Elder brother's garrison

Page 2656

"Uh...what, what do you mean?" Xiaobai was stunned.

"..." 1913 looked at Xiaobai and smiled slightly, trying to make her words as easy to understand as possible, "What I mean is that the scenery here is not in line with the era in which I should have appeared."

"The year 1913 should have been... Oh, you mean when you became a planned ship?"

"Amidst the storms, social unrest, foreign enemies, and endless internal troubles, no one in that era could see such a tranquil sky." 1913 looked out the window and said leisurely, "This sky may not be unusual for the people here, but this bustling and prosperous scene was like the moon in a mirror or a flower in water for the people of that era—a place that could only be imagined in dreams."

"...1913, you speak as if you've seen it with your own eyes," Xiaobai said with a smile as she listened to 1913's words.

"I have indeed seen it," 1913 said with a smile.

"...Huh?" Xiaobai was stunned.

In 1913, he stretched out his palm towards Xiaobai and gently opened it.

"Through these past few days, I have gradually come to understand one thing: compared to my other naval comrades, my condition seems to be somewhat different," 1913 said. "Although my comrades in the naval comrades bear the name of the ship, they are more like lives born from the ship's name, an inextinguishable flame that appears when the firewood called legend is burning brightly."

"Aren't you the same?"

“I am different. I do not have enough fuel to burn.” 1913 looked at the sky and narrowed his eyes slightly. “I am actually the plan of 1913 itself. That is why I am even more deeply etched in my heart the history I bear.”

"Oh, I see, you mean you are the original form of 1913!" Little White realized belatedly from the side.

“That’s right.” 1913 smiled.

"So it seems there won't be a second 1913 in this world," Xiaobai said, whether with regret or relief.

"It's best if there's no other person with this frail body," 1913 murmured softly, looking at his palm.

“…You’re not weak at all,” Xiaobai added from the side.

Although it was a bit inappropriate, Xiaobai couldn't help but glance at 1913's tall and voluptuous figure when he said this.

If this can be called frail... then what is Xiaobai's own... skeleton?

Don't want that kind of thing.

Xiao Bai sighed softly.

“However… 1913, I still want to say sorry to you this time,” Xiaobai said.

"Why does the Admiral apologize?" 1913 withdrew his gaze and gently turned to look at Xiaobai.

"Oh dear, didn't you say before that you wanted me to take you to see the world now and experience its prosperity?" Xiaobai smiled bitterly at 1913, "But after you came to Shenzhen with me, we encountered a small fraud gang in a camera shop on the very first day, and then we went to a human trafficking den on the second day... This is not experiencing the prosperity of the world, this is clearly coming to see demons and monsters... You must be very disappointed."

"Does the Admiral think I will be disappointed?" 1913 asked Xiaobai, maintaining his previous expression.

"It's hard not to be disappointed... I'm sorry to have shown you the bad side of the human world."

"..." 1913 didn't speak. She just pondered for a moment and looked up at the window again.

Xiaobai stood next to 1913 for a while, looking at 1913's profile, his snow-white chin outlining a clear neckline.

After a while, 1913 lowered his head and suddenly smiled slightly at Xiaobai.

"Admiral, I am not disappointed at all."

"Huh? No?"

"On the contrary, after seeing the Admiral's explanation, I truly understand the beauty of this world today." 1913 said softly, her rosy lips pursed, her eyes filled with deep affection. "Admiral, do you know what the times were like back then?"

"do not know……"

"On one side, people were starving and the land was desolate; on the other side, warlords held sway, indulging in revelry day and night. Gunfire echoed in the sky, markets and alleys were no longer peaceful, and train stations were migration points for a group of destitute people, heading towards unknown destinations," 1913 said. "The present was already in ruins, and the future... In that era, simply surviving was an effort, and no one knew what the future held. In that world, people were starving, living hand to mouth, and people were treated like bargaining chips in a transaction. No one cared about the minor disturbances of buying and selling, or the so-called trivial matters of missing children."

Xiao Bai listened blankly to 1913's words.

In 1913, he reached out and gently placed his hand on Little White's head, stroking it softly.

"Admiral, in my time, it was an era where you could find skeletons even in haystacks on the street," 1913 said softly to Xiaobai. "But in this era, we see fraudulent transactions and large-scale human trafficking—I'm not saying this is a good thing, but in your words, what should have been trivial matters that frequently occurred in the past has now become a stain on this era, which is truly delightful."

He withdrew his hand in 1913.

"The prosperity of an era should not be judged solely by its filth. When I came here, the vast majority of people were well-fed and clothed, and the children lived carefree lives. When firecrackers sounded in the sky, no one thought it meant artillery shells were approaching. When people chased each other in the streets and walked briskly, no one thought it meant the start of street fighting." 1913 said to Xiaobai, "To me, all of this is a testament to the prosperity of this world. Perhaps this world is not perfect, and shadows will always appear under the sun... But even so, this is a scene that countless people in the past could only dream of."

