I really don't have money for the ship girls.

Ying Tian turned his gaze away from the car window. He had only heard the first part of Essex and Kaga's argument, but not the rest, because he had seen something that had greatly shocked him. "Joan of Arc, I'm sorry."

Joan of Arc blinked, wondering why the commander was apologizing to her. Then she felt Ying Tian's hand on her long thigh, and he pinched it slightly.

"Huh?! Commander, what are you doing?"

Joan of Arc instinctively raised her right hand. The sensation on her leg made her cheeks flush slightly. She was glad that she was wearing a long coat, otherwise the commander would definitely have noticed that her stigmata were glowing.

"Does it hurt?"

"Even I feel some pain."

"It's supposed to hurt, that means I'm not dreaming," Ying Tian said somewhat dazedly. "I originally thought this mission would be extremely difficult, and I even prepared for the worst..."

"Master, what happened?" Belfast asked with concern as he drove.

"It's nothing." Ying Tian shook his head and said, "I remember you said that Da Feng was wearing a red coat when she came, right?"

"Yes."

"Wearing a golden phoenix hair ornament?"

Kaga said, "That's right."

"That's right, I think I saw Taihou."

"Oh, so you saw... Commander..." Essex paused for a moment, then widened his eyes as if realizing something, and his voice suddenly rose, "Commander, you saw Taihou? Where is she?"

Belfast, who had been keeping a close watch on the surroundings, also looked ahead and said, "I think I see it too."

"Where? Where?"

Joan of Arc leaned close to the car window where Ying Tian was, asking him excitedly.

"It's just ahead, behind the crossroads. That should be the Chinese Embassy in the Central African Republic, the one sitting on the steps in front."

Following the direction Yingtian pointed, Joan of Arc indeed saw a red figure sitting on the steps at the door. Even though she was somewhat travel-worn and wearing an animal skin, her beauty could not be concealed. It was indeed Daihou, and it could only be Daihou.

Joan of Arc felt the same way Ying Tian did, so much so that she didn't even care that she was pressed against the commander: "Is this... the favor of Saint Michael?"

"Perhaps...we underestimated Taihou's intelligence?"

Kaga crossed her arms, hesitant to speak. In her memory, Taihou was difficult to deal with, but not very smart.

Essex bit her finger in surprise, no longer caring about maintaining her aloof persona—

Dafeng, you're making us look really silly...

Chapter Seven: Tears of Joy

The car stopped in front of the embassy, ​​and Ying Tian, ​​who had removed his mask, stepped out of the car surrounded by Joan of Arc and Essex.

Perhaps because she was too tired or for some other reason, the commotion did not disturb Da Feng. She remained sitting quietly on the steps, hugging her knees and burying her head between her legs. Her red coat, covered in scratches, was stained with sand and dirt, and the animal skin covering her shoulders was stained with some congealed blood.

Originally, I had some complaints, but after seeing Taifeng like this, I couldn't bring myself to say them.

Ying Tian pursed his lips, bent down and said, "Da Feng, get up, Da Feng."

The woman, hugging her knees, shook her head in confusion. She looked up, still somewhat dazed, and said, "Mr. Ambassador, I really am Chinese. Look how well I speak Chinese, please help me make contact..."

Da Feng blinked because the man in front of her wasn't the serious-looking middle-aged embassy staff member. Instead, the man in front of her was young, with defined but ordinary features. His originally thin cheeks had become rounder than before. He looked like an ordinary young Chinese man, but Da Feng couldn't help but tremble, her red eyes overflowing with a moist luster.

"Commander! I knew it! You would definitely come looking for me!"

Taihou stood up excitedly, then realized something. She frantically covered her beautiful face with the animal hide on her shoulder, saying repeatedly, "Commander, please don't look at Taihou! Please, let me wash my face... at least fix my hair first, it'll be fine in a moment, please!"

"What are you waiting for? If you wait any longer, the embassy guards will come out."

