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

"I asked you why you didn't sign up for the secretary ship selection. I remember you always wanted to be the commander's assistant."

"Because I'm not qualified."

"Huh? Isn't it open to everyone? Santiago has already signed up."

Reno didn't want to explain, so she countered, "You didn't sign up either."

Mercury Memorial said, "I'm not interested in the secretary ship either."

"Weren't you quite interested in virtual live streaming before? Why did you stop streaming after buying the equipment and broadcasting for a little over a week?"

"It's just out of curiosity, and it's not really that interesting."

Mercury Memorial, like Reno, slumped onto the table. It was too hot outside, and even with air conditioning in the room, she still felt lazy. It would take a week just to register for the secretary ship, and there didn't seem to be any particularly exciting follow-ups after Prince of Wales became the marriage ship. There was no fun to watch, so maybe she should go play games instead.

"Bah!"

Lino suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. Because of the force, his heavy, bulging chest swayed several times before stubbornly remaining upright.

"Rino, what are you doing? You scared me to death."

"I need to go and confess to the commander. I can't let idols pay the price for their fans' actions."

With that, Reno hurriedly walked out.

Mercury Memorial was a little confused. After a moment of stunned silence, she began to think. Reno was going to confess to the Commander? The first one who couldn't hold back was actually Reno? No, no, I have to go and see what's going on.

"Rino, wait for me!"

When the two found Ying Tian in the courtyard, he was making a phone call. Beside him were Long Feng, Wu Wei, and Essex, all wearing short-sleeved sweatshirts and holding badminton rackets, indicating that they had been playing badminton together earlier.

"commander……"

Ying Tian gestured for Lino to be quiet, then continued his phone call, saying, "Director Duan, you're joking. I'm just an ordinary student; how could I possibly affect the university's admissions plans?"

"You're just an ordinary student? You're just an ordinary student, yet you can casually produce three priceless national treasures and trend on social media more times in three months than your school did in five years."

"Isn't that mainly because the school nurtured us well? I donated this priceless national treasure to the country without a second thought. It was because I remembered what Mr. Liu Guming said 114 years ago when he founded Liangjiang University, the predecessor of our Binjiang University, in order to rectify the spirit of the youth and save the nation from suffering: 'Endure hardship and accomplish great things...'"

"Alright, alright, I'm not the secretary of the Youth League Committee, don't talk to me about this. You just need to know that these few weeks are the time for college entrance examinations and college application, a sensitive period for public opinion at the school. Any negative news will affect the school's admissions work. Besides, you helped Ms. Shi donate the national treasure to the country, which is a good thing in itself. Why don't you explain it clearly? If you don't have a way, the school can help you contact reporters to clarify."

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely find a way to clarify as soon as possible... My foreman is urging me to get to work, Director Duan, I have to hang up now. I'll contact you again after work tomorrow. Goodbye!"

Ying Tian breathed a sigh of relief after hanging up the phone. He hadn't expected that while he was still hiding away in his little world, the school was the first to succumb to public pressure.

Zuikaku, who was watching the battle and keeping score while waiting for her turn, said, "Commander, are you planning to continue going to school?"

“Of course.” Ying Tian picked up a can of cola next to him and took a big gulp. He said, “I studied for twelve years to get into university. I did countless test papers and endured countless nights of torture. I’d crawl out of here even if I had to crawl to get my diploma.”

"It seems we need to find a reporter to clarify things as soon as possible..."

Ying Tian thought that if all else failed, he could just let go of the issue of his public image and solve any subsequent problems with money. Yesterday, he saw St. Louis leading the team, with York City, Shangri-La, and Chitose practically bringing all sorts of fashionable items into the villa by the truckload. Ying Tian didn't even need to ask to know how abundant their funds were.

"By the way, Reno, what brings you here?"

Lino bit her lip, then suddenly knelt down with a thud and hugged Ying Tian's leg.

The sudden turn of events left everyone present somewhat bewildered. Mercury Memorial even covered her lips, saying, "I heard that men only kneel down on one knee when they propose. Is Reno really that ruthless to himself?"

"Commander, I have done something to betray you. Please punish me!"

"No, no, Rino, stand up first."

