After leaving the Summer Palace, Wang Zhong, General Golikov, and their entourage headed straight for the airport and boarded the Li-2 transport plane that was waiting there.
This Li-2 transport plane looked a bit like the personal aircraft of another principal in “The Great Battle,” probably because the Li-2 was used in the movie.
It’s just like in World War II movies where they fit a wooden shell over a T34 tank turret to portray a Tiger tank.
As soon as Principal Wang Zhong got on the plane, he couldn’t help but fantasize about aerial troop deployment—no, rather he imagined himself flying in the sky, using cheats to spot every enemy headquarters and then ordering the artillery to “biu” each one in turn.
As soon as General Golikov took his seat, he asked the flight attendant, “Do you have that black drink provided by the Federation aid?”
Wang Zhong: “Black carbonated drink.”
General Golikov: “Do you like it too? Is that a variant of champagne? It tastes quite different from the sparkling wine we produce.”
Caviar, sparkling wine, and Doctor’s sausage are the triad with which the Church bribes the hearts of the grassroots. The inclusion of sparkling wine is because, before the civil war, sparkling wines like champagne, just like caviar, symbolized the lifestyle of nobility, out of reach for the common people.
Thus, after the civil war, the Church desperately increased production of caviar and sparkling wine. Coupled with the cheap and affordable Doctor’s sausage, they dominated the dining tables of the populace, first filling their stomachs, and then naturally gaining their support.
However, sparkling wine, unlike caviar and Doctor’s sausage, did not receive such widespread approval; the Ante people preferred vodka, considering sparkling wine too effeminate for their tastes.
There’s a saying: if after drinking sparkling wine, one lacks the courage to wrestle with a bear, then what’s the use of such a drink?
Now facing General Golikov’s question, Wang Zhong shrugged his shoulders, “The principle is somewhat similar, but they used different formulations.”
General Golikov seemed surprised: “You don’t know either? I thought nobles would be aware.”
Wang Zhong shrugged his shoulders: “If you knew about me, you’d know that I, as a noble, am not quite like the usual kind.”
“There are rumors which make you out to be no different from the common wastrel,” said General Golikov as the cola was served.
The General immediately took a large gulp from the bottle: “Hmm, it’s far from champagne. But it’s tasty and it clears the mind when you drink it.”
Wang Zhong thought to himself that was because the cola of this era indeed contained caffeine.
After drinking three sips of the “black champagne,” General Golikov changed the topic: “I read the booklet you compiled for the Suvorov Military Academy. It’s quite good as a sharing of experience, but as teaching material for the academy, it’s somewhat lacking in systemization. You can’t teach students with this.”
Wang Zhong: “I have already compiled a systematic textbook, which I will give to you once it is printed.”
General Golikov smiled: “Good, I’ll be waiting. Now, regarding the enemy’s offensive next year, we all agree that they will launch an offensive on the southern front during the summer. How are we going to withstand their onslaught?”
Wang Zhong: “I believe that with our current level of tactics and strategy, it’s not feasible to go head-to-head with the enemy on the steppes.”
General Golikov nodded too: “We can’t beat the Prussians’ elite tank operators; that’s a fact. Your model division wouldn’t be able to beat them either, right?”
Wang Zhong: “If we set up defensive positions in advance, we can achieve a 1 to 1 casualty ratio, or even slightly better.”
Wang Zhong had tried taking the offensive at Loktov, and even though they had an advantage in armor-piercing rounds, they almost got wiped out by the enemy.
Just as General Golikov was about to respond, the flight attendant came over and announced, “We’re ready to take off.”
“Good,” Wang Zhong and the General answered together.
General Golikov looked at Wang Zhong and said, “Thank goodness it’s a short trip. The flight back from Saint Andrew Fort nearly killed me.”
Wang Zhong smiled.
General Golikov continued: “We can’t match them in armor, so next summer we can only retreat and use the wilderness between the two industrial belts.”
A characteristic of Ante is the vast open spaces between the longitudinal industrial belts along the great rivers, areas with relatively poor infrastructure.
The General gestured to his aide-de-camp, who immediately handed over a map.
Wang Zhong, liking the gesture, also made a sign to Vasily. Vasily looked around and then placed his hand in Wang Zhong’s palm.
Wang Zhong dropped Vasily’s paw: “Are you a dog or something?”
“I thought hard but couldn’t figure out what you wanted!”
General Golikov burst into laughter, but then quickly became serious, pointing at the map and saying: “All this is steppe. Although there are a few railway hub towns, the overall infrastructure of this large area isn’t that great.
“I think to counter the enemy’s offensive next summer, we can yield this large area to them and then meet the enemy forces here.”
General Golikov drew a line across the map at the Valdai Hills River with a pencil.
Wang Zhong: “That’s possible. If we maintain a heavy troop concentration on this line, the enemy will likely hesitate to push south, because the steppe offers no natural defenses, for either side.
“If they ignore our troop concentration, we can cut through their rear like this.”
Wang Zhong dipped his finger in some water and drew a line on the map.
General Golikov: “The most intense and decisive battle will happen somewhere along the Valdai Hills River, but unfortunately, we cannot yet determine where exactly.”
Wang Zhong: “There’s also a possibility of holding the Coastal Fortress, so I predict that fierce combat will erupt in the area between the Coastal Fortress and Bolsk to the northeast.”
