Having decided to visit the Ordnance Department, Wang Zhong planned to finish the school’s procedures quickly.
So, he scanned the entire tactical training room and asked, “Any more questions? Feel free to ask, my gun is on safety.”
Many students began to laugh. From their appearance, it was impossible to tell whether they were nobility or commoners. However, Maslo Boyev and the group of students around him laughed most uninhibitedly, leading Wang Zhong to surmise that they were of commoner origin.
Students with grim expressions, on the other hand, were gathered around Duke Aleksei Petrovich Valkov—if one was an heir, according to Ante’s custom, they would be referred to by their father’s title as long as the father was still alive.
Wang Zhong, observing the scene, immediately grasped the complexity of Ante’s current situation.
He decided that when the visit ended and he returned to the principal’s office, he would have a thorough discussion with Vice Principal Valeriy about the tensions between the noble and commoner students.
Wang Zhong: “No more questions?”
At that moment, Maslo Boyev raised his hand: “General! Did you really kill that many enemy generals?”
“No. I can confirm two that I killed, one that was wounded, and the rest were prisoners taken during a series of counter-attacks I led in November. I haven’t killed many enemy generals, but I’ve caught quite a few,” Wang Zhong replied, then added after a pause, “When we encircle and annihilate them by the hundreds of thousands, there will be even more of their generals taken prisoner.
Eventually, we’ll also have to capture their Emperor Reinhard.”
Excitedly, Maslo Boyev asked, “Will you execute Emperor Reinhard with a firing squad?”
Wang Zhong instinctively wanted to say that Reinhard would be publicly tried and then executed upon capture, but in the moment before he spoke, he remembered the faces of many who had passed away.
He then recalled a movie he loved as a child called “The Guerrillas of the Plains,” which featured a child who always played with a bullet until the child was brutally killed by the enemy.
The protagonist, Li Xiangyang, kept that bullet until the end of the film, when he finally loaded it into his shotgun.
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Wang Zhong was always deeply impressed by this scene and did not forget it even as he grew up.
Reinhard, you’d better resist to the very end, and then let me personally put an end to you, son of a bitch.
To hell with procedural justice; this is a matter of national and personal vendetta, as well as my own private hatred.
“Yes,” he said, “I will personally finish him off.”
As his words fell, thunderous applause broke out, even the noble-born students clapped.
Wang Zhong: “Any other questions?”
“General, will you marry Her Majesty Olga I?”
“No,” Wang Zhong denied decisively, “My fiancée has been fighting alongside me until now, and I would not betray her, just as I would not betray Mother Ante.”
Instead of applause, there was a buzz of whispers as it seemed that these children, who had never been to the frontlines, were still very interested in gossip—no, those who had been to the frontlines liked gossip too.
Wang Zhong slapped the table: “Any other questions? Military-related!”
However, everyone seemed only interested in the general’s family life.
Wang Zhong thought for a moment, feeling that there would be plenty of time later to pass on his real combat experiences to them, then said, “Since you have no more questions, let’s call it a day. Continue with the map exercises, following the enemy characteristics I just described!”
With that, Wang Zhong turned and headed straight for the door, with the professors hurriedly following.
Just as Wang Zhong stepped out, a Judge approached and saluted, “Respected Principal, I am a representative from Tribunal at the Suvorov Military Academy. Regarding the young Duke Alexei Petrovich Valkov and his father, they have been under our close watch.
“However, as we have recently executed many of those in the surrender faction, the higher-ups have judged it best to delay any action to avoid further loss of control of the situation. Therefore, we are only to take action when we find definite evidence of their collaboration with Prosen.”
Wang Zhong nodded.
He could already imagine what capturing the surrender faction had been like; after all, he had personally executed General Skorobo, who had not been flagged in red by an external mark, so he probably was not a spy. But now he was.
Professor Valeriy, who had come out with him, heard the words of the Tribunal representative and immediately took a step back.
The representative grinned at him and said, “Vice Principal Valeriy, we can be sure of your loyalty.”
Valeriy breathed a sigh of relief, then regained his composure and said to Wang Zhong, “Shall we continue the campus tour?”
Wang Zhong nodded.
————
Afterwards, Wang Zhong visited the entire campus, where he discovered that the Armored Troops training grounds at the Suvorov Military Academy were quite small, and their training equipment was the T35 tank—a multi-turret, vulnerable machine.
When Wang Zhong inquired about the training equipment, Vice Principal Valeriy assured him that T26 and BT7 tanks would soon be delivered.
Compared to the modest armored training facilities, the Military Academy had very comprehensive cavalry training infrastructure, with courses covering everything from quality horse breeding to cavalry tactics.
Although cavalry had indeed played a significant role in the recent Karanskaya counteroffensive, and Wang Zhong himself had been helped by cavalry twice, this branch’s utility was essentially on an “if needed” basis.
When Wang Zhong asked about the cavalry, Vice Principal Valeriy said, “Our emphasis on armored troops only started after Tukhachev became the Chief of Staff. Before that, our main military thought was that cavalry was the decisive factor and tanks were like enhanced versions of the armored cars used during the Civil War—just fortified machine-gun carts.”
Well, Ante was even more behind the times than I thought.