Lino pressed herself against Ying Tian's body, biting her cherry lips, her eyes looking up at Ying Tian with resolute determination: "Commander, please punish me. I'm supposed to be your assistant, but I can't help you and I've only caused you trouble."

Mercury Memorial's eyes widened. Wasn't that a confession? The dragon and phoenix beside her breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it wasn't a confession.

Hidden behind some trees and villa windows, their eyes seemed to want to chop off Reno's hand that was hugging Yingtian. Damn it, only I can hug the Commander's leg! Then they realized that Welsh might have done more than just hug him, perhaps even…

Ying Tian was somewhat bewildered, so he had no choice but to place his hands under Lino's armpits and forcibly pull her voluptuous body up.

"You should explain what's going on so I can understand."

Then, through Lino's description, Ying Tian finally understood why some people considered him rare in public opinion.

Chapter 41 I can see that you all possess extraordinary skills.

Reno is a hero fan.

Although the Commander is the greatest hero in her eyes, she is interested in everything related to superheroes, including Marvel, DC, Transformers, Kamen Rider, Gundam, Ultraman, and even Armor Hero, Golden Armor Warrior, and Super Beast Armor... In short, Reno is a big fan of everything and is definitely a beautiful girl tech geek.

Even after coming to this world, she still hasn't given up her hobbies. She often posts film analyses on Weibo and discusses the plot with fellow enthusiasts.

“Isn’t this great? I believe in the light too,” Ying Tian said. “I can still sing, a new storm has begun…”

"puff--"

"What are you laughing at, Fearless?"

"I wasn't laughing at anything, cough cough, what I meant was, the Commander sings really well."

“Um…” Lino said weakly, “I sent all these messages using the Commander’s account.”

The new ship girls are all people with official status; they are legitimate citizens of Central Africa and employees of Zhengang Trading Co., Ltd. They will soon receive work visas from China that are renewed every three years. People like Lino do not have official status, so all their online accounts and such are registered under Yingtian's ID card.

Ying Tian thought for a moment and understood what Lino meant: "So, the things you posted were taken as being posted by me?"

“Yes,” Reno said. “Recently, some strange people have been commenting in the comments section, and I only just realized that my account information had been exposed.”

Ying Tian looked at the comments that Lino had presented, and most of them were very abstract.

Drink up! Any Thanos will eventually be brought to justice.

[Superman is an orphan, Batman is an orphan, Spider-Man is an orphan, so you have to be an orphan too? Brilliant.]

[I also want to be Ms. Shi's dog, getting kicked against the wall by her knight kick every day, swearing allegiance, and then being kicked to death by her knight kick, hehe, hehe.]

"What is all this nonsense..." Essex leaned closer to look, not understanding what it meant, but she knew it couldn't be anything nice. "Commander, should we help you swear back? Although none of us are very good at this... but there are more of us."

“Actually, there are more people on the other side,” Ying Tian said. “They’re just people looking for fun. Just ignore them. They’re only looking for fun when things are going well. When things turn against them, they’ll surrender faster than the French.”

Reno rubbed his hands nervously and said, "I'm sorry, Commander, I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"This isn't your fault, and it doesn't really have any impact..."

Ying Tian paused for a moment, recalling his realization a few days ago: if the "helpless and alone" persona was outdated, then he should highlight a different persona—one of earnestness and hard work. He had some ideas.

"Rino, you did a great job. You're truly my assistant. You helped me get my thoughts straight in no time."

With Ying Tian's hands gripping his shoulders, Lino was completely bewildered. What was wrong with the commander? Was he trying to comfort him?

Mercury Memorial watched the whole thing. She carefully took out her phone and opened the live stream room she had been running for more than two weeks. Well, apart from the followers she asked Lino and Ayanami to follow her, there was almost no one there, let alone anyone who came to cause trouble or insult her. It seems that sometimes no one watching is a kind of luck. Since that's the case, there's no need for her to be honest. Anyway, she was just doing it for a short time and lost interest after the initial excitement wore off.

However, Mercury Memorial means that he will have to admit it whether he wants to or not.

