Elder brother's garrison

Page 2002

When Xiaobai asked about Ning Lu being different from others, he wasn't actually referring to Ning Lu's special appearance, but rather subtly pointing to her strange behavior.

"Admiral Lu Lin, how can you say I'm different?" Ning Lu said to Xiao Bai with a smile, holding her camera. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I've actually put in a lot of effort to learn how to blend into a crowd, you know?"

"A normal admiral wouldn't choose this time to greet me, would they..." Xiaobai said, glancing back at what was behind him.

Behind Xiaobai, the admirals nearby stood at a distance, occasionally glancing furtively at Xiaobai and Changchun Anshan, whispering among themselves. But they dared not approach Xiaobai to speak. In fact, the moment their eyes met Xiaobai's, these admirals would avert their gazes guiltily, turning their backs as if they were afraid of something.

“Admiral Ning Lu, look, they are the normal people.” Xiao Bai pointed to the people behind him and said to Ning Lu.

"Ah... I see." Ning Lu smiled.

"I have quite a few enemies now, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble by talking to me?" Xiaobai stared at Ning Lu's face and asked her.

"Hehehe! If I were just an ordinary admiral, of course I'd hate trouble!" To Xiaobai's surprise, Ning Lu not only didn't back down in the face of his probing, but even threw her head back and laughed heartily. "But—I'm not an ordinary admiral! I love trouble the most!"

"Huh?" Xiaobai asked, somewhat curious about Ning Lu's words. "Admiral Ning Lu, what do you mean by that?"

"Admiral Lu Lin, although this is our first meeting, it might not be our first time meeting." Ning Lu didn't answer Xiao Bai right away, but instead smiled and kept him in suspense, saying something that left Xiao Bai completely confused.

"Admiral Ninglu, do you mean...we've met before?"

Xiao Bai looked thoughtfully at Ning Lu's face.

Xiaobai subconsciously searched her memory for Ning Lu's face. She quickly went through the faces of the admirals she had encountered in Chapter 8, but still couldn't recall any memories of Ning Lu's face.

Xiao Bai was quite confident in his memory.

If it's someone Xiaobai has met before, she would never forget them the second time they meet.

Therefore, Xiaobai was certain that he had never actually met Ning Lu.

"Admiral Ning Lu, although I'm not entirely sure why you're telling me this, we've probably never met before." Thinking this, Xiao Bai shook his head and said sincerely.

“No, no, no, Admiral Lu Lin, our meetings don’t necessarily have to be face-to-face.” Ning Lu shook her head, smiled, picked up her camera, and said to Xiao Bai, “For example, Admiral Lu Lin, do you know that serialized authors of online novels and their readers who follow the updates also have a relationship of meeting every day? There’s a saying that goes, ‘A work is a person’s second face.’”

“…Hmm?” Little White tilted its head.

"Admiral Lu Lin, let me give you a hint?" Ning Lu put down the camera around her neck, held up a finger to Xiao Bai, and said with a confident smile, "My online name has part of my name in it."

"...nickname...?"

Xiao Bai stared blankly at Ning Lu, her gaze fixed on Ning Lu's slender fingers and the camera hanging on her chest. Suddenly, her mind went blank.

For some reason, a stream of information suddenly surfaced in my mind.

Xiao Bai recalled a very popular serialized post that he often saw on the pinned page of the Admiral Forum when he was browsing the forum. The post was called "Let's take stock of the female admirals in Chapter 8". Because the content involved many tags that admirals cared about, such as "female admirals", "appearance", "ranking" and "choosing a wife", the post, although it did not have any technical content, has always been very popular in the Admiral Forum because of its gossip and analysis. It has accumulated tens of thousands of posts so far, making it the most popular post in the Chapter 8 section.

Xiao Bai remembered.

The person who started this post appears to be an anonymous admiral account named "Mr. Lu".

Huh?

Wait, Mr. Lu...

Mr. Lu's Lu... and Admiral Ning Lu's Lu...

Could it be that……

Xiao Bai stared at Ning Lu's expression and instantly looked strange.

"...Mr. Lu?" Xiaobai asked Ning Lu tentatively.

"Wow! You guessed so fast!" Ning Lu exclaimed, clenching her hands in amazement. "I thought I'd have to remind you a few more times before you realized it!"

"So it really was you..."

"Hmph, that's right!" Ning Lu put her hands on her hips with great pride and said to Xiao Bai, "Although I am just an admiral, my small body hides great wisdom. I, Miss Ning Lu, also hold the dual roles of honorary editor-in-chief of the Admiral's Newspaper of Chapter Eight and freelance writer for the Admiral's Forum!"

"...Chapter Eight: The Admiral's Gazette? What kind of organization is that?"

"Exactly! It's a newspaper publisher that lets you know all the major news in Chapter Eight without leaving home!"

"Wow? That's amazing! How big is it?"

"Only me."

"..."

"Why are you looking at me like that? Even though I'm the only one, my family's newspaper is top-notch!" Ning Lu said proudly.

"Okay... alright." Xiaobai smiled wryly. She looked at Ning Lu in silence for a while, then said with a smile, "Admiral Ning Lu... um, so you're a reporter."

