122: Chapter 122 After Dinner

In the end, there was no group meal.

After picking up A6, she felt several kilograms heavier than before.

This was the reason. They were really full... stuffed.

Li Ming looked at himself; he had only eaten a pancake and bought soy milk as a drink.

It wasn't because he disliked eating or was on a diet, but simply because he got carried away chatting, even with two Ship Girls who were somewhat humorless.

He introduced Lime and Saint Martin to Alert and A6, and then introduced Anshan to Lime and Saint Martin.

Pink Anshan knew everyone in the port area, but oddly enough, everyone in the port area didn't really know her.

She just gave a simple greeting, then continued to be sleepy.

After bidding farewell to Lime and Saint Martin and agreeing to meet them on the weekend, Li Ming took everyone, preparing to leave Baihui Street.

"So delicious..." Alert was visibly very satisfied, even forgetting her critical stance.

Such is the terrifying power of food.

He picked up Alert and weighed her again, "You've gained weight."

"I haven't gained weight at all..."

Perhaps because she was full, her rebuttal and struggles were weak.

He put her down. Although he knew Ship Girls didn't need to digest food and wouldn't get appendicitis from strenuous exercise after a meal, Li Ming still made Alert walk on her own.

"Hey, hey, Li Ming, thanks for the treat!" Kano slung her arm over Li Ming's shoulder in a very buddy-like manner.

"I didn't intend to treat you in the first place," Li Ming said expressionlessly.

"Hehe, but we've already eaten, haven't we..."

"That's why I didn't plan to say anything to you." Li Ming sighed, "Let's go back, we have class tomorrow."

"Alright."

Everyone responded and walked back together.

"By the way, Li Ming, is it really okay for you to choose four clubs?" Kano suddenly asked.

"Should be fine," Li Ming shrugged.

"Alright then." Kano took a lollipop from her pocket, tore open the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth. "It's pretty good. There weren't this many clubs when I was first born."

"Hmm?" Li Ming tilted his head and glanced at her.

"The younger generation is really lucky now," Kano continued. "New cadets don't have to face real battlefields right after enlisting, and newly born Ship Girls don't have to go head-on against Sirens right after waking up..."

Anshan turned to look at them, then turned back and lit a cigarette for herself.

Alert temporarily forgot everything else, focusing on savoring today's dinner. At the end of the day, she was still a child. Although her actual Ship Girl age might make her Li Ming's grandmother, this small girl still made it difficult for Li Ming to treat her as an equal peer.

"It's clear you're enjoying yourself." Li Ming put his hands in his shirt pockets, turned off the music on his headphones, and looked at her.

"Thanks to you, I can relive my campus life." Kano looked at the distant streetlights. "Oh, wait, I don't think I had a campus life."

"That's indeed... quite bad."

This guy wasn't as carefree as she seemed. Li Ming had felt this the first day he met her, but he had no proof.

"Well, there's nothing bad about it, memories, just memories." Kano suddenly chuckled, her sky-blue ponytail, darkened by the warm yellow light, swaying with the sea breeze and her walking. "I'm still quite lucky; at least I met Commander Verres... she's a very good person."

"At least I've never seen anyone define an unknown faction leader as a patient after just one meeting and drag him to their territory for schooling." Li Ming's shoulders slumped. "She's the only one."

"That's because you don't understand her." Kano's voice was a little unclear with the candy in her mouth. "She used to be even more... aggressive? Anyway, I think I suffered a lot following her."

"Hmm... an ambitious leader, then?"

"Something like that."

Anshan flicked her cigarette butt into the spittoon on the side of a trash can.

"However..." Kano hesitated. "In Edenia, there's no place like Baihui Street, at least I haven't found one, and I don't know why."

"There aren't xia people in Edenia either, are there?"

"That's true... Actually, there are a few. I know some Commanders, but they all seem to avoid talking about xia people matters."

Either evasion or protection. Li Ming closed his eyes, thought for a moment, then replied, "Perhaps there's a reason. After all, living well in the present with one's Ship Girls is more important."

"Makes sense." Kano suddenly laughed. "Commander Verres originally said this was a plum assignment, but I never expected to be held at gunpoint by a naval cannon on my second day here."

Li Ming glanced at Anshan; it seemed only she had that motive.

"So you really came here as a military supervisor?"

"Something like that," Kano sighed, "As cannon fodder~"

"Then you're a very high-ranking cannon fodder." Li Ming was speechless. "A confidant at the Commander level, this is more like a hostage sent to us."

"No way, I'm very strong, okay!" Kano was displeased.

"Alright, alright, very strong..."

Heavy cruisers, or rather, super cruisers, were indeed not bad, but their own lineup was no joke either.

Then the two stopped talking, with only the sound of the sea breeze, passing cars, and occasional horn blasts.

Outside Baihui Street was not the main urban area, so there were fewer human voices.

"Hey, Kano."

"Hm?"

"What do you usually do when I'm in class?"

"Me? I actually... *Pfft*..." Kano suddenly couldn't help but laugh. "I pretend to be a new Ship Girl and wander around the academy, tricking new cadets."

"…" Li Ming also started to laugh.

Laughed out of exasperation.

"Then I'll tell everyone later that you're my Ship Girl," Li Ming joked. "Anyway, you live with me, so you can't deny it, can you?"

"Then I'll just agree to it, it's not like I'm losing anything." Kano made a face at him.

"Be careful it doesn't become real."

"What, if it becomes real, will you lose something? You're so unwilling."

"I don't want Verres to come asking questions, not to mention you're not like Verres, who's considered an old... *Pfft*!"

Li Ming's face received a flying kick, leaving a shoe print.

"I told you not to talk nonsense! Watch me, your grandma, deal with you today!"

"Whoa, did you eat gunpowder? Why are you so angry!" Li Ming turned and ran.

"Commander! No strenuous exercise after dinner!" Z23 hurriedly chased after him.

A6 watched them run off, her head tilted.

Anshan sighed, picked up A6, and followed them.

Even after being picked up, A6 still couldn't understand what had happened.

...

...