Elder brother's garrison

Page 1829

“My suggestion…Admiral, you might as well wait for the results.” Veneto listened to Xiaobai’s words, looked at the resignation letter on the table, suddenly narrowed her eyes, and smiled with a mysterious expression, “Just think of it as playing a trust game once in a while. This person…should be qualified to be tested by you, Admiral.”

“Since even Veneto says so…” Xiaobai smiled at Luming, “then let’s wait and see the results.”

It's not that Xiaobai doesn't trust Luming's agent.

Rather, in her previous interactions with Lu Ming's manager, she had indeed felt that this burly, ox-like man was a reliable person with a strong sense of justice. However, this matter involved Lu Ming's future, and given how quickly Lu Ming's manager's reactions changed and how overly enthusiastic he seemed, Xiao Bai had to reconsider for safety reasons.

Since both Lu Ming and Veneto said there was no problem, Xiao Bai could finally relax a little.

Xiao Bai turned her gaze back to Lu Ming.

In the quiet dressing room, time passed second by second.

Ten minutes had passed since the agent left the dressing room.

During those ten minutes, the three people in the room did not say a single word.

Lu Ming sat quietly in the chair, his hands on his lap, looking down at the table.

Veneto, on the other hand, sat in a chair with his eyes closed, arms crossed, looking relaxed and content.

Xiao Bai was getting really bored while waiting, so he reached out and picked up the resignation letter on the table, then looked at it.

Lu Ming's resignation letter was clearly a template copied from the internet; aside from the handwriting, it contained almost nothing original. Xiao Bai glanced at the letter, found nothing new, put down the paper, and smiled at Lu Ming.

"Speaking of which, Miss Luming, when did you write your resignation letter?"

"...Last night."

"Hmm? Is it when we meet in the living room?"

"Ah."

"So you were writing your resignation letter back then... Why didn't you tell me?" Xiaobai was slightly surprised.

"You didn't ask..." Lu Ming whispered.

“…Alright.” Xiaobai gave a wry smile, then thought for a moment before jokingly saying to Luming, “I thought that after you regained your ship girl powers, Miss Luming, you would still stay in human society and continue being a star. I didn’t expect you to choose to retire. Miss Luming, do you really dislike this line of work?”

"Being a star is fun." Lu Ming shook his head at Xiao Bai, then said sincerely, "But I prefer being a ship girl."

"Miss Luming used to be... a mercenary ship girl, right?"

"Ah."

What was life like back then?

"It's very bitter."

"...Then why does Miss Luming still want to be a ship girl?"

"Because... if you're a ship girl, you'll have the ocean." Hearing this, she gave Shiro a faint smile. "...And, you'll have companions."

Chapter 2524 The Sound of a Hollow Brain

"Because... if you're a ship girl, you'll have the ocean... and your companions."

When Lu Ming said those words, her face showed an expression that resembled a small happiness.

Looking at Lu Ming's expression, Xiao Bai couldn't help but think for a while.

"Miss Luming, are you still in contact with your ship girl companions in the mercenary group?"

“After the ship equipment was dismantled, they stopped contacting me.” Lu Ming shook her head, looking down at the resignation letter on the table, and said slowly, “As for the entire mercenary group… now only Sister Mutsu still contacts us occasionally.”

Do you miss them?

"Actually, it's alright," Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai, pressing his chest.

"So, are they the reason you gave up your career as a celebrity?"

"Hmm." Lu Ming nodded, but then shook his head slightly, "Yes and no."

"Hmm?" Xiaobai asked curiously.

“If I turn back into a ship girl, I will have a long lifespan, my appearance will not age, and I will have the power to protect myself... This is a good thing.” Lu Ming lowered her head and whispered to Xiao Bai, but then she suddenly looked up at Xiao Bai and said, “However, if it were just for these things, I would not have chosen to take the nerve agent that day.”

Looking into Xiaobai's eyes, Luming gently clenched his own hand.

"I... I simply love the life of a ship girl." Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai, her gaze slightly turbulent. She slowly continued, "I... I indirectly lost my ship equipment due to an accident, and I came here alone. Life here is happy now, but I'm not human after all; I'm a ship girl... Even without my ship equipment, I'm still a ship girl. Perhaps I'll grow tired of the sea in the future, but at least not now... Now that I've finally regained my power, I want to go back. I want to return to the sea, to a place where I at least have ship girl companions. Life there may be tough, but I won't be lonely."