Xiao Bai touched his head, looked at 1913, and blinked in a daze.

1913 smiled at Little White.

"Thank you, Admiral. I am very satisfied with this world."

Chapter 3729 Changing My Clothes

Xiao Bai stared at 1913's face and instantly fell into a brief daze.

Xiaobai had genuinely thought that after experiencing these two events, 1913 would be disappointed with the present era, but to her surprise, even so, her final evaluation of the current era was still quite high.

If Xiaobai hadn't asked her directly, she might have remained in the dark about this matter her whole life.

Xiaobai snapped out of her daze, pursed her lips slightly, and felt strange.

"So... you like it here."

"With the country at peace and the people prosperous, all my long-cherished wishes have come true." 1913 lowered her head slightly and said obediently, "This era is so similar to the place where I once lived, but upon closer inspection, it is even more beautiful. I like it."

"Oh, I'm relieved now." Xiaobai finally felt at ease. She scratched her head and said jokingly, "I was worried that you were disappointed with this era, and I was thinking about how to explain it to you."

"..." 1913 gently curved the corners of her lips, her gaze towards Xiaobai softening as she revealed a warm smile. "Speaking of which, wasn't the Admiral in the lounge earlier? Did you come out specifically to find me?"

"Hmm..." Xiaobai thought for a moment, then nodded.

To be precise, Xiaobai was actually bored of being alone in the lounge, so she wanted to go out and talk to her ship girl.

As for the incident of Xiaobai bumping into 1913, it was purely a coincidence.

However, the chat went quite well, and Xiaobai was quite satisfied. He decided to treat this chat as a special opportunity to talk to 1913.

"1913, do you have any plans for the future?" Xiaobai asked 1913.

"As for the follow-up plans..." 1913 turned her head and looked at the scenery outside the window. "I have seen enough in this era. Although it would be fine to continue to admire the scenery, as expected... as a ship girl, I still need to focus on my duties."

"Your primary job?"

"Hmm." 1913 nodded slightly, turned her gaze to Xiaobai, and said softly, "After returning to the naval base, I also need to hone my ship equipment and accumulate more combat experience in preparation for any eventuality."

"...Wow, such high level of awareness?"

"Does the Admiral find it inappropriate?"

“Not really…” Xiaobai shook her head, covering her mouth as she cautiously examined 1913’s appearance and figure. “Mainly, judging from your appearance, I thought you were the kind of ship girl who didn’t like fighting and preferred a peaceful life…”

“Admiral, you don’t need to be so tactful.” 1913 gave Xiaobai a gentle smile, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. “What you’re referring to is that I seem delicate, like a hothouse flower, and not good at martial arts.”

"Admiral, the name 1913 that I bear was born from a chaotic world." 1913 spoke softly, her tone gentle and gentle, yet her voice held a firmness as unwavering as the placement of a chess piece. "Please believe me, in this world, no one understands the importance of force better than I do."

"oh oh……"

"As for my appearance..." 1913 gently raised her arm, palm facing herself, her slender fingers gracefully parting in mid-air, her gaze fixed intently on her palm, "and this Western attire that I was born with... This is not what I wanted. The reason it is so is simply because this appearance and clothing, to a certain extent, comes from the perspective of the era in which I lived. It is a coincidence and cannot be taken seriously."

"Oh...that makes sense." Xiaobai nodded. "I judged people by their appearance..."

1913 lowered her hand, gently stroked the parasol, looked at Xiao Bai's fair face, and the smile that had just appeared on her lips was covered by the slightly drooping parasol.

“However, this Western-style outfit is excellent in terms of both tailoring and color matching, and it suits my taste,” 1913 said softly.

"Um……"

"However, the waist-cinching part of this outfit is rather uncomfortable." 1913 walked past Xiaobai with a parasol, her gaze drifting through the gaps in the parasol and landing on Xiaobai's shoulder. "Admiral, perhaps one day, this will be the opportunity for me to take off this outfit and put on traditional clothing again... Will you be the one to drape me in the phoenix coronet and wedding gown then?"

"Um"

"..."

"..."

"Huh? Wait, wait a minute?"

Xiaobai nodded subconsciously in response, but the surroundings were quiet. As she finished speaking, she suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

Phoenix coronet and embroidered robe?

Ok?

Um? ?

Xiao Bai jolted awake and looked around, but 1913 had already taken the opportunity to walk up the stairs while Xiao Bai was still in a daze, and disappeared into the distance.

On Xiaobai's side, all that can be seen is the faint silhouette of 1913 as he departs.

Her graceful figure attracted the attention of many passersby along the way.

Xiao Bai touched her cheek, then reached out and pinched it.

What she just said... was probably a joke, right?

Xiao Bai lowered his hand, looking dejected.

I have a feeling... like I've been teased by 1913... but the evidence isn't strong enough, I need to take a look.

……

As afternoon approached, an unexpected guest arrived.

