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

"The results of it?"

“It’s in my head,” Ying Tian said, pointing to his head. “Let’s have lunch first, and I’ll announce it after we’ve eaten.”

If Yingtian doesn't replenish some protein to make up for last night's depletion, he really won't be able to hold on.

Many people at the naval base were probably also paying attention. At least after everyone in the villa finished their meal, they all sat in the dining room, looking expectantly at Ying Tian as he revealed the final result.

In the [Secretary Ship Selection Group]—

Ying Tian: "@All members, I am now announcing the final results."

Ying Tian: "To be honest, with the exception of a very few individuals, everyone's arguments were very insightful. I thought about them for a long time last night and still couldn't determine who was better. It is an honor for me and the naval base to have such outstanding people. It is an even greater honor for me and all the ship girls in the naval base to have such outstanding people and to have such a spirit of dedication to the port. On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank you all."

After sending the message, Ying Tian paused deliberately, waiting for applause. Such a brilliant speech deserved enthusiastic applause.

However, nothing came of it. Everyone continued to stare at him. Carlyon, who had managed to get the message on Essex's phone, said impatiently, "Just say it already, why are you keeping me in suspense?"

Ying Tian had no choice but to continue typing: "Because everyone is so outstanding, it's hard to tell who is better. In order for the secretary ship to carry out its work smoothly, I have decided to set up a secretariat group in addition to the secretary ship. The secretariat group is responsible to the secretary ship and the commander, and also serves as a reserve secretary ship. When the term of the previous secretary ship expires, the next secretary ship will be selected from the secretariat group."

Upon seeing this news, the audience immediately began to chatter. Zhenhai smiled without saying a word. She knew that the commander would take her advice. In this way, Donghuang would definitely have at least one spot and would not lose too badly. Moreover, the establishment of the secretariat group would make it easier for the secretariat ship to mobilize the resources of various forces. It was an open strategy, and no rational person would refuse it.

Ying Tian: "Now I will announce the candidates for the secretariat."

Yingtian: "They are: Hude, Radiance, Enterprise, Essex, Amagi, Akagi, Frederick the Great, Tirpitz, Richelieu, Jeanbart, Soviet Velázquez, and Veneto."

Seeing her name on the list, Akagi felt a mix of emotions. Being admitted to the secretariat meant recognition, but it also meant that she had no connection with the first secretary ship, which was something the proud Akagi could not accept at all.

Zhenhai was equally surprised that there were no people from Donghuang in the secretariat. Why was that?

She asked, somewhat incredulously, "Did you forget someone?"

"No leaks."

Ying Tian continued speaking while typing in the group: "Finally, there's the selection of the secretary ship. That's right, this is an indisputable choice in my opinion. Let's congratulate her."

"My secretary ship, Yixian."

Chapter Sixty-Three: The Breach of Akagi's Defenses

"It's actually Yi Xian?"

"How could it be Yi Xian?"

"This is too...unexpected."

The news surprised almost everyone.

Yi Xian, in theory, was not low-key.

She was the first wedding ship in the naval base, although now the Prince of Wales has completely stolen the limelight from the wedding ships.

She is the leader of the Donghuang forces, and she is on equal footing with the leaders of the other seven major forces. Although Donghuang's presence in the garrison is not strong and it does not have any top-tier combat power, it is only recently that Anshan and Changchun have become missile destroyers that it can be considered to have the strength to fight.

She is in charge of the naval base's canteen. In the port area, and even to exaggerate a bit, in the whole world, few people can rival her cooking skills. After the ship girls of the naval base launch their sorties, being able to eat a hot meal in the canteen can relieve most of their fatigue, so much so that everyone has gotten used to it.

Yet, despite this, Yi Xian doesn't actually have much of a presence. In fact, in the odds offered by California, her odds are only slightly higher than those of Xue Feng who are just there to make up the numbers, and even lower than those of Prinz Eugen and the Vanguard.

"Sister Yixian, you're the secretary ship now!"

Taiyuan and the other Donghuang ship girls gathered around the tablet to witness the news together. She excitedly tugged at Yixian's sleeve, her cute little face overflowing with joy.

Zhao He pouted, "Hmph, at least the commander has some discernment."

"I was so scared. At first, I thought the Commander had forgotten about Donghuang because Yixian and Binjiang weren't in the secretariat.

"Well, after all, the Commander is from Donghuang." Binjiang didn't care at all that he hadn't even made it into the secretariat, and patted Yixian on the shoulder, "Congratulations, Yixian."

It took Yixian until now to come to her senses. She checked again to make sure that Yingtian's message in the group was indeed her name. Seeing her name and the commander's name appearing in the same row, Yixian pursed her lips and suddenly felt an urge to cry.

