When the sun once again passed through the treetops and morning mist, everyone around the campfire also filled their kettles with boiling water.

Under a pine tree about twenty meters away from the campfire, Wei Ran also sat cross-legged on the edge of an open cloak, carefully using the half-barrel of gasoline mixed with a little engine oil that they had brought.

He cleaned all the disassembled machine gun parts and easily solved the problem of the ammunition feeder being jammed by foreign objects.

He filtered the used fuel with a piece of rag and put it back into the oil drum. By the time he reassembled the wiped parts, those in the distance had already extinguished the bonfire and gathered around them amidst the rising sun and the faint noise of the aircraft engine.

come over.

"Victor, can this machine gun be used?" Vinya was the first to run over and ask, and by the way, he returned the German kettle that had been filled with hot water to Wei Ran.

"It should work." Wei Ran pointed to the top of his head, "Try?"

"Try it!" Sasha and Alyosha were the first to be tempted.

"never mind"

Political Commissar Vinia was not moved, "Our machine guns may be able to bring down the plane, but it will definitely consume a lot of ammunition. If the plane shoots at us or even drops bombs, we may have to pay a higher price."

.”

"Comrade Vinya is right," another political commissar Zinovi agreed, "use this machine gun to destroy the German ground forces, that way it will be of greater value."

"Now, Victor, let's take some photos!" Platoon Leader Taras changed the subject and said, "We are about to leave."

"How about taking a photo next to it?"

Wei Ran patted the newly assembled Deshka machine gun and suggested, "I'm going to wash my hands first, and I'll take pictures for everyone when I get back. Before that, you can decide who will take the pictures in order."

"Listen to Comrade Photographer's arrangements." Taras clapped his hands, and immediately, the soldiers lined up as quickly as possible.

Upon seeing this, Wei Ran and Political Commissar Weniya smiled at each other, walked alone to the stream not far away, took out the set of seized toiletries from their backpacks, took out the soap and carefully washed the oil on their hands.

I didn't forget to wash my face and shave.

When he came back, he already had a twin-lens reflex camera in his hand, and the Deshka machine gun had been turned into an anti-aircraft machine gun by the Red Army soldiers who had removed the shield and set it up.

At this time, next to the machine gun, there was a small man wearing a cloak who looked less than 1.7 meters tall. He was holding the machine gun with one hand and adjusting his posture under the guidance of his comrades.

"Comrade Photographer is here"

Another soldier reminded him, and the little man standing next to the machine gun subconsciously puffed up his chest.

"Soldier, what's your name?"

Wei Ran hung the camera around his neck, and then took out from his arms the notepad of Anani, a fallen war correspondent, and the pen from the metal book that Platoon Commander Taras had given him for safekeeping.

"Innokenji!"

The little soldier shouted, "Innokenty Josephovich Popov!"

"Where are you from?" Wei Ran asked, writing down the other person's name.

"Penza, I'm from Penza!" Innokenti replied loudly and proudly.

"I got it"

Wei Ran said, but handed the notepad and his pen to the political commissar Zinovi who was standing next to him, and at the same time said, "Please register your address with Comrade Political Commissar later. If you have the opportunity in the future,

, I will send your photos back."

"I know his home address"

Political Commissar Zinovi took the notepad and pen, and while writing a string of addresses fluently behind the name, he said, "I remember everyone's address."

"Then I'll trouble you," Wei Ran said, and then he raised the camera, instructing Innokenti to make some adjustments before pressing the shutter.

"Comrade Anani did the same thing"

It wasn't until Innokenti gave up the photo background to the next soldier that Commissar Zinovi said, "Also using this notepad, he asked me to help register everyone's addresses and names, but he only took pictures of us.

A group photo, and promised to send the photo to everyone. Victor, you may have the talent to be a reporter."

"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will become a reporter."

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he began to direct the second soldier to make slight adjustments to his posture, and then pressed the shutter button seriously. At the same time, Zinovi also wrote the corresponding name and address on a new line in his notepad.

.

Soon, Wei Ran took a photo of more than 20 soldiers, including political commissar Zinovi and platoon leader Taras, wearing cloaks and boat caps, holding a machine gun in one hand and holding a protective shield under their feet.

Single photo of.

Finally, these young soldiers obeyed Wei Ran's command, flattened the machine guns, reinstalled the shields, and placed the Simonov anti-tank guns on them, forming two rows behind them.

We took a group photo wearing German weapons.

"Let us join in the second group photo!" Wei Ran asked, shaking the camera in his hand.

"Of course!" Platoon leader Taras agreed without thinking, "I'll take pictures for you!"