"It's probably like... the feeling of a wanderer longing for their hometown after being stranded in a foreign land," Veneto said, his eyes closed.

"I see, it's homesickness." After hearing Veneto's explanation, Xiaobai nodded with some emotion. She reached out and gently placed her hand on Luming's hand, saying to her, "For ship girls, living alone in human society does indeed bring a sense of loneliness, like being stranded in a foreign land... Now I understand a little better."

The feeling of loneliness...

It is indeed the most torturous feeling in the world.

Now that Lu Ming has retrieved her ship equipment, it means she has regained her ticket home.

"So, Miss Luming just wants to go back to where she has fellow ship girls, to fight and live with them, right?" Xiaobai asked Luming.

"Yes." Lu Ming nodded quickly.

"I see! I totally understand now!" Xiaobai smiled and held up a finger to Lu Ming. "So, in that case, instead of going back to the mercenary group, perhaps we could consider..."

Just as Xiaobai was about to finish speaking.

There was a whooshing sound.

The tightly closed dressing room door was opened with a key.

A burly figure walked into the room with his head down.

It was the agent I hadn't seen for twenty minutes.

"Manager, you're back." The three people in the room stopped chatting and looked at their manager. Their gazes continued to probe behind her, but they suddenly realized that the employees who had been crowding outside the door had vanished without a trace. "Huh? Where did all those people go?"

"I dismissed them, they all went back to work." The agent nodded expressionlessly, then closed the door behind him and walked back to Xiaobai and the other two.

"Mr. Agent... how did your conversation with the company go?" Xiaobai asked cautiously.

"Hmm...not very optimistic." The agent frowned.

"What? Is the company's leadership still unwilling to release him?"

"No, I still couldn't get a peaceful termination of the contract." The agent sighed. "I can only reduce the penalty for Lu Ming's unilateral breach of contract to one-twentieth of what it should be."

"Huh?" The three of them were taken aback when they heard this.

"It's a real pity. I thought we could get a peaceful termination of the contract." The agent looked distressed. "Unfortunately, the higher-ups are too tight-lipped. Even if we bring up Admiral Lu Lin's name, we still have to pay at least one-twentieth of the penalty for breach of contract."

"Really...really?"

"Yes, oh right, I also went to see the makeup artist on the way back." The manager said to Xiaobai and the other two, "When those girls heard that Luming was going to retire, they all huddled in their little house and cried their eyes out. But after my persuasion, they were able to understand Luming's thoughts and said they were willing to support you in finding happiness."

"Eh??"

Everyone stared blankly at the agent.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" the agent asked, puzzled. "I'm just an ordinary person, I can't do anything big. This is all I've managed to get for you all. If you still think this isn't enough, then I have nothing more to say..."

"Mr. Agent! You're... amazing!" Xiaobai raised her hands, looking astonished. "How... how did you convince the company's leadership?!"

The agent not only persuaded the company to release Lu Ming, but also reduced Lu Ming's breach of contract penalty to one-twentieth of the original amount!

The manager even took the time to give the makeup artists some psychological counseling, comforting them as they were on the verge of a breakdown after seeing their idol graduate!

This, this, this...

After hearing the agent's reply, Xiaobai decided to withdraw all her doubts about the agent.

He really is!

Amazing!

Attentive to every detail!

He actually arranged Lu Ming's resignation so meticulously and thoughtfully...

What a perfect father!

Xiaobai is so touched!

"Actually, I didn't do anything special. It's probably all because of your support, Admiral Lu Lin." The agent didn't seem to have any particular feelings about it. In fact, he felt that he had underperformed and failed to make good use of Xiao Bai's support. "Anyway... I've taken care of the negotiations for you. The company's leadership has agreed to let Lu Ming leave. They're all waiting for you in the previous meeting room, Admiral Lu Lin. You can go over and say hello to them now."

"Oh, now?" Xiaobai stood up.

"Yes," the agent nodded.

"Then I'll go right now..." Xiaobai got up and walked towards the door.

Seeing Xiaobai and Veneto get up and leave, Lu Ming quickly stood up from his chair, instinctively wanting to follow behind Xiaobai.

