Elder brother's garrison

Page 2460

"Hey..." Commander Lin chuckled awkwardly. He scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then said to Xiaobai, "Admiral Lu Lin... do you think Hancock doesn't want to go with you?"

"Hancock seems to get along quite well with the members of your mercenary group, doesn't he?"

"They get along quite well. Hancock is a girl who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Although she is exceptionally talented and progresses rapidly, she doesn't have the arrogance of those little geniuses. Many people in this mercenary group like her," said Commander Lin. "However, Admiral Lu Lin, this is not the reason why Hancock will choose to stay."

"Hmm? Reason?"

"The reason Hancock stayed in the Pure White Mercenary Group is ultimately because she was moved by the ideals we uphold," said Commander Lin. "Two years ago, my daughter rebuilt the mercenary group and temporarily handed over the management to me. After that, she went to the Admiral's University on her own. Hancock joined the mercenary group during the time my daughter was away... Strictly speaking, she didn't really have any feelings for my daughter. The one who truly developed feelings for her was Admiral Lu Lin, you."

"Huh? Me?" Xiaobai pointed to herself, momentarily stunned.

"The Repair Pool, Admiral Lu Lin." Commander Lin said earnestly, word by word, "You are the legendary admiral who established the Repair Pool, who has the world in his heart and is compassionate to all people. Hancock chose to stay in our mercenary group because she respects and admires you."

"Admiral Lu Lin, haven't you noticed yet? Actually... you're her idol."

Chapter 3440 Hancock's Reasons

After hearing what Commander Lin said, Xiao Bai felt his head buzz.

what?

What?

Is he Hancock's idol?

So sudden?

Xiao Bai stared blankly at Commander Lin.

Commander Lin finally showed a somewhat relaxed smile.

Commander Lin's expression was incredibly vivid, as if to say, "Even the all-powerful Admiral Lu Lin has things he didn't expect, right?"

Seeing Commander Lin's smile, Xiao Bai's brain subconsciously started working, and he suddenly remembered what had happened before.

Yes...

If what Commander Lin just said is true, then Xiao Bai can indeed recall some clues about Hancock's opinion of him as admiral.

For example, when Xiaobai first met Hancock, she was the gatekeeper maintaining order at the entrance of the repair pool. At that time, she was taciturn and seemed to have no desire for anything, giving people a feeling that strangers should not approach. But even under such an atmosphere, whenever a ship girl asked her about the story of the repair pool, Hancock would always make time, no matter how busy she was, to patiently tell the story of the repair pool again and again.

Xiao Bai previously thought that Hancock's diligence in endlessly repeating the story of the repair pool might be due to the strict discipline of the Pure White Wings mercenary group, but now that she thinks about it again... it's probably not just her personal, self-serving act.

Like a devout preacher, it seemed to want to share the story of the restoration pool with everyone.

Thinking of this, Xiaobai's delicate eyebrows twisted slightly, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth, looking at Commander Lin with complicated emotions.

"So... that's how it is?" Xiao Bai asked Commander Lin, "Is that how Hancock sees me?"

“Yes… otherwise why would Hancock be willing to stay overnight at your house even though she only met you, Admiral Lu Lin, for the first time, and even stay by your side all the time these past few days?” Commander Lin said to Xiaobai. “Hancock is not usually this clingy.”

"I thought it was me..." Xiaobai hesitated, then stopped.

"Hmm? What is it?" Commander Lin asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing," Xiaobai shook her head. "But I understand now."

Xiao Bai had mixed feelings.

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Little White never expected that the repair pool he built to reassure the goddess of the hearth and get her to follow him would, two years later, not only help him gain a level of adoration in the civilian ship girl community, but also win him the heart of a ship girl genius that is rare in the community.

This is a difficult matter to assess.

If Hancock was truly attracted to the legendary, idealized, even deified, noble character of herself, then in the two days she actually spent with her, she should have gradually realized that she was far less great than the legend portrayed...

Xiao Bai is very self-aware.

She is far from being one of those great figures in textbooks who had the world in their hearts.

Compared to the legendary great admiral, he was just an ordinary admiral with a little money and a little power, and even harbored many secrets that could not be told to outsiders.

