KanColle does not allow me to work from nine to five

Such words were just like a husband thanking his wife for waiting for his return. The woman with beautiful short silver hair in front of the screen couldn't help but smile, but soon she pursed her lips and a hint of apology appeared in her smile.

I'm sorry, Liu Cheng, I pushed some things onto you without consulting you, and I did such a selfish thing. I can only compensate you in the future.

Liu Cheng didn't know what the woman on the other side of the network was thinking. He finished his rice in a few bites, took out a piece of paper to wipe his mouth, and put the plate aside.

"I'm done eating, I'm online."

"it is good."

The two of them opened the interface of the same game almost at the same time. This was because Ti Zi had learned that Liu Cheng often played this game and took the initiative to propose to play together. Liu Cheng was quite nervous at first. After all, he was a newbie and had no ability to lead a girl. He just didn't expect that he would be the one who was led away.

So later on, Liu Cheng changed to play a supporting role, conscientiously protecting Tizi's development, and watching Tizi kill a lot and win.

"Grapes is amazing."

"You're the one who protected me well."

Occasionally, the roles of the two would be swapped, with Tizi protecting Liu Cheng while he develops.

"My... I was killed instantly without using any skills..."

"It's my fault for not using my skills properly online. If I had died twice less and bought the Glimmer Cape first, I could have saved you from death."

"Tizi, you are too gentle. Please just call me a loser."

"Naughty."

"Good! It feels good!"

No matter what kind of conversation they were having, Liu Cheng was smiling. It was impossible not to be happy to play games with a woman like Ti Zi who had a beautiful face and a beautiful voice. Ti Zi was also smiling. Even her sister rarely saw her smile like this.

Today was the same. Liu Cheng chose his best support and said to Tizi, "Don't buy any supplies. I'm going to fill you up with medicine and tree-eating."

"Yes, got it."

Tizi used the mouse to click on the three big medicine groups of nine eating trees on Liu Cheng's body, "I can already feel your love."

"That means it's not enough."

"That's enough."

A blush appeared on Ti Zi's cold face, her eyelids drooped, and ripples appeared in her beautiful lake blue eyes. "Liu Cheng, do you know that you made me remember the joy of communicating with others, and feel the beating of my heart when someone is with me. You melted the coldness and despair in my heart. My love for you has already filled my body."

"Tizi, grab the talisman." Liu Cheng's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes, I'll be there soon."

As time goes by, the game begins to enter the mid-term operation and competition period.

Liu Cheng said to Tizi, "There is something I wanted to ask you before, but then I felt it was unnecessary. However, something happened recently, so I still want to confirm it with you."

"Well, you said."

"Tizi, um, Tirpitz, you are a ship girl, right?"

Chapter 5: Who is Zara? I have no idea

The opportunity to get to know Tirpitz can be traced back to half a year ago when the Iron Blood Third Fleet visited the Sardinian Taranto naval port. At that time, Liu Cheng couldn't stand the overly lively atmosphere of the port, so he ran out of the barracks alone to get some fresh air. It was at that time that he saw the back of Tirpitz, who was wearing the Iron Blood Navy uniform. She was leaning on the railing on the beach, gazing at the edge of the sea and sky in the distance. Even though he only saw a slim and tall back, Liu Cheng still felt a wonderful sense of calmness and leisure.

As if possessed by some mysterious force, Liu Cheng, who seldom took the initiative to approach strangers, chose to go up and start a conversation. After being initially stunned by Tirpitz's icy beauty and temperament, he was at a loss as to what to do. However, Liu Cheng discovered that she was actually a very easy person to get along with. Even if they chatted aimlessly about some silly topics, she would respond calmly, which would not make people feel embarrassed at all.

This is what Liu Cheng said when he was questioned, and he established a personal friendship with his iron-blooded colleagues.

In the following six months, Liu Cheng chatted and played games with Tirpitz almost every day, and slowly discovered that this woman with a temperament as cold and noble as a Greek goddess actually had many unexpected cute qualities. For example, she was familiar with many anime and novels, and her gaming skills were incredibly strong. Her intellectual personality and experience as a homegirl were in stark contrast to her cold appearance.

So Liu Cheng was very curious at first whether Tirpitz was the iron-blooded ship girl, but later he felt that it didn’t matter whether she was or not, as long as he knew that she was Tirpitz.

"Yes, I am a ship girl." Tirpitz's tone was calm, as if she was talking about an insignificant matter.

