Elder brother's garrison

Page 382

As luck would have it, this is exactly the place where Xiaobai reached an agreement with the Deep Sea Will a few months ago, asking her to help her launch carrier-based aircraft. Unexpectedly, several months have passed, and the surrounding scenery has not changed at all.

Xiao Bai walked to a tree, brushed aside the thick leaves, and a hidden path was revealed beneath it.

"This is it." Xiaobai turned around and called out to the ship girls behind her, "You can go in by going this way."

The group squeezed into the alley and walked inside. The young man at the head of the group had a faint smile on his face.

Due to resource scarcity and uncertainty about their objective, the villagers of Linglan's small village were unable to leave with Xiaobai. Even Linglan herself only went with Xiaobai under the village chief's oppressive rule. Xiaobai, however, has not forgotten them.

After all, it was a village that had once taken in him, so he should repay them if he could. Xiaobai now held a certain position in the human city where Muji lived, and he also had several powerful ship girls protecting him. If he could simply escort the people of a village to the human city, settle in safely, and enjoy a high-tech life, it shouldn't be a problem.

Thinking this, Xiaobai felt a little excited.

The path was still a short distance from the village of Lily of the Valley. It took Xiaobai and her companions quite a while before they finally saw a glimmer of light amidst the thick, overlapping trees.

"Ah, we're almost there." Xiaobai looked at the light in front of her and quickened her pace. She raised her hand to push aside the trees blocking her way and jumped out. "Sister Linglan's house is just ahead."

suddenly see the light.

Xiaobai finally saw the village of lily of the valley.

However, after seeing the scenery in front of him, Xiaobai's smile slowly froze.

At this moment, Missouri and Sukhbaatar also came out.

"Wow, this path is so crowded, and it's wet and dark." Sukhbaatar emerged from the side path looking uncomfortable, wiping several dew-covered leaves from his face. "I won't be taking this path next time..."

Sukhbaatar stopped halfway through his speech.

Because she also saw what Xiaobai saw.

At this moment, all that remained in front of Xiaobai was a charred ruin.

The small village in Xiaobai's memory, though dilapidated, was full of vitality. Now, all that remained was a patch of dark earth. The marks of artillery bombardment were one after another, turning the once intact wooden houses into fragments and burning them into black wreckage.

This place is practically a dead village now.

Xiao Bai stood there dumbfounded.

What happened here after Xiaobai left? It seems self-evident.

Missouri and Sukhbaatar stared at the dark, swarming debris before them and fell silent.

Little White took off running towards the village.

She ran, looking around, until she finally arrived at the small wooden hut where the village chief had been, the one she remembered. The village chief's hut was gone; only a few pieces of burnt black wood remained.

"...In the end, he couldn't hold on after all..." Xiaobai murmured, looking down at the scorched earth beneath his feet.

"Lu Lin!" Missouri and Sukhbaatar arrived with North Carolina. They walked up to Xiao Bai and looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping themselves.

"Oh, it's Missouri." Xiaobai turned around, looked at Missouri, scratched his head and forced a smile. "I'm so sorry... I guess you've made a wasted trip."

Missouri shook her head.

"Um... also, no one in this village is dead. I didn't see a single body when I came here just now." Xiaobai gestured to Missouri. "So it's very likely that there have been too many deep-sea attacks recently, so the villagers couldn't take it anymore and just moved away."

"But it's good, isn't it? Look how badly the deep sea has damaged this place. The land is scorched black. It's definitely better to move away. Although there might be all sorts of troubles after moving, it's better than sitting here waiting to die, right? Sister Linglan also said that she's the type who prefers to fight... Maybe Grandpa Village Chief thinks the same way... So they should be safe now... Although it's a bit difficult to find them now, it's still better than..."

Xiaobai didn't finish her sentence because Missouri had already walked up to her and hugged her.

When Xiaobai was held in Missouri's arms, she stopped. The words that were unclear, whether they were an explanation or something else, finally stopped, and she buried her whole face in Missouri's soft body.

Then, Xiaobai's shoulders slowly began to tremble, and she slowly put her hands behind Missouri's waist and hugged her tightly.

Missouri forced a smile, stroking Little White's head and feeling her trembling gently in her arms, before letting out a silent sigh.

—She's not omnipotent, is she?

Missouri thought to herself.

"If only I could have come sooner." After embracing Missouri for a long time, Xiaobai slowly raised her head, her two golden eyes moist and filled with guilt. Xiaobai said to Missouri, "If only I could have come sooner."

