Elder brother's garrison

Page 1299

“…Hmm, I see…” The security guard looked at Xiaobai’s confident actions and, although she didn’t say anything, she believed him to some extent. She just nodded, looked at the key in her hand, glanced at the open laboratory door, thought for a moment, and then looked up and pointed to the laboratory, saying to Xiaobai, “Well… anyway, we’re just waiting outside. There are roads at both ends of the corridor, and it wouldn’t be good if you suddenly ran away when I wasn’t paying attention—let’s wait in the laboratory.”

"Eh? Is that okay?"

"If you're not a thief, and you were invited by the lab's owner anyway, it's fine for you to stay in the lab, right?" the security guard said matter-of-factly. "If you're not a thief, then it's fine too."

"...How can this not be a problem?"

"Hmph... Stealing in the ship equipment research center is a serious crime. If you get caught, you'll go to jail. You'll probably be an old lady by the time you're released." The security guard gave Xiaobai a sly smile.

"……"noob.

I'm so glad I'm not a thief.

Security guards, you know.

Anyway, they are the ones protecting the safety of the ship equipment research center. Since they are doing their job officially, Xiaobai has no reason not to cooperate.

Although the security guard was indeed a bit harsh on me, thankfully she wasn't someone who wouldn't listen to reason. Xiaobai is a very reasonable person, and since she gave me face, I should give her some face in return.

Xiaobai and the security guard entered Yubari's laboratory.

After entering Yubari's laboratory, the security guard pulled up a stool and sat down at the open entrance, keeping a close and attentive eye on Shiro, who also entered the room.

"Um...excuse me, may I find a place to sit down?" Xiaobai felt rather awkward standing there, so she asked the security guard.

"You can do whatever you want as long as you don't run out of the lab," the security guard said.

"That's it..."

Xiao Bai then relaxed and leaned back in his chair, exchanging glances with the security guard.

The artificial lake isn't far from Yubari's laboratory; it only takes five or six minutes—no more than ten minutes at most.

Xiaobai sat on the chair, maintaining a distant eye contact with the security guard for a while. After a few minutes, she felt a subtle unease, so she got up and, under the security guard's gaze, went to Yubari's coffee machine, skillfully picked up two disposable paper cups, and filled two cups with coffee.

"Would you like some coffee?" Xiaobai walked up to the security guard with two cups of coffee and handed her one.

The security guard's nose twitched.

The security guard's eyes lit up, and she subconsciously swallowed.

“…Alright.” The security guard nodded, pursed her lips, and solemnly accepted the coffee cup from Xiaobai with both hands. “But let me make this clear: if you try to slip any kind of sleeping pills or laxatives into the coffee, I’m sorry, those won’t work on me at all. I advise you to give up.”

"...Miss Security Guard, are you a ship girl?"

Xiao Bai asked without surprise.

"Surprised? Huff... huff..." The security guard, head down, held her coffee cup, blowing away the steam as she took a small sip. "Ah... hot, hot, hot..."

"I knew it..." Xiaobai nodded, looking at the security guard's petite figure. "After all, ship girls are theoretically immune to all poisons..."

"Humph."

"...However, on the other hand, even if ship girls are theoretically immune to all poisons...some poisons are useless against ship girls, but laxatives that promote metabolism and circulation are not considered poisons, so they should be somewhat effective against you, right?" Xiaobai asked curiously, "As a security guard for ship girls, you should know this, so why do you say that laxatives are useless against you?"

"Hmph, you're making a fuss over nothing!" The security guard raised her head and said confidently, "The reason why laxatives didn't work for me is because I haven't eaten for three whole days!"

"……"noob.

Xiao Bai fell silent for a moment when he saw the security guard's confident expression, as if she were talking about something incredibly glorious.

"Um... Miss Security Guard, would you like something to eat? I think I have something here..."

"I don't accept bribes, thank you."

"Isn't coffee the same..."

"The coffee belongs to this lab, not you."

"Okay..." Xiaobai smiled and nodded, then returned to her seat and sat down.

The journey to Changchun and Yubari was surprisingly slow.

Xiaobai sat in the chair, watching the security guard sip her coffee, then stick out her pink little tongue and lick the inside of the coffee cup several times. Finally, she sighed contentedly, and neither Yubari nor Nagaharu came to the lab to save Xiaobai.

"Speaking of which... Miss Security Guard, why haven't you eaten for three days?" Xiao Bai asked the satisfied-looking security guard, holding his coffee cup.

"Hmm... what else could it be..." The security guard, who was enjoying the aftertaste of her coffee, had her mood ruined by Xiaobai, and she showed a somewhat unhappy expression. She straightened her posture and held the used coffee cup in her palm.

Logically speaking.

When faced with questions from the suspect, Xiaobai, the security guard should try to avoid engaging in conversation with him.