However, the next second, the manager still raised his hand to stop Lu Ming.

"Lu Ming, don't go with them. The leadership is about to explode with anger at the sight of you. You'd better not cause them any more trouble," the agent said.

"..." Lu Ming looked at his manager innocently.

"It's alright, Miss Luming, I'll be back soon." Xiaobai smiled at Luming from the doorway. "Your manager is right. It's not convenient for you to show up right now. Why don't you go and see the makeup artists? They probably need your comfort right now. Let's split up."

“…Hmm…” Lu Ming nodded and could only stand guard at the door, watching Xiao Bai and Veneto’s figures disappear at the end of the corridor.

After Xiaobai left, Luming stared at the empty corridor and suddenly felt a faint tug from behind.

Lu Ming turned around and saw his manager carefully pinching the fabric on Ziji's arm with his thick, muscular fingers, pulling it toward the house while winking at him.

"Agent?" Lu Ming asked, puzzled.

"Shh, keep your voice down." The manager cautiously put a finger to her lips, then carefully peeked out the door. After confirming no one was eavesdropping, she breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How's things going on your end?"

"what?"

"What's with that expression?" The agent frowned. "I specially created some private time for you and Admiral Lu Lin. Don't tell me you didn't do anything."

"...Actually, there were three people." Lu Ming whispered.

"Three people? Where are there three people?" The agent looked at the table. "Aren't there only the two of you in the room?"

“There’s another one… who’s rather short.” Lu Ming held up his hand to indicate his height below his chest.

"Really?" The agent scratched his head, then asked seriously, "This height seems to be just outside my field of vision... Never mind the third person for now. Anyway, let's get down to business. How did your chat with Admiral Lu Lin go in the room? Has your relationship progressed any further?"

"...Going a step further?"

"Yes, you're a free agent now." The agent pointed a thick finger at Lu Ming's nose. "Admiral Lu Lin is an admiral! Do you know what an admiral does? She trains ship girls! Didn't you find a chance to join her naval base?"

"..." Lu Ming blinked dryly.

"...You didn't really do nothing, did you?" the agent frowned.

“…No…” Lu Ming lowered his head.

"Hiss—!" The manager gasped, then raised his hand with a look of exasperation and gently patted Lu Ming's head. "You're already trying to upset me on your first day out of the hospital! I've created such great opportunities for you, why don't you try to seize them yourself!"

"I...I don't know..." Lu Ming cautiously looked up, "Manager...why?"

"You ask me why? Why don't you ask yourself!" The agent's face immediately fell. "Look at the way you looked at Admiral Lu Lin before! Just grab anyone off the street and ask them, they'll all know you want to be with her!"

"..." Lu Ming lowered his head, his fingers constantly intertwining.

Lu Ming was like a student being lectured by his homeroom teacher.

"Luming, Luming, when are you going to finally see the light!" The manager said, then, without recognizing Luming, raised his hand and slapped him on the head. "You're still telling me you yearn for the life of a ship girl? Bullshit! Do you think I'm some ignorant little brat? There's only one thing in this world that can make a girl give up everything and throw caution to the wind. Do you know what it is?!"

"……do not know."

"It's fucking love!"

As the agent finished speaking, he gently tapped Lu Ming on the head.

Boom!

A crisp, clear sound.

Chapter 2525 I thought you were already my ship girl

Xiao Bai recognized the way back to the meeting room from before.

Leaving the dressing room and walking back to the conference room, Xiaobai looked around at the quiet corridor, a touch of melancholy on her face.

"I never expected that Miss Luming's manager would actually be such a kind and warm-hearted person." Xiaobai said to Veneto beside her, a look of shame creeping onto her face. "I misunderstood him before, and now I'm starting to feel ashamed for having doubted his good intentions..."

“There’s nothing we can do about it, Admiral.” Veneto turned to comfort Xiaobai after hearing her words. “Admiral, your position is different from ours. You are our highest-ranking person and have to consider our safety. So it’s understandable that you’re being more cautious in your actions out of a sense of responsibility for Miss Luming’s safety.”

“That makes sense… but in the dressing room, Veneto, you so readily believed Miss Luming’s manager…” Xiaobai touched her chest, somewhat dejectedly. “I shouldn’t have doubted people so easily before. When did I become so suspicious…”