Shipgirls and Salted Fish Commander, Port Survival Guide

Aura is a mysterious thing. Often, when you spend a lot of time with a stranger, you can tell what kind of person they are and what kind of person they are in general, and that's all thanks to aura.

The two dancers, the woman of whom was captivating with her enchanting figure alone, were even more striking. What stood out even more was the girl's blend of mischievousness and undeniable nobility. Generally speaking, elegance and cunning are two completely opposite auras, but in this girl, these two qualities created a magical chemical reaction. People could feel the pride and discipline of an ancient noble knight, and also experience what it means to be as agile as a hummingbird, like a mischievous sprite flitting among the flowers.

In Western mythology, elves, also known as goblins, are beings with strong personalities, characterized by clear likes and dislikes, repaying kindness and avenging wrongs. However, due to differing views on good and evil, elves sometimes do good deeds that turn out badly. This is the impression that Galissonier gives to others.

The male backup dancer, Jing Su, whom all the other men present envied and resented, had a rather approachable demeanor. To ordinary people, this would be considered a very good quality, but to the second-generation rich kids present, it was a case of "a gentleman can be deceived by his own methods."

Every single one of the second-generation scions present was a spoiled brat who was used to being arrogant and domineering. They were originally just abandoned by their families. The family elders' understanding of these guys was: I'll give you money, go find somewhere to have fun, just don't come and cause trouble for the family.

This made these spoiled brats very unhappy. They loved to dream and no one wanted to admit that they were inferior to others. Under normal circumstances, if there were no accidents, these spoiled brats, no matter how much they claimed to be underappreciated and had high aspirations, could only be depressed and wasting their time in this world. At this time, Dawn Harbor was born out of nowhere.

This is an extremely terrifying force. Analyzing the current combat capabilities of the Maritime Safety Administration, any two six-person squadrons could easily overwhelm them.

This power terrified everyone, and beyond that fear lay an almost manic desire. Whether high-ranking officials or commoners, whether nobles or ordinary citizens, everyone knew that whoever controlled this power would undoubtedly become the ruler of the world.

As a result, all those who considered themselves extraordinary, whether they were spoiled rich kids or truly capable people, flocked to the front lines, simply because the front lines were the most convenient and quickest place for them to get close to the ship girls.

Of course, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. As more and more dreamers rushed to the front lines, what awaited them was a series of blows and disappointments. Not all ship girls are easy to talk to, especially when the port had just split. The major forces thought the opportunity was the greatest, but it was also the time when the ship girls were in the worst mood. During that period, there were people who were punched into the ICU by ship girls every day, and the front-line hospitals were once overcrowded.

The maritime authorities were forced to restrict the selection of personnel to go to the front lines, but even so, they could not stop the endless stream of dreamers.

These people, regardless of age, gender, or origin, all share the same thought: "How do you know I'm not the exception?"

Now, everyone is hoping to be strongly stimulated.

Because, in the center of the venue, there was a man and a woman dancing.

The man was consciously ignored by the group of second-generation rich kids, but the woman, even with a mask on and her face hidden, her figure, her temperament, and her natural hair color that showed no trace of dyeing all pointed to her being a ship girl.

Three years, a full three years, and they finally saw a ship girl showing a look of something beyond disgust towards another man.

The male extras present might not fully understand the depth of that affectionate gaze, but the women knew it all too well—it was an expression of love.

If word got out about this scene, the entire Maritime Safety Administration would be shaken to its core by a magnitude 12 earthquake—no, not a magnitude 12 earthquake, but a cataclysmic event, as if the world were being destroyed.

Is the lofty flower in the Dawn Harbor finally moved by the outside world and about to bloom?

In an instant, the eyes of almost all the second-generation rich kids present lit up. As for Jing Su, they subconsciously ignored her. Just kidding. Although they could roughly guess from her chin that Jing Su wasn't good-looking, in this world, it's your background and your strength that matter. What's the use of just being good-looking? To live off a woman? Is there anything in this world that's bigger and softer than a ship girl?

Hey you, the one dancing, yes, I'm talking to you. We're all second-generation rich kids, we've all been abandoned by our families, who's more valuable than whom? Get down here, let me take my turn!