However, Yi Xian did not cry. Having emerged from her past memories, Yi Xian had already decided that she would never cry again. She was self-aware and felt that she was not as good as many people, but she would not belittle herself. Perhaps there were people who were more suitable to be the secretary ship than she was, but this was the commander's appointment. With his trust, Yi Xian was omnipotent.

"Why, why Yixian?" Akagi stood up from her seat, her once-boastful eyes now appearing somewhat gloomy. "Shouldn't it be me? Commander, are you mistaken about something?"

Ying Tian said, "How could I possibly make a mistake about such a big matter? It's already been clearly explained in the group chat."

"I think the Commander has made a mistake."

Akagi's nine fox tails appeared from behind, her brown fox ears stood tall, and her voice, which was usually clear and sweet, sounded gloomy and deep.

Kaga frowned slightly. Amagi wasn't here, and she knew Akagi's personality best. She sensed that Akagi was losing control of her emotions, so she silently stood between Akagi and Yingtian and said in a deep voice, "Akagi, calm down."

Seeing this scene, Carlyon quickly patted her sister Essex's thigh. Although she often joked and gossiped with Mercury Memorial and the others, she knew that someone like Akagi, who had suppressed her emotions for so long, might not care about anything once she exploded.

“I’m very calm,” Akagi said, her pretty face darkening as she walked past Kaga. She looked at Yingtian and said, “I don’t think Yixian is more suitable than me for the position of secretary ship.”

"It's good that you're confident, Akagi. In fact, most of the people who can advance, including you and Yixian, are on par. With my permission, I will make the arguments of the Secretary Ship and all the members of the Secretary Group public." Yingtian's tone was still very conciliatory in the face of Akagi's questioning. In fact, his favoritism was one aspect, and on the other hand, Yixian's own arguments were also clear and well-organized, perhaps slightly inferior to those of Hude, Frederick the Great, and Tiancheng, but this was negligible. Just like neat handwriting gets points in the college entrance examination, this was Yingtian's subjective judgment as the sole judge.

Akagi said in a deep voice, "I demand that it be made public now."

"Not now, I need to consult with the person involved."

“If it’s not made public now, then there’s no fairness to speak of. I believe many people share my opinion and will definitely question this appointment. If that’s the case, then the appointment of Yixian as secretary ship will not be accepted by everyone. Commander, do you think this appointment is useful?”

“Of course it’s useful.” Richelieu didn’t understand why Akagi’s reaction was so strong. Any intelligent person could easily understand why the commander made such an appointment. “Any appointment made by the commander is useful. I absolutely support any decision the commander makes.”

The company also spoke up, saying, "Akagi, you've crossed the line."

"Crossed the line? Hehehe, I crossed the line? Commander, you belong to me, how could I cross the line?" Akagi's beautiful eyebrows were raised completely, and the nine fox tails behind her swayed in the room like burning flames. She looked at Ying Tian sitting on the sofa, a dangerous smile on her face. "Commander, it must be Yi Xian who seduced you, right? She promised you something that would interest you, and used a despicable method to tempt you, didn't she?"

Ying Tian frowned slightly, his tone turning unfriendly: "Chicheng, you have indeed crossed the line."

Akagi said charmingly, "Yes, it was my fault. I didn't realize the Commander's needs, which gave Yixian the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Tell me, tell me, no matter what she promised, I will do better."

“Chicheng.” Ying Tian looked at the red fox in front of him with a serious expression and said, “If this is what you really think, and not just something you said in anger, then I really need to consider whether you are suitable to be a member of the secretariat.”

Akagi's smile froze completely. The long-suppressed emotions made it almost impossible for her to remain calm. She gritted her teeth and said with a slight tremor, "Commander, are you determined to make Yixian your secretary ship?"

"I have made my decision very clear."

"I disagree! I absolutely disagree!"

"Does it matter whether you agree or not?" Ying Tian said in a deep voice. "A secretary ship, as the name suggests, is my secretary. As long as it is appointed by me, it is a secretary ship. Your consent is not required."

Yingtian had made his point very clear. Akagi opened her mouth, but then hesitated and stopped. The ship girls around her were looking at her with worried, confused, and puzzled eyes, but no one offered her support. The strong and stubborn Akagi suddenly felt a sense of despair. She had lost her secretary ship, the image she had cultivated all along, and even the dignity of Sakura Empire. Why, why did the Commander make me so sad and desperate?

"Yes, they certainly don't need my permission."

Akagi retreated dejectedly. Shoukaku opened her mouth as if to mock something, but in the end, she gave up this excellent opportunity and, unusually, remained silent.

Ying Tian stood up and announced, "Alright, that's the result. Everyone has worked hard recently. I hope you will cooperate well with the secretary ship in the future so that the port can be more harmonious and powerful."

