Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 979: Chapter 23: Celebrating Today with Drinks

At the same time as the death of the Prosen Emperor, atop the roof of the Parliament Building one kilometer away from the Royal Palace.

Photographer Robert Capa clicked the shutter. As the flash went off, he said to the Ante Warrior climbing to the highest point of the Parliament Building: “Great! This photo will go down in history!”

“Really? Will you tell everyone that the two of us were the ones holding the flag?” the warrior asked.

“Of course, my partner will make sure to note down your names.”

Mike the reporter also nodded: “I promise to do so. Your names will make it to the front page of the Federation’s largest newspaper! Besides, I think Ante’s side will likely use this photo as well. I have faith in my partner’s skills!”

At this moment, an Ante Army lieutenant rushed onto the rooftop of the Parliament Building, shouting loudly: “Mike the reporter, Robert the photographer! What are you doing? Just now, Marshal Rocossov personally executed the Prosen Emperor!”

Mike was momentarily stunned, thinking he misheard: “What? Isn’t Marshal Rocossov being pinned down by his Chief of Staff at headquarters 51 kilometers away, unable to move forward even a step?”

“That may have been the case before, but now he has indeed reached Plowsonia, entered the Royal Palace, and executed the Prosen Emperor.”

Robert Capa slapped his thigh: “Damn it! We’ve missed the critical historical moment! No, I must go to the Royal Palace immediately—maybe I can still catch the Prosen Emperor’s corpse! Hopefully, they won’t remove the body right away!”

As he said this, Robert dashed towards the stairs.

Mike followed closely behind, while reassuring him: “Don’t panic, you could just ask the Marshal to stage it for you!”

“No, don’t think I’m like that guy who staged the Iwo Jima flag-raising photo—I would never do a staged shot! If I missed the exact moment of the Marshal executing the Emperor, then I’ll find another opportunity elsewhere to capture history!”

Mike chuckled: “To be honest, partner, I admire this about you. I mean, you sticking to authentic photos while battling it out with those who stage shots—it’s truly remarkable.”

Robert Capa glanced back at his partner and smiled faintly.

Then he continued sprinting through the Parliament Building, where gunfire could still be heard occasionally. He rushed to the entrance and jumped into a Jeep.

The Jeep’s driver exclaimed: “Who are you? I was ordered to bring Catherine Daily’s photographer to gather material; you—”

Mike pulled out a photo of himself with Rocossov: “We’re friends of Marshal Rocossov, and we need to shoot a critical photo!”

Driver: “Friends of the Marshal, eh? Should’ve said so earlier—get in. I heard the Marshal personally led the troops in an attack on the Royal Palace; there’s no gunfire over there anymore. Looks like the battle’s already over!”

Robert Capa gritted his teeth and said: “I know, dammit, I know!”

The Jeep roared to life, speeding away from the still sporadic gunfire near the Parliament Building, rushing toward the now mostly silent Royal Palace.

————

Wang Zhong lowered his firearm, looking at the Prosen Emperor’s corpse.

Vasily said: “I will inform all psychological warfare units immediately, broadcasting the news of the Prosen Emperor’s death, so they’ll lay down their weapons and cease resistance.”

Wang Zhong replied, “Alright, we have spilled enough blood already.”

“Shouldn’t we let the Prosens continue to resist the Allied Forces, giving our troops more time to occupy more Prosen territory?” Filippov, standing not far behind Wang Zhong, interjected.

Wang Zhong said, “We’ve already seized plenty of Prosen territory ahead of them. We shouldn’t make the Allied Forces endure more sacrifices for post-war calculations. The Europan war should end here.”

As he spoke, Vasily took up the walkie-talkie, beginning to issue orders to the psychological warfare units.

Just then, Wang Zhong heard someone shouting: “Make way! We’re reporters! We’re here to document this great moment.”

Wang Zhong looked toward the sound and saw Mike and Robert squeezing their way through the crowd.

Vasily said, “My photographer has already taken the photos. Once they’re developed, I’ll give you a duplicate roll of film.”

Robert Capa looked extremely frustrated: “Alright, thank you for your generosity, Colonel.”

Mike’s attention shifted to the corpse in front of Wang Zhong: “Is this the Prosen Emperor? Could it be a body double?”

Wang Zhong thought to himself that his cheat confirmed this was correct, but outwardly he replied solemnly: “I will let the Judges investigate thoroughly.”

Robert Capa’s focus also turned to the corpse as he began finding angles.

Mike encouraged him: “Go for it, partner—maybe you can capture a scene reminiscent of Marla’s death.”

Wang Zhong replied, “Let’s not. A Demon is undeserving of historical fame.”

Robert didn’t respond, continuing to adjust angles and take photos.

Mike then asked Wang Zhong: “So now, will the Prosen Army follow your orders and continue resisting the Allied Forces?”

Wang Zhong said, “The sacrifices in the Europan conflict are already too great. Allied soldiers are someone’s sons too. No, I won’t order the Prosen Army to keep halting the Allies’ advance. How much land we can secure will depend entirely on who moves faster. The Allies’ mechanization level should surpass that of our forces.”

Mike said, “Marshal, you’ve learned to speak the diplomat’s language. But I know the truth—you have Stas assisting you, and you’ll likely get the Prosen Army’s cooperation later on. You’ll be able to use the Prosen railway system to deploy troops, while the Allies will have to spend considerable effort taking over these systems.”

“You’ll occupy the majority of Prosen at lightning speed.”

Wang Zhong merely smiled.

The Empire of Prosen’s infrastructure far surpassed Ante’s, boasting not only an extensive network of highways but also a dense railway system, abundant locomotives, and carriages. Direct control over the operational state of the Prosen railway network would be crucial for troop deployment and seizing key strategic points later on.

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