He drew on the map with a pencil.
Bolsk, Duke Meishikin’s forces had retreated that way. If Duke Meishikin gained a higher command, perhaps he could indeed block the enemy there.
General Golikov nodded: “That would be the best-case scenario. If we could block the enemy at the Coastal Fortress-Bolsk line, our situation would greatly improve.
“The safety of the transport line from Bahara-Balas through the Inland Sea would be secured.”
Wang Zhong joked: “This transport line carries nearly all of our tea supplies; the consequences would be unimaginable if it were cut off by the Prussians.”
General Golikov laughed heartily.
Wang Zhong: “Of course, I know that the most important cargo on that transport line is rubber. But given the current rate of retreat by the Federation, soon there will be no more rubber plantations on the islands.”
General Golikov: “Yes. No matter what, we must hold out next summer.”
Wang Zhong: “I hope my troops can have more than half a year’s training.”
General Gorky: “Then we can only hope that Duke Meishikin holds out a bit longer.”
Wang Zhong: “Duke Meishikin?”
“Yes, he should be appointed as the Commander of the Coastal Front Army. How could you, the son of a cobbler, be less informed about this matter than I am?”
Wang Zhong shrugged: “I don’t pay attention to these things.”
The two continued discussing topics like the frontline, the enemy’s inevitable offensive next summer, and the formation of new troops, until the plane landed at a makeshift airport.
When the plane was landing, Wang Zhong felt as if the wheels had hit a stone; the whole plane shook as if it were about to fall apart.
After getting off the plane, Wang Zhong only saw a few jeeps waiting and not a single high-ranking officer in sight.
General Gorky cursed: “I’m the new Commander of the Front Army, and this is the welcome I get?”
Wang Zhong: “Maybe they’re afraid of the gun I’m carrying. If they came to meet us, they might get splattered right on the airfield.”
Gorky turned to ask: “Would you?”
Wang Zhong: “Not sure. We’ll see when the time comes.”
At that moment, the Major who came to receive them saluted: “Greetings to you both.”
General Gorky casually returned the salute and directly boarded the jeep.
Wang Zhong took the seat next to the general, only to find that the co-driver’s seat had already been taken by General Gorky’s aide-de-camp, leaving Vasily with nowhere to sit.
Wang Zhong: “Vasily, you’re so young, just stand on the footboard.”
“You’re right.” Vasily immediately stood on the footboard, hand on his gun holster, looking like a mobster from Chicago leaving the scene of a big event.
The motorcade started and headed straight for the headquarters of the Western Front Army.
Upon entering the town where the headquarters was located, Wang Zhong saw from afar a group of staff officers burning documents.
As the motorcade approached, the staff officers stopped and watched it pass.
The soldiers in the town, including the anti-aircraft gun units, the Divine Arrow units responsible for air defense, and the headquarters guard regiment, also halted.
The soldiers all watched the motorcade.
Before the car came to a complete stop, Vasily jumped down from the footboard and shouted, “Stop burning the files! We’re not retreating!”
The staff officers looked at each other.
Then Wang Zhong got out of the car, sweeping a sharp gaze around him.
Immediately, a soldier recognized him: “It’s Rocossov! The Iron Wall of the Empire has arrived!”
“Look, Rocossov is here!”
“Is he here to command us?”
“How is he only a Major General? A Major General can’t command a Front Army, can he?”
At that moment, General Gorky got out of the car, looking at the ones who were speaking.
“It’s General Gorky, the general who held back the enemy at the Saint Andrew Front Army!”
“The two generals best at defense from Ante have arrived!”
“Is one going to be the Commander of the Front Army and the other the Chief of Staff?”
Wang Zhong frowned, thinking, spare me, for heaven’s sake; I’m not going to be the Chief of Staff. Let Pavlov do it!
General Gorky, raising his voice, said, “Stop burning the documents! The enemy is just making a localized counter-attack; they don’t mean to launch a full-scale offense! What are you doing, getting frightened like this!”
Wang Zhong grabbed a staff officer and asked, “Where is your Commander? — No, your former Commander?”
The staff officer glanced at the pistol on Wang Zhong’s waist and swallowed before sheepishly saying, “He… He’s inside.”
Wang Zhong and General Gorky exchanged a look, and the latter gestured with his hand, “You go.”
Wang Zhong then strode into the headquarters building, making his way to the map room.
Tukhachev sat in his chair like a deflated ball, with a staff officer beside him taking down maps from the wall.
Wang Zhong: “Hold on, don’t take down the maps! The new Commander will need them!”
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The staff officer stopped in surprise.
Tukhachev suddenly looked up: “New Commander?”
Wang Zhong: “General Gorky Konstantinovich. And I am the Emperor’s plenipotentiary, specially here to understand the situation!”
Wang Zhong paused, then stepped forward and slapped Tukhachev: “You fool, during the attack you were an opportunist, an adventurist! And at the slightest setback, you immediately turned to defeatism! Without even properly assessing the enemy’s movements, you thought of fleeing while the front line was still fighting!
“If you had spent a moment thinking, you would have realized that the enemy’s counter-attack is aimed at leveling the frontline, not devouring your Front Army!”
Tukhachev looked at Wang Zhong: “I… I… just didn’t want to lose so many troops! I just…”
Wang Zhong: “Then you were prepared to hand over the gains of the counter-attack just like that? You fool!”