"Well, it's pretty good that you got into the secretariat, Essex."

"What do you mean? You have so little faith in your sister?"

"Hahaha, the results are already out, so what's the point of talking about faith?"

"Speaking of which, the secretariat should be getting new staff, right? And how often is the secretary ship's leadership transition?"

Just as everyone was chattering about the results, Ying Tian caught a glimpse of Chi Cheng silently crossing the living room and heading towards the front door.

Ying Tian was still a little worried, so he pushed through the crowd and went out of the living room. Sure enough, he saw Chi Cheng's figure disappear outside the door.

“I’ll go and persuade my sister to come back.” Kaga also noticed Akagi’s condition and said as he walked, “Akagi’s emotions are at their lowest point right now, which is dangerous.”

“I’ll go with you.” Ying Tian noticed that something was wrong with Chi Cheng. She hadn’t even concealed her fox tail and ears when she went out. He said to the Prince of Wales, “Could you change the Secretary Ship Selection Group to the Secretary Group Work Group? I’ll be back in a bit.”

With that, the two walked out the door together.

Louis IX walked to the door and said, "I'll go and see too."

But the Prince of Wales stopped him: "With Kaga here, and trusting the Commander, everything will be fine."

Chapter Sixty-Four: Seeing the Real Akagi

At 2:30 p.m., it was the hottest time of summer in Binjiang City. The scorching sun shone directly on the earth, almost evaporating all the moisture. Even in the shade, passersby could clearly feel the sweltering heat.

Yet, in such weather, someone spotted a charming and beautiful woman walking under the blazing sun, wearing fluffy fox ear ornaments, with nine large fox tails behind her that sparked all sorts of fantasies.

"Holy crap, how did they attach that tail?"

"That tail is bigger than a person! It's obviously strung together with steel bars and carried on the waist. Is there a comic convention going on nearby? This cosplayer is so dedicated! Isn't she afraid of getting heatstroke?"

"Ahem, you didn't drink your milk tea, did you?"

"not yet……"

"I can borrow it."

A fairly good-looking man snatched the iced milk tea from his friend's hand, flashing an ingratiating smile. He couldn't stand being in the sun, but he couldn't miss such an opportunity to strike up a conversation.

"Hey miss, how about a cup of milk tea?"

"Which anime convention venue are you going to? I know this area very well."

"I'm sure I've seen your cosplay photos on Weibo. Do you have a Douyin account, miss? Maybe I'm a fan of yours."

Faced with such obsequious flattery, Akagi merely glanced at her slender, white hands, thinking that one punch from her would probably make this annoying person's chin retract into their head.

However, Akagi had calmed down by this time. She didn't cripple the man with a single punch, nor did she turn the surrounding area into a sea of ​​fire. She simply uttered a single word, "Get lost," from her red lips.

The young man who had struck up the conversation was immediately embarrassed. But how could someone who would take the initiative to be attentive to a stranger not be shameless? Just as he was about to say something more, Akagi flicked the milk tea in front of him. Instantly, the plastic cup seemed to have been hit from a distance, and the milk tea sprayed out from another direction, splashing all over the man's face, leaving him stunned on the spot.

Akagi sneered, ignoring the astonished man, and walked away. What kind of creature dares to talk to me? If it weren't for the commander's instructions, Akagi would have made someone who couldn't understand human language after being rejected come over standing up and crawl back down.

Thinking of this, Akagi's expression darkened. She walked to a corner of a riverside park, concealed her fox ears and tail, and slumped weakly against the river railing.

Akagi has now completely calmed down, and she understands Yingtian's intention in appointing Yixian as the secretary ship. Firstly, as Yingtian said, many people have the ability to become secretary ships, and from the commander's perspective, it is not necessary to be anyone in particular. Secondly, it is a matter of favoritism. The commander's blatant favoritism means that while the ship girls may obey the commander's orders, they may not necessarily give the secretary ship much face. However, after Yingtian demonstrated this favoritism, anyone would think twice before facing Yixian and would cooperate better with the secretary ship's work.

But what good does it do to understand? In reality, you still lost.

Because the commander doesn't favor him.

It's true that Yixian is a married ship, but Akagi, proud and determined, cannot accept losing to a married ship that even the commander has never met.

"What are you thinking? The Akagi I know isn't the kind of person who gets discouraged by just one failure."

Chicheng didn't speak. Let alone now that she was standing next to her leaning against the railing, she could still speak. She had already sensed Yingtian when he was within thirty meters of her.

Seeing that Chicheng did not react, Yingtian continued to say to himself, "This sun is too terrifying. When I was working on the construction site, I didn't dare to work at noon. It is indeed the most comfortable room with air conditioning. Once you have enjoyed it, you can't live without it. It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality."