“This isn’t your fault, Lu Lin. And no one’s dead, is he? Just as you said, there’s no body here, only an abandoned village,” Missouri said, shaking her head.

"but……"

“No buts. You are not omniscient or omnipotent. Don’t take on the responsibilities that God should have.” Missouri said this seriously to Little White, then turned to smile gently. “You are just an ordinary angel.”

Xiao Bai was taken aback and looked up at Missouri.

Missouri gave Little White a gentle smile.

Xiaobai pursed her lips, and then tears began to stream down her face.

Seeing the once vibrant village turn into what it is today, and feeling a deep sense of frustration, young Xiaobai felt that his fragile heart now yearned even more for the warmth of his hometown.

While crying, Xiaobai tightened her grip on Missouri's hand.

Missouri's fragrance and soft touch, along with her gentle smile, reminded Xiaobai of the aircraft carrier ship girl who would always look after her hundreds of years later.

—And Missouri is awesome.

Chapter 497 Returning to the City

Comforting Xiaobai was actually quite simple. After spending an afternoon in Missouri giving Xiaobai a warm hug, Xiaobai gradually returned to normal.

Amidst Sukhbaatar's teasing remark, "Little White also needs maternal love," Little White, her face flushed, finally released her grip on Missouri.

It was getting late, so Xiaobai and the others rested there for the day.

The next day, as dawn broke, Xiaobai and his group left the village where Linglan lived and headed towards the human city.

The village of Lily of the Valley is now abandoned. It's likely that after Shiro left, the harassment from the Deep Sea worsened with each passing day, and finally, the villagers, unable to bear the constant disturbances, abandoned their long-held land. This is the only piece of good news out of a million bad news stories.

At the very least, this village was deliberately abandoned, rather than being wiped out by the deep-sea amphibious ships. The people who once lived there should be living healthy and well in other, relatively safer places.

—Let's hope so.

Xiaobai spent one night launching carrier-based aircraft, hoping they could bring back information about the living people in the village. Unfortunately, before Xiaobai and her team left the next day, the aircraft did not bring back any useful information.

At this point, continuing to think about the village's problems would only add to the sadness. Xiaobai could only pray that the people in this village could survive as long as possible, and live safely until the day when human cities replicated the ship girl technology, and humanity had the power to resist the deep sea and drive it all back into the ocean.

After several days of travel, Xiaobai and her friends finally returned to the human city.

It had been almost half a month since we last met, and the human city remained unchanged. On the contrary, perhaps because the ship girl technology was being steadily developed, everyone in the city had a bright smile on their face.

Xiao Bai returned to the open space in the city center, back to the factory.

As soon as you enter the factory, you are greeted by a bustling and energetic work atmosphere.

"How's the blueprint analysis going at Workbench Number One?"

"It's not finished yet, it will take another three hours."

"Workbench number two, have you prepared the equipment we needed before?"

"It's finished! It's in the warehouse and we can take it out anytime. We're working on the second gear now!"

"Well done. How's the assembly department doing?"

"It's progressing steadily!"

Just as Xiaobai opened the factory gate and stepped inside, streams of heat mixed with the sounds of calibration from all directions, accompanied by the clanging of metal everywhere. Xiaobai felt as if the temperature in the entire factory had risen by more than ten degrees.

The composed staff and researchers that Xiaobai had seen before were now all sitting at their posts with their sleeves up, constantly drawing and calculating on their drafts. Several workshops at the back of the factory, which had not been opened for more than a month, were also lit up, with the sounds of machines working constantly coming from inside.

"Ah, isn't this Miss Ship Girl!" Just as Xiaobai was standing in front of the door in a daze, the female researcher who was directing the work in the middle of the factory spotted Xiaobai and her group. Immediately, a happy smile appeared on her face, and she quickly walked to Xiaobai's side, smiling and saying, "Welcome back."

"Uh... hello..." Xiaobai greeted the female researcher in front of him.

Xiao Bai still remembered this female researcher. She was there when they were researching the first unit, so she was considered one of the more senior researchers in the deep-sea technology project.

"The ship girl returned even earlier than we expected," the female researcher said with a smile to Xiaobai.

"Um... we came back when we ran out of resources," Xiaobai explained, his eyes lingering for a moment on the staff working diligently behind the female researcher. "So, what are you all doing now?"

"We're researching the ship girl construction device, and we've made a significant breakthrough. We expect to be able to mass-produce the construction device soon!" the female researcher proudly told Xiaobai. "We have to thank you, ship girl, for providing the construction device. Without it, we would never have achieved what we have today."

"so fast?"