However, considering Xiaobai's good attitude just now, and the fact that she was even given a cup of coffee after entering the room, the security guard, who was already 30% convinced of Xiaobai's innocence, still spoke up to Xiaobai after thinking for a while.

"It's all because we don't have money..."

"Huh? You don't have any money?" Xiaobai was surprised.

"Yes...you have to pay to eat in human society." The security guard sighed, her brow furrowing with worry.

"I need money..." Xiaobai looked at the security guard with a complicated expression. "But... security guard, aren't you a security guard at the ship equipment research center? This is a big company... your salary and everything should be quite reasonable, right?"

"You don't know this, do you?" The security guard was also furious when she heard this. She said to Xiaobai, "Kyoto is a big city, and the housing prices in big cities... they're simply astronomical! I'm just a lowly security guard who can barely afford to pay my rent, how could I possibly have any spare money for food..."

Speaking of it.

The security guard stomped her foot angrily and began to mutter to herself.

They spout things like "housing prices are a sign of bad civilization," "to hell with capitalists," "land within the Fourth Ring Road is incredibly valuable," and "I really want to own a courtyard house"—things that no novice can understand.

Xiao Bai looked at the security guard who suddenly started complaining.

do not know why.

The slight psychological trauma left by being mistakenly treated as a thief by this security guard suddenly dissipated.

Steamed Egg Custard

Chapter 1660 The Goddess of the Hearth

It's different from the small city Xiaobai used to live in.

Kyoto is a capital city that is famous even on a global scale.

This place is also the center of national culture, ship girl culture, and economic development. It is the source of ship girl technology in the world and has attracted worldwide attention.

For this reason.

Within Kyoto, both land prices and the cost of living are significantly higher than in other smaller cities.

Even a high school student like Xiaobai, who was under his parents' protection and lived a life of comfort before becoming an admiral, often heard things like how a toilet in the fourth ring road of Kyoto was more expensive than a nice little villa in a second-tier city.

Xiao Bai looked at the security guard muttering to herself and felt a pang of emotion.

indeed.

Ship girls are inherently solitary beings, without the support of family and friends. Living in Kyoto, a world-leading city where land is incredibly expensive, and relying solely on a low-paying job, is a very tough and difficult life.

"Um... Miss Security Guard, you haven't eaten for three days... Aren't you hungry?" Xiao Bai asked the security guard in a low voice.

"It's only been three days. I'm a ship girl, you know." The security guard tossed her head calmly. "Don't mention three days, I could go four or five days without food and I wouldn't have a problem!"

"..."

Xiao Bai silently surveyed the petite figure of the security guard.

how to say.

Although the security guard's figure looks quite energy-efficient...

But even a ship girl's body would get hungry if she didn't eat for three or four days straight...

Thinking back to the expectant look on the security guard's face when she accepted the coffee he handed her, Xiaobai sighed softly.

That's terrible.

"Miss Security Guard, have you considered working in another city?" Xiaobai asked the security guard.

"Hmm? Other cities?"

“Well, Kyoto is considered a first-tier city, so both housing prices and the cost of living are very expensive… After listening to your explanation, it seems that your salary is not enough to support you in such a big city, right?” Xiaobai said to the security guard. “In that case, have you considered moving to a city where the cost of living is not so high?”

"..." After listening to Xiaobai's words, the security guard stared at Xiaobai with a complicated expression for a while, then sighed, leaned back in her chair and shook her head helplessly, "Actually, what you said makes sense... but let's forget about it."

"Eh? Can't you?"

"Actually, you're not the first person to tell me that I should move to another city..." The security guard shrugged at Xiaobai. "But... you might not believe it, but there's a reason why I work here. For certain reasons, I don't want to leave so soon."

"What's the reason?" Xiaobai asked curiously, feeling like there was a story to tell.

“…Of course…” the security guard blurted out instinctively, but after seeing Xiaobai's focused expression with his ears perked up, she frowned. “Wait, if I remember correctly, you’re still a criminal suspect, right? So much time has passed, why hasn’t the person who can verify your identity arrived yet?”

"Uh...almost there, almost there..." Xiaobai's shoulders trembled, and she quickly looked away, for some reason smiling guiltily.

“…Hmm…” The security guard stared at Xiaobai for a while, then closed her eyes and said, “…Actually, I was introduced to this job by someone. Before I came here, I knew very little about this world and couldn’t find a place willing to take me in. Until someone helped me out, not only providing me with food and drink for a while, but also recommending me here since I was unemployed at the time. So even if it’s not to waste that person’s kindness, I can’t just give up this job.”

"Oh...I see." Xiaobai nodded knowingly. She was about to say something else when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. She raised her hand to her lips, recalling what the security guard had just said, lost in thought.

and many more.

How does it feel...

