Chapter 416: I Don't Like This Atmosphere

After returning to the Reception House, the shipgirls naturally gathered in a lively manner. Yet amidst the liveliness, some were happy and some were worried.

For example, after Fearless saw Guanghui, her ladylike aura became even more noble. She lowered her eyes and spoke gently to Guanghui, making Qin Ge think that what he had seen before was an illusion.

U-556 also became very excited upon seeing Bisimai, constantly calling her 'big sister' this and 'big sister' that. Although Bisimai always appeared very stern, Qin Ge could still see that she was flustered, and even Ou Gen Qin Wang joined in the teasing.

As for U-556's arrival, Bisimai's reaction was just like that. But when she saw the Qibolin sisters, Qin Ge still noticed something and felt a headache coming on.

Obviously, as the Iron Blood Commander-in-Chief, she still knew Qibolin's personality very well. However, upon Peter Strasse's arrival, Bisimai was relatively pleased.

As for the White Eagle side, they were very happy. After all, aside from Lexington and Bumblebee, ships like Sheng Di Ya Ge were originally part of the mixed squadron, so they were already familiar with Bunker Hill, Independence, and the like, and quickly blended into the fleet.

What truly made Qin Ge feel a difference was Zhenhai, since he never expected the first person to chat and laugh with her to be Tiancheng of the Sakura Empire.

Furthermore, after Qin Ge lingered beside them for a while, he found that their questions and answers were usually only superficial, never delving deeper. Rather than saying they were chatting and laughing, it was more like a contest.

However, Qin Ge generally does not intervene in such matters, as long as there is no substantive conflict or anything that harms fleet harmony. Who to communicate with and how are up to the shipgirls themselves.

His main responsibility now is to cohere the entire shipgirl force into combat effectiveness, so as to better accomplish missions and execute them more quickly.

While the shipgirls were getting to know each other, Qin Ge also had Belfast arrange the bedrooms for the newly summoned shipgirls, setting up beds, blankets, desks, chairs, and other usual furnishings.

Moreover, Qin Ge now has over thirty, nearly forty shipgirls. The Reception House only has those rooms, so just as he told Ninghai earlier, the rooms at home are running out.

Therefore, they can only summon more after reaching another place with a relatively relaxed environment.

Qin Ge arranged his shipgirls, then gradually became familiar with each one. Moreover, each shipgirl, through conversation with those already acquainted with Qin Ge, gradually came to understand what kind of person he is, as well as the problems the fleet has continually faced, and so on.

For example, when Zhenhai saw that Qin Ge's tactical literacy and strategic deployment arrangements were excellent, she became eager to try them out, often taking his tactical manual and reading it when she had nothing else to do.

Such as Iron Blood's Peter Strasse, who values efficient use of time highly; when she heard from Bisimai that Qin Ge is a very punctual person and works very diligently, she became more interested in her own commander.

Because Bisimai is a very strict person, as a member of Iron Blood she deeply understands this. That she could say such things shows that her own commander is likewise a person of similar temperament.

However, if we ask who among these people is the least happy, it is Qibolin. She thoroughly dislikes this situation; everyone around her is laughing, yet each wears a serious expression.

She very much wanted to leave, but since Qin Ge was here, she could not help but stay. While her sister Peter Strasse, Bisimai, and Ou Gen Qin Wang were talking, she stood beside them like an onlooker.

As if she did not belong to Iron Blood at all, with no ties whatsoever.

On the contrary, after Qin Ge finished arranging with Belfast and returned to the rest area, he discovered this situation.

So he went up to Qibolin and said, 'Why are you standing alone here? Aren't they your Iron Blood comrades? After such a long reunion, won't you chat with them a bit?'

Qibolin lifted her head, glanced at Qin Ge, shook her head, and said, 'I don't like this atmosphere.'

She then looked toward where the other shipgirls were, saying, 'Hah, look how sweet that is, but sweet things never last long; only cold hatred endures.'

Seeing Qibolin speak so normally, Qin Ge suddenly felt a headache and asked, 'Is it because of what you experienced before?'

'Things that are lost but will come back… such things would be better if they had never existed at all, wouldn't they?' Qibolin said lightly.

'But I think everything has its meaning to exist, just like your existence. In fact, you are already quite happy—at least you once existed. Do you know what I've been busy with lately?' Qin Ge said to Qibolin.

Qibolin shook her head, 'I have no interest in prying into those matters, but if you tell me, I would be willing to listen.'

Qin Ge smiled, 'Come to my room, I'll show you something.'

Qibolin was somewhat doubtful, but seeing Qin Ge walk toward his room, her body followed of its own accord.

After arriving at Qin Ge's room and seeing how spotlessly clean it was, Qibolin said to him, 'Just tell me what you want to show me and bring it out now.'

Qin Ge smiled, walked to his desk, opened the drawer, took out a purplish-red cube, then turned and walked to Qibolin, handing her the purplish-red cube, saying, 'This.'

Qibolin took the cube, looked at it a few times, then handed it back to Qin Ge, saying, 'Isn't this just a cube of a different color than before? There's nothing strange about it.'

Qin Ge shook his head, holding the purplish-red cube toward Qibolin and said, 'She is not an ordinary cube; she is a shipgirl who has not yet been born.'

You know that many warships, from the design stage, have a plan; as the plan is implemented, they become warships, which are then transformed into your shipgirls.

But among these plans, some are rejected as soon as they are set. This Wisdom Cube, however, belongs to a plan that has been discarded.

Compared to you, does she seem more pitiful? Or does she appear to hate this world even more than you do?

Qin Ge trailed off, holding the cube with his left hand and lightly stroking it with his right, saying, 'But her feeling to me is indeed that she has not given up, still striving to prove herself.'

As he spoke, the Wisdom Cube in Qin Ge's hand emitted a purplish-red glow, as if reflecting his words, and this scene fell into Qibolin's eyes, leaving her silent for a moment.