headquarters.

The walls of this house are made of bricks and stone, but the roof is made of wood. This is the configuration of Melania’s common farmhouse.

General Hawke: "A 105mm grenade could easily penetrate this house and kill us all!"

Adjutant: "I will organize and strengthen the ceiling."

"Don't worry, set up the phone lines first and resume command functions."

Now the entire headquarters has just retreated, and many functions have not been restored, so the general ordered the staff to stabilize the troops and understand the situation, because now they can only be in a daze at the headquarters and can't do anything.

The adjutant was about to leave when General Hawke suddenly remembered something and stopped him: "To restore the telephone line, we must clarify the priorities. Prioritize restoring contact with the front line, the airport, and the radar station. Contact with the rear is not so important, because we can use telegrams." Report the situation to the headquarters!”

The adjutant understood: "I understand."

————

Melania's capital, Vistula river beach.

A Wave 2 biplane bomber fell from the sky and tried to land on the river beach. As a result, the wheels got stuck in the mud as soon as it touched the ground, and the plane also moved forward to the ground.

The propeller tried to struggle at first, kicking up a lot of mud spots, and then water entered the engine's exhaust pipe. After a few muffled sounds, the plane became quiet.

The female pilot in the driver's seat said to the two big men from the United States crowded in the gunner's seat: "We are here."

Reporter Mike climbed out of the plane with difficulty, stepped on the wing spars and slid to the ground, and said to the pilot: "I thought the landing would be smoother."

"Just be content. On average, there will be one such failure every four landings. And you named me because my last three landings were all smooth. From a probability perspective, I should be unlucky."

Mike: "I can't even refute it."

At this time, people dressed as civilians poked their heads out of the embankment by the river and shouted in Ant language: "Do you need help?"

Mike reporters noticed that this man had a band wrapped around his arm, which should be the identification band of Melania’s guerrilla uprising.

Mike: "We are reporters from the United States and want to interview Marshal Rokossov. Do you know where he is?"

Guerrillas: "Then you must be late. The marshal has gone to the radio station. There are always reporters from the United Kingdom there."

"What?"

Mike looked back at his partner who had just climbed out of the plane - his partner had photography equipment and came out relatively slowly.

Partner: "There is no exclusive. I suggest that we film the atrocities committed by Prosen first. The atrocities are more eye-catching and suitable for selling war bonds. The authorities will like them."

Mike: "You're right."

————

The flash came on, and Wang Zhong immediately turned around to look. He thought it was his old acquaintance, Old Mike, who ran faster than anyone else to grab news, but it turned out to be a guy he didn't recognize.

"Who are you?"

The photographer immediately straightened up and took out his business card: "I am the United Kingdom's special commissioner stationed here, responsible for conveying the information of the uprising to the United Kingdom."

Wang Zhong: "Did you just record Hellman's last moments?"

"Of course, what I have been waiting for is the moment when this hero dies. I originally wanted to name this photo 'Elegy,' but now I want to call it 'Hope.'"

The special correspondent suddenly laughed: "Prime Minister Leonard will be furious when he sees the photo. You unexpectedly came over like this. He originally wanted to consume more of your vitality."

Wang Zhong: "He has succeeded. It is true that we have been unstoppable along the way, but the losses have also been huge. After all, most of our soldiers who participated in the assault did not have a few bullets.

"These last 30 kilometers were broken with blood and life. If another international conference is held this year, I will give Prime Minister Leonard a big slap in the face, and then I will tell him to say goodbye to the empire on which the sun never sets. , Prossen has indeed committed numerous crimes, but the sun never sets on the Empire, and you should all be swept into the dustbin of history!”

The special commissioner suppressed a sentence: "We are allies..."

"Oh, really? When you were planning to use Melania's uprising to force our exhausted army, did you ever think that we were allies?

"Since Prime Minister Leonard is already thinking about the war, it's okay for us to think about the war, right? When you send the photo back, tell Leonard by the way that we have to move on and regain Melania After completing the whole territory, we will go straight to the Oder River, occupy Prosonia, and then sweep the entire Prossen Empire.

"We will meet up with the Allies in Alsace."

Originally Wang Zhong wanted to go to Paris, but when he thought about it carefully, Prossen might not be able to defend Paris.

However, according to the current situation, the location of the meeting may not be the Elbe River in the history of the earth.

So Wang Zhong said a Salsas, that is, based on the border lines of Prossen and Carolingian.

Next, we should consider landing in the Fuso Empire.

Special Commissioner: "Will your troops not rest?"

"Rest? Of course, we will rest, but considering your turtle-like speed on the Western Front, when we resume the attack, you are still struggling in the urban cluster outside Paris!

"Just tell that Leonard!"

The special commissioner nodded: "I will."

At this time, an Ante soldier rode over on horseback and saluted Wang Zhong on horseback: "Comrade Marshal, we found a large amount of Melania treasure in the warehouse of the Plossen military camp!"

Wang Zhong: "What treasure? It is the historical relics of the Melania people! Protect it and don't let anyone approach it. Let the Melania guerrillas also select trustworthy people to join the alert. When the Melania people repair the museum, they will be sent back."

"Yes!"

After the messenger left, Wang Zhong looked at the Melania people: "After Hermann's death, who will be your leader? I mean, who keeps his word?"

"It may be me. "A guerrilla fighter stood up, "The leaders of the guerrillas are almost all dead. At this time--"

The guerrilla fighter suddenly stopped talking and looked at Wang Zhong with hostility.

Wang Zhong turned around and saw several well-dressed Melania people walking towards this side.

The United Kingdom's special envoy introduced: "These are the members of the Melania Uprising Committee. The one walking in front is the chairman."