“Oh, what a nostalgic title! Yes, I am a reporter!” Ning Lu nodded.

“I see. If you’re a reporter, you certainly don’t seem to dislike trouble.” Xiaobai thought for a moment and said to Ning Lu, “Speaking of which, Admiral Ning Lu is actually a girl? I saw that your online name is Mr. Lu, and I thought you were a male admiral.”

"Hmph, who says a woman can't call herself 'Mr.'?" Ning Lu said to Xiao Bai, hands on her hips. "Besides, Admiral Lu Lin, you probably know me from that post that listed the female admirals, right? Think about it, if I were a man, how could I so easily get the consent of so many female admirals, obtain so much private interview material from them, and then brazenly turn it into a popular post for everyone to read?"

"...I think even a female admiral would have a hard time doing that..."

"Haha, of course it took a lot of effort..." Ning Lu said with her hands on her hips, "I'm not kidding in this field!"

"A review of the areas where female admirals operate?"

"Wrong, it's the realm of gossip!" Ning Lu said, "The entire eighth chapter, all the big and small news, as long as someone is interested, falls into my sphere of interest!"

"I see... So that's why Miss Ning Lu greeted me just now..."

"Hehe, I know quite a lot of things, Admiral Lu Lin." Ning Lu smiled and tapped the camera on her chest, saying to Xiao Bai, "For example, those rumors just now, if you hadn't asked me, it's not certain that anyone could have answered them for you."

Ning Lu was referring to the statement she had just made: "The Admiral's Guild will unseal the sea area after the research and construction machine reaches 70% completion."

"In that case, I should thank Admiral Ning Lu." Xiao Bai smiled and bowed to Ning Lu, then said, "Thank you so much for reminding me just now."

"It's nothing, just a small favor. Consider it a free message for our first meeting," Ning Lu said with a smile.

Are there any paid messages available?

"Yes, there are." Ning Lu smiled without changing her expression, glancing down at the admission ticket in Xiao Bai's hand. "And, it might be something that Admiral Lu Lin would be interested in."

"So it was the 'all-knowing scholar of the martial arts world' who identified as a friend."

"Oh, I like this title, it's really cool!" Ning Lu nodded quickly, then said to Xiao Bai, "So, Admiral Lu Lin? Is there anything you want to know or ask about? Perhaps I can provide the answers?"

"I don't really have anything I particularly want to know..." Xiaobai looked at Ning Lu's enthusiastic manner, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, "But Admiral Ning Lu, you seem really eager to sell me information?"

"Information brokers don't get up early for nothing, do they?" Ning Lu said with a smile.

"...What do you want from me?" Xiaobai asked curiously, gesturing with her chin.

“Of course, after all, you’re the most mysterious person in the entire eighth chapter right now,” Ning Lu said with a smile. “If I can get some information that other people want to know from Admiral Lu Lin, maybe those who want to know this information will come to me. If business picks up a little, then my newspaper can open smoothly.”

Chapter 2811 Mere Nodding Acquaintances

When Ning Lu talked about her newspaper, her face was full of emotion and anticipation.

It seems that this Admiral Ning Lu, the honorary editor-in-chief of the Admiral's Newspaper, the initiator of the hot post on the Admiral's Forum, the paparazzi of Chapter Eight, and... the news merchant, sees himself as a business for attracting future customers.

Xiao Bai looked at Ning Lu and smiled.

"So that's how it is. Admiral Ning Lu came to talk to me because she wanted to get information about me?" Xiao Bai asked with a smile.

"Yes, that's right." Ning Lu nodded with a smile, then said expectantly, "How about it, Admiral Lu Lin? I can exchange information you want to know with you, okay? If you don't have any information you want to know, I can also use my merit points to buy your information. I guarantee the price won't disappoint you!"

"...Admiral Ning Lu, you seem quite confident in your savings."

"Hmph, don't let my appearance fool you, I'm still the twenty-first admiral in the world." Ning Lu proudly put her hands on her hips.

"Wow!" Little White clapped.

"Well, Admiral Lu Lin, have you made up your mind?" Ning Lu asked with a smile.

"I don't mean to hide any information." After thinking for a while, Xiaobai smiled at Ning Lu and said, "Admiral Ning Lu, if you want to know anything, just ask me."

"So open and honest?" Ning Lu's eyes lit up when she heard this. She quickly approached Xiao Bai and said, "Then, Admiral Lu Lin, please tell me about you and Admiral Nia... uh."

Ning Lu had just finished speaking excitedly when she suddenly stopped talking as if she had a premonition, and looked up at the back of Xiao Bai.

Just then, the admirals who had been desperately avoiding Xiaobai heard Ning Lu and Xiaobai's conversation and instinctively moved closer, pricked up their ears, and eavesdropped with a tense and expectant look.

"Tsk." Ning Lu frowned, looking troubled. "There are so many freeloaders..."

"Admiral Ning Lu, what's wrong?"

"Sigh, never mind. Although I really want to know about Admiral Lu Lin, if you tell me here, then there's no point in me buying information from you." Ning Lu shook her head, held up a finger to Xiao Bai, and said seriously, "As the saying goes, in business, monopoly is the prerequisite."

