Azur Lane Under the Stars

Page 510

"Huh? Sister, are you... abandoning us?"

Having understood the old nun's meaning, Unyielding's eyes instantly reddened.

"Your future doesn't lie with me, so I've found you a good home... Haven't you been having a great time in Commander Ren Shuo's port these past few days?"

The old nun gently stroked the little tuft of hair on Unyielding's head.

“Over the past few years, I have seen your longing for the sea, but you have suffered so much in accommodating this old woman.”

"It's not hard work, we did it voluntarily..."

"But I'm getting old and need to go home. You should also go back to where you truly belong."

Unlike those ship girls who quietly integrate into human society after retiring, these three girls fulfilled their duties and left the sea because they were tired from sailing. However, they are still in the early stages and have a wonderful longing for the sea.

The three girls were all very sensible and understood the old nun's good intentions.

Xiafei was the calmest of them all. She roughly knew that what was about to happen was going to happen, and being prepared made her feel a little better, but her reluctance was still evident.

Jinqu was similar, but her eyes still welled up with tears, while Buqu burst into tears.

"Okay, stop crying. So, what are your answers?"

The old nun asked.

Chapter 559 Xiafei, finally in the bowl!

The three girls decided they wanted to spend their last moments with the old nun.

Only after asking did I learn that the old nun had already bought tickets for a boat trip three days later, intending to sneak away before they returned.

But the old nun was surprised by the three sisters' early return.

However, this also led to a final farewell.

"Master, shall we come to pick up the three young ladies in three days?"

Belfast and Ren Shuo sat in the car, while Hermione drove in the front.

Ren Shuo nodded: "Let's give them time to say their final goodbyes... Come to think of it, why do I feel like I'm playing the villain when I say that?"

"Really? How could the master be the villain?" Belfast chuckled. "He's just upset because he witnessed the separation."

"Perhaps, but I guess you could say I took matters into my own hands and successfully salvaged the ship, right?"

Compared to the previous times, when his girls were the main force, charging ahead while he stayed behind to pick up the scraps, build up favorability, and then retrieve the ships.

But from beginning to end, I was the one communicating with others, and I was also very good at building goodwill with them...

I've grown up.

Ren Shuo was very satisfied.

Belfast said, "But, Master, this idea doesn't seem to be yours, does it? And the sweets and such to win favor, weren't they Miss Dunkirk's doing?"

Ren Shuo snorted, "I don't care, I did it myself."

Can you call something made by your own ship girls something else? We're family, how can we talk like two different people?

However, Ren Shuo finally understood why those commanders were always thinking about salvaging ships. The moment of success after personally salvaging a ship and expending a lot of effort was truly fulfilling.

It felt like being outdoors on a hot summer day and then running into an air-conditioned supermarket, taking an ice-cold Coke from the freezer, opening it with all your might, and finally letting out a satisfied burp – that kind of refreshing feeling.

"However, it's really a shame that I didn't hear them call me 'Commander' even once."

Ren Shuo said.

Belfast comforted her, "Don't worry, Master. It's only a matter of time. Perhaps in the eyes of the three sisters, they must first repay the old nun's kindness, and then send the old nun onto the ship before they can truly let go of this matter and finally wholeheartedly become your ship girl."

"I understand, it's just a casual remark," Ren Shuo said indifferently.

Ship girls, once they've chosen someone, it's for life; in a sense, they're incredibly devoted.

Ren Shuo isn't a petty person, and besides, she's his own daughter, so he's very tolerant.

"By the way, Master, the modification plan for Miss Bismarck... is complete."

Belfast produced a document: "Miss Akashi and Miss Ryoumin asked me to give this to you."

Ren Shuo took a look at it and felt a headache coming on.

I can understand each word and each number individually, but how come I can't understand a single sentence when they're put together?

Ren Shuo calmly put down the report in his hand: "Just give a brief overview."

"We just need your signature..."

Belfast's expression was somewhat strange; she genuinely hadn't expected her master to actually be interested in understanding the reports of the two researchers.

Realizing he had made a mistake, Ren Shuo coughed lightly and said, "If there are no problems, I'll just sign it."

Only after signing did he ask, "What kind of modifications?"

Belfast put away the document, finding it somewhat amusing: "Master, there's a simple summary at the end. Did you sign it without even reading it?"

"Really?" Ren Shuo was stunned.

"Yes, I even bolded it... You really don't read it?"

"Didn't you tell me not to look at it? Does that mean I can't understand it anyway, so I should just sign it?" Ren Shuo was bewildered.

Belfast and Ren Shuo stared at each other, and for a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Hermione, who was driving, finally couldn't hold back anymore: "Pfft..."

The two of them were startled awake by the awkwardness, and looking at Hermione's teasing expression in the rearview mirror, they felt a little embarrassed.

But Belfast was very composed and quickly recovered, saying, "Aren't you really afraid that one day we'll trick you?"

"How could that be? You would harm me?" Ren Shuo remained nonchalant, showing complete trust in his girls.