Yingtian gathered the original few ship girls together, namely St. Louis, Shoukaku, Roon, Ayanami, Reno, as well as Mercury Memorial and Zhenhai, and asked them if they had used his account to do anything online.

Seeing that she could no longer hide it, Mercury Memorial had no choice but to ask hesitantly, "Commander, what do you think of the female anchor?"

“A modern-day courtesan,” Ying Tian said without hesitation. “Ordinary people can perform but not sell their bodies, or at least catch a glimpse of the courtesan parading through the streets. However, the restricted content can be unlocked by high-ranking officials, that is, the top-ranking patron.”

"Congratulations, Commander, you've become the most beautiful courtesan."

"What I really mean is that female livestreamers are modern online art performers, popular cultural inheritors of the new era, revitalizing the internet economy and promoting re-employment for laid-off workers in traditional industries..."

"Alright, alright, Commander, you don't need to explain anymore." Mercury Memorial pouted and waved her hand, saying, "I was just bored and wanted to try it out before, but now I realize I don't lack money or people to play with, so I don't want to stream anymore."

Ying Tian awkwardly touched his nose and asked, "Are you going to show your face on live stream?"

"I am a virtual streamer, a person wearing a virtual identity."

Is anyone watching?

"Probably a single digit."

"Oh."

Ying Tian glanced at Mercury Memorial. The petite girl was actually surprisingly chubby, and could be described as having a baby face and big breasts. Moreover, her face was absolutely beautiful and cute. However, even with the multiple enhancements of makeup, beauty filters, and breast pads, she probably couldn't beat those internet celebrities at all, let alone become a virtual streamer. She was completely playing to her weaknesses and avoiding her strengths.

"Mercury Memorial, the port area and I, the commander, are now entrusting you with a glorious but arduous task." Ying Tian said to Mercury Memorial with a serious expression, "It concerns the success or failure of the Second Naval Base Plan, so please accept it."

Mercury blinked and asked, "What mission?"

"Continue the live stream, and you'll have to do it for at least another two weeks. You'll face a lot of pressure during that time, but it's okay. Just remember that what those people are criticizing is actually me."

“I might get even angrier if I scold the commander… Well, it’s not a difficult mission anyway, I’ve seen plenty of storms.”

"Then keep going! I believe in you."

Ying Tian then turned to Lino and said, "The same goes for your Weibo. Just update it at your usual pace. As for those funny comments, ignore them all. Just consider them as people trying to boost your popularity."

"Understood, I will definitely do my best to do what the commander asks me to do!" Lino nodded vigorously. Before, it was just a casual work in her spare time. She is a tech geek. When she really gets serious, montage, special effects, and modeling are just a piece of cake.

"Commander, actually your account was used for something else as well."

Sitting to the side, St. Louis spoke up: "But it wasn't me who used it, it was Hood. She asked me to help publish her novel in this world, and the response seems to be quite good."

Overjoyed, Yingtian repeatedly praised, "Good, good Hu De."

"You can take a look. It's a female-oriented angst novel, a love story spanning fifteen lifetimes, and the male lead is you."

"..."

Ying Tian was now completely certain that all of his ship girls possessed unique skills. If these skills were to be revealed, his own identity would likely become more ambiguous.

Chapter 42 The Commander is a Mixed-Race White-Haired Little Loli

Zhang Ze has been in a good mood lately.

Unlike Fu Ya, who took a year off from school, he had not reported to the school at all. This meant that if he did not take the make-up exams in September, he would have no grades in many subjects in the second semester of his sophomore year, which would inevitably lead to his expulsion. No matter how unbearable it was, he would have to return to school when the semester started in September.

During this time, Zhang Ze had been trying to find a way to ruin Ying Tian and Ms. Shi's reputation, even if he couldn't salvage his own. He wanted to do so so that he could return to school with a clear conscience.

Unfortunately, Ms. Shi disappeared after that incident, and Ying Tian was also honest and did not engage in live-streaming sales or fraudulent donations, so there was no way to investigate.

Just when he was at his wit's end, the opportunity he had been waiting for came knocking on his door.

