The first rays of New Year's sunshine lit up the world, and the resounding chimes told people that it was now 1916.
However, the sunshine couldn't dissolve the dense war clouds over the world, the clear bird songs couldn't quell the flying bullets, and the sorrowful sobs couldn't bring back the lives of loved ones.
On this New Year's Day, what people were thinking was: How many more fresh lives will leave their beloved families, leave their cherished hometowns, and head towards the unknown battlefields to meet their deaths this year!
...
Namur City Hall, the headquarters of the First Special Reconnaissance Army.
Albert I was busy with a pile of supply lists. In just a few days, all kinds of urgent supply reports had flown to his desk like snowflakes:
"The flour reserve has hit the red line, and the remaining quantity might only last three days."
"Ammunition has entered the danger zone; many soldiers don't have a full complement of bullets."
