Chapter 921: Today I'll Be a Model

After the group photo at the port was finished, the shipgirls didn't leave immediately; instead, they all gathered around Qin Ge.

"How do you like this surprise, Commander?" Enterprise said with a smile.

Qin Ge's face broke into a brilliant smile. "To be honest, I'm really surprised, and I don't know why I'm suddenly so moved. So all of this is your doing?"

"Heh, pretty much. It's the result of everyone working together, and Commander, did you notice this venue?" Ou Gen Qin Wang said with a laugh.

"You didn't notice because you were too surprised? This place… if I'm not mistaken, it's right next to the shipgirls' school?" Although it was night, Qin Ge could still make out the special lecture hall in the distance thanks to the lights.

"As expected of the Commander, I thought you'd say this isn't our port's doing." George V said with a smile.

"Well, I actually thought the same at first, but from here I can see that special architecture of the lecture hall through the haze, so I realized it's near the shipgirls' school." Qin Ge pointed at the distant hazy building and said.

"Is this all for nothing?" Ou Gen Qin Wang asked, looking at Guanghui with a smile.

"I don't see it that way. We built this not to embarrass the Commander, but to give him a surprise. If we didn't want him to recognize it, other places would work too." Guanghui said with a smile.

Qin Ge shook his head helplessly. "And you're still talking about this? You've been making such a big fuss in the port, and I had no idea."

"And now I finally understand why Egir always goes on patrol alone—you were all in on it, afraid I'd see the construction here."

"Hehe, I'm not taking the blame for this—it was their idea. You know you can't twist your arm against your thigh, so I could only go along with it." Egir said, his voice full of jokes.

"Besides, I see so many decorations and light displays over there—surely they're not all Donghuang-themed? How did you manage to finish all of this in so much time?" Qin Ge looked toward the distance, puzzled.

"Heh, we originally planned to handle these ourselves, but we really didn't have enough time, so we had to ask other factions for help. Luckily, they knew we were doing this for the Commander and gave us their full support, so we managed to finish everything today and show the Commander the best side of the Spring Festival amusement park." Guanghui said with a smile.

Qin Ge looked at Enterprise, speechless, which made Enterprise cough awkwardly—after all, she was in charge of diplomacy.

"Don't worry, Commander—everything was custom-made with our own money, so we didn't use any favors."

"That's good; I wouldn't want to cause trouble for others over our port's affairs." Qin Ge smiled, but then suddenly froze.

"By the way, why didn't I see the funding document in the files?"

Everyone turned their gaze toward Enterprise again; even Enterprise couldn't help but roll her eyes, saying, "All of this is because you guys made me do it."

For a moment, everyone looked at Enterprise's helpless expression and burst out laughing together. Qin Ge also understood what was going on, and he chuckled, saying, "You guys… I appreciate your feelings today. Let bygones be bygones—let's all have a happy new year together."

"Yes, Commander." Everyone replied in unison.

At that moment, a voice called out from not far away, "Hey, are you still taking pictures or not?"

Qin Ge blinked. "Didn't we just finish taking photos? Why are we taking more?"

"That's right—we only took a big group photo of our port earlier, but now that something this happy has happened, how could we not take a picture? We've decided that each faction will take a photo with Commander Comrade."

"After that, our Spring Festival evening party will begin, and anyone who goes on stage to perform can take a photo with Commander Comrade."

"So Commander Comrade, you'll be a bit busy tonight. Once the photos are printed, they'll be specially placed in a folder and given to you—I'm sure you won't mind." Soviet Russia said with a smile.

"Well, you've already decided everything, so how could I possibly get angry? And I finally understand why there are so many people rehearsing the program this time—you must have told everyone this information early on, right?" Qin Ge couldn't help but laugh.

"Pretty much like that, after all, the Lord has always wanted to remember everyone, and everyone also wants to remember the Lord."

"All right, today I'll just be a model. Whoever wants to take a photo, come over and do it together." Qin Ge said, looking at Gridley, "Gridley, I'll leave it to you today."

"Hehe, leave it to me—I'm best at this." Gridley eagerly agreed; she loves lively events.

"So which faction should we start with?" Qin Ge asked.

"We discussed it and decided to start with Donghuang." Guanghui said, "Then comes Royal, White Eagle, Iron Blood, Sakura Empire, Sardinian Empire, Iris, Northern Union, and finally Yujin."

"All right, I'll sit here then." Upon hearing that the order was all set, Qin Ge realized he only needed to be a model, so he sat down on the stool and said, "Let's begin."

"Hehe."

Amid the laughter, everyone dispersed, leaving the space to the Donghuang shipgirls.

Yixian sat to Qin Ge's left, and Zhenhai to his right. After all, one is a faction leader and the other is a Donghuang shipgirl who has followed Qin Ge for a long time, also counting as a senior strategist for Donghuang—this seating arrangement is natural.

Soon, everyone was either standing or sitting together. Although Qin Ge thought there weren't many Donghuang people, when they gathered there were fifteen of them, plus him making sixteen—far from the shabby scene he'd imagined.

After Donghuang finished, it was Royal's turn. Over a hundred people surged forward in a thick crowd, making Qin Ge break into a sweat. When did the Royal faction get so big? Indeed, it's no wonder they can stand shoulder to shoulder with White Eagle and Sakura Empire in the port.

Before long, each faction finished their photos, and the time gradually crept past eight o'clock.

When Biyu and Seattle stepped onto the stage behind everyone, it signaled that the new year's Spring Festival gala was about to begin.

At that moment, down below, Qin Ge and all the faction leaders sat together, watching the maid corps push the food carts to the tables that had just been set up, serving the dishes course by course.

"Another year has passed—maybe our port will be even better next year?" Qin Ge said with a smile.

"Definitely." Yixian said with a smile.

"No matter what obstacles arise, I believe we will surely win." Bisimai said with a faint smile.

"Mm!"