Ugh.

If Hancock admires himself because of the stories others tell him... then Hancock is probably going to be disillusioned.

"Commander Lin, perhaps Hancock doesn't want to come with me," Xiaobai said to Commander Lin. "I think rather than letting the two of us decide whether she stays or leaves, we should give her the real choice."

"Haha, Admiral Lu Lin is truly a kind-hearted person!" Commander Lin looked at Xiao Bai and suddenly exclaimed, "Although this comparison is a bit unfair, I sincerely believe that you are countless times better than the commander of the Blazing Fire Mercenary Group!"

"..." Xiaobai smiled silently.

"However, Admiral Lu Lin, you can rest assured about Hancock's feelings." Commander Lin said to Xiaobai, "Although Hancock may seem that way, in the end, she is just a civilian ship girl with only two years of life experience... Ship girls her age are often straightforward in their actions."

"What does this sentence mean?" Xiaobai asked curiously.

“If Hancock really didn’t want to stay by your side, she would never have made the choice to go home with you for the night,” Commander Lin continued to say to Xiaobai. “During these two days together, if she had even the slightest disappointment in you, she would have immediately left you and returned to our mercenary group… However, as you have seen, she has never had the thought of leaving you since she met you.”

"Leaving on the spot would be fine..." Xiaobai scratched his head, "but she didn't leave, did she?"

“Yes, doesn’t that mean she’s very satisfied with you?” Commander Lin said.

"……No way?"

"Don't worry, I watched her grow up, I know exactly what she's thinking," Commander Lin said again.

"...So, she's quite satisfied with me?" Xiaobai paused for a moment, then asked again.

"They should be quite satisfied," Commander Lin concluded.

"Sigh..." Now it was Xiaobai's turn to be a little confused.

Seeing Xiaobai's hesitant expression, Commander Lin smiled slightly.

"Admiral Lu Lin, regarding this matter... if you find it troublesome, you can leave everything to me for now. I'll ask Hancock what she thinks when you're having dinner later," Commander Lin said. "Hancock has been with our mercenary group for so long, she probably wouldn't want to ask to leave, but I know very well that if you leave like this, Admiral Lu Lin, she will definitely regret it for the rest of her life—in that case, why don't you leave this matter to me!"

Commander Lin seemed determined to take on the entire matter.

Xiao Bai looked at Commander Lin and smiled helplessly.

Good guy.

Commander Lin seemed more motivated to bring Hancock to his side than to salvage the boat himself.

but……

indeed.

Xiao Bai, on the other hand, had no reason to refuse.

Although the time spent together was relatively short, Hancock is a rather interesting ship girl, and Xiaobai doesn't dislike her.

If she's willing to join the newbie garrison, Xiaobai doesn't think it would be a bad thing.

“In that case… then I’ll leave this matter to you, Commander Lin,” Xiaobai said. “My naval base does have a place to accept new ship girls… but ultimately, it depends on the wishes of the person involved. If she doesn’t want to, please don’t force her.”

"Admiral Lu Lin, don't worry." Commander Lin gave Xiaobai an OK sign.

Xiao Bai's conversation with Commander Lin finally ended. Xiao Bai said goodbye to Commander Lin and left the office for the time being, heading to the cafeteria on the first floor.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Xiaobai quickly saw her ship girls.

Changchun and Chaoda occupied a table in a corner. When they saw Xiaobai, they happily waved and beckoned her to come over.

The ship girls in the canteen were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, cheering and jumping for joy.

When Xiaobai arrived in front of the ship girls, she found that they had already prepared food for her.

Xiaobai sat down next to the ship girls and looked around.

"Huh? Didn't Hancock come out with you guys?" Xiaobai asked curiously, not seeing Hancock.

"Sister Hancock? She was just called away by a ship girl." Changchun said to Xiaobai with a smile, as if she knew everything. "It's quite a coincidence, Admiral, you came back not long after she left."

"Ah..." Xiaobai smiled as she listened.

Understood.

Hancock is probably in Commander Lin's office right now, having a heart-to-heart talk with Commander Lin.

"Admiral, what did you and that uncle talk about just now?" The female hearth goddess picked up her chopsticks, added a piece of fried meatball, and asked while chewing.