It's worth mentioning that none of the others recognized Jing Su's identity like Xie Xuan did. This was because Jing Su realized her clothes were a bit too frightening, so she took off her coat and put it on the chair, where it seems to have ended up on Fu Xi's wrist.

'Hey, what's with Bok-hee's expression? She looks so blissful. Could it be because of her outfit?' During the dance, Jing Su caught a glimpse of Bok-hee's expression of enjoyment out of the corner of her eye, and was deeply shocked. It was the first time she had ever seen Bok-hee like this.

Of course, because she was wearing a mask, Jing Su couldn't see Fu Xi's expression. However, Jing Su had long since mastered the skill of sensing the ship girl's emotions. She didn't need to look at her face or even her eyes; she could guess the general idea just by looking at the trembling of her body.

“Commander, dancing with a lady is quite disrespectful, you know,” Jing Su’s unusual behavior was quickly noticed by La. Galisone, who said in a slightly melancholy voice.

"Ahem, sorry, I was a little distracted." Jing Su quickly slid to his knees, jokingly, and pulled. Galison is a real enchantress, the kind that's incredibly cunning. If Jing Su really angered her, she would definitely mess with him.

"Heh, if apologies were enough, what would be the point of having an uncle? At least you should offer something substantial." Clearly, Jing Su's apology didn't satisfy La. Galisoni, or rather, she was pushing her luck.

"Then, my dear Miss Galisoni, what should I do to gain your forgiveness?" Having spent time with so many girls, Jing Su had become quite perceptive and naturally recognized Galisoni's little romantic gesture, so she followed along.

"Hmm, this is a big problem. Oh dear, it's so frustrating. How can we punish the commander who made the mistake? Ah, it's so noisy here, we can't come up with a reasonable solution. How about this, come to my room tonight, and we can think about it slowly~" Galisone's eyes narrowed into crescent moons, making Jing Su feel hot all over. A fairy, truly a fairy, so incredibly alluring.

However, before Jing Su could give her reply, she heard...

"duang~"

There was a loud bang.

In an instant, all eyes were drawn to him. A young man in a gray suit stood on the stage, stopping the band from playing, and took over the conversation, shouting, "That beautiful lady, I am..."

"Hey!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was blasted away.

"Humph, so noisy!"

The one who made the move was the avant-garde, who was just looking for a chance to vent her anger. Although she knew that Galisoni was probably saying something to Jing Su that made her very unhappy, her conflict with the Vichy Church was none of the business of outsiders. "Let's manage internally, and no one else should get in our way!"

'Eh, another ship girl!? That height, that aura, there's no mistake, she's Avant-garde!'

Unlike the two French factions, which dislike noise, the Royal Navy faction, as one of the few factions in the port that frequently needs to contact the Maritime Bureau, has a high level of exposure for its ship girls. Not to mention that Vanguard, as a combat maniac, is often on the front lines, so Queen Elizabeth simply built Vanguard up to the standards of a celebrity.

Therefore, it is perfectly normal for avant-garde to be recognized.

"Hmph~"

Seeing the crowd of second-generation scions surging toward him from below the stage, Qianwei let out a light snort and unleashed a powerful aura. The battlefield-like aura directly intimidated all those who were itching to make a move.

"Keep playing the music, keep dancing!"

After saying that, Qianwei turned around and left the scene directly. To be precise, he returned to the corner, intending to find an opportunity to snatch Jing Su's clothes from Fuxi.

"You shameless bastard, Fuxi! You actually stole the Commander's clothes, touched them, and even smelled them! I didn't even try them on! Cough cough, how can I allow you to do such a despicable thing? Put down those clothes, let me do it!"

The avant-garde has left, but not completely; it's just not in the center of the dance anymore, still lingering in the corner, seemingly watching something.

Suddenly, a clever kid in the audience shouted, "Miss Avant-garde just said, 'Keep the music playing, keep dancing!' She said she wanted to see us dance!"

Suddenly, with a 'buzz,' everyone started dancing. Men and women spontaneously paired up and spun around each other, following the principle of proximity. Due to the uneven gender ratio, there were even instances of two men spinning around together.

