As the entire landmine emerged from the dirt, Violet looked up at Schuetz.
"This landmine wasn't even disarmed..."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.
"Huh?"
Schuetz's mind was an absolute mess.
The air suddenly fell silent...
He carefully lifted his knee...
Nothing happened.
Awkwardness—utter, profound awkwardness.
"Let's go. The squad is waiting for you."
Violet put away her shovel, stood up, turned around, and walked away.
Schuetz also got to his feet, picking up his rifle from the ground.
"I never would've thought... it wasn't even disarmed..."
The landmine Schuetz had stepped on originally *had* been armed, designed to detonate the moment pressure was released.
However!
Zhurong had quietly swapped the landmine beneath his feet for one with the safety pin still on.
After all...
What if Violet got hurt because of this mine?
*An old father's worry.JPG*
Of course, Violet knew Zhurong was behind it, which was why she dared to dig up the landmine without hesitation.
Following this minor detour, the squad used the relatively intact defense map to successfully slip out of the combat zone and enter the rear territory controlled by the Germanania Empire...
...
Three days after breaking out of the combat zone, 120 kilometers from the Soviet front lines.
Inside an abandoned barn, several men gathered around a radio, silently listening to the news broadcast.
"Next, we bring you a report on the situation of the Southern Army Group.
Yesterday, the Southern United Front completely collapsed under the onslaught of our mighty Germanania Empire forces!
Currently, our beloved General Hermann is leading the Southern Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Armies in a rapid advance southward!
Just moments ago, the Second Army reached the border of Leidenschaftlich, the Third Army is moving to link up with the Second, and the Fourth and Fifth Armies are providing mutual support as they push straight for the southern coastline.
Additionally, this morning, our formidable navy, under the command of Admiral Hindenburg, completed amphibious landings on the southern coast of the Anxian United Kingdom!
Our marines, brimming with unstoppable morale, captured a coastal strip 120 kilometers long and 40 kilometers deep in a single stroke, making a tremendous contribution to opening a third front for our empire's subsequent forces!
Next, we interrupt with a special news bulletin.
Imperial intelligence has intercepted reports that the Soviet Union is developing a new type of weapon with devastating destructive power.
The Imperial Academy of Sciences has issued a statement noting that our empire is also researching this new weapon, having already entered the practical manufacturing stage, and we believe it will be ready for deployment in the near future.
Special news broadcast concluded.
Returning to our previous report.
The opening of the third front..."
Lieutenant Hoffmann turned off the radio and slumped back down onto a wooden crate.
"The United Front is finished..."
Gordon stared up at the ceiling, taking a long time to utter a single sentence.
Lieutenant Hoffmann remained silent, his expression grim.
"To hell with going to the Soviets! We might as well disguise ourselves as civilians and blend in with the Germanania! There's no way we can win against this!"
"Clang!"
Ramsay slammed his empty-chambered pistol straight onto the ground.
"The situation over in the Soviet Union is unclear, the United Front has collapsed, and the Anxian United Kingdom has been dragged into the war—it probably won't hold out much longer..."
Fritz finished speaking, pulled out his final cigarette, and placed it between his lips.
He didn't light it, because Violet was standing right by the window.
The last logistics worker who tried to flirt with Violet by smoking in front of her had been sent straight to the hospital on the spot, and he was still recovering when the operation began. Who knew how he was doing now...
"It's time to choose...
Raise your hand if you're willing to blend in with Germanania."
Lieutenant Hoffmann said with a helpless sigh.
As his voice trailed off, the barn fell quiet for a moment.
Several men raised their hands.
"Have you made up your minds?"
A sense of resolution crossed the lieutenant's face.
"Sorry, Lieutenant. I won't be able to keep helping you fulfill your ideal from here on out."
Fritz kept the cigarette clamped in his mouth and lowered his head.
Lieutenant Hoffmann said nothing, only shaking his head.
He stood up, straightening his posture.
"Ramsay, Dreylman, Gordon, Karl, Fritz, Glad, Trappsy, Zimmermann, Sterling, step out of the ranks!"