Ying Tian decisively grabbed Da Feng's arm and dragged her directly into the car.

"Commander, please, I don't want you to see me like this. Please don't hate Taihou..."

After being pulled to the back of the carriage, Da Feng continued to struggle restlessly, trying to stand up, but Ying Tian pressed her shoulders down. He took off the animal skin draped over Da Feng's shoulders and threw it into the back of the carriage. Pointing at Da Feng's face, he said, "You secretly teleported here without telling everyone, which has already caused a lot of trouble for the garrison. But I know you want to see me and didn't mean to make things difficult for everyone. However, if you don't behave now, I'll really start to hate you."

"I'll be good, Commander, please don't hate me!"

Ying Tian's words had an immediate effect; Da Feng sat in the back seat of the car, her hands on her knees, looking obedient and sensible.

"Essex, you tell everyone to assemble immediately."

"Kaga, send a message to the naval base saying that we have found Taihou."

"Belfast, drive."

With a series of commands issued, the car gradually started and sped away on the dusty road.

Ying Tianzhen felt a mix of amusement and disbelief that the journey, which he had initially thought would be incredibly difficult, had ended in such a way.

Taihou sat upright in the back seat of the car. All her physical exhaustion and mental confusion vanished the moment she saw the commander. She secretly glanced at Yingtian out of the corner of her eye and saw him giving orders. He was so handsome that words could not describe it. So everything she had done before was worth it. Being able to see the commander and touch his body was the most wonderful thing in the world!

Ying Tian turned his head and saw Da Feng peeking at him. After their eyes met, the girl quickly turned her head away, afraid that Ying Tian would say she was disobedient. It can only be said that although he had gone to such great lengths because of her behavior, it was really hard to hate such a beautiful and devoted woman.

"I saw bloodstains on the animal hide just now. Are you injured?"

Ying Tian turned around and pulled Da Feng's hand away. Her body was mature and juicy, with full and firm breasts. However, Ying Tian did not pay attention to these features. Instead, he carefully checked whether the skin under the scratches on Da Feng's clothes was injured. Fortunately, there were only some dirty spots and no injuries. Her hair and face were covered in dust.

"Commander~"

Da Feng felt Ying Tian's warm hands roaming over her body. Even though he had pulled open her clothes and revealed her delicate skin, there was no other thought in the man's clear eyes. He was only carefully checking whether she was injured.

The girl's heart trembled uncontrollably, and she was completely speechless. Taihou recalled her experiences over the past few days: the scorching sun, ferocious beasts, and people she couldn't understand. She had finally managed to board a moving train, enduring the intense ultraviolet rays shining on her face and the constant tearing of her clothes by branches and other objects. Even so, she clung tightly to the train window and tried to kick those with ill intentions off the train one by one... Even when she fought the Sirens before, she always had companions and had never acted alone. But even so, Taihou had never been afraid, because she had a firm belief in her heart: she must see the Commander.

Now that I've seen you, I should be happy, but why does my heart ache, my nose sting, and tears well up in my eyes? I should be smiling, so why do I feel like crying?

Ying Tian also saw the tears in Da Feng's eyes. Her face was streaked with tears, yet she tried to force a smile. He couldn't help but reach out and wipe away her tears, saying, "Why are you crying? Aren't you happy to see everyone?"

"I'm so happy, I'm really happy to see Commander... and everyone else, I have to smile..." Taihou grabbed Yingtian's sleeve, biting her lip, and said in a tearful voice, "But I can't hold back, I can't stop the tears, I don't know why..."

You don't need to know the reason.

Ying Tian took a deep breath, pressed down on Da Feng's shoulder, looked into the girl's tearful eyes, and said, "You just need to know that the naval base and I have paid a huge price to find you. All the materials originally intended for the Second Naval Base Plan were used to find you. I even came here without stopping after returning from England. Do you know that?"

"I know, I know... I just want to see Commander..." Taihou choked back tears as she pursed her lips, tears streaming down her face.

