Cannon Fire Arc

Wang Zhong was propped up in the middle, and his feeling was—

So hot!

The coat itself was already thick, and now it was surrounded by fat.

As for any pleasant coolness, it made him laugh—the coat was so thick he couldn't feel a thing!

Why am I wearing such a thick coat?

It was supposed to be a perk coming back! I thought it was a perk!

Wang Zhong forcefully shook off the two girls, "Alright! Look at me, I'm sweating all over!"

Ludmila immediately leaned in, "Ah, you really are sweating. You put on this coat too soon. You should change into it along with the winter snow capes. Look, the soldiers are still wearing the summer grassland capes."

Ludmila helped Wang Zhong take off the coat, handing it to Nelly.

Then, Wang Zhong, now in autumn combat dress and freshly sweated, immediately felt cold.

The current temperature was already low, then the air was also damp. Honestly, this weather was a bit like the humid and cold spells down south in Ceres.

Wang Zhong had just taken off the coat when he sneezed.

Olga seemed about to come over to warm Wang Zhong with her body, but Ludmila was quicker.

She even laughed, "When you went up to Peniye, you crushed the enemy with a high fever—aren't you getting a fever again now?"

Wang Zhong smiled and said, "Isn't there a possibility that just wearing the coat, without you girls hugging me, the temperature would be just right?"

Ludmila and Olga exchanged glances, then collectively took a step back.

Nelly unfolded the coat again and helped Wang Zhong put it on.

"See, the temperature is perfect," Wang Zhong moved his arms and body around, "No more hugging! Stand properly!"

Olga, as if she had caught something from Wang Zhong, sneezed too, and then made a gesture to the maids. The royal maids brought out a thick shawl and draped it over the princess, covering her armor securely.

Ludmila said, "Your Highness, you should have started off wearing this. A cold would be terrible."

Olga replied, "I didn't realize it was already so cold outside the city."

She glanced at the sky, "Wonder how long this muddiness will last."

Wang Zhong looked up as well, "Even if it freezes right now and the ground hardens, we're confident in holding back the enemy. Your Highness."

Olga nodded.

Wang Zhong said, "Let's visit the next troop."

————

Olga's inspection continued until the afternoon.

After visiting all the combat positions, Olga started to take an interest in various oddities: "I want to check out that water tower!"

"I want to look at that cabin!"

"And that garden in the middle of the street..."

"That's compost, which is excrement," Wang Zhong interrupted Olga's sentence, "Your Highness, don't you still have other troops to inspect?"

Olga pouted, "I want to take the music you just created over there! I'm staying here tonight! Teach me how to sing it!"

It had to be said that the whimsical Olga really did look like a younger sister.

Even though her appearance wasn't sisterly at all.

Not to mention other reasons, a sister shouldn't be tall. It would be best if she were about Nelly's height.

But Olga was just like Ludmila, a typical Russian lass—big in every way.

Just as Olga started to act spoiled, Ludmila reminded, "Don't hug him, he'll get hot. You wouldn't want our general to get a fever because of you, would you? At such a critical time, a fever can be deadly!"

Ludmila didn't specify which way it could be deadly.

Olga could only keep her distance, but still pleaded, "Teach me! Tomorrow when I go to the other troops, I'll sing it for them! I really like this song myself."

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Wang Zhong said, "Your Highness, this song hasn't been arranged yet, there isn't even a melody. If the musicians at Ye Fort hear it, they'll laugh at me again."

Olga responded, "Where is that genius composer of yours? I know it was the genius musician from your unit who turned your melody into a composition, call him here!"

Wang Zhong showed a troubled expression.

Olga gasped, "Ah, did he sacrifice himself? I'm sorry, I..."

"No, he didn't sacrifice himself. He's being disciplined by hauling manure."

Olga waited for a second, "Doing what?"

Wang Zhong replied, "Hauling manure. He's our expert here, quick and good at the job!"

As they were speaking, Vasily came over with a shoulder pole from a distance.

Wang Zhong wanted to pretend he didn't see him because his goal was to send the princess off on the train, but with Vasily coming, the princess would find a reason to stay the night.

However, Vasily called out directly, "General! I heard you have a new song. They're all talking about it! What kind of song is it?"

Wang Zhong, glancing at Olga, said to Vasily, "Well..."

Olga interjected, "Sing it again, and let this composer do the arrangements! This is the composer, right? That shoulder pole is for hauling manure, isn't it?"

Vasily, startled to see the princess, exclaimed, "Eh? Is this Her Royal Highness the Tsarevna?"

Olga inquired, "Your shoulder pole is for hauling manure?"

"Err, yes," Vasily said, looking baffled, "So please don't touch it or me. I'm not sure if anything splashed on me while I was hauling."

Olga urged, "Please, you must compose the music for it. I want to learn it tonight and take it to all the units tomorrow to sing."

Wang Zhong marveled, "Your Highness, that's not appropriate. How can you just stay as you please?"

Olga declared, "I can call my father, the Tsar. He will agree!"

————

The headquarters, Olga holding a phone, quietly waiting for the operator to connect, finally a tired voice came through from the other end, "Who is it?"

Olga said, "Father, I wish to stay in Suhayaveli today. Rocossov has composed a new song that is very popular among the soldiers, and I want to learn it and bring it back!"

After a full twenty seconds of silence on the other end, the voice asked, "Are you in Suhayaveli?"

"Yes."

"With Duke Rocossov?"