The nine men who had been sitting immediately stood up, standing tall and straight.
"From this moment on, you are assigned a special mission!
Infiltrate the Germanania Empire, blend into the grassroots, lay solid groundwork, and prepare yourselves for future operations!
The duration of this mission begins now, and will continue until contact is re-established!
Above all else! Survive!"
Lieutenant Hoffmann practically shouted these words.
"Salute!"
Fritz shouted as he raised his right hand, executing a United Front military salute.
All nine men present saluted in unison, and Lieutenant Hoffmann returned the gesture.
The ten grown men stood there motionless for a full half-minute.
Tears streamed freely down everyone's face.
"Dismissed!"
The men grabbed their weapons, left the barn, and gradually vanished from sight.
"Schuetz, you should go too."
Violet suddenly spoke up.
Schuetz looked at Violet in mild surprise.
"Go on. I have my own reasons for needing to go to the Soviet Union."
Seeing the resolute tone and expression on Violet's face, Schuetz sighed.
"Alright then, take care of yourselves."
He picked up his sniper rifle and walked out of the barn.
"Let's get moving too; we still have a 30-kilometer march tonight."
Lifting the heavy anti-tank rifle—which was taller than she was—Violet leaped gracefully out of the barn window.
Hoffmann and Violet, the "final" combat personnel of the two fire teams, resumed their journey...
So, where had Zhurong gone?
At this very moment, he was floating just above Violet's head, the two of them chatting as they walked.
Yet.
Zhurong hadn't been wasting his time these past few days either, constantly strolling through Germanania intelligence agencies to gather all sorts of useful information.
He had even spent two days specifically visiting the Soviet side to witness several historically significant major events firsthand.
*According to Germanania intelligence, the current battle situation remains deadlocked.
Although the Southern United Front has collapsed, Germanania's mechanized units pushed forward too rapidly, causing their logistics to lag behind. As a result, they decided to regroup outside the borders of Leidenschaftlich, while another invading force re-established supply lines along the coastline.
The situation on the Soviet front remains the same old story: you throw a punch, I return a slap, and the two sides are locked in a fierce brawl where neither can gain the upper hand—though in this general offensive, the Soviet forces clearly hold the advantage and are gradually pushing back.
Perhaps due to splitting their forces, the combat effectiveness of the Germanania Western Army Group has declined, making their defense a struggle.
The troops landing in the Anxian Kingdom are meant to open a third front, simultaneously pinching the remnants of the United Front from both flanks while quickly opening a second anti-Soviet front, attempting to use a pincer movement to annihilate the main Soviet forces in one blow.*
Zhurong carefully explained the current military situation to Violet, adding some personal deductions of his own.
*Then... what should we do?*
Violet felt somewhat lost.
From Zhurong's analysis, she could sense the overwhelming military might of the Germanania Empire, creating the illusion that going to the Soviet Union wouldn't change their prospects at all.
*We're still going to the Soviet Union.*
*Because something interesting is about to happen.*
Zhurong deliberately spoke in riddles.
*(Riddle-makers get out of Earth OL!)*
*Something interesting? What kind of thing?*
Violet asked, her curiosity piqued.
*The Soviet Union has successfully test-fired a weapon codenamed "Little Sun."
Their P-1 ballistic missile has also been successfully test-fired.
"Little Sun" is a fusion bomb triggered by a fission primary, with a yield of around 400 kilotons.
The range of the P-1 missile is also quite impressive, roughly 500 kilometers.*
Zhurong had gone to watch both weapons tested on the same day and had even copied a set of backup warheads for both.
Along the way, he had also conveniently picked up a metric ton of local specialties—though more on that later.
*Is this the nuclear weapon you mentioned before? Is it big?*
Outwardly, Violet maintained a calm expression, but inwardly she was bursting with curiosity.
*It's big, and it's bright white.*
*You'll get a chance to see it later.*
*(Reference: a scaled-down appearance version of the AN-602 hydrogen bomb "Ivan." NATO reporting name: Tsar Bomba.)*
*A nuclear explosion... must be very pretty...*
Hearing Violet's words, Zhurong froze completely.