Wang Zhong: "They betrayed Hermann?"

Special envoy: "They will find an excuse."

The leader opened his arms: "Your Excellency Marshal!"

Wang Zhong pulled out a pistol: "Stop! I suspect you are a Proson spy and want to assassinate me!"

The leader was stunned: "What? The special envoy can prove our identity!"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, he said that you are the traitors who betrayed Hermann and sold out the Melania guerrillas who are still fighting! You must have received instructions from the Gestapo to assassinate me, leaving my army leaderless and facilitating their counterattack! "

"It's unfair! We left early to keep the fire alive so that we can make a comeback later!"

Wang Zhong: "Look around you. If you fail this time, there won't be a single guerrilla fighter left in the entire capital, not even a single Melania. The precious backbone forces will be completely destroyed. How can you make a comeback!

"You abandoned the people at the most critical moment. If it weren't for Hermann, the entire uprising would have fallen into chaos! You are guilty of heinous crimes!"

The leader stared with wide eyes and hesitated for a long time, and suddenly became tough: "I am the chairman recognized by all members of the resistance movement! If you shoot me, you will be against all Melania people!"

Wang Zhong pulled the trigger and shot the shameless guy in the knee, making him kneel to the ground.

"Really?" Wang Zhong looked at the Melania guerrillas next to him, "I shot him, do any of you want to be my enemy?"

No guerrillas responded, and some even smiled gloatingly.

Wang Zhong: "It seems that no one wants to stand on your side. Of course, as a messenger of justice, I will follow procedural justice. Come on, lock them all up first, and let the Melania people judge them after we stop the counterattack of the Prosons!"

At this time, the guerrilla who just said "I am the commander" stepped forward: "No need, we only saw a group of traitors."

He raised his submachine gun, and the other guerrillas immediately followed suit.

The group of committee members saw that the situation was not good, so they turned around and ran. The sound of submachine gun shooting rang out, and the bullets caught up with them and knocked them to the ground.

Because he was shot in the leg, His Excellency the Chairman did not run away. At this time, he became the only survivor, kneeling on the ground and trembling.

Wang Zhong stepped forward: "On behalf of Melania's people and Herman, I will shoot you!"

He raised his pistol, pointed it at the chairman's forehead, and pulled the trigger.

The special envoy's flash flashed: "Marshal Rokossov's pistol has killed two generals and one chairman."

Wang Zhong was about to reply when he heard a horse neighing.

He looked back and saw Vasily riding a white horse galloping from a distance.

The horse was indeed Bucephalus, and it stopped directly in front of Wang Zhong, making a "snorting" sound.

Vasily: "General, after you landed, the groom came to me and said that Bucephala was crazy and they couldn't handle him. I hurried over, saddled him, and rode over."

Wang Zhong: "Really? You came just in time. I want to organize a simple staff and prepare to organize defense. The first task is to collect the weapons left by the scattered Prosen soldiers, count the ammunition in various ammunition depots, and reorganize the remaining guerrillas."

Vassily was originally smiling, but now his smile froze: "Do I do it all?"

Wang Zhong: "You can find staff and clerks to help you do it yourself. You can use local materials. Look, there are people around."

Vassily looked around blankly.

Bucephala twisted his neck 180 degrees, looking at Vasily on the saddle, as if he was laughing.

————

Filipov followed the troops across the Vistula River Bridge.

Seeing the scene on the west bank, he couldn't help but slow down.

Misha walked beside him and muttered, "Oh my god, this is too tragic."

The entire block near the bridge defense position was burned flat, and few of the remaining broken walls were taller than a person.

The survivors were carrying bodies out of the ruins.

While walking, Filippov suddenly saw a broken piano dragged to the center of the intersection. A ragged young man was sitting in front of the piano, playing Dvorak's "New World".

The piano was quite damaged, almost no note was accurate, and many keys did not make any sound at all, so this famous piece of Dvorak became weird.

But the young man played it without any care, as if his passion could make up for the missing notes.

The Sten submachine gun on his back had slipped to his buttocks, and kept hitting the chair as he played passionately, making people worry about whether it would go off accidentally.

Filippov stopped, stood next to the piano, took out the harmonica, and played impromptu, trying to make up for the missing notes of the piano.

The young musician glanced at Filippov and said something in Melania. Filippov did not hear it clearly, but the music crossed the language barrier.

Then the sound of violin joined in, and the blonde girl stood in the ruins, playing the well-preserved violin.

When the song ended, the crowd around applauded.

At this time, a middle-aged man with a big belly stepped forward and spoke in tenor.

He sang a toast song, turned the rifle in his hand upside down, and used the butt as a microphone.

The young guerrillas pulled the girl to join the revelry, hooked their arms together, danced a dance that was completely inconsistent with the drinking song, and spun in circles.

Someone shouted: "Bambino, what are you dancing to? This is a drinking song, you have to dance a waltz!"

"I can't do it!" The young man shouted, "Just make do!"

Everyone laughed, and seemed to have temporarily forgotten the ruins behind them and their deceased relatives.

————

Reporter Mike: "Did you take it?"

Photographer Robert: "I took it, but the photo is not impactful enough. I brought this!"

As he said this, he took out the camera from the big bag on his body, quickly loaded the film, and started to shoot with the hand-cranked wheel.

Mike: "Great! Great! This video will definitely be preserved forever as a precious historical archive! Give me the camera, I'll see if I can challenge the Pulitzer Prize."

He took off his partner's camera and started looking for an angle.

With the sound of the shutter, this scene was captured on the film.

Mike walked around the small intersection, trying to capture the crowd, the ruins, and the weapons on their bodies.

He had even thought of the name of the photo.

"Liberation".

There is no more appropriate name than this.