Ying Tian remained unmoved and asked sternly, "Then do you know you're wrong?"

"I know, I was wrong... I was really wrong..."

"You have done such a thing, I will punish you severely."

Whether Da Feng truly knew she was wrong or not, Ying Tian reached out and pulled Da Feng's dirty, delicate body into his arms, gently patting her back: "But that's for later. Don't be afraid now, we're all here for you... Welcome back, Da Feng."

"What a troublesome companion," Kaga said, turning around and gently patting Taihou's head. "Welcome back, Taihou."

Joan of Arc: "Welcome back, just like before."

Essex: "In any case, the naval base will never abandon anyone."

Belfast was driving when she simply said, "Taihou, if you want to cry, just cry. Your master won't mind."

The head maid's words were like opening Da Feng's tear ducts. She hugged Ying Tian tightly, tears streaming down her face, but this time she was smiling.

Even with tears in her eyes, she smiled more brightly than ever before.

Chapter Eight: Now Stranded in Africa

The meeting point was on the outskirts of Bangui City. The cars were parked in a circle along the roadside. To be honest, even confident ship girls like Zuikaku and Shangri-La hadn't expected the operation to go so smoothly. The naval base was so well-prepared—US dollars, supplies, equipment, even dozens of submachine guns for cover. After all, the main guns and bomber bombs were too powerful. But...

It felt like I punched a cotton ball. Logically, I should be happy that it didn't hurt, but something just felt off.

After being comforted by Yingtian, Dafeng had mostly calmed down. She had simply wiped herself down, changed into clean clothes like everyone else, and was now recounting her experiences over the past few days.

"When I landed, I didn't see the commander. I was a little scared, so when I saw a lion coming, I instinctively launched the carrier-based aircraft and blasted it away."

Feilong couldn't help but interject, "Couldn't a lion be dealt with with just one punch?"

"I've never fought on land, I have no experience."

Ying Tian thought of the animal skin Da Feng was wearing and asked curiously, "So the thing you used to shield yourself from the sun was that lion's pelt?"

"No, that lion has been reduced to ashes. I picked up this piece of skin from the edge of the explosion."

Indeed, what carbon-based life form could withstand such an explosion, almost like a small nuclear bomb?

Akagi, still wearing her hood, asked, "So how did you get here? There's no waterway; you shouldn't have been able to walk this far."

“By train,” Taihou said matter-of-factly. “I launched my carrier-based aircraft and found that there’s only one railway line leading to this fairly large city. I figured it must be at least a provincial capital if not the capital, so I hopped on a train and got here. Commander, isn’t Taihou clever?”

"Very smart, very smart."

Akagi fell silent. When she was estimating Taihou's movement range, she never expected that Taihou would use a means of transportation. Taihou, when did you become so clever?

Thinking of this, Akagi narrowed his eyes. Although he knew that Taihou's personality was similar to his own, Akagi had never regarded Taihou as a real opponent. He was just a child who only knew how to recklessly release hormones, did not know how to be considerate, did not know when to advance or retreat, and did not understand how to control a commander. What threat did he pose? Compared with the Prince of Wales and others, he was not worth mentioning. However, now it seemed that Taihou might be a major enemy, and he had to be on guard.

Zuikaku, a lively girl with long brown hair, asked curiously, "Taihou, how did you know we would go to the embassy?"

"I do not know."

"Then why were you waiting for the commander over there?"

“Because Commander and Taihou are of one mind, that’s love.” Taihou turned to the side, and after seeing Yingtian’s expression, her outstretched hands froze in mid-air. Instead, she grabbed her clothes and said in detail, “I never thought I would see Commander here, but I knew this was definitely not Commander’s country. Even the people are different. That’s why I thought of going to the capital of this country and finding the Chinese embassy. Because I know that Commander is a student at Binjiang University in Binhai Province, China, and lives in Room 102, Building 3, Cuiping International City, Jiang’an District, Binjiang City. Knowing this information, as long as the ambassador is willing to help, I’m sure I can contact Commander.”