"No need." Wei Ran waved his hand, "Let this machine gun shoot for us."

After saying that, he called on two soldiers to help remove the machine gun and shield from the gun mount, and then set it up to become an extra stable tripod.

Once again directing everyone, including Vinia and others, to pose, Wei Ran placed the camera on the tripod, adjusted it, pressed the selfie lever, and then ran over and squatted down next to political commissar Vinia.

There were no slogans, no cheers, and even the sound of the shutter was completely obscured by the roar of fighter jets flying overhead.

After the group photo was taken and the four Guardsmen stood up, Platoon Leader Taras saluted with his soldiers and finally said, "It's time to separate, Vinya, Victor, and Sa

Sha and Alyosha, we will return the weapons to you soon."

"Comrade Taras, Comrade Zinovi, are you really sure you don't need us to act with you?" Vinya asked seriously after returning a military salute.

"No need, really no need."

Platoon leader Taras smiled and said, "If we need your help, we will contact you in time. How about staying at the place where we met before?"

"Okay then" Vinia nodded, "In that case, let's act separately."

"Protect your gun repairmen"

When Zinovi said this, he glanced at Wei Ran and added with a smile, "Of course, there is also future reporter Comrade Victor."

Watching Platoon Leader Taras and Political Commissar Zinovi disappear into the forest with the soldiers carrying weapons and ammunition on their hands and shoulders without looking back, Wei Ran picked up the camera still on the gun stand and said

, "Let me take a photo of each of the three of you!"

"I'll go first!" Sasha, who had wanted to take a photo for a long time, was the first to raise his hand in response.

"Hold on"

Wei Ran glanced at the political commissar Vigna without leaving a trace. After leveling the gun stand, he mounted the heavy machine gun and shield again and rearranged the background for the photo.

"Commissar Vinia, please help me record their names and addresses." Wei Ran said, handing over the notepad and pen.

"Comrade Zinovi is right, you do have the talent to be a journalist."

Winia came back to her senses, and while making fun of Wei Ran, she took the things in Wei Ran's hand and skillfully wrote down Sasha's name and address.

After he took a photo of Alyosha, Vinia also handed over the notepad and pen.

"Let me take a picture for you too."

Wei Ran took the notepad, opened it, and asked seriously, "So, Comrade Weinia, what is your full name?"

"Vinya Isaankovitch Sukhorukov"

While answering Wei Ran's question, Political Commissar Vinia straightened the boat cap on his head and stood next to the machine gun, putting one hand on the thick muzzle brake.

"Where's the address?" Wei Ran asked while writing.

After a moment of silence, Political Commissar Vinia replied, "My home has been occupied by the Germans... No, it has been destroyed by the Germans."

Hearing this, Wei Ran looked up at the other party, lowered his head and said, "The war will eventually end, and you will always return to your hometown."

"If I could live to that day, I would indeed go back," Political Commissar Vinia sighed, "I never thought I would live to that day."

"So what's your address?" Wei Ran asked again rather stubbornly.

"Stalino's..."

"Where?" Wei Ran's brows jumped, and he raised his head and looked at the other party in surprise.

"Stalino, what's wrong?" Political Commissar Vinia looked at Wei Ran in confusion.

"nothing"

After Wei Ran finished speaking, he sighed secretly. This place was obviously named after taking pictures of Stalin's horses. It was also one of the main battlefields on the Eastern Front.

But he knew more clearly that the geographical location represented by this place name had another name that was still associated with the war after the end of World War II - Donetsk!

Looking at Weiran suspiciously, Vinya gave a detailed address called "Berkhovka Village".

After carefully writing down this string of addresses, Wei Ran carefully took a single photo of Political Commissar Vinia, who seemed a little distracted.

"Victor, let me take a picture of you too."

Alyosha glanced at the camera in Wei Ran's hand with some envy, "How about you teach me how to use your camera by the way?"

"sure"

Wei Ran happily handed the camera to the other party and taught him how to take pictures.

"Stop your posture and look at the camera." Alyosha imitated the way he just looked at Wei Ran and commanded, "Please raise your head a little bit."

He patiently cooperated with the young man's instructions and took a single photo. Wei Ran took the camera handed to him with his front foot, and then heard the political commissar Vinia greeting him with his back foot, "Come here, we should discuss the next thing.

Already."

Hearing this, Wei Ran quickly put away his camera and pen under the cover of his backpack, and also stuffed the notepad into his backpack.

By the time he gathered around him, Political Commissar Vinia had already removed the artillery shield, and then took out a map from his pocket and spread it on it. After some searching, he used a small piece of diatomaceous earth to mark one of the locations.
To be continued...