"It's nothing much, just talking about the future," Xiaobai said, "and about Hancock."

"Hehe, Admiral, you've struck again." The goddess of the hearth swallowed what was in her mouth and grinned at Little White.

"Sigh, no, I really didn't this time." Little White shook his head at the female Kitchen Goddess. "This is a long story, and it's progressed by leaps and bounds... I don't know how it developed into this."

"Admiral, I understand, I understand." The goddess of the hearth nodded.

Xiao Bai looked at the female stove goddess's fair face and felt a little helpless.

My reputation...

It's really unbelievable now; even their own ship girls don't believe in them anymore.

"Admiral, should we wait for Hancock to return?" the ship girls asked.

"...Hmm...Never mind, let's eat first." Xiaobai thought for a moment and then said, "I don't know when she'll be back."

"Oh, oh, oh!" Upon hearing this, the ship girls finally picked up their chopsticks.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria was still lively.

The Pure White Wings Mercenary Group's canteen, though called a canteen, is more like a huge dining hall. The ship girls usually order what they want at the ticket counter, and the kitchen cooks the dishes and brings them out one by one. The food here is plentiful, and although it may not look as exquisite and luxurious as the food from a big hotel, in this warm and lively atmosphere, every dish is cooked cleanly and refreshingly, with a touch of the flavor of a street-side eatery.

The deep-fried meatballs are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fresh and delicious meat flavor.

The meat pie with the door nail is so juicy and flavorful, yet not greasy.

The stir-fried tripe with coriander has a wonderful texture and is cooked to perfection.

Xiao Bai took a few bites and felt that the taste was more authentic than what he had eaten in the past few days.

Good heavens, the canteen of the Pure White Wings mercenary group is truly a place where hidden talents abound.

No wonder Commander Lin insisted on treating me to a meal at his family's canteen...

Amidst the lively atmosphere of the cafeteria, Xiaobai and his friends enjoyed their meal for a while.

After finishing half a bowl of rice, Xiaobai was about to pick up her bowl to eat the meatballs that Changchun had given her when she suddenly felt a light footstep behind her.

The footsteps were barely noticeable amidst the lively atmosphere of the cafeteria.

But for some reason, Xiaobai clearly heard the sound of footsteps as quiet as a cat's.

Xiao Bai put down his chopsticks and looked back.

Sure enough, Hancock had appeared sometime earlier and stopped a few steps behind Xiaobai.

Chapter 3441 A Lucky Add-on

"Admiral, this meatball is fried very well, would you like another one..." Changchun was about to put another fried meatball into Xiaobai's bowl when she saw Xiaobai put down her chopsticks and turn around. She subconsciously followed Xiaobai's gaze and looked back. After seeing Hancock's figure, Changchun subconsciously put down her chopsticks and softly said, "...Ah."

As Changchun's voice rang out, everyone at the table noticed Hancock.

Hancock stood quietly not far from the crowd, her head bowed calmly, her black coat clinging to her body, her expression neither sad nor happy.

"Hancock, you... you're out?" Little White asked.

“Hmm,” Hancock replied.

"Then, shall we eat?" Xiaobai pointed to the dining table.

Everyone ate a little of the food on the table, but fortunately, everyone ate it all up, and most of the dishes on the table were still neatly arranged.

Hancock quietly walked to the dining table and sat down in the chair that the ship girls had vacated.

Hancock sat down next to Little White.

Changchun quickly presented Hancock with a bowl of white rice.

Chao Da quickly placed the chopsticks in front of Hancock.

Hancock took the bowl of rice and placed it in front of him, but quietly kept his head down and did not touch his chopsticks.

Everyone stared at each other, first at Little White, then at Hancock who remained silent.

In the bustling cafeteria, the atmosphere at Xiaobai's table was somewhat awkward.

“Hancock…” Little White called out to Hancock, “You…”

“…Later.” Suddenly, Hancock looked up, turned to Little White, stared at her, and interrupted her.

"Hey? Go on." Xiaobai nodded quickly.

"May I... call you Admiral from now on?"

When Hancock said this, everyone at the table was stunned for a moment, and then a look of realization flashed in the eyes of the ship girls.