"Ah, this..."

"That's clever..."

The people surrounding Da Feng looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Bumblebee grinned and said, "So, in other words, even if we didn't come, you could probably still contact the Commander?"

"I think so, the ambassador is quite easy to talk to."

Then everyone asked questions out of curiosity.

"How did you find the embassy? You must not speak the language, right?"

"I know a little English, so I would ask people who were well-dressed for directions on the street, and I gradually learned the way by asking them."

"Have you never encountered any danger?"

"Yes, I could sense that some people had ill intentions, so I punched a tree by the roadside and broke it. I kept punching as I walked, and then no one dared to come near me."

Even the people in the naval base office who were also having a voice conference were speechless.

The Prince of Wales remained silent for a while before saying, "Amagi, didn't you say that Taihou is childish and not very capable of taking self-rescue actions?"

Unlike Akagi and Kaga, who deliberately concealed their fox ears and tails, Amagi's fluffy fox ears stood high atop her smooth, brown hair. Even though she was as delicate as a flower reflected in water or as beautiful as an orchid in a secluded valley, her identity as a fox spirit was still unmistakable. She said calmly, "Even I can't accurately judge everyone's thoughts and temperament. Perhaps this is Taihou's love for her master, which allows her to perform exceptionally rationally."

Hu De glanced at Tian Cheng. Because of the previous betrayal, she had been very cautious lately. Both reason and intuition told her that a strategist as shrewd as Tian Cheng would not use overly idealistic arguments to explain a matter.

"I hope that's really the case."

“Of course.” Amagi remained perfectly calm, revealing no flaws. “In any case, finding Taihou is a good thing, and our lord no longer needs to risk going deeper.”

“That’s right.” Mikasa nodded and said, “In any case, it’s good that we were able to find Taihou. This matter can be put to rest.”

Bismarck, who was well aware of the research group's situation, said, "It's not that simple."

“What do you mean it’s not that simple? What else do you want?” Mikasa said. “I admit that this matter was caused by our Sakura Empire ship girls, but Eagle Union and your Iron Blood also had people involved. If we really investigate, no one can escape responsibility.”

“That’s not what Bismarck meant.” The Prince of Wales was on the same page as Bismarck. “It’s certainly good that Taihou was found smoothly and the Commander is alright. The problem is that it went too smoothly.”

"I don't understand, isn't everything going smoothly a good thing?"

"Smooth sailing is certainly a good thing, but the key is that we've been pushing ourselves too hard."

Mikasa frowned, glanced at the Prince of Wales, then at Bismarck, and suddenly understood.

On the other side, Ying Tian said to Da Feng, "Everyone has been prepared for a long battle to find you. In any case, you should apologize to everyone and also express your gratitude."

Da Feng nodded, bowed obediently to everyone, and said, "I'm sorry for causing you all trouble, and thank you all for coming to find me."

Some people accepted it readily, while others felt lost and confused looking at Taiho like this.

"This...is this still Taihou?" Bumblebee shook her hand uncomfortably, as if she had goosebumps all over her body. "Commander, did you give Taihou some kind of magic potion? Why is she so obedient?"

Taihou suddenly stood between Yingtian and Bumblebee, and said warily, "I can apologize and thank you, but the Commander is mine, and you are not allowed to use this opportunity to talk to him."

Bumblebee wasn't angry at all. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That's right, this is the real Taiho. I thought you were a different person."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing, Taihou, welcome back."

Ying Tian looked around. Even though this was the suburbs, there were already quite a few people watching the excitement. Some of the bolder children had even climbed onto the car. He said, "Although there was an accident, it's still a good thing that things went smoothly. This place is ultimately neither safe nor convenient. Wales, you can arrange your return trip now. I'm going to the airport to see if I can buy a ticket. If I can't, I'll leave a few people with me for two days."

"Oh, you're leaving so soon after arriving?"

"No, I've only just met the commander once."