Chapter 840: Old Friends

When the plane landed slowly, Qin Ge and his shipgirls finally ended this leg of the journey.

After getting off the plane, he saw Qinglong and a few others who had come to pick him up.

"Hehe, looking at you, it seems this leg of the journey has been fun." Qinglong approached Qin Ge and said with a smile.

Qin Ge nodded. "Exactly, thank you very much, Director Qinglong, for coming to meet us."

"You're still as polite as ever." Qinglong chuckled. "We've known each other for so long; it's fine to be more casual."

"Actually, this isn't unfamiliar at all; if we change our attitude again, it would be like getting to know each other anew." Qin Ge laughed.

"Hmm, that's true." Qinglong smiled and nodded. "Let's get in the car first—are you planning to rest a bit or head straight to the Commander Academy?"

"Let's go back to the Commander Academy, tidy up, and we should also leave Donghuang." Qin Ge said.

"That fast? I heard Yixian is still preparing another banquet for you." Qinglong said, somewhat surprised.

Qin Ge laughed and shook his head. "It's not that fast—we've already spent enough time in Dunhuang. We originally planned to travel for about a month before heading to Sakura Empire, but this time we've far exceeded that, so it looks like our time in Sakura Empire will have to be shortened."

"There's no crisis in the seas right now; you could treat it as a vacation and stay longer in Sakura Empire." Qinglong said.

"Actually, I'd like that too, but I have some things to do afterward, so I might not have that much time." Qin Ge explained.

Qinglong laughed. "Alright, then I won't keep probing. Anyway, if you have time, you're always welcome to Donghuang. Next time you can dock directly at the Maritime Affairs Bureau's port—no need to bother the Prince of Wales each time."

Qin Ge couldn't help laughing and nodded. "Really, it's just habit—if we followed normal procedure, we should indeed report to the Maritime Affairs Bureau first. But you know I'm an Honorary Instructor at the Commander Academy, so going straight back there is also normal."

"So I don't blame you either." Qinglong said with a smile. "Get in the car."

"Mm."

Everyone got in the car and returned together to the Commander Academy; by then it was already dark, with no delays—perhaps because they were quite familiar with Donghuang, everything proceeded as usual.

The next day, under the send-off of Donghuang's high-ranking officials and the Prince of Wales, Qin Ge led his shipgirls away from the Commander Academy's harbor, embarking on the journey to Sakura Empire.

All the way north along the coast, Donghuang's sea breeze was still relatively warm; although there was a hint of chill in the wind, it was still a suitable day for sailing.

After a day of sailing, Qin Ge unexpectedly ran into a few acquaintances.

"Long time no see, Kongou and Takao." Qin Ge invited them aboard the command ship and said with a smile.

"Long time no see, Commander Qin Ge. Since that day we returned from Sakura Empire, we've been apart for three or four years. Although we haven't met, the legend of Commander Qin Ge has been echoing in our ears every day." Kongou smiled.

Qin Ge looked at them, and memories gradually surfaced. When he first arrived at the Commander Academy in his first year, Bismarck and Weineituo had already gathered around him. For Donghuang's benefit, he went to Sakura Empire; by a fortunate coincidence, he constructed Xinong and also obtained the blueprints for his first research shipgirl, Monarch.

During that time, the ones handling the mutual transport missions were none other than Kongou, Takao, and the others present.

"Commander Qin Ge's fleet looks quite strong. I just saw that the aura emanating from those few command ships nearby isn't weak either—it seems, as the rumors say, Commander Qin Ge can now go toe-to-toe with several major factions." Kongou laughed.

"Hehe, it's just good luck." Qin Ge laughed.

"That can't be chalked up to mere luck." Takao said with a sigh. "Back then we were thinking about whether Xin Yue could join Commander Qin Ge's fleet, but we missed that chance, and now it's gone forever."

Qin Ge blinked—indeed, that had been the case. As he was about to speak, Xin Yue beside him laughed and said, "Takao-sis, you don't need to say that. Actually, we've all been having a great time these past few years, right? I believe that even without joining Commander Qin Ge's fleet, we won't hinder our contribution to Azure Lane."

Qin Ge laughed and nodded. "Xin Yue makes sense—maybe following me you'd see more scenery, but it wouldn't be as peaceful and fulfilling as now. Every choice leads to its own outcome, but every journey is a wonderful life."

"Indeed." Kongou nodded. "By the way, Commander Qin Ge, are you heading to Sakura Empire this time? From your direction, if you keep going straight, it should be Sakura Empire, right?"

Qin Ge nodded. "Yes, our destination this time is Sakura Empire. You're coming back from Sakura Empire, right?"

"That's right. We took on a mission to escort merchant ships. Although there are hardly any mass-produced Siren battleships left at sea now, it's better safe than sorry—these vessels traveling between the factions still need escort."

"So how is the situation in Sakura Empire now? How is the recovery and reconstruction going?" Qin Ge asked.

"Sakura Empire is doing pretty well, I'd say. Thanks to Commander Qin Ge's aid earlier, the losses were within an acceptable range. But now, just like Donghuang, while rebuilding, they've canceled the front-line setup and switched to a near-shore defense strategy." Takao said.

"That's actually good."

After chatting with Kongou, Takao, and the others for a while, everyone parted ways again in a hurry. Since they're currently on a mission, they can't linger too long on Qin Ge's command ship.

Watching their receding figures, Takao and Kongou from another command ship ran over.

"Commander, who are they?" Kongou asked, puzzled.

"Friends—I met them back when we first got to know each other. Seeing them active again in the seas after experiencing the Siren Tide makes me feel relieved." Qin Ge explained.

"I heard they previously wanted to join the fleet?" Takao asked.

Qin Ge chuckled. "Not exactly; they're more like free shipgirls, and they're familiar with Guanghui and North Carolina."

"They had indeed wanted Xin Yue to join my fleet back then, since her power was still weak at the time. But compared to joining a fleet with a commander, Xin Yue preferred to stay with them, so in the end it just fizzled out."

"Now that we've seen each other, it's just a matter of exchanging greetings and asking how they've been—after all, there are only a few people we know in this world, and each is precious."

"I see—this world is indeed wonderful, and I'm really grateful that the commander didn't let them join our fleet; otherwise, I might not even exist." Kongou laughed.

"Ha, who could have predicted that back then?"