"No wonder." Liu Cheng didn't make a fuss. He said, "I have been investigated by the Sardinian Internal Affairs Department this month. They said I was treasonous and so on. I was puzzled. Now I know the reason."

"Is it serious? Or should we not contact each other for a while?"

After Tirpitz finished speaking, she bit her lower lip hard. She felt that what she said was despicable, as she knew that neither she nor Liu Cheng would agree.

"No, I was just wondering why the investigation ended up with me. Now that I know the reason, everything is fine."

"The reason may not just be as simple as mine..."

"Military personnel don't talk about politics, and it's useless to talk about it." Liu Cheng interrupted Tirpitz. Combined with the big news about the Strait of Gibraltar from Iron Blood and Royal a few days ago, he also sensed something from it. However, he knew that this kind of thing would have no impact on him. He was just a small officer, and he came from Donghuang to communicate. The geopolitics left over from European history had nothing to do with him. "Don't worry, the Sardinians have never been very reliable. I have nothing to fear from my own shadows, and I am from Donghuang. They won't do anything to me. After the investigation, if they find no results, everything will be fine."

In front of the computer screen, Tirpitz pursed her lips and twisted her slender, white fingers unconsciously on the keyboard. Liu Cheng thought that he was investigated by the Sardinian Internal Affairs Department only because of their relationship, but Tirpitz knew that it was she who deliberately let Sardinia pay attention to Liu Cheng through diplomatic channels. She had no way and could not tell Liu Cheng the truth now, because some things must be proved by Liu Cheng himself to be more convincing.

[I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…]

Tirpitz's knuckles turned white from being pinched by herself. Fang's heart was filled with guilt, and her eyes were like water, unable to express her feelings.

Seeing that Tirpitz hadn't said anything, Liu Cheng thought she was worried about him, so he changed the subject and said, "But it can be considered a blessing in disguise. The internal affairs agent who came to investigate me should also be a ship girl named Zara. She is a very enthusiastic woman with a good figure and is very beautiful. What should I do, Tirpitz? I feel like I'm falling in love with someone else."

"So everything you told me before was a lie?" Tirpitz took over the conversation calmly, seemingly without any displeasure.

"Well, I can only hear your voice every day. Unlike Zara, I can see and touch you. I don't have any feelings for you anymore."

"That's a shame."

"So in order to make up for the regret and get back to the feeling, how about we have a video chat tomorrow?"

"No."

"Eh? So heartless."

"Yes, so we will video chat after this game."

"it is good!"

They successfully changed the topic, but they still lost the game. Liu Cheng, as a support, was powerless to turn the tide, and the main player Tirpitz seemed to be in poor condition. As for winning a game and then going to bed, that didn't exist. Both of them were waiting for the video chat.

Tirpitz's camera was very high definition, and Liu Cheng could clearly see her short silver hair, blue eyes, and the beautiful pink lips outlined under her small nose. Her slightly exposed white neck seemed as slender as a swan. Her beautiful and intellectual face was so heart-warming whenever he saw it.

"I'm back. All my feelings for you, Tizi, are back. I don't know who Zara is at all."

"I'm glad you're back." Tirpitz pursed his lips slightly, with a smile in his eyes, "Actually, you don't have to deliberately make me happy. I'm very happy just to see you."

"I only joke like this when we are close friends. To others, I am the country of etiquette and courtesy since ancient times in China."

Tirpitz couldn't help but smile when she heard Liu Cheng's words. She then looked up at the face she had been dreaming about in the video interface and said, "I've told you several times before that if you're not happy in Sardinia, then come to Iron Blood to find me."

"Well, actually I'm doing pretty well in Sardinia. I get a good salary and bonus, work from 9 to 5 with two days off a week, I'm loved by my subordinates and valued by my superiors... And if I go there, it means I'm really a Tongde."

Liu Cheng said casually, and then he saw Tirpitz's lake blue eyes on the screen. There was an indescribable emotion rippling in those beautiful eyes. For some reason, Liu Cheng could feel that the name of that emotion was waiting.

The silence lasted only a dozen seconds, but it seemed like a long time.

"Half a year." Liu Cheng suddenly said, "I have been in the Sardinian Navy for two years. Now it has been a year and a half. After half a year, I can freely choose to retire or continue to serve. I still have to do what I should do, so I will go to Tiexue to find you in half a year."

Tirpitz's beautiful eyes were filled with joy, but then she smiled mysteriously and said, "Maybe it won't take half a year. In a few months you will become an iron-blooded soldier..."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't talk about national affairs like this." Liu Cheng quickly interrupted Tirpitz. "If the internal affairs department is monitoring our conversation, I'm afraid that the Sardinian agents will show up at my door in the next second."

