The roaring artillery echoed between the cliffs and hills of the Marne River valley, thick smoke like a giant hand continuously covering the gruesome battlefield.
Mountains were blasted open, stones and fragments of mud rolling down in torrents.
The land was lifted into the sky, the flying dust mixed with thick smoke, lingering for a long time without dissipating.
Forests ignited by the artillery fire burned in patches, the crimson flames illuminating half the sky like blood, spreading everywhere and greedily consuming everything nearby.
This place resembled a living Purgatory, with death, bodies, and blood everywhere, making life seem insignificant.
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Inside the Suville Fortress, nearly sixty-year-old Major General Lacos, commander of the 2nd Army, sat dejectedly at his desk, staring at the map before him.
Enemy artillery explosions echoed sporadically outside the fortress, clouds of thick smoke squeezed through firing slits like an omnipresent demon, soon disappearing, leaving only the suffocating smell of smoke and dust.
"We’re doomed, Klein." Major General Lacos sighed softly, his gaze turning towards the Germans direction: "The Commander-in-Chief’s order is still an attack, he wants to send all of us to face the enemy’s artillery."
"General!" Colonel Klein, the staff officer, was horrified, quickly whispering to stop him: "This is the command center!"
As a commander, one must never speak such demoralizing words as they would accelerate the collapse of the troops’ morale.
Sure enough, the surrounding communications soldiers and staff looked peculiar. If even the commander thought this way, should they be preparing to flee?
Major General Lacos smiled faintly: "What difference does it make? The result is the same!"
Klein was speechless.
Indeed, rushing into the enemy’s guns and cannons to die didn’t require morale. In fact, the higher the morale, the faster they would be wiped out by the enemy.
At this moment, a voice came from a communicator: "General, I heard they’re sending Shire to command at Verdun, the parliament is discussing this matter."
The officers and soldiers inside the command center instantly showed joyous expressions.
If Shire came, there would be no more of these almost suicidal attacks, he would lead everyone to victory, just like he did on previous battlefields.
But Major General Lacos shook his head slightly.
This was merely a morale-boosting trick. How could Xia Fei allow Shire to intervene in the command at Verdun?
Besides, if this continued, the 2nd Army would be decimated within two days. What could Shire do by then?
At this moment, two men rushed in from outside, their faces blackened by the smoke of artillery shells, their uniforms covered in dust, almost looking like two "dirt" men, their ranks indistinguishable.
The petite officer patted the dust off his body, lightly coughed, and asked: "Where is Major General Lacos? Where is he?"
The staff officers thought this officer must be crazy, asking for Major General Lacos in such a tone.
"You should salute, soldier." Klein frowned: "Didn’t they teach you how to face your superior?"
The petite officer didn’t respond, but the tall major beside him did.
He stood in front of Klein, gave a standard military salute, and said proudly: "You should salute your superior, Colonel. They must have taught you how to face your superior!"
Klein snorted angrily, glaring at the major, his hand already on the revolver at his waist.
These two must be mad, frightened by the enemy’s artillery, such people were dangerous.
Klein made a gesture to his sides, and the guards understood, advancing menacingly to control them.
But as they approached, someone suddenly shouted:
"It’s... it’s Shire, God, it’s Shire!"
"Yes, I recognize him too, it’s indeed Shire!"
Everyone was dumbfounded, including Colonel Klein and Major General Lacos, all staring blankly at the petite officer.
The petite officer brushed off a layer of mist-like dust from his coat collar, revealing two stars, and said with some confusion: "What’s wrong? Xia Fei hasn’t notified you? You’re under my command now!"
Major General Lacos hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Apologies, Brigadier, I... I haven’t received any notification. I will immediately confirm it with the Commander-in-Chief."
Only then did cheers erupt in the command center, officers and soldiers rushed to shake Shire’s hand:
"Incredible, it’s really you!"
"Welcome, Brigadier."
Some even rushed out of the fortress, shouting to the soldiers lying in the trenches outside: "Shire is here, Shire is here to command us!"
Indeed, Xia Fei hadn’t notified the frontline troops, thinking it impossible for Shire to reach the front so quickly.
It was only 1 p.m., barely three hours since Xia Fei agreed to the plan.
The House of Representatives continued their meeting, debating the Verdun battle, each voicing their opinions, which by convention would take several days, or even a week.
In the command center, Xia Fei secretly rejoiced, originally thinking he wouldn’t be able to keep his position as Commander-in-Chief, but Shire’s actions gave him a lifeline.
"One day?" Xia Fei leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs with a contemptuous smile on his plump face: "He actually wants to change the situation in one day, using my troops."
Xia Fei planned in his mind, he could delay the logistics tomorrow, then gradually tighten, and when Shire arrived, there might not even be enough bullets, let’s see how he would "change the situation."
A staff officer rushed forward with a telegram, reporting: "General, the 2nd Army has sent a message, Shire has reached the front, should we allow Shire to take command?"
Xia Fei’s legs suddenly drew back, his obese body nearly falling off the chair, he grasped the table edge with difficulty, staring at the staff officer in shock: "What did you say? Shire is at the front?"
"Yes." The staff officer nodded: "He has already reached Suville Fortress."
The staff officer realized Xia Fei had no concept of Suville Fortress, quickly adding: "The 2nd Army has established a defensive line, Major General Lacos has set the command center there!"
Xia Fei composed himself, nodded with some helplessness: "Agreed, Shire will take command of the 2nd Army, plus the 30th Army!"
Promises made in the House of Representatives couldn’t be broken.
He cursed inwardly, damn bastard, couldn’t order a supply halt now!
That would be too obvious, everyone would know he was targeting Shire, disregarding national safety, campaign victory, and frontline soldiers’ lives, leading to another public controversy.
But if he didn’t do this, he would have to watch the supplies flow endlessly to the frontlines!
After contemplating for a while, Xia Fei gritted his teeth and decided to do nothing.
It’s just one day, nothing to worry about, he thought.