Of course, these people didn't feel embarrassed at all, because their eyes were all focused on the avant-garde, wanting to see if their actions could attract his attention.

As for Jing Su and La, and Galison, they were completely ignored.

Just kidding, that's Vanguard, the secretary ship of Dawn Harbor, a top-tier figure in the Royal Navy. Even disregarding that status, Vanguard is practically a rainbow-rarity battleship, with top-tier support capabilities in the entire harbor. You could say that getting Vanguard is almost equivalent to opening the door to Dawn Harbor.

After this farce, Jing Su and La. Galisoni's dance naturally couldn't continue. Fortunately, the music was almost over anyway, so it didn't cause too much trouble. Now, Jing Su was happily watching the performance of these people in front of him. Dozens of so-called second-generation rich kids were putting on a performance art show. This scene was something you would never see outside.

That's why people are often abandoned by their families and become outcasts. With that kind of intelligence, they should stay out of family affairs and go somewhere cool.

"Commander, I'll be waiting for you tonight~" These people are doing performance art, huh? Galisoni, of course, doesn't care. Actually, if Vanguard hadn't intervened, she was prepared to take action too. However, if she had, things wouldn't be as peaceful as they are now. Performance art? I'll show you what real art is!

However, the avant-garde's scheme was quite successful. Galisoni felt it was a pretty good deal; it was entertaining, and he had gotten what he wanted, successfully pulling Jing Su onto his side.

La. Galisoni knew that Warspite must have given the Vanguard the order not to let Jing Su stay in their Vichy Church, but now that she had succeeded, the rest was up to Foch. With her help, she might be able to completely pull Jing Su onto her ship.

Of course, as the biggest contributor to this operation, she should be the first to enjoy tonight's delicious food!

To enjoy the delicious food, dressing like this would be a huge mistake. I need to change into something more exciting. Hmm, since Jing Su just said that my outfit is quite nice, I'll stick with this one. There are two versions, after all.

"Hehe, Commander, wait for me~" She remembered her outfit. Galisone blushed slightly and, taking advantage of the others' inattention, quickly left the scene. Now was the crucial moment to change clothes and tidy up the room.

In the blink of an eye, La. Galisoni had vanished. Jing Su was helpless; he hadn't even said a word yet. But it was fine, since he had originally planned to visit the Vichy Church's ship anyway. Since he was already there, not going would be disrespectful to the ship's owners. The Vichy Church had gone to so much trouble to arrange this, so it was only right and proper for him to go and see. In other words, even if La. Galisoni hadn't said a word, Jing Su would still have gone.

With her dance partner nowhere to be seen and the others performing performance art, Jing Su suddenly found herself with nothing to do, so she simply wandered around the venue.

As we strolled around, we arrived at the food section. I must say, Chen Baxian's chefs are quite good. Compared to the cursed culinary skills of the royal camp, the desserts at this banquet were indeed delicious.

'Is it because I've eaten too much Royal Clan food, or is there some other reason? This stuff tastes pretty good~'

Holding a piece of cake, Jing Su took a bite and exclaimed with emotion. Just as she was about to grab another piece, she realized that her hand had touched another small hand.

Chapter 188 Let's work together!

"Whoa, is that an enemy? How did they get so close to me without me noticing! Eh, Commander!?"

"..."

Jing Su originally only wanted a piece of cake. He thought the pastry tasted really good and thought Javelin would like it. Obviously, everyone's tastes were similar, and there was only one piece of cake left.

Then, Jing Su's hand bumped into another little girl's.

The moment they made contact, the girl recoiled as if she'd been electrocuted, and at the same time, a serious yet adorable voice came from behind her.

Before Jing Su could say anything, she heard her surprised voice.

Needless to say, only ship girls would call themselves that.

"Unyielding?" Following the sound, she saw a little girl in a black and white skirt and white stockings standing beside her.

Like everyone else at the banquet, this girl was also wearing a mask. Compared to others who practically draped themselves in a piece of cloth, this girl was quite well covered up. Apart from her face, almost no skin was exposed to the air. She wore white stockings on her feet and arms, and even gloves. If you included the mask, the only part of her body that was visible was her mouth.

