nycdaug Chapter 345 Glory Moment
Chapter 345 Glory Moment
Tandin ultimately did not escape the fate of being killed. The one who entangled with him was Zheng Shuang. Tandin was injured and was finally pinned down by Zheng Shuang. Zheng Shuang pulled out the dagger from her waist and stabbed him in the chest.
Zheng Shuang killed Tan Ding, stood up somewhat embarrassedly, picked up the flag of the Flower Planting Family on the ground, and was about to take a step forward. Several Soviet soldiers rushed over, and the leader suddenly pounced forward and knocked Zheng Shuang to the ground. The others hurried forward, took out the Soviet flag, and prepared to plant it first. Several British soldiers also caught up, and seeing this, they rushed up without hesitation and entangled with the Soviet army. Then, more soldiers from the four countries also rushed up. Because the officers present were of low rank, no one gave in to anyone, and a four-country melee immediately formed. The purpose was simple, if our country’s flag can’t be hung up, don’t even think about hanging yours...
After receiving reports from soldiers from various nations that the Empire State Building had been captured, Allied leaders emerged from their observation posts and peered through binoculars at the rooftop, hoping to catch a glimpse of a flag fluttering in the wind. However, over an hour passed, and while there was no more gunfire inside or outside the Empire State Building, the Allied flag still hadn't been hoisted, a question that struck everyone as puzzling.
A US military helicopter, flying overhead, witnessed a startling scene. Hundreds of people were engaged in a hand-to-hand melee across the rooftop. Fortunately, everyone was relatively rational, not using weapons, and their actions were measured. Their goal was simple: to prevent another nation's flag from being displayed before their own. The Empire State Building's top flagpole had been strategically positioned, leaving no opportunity for a flag to be hoisted.
The pilot quickly reported the situation on the rooftop to his superiors via radio. His superiors quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and reported it to their superiors one by one. Finally, the news reached the senior officials at the Allied headquarters.
At the German Chancellery, not far from the Reichstag, Eisenhower received the news. He glanced at Marshal Zhukov beside him and thought, "Your scheme to plant the flag first by occupying the Reichstag has worked. None of the junior officers from the four countries will give up the opportunity to win honor for their country. So, no one can hope to plant their own flag."
Zhukov had clearly anticipated this outcome. While the Allies appeared united to the outside world, in reality, everyone would give up the opportunity to secure glory for their own country. By doing so, the Soviets seemingly gave up the honor of occupying the Empire State Building, but they saw the true nature of each nation, without suffering any loss.
Beside Eisenhower, Mountbatten sneered inwardly, "Zhukov, you think your conspiracy is invisible to others? The British Empire agreed to do this, but it's just using this incident as a silent protest against the United States. In the post-war world order, the United States' dominance is an indisputable fact. Everyone knows that the Soviet Union wants to compete with the United States. It's just the right time for you two to quarrel, and the British Empire will have some time to slow down."
"Oh, by the way, there's also the Flower Planting Family. Don't underestimate them. Who knows, one day, it might be this seemingly harmless, weakling who brings down both of your families!"
While Mountbatten was thinking, he looked at the senior general of the Flower Planting Family sitting next to him. Peng knew that Mountbatten was spying on him, but he seemed unusually calm. With the help of Yang Hong's translation, he communicated with Wei Made, tasting his precious coffee while setting a trap to make Wei Made bleed.
Weimade felt a wave of disgust. "These flower-growing folks are all the same, greedy and narrow-minded. They won't miss a single small advantage." He knew full well that Zhukov's scheme was to force civil unrest among the Allied forces, preventing them from uniting as a united force, thereby reaping greater benefits for the Soviet Union in the post-war distribution. However, no one was foolish. Everyone knew this scene was bound to happen atop the Empire State Building, yet no one said a word. This stalemate continued, waiting to see who would finally give in.
Huang Wei and Kuang Zhengqi weren't qualified to sit with the other leaders at the Allied Forces' Provisional Headquarters. They found a reasonably large office and hung the Flower Planting Clan's flag, temporarily declaring it the temporary headquarters of the Flower Planting Clan's expeditionary force. It was already dark, and even if their flag had been accidentally planted first, they were sure the others wouldn't approve. The two exchanged a smile, said nothing more, and waved their adjutants to leave without being disturbed. Then, they closed their eyes and went straight to sleep.
As the argument on the rooftop continued, Zheng Shuang finally came to his senses. It was then that he understood why his old leader, Liu Zhiyang, had immediately evacuated the building after the American, Soviet, and British soldiers entered. Clearly, he had anticipated this outcome. Even his superior, Captain Mo, hadn't questioned him. Glancing at the soldiers from the surrounding nations, he suddenly realized that the highest rank belonged to him. Besides his own rank of major, there wasn't even a single captain to be found.
Zheng Shuang mentally slapped himself several times. "Damn it, I got fooled." He had clearly gotten a little carried away. He knew that on the ground floor, he had met with a Soviet colonel, a British lieutenant colonel, and an American major. These people must have known that a fight would break out in the building and had already fled. Zheng Shuang had no chance to leave now. The crowd on the rooftop was densely packed, everyone was in a stalemate, no one would give up their position for others.
Zheng Shuang suddenly thought of something. She glanced at Tandin's cold body on the ground, reached out to scoop up a handful of blood from the wound on his chest, smeared it on her face, and whispered a few words to her subordinates. She collapsed beside Tandin's body and fell into a deep sleep.
As the sky gradually brightened, the soldiers on the rooftop, perhaps tired, all sat on the ground. Everyone knew very well that at this time, whether to raise the flag or whose flag to raise was no longer something they could decide.
Around eight o'clock in the morning, the Allied high-ranking officers, having been up all night, praised Chief of Staff Weimed's coffee and exchanged whispers. These men, after seven or eight years on the battlefield, had become accustomed to such sleepless nights. I'm sure countless others around the world, like them, were also awake that night, waiting for the final rays of sunlight to end this protracted war.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Eisenhower said to Marshal Zhukov beside him, "Marshal, I think it's time to end the dispute."
After that night, Zhukov knew that his conspiracy had both succeeded and failed. He said calmly, "Mr. Eisenhower, you are the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. According to the treaty, I am also your subordinate. You just give the orders."
Eisenhower said nothing more, but waved his hand and his adjutant hurried over. . . .
On June 1947, 6, when the first ray of sunlight shone on the roof of the Empire State Building, it was suddenly seen that on each of the four corners of the roof, there was a national flag flying, corresponding to the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and China, shining brightly in the golden sunlight!