"Yes, Duke Charon."

"Hmm, if you want to stay for a day, you can stay. I have a military meeting to attend here."

Having said that, His Majesty the Tsar hung up the phone.

Olga turned her head to Wang Zhong and said, "Father said if I want to stay for a day, I might as well stay."

Wang Zhong curled his lip.

At this moment, Pavlov spoke with a solemn face, "But we don't have any residences here that meet the standards of the Royal Family! The best house is Lord Boye's brick house, and that's just a brick house! That house might not hold up if it gets bombed!"

Olga said, "I can stay in a bunker! Or sleep in a hammock, I've wanted to try sleeping in a hammock for a while! Do you have hammocks here?"

Pavlov replied, "No, but we can get one for you. Are you sure you want to sleep in a hammock? You might fall out."

Olga hesitated and glanced sideways at Wang Zhong, "Alyosha, what do you think I should sleep on?"

Wang Zhong said, "A camp bed will be fine. As for where to sleep, I think the bunker is good. Ludmila and I will move out of the bunker; we can give our bed to Your Highness. We... can manage with Nelly's room."

Nelly protested, "I only have one small bed!"

Wang Zhong replied, "We'll get another one, we're not short of beds."

Olga frowned, "I think we can share. Put two beds together, you two sleep on one, and I'll sleep on the other."

Just as she finished speaking, Vasily entered, "I've finished writing the music, the melody is very simple, and so is the score. The general said the musical instruments for this song should also be kept simple, so I've only arranged for a balalaika and a Bayan, and..." he lifted the steel helmet in his hand, "a steel helmet!"

Wang Zhong, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "You could change that to a drum, any kind of hand drum would do..."

"No no no!" Vasily shook his head vehemently, "I've asked the soldiers onsite, and they all say the steel helmet is just right! The song is supposed to be played by hitting a steel helmet!"

As he spoke, Vasily placed the steel helmet on the table and began to tap the helmet while singing, "Swallowing dust, I lost consciousness."

Pavlov had a "let me hear this thing" expression, crossing his arms and watching Vasily.

Vasily lived up to his reputation as a professional composer; he said he hadn't changed the score much, but to Wang Zhong, who had heard the original "Consuming Sand", Vasily's version clearly modified the tone and the marching rhythm.

"Consuming Sand" was originally a very desperate and rock song, even somewhat decadent; however, once Vasily altered it, it became sad and restrained yet filled with a heroic spirit.

When Wang Zhong sang it himself, he just felt that changing the background made it very heroic. Now Vasily had achieved this heroism in the melody.

After the song ended, Olga wiped her eyes, but noticed there weren't many tears, "Huh, strange, I was teary-eyed when I heard Alyosha sing it."

Vasily said, "I didn't sing with such deep emotions, after all, I didn't experience the bloodshed at Peniye. General, is this song about Peniye?"

Wang Zhong took a deep breath, "Yes! You really are great, you even figured that out!"

Olga said, "Hurry and teach me how to sing it!"

Vasily replied, "No need, I've written the score, with lyrics too, and made many copies. Just take a few when you leave!"

Wang Zhong exclaimed, "Granfendo gets ten points! No, Vasily gets ten points!"

Vasily looked confused, "Huh? Ten points for what?"

Olga pouted, "I don't know how to sing it, you have to teach me!"

Wang Zhong said, "Come on, you can sing arias from La Traviata, learn it yourself! You can have the bunker tonight, stay with your maid!"

Olga pouted.

Pavlov slipped quietly to the door, preparing to sneak out when Popov came in, "What are you doing?"

"Uh, I'm going to arrange the Grand Duchess's accommodation!!"

Popov frowned and then seeing the situation inside the headquarters, he immediately turned around, "Then I'll arrange the Grand Duchess's guard!"

Wang Zhong sighed and pointing to the two leaving men said, "Olga, the war situation is very urgent now, we were just bombed today, don't be willful. If you want to stay and learn the song, then learn it, but don't make any more unreasonable requests."

Olga deflated, "Alright~ then~"

————

The next day, October 25th, Wang Zhong, along with a group of people, was at the train station to see off Grand Duchess Olga.

He urged her, "Make sure to convey my requests to General Sergey of the Ordnance Department! The faster we start designing and manufacturing the equipment I want, the sooner we can get them into actual combat, and the smaller our casualties will be!"

"I understand," Olga lifted her head, "Isn't there supposed to be a kiss at farewell?"

Wang Zhong sighed and gently kissed Olga on her forehead.

No sooner had he kissed her than Olga suddenly stood on tiptoe, launching a surprise attack.

If she were the height of Nelly, standing on tiptoe would at most reach Wang Zhong's chin.

But she was the height of Ludmila.

Wang Zhong was shocked, are you channeling "your Xun Zong"? Coming at me with such a beastly mindset for a kiss, there's no romance in this at all!

After the ambush, Olga ran away like a shot.

Wang Zhong looked nervously toward Ludmila, "That was a brotherly and sisterly kiss. And I know an Ante ruler who also likes to do that!"

Ludmila said, "I saw, you only meant to kiss the forehead, I don't blame you. Let's go ahead and set the wedding date. I want to have another child, you mentioned before, didn't you, that the frontline would be relatively stable from December to next June, I think it's the perfect time."

Wang Zhong began, "But we've already agreed..."

Ludmila gave Wang Zhong a look that could kill a bear.

Wang Zhong conceded, "As you command, my dear wife."