Chapter 915: Chapter 28 Ugly Behavior_2
Vasily: “Who told you that?”
“Everyone says so! Who are you anyway? I think you’re a spy!”
“I’m Marshal Rocossov’s deputy officer, ordered to establish the headquarters, inventory the confiscated weapons, and prepare for defense!”
Just as the words were out, the radio in the saddlebag buzzed. Vasily imdiately took out the radio and heard soone shout: “Vasily, I followed your instructions and found several officers. Did you find the headquarters’ location?”
“Co to the Plowsonia Occupation Headquarters; there’s a large, well-preserved house here.”
“Alright, on my way!”
Vasily put down the radio and looked at the sentinel: “The officers to establish the command group should arrive soon. By the way, since you’re here as sentinel, there is a guerrilla unit inside, right?”
“Yes, our captain is leading a team searching for evidence of the enemy’s cris.”
“Evidence?” Vasily frowned, “Instead of first inventorying weapons and ammunition, distributing them to the necessary units to prepare defense, you’re looking for evidence?”
“As for weapons and ammunition, we just opened the armory and have already distributed them to the civilians.”
“What?” Vasily was shocked, “How can you guarantee these weapons won’t be used for wrongdoing?”
Sentinel: “How could that be? With victory, everyone is on the right side—”
“Idiot! Stop distributing weapons imdiately! Whenever we liberate a new city, one of the major tasks is to confiscate hidden civilian weapons, otherwise robbers, thugs, and gang mbers take them up to do all sorts of wrongdoing.”
“There’s even a fake police force established by the Prosens causing havoc with weapons! All weapons must be confiscated!”
Seeing Vasily anxious, the sentinel also beca flustered: “Well…the weapons are already distributed…”
Vasily pressed his forehead: “This is bad, this is bad… Who is leading the city governance now?”
If initiated by the city authorities, weapon recall might still be within controllable range.
“I’m the leader!” A well-dressed man stepped out, “Before the war, I was the District Chief of the Capital Bridge District and have been leading the underground struggle all these years.”
“Nonsense! It’s definitely !” Another man in an old lania army uniform walked out from an alley and approached Vasily in three steps, “I am a forr Major of the lania Defense Army, and I’ve been leading the resistance war. Look at my injuries, suffered just recently! But this District Chief ran first when the enemy searched for him!”
The man claiming to be the District Chief shouted: “I was preserving the spark of resistance! If I were caught, how could we continue to resist?”
“You just ran away! Sir, how can you let a deserter beco the city leader?”
The man claiming to be the District Chief: “But I understand administrative work, do you? Can you organize administrative work properly?”
The two began to argue like this.
At this mont, a Plowsonia half-track vehicle drove by, with the Iron Cross emblem covered in red paint and a gold star drawn over it.
On the half-track vehicle were officers of the lania People’s Army.
Vasily: “You finally ca. I believe the urgent priority is imdiately imposing military control over the city by the lania People’s Army, diverting part of the lania People’s Army units to beco local police.”
The officers on the vehicle were unhappy: “Why, when we need to push towards Plowsonia.”
Vasily: “Look at the situation for yourself.”
The lanians, naturally understanding the arguing pair, quickly frowned.
Vasily: “Without military control, everything will fall apart. They just distributed all the armory weapons to civilians.”
“What?” Everyone on the half-track vehicle looked shocked.
“How can that be?”
“Terrible, at least for a week there will be frequent theft, robbery, and murder.”
When the Ante Troops enter the city, there would usually be a large number of secular clerics, even within lania, who would quickly establish local organizations post-entry, using churches as centers to reconstruct local social order.
But in this sudden advance, all the clerics died, and the logistic departnt’s cleric battalion has yet to co up.
Now the situation has beco tricky.
A Captain of the lania People’s Army suggested: “We should incorporate the guerrillas, assigning three or four officers per company.”
Vasily asked the sentinel: “Do you have companies?”
The sentinel shook his head: “No. Previously, they were divided into groups based on each district, with squads like Squad One and Squad Two in the district. Now—several generations of squadrons have died; I don’t even know who bears the insignia now.”
Vasily: “Alright, they don’t have a company structure. Anyway, gather your own forces, try to control the situation, collect weapons, and hold off the Prosen counterattack tomorrow.”
lania Captain: “But we’ve all lost track of our units. With a 30-kiloter rapid advance, I don’t even know if any of my subordinates are still alive.”
Vasily held his forehead.
But he quickly ca up with an idea: “Given the situation, start with landmines. The landmines in the armory, surely nobody wants them; let’s take them out and start laying them right away. To facilitate laying mines, commandeer trucks locally and lead the troops to lay the mines.”
lania Captain: “Good idea, I’ll find locals to lead us to the routes the enemy must take into the city and lay mines.”
Vasily: “Also, the enemy’s anti-tank guns need to be utilized. I suppose such heavy shell items would not be desired by many civilians; control the guns, positioning them for defense.
“Also, control the surrounding anti-aircraft gun positions; this will provide basic defensive capabilities. Also, power up radio stations and request reinforcents from back.”
After a brief pause, Vasily added: “And the railways, restore train station operations, let them quickly send armored trains up, at least to face enemy attacks with so heavy artillery power.”
After speaking, he looked at the lania officers: “Execute! Take your assignnts.”
“I’ll lay the mines.”
“I’m familiar with anti-aircraft guns; I’ll take over the anti-aircraft positions.”
“I’ll go to the train station.”
“I’ll set up the radio.”
Vasily watched as the officers scattered, then turned to look at the two lania “high officials” who were already fighting each other.
He asked the sentinel: “Is this how your leaders always are?”
“Those who are still alive, mostly. ” the sentinel replied, then asked back, “Will the enemy really counterattack tomorrow?”
“I think they will. Tomorrow’s attack will be a probing one since they haven’t regrouped yet; the day after tomorrow will be a full-scale counterattack, with reinforcents likely having arrived by then.”
The two, who were wrestling, stopped and asked Vasily in unison: “The enemy will co back?”
Vasily nodded: “Yes, there will be a massive counterattack the day after tomorrow.”
The “District Chief” and “Guerrilla Captain” glanced at each other, released each other, and while tidying up their clothes, said:
“The District Chief has rich administrative experience; it’s better for you to be the head of this city authority.”
“No, no, I lack combat experience, and with the Prosen about to return, it would be better for soone with combat experience like you to be the head of this city authority!”
Vasily: “Neither of you gets to be the head. We will organize a military control committee to temporarily take over the city. Guerrilla fighters participating in the battle can vote to choose soone they trust to beco a committee mber. The committee will consist of four representatives from the guerrillas, and six representatives from the Ante Army, and that’s settled!
“Once we drive out the Prosens, our secular clerics and logistic personnel will arrive in this city. They will help you establish your city institutions and elect a leader acceptable to all lanians.”
At this ti, the old man who brought Vasily said: “Why not simply hand the crown of lania to Marshal Rocossov? I heard he’s the Tsar’s brother, which ans he has the Antonov lineage and can inherit it.”
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