Wait a minute—did this kid actually get raised wrong?!
Granted, given Violet's constitution, staring directly at a nuclear blast wouldn't pose any real problem—at worst, it would be no different than a normal person looking at the sun.
Still, this...
Please don't turn her into someone who believes "art is an explosion"!
*(Art is starfish! Referring to a certain Ten-Tails' energy sphere.)*
The human and the ghost chatted all the way as they walked.
To outsiders, they appeared to be two cautious individuals not exchanging a single word.
In reality, however, Violet and Zhurong were having a delightful chat, leaving poor Lieutenant Hoffmann to suffer in solitude.
Amidst their conversation, Zhurong did not forget to organize the various miscellaneous items stored in his system.
AN-03 Hydrogen Bomb: 450 kilotons TNT equivalent.
P-1 Ballistic Missile: Range 580 kilometers, circular error probable (CEP) 300 meters.
Imperial Type III Tank: Sourced from the previous armored battalion camp.
Imperial Type IV Tank: Also sourced from the camp.
Imperial Type V Tank: Likewise from the camp.
PzWf-1: A 150mm caliber 12-tube rocket launcher vehicle.
Type-T3 Tank: (Referencing the drunken brainchild of a Sherman and a T-34.)
Type-T8 Tank: Inspired by the IS-3, but with optimized mechanical design and an autoloader.
B-8 Self-Propelled Artillery: 122mm 50-caliber tracked self-propelled gun, equipped with an autoloader, fully enclosed 15mm armor, cross-country speed up to 44 km/h.
B-14 Heavy Artillery: 305mm 55-caliber tracked heavy self-propelled gun, equipped with a semi-automatic loader, open-topped chassis design, cross-country speed up to 36 km/h.
BM-3 Rocket Artillery: Inspired by the BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher, with rocket diameter modified to 152mm.
BM-7 Rocket Artillery: A large siege rocket launcher with a 280mm caliber and 12 launch tubes.
Type 654 Destroyer: Inspired by the *Le Fantasque*-class large destroyer, with main guns modified to 152mm 50-caliber twin naval gun mounts.
Type 724 Cruiser: Inspired by the *Portland*-class heavy cruiser, with upgraded propulsion systems and electronics.
Type 862 Aircraft Carrier: Inspired by the USS *Enterprise* (CV-6), with improved elevator placement and the addition of hydraulic catapults. (Not CVN-65 *Enterprise*, that one's decades away.)
Type 643 Submarine: Inspired by the appearance of the *Hotel*-class strategic nuclear submarine, diesel-electric hybrid propulsion, equipped with magnetic-guided torpedoes.
N-5 Fighter: Piston-engine fighter, inspired by the Yak-3P.
N-12 Fighter (Second Batch): Jet fighter, inspired by the MiG-15, with a small radar added to the nose.
B-9 Bomber: Four-piston-engine long-range heavy bomber, inspired by the B-29, with all defensive armament replaced by 14.5mm heavy machine guns.
B-15 Bomber: Twin-jet medium bomber, inspired by the Tu-14, featuring swept wings and an added bomb-aiming computer.
As well as countless small arms.
Of course, all of the above weapons were merely touched and then returned, while receiving a free tune-up courtesy of Zhurong in the process.
The intelligence gathered while strolling through the Soviet Union was even more astounding.
These first-hand intelligence pieces completely overturned every other nation's entire intelligence profile on the Soviets.
First, the Soviet intelligence agency was called the Soviet People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, whose functions closely mirrored those of the early KGB.
Second, other nations were in a state of unidirectional transparency before the Soviet intelligence agency, living entirely inside an information cocoon shaped by the Commissariat and amusing themselves.
This didn't mean Soviet spies were particularly formidable; rather, in a world where everyone was racing to the bottom, the Soviet Union was simply too alluring. Without needing coercion, temptation, or specialized operations, the Union of Soviet Republics naturally represented the interests of the vast majority of people, resulting in a world overflowing with defectors eager to switch sides.