"That would be even better." Tirpitz blinked. "You said that Zara is very beautiful and you are very moved."

"Who is Zara? I don't know her."

"Maybe she is really monitoring our conversation."

"Then I don't know her either." Liu Cheng still felt a little guilty. After a month of getting along, it was impossible for him not to be attracted to Zara. It was just as he said, it was normal for ordinary people to have various desires, but they would not easily cross the bottom line. He looked at the dreamy face of the ship girl on the video interface and said, "By the way, do you still remember the day we met?"

"Of course I remember. How could I not remember?"

Tirpitz smiled nostalgically and murmured, "Although it was winter that day, the weather was very good, and the sea breeze carried a faint fishy smell. I didn't expect you to come up and talk to me. Almost no human would notice me, but you were the only exception."

Thinking of the situation at that time, Liu Cheng couldn't help but smile: "I don't know why I approached her at that time, anyway, it was just an impulse."

"You were very patient and talked to me for a long time. It was winter, but you took me across half of Taranto to buy ice cream. Now that I think about it, it was a very willful request."

"To be honest, it's mainly because you're so beautiful, Tirpitz. Men are like that. They are very patient with beautiful women, and I'm no exception." Liu Cheng paused, looking at the camera and Tirpitz's eyes, and said, "I still remember the first words you said to me while leaning against the railing. Looking at the battlefield from a peaceful place, I didn't know what to say except 'How cruel'. Do you understand?"

"At that time, I answered that there had been no battles in this sea area. In fact, I just didn't understand. It's the same now. You are a ship girl fighting for life and civilization, and I am a naval officer but I can't participate in the battle. I still don't understand."

"Actually, when I first saw your appearance and heard your name, I wondered if you were a ship girl. You fit my perception of ship girls, but you're different from what's said in society and the military. Later, I didn't dwell on it because you're Tirpitz, my good friend... But now that I know you're a ship girl, I have to say it anyway."

Liu Cheng took a breath and said seriously: "Thank you for your hard work. You are the heroes of the entire civilization."

"Well--"

Tirpitz pursed her lips, her mind cube trembling with such warmth never before. She once doubted the meaning of her fight, but her reason quickly rejected it. Now she understood more clearly that her fight must be to protect and wait for the man in front of her.

"I just expressed it on the spur of the moment, but thank you for accepting it."

As Tirpitz spoke, he couldn't help but think, I will continue to protect you in the future, and Liu Cheng, you will definitely protect us too, I believe so, even in front of Bismarck and Frederick the Great.

Chapter 6: The Wind Rises and the Blood Rises

The night gradually spread into a dark color like mist. This is the Wilhelm Naval Port of the Iron Blood Navy adjacent to the North Sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. More than a hundred years ago, the Iron Blood High Seas Fleet set out from here to participate in the Battle of Jutland. It is no exaggeration to say that this place has witnessed the rise and fall of the Iron Blood Navy.

About forty nautical miles southwest of Port William along the rolling waves, there stands a large artificial island in the wind and waves. The buildings on the island are mainly black and dark gray, filled with a solemn and iron-blooded atmosphere.

In a room of a three-story building in the center of the island, Tirpitz nodded goodbye to Liu Cheng on the screen. She took off her headphones and stared at the screenshot she had taken before the video ended. Her fingers couldn't help but stroke the screen, as if she could touch Liu Cheng's face.

After saving the picture and turning off the monitor, Tirpitz stood up from his seat. His white home robe extended along his slender curves to the point where it covered his thighs. His smooth feet in white over-the-knee socks stepped directly on the wooden floor with floor heating. Tirpitz walked to the door and put on his slippers. He silently thought to himself that the time was about right. Sure enough, two minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Tirpitz?"

"I'm here."

When Tirpitz opened the door, he saw Frederick the Great with a faint smile on his face. This tall and iron-blooded leader was half a head taller than the tall Tirpitz. He was ruthless and outstanding on the battlefield. Frederick the Great, known as the "Dark Madonna", naturally restrained his aura in front of his companions, as if he was just a gentle and loving elder.

"We have just seen the conversation between you and Liu Cheng. Even if the network can eliminate some of the complexity of the Mind Cube information, it is still impossible for ordinary people to fully understand it. Your judgment is correct. This Donghuang soldier serving in Sardinia at least has the ability to understand the Mind Cube. As for whether he can influence the Mind Cube, further investigation is needed."

