Chapter 226: Warmth

Perhaps because of the addition of the shipgirls, the breakfast stall here gained something different, and afterwards many people came.

Some came to eat breakfast, others just to take a look at what shipgirls are like; after all, although everyone knows about the commander and shipgirls, seeing them up close is still rare.

In short, under these circumstances, the breakfast that usually would sell out around 11 a. m. was already sold out before 10 a. m. today; even after selling out, many people were still queuing there.

Wan Lao and Wan Da Niang could only helplessly say to those people, "Today's breakfast is sold out; if you want to buy breakfast tomorrow, please come early. We're closing the stall now."

With those words, the surrounding crowd gradually dispersed. Qin Ge then helped Wan Lao and Wan Da Niang lift the stall into the house together with the shipgirls, and only after Belfast led a few people to tidy up the hygiene was it considered finished.

Twenty-odd people crowded together in the living room chatting with Wan Lao and Wan Da Niang, while Belfast went to brew tea for everyone.

"Xiao Qin, are all these your shipgirls?" Lao Wan looked at the surrounding shipgirls and said to Qin Ge.

"That's right, they're all my shipgirls." Qin Ge glanced at his shipgirls and smiled as he spoke.

"No, I've seen commanders before, and you know my son is a commander, but I've never heard of them having so many shipgirls."

"You've only been a commander for a year, so how do you have so many shipgirls?" Lao Wan said, puzzled.

All the shipgirls couldn't help but laugh, and Qin Ge also embarrassedly scratched his head, "Maybe it's just luck; my shipgirls are a bit more numerous than other commanders."

Among them, Guanghui actually appeared long ago, but last year she chose to join my fleet, so she doesn't count as a shipgirl I summoned.

And Si Peng Si is also a shipgirl I salvaged while fighting the Sirens at sea; she isn't one I summoned either.

And the others are all shipgirls I built from the Construction Device, but no matter how they were obtained, they're all my shipgirls.

Wan Lao nodded and said, "It seems you, kid, are indeed suited to be a commander—sigh, like my son… Forget it, I won't bring up those sad matters today."

However, kid, although you have so many shipgirls, you must be even more careful from now on, pay close attention, and absolutely avoid any mishap. Know that so many people are worried about you.

After hearing that, Qin Ge nodded and said, "Lao Wan, you can rest assured; I will definitely pay attention to my own safety, after all the burden I carry, the people who care about me, are still waiting for my good news."

"That's good enough." Lao Wan said, "Saying some discouraging words, sometimes giving in isn't really giving in, because only by staying alive can we continue fighting; once dead, there's nothing."

"Old man, what nonsense are you spouting? What's this about dying or not? Xiao Qin has so many shipgirls; he must be outstanding among commanders—how could anything bad happen?"

"If the old man can't speak properly, he shouldn't spout nonsense, and all this 'not giving in' talk—I think you're the most timid." Wan Da Niang glared fiercely at Lao Wan.

Lao Wan quickly shrank his head and said to Wan Da Niang, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm the most timid, I'm the most timid, I was spouting nonsense, I was spouting nonsense."

Qin Ge and his shipgirls saw the old couple bickering and couldn't help but smile a little. But they knew deep down that Lao Wan's words were heartfelt—only by staying alive can we keep fighting; that saying is the supreme rule on any battlefield.

"Right, Xiao Qin, you came here today—are you going back this afternoon?" Wan Da Niang asked.

"We'll have to go back, after all, with so many of us, we'd feel bad disturbing Wan Lao and Wan Da Niang."

"And in a few days we'll have to make a trip to the Sakura Empire; this time we might be gone for several months, so we won't be able to come back for a long time." Qin Ge said.

"It's not a bother, but what are you going to do in the Sakura Empire? The seas are so dangerous now." Wan Da Niang said worriedly.

"This is a mission I must carry out; I can't tell you the specific details." Qin Ge said.

"I understand; military secrets can't be leaked, and I know that." Lao Wan interjected, "I've heard that the Sakura Empire has a home island where cherry blossoms bloom all year round—I don't know if it's true or not."

"That's true, because the island there is shrouded in a special power, so it's spring all year and the cherry blossoms are always in bloom." Qin Ge said to the two elders.

In fact, when he first learned of this, he also thought it impossible, since he lived in a society with materialist values, and he still didn't really believe in those mysterious, extraordinary power systems.

But after he crossed over into this world and witnessed the shipgirls and the miraculous power they possess, his materialist worldview began to waver.

If everything could be explained by science, then what are shipgirls? How were they created from those two Wisdom Cubes?

Obviously the science he knows can't explain what's happening now, so he's trying to understand this world and those mysterious powers.

"Is it really that miraculous? I'd love to go see it." Lao Wan said.

"With your old arms and legs, can you even cross the sea?" Wan Da Niang said disdainfully.

"Where am I old-armed and old-legged? I don't want to hear that—you should know yesterday I personally carried 50 kilograms of flour from one end of Long Street all the way home." Lao Wan said indignantly.

"Alright, alright, you're not old-armed and old-legged, okay?" Wan Da Niang said speechlessly.

"Of course." Lao Wan said proudly, then turned to Qin Ge and said, "I can't really comment on your commanders' affairs, and I don't know much about them either."

"But if you're going abroad, you must definitely be careful—not everyone can be trusted. Always remind yourself; sometimes you can't tolerate a loss, but sometimes you can endure it, after all, that place isn't our territory."

Qin Ge laughed and nodded, "I know, I've also remembered Lao Wan's words."

"But you can rest assured, this time I'm not going alone; the school has two instructors going with me, so you can be completely at ease about safety."

"Mm, that's good, that's good." Lao Wan said.

Although talking with the two elders was a bit long-winded, this kind of warm concern made Qin Ge feel a long-lost warmth. This warmth is not the same feeling as with his shipgirls; it's like the feeling he had as a child being with his parents.

And the surrounding shipgirls also greatly liked this feeling; the concern expressed in their words made their hearts become unusually soft.