The last stop of the visit was the principal’s office.
As soon as Wang Zhong entered the principal’s office, he saw a large empty space on the wall, and the color of the plaster in that spot was clearly lighter than the surrounding area, indicating that a painting had once hung there.
So he pointed to the empty space and asked, “What happened here?”
Professor Valery replied, “Well, normally, a full-length portrait of the principal would hang here. Your predecessor and you were not on good terms, and he refused the offer to continue teaching, so he retired and returned home.”
Wang Zhong questioned, “How can this be allowed? Was he a level six bureaucrat?”
Professor Valery replied with some embarrassment, “We are all soldiers.”
Wang Zhong pressed, “Then he is retired now, isn’t he? Does he have a job locally? What level is that job?”
Valery looked up at the ceiling as if trying to recollect the bureaucratic ranking, and after a moment said, “I really don’t know. According to the ranks, the former principal should have been a level five bureaucrat.”
Wang Zhong was pleased and said, “That’s even better. Quickly invite him to my City Defense Command to serve as a bureaucrat! No, my Ordnance Committee also needs bureaucrats – get him to come over.”
After the old school director had joined Wang Zhong’s staff office, Pavlov’s complexion visibly improved.
These old guys with a lot of bureaucratic experience were treasures, all of them brought in to handle documents and stamp approvals. Continue your journey on m|v-l’e -NovelFull.net
If he wasn’t cut out for military affairs, they simply wouldn’t let him deal with military matters.
Professor Valery was clearly embarrassed, “Really, should we do this? Wouldn’t this be too insulting?”
Wang Zhong replied, “How can serving the mother of Ante be an insult? Watch your words!”
Professor Valery then said, “But… please don’t send a Judge to ‘invite’ him…”
Wang Zhong countered, “If I don’t send a Judge, will he come out of retirement?”
Valery fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “Let me write him a letter to persuade him first, may I?”
Wang Zhong spoke slyly, “Write a letter, and I’ll have the Judge bring it with him to invite the man.”
Vice-Principal Professor Valery requested, “Then… please allow me to make a phone call to him first.”
Wang Zhong agreed, “Make sure you tell him, if he runs, then it’s confirmed that he’s a traitor, a Prosen spy. Tell him to wait at home.”
Wang Zhong wasn’t returning triumphantly to bully others; he mainly wanted to see just how capable a level five bureaucrat was.
A level six was already capable of sorting out all the miscellaneous things in a division, directing the entire staff office. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what a level five would be like.
Professor Valery looked worried, seemingly having misunderstood. His expression even carried a hint of sorrow for the misfortune of another.
Wang Zhong pretended not to notice and pointed to the empty space where the frame had been, “What about this? It doesn’t look good empty.”
Professor Valery responded promptly, “We could have a portrait painted for you. We have already contacted an artist; as soon as you have some free time, he can start.”
Wang Zhong shook his head, “I don’t have the time. Instead, have the artist go to my division headquarters at Kubinka, find my official car and my beloved horse Bucephalus, and paint the two of them together to hang in this room.”
“Certainly, I will notify the artist,” said Professor Valery.
Wang Zhong turned his attention to the other decorations in the room, but soon found them boring, and suggested, “Take away all these paintings, and hang a map for me instead, a complete map of Ante, and it would be best to include the entirety of Prosen.”
“Yes,” answered Valery.
Wang Zhong looked southward, observing the vast equestrian grounds of the Suvorov Military Academy through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, and beyond that, the royal woodlands.
Wang Zhong declared, “The equestrian field outside should be completely converted to an armored training ground, with all horse riding and cavalry-related courses moved to a nearby horse farm. There is a horse farm nearby, isn’t there?”
“Yes, we have one specifically for supplying us with horses,” replied Valery with utmost respect.
Wang Zhong nodded, then approached the desk and saw three telephone sets. He inquired, “What does each of these telephones correspond to?”
“The red one has a direct line to the Summer Palace…”
Wang Zhong watched the red telephone, as if fearing it might suddenly ring.
Valery continued, “The two black phones are ordinary lines, using two different lines so you won’t miss any important calls.”
Wang Zhong asked, “I see there’s a dial on this telephone; do I have to dial the numbers myself?”
“No, you can simply ask the operator to connect you to the place you wish to call.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhong immediately picked up the receiver of the black telephone, “Operator, connect me to the headquarters of the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division at Kubinka.”
“Certainly,” a pleasant female voice responded.
Shortly after, Pavlov’s voice came through, “1st Guards Motor Rifle, go ahead.”
Wang Zhong spoke, “It’s me. Do we still have any of the enemy’s Mark III G and Mark IV E tanks that we captured?”
Pavlov replied, “Yes, General. We also have the Mark III assault guns. We sent three of each model to the Ordnance Department as is, and we’ve kept the rest. Did I do the right thing?”
Wang Zhong affirmed, “You did exactly right. Now, send one of each to the Suvorov Military Academy. I need them tomorrow—no, the day after tomorrow. I want to personally show the cadets the excellent tank design of the enemy. Also, send over one T-34 and one T-34 W.”
Pavlov acknowledged, “Understood. They will be delivered before the day after tomorrow.”