Jing Su guessed that the reason for showing his mouth was simply to eat cake; otherwise, he would probably have to wear a Sichuan-style face-changing mask on stage.

"Hey, Commander, you recognized me? I was thinking of giving you a surprise~" Hearing Jing Su's voice, the girl was overjoyed, but then she became a little shy. She put her hands behind her back, lowered her head, looked at the ground, and drew circles on the ground with her small feet in black leather boots, looking both happy and shy.

"Of course, I can't possibly not recognize you, even if I can't recognize anyone else~" Jing Su smiled and touched Bu Qu's hair.

Actually, the reason Jing Su was able to recognize Bu Qu so directly is because the girl's features were indeed too obvious.

Although the ship girls in the port area each have distinct characteristics, especially their hair, the colors are incredibly diverse. Aside from the common black and gold, colors like white, green, blue, and purple, which are extremely difficult for ordinary people to pull off, are quite common on the ship girls in the port area.

However, even though the ship girls generally have rather unusual hair colors, it is still rare to see one like Unyielding.

What is the situation with unyielding hair color?

White-black gradient ponytail, red gradient sideburns, and black highlights.

Overall, the hair color is white as a base, but it turns gray-white at the ends. The black highlights on the forehead are rare in the entire Hong Kong area, and the red gradient sideburns on both sides are even more unique in the Hong Kong area.

Such a unique hair color left a deep impression on Jing Su, even though he knew relatively little about the dual-faction faction.

"Is that so? Am I such a special person in the Commander's eyes?" Regardless of the reason, after hearing Jing Su's words, Buqu's face turned red, and the blush went all the way up to her neck. If she hadn't been wrapped up so tightly, Buqu would have almost run away in embarrassment.

"Hmm? Buqu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Even through the mask, Jing Su could still see that Buqu was acting strangely, and asked with concern.

"Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing. I'm just so happy to see the Commander again." Buqu calmed herself down, her eyes shining. If there weren't other people present, she would have wanted to throw herself into Jing Su's arms.

Actually, many ship girls wouldn't have been able to feel that way in the past. There are too many excellent ship girls in the port, and there's only one commander. When compared, it's easy to feel ashamed.

But Jing Su's sudden disappearance made many ship girls realize their true feelings amidst the torment, realizing that they really couldn't leave their commander.

Moreover, after losing Jing Su, the port area has experienced several major upheavals and changes. Many ship girls have grown a lot, and after confirming their feelings, there are many more ship girls willing to take the initiative to attack than before.

For example, if it were before, Qianwei would never have done the things she did when she was with Jingsu. The so-called reserve of a knight, the shyness in her heart, and all sorts of strange thoughts. In short, if it were before Jingsu disappeared, even if she were alone with Jingsu, she would run away shyly after saying only a few words.

Now, why don't you let her be alone with Jing Su for a while?

If Jing Su isn't brought to the point where she can't get out of bed, then it's considered that she's physically weak.

After three years of upheaval, the ship girls have all come to realize a crucial truth: everything else is meaningless; what truly matters is being close to the commander. No matter how sweet the words may sound, if you can't be with the commander, it's all fake and meaningless.

Therefore, since Jing Su returned, the number of ship girls taking the initiative to attack has increased significantly compared to the past. Take the current Vichy faction, for example. This faction is actually quite proud. Although Vichy despises religion, it still highly values ​​the concept of chivalry.

To some extent, the Vichy and Royal factions are indeed a pair of bickering rivals. In terms of values, the two factions highly overlap. The difference is that the leaders of the Vichy faction are much more cunning than those of the Royal faction. However, the Royal faction has far more capable people than the Vichy Papacy. Radiant, Belfast, and Curaçao are all generals who can stabilize their respective regions once they are sent out. There are many similar figures in the Royal faction.

Vichy lost because of its small numbers. Even with the merger of the two mages, their numbers still couldn't compete with the Royal Army.

Actually, strictly speaking, the two factions have already merged. Since the split in Hong Kong, each faction has been living its own life. The two factions share the same roots and origins, so the leaders of both sides decided to live together. However, the fact that their leader is a religious leader is still a bit of a headache.

