artillery arc

Chapter 357: Magic or a Trick?
Thirty minutes later, Trinca Village Church.

"I never thought that I would rely on mysticism on the battlefield." Wang Zhong said to Popov while looking at the "folklore researcher" who was setting up the ceremony site.

Popov looked at Wang Zhong with some surprise: "Have you never thought about it?"

But before Wang Zhong could answer, Popov found the answer on his own: "That's right, you have never been a devout believer. I have been with you for ten months, and you have never prayed once."

Wang Zhong was shocked. As a Seres, he never had the habit of praying. Whenever he passed by a temple by chance, he would go in and worship, no matter whether it was dedicated to God or Mazu.

There is no such thing as praying when worshipping, and it has nothing to do with piety.

That is, when you see a temple, you might as well light some incense.

When he had some change in the past, Wang Zhong would also throw a coin into the donation box, but later on, when electronic payment was adopted, he stopped doing that.

Now Wang Zhong finally realized that Popov was a clergyman! I haven't prayed in front of the clergyman for a year, and I'm sweating my brother.

Popov laughed. "Don't be so serious. We secularists don't follow these formalistic things. They are the dregs of the saint worshippers and have been abandoned."

Yes, yes?
Seeing Wang Zhong relieved, Popov changed the subject: "But not praying at all is a bit too much. Most of the soldiers are devout secular believers. You have to show some respect."

Wang Zhong: "What does it mean to be 'just a token of my appreciation'?"

"For example, before charging, recite a prayer loudly."

Reciting prayers?
When I think of reciting prayers on the battlefield, I think of Warhammer 40K. Do I need to nail a scroll with scriptures on it to my armor? Then you have to give me a power sword and a bolter first!
The style of painting is totally wrong!

Popov: "That's not very difficult to do, is it? If you don't remember the prayers, just read them from a book. I'll give you this old Bible of Andrews, and the folded pages inside have sentences suitable for use in sermons."

As Popov spoke, he took out a large book on which one could see the traces of time left on it.

Wang Zhong: "I feel that if I take this holy book of yours and read it before the troops charge, it won't be long before everyone starts saying that this book in my hand is a holy relic of the sect, which can summon legions of angels."

Popov laughed. "Now that you mention it, I also think that my old book looks quite impressive. In fact, it is just an ordinary holy book that an ordinary priest traveled around with. I bought it with my own money when I first joined the seminary. It only cost one silver coin."

Wang Zhong: "This thick thing only costs one silver coin?"

"After all, this is the industrial age. 300 years ago, a holy book like this would probably cost 10 gold coins, and you might not even be able to buy it."

"Wait a minute," Wang Zhong suddenly discovered a blind spot, "Were silver coins still used decades ago?"

"Yes, paper money has only been used for the last thirty years."

Wang Zhong asked Popov seriously: "How old are you?"

"55. I entered the seminary when I was eight. At that time, the seminary mainly taught things about the Saints, and the secularists were secretly circulated."

Wang Zhong: "Because productivity was not developed enough at that time?"

In fact, Wang Zhong was just speaking casually based on what he had learned. The economic base determines the superstructure, and secular ideas are also part of the superstructure, and will inevitably spread first in places where industry and commerce are developed.

Popov stared at Wang Zhong with wide eyes: "I can see that although you have not prayed, the Holy Scripture has always been in your heart."

Hey, I'm not, I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!
As he thought this, Wang Zhong's facial muscles formed a smile: "Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the holy scriptures remain in my heart."

Popov pressed his hand on his old book: "Then I took it?"

"No, no, leave it to me. I only remember the meaning, not the specific words. Don't let me explain if something goes wrong when praying before the battle."

Popov laughed for the third time.

At this time, Wang Zhong turned the topic to the use of mysterious powers to wage war, saying, "I remember that Carolingian seemed to use witches' spells to fight against the invasion of Plossom?"

"Yes, they did." Popov looked at the folklorist who was preparing. "It caused an epidemic, but it was eliminated by Proson with penicillin."

Penicillin is awesome!
Wait a minute, isn't penicillin just penicillin? It's no longer cool! The witch's magic was defeated by penicillin, which is too bad!
Popov continued, "Penicillin seems to be mass-produced using a kind of melon as a culture medium."

Was the magic of the rounding witch defeated by the melon?
Popov: "And the melons were introduced to Plossom from the United Fruit Company of the United States."

The United States defeated the witch's magic?
Eh, it suddenly makes sense.

Popov shook his head and changed the subject: "So I'm not sure if magic can help us defeat Proson tomorrow. It's best to make plans for both scenarios."

Wang Zhong: "I will." At this time, the main force participating in the operation tomorrow: Lieutenant Colonel Xie Miao, the current commander of the 31st Guards Infantry Regiment, entered the church and saluted Wang Zhong and Popov: "Commander, Bishop, the battalion and company commanders of the 31st Regiment have assembled according to your order, please give instructions!"