Xiao Bai thought that Ji Siyu's parents would arrive in Shenzhen the next day, but she didn't expect that they had only been at the Shenzhen hospital for less than a day when she received news that Ji Siyu's parents had arrived at the hospital that afternoon.

When Ji Siyu's parents arrived at Shenzhen Hospital, Xiaobai was still in the hospital's screening room, watching a movie with her ship girls.

On a side note.

Watching a movie with the ship girls is definitely more fun than playing on my phone by myself.

When Xiaobai received the news and arrived at Ji Siyu's ward with the ship girls, the ward was crowded with people. Among them were hospital nurses, caregivers, doctors, family members from other wards, and staff members holding telephone receivers and carrying video equipment.

Ji Siyu's hospital room was filled with the sound of crying.

Xiaobai tiptoed to look at the ward door blocked by the crowd. She tried to squeeze in, but the crowd at the ward door was too dense, and there was hardly any room to move in the corridor. Therefore, Xiaobai had no choice but to activate the Admiral Network to check the situation inside the room.

At this moment, a man and a woman were waiting in front of Ji Siyu's bed in her hospital room.

The couple, nearing middle age, looked travel-worn. The woman, with disheveled long hair and wearing a dusty cotton-padded jacket and trousers, knelt on the hospital bed, holding the little girl and weeping bitterly. The man, too, had a weathered face, his skin sallow and cracked. Yet, he wore dirty gold-rimmed glasses, looking neither scholarly nor martial. As he watched the mother and daughter reunited on the hospital bed, he trembled and wiped away tears, which mixed with dust, turning gray and obscuring his vision.

As for Ji Siyu himself...

Ji Siyu was held in her biological mother's arms, and for a moment she looked bewildered and helpless.

But soon, as she spent more time in her biological mother's arms, she seemed to slowly recall her biological mother's memories. Listening to her biological mother's sobs, her own eyes gradually reddened and tears streamed down her face.

"mom, Mom, Mom……"

As Ji Siyu murmured the word "Mom," someone in the room started clapping.

The sound of applause echoed down the corridor, continuing all the way.

Xiaobai reclaimed the Admiral Network, and she finally felt relieved.

Just as Xiaobai was about to leave, she saw Nanxing's mother standing outside the door at the edge of the crowd, looking exhausted and heartbroken.

"Auntie, you're here too." Xiaobai walked over with the ship girls, and they greeted Nanxing's mother.

"Eh? Oh... Little Lu Lin, you're here too." Nanxing's mother seemed to have a headache from the applause around her. She gently rubbed her forehead, frowning and closing her eyes, when she suddenly heard Xiaobai's voice. She opened her eyes and looked over, then nodded gently to Xiaobai and the ship girls, greeting them, "You're all here too. Where's Nanxing? Isn't she with you?"

"Sister Nanxing still has work to do, so she'll be going back for now," Xiaobai replied.

“Work…sigh, this child.” Nanxing’s mother sighed suddenly, but her mood quickly improved. She smiled and said to Xiaobai, “It’s not easy for a guest to come and stay with us for a few days. She has to make time to entertain her properly. I’ll talk to her for you later.”

"It's alright, thank you, Auntie." Xiaobai smiled. "Speaking of which, Auntie, why are there so many people here?"

"Are you talking about these people?" Nanxing's mother pointed to the people in the corridor and room carrying flashlights and camera equipment. "These people... well, there's nothing we can do. These are media outlets from various places, as well as some self-media people on the internet. These people have all helped Ji Siyu's parents to varying degrees before. Now that Ji Siyu has finally been found, these people want to come up and film, and we can't stop them."

“I see…” Xiaobai looked away and looked at the ward. “Anyway, it’s good that it’s been found.”

"Sigh, human trafficking gangs really do a lot of harm." Nanxing's mother gently patted Xiaobai's shoulder. "I heard that these parents used to have a very good life. The father was a university professor and the mother was a professional lawyer. They were a perfect couple, such a wonderful family. But because their daughter went missing, they searched for her desperately. They lost their jobs, their company went bankrupt because no one was running it, they lost all their time, and they even traveled all over the world, only to end up looking like this, all disheveled and exhausted."

Chapter 3730 Hindrance

Xiao Bai listened to Nanxing's mother's words and was filled with emotion.

Xiaobai had never given birth, so she didn't understand much about the pain of separation from one's child.

But if you put yourself in her shoes, if the Will of the Deep Sea suddenly disappeared one day, Xiaobai thinks he would probably do anything to find her.

Thinking about it this way, human trafficking gangs are even more unforgivable.

No wonder that in some remote areas, if people catch human traffickers on the street, they are more likely to beat them to death in the street or force them to swallow scalding hot millet cakes soaked in cold water than to call the police.

Xiaobai shook her head. She thought of Gao Le, Xu An, and Aunt Mei, and in the end, all she could say was a sigh.

There were too many people in the corridor, and someone was filming here, so Xiaobai decided not to disturb Ji Siyu's reunion with his parents.