"What should we do then?" Xiaobai tilted her head.

"Alright then. We won't go into details about your relationship with Admiral Nia today. I'll visit your residence sometime and interview you properly then," Ning Lu said with a smile. "Admiral Lu Lin, I'll be sorry to bother you then."

"Oh, I see... that works too." Xiaobai nodded.

"Hehe, now we've got the exclusive privilege of interviewing Admiral Lu Lin!" Ning Lu clenched her fist and waved it towards the sky as if in victory. "Admiral Lu Lin, now that we've reached an agreement, let's talk about the compensation!"

"Hmm? Reward?"

"Yes, news... especially news that has attracted much attention, is valuable."

"I don't really care?"

"No, no, no, Admiral Lu Lin, you'd better have something to say... Well, just consider it me paying you to monopolize the news about you... Give me some face." Ning Lu quickly smiled wryly, "My newspaper relies on your gossip to get started! In short, I still hope you can accept my payment."

"I don't have any use for my merit points recently," Xiaobai said, blinking.

“Then let’s use information, let’s exchange information for information!” Ning Lu said.

"There's nothing in particular I want to know," Xiaobai shook her head again.

“Uh… well…” Now it was Ning Lu’s turn to be in a dilemma.

Xiao Bai couldn't help but smile when she saw Ning Lu's troubled expression.

"Alright, how about this?" Xiaobai said, "Since Miss Ninglu is so eager to make a deal with me, then just tell me some gossip that I don't know."

"Really?" Ning Lu's eyes lit up.

"Mm." Xiaobai nodded.

"Well... um... let me think about it." Ning Lu thought for a while, then her gaze fell on the admission ticket in Xiao Bai's hand again. She then said to Xiao Bai, "Well, Admiral Lu Lin, let me tell you some gossip. Most of this gossip is useless and may not even be true, so just listen for fun."

"Alright," Xiaobai nodded.

Ning Lu then reached out and quickly grabbed Xiao Bai's wrist, leading him towards a relatively deserted corner of the beach.

When the nearby admirals saw Ning Lu pull Xiao Bai away, they instinctively followed, but before they could act, Changchun and Anshan, who were behind Xiao Bai, glared at them in unison.

Immediately, the admirals stood back in their places, looking embarrassed.

……

Ning Lu led Xiaobai to a corner of the beach. She first glanced at the relatively sparsely populated area, and then spoke to Xiaobai.

"Admiral Lu Lin, I have something to say."

"Go ahead and tell me," Xiaobai nodded expectantly.

"Since Admiral Lu Lin is so interested in research construction machines, let me share two pieces of gossip related to them," Ning Lu said in a low voice, leaning close to Xiao Bai's ear. "Admiral Lu Lin, are you aware of the rumors that have been circulating on the beach lately?"

"Hmm? What rumor?"

"Look, isn't the third lock on the research construction machine being filled with resources?" Ning Lu said, spreading her hands at Xiaobai. "Logically speaking, the research ship girl should belong to the person who last pressed the construction button on the research construction machine, right?"

"Yes."

“But Admiral Lu Lin, don’t you think that’s too unfair and too boring?” Ning Lu asked again. “After all, if that’s the case, the first 99,99% of the progress of the research and construction machine becomes a joke, while the last 0.01% of people get all the rewards. That’s too strange.”

"...Now that you mention it, that's true."

“So there’s a rumor going around,” Ning Lu said. “The rumor is that the person who actually gets the research ship girls isn’t the one who presses the research construction button last, but the one who contributes the most to the 100% progress.”

"Huh? Is that so?" Xiaobai was slightly surprised when she heard this.

"This is half true and half false. Anyway, there's no evidence, and it's only spread a small distance. Just take it as gossip," Ning Lu said with a smile. "So, this is my first piece of news."

“…Hmm.” Xiaobai thought for a moment, her gaze gradually becoming serious. “And the second one?”

"The second one... should be of some use to you, Admiral Lu Lin." Ning Lu looked at the admission ticket in Xiao Bai's hand. "Admiral Lu Lin, don't you think the ranking for this admission ticket is too long if you want to get involved in the research and construction machine?"

"Yes."

“In Chapter 8-1, the ranking for admission tickets is already very, very long. If you, Admiral Lu Lin, were to use the normal method, you probably wouldn’t be able to set foot on the water until tomorrow,” Ning Lu said. “However, Admiral Lu Lin, the entrance and exit set up by the Admiral Guild only recognizes tickets, not people. In other words, you can buy tickets from admirals who are ranked higher on the admission ticket list and enter the sea earlier, thereby saving a lot of queuing time.”

Is it legal to buy votes from other admirals?

“What’s illegal about this? Most of the admirals queuing up are just doing it for fun. If someone can buy tickets with their merits, it’s not necessarily a bad thing for them.” Ning Lu shrugged. “Moreover, this method is more acceptable to other admirals than getting special VIP tickets from the Admirals’ Guild.”

"..." Xiaobai looked at Ning Lu in surprise.