Arc of Fire

Chapter 631: Chapter 73 Victory

The surrender ceremony over here.

Popov was expressing his dissatisfaction, “What do you mean? If it had been last winter, I could understand if you thought General Winter defeated you. But this year, we won the victory through a fight to the death. Do you know how bad it was when we first arrived?”

Wang Zhong patted Popov’s shoulder, “Don’t be like that, I guess it was General Frederick

"It was a Marshal.” said the head of the surrender delegation. “He was promoted to Marshal yesterday.”

Wang Zhong, “Alright, that Marshal Frederick, I guess he wanted to use his suicide to secure the safety of the families of you surrendering people, right?”

All members of the delegation wore a look of shame.

"You see, you can understand from their expressions.” Wang Zhong patted Popov’s shoulder again, then addressed the delegation, “As the party that has been invaded, we will not erect a monument for any invader, but I promise that the Marshal’s body will return to his homeland in honor after the war and be handed over to his kin.”

The delegation leader was visibly moved, “You’re different from the rumors, a soldier with a sense of honor.”

Just as Wang Zhong was about to reply, a Prosen signaler came over with a radio, “Commander, the Marshal says

The words that followed turned into whispers; Wang Zhong could hear but not understand.

Reporter Mike laughed, “General, congratulations, you’re about to accept the surrender of a Marshal.”

Wang Zhong, “He didn’t die? Was there a problem with the gun or what?”

Mike shrugged, “I don’t know.”

At that moment, the head of the delegation awkwardly said to Wang Zhong, “General, the Marshal… The Marshal wishes to surrender to you at his own headquarters. What do you think… ”

Wang Zhong, “That’s fine, but you are now the leader of a defeated army, and I will go to headquarters to accept the Marshal’s personal surrender.”

Popov, “Isn’t that a bit improper? We are the victors!”

Wang Zhong, “Right, so I will ride my tank, with my Red Flag, and crush the bodies and helmets along the way with its roaring. I’ll also select a brave representative of the citizens of Abawahan to ride with us. That little Griff who guided me that day wouldn’t be bad. He also ꞦàꞐỖβЕŠ

Wang Zhong hesitated for a moment, but still asked, “Is he still alive?”

Popov, “Let me check, these kinds of kids like to run around, even the parish priest of his neighborhood doesn’t know if he’s alive.”

"I’m here!” Little Griff emerged from the crowd, raising his hand high, “I’m right here!”

Wang Zhong, “Good! As the representative of the brave citizens of Abawahan, you’ll ride on my tank to the Sixth Army Group headquarters of Prosen to accept Marshal Frederick’s surrender.”

Pavlov, “Your tank will be ready in twenty minutes; let’s conduct the surrender ceremony now. Have you brought the flag of the Sixth Army Group and the emblems and banners of the subordinate divisions?”

The leader of the delegation, “We have, they’re here.”

"Very well, these will be taken as war relics to the Ante War Museum. Maybe in the future, we’ll even set up a special… War of Defense Museum.” Pavlov spoke, while Mike’s partner kept snapping photos and an officer from the Front Army propaganda department filmed with a camera.

Wang Zhong, “Do we need to sign the surrender document?”

Pavlov, “We’ve already drafted the surrender document here; you must accept it entirely, or else we’re ready to fight again.”

The leader hesitated to speak and finally just nodded his head.

His pride seemed severely hurt.

Wang Zhong, “Ceres has an old saying, a defeated general shouldn’t speak of bravery. Take care of yourselves.”

The translator frowned when translating that saying, “How… How should this old saying be translated?”

Mike, “Let me do it.”

After he translated, the Prosens looked at each other confusedly, and finally, the leader awkwardly said, “We thank you for the lesson and understand. We will fully accept your terms.”

Pavlov pointed to a table that had already been prepared, “Then sign.”

…

Ten minutes later, tactical number 422 T34W tank arrived at the surrender site, the antenna of the tank flew the Red Flag that had followed Wang Zhong throughout the campaigns, and the infantry on the tank held another Red Flag.

Wang Zhong, puzzled, “What’s with another Red Flag?”

"It’s a gift from all the workers of the May 5th Factory,” the proud soldier holding the flag said, “The workers are thankful for your successful defense of their hometown.”

Wang Zhong climbed onto the tank and examined the new Red Flag closely, “Good, very good.”

The soldier added, “General, the workers hope this flag can be planted atop a symbolic building in Plowsonia. I asked which building, and they said they didn’t know, for you to decide.”

Wang Zhong laughed, “Alright, I will plant this flag at the highest point of the Prosen Royal Palace.”

Then turning around, he lifted little Griff onto the top of the tank and pointed to the now vacant seat of the tank commander, “Would you like to try being the commander?”

"Isn’t that your position?” Little Griff asked curiously.