Wang Zhong stood up and said, "Okay, let's go to the headquarters and don't disturb the folklorists preparing for the ceremony."

After saying this, Wang Zhong strode towards the gate and asked, "How is the morale of the troops?"

"Morale is high. I heard that the armored units have achieved good results. Now everyone is eager to fight." Lieutenant Colonel Xie Miao said, "After all, they are your old troops."

Wang Zhong: "They? Why, they don't acknowledge you, a 'foreign monk'?"

"Nothing. After all, the last commander was Major General Yegorov. I may not have a great record. I was a lieutenant colonel when the war started last year, and I am still a lieutenant colonel this year." Lieutenant Colonel Semyon smiled bitterly, "I don't know why you added me to your elite division."

Wang Zhong smiled and said, "General Turgenev of the Military Affairs Department is a real man. They won't make random arrangements. When tomorrow's assault is over, you will have achieved some results."

"I hope so." said Lieutenant Colonel Xie Miao.

At this time, the two men walked into the yard of the group army headquarters while talking. The battalion and company commanders of the 31st regiment were inside. When they saw Wang Zhong, they immediately stood at attention and saluted.

Wang Zhong glanced over and saw many familiar faces, so he randomly pointed to one: "Filipov, why haven't you become the battalion commander yet? Are you working hard?"

Filippov: "No, isn't Vasily still a captain? He hasn't been promoted to colonel, has he?"

"Then you should try hard this time and be promoted to colonel before him, and then I can say your name in front of him every day to humiliate him." Wang Zhong said and looked back at Vasily - the adjutant naturally had to follow the chief officer all the time, and Vasily was now considered half a guard for Wang Zhong.

Filippov smiled: "Vassily, it's a pity that you can't come this time."

Vasily: "General, I apply to participate in the assault."

"No. You have a lot of things to do before Pavlov comes. I'll think about it after Pavlov arrives with the army headquarters." Wang Zhong replied, then gestured to everyone, "Come in."

After the group entered the room, Wang Zhong handed a stack of photos to Lieutenant Colonel Xie Miao and said, "Pass it around. This is the Yeisk terrain as seen by aerial reconnaissance."

While everyone was passing it around, Wang Zhong pointed to the diagram on the blackboard and said, "This is a simple map that Vasily drew based on aerial photos. Folklorists will hold a ceremony tonight, and it is expected that fog will begin to rise at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

"So the fire preparation will start at four o'clock. After an hour of preparation, we will try to blow up all the barbed wire and mines outside the enemy. We can't start too early, because we have never opened fire at three o'clock before. While the fire preparation is going on, you will advance to the starting line in secret."

Wang Zhong drew a line on the diagram with chalk. "The engineers have confirmed that there are no mines up to this line. Once the firepower preparation is complete, you can attack in the fog. The silent weapons should be able to catch the enemy by surprise in the fog."

Filippov raised his hand: "General!"

Wang Zhong: "You say."

Filippov: "The fog in the morning is due to the low ground temperature and condensation of water vapor. Will there be fog again after the fire preparation?"

Wang Zhong: "Scientifically speaking, no. But our science cannot explain some phenomena at present, such as the fog tomorrow. I mean, if there is fog tomorrow."

In the movie "Apocalypse Now", after the F4 ghosts dropped napalm bombs, the wind direction was changed, and the original surfing paradise suddenly became an ordinary beach.

Therefore, Wang Zhong believed that after the firepower preparation tomorrow, there would definitely be no heavy fog without any supernatural influence.

On the other hand, if a thick fog forms immediately after the fire preparation, it means that the folklorists have truly brought in a force that transcends modern science.

Unlike the spells of the Carolingian witches, spells that could be defeated by penicillin made people suspect that some kind of biological weapon was used.

Maybe it is a biological weapon left behind by an ancient super civilization and mastered by witches.

Oh, no, if that's the case, then the fog could also be caused by the weather control satellite in the sky being activated -

Wang Zhong was distracted when he suddenly saw Sufang Batu Wendusu waving at him at the door.

"Wait a moment." He waved to the officers and walked quickly to the door. "What's the matter?"

Su Fang lowered her voice and said, "The headmistress asked me to come here and tell you not to prepare your firepower before the fog comes. If you want to prepare, prepare now. But you need to stop two hours before the fog comes."

Wang Zhong's eyebrows twisted into knots. "If I hadn't really seen the magic arrows chasing the enemy's planes, I would have suspected that you folklorists are actually liars. Did you know that the Air Force Meteorological Department reported to me that there was a possibility of fog tomorrow morning?"

Su Fang: "I don't know what the weather department says, but I can tell you that there will be fog tomorrow morning."

(End of this chapter)