Richelieu is a great figurehead; she's resilient, devout, and courageous, making her an excellent morale booster. However, it's not advisable to put her in charge of port affairs. Richelieu's diplomatic skills are indeed quite poor, perhaps because she devotes most of her daily life to religion. In short, Richelieu lacks a lot of common sense, and putting her in charge of diplomacy would only lead to many embarrassing situations.

Therefore, the actual manager of the dual-faction camp is Clemenceau, and the frontline support list this time was arranged by her. According to Foch, she arranged for people from both Iris and Vichy to go to the front lines, but the Vichy Church was just lucky to have encountered them.

This is where Clemenceau's cunning side comes into play. Although the two factions have effectively merged, Clemenceau insists that we are still two separate factions. Therefore, we can send two teams to the front lines, and for the time being, no one else can really find any fault with that.

Of course, according to Clemenceau's explanation, they would also have to take an extra shift during their rotations, to which Clemenceau readily agreed. After all, the various factions had developed to a point where resources weren't lacking; what difference did it make where they worked?

"Haha, long time no see, Buqu. It's rare to see you here." Jing Su ruffled Buqu's unique but smooth hair and said with a smile.

"Wow, Commander, I've finally seen you! Where have you been all these years? I've missed you so much!" After three years of reflection, Buqu naturally realized his own feelings. Although he was extremely excited, he still pretended to be calm. After all, he was a knight, and knights are very proud.

"Cough cough, my fault, my fault, I will always be with you from now on." Jing Su was a little embarrassed and quickly comforted them, but little did she know that this was exactly the plan of Bu Qu.

"Hmph, if apologies were useful, what would be the point of having a Royal Guard? Commander, give me something concrete!"

"Ah..." Jing Su was taken aback. Why did that sentence sound so familiar? But she quickly realized what she meant and continued, "So, what kind of apology does our lovely Miss Buqu want?"

"Ha, Miss? I am a knight of the Vichy Church, the Unyielding-class destroyer! Commander, do you possess the honor befitting your status? Hmph, no need to answer me now, I will get the answer after we spend time together." Hearing Jing Su's words, Unyielding suddenly raised her head and said proudly. Although Jing Su could not see her expression because of the mask, it was not hard to guess that she was quite proud.

"Yes, yes, it was my fault. Well then, our proud knight is unyielding! What should I do to earn your forgiveness?"

"A reward for an apology? I want Marks... cough cough, a proud knight doesn't need such things. Anyway, Commander, you're not allowed to disappear inexplicably like before, or else, or else, I'll, I'll, cry for you!"

After saying that, she pouted her little mouth, which was quite adorable.

"Okay, I understand. The Unyielding Knight is right. I will never do it again. Please keep an eye on me, Unyielding Knight!" Jing Su wanted to pick up Buqu and spin her around in the air because Buqu was really cute. However, considering that it was a banquet, it seemed inappropriate to do so, so she gave up. But she still took a macaron and handed it to Buqu.

"Wow, this is it! Well, uh, cough cough, Commander, are you trying to bribe me? Hmph, a proud knight cannot be bribed!" Upon seeing the macarons, Unyielding's eyes lit up. He was about to reach out to take them, but as if he had thought of something, he stopped himself, turned his head away, and said reluctantly.

Jing Su saw this and understood. She picked up another piece and handed it directly to Buqu. "How is this bribery? As a knight, you fight on the front lines and protect the world. You deserve some snacks for such great contributions. I'm just doing what I should do."

"Is that so? Well, then I'll just accept it out of compassion. Mmm, so sweet, so delicious!" Upon hearing Jing Su's explanation, Bu Qu revealed a joyful expression, took a bite of the macaron Jing Su handed him, and then wore a happy expression.

'Hiss, my girlish heart is fluttering~' Although she was wearing a mask, as mentioned before, the Unyielding Mask only exposed the mouth area, so Jing Su could see the Unyielding's expression through the corners of her mouth.

One word, absolutely!

I've decided. From now on, if there's a vote, I'll definitely vote for her. How can she be so adorable!

"Um, Commander, could I have another one?" In a daze, Buqu's murmured voice rang out. It turned out that she had finished the two macarons sometime during the day and was now looking at Jing Su with longing eyes.