Belfast thought to herself: No, I think some ship girls in the port, and even some other ship girls, could actually pull off something like mixing marriage registration documents into a file and then making you sign it...

"As for Miss Bismarck's modifications, as mentioned last time, it involves replacing the Sirens' black hole cannons with them and removing some of the limitations on firepower. Basically, the firepower coverage and sustained firepower output have been increased by nearly double."

Belfast explained.

Ren Shuo stroked his chin: "I see..."

I feel like ever since my research team was formed, and then the Sirens joined us...

Akashi, Reno, Yubari, Sensitive, and the Builder and Observer—the port area is now brimming with cutting-edge technology.

They even used the teleportation portal to run quests and escort missions, so that once they reached their destination, they could instantly return home.

In short, it's absolutely outrageous.

But that's good, the stronger our port is, the stronger our confidence will be.

And according to observers, it seems like we might even be able to travel the world in the future...

But for now, it's best to just focus on living your own life well.

"By the way, are Essex and the others back?"

"No, apparently they had an argument with the arbitration body, and then they got into a fight..."

"We're all family, let's not ruin the harmony..."

"Without using naval guns or carrier-based aircraft, they just used the power of the ship's equipment to engage in hand-to-hand combat."

"...Hey Belfast, do you have any live video footage? I love watching ship girls fight."

Belfast: "..."

Hermione: "..."

…………

Three days passed quickly.

Ren Shuo, Belfast, and Richelieu also came to see the old nun off and take their three daughters home with them.

"Okay, that's enough for now. I need to get in line to get my ticket checked. It wouldn't be good if I missed my flight."

The old nun looked at the three children with red eyes in front of her and felt a little reluctant to part with them.

However, these three days of companionship and farewell made the final parting less unbearable.

"Don't worry, I've arranged for St. Louis to upgrade you to first class. You won't have to queue; you can use the fast track," Ren Shuo said. "There's still plenty of time."

"I will miss you," Xiafei whispered.

"I'll miss you all, but please take good care of yourselves while I'm gone. Listen to Commander Ren Shuo, and don't eat anything you shouldn't..."

"Be proactive, and don't forget the time and stay up late while reading."

"Xiafei, smile more, don't keep everything inside."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're still a child, you should be carefree."

The final words of advice, the final farewell, were not the tearful partings, but rather a wave goodbye with red eyes and a faint smile.

"Alright, I'm leaving now, Commander Ren Shuo. Take good care of my three children."

Ren Shuo nodded solemnly: "I will."

"That's enough for now, this time it's really over."

Perhaps fearing that her reluctance would upset the three children, the old nun turned away with her still kind smile and did not look back.

As her hunched figure gradually disappeared from sight, Xiafei and the other two watched with reluctance.

Ren Shuo patted Xia Fei and the others on the shoulder: "Alright, let's go home."

"Yes, let's go home..."

Xiafei also took a deep breath, as if something in her heart had settled down.

Richelieu and Belfast went to bring the car over, while Ren Shuo and the three women waited quietly at the entrance of the parking lot.

The whole journey was very quiet; no one spoke.

“Commander, could we go to the old church again?” Joffre asked.

"Okay... Belfast."

Belfast responded and changed direction.

We arrived at the place most familiar to Xiafei, stood on a high point, and gazed at the distant sea.

Ren Shuo didn't say anything, but just stood quietly beside Xia Fei.

“Commander, do you know? We ship girls are all stubborn.” Chaffee spoke up.

"Once I've chosen a commander, I won't change my mind; once I've decided on something to do, I won't change my mind either."

"Just like the nun, she took us in when we knew nothing and raised us. We just want to take care of her in her old age and then think about what will happen after she passes away."

“The nun said our training level was too low, and we were likely to get injured at sea, which would also cause concern. So for several years, we haven’t even deployed our ship equipment and sailed on the sea.”

“We haven’t caused the nun any trouble, and we consider ourselves to be quite easy to manage, but…”

Xiafei laughed: "I didn't expect that in the end, it would still be the nun who had to worry about us, about our future and all that."

"When I first met the Commander, I thought this was the nun's mission, like how humans deal with blind dates, just going through the motions."

"But after getting to know you, I found you to be a really nice person and an excellent commander, so I'm trying to accept you."

"Although this period has been short, Commander, your probationary period with me is over."

"so……"

Xiafei took a deep breath, looked at Ren Shuo, and revealed a stunning smile. In the gentle breeze, her white hair swayed slightly, creating a beautiful picture against the background.

"I am the aircraft carrier Chaffee, born in the great war to fight against the Ironblood carriers, but due to various twists and turns, I went through several construction starts and stops, and in the end I still failed to be launched - this must be a trial given to me by God."

"However, after the trial, I also met you. From now on, I hope you will guide me. I hope you will also receive the protection of the iris, Commander."

"Yes, please guide me. From now on, you can sail whenever you want on the sea. The port area is very free."

Ren Shuo also smiled.

“Now…” Xiafei turned her gaze to Jinqi and Buqu, who had remained silent behind her, “it’s your turn.”