Wang Zhong, “It’s a position for heroes! According to the official record of valour, you might not qualify for the Ante Hero, but in my eyes, you represent all the heroes, and it’s only right for you to sit there!”

Little Griff laughed, dove into the tank, but soon realized he couldn’t stick out his head standing inside, so he had to sit on the edge of the hatch.

Then Wang Zhong turned back, making sure that reporter Mike and the rest of the escorting guards had boarded other tanks before he patted the turret hatch, “Let’s go!”

"Understood!” the driver’s booming voice pierced through the engine’s roar.

The tank started up, black smoke billowing from the exhaust pipe, and the tracks crushed the snow beneath, leaving deep ruts.

May 5th Street was already full of people; the locals had emerged from their hiding places, embracing their neighbors who had also survived.

Some were still throwing stones at Prosen Soldiers, weeping as they did.

Finally, someone noticed tank number 422.

"It’s the Red Flag!”

"That young man on the tank, he’s got three stars!”

"It’s General Rocosov!”

"General Rocosov!”

Wang Zhong waved to the people with a smile.

Suddenly, a little girl with a bunch of flowers rushed over, holding the bouquet aloft as she chased after the tank.

Wang Zhong bent down to receive the bouquet—the fake flowers; at this time, how could there possibly be real ones?

He held the imitation bouquet to his chest and said to the girl, “Thank you, little lady!”

More girls ran out, throwing handkerchief-folded flowers onto the tank, others tossing presents directly into the open driver’s hatch—the largest opening at the front of the tank.

The men shouted with vigor, “Hurrah!”

More and more children followed the tank, running alongside it, some of whom knew little Griff, yelling, “Little Griff, how did you manage to get on there? Why you!”

Wang Zhong, “Where were all of you hiding when the fight was going on? I thought there were no more children in this city!”

By rights, the women and children should have been transported across the river.

The boy who knew little Griff shouted, “We didn’t want to cross the river, we wanted to fight too!”

Having said that, he held up an Iron Cross in his hand, “I even ambushed one with medals and killed him, took his war trophy too!”

Wang Zhong squinted, only after some time realizing it was a Silver Oak Leaves Iron Cross, an award for soldiers with quite staggering military achievements.

"This medal is really something,” he said to the boy, “See, it’s decorated with dual swords and silver oak leaves, even higher rank than the Knight’s Cross! Much higher! You took down the enemy’s ace!”

The child’s face showed shock, “Really? Did I really take down such a formidable enemy?”

Wang Zhong, “Yes! So keep that medal safe, and when you get older, you can proudly tell the story to your children and grandchildren!”

The child stopped running, beaming as he examined the medal, and the children who had been chasing the tank also stopped, forming a circle around him.

Wang Zhong turned his gaze back and noticing little Griff looking envious, asked, “What, you also want to capture something that good?”

"Hmph, the enemy I took down must have been formidable too, reducing the casualties of our army,” said little Griff.

Wang Zhong, “Alright, I’ll see if there are any higher-ranked Prosen medals among the war trophies to give you one.”

At last, little Griff smiled.

At that moment, a group of Prosen Soldiers emerged from a bastion the tank passed by.

The moment they saw the Red Flag, the leader stepped back several paces, knocking over others.

All Prosen Soldiers eyed Wang Zhong with complex looks.

From Wang Zhong’s interpretation, about half were fear, the other half admiration.

The tank made its way through the occupied district, and the expressions of the Prosen Soldiers along the way were basically the same.

Finally, the tank left the city, hurtling towards the Headquarters location provided by the Prosen delegation.

After driving for a while, Wang Zhong suddenly said, “Wait, turn left at the next intersection; I want to take a look at the Train Dispatch Yard.”

The Sixteenth Army Group had been ordered to hold the Train Dispatch Yard and had subsequently lost contact with the Front Army Headquarters.

The enemy that now occupied the Train Dispatch Yard was likely waiting for the Ante Troops to take over.

The tank swerved, heading straight for the Train Dispatch Yard.

As they neared their destination, Wang Zhong switched to a bird’s-eye view and then realized that there were no longer green “units” throughout the whole city.

It appeared that the entire Sixteenth Army Group had fallen at the Train Dispatch Yard in Satellite City.

There were about a battalion’s worth of Prosen troops waiting to surrender within the city, all huddled inside their strongholds, burning wood and other things looted from nearby homes.

Hearing the tank’s engine, Prosen Soldiers began to emerge from their strongholds, watching tank number 422 from afar.

Wang Zhong turned and shouted to the interpreter behind him, “Order these Prosen men to pile their weapons together and line up in an open area, waiting for the receiving troops to arrive. Those not in line will be regarded as having a will to resist and will be shot.”

Little Griff, “In this weather, standing outside for an hour will freeze someone solid.”

Wang Zhong looked at the child sternly, “Yes, I know, I am aware.”

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