"Well, as expected you agree with my judgment." Tirpitz nodded, without any displeasure. In fact, it was she who took the initiative to ask Frederick the Great and others to monitor the conversation between the two. Some things had been imprinted in the minds of the ship girls for nearly twenty years like a thought stamp, and they had to see it with their own eyes to prove it.

Frederick the Great's dark golden eyes seemed like a bottomless abyss. She stared at Tirpitz and asked, "So, you really won't participate in this joint exercise?"

"Not participating."

"Your grounding period has long expired, not only for you to see him, but also for you to prove it to us in person."

"Liu Cheng will prove it to you. I believe him."

Frederick the Great and Tirpitz looked at each other for a while, with a hint of regret on their gentle faces: "Sure enough, my command cannot allow you to fully display your talents..."

"you

"I know, that's not the reason." Tirpitz said calmly but firmly, "I just want to show another possibility. If I participate, the credibility of the proof may be discounted."

Frederick the Great nodded imperceptibly: "I understand... Then Hutten and Prince Eugen will be in charge of this joint exercise. What do you think?"

"A great candidate," said Tirpitz.

“Of course he’s a good candidate.”

Prince Eugen was standing behind Frederick the Great. This charming and beautiful woman winked at Tirpitz and said, "When a woman becomes interested in the opposite sex, it may be the beginning of falling in love. I am very interested in your little friend now. Be careful, Tirpitz, or I may take him away from you."

Tirpitz smiled and said noncommittally: "It is not so easy for you, Prince Eugen, to be interested in humans."

"You, Tirpitz, are like this, maybe I, Prince Eugen, am no exception." Prince Eugen twisted the silver-white hair beside his ear and said mysteriously, "Don't play hard to get. Be careful that he will fall in love with me and you will regret it."

"Maybe it's the other way around?"

Prince Eugen raised his lips confidently. This slender and plump iron-blooded beauty exuded charming charm from head to toe. "Since he can understand the complex information of the Mind Cube, he can naturally perceive our true appearance. Do you think he won't fall in love with me?"

"No, I said the other way around, meaning you'll be obsessed with him."

Prince Eugen opened her beautiful brown eyes wide and looked seriously at her good friend Tirpitz in front of her. She showed a helpless smile. She had only read some literary works before that said women who fell in love would become stupid. Could it be that this was also true for Tirpitz, as a ship girl?

"Tirpitz, humor is indeed a good quality."

Facing Prince Eugen's questioning, Tirpitz just smiled and said, "Anyway, you'll know when the time comes."

Another person in charge of the joint military exercise, Hutten, was a handsome short-haired woman. She stood aside silently with her arms folded across her chest. She did not interrupt the conversation between Prince Eugen and Tirpitz. She just asked to stay after they said goodbye, wanting to talk to Tirpitz alone.

Leaning against the wall of the entrance, Hutten, who looked cold, took the water Tirpitz poured for her, put it to her slender lips and sipped it. She asked directly, "Is it worth it?"

"what?"

"You privately requested through diplomatic channels that the joint exercise be supplied by the Volcano, and stressed that Liu Cheng must accompany them. No matter what the purpose is, it has aroused the vigilance of the Sardinian side, which is likely to affect our subsequent operations in Europe. Some companions misunderstood your purpose, and you were also grounded for half a month." Hutten quickly and clearly revealed everything. She paused, stared into Tirpitz's blue eyes, and asked again, "Is it worth it?"

Tirpitz smiled and said, "You didn't misunderstand me. Isn't this worth it?"

“You don’t have to do this.”

"But I want to do it. The Iron Bloods are too proud, too proud to leave even the slightest wiggle room. If they succeed, they can indeed achieve their goals, but they will also become the target of public criticism. So I want to prove that there is another way to achieve the goal, leaving a way out for the Iron Bloods." Tirpitz stood next to Hutten, leaning against the wall with her. "Frederick the Great also understood this, so he acquiesced to my actions. She is such a rational person, but also gentle to her companions. Even if she thinks the possibility is not high, she will still allow the existence of attempts."

Huteng shrugged: "I don't think it's likely either."

Tirpitz pursed his lips and smiled: "Then please re-evaluate this time. I believe you will change your mind."

Hu Teng did not answer. She held the teacup in one hand. Her neat short hair swept across her smooth forehead, covering half of her pretty face. Her eyebrows were long and sharp, her nose was straight, and her whole person had a neutral edge, but it was not dazzling. She suddenly said, "Does your little man know about this?"