Akagi finally made a move. She pulled Yingtian to the shade of a tree and said, "What are you doing here, Commander? You should have more important things to do now. There are many things to explain after the selection of the secretary ship."

"I also want to ask you, what are you doing coming out alone without making a sound?" Ying Tian looked Chi Cheng up and down. At this moment, her fox ears and tail had been retracted, indicating that she was at least much calmer than before. "Just now, why were you so agitated? Chi Cheng is clearly a calm person."

“No, that’s all fake.” Akagi tilted her head slightly, looking at the man she loved to the core in front of her. Suddenly, she felt an unprecedented calm. She squinted her eyes and said, “I’m not a calm person like Amagi-nee. Shoukaku is right. I never hide my feelings in my heart.”

Ying Tian calmly said, "I know." Combining Shoukaku's words with Essex and Kalion's descriptions of Akagi's personality, especially Akagi's reaction after the announcement of the secretary ship, Ying Tian had already understood a lot.

"No, you don't know, I love you. From the moment the Commander created me from the void, I knew that the Commander and I were a match made in heaven, destined for each other." Akagi said excitedly and passionately, "The Commander's embrace, the Commander's smile, the Commander's scent, all of them should belong to me. No one else can take away the meaning of my existence!"

"I know."

Ying Tian still uttered those three calm words, and this calmness infected Akagi, causing the excited expression on her face to gradually subside: "Yes, Commander knows, Commander knows everything. You are Akagi's commander, how could you not know your Akagi? From the first contact, I've been pretending to be calm and virtuous, suppressing my feelings for you, guessing your thoughts time and time again. Even though I know you manage such a large naval base, I still publicly questioned you after the secretary ship was revealed."

Akagi looked up, a poignant smile on her face: "You must be disappointed in Akagi, right? No, at least don't let Akagi leave you. I absolutely cannot lose the Commander."

"I remember this isn't the first time you've asked this question, you asked it once when we were in Africa."

Ying Tian wasn't angry. He wasn't a chauvinist and didn't care about saving face in front of others. On the contrary, he felt a bit annoyed.

He had gradually come to understand Akagi's personality through their time together. It was a kind of persistent passion, and no one could take away her sense of existence. Now, Yingtian understood the meaning of Shoukaku's words even more deeply: "In a sense, Akagi-senpai and Taihou are the same kind of people." They were indeed very similar. Their love was so pure and passionate, so passionate that it either burned others or burned themselves.

Just as Kaga told herself on the way, when it comes to love, Akagi is no less than any of the ship girls in the naval base.

Ying Tian grasped Chi Cheng's hand, looked into her red eyes, and said, "Then I'll say it again: I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, I'm very happy to see the real Chi Cheng."

Chapter 65 Kaga: I've arrived just in time.

"What's there for me to be disappointed about? Are you pretending to be calm and virtuous because you have some ulterior motive? Have you done something to wrong me or everyone else?"

"Of course you have the ability to be a secretary ship. I know that without even reading your statement. After reading it, it will be even clearer. You question me because of your confidence and persistence. Do you think I would be disappointed in you just because someone questions me? Do you look down on your commander that much?"

"I am not disappointed at all, but rather gratified. I can finally see the real Akagi, a person who loves me so passionately, so passionately that she is willing to abandon herself and express her feelings in public."

“No love in this world should be betrayed, so why should I be disappointed in you? It should be the other way around. You have done so much for me, treated me with such wholehearted devotion, while I have not been able to do much for you, not even be wholeheartedly devoted. You should be disappointed in me.”

"No! No! How could that be! Akagi will never, ever, ever be disappointed in Commander! Commander will always be the person Akagi loves the most." Hearing Yingtian's sincere words, Akagi felt her heart melt. She clung tightly to Yingtian, anxiously expressing her feelings, "It was my fault. I didn't believe the Commander. This was absolutely not my intention, absolutely not."

"I know, I know everything." Ying Tian put his arm around Chi Cheng's shoulder and gently stroked her smooth, long hair that cascaded down her beautiful back. "You're just anxious and haven't received a response from me, so it's my fault too, not just your problem."

"Commander!"

Akagi could no longer contain her emotions and tightly embraced Yingtian's waist. She nestled on his shoulder, greedily inhaling his scent. Seeing the fine downy hair on his neck, she couldn't help but gently lick it, moving upwards from his neck until the wet, slippery touch reached his earlobe. "Akagi loves you, Akagi has always loved you deeply, you know that, right?"

"I know."

Ying Tian also put his arm around Chi Cheng's slender waist. He found Chi Cheng's pink and crystal earlobe and said, "How could I not know when I feel such intense emotions? I love you, Chi Cheng, but I also love everyone. I can't be as single-minded as you. I'm sorry."