Chapter 399: The Year-End Is Approaching

Habit is also a helpless measure; although Akagi and Kaga have now become his shipgirls, but due to their special identities, Qin Ge still chose not to tell them his origin for the time being, though Luan already knew.

However, given her personality, even if she knew, she wouldn't care, because as Luan originally said, I will follow the strong; as long as they are strong, origin doesn't matter.

Obviously, after this period of understanding, Luan, under Tiancheng's guidance, has come to fully understand Qin Ge. She knows his past deeds and also knows his expectations for the future.

To Luan, a commander as outstanding as Qin Ge is exactly what she seeks, because that allows her to unleash greater power.

Meanwhile, Guanghui's awakening also boosted the confidence of the shipgirls in Qin Ge's fleet. After all, up to now, no commander's shipgirl has been able to awaken on her own; Guanghui is the first, but certainly not the last.

Now, in Qin Ge's entire fleet, the shipgirls who can earliest reach full proficiency and begin awakening are Banrenma, Belfast, and Nengdai.

Their proficiency is already over 80; Qin Ge believes that if they keep going like this, when the next Siren Tide arrives, the shipgirls he summons might reach full proficiency.

On the other hand, because Qin Ge previously commanded the grand fleet in the Shenhua City sea area and successfully repelled the Siren Tide with zero casualties, his name spread like wildfire among the Donghuang commanders' circles.

Many grand fleet commanders, vice commanders, or free commanders are very curious and eager about Qin Ge's course, and they flock to the Commander Academy in Shenhua City to learn experience and tactics.

Faced with these supplies delivered to his door, Qin Ge naturally wouldn't let them go. However, because long-term missions are needed, he changed from having three classes per week to holding one grand lecture per week.

Furthermore, because too many people came to attend lectures, a single Grand Lecture Hall could no longer seat everyone; as the Dean of the Academy, the Prince of Wales had no choice but to arrange for Qin Ge to give lectures in the auditorium.

Even so, the auditorium was still packed full, with people standing. Yet despite this, it did not dampen the commanders' enthusiasm; on the contrary, their numbers kept growing.

Thus, in this environment, Qin Ge sets aside one day each week to help these commanders unify their tactical knowledge through training, while most of the time he is out on missions.

The other grand fleet members are also diligently carrying out their personal missions, and because of their performance during the Siren Tide, they have also accumulated a large amount of supplies.

They have used these resources to expand their fleets; now almost every member possesses four or more shipgirls. Moreover, having benefited from Qin Ge's aviation tactics, each person's main fleet essentially includes an aircraft carrier.

However, speaking of this, we cannot fail to mention Li Chenming: he indeed summoned an aircraft carrier this time, but although he expected to summon an older sister, he ended up summoning Saratoga.

This left him feeling like crying but with no tears; why can others summon an aircraft carrier and get that mature, older-sister type, while he summons only a flat-chested monster—does he really never get to summon an older sister in his lifetime?

But no one can help him with this; perhaps he is just fated to be with flat-chested shipgirls.

In this way, time passed bit by bit, and soon it was the end of the term. The trainee commanders all left the academy one by one and returned home, while Qin Ge, just like last year, remained at the school.

Qin Ge asked the person beside Mikasa: "Will we still hold the Spring Festival Gala this year?"

"Since the school is on break, Mikasa also has nothing to do, so basically every day, aside from assembling models at home, she comes over to chat with Qin Ge and the others."

"Exactly, and you definitely won't be at school at this time next year; this is the last New Year we'll spend at school, so no matter what, we definitely have to hold it." Mikasa smiled and said to Qin Ge.

Qin Ge nodded: "Then should we hold it the same way as last year?"

"Of course, if possible, you can tell the envoys of the other eight major factions to ask whether they want to participate in our Spring Festival Gala, and if they do, trouble them to prepare a program."

"But if they don't want to perform a program, naturally we won't force them; after all, being able to gather many people together for a banquet is also quite nice, isn't it?" Mikasa said with a smile.

Qin Ge nodded: "Indeed, that's how it is; I'll let them know, and if it works out I'll inform you. By the way, Mikasa senior, are you still preparing with me this year?"

"Of course, just like last year." Mikasa smiled, then she couldn't help but turn her head to look at Guanghui beside her and said, "I heard Guanghui has begun to awaken?"

"Yes." Qin Ge had no intention of hiding anything, because Guanghui has gradually been changing in appearance over this period, becoming different from other Guanghui.

"To those shipgirls who observe such fine details, this slight change cannot be concealed. And only self‑awakening can cause such a change."

Mikasa couldn't help but exclaim, "What a miracle! Nowadays, the only shipgirl that can awaken on her own beside a commander is probably Guanghui."

"But for you, such a miracle seems to have become everyday fare; I really can't see through you, Qin Ge."

Qin Ge gave an embarrassed laugh, and a few shipgirls nearby also couldn't help but laugh: "What's there to understand or not understand? I'm still me."

"Besides, the only thing that changed is the knowledge I've mastered; compared to when I first met Mikasa senior, I've grown a lot and matured a lot."

"Yeah, time really flies; in the blink of an eye it's been over a year and a half." Mikasa smiled, recalling in her mind the scene of when she first met Qin Ge.

"Back then Qin Ge was quite inexperienced, his actions were very restrained; when he spoke, he often had to think twice before speaking. But in just over a year, he has become the indispensable person at the Commander Academy."

"Let's prepare well and spend the last Spring Festival at the Commander Academy together; maybe the next time we all get to celebrate Spring Festival together, we won't know how long it will be." Qin Ge said to Mikasa.

"Mm, we should prepare well." Mikasa nodded, and the shipgirls around Qin Ge also showed smiling expressions.