Ms. Shi has risen too high, and her fans have elevated her even higher. The more this happens, the more people will resent her and hope she will fall from her pedestal. As for Ying Tian, ​​he is just a convenient target for venting emotions. If I can't criticize foreigners, I can criticize you.

Zhang Ze was overjoyed. He didn't actually put in much effort to stir things up; one like-minded person after another joined him in posting abstract comments under every video or column that involved deconstructing Ying Tian and Ms. Shi.

Even if Ms. Shi and Yingtian's donation of national treasures to the museum is clearly a good thing, it doesn't matter. This is the power of abstraction. As long as the target's behavior and background are abstracted, their original purpose becomes irrelevant.

Moreover, neither Ms. Shi nor Ying Tian has come forward to refute the rumors. Although if they did, they would likely face even more intense deconstruction. Even now, Ying Tian's Weibo account has been exposed, revealing him to be a fan of superheroes and tokusatsu. Now there are new accusations to be leveled against him.

Just as Zhang Ze was feeling refreshed, he received another piece of news: Ying Tian's Bilibili account was actually a female virtual streamer, and she was going to go live that night.

Unexpectedly, Ying Tian is quite an abstract person. He actually uses a voice changer to become a virtual streamer. Even without the current incident, once it was exposed, he would have been criticized to the point of having his account deleted.

Moreover, this is a chance to confront Yingtian directly!

Zhang Ze was itching to get started; he had already gathered his internet buddies and was ready to unleash a torrent of criticism.

-------------------------------------

"Just playing around? No wonder nobody watches your stream with that name."

The live stream for the Mercury Memorial event was held in the room that Senior Sister Ruidie used to live in. Since everyone lives in villas, very few people come here anymore.

In front of the computer used for the Mercury Memorial Livestream, Ying Tian thoughtfully named the livestream room for her: "A white-haired little loli of mixed Chinese, Japanese, and Russian heritage is online to play games with you. She can speak three languages ​​and streams live." He directly listed all her advantages, all gimmicks, it's perfect. And this virtual avatar is a bit ugly... But it's okay, being a little ugly is better. Anyway, if someone like me were doing the livestream, I would definitely only be able to use a free avatar. As for the content of the livestream, just be yourself. Anyway, you're a bit silly, which might actually make for a good show.

Mercury Memorial was stunned by Ying Tian's words until the final evaluation, when she pouted and said unhappily, "Commander, who are you calling an idiot?"

St. Louis, who was watching from the sidelines, seemed to have figured something out. With a playful smile on her face, she said, "The Commander seems to know quite a bit."

Ying Tian casually replied, "I've learned a little about it."

"So you never actually planned to become a virtual streamer using a voice changer, did you?"

"..."

Yes, Ying Tian had indeed thought that way before. It was just pretending to be a girl. As long as he could scam money, he would be successful. It was a matter of mutual consent and getting rich through labor. However, he later discovered that being a streamer was not so easy. You need to have some skills to make a living. In addition, he couldn't even afford a computer that could play videos without buffering at the time, so he couldn't even take the first step.

Seeing the playful yet charming smile on St. Louis's lips, Ying Tian chose not to answer. He patted Mercury Memorial on the shoulder and said, "The first shot of the naval base's resistance against public opinion is entrusted to you, Mercury Memorial. The rise and fall of the port will depend on this battle. My entire fortune and reputation are on your shoulders."

Moved by Ying Tian's solemn and dignified words, Mercury nodded vigorously and said, "Leave it to me, get ready~ let's go!"

"Okay, you're full of energy. It's about time, let's start the broadcast."

"Ok!"

Mercury Memorial entered the backstage area of ​​the live stream, just about to start the broadcast, when she noticed that not only the Commander and St. Louis, but also quite a few other people were standing behind them: Ryuu and Feng standing ramrod straight, Kalion who was always there for any excitement, Akagi who suddenly appeared, Ayanami holding her phone, and the Prince of Wales who was isolated by the others...

"No, how can I start a live stream if you're all staring at me like that? My voice will be recorded too."

"Let's go outside then." Ying Tian decisively called everyone outside, and said, "Keep it up, Mercury Memorial, we'll send you gifts."

Carlyon laughed and said, "I'll pay for as many gifts as you want, it's St. Louis money anyway."