Does the experience this security guard just described sound familiar?

It felt like I'd heard it somewhere before.

Xiao Bai stared at the security guard, his gaze wandering over her face, then down to her chest, arms, legs, and her two little feet dangling in the air as she sat on the chair.

"...Hey, why are you suddenly staring at me like that?" The security guard on the chair felt uneasy as Xiaobai suddenly stopped talking and just stared at her. She hugged her arms and said to Xiaobai, "Let me tell you beforehand... if you're thinking of running away, I advise you to give up that idea. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite good at fighting. What if you get caught by me..."

"Miss Security Guard," Xiaobai suddenly spoke up.

"what?"

"Um... excuse me, Miss Security Guard, was the city you stayed in before coming to Kyoto a coastal city?" Xiaobai asked earnestly.

"Huh? Uh..." The security guard didn't expect Xiaobai to ask these questions. She didn't think about it for a moment, but after recalling for a while, she frowned and nodded, saying, "...Yeah? What's wrong?"

"...Was the person who recommended the job to you an elderly gentleman? They even took you in and let you stay at their house for a few days, and suggested finding you a naval base that would take you in, but you declined with reasons like you weren't interested?" Xiaobai asked.

“…Uh…” The security guard stared blankly at Xiaobai, speechless for a moment.

"Is that so?" Xiaobai asked the security guard when she didn't speak.

"I... I've been here for a long time, how could I remember things from before so clearly..." the security guard pondered, muttering with some suspicion, "But... I vaguely remember something like that happened. I'm not quite sure."

"Well... let me tell you about one that left a deep impression on me?" Xiaobai raised his hand, held up his index finger, and said to the security guard, "Miss Security Guard, didn't you sense the aura of a Deep Sea Dean at the place where you were taken in, and then... as a reward for recommending you to work here, you gave your ship equipment fragments to that Deep Sea Dean?"

"Huh?!" The security guard's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this. "How did you know about this...?"

It seems that this incident left a deep impression on the security guard, so much so that she hasn't forgotten it even after a long time.

"As expected!" Xiao Bai exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the security guard's expression. "Then, how many years have you worked here, security guard?"

"About... twenty years?" The security guard was momentarily stunned by Xiaobai's series of questions and subconsciously replied.

"One last question!" Xiaobai couldn't hold back any longer. She jumped up from her chair and took two steps toward the security guard. "Miss Security Guard! Your ship name... could it be Vestal?"

"How do you know my name...?"

"So you're the Goddess of the Hearth!" As the security guard nodded, Xiao Bai excitedly scurried over to her. "Nice to meet you! Goddess of the Hearth!! I, I, I, I, I—I've been looking for you for so long!"

"Waaaah!! What are you doing! Don't come any closer! You're still a criminal suspect!" The security guard, nicknamed "Female Kitchen Goddess," saw the previously docile Xiao Bai suddenly running towards her like he'd been injected with adrenaline. Remembering the interrogation she'd just given him—a veritable background check—she immediately assumed Xiao Bai had some ulterior motive. Terrified, she jumped up from her chair and brandished her hand at Xiao Bai, shouting, "You! You! You! Get back! Don't come near me! If you come any closer, I'll hit you! I really will hit you! I really will—"

"Miss Stove Goddess!" After navigating countless twists and turns and overcoming numerous hardships, Xiao Bai finally found the Stove Goddess under the guidance of fate. Overwhelmed with joy and excitement, he paid no heed to his surroundings. Even when the Stove Goddess was startled into a fighting stance by Xiao Bai's sudden enthusiasm, Xiao Bai squealed with delight and unknowingly moved closer, "I've finally met you!!"

"Don't come here!!"

The female kitchen god was so frightened by Xiaobai that her face turned pale. She immediately raised her little arm and, with a series of sonic booms, swung it at the approaching Xiaobai with unstoppable momentum.

In the heat of the moment, he swung his arm out.

In her panic, the goddess of the hearth regretted her actions.

This arm strike was a move she unleashed with the power of a ship girl. In a normal ship girl competition, this arm strike might be considered a normal move, but if it were to hit a human body, given the seemingly frail little girl in front of her, a solid blow would likely result in broken arms, short legs, or fractures—at best, the worst outcome. If she wasn't careful, she might even be chopped in two like firewood or bricks.

The goddess of the hearth immediately regretted it.

But swinging an arm is something that happens in the blink of an eye, and what's more, when she swung her arm, Xiaobai also leaned in without realizing it, so much so that the female Kitchen Goddess couldn't even back away before her arm was about to hit Xiaobai's face.

Oops……

Now...

Who knows, I might end up in jail too...

As the female Kitchen Goddess watched Little White's face getting closer and closer, she closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight, afraid that she would see some gruesome, bloody scene in the next second.