"Yes, the research progress has surprised even us. There are almost no obstacles, and the difficulties have been overcome one by one." The female researcher laughed.

"That's amazing." Xiaobai clapped his hands and glanced at the area next to the female researcher.

Xiaobai didn't see Muji this time.

"Where is Namuji?" Xiaobai asked.

"The city lord has gone back to work," the female researcher replied. "He's been staying at the factory with us for a while, so there's been a lot of work piled up. We haven't seen him for the past few days; he's probably tidying up his work at the city lord's mansion."

"Haha..." Xiaobai chuckled dryly twice.

Xiao Bai really thought that being the city lord was just a nominal job; it seems that Mu Ji's life isn't easy either.

"Speaking of which, Lord Muji also said that if you come back, you can go to the Lord's Mansion to find him, because the ship girl device is almost finished being researched, and he is thinking of giving you, Miss Ship Girl, a reward." The female researcher looked at Xiaobai with envy.

Xiaobai shook her head, her eyes dimming slightly: "Then, where is Sister Linglan now? I didn't see her at the factory just now."

"Ah, you mean Director Linglan?" The female researcher paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with admiration. "The director has a separate studio, the same workshop where she usually lives."

"Director...Director??" Xiaobai was completely stunned when he heard the title "female researcher." "Sister Linglan is the director?"

“Yes, that’s right.” The female researcher clenched her hands, tilted her head back, and her eyes sparkled. “She’s incredibly talented. She single-handedly deciphered most of the technology behind the construction device and even translated many of its mysterious patterns!”

—Lily of the Valley is so amazing!

Xiao Bai was taken aback.

Xiao Bai bid farewell to the female researchers and then led Missouri and the others to the entrance of the workshop where he lived.

Xiao Bai gently pushed open the door and went inside.

Sure enough, in a corner of the workshop, Linglan, dressed in a white lab coat, was hunched over a table, sketching with a brush in her hand.

"Hmm?" Hearing the door open, Linglan turned her head and looked at Xiaobai. "Ah, Lu Lin, you're back!"

"Yes, I'm back." Xiaobai smiled at Linglan.

"I missed you so much!" Linglan put down her pen and ran towards Xiaobai as if she had seen a family member. She picked Xiaobai up from the ground and hugged her tightly.

This rubbing lasted for quite a while.

Xiao Bai finally managed to escape from Linglan's embrace. Looking at Linglan and the small table behind her, she said to Linglan, "Sister Linglan, I heard from others that you're really amazing now. You're the one who figured out the technology for building the device, right?"

"Haha... It's definitely me." Linglan blushed, scratched her head, and looked embarrassed.

"Sister Lily of the Valley, you're amazing!"

"Not at all, not at all. I don't know how I did it." Linglan quickly waved her hand, then turned around and picked up what she had just written. "I just inexplicably know what these patterns mean."

"Patterns?" Xiaobai looked curiously at the patterns on the construction device.

On the draft paper that Lily of the Valley took out, there was a drawing of the mysterious patterns engraved on the internal gears of the construction device.

“Well, to be precise, these aren’t patterns, they’re language.” Lily of the Valley said seriously, slapping the paper back onto the table. Then, scratching her cheek with her finger, she said embarrassedly, “Anyway, to put it simply, those patterns are actually instruction manuals and manufacturing books left behind by the civilization that made the construction devices. Anyway, I’m not really sure why I can understand them.”

"Sister Linglan is such a smart person," Xiaobai said with a smile.

"No, not at all." Linglan put her hands behind her back and smiled at Xiaobai, "Hey, by the way, how was your trip out there?"

"Hmm, that's good." Xiaobai's eyes dimmed slightly upon hearing this, then she nodded gently.

Lily of the Valley looked at Little White with a strange expression.

"Were you bullied?" Lily asked curiously.

"No."

"Oh...you don't seem very happy," Lily asked again.

"..." Xiaobai pinched his cuffs, then gave Linglan a wry smile, "Well, it's just that I'm a little lonely seeing how powerful you've become, Linglan-jie."

"Hahaha, I'm not that amazing. I'm your bedchamber maid, have you forgotten?" Linglan said to Xiaobai with a grin.

Xiao Bai nodded and smiled to himself.

Suzuran also had work to do. After chatting with Shiro for a while, Shiro left Suzuran's side, saying that he still had to go find Lord Muji.

She followed Missouri and the others out of the workshop. Looking at the bustling factory in front of her, Xiaobai sighed, her expression turning sour again.

—In the end, Shiro still couldn't bring herself to tell Suzuran about her village. Just thinking about how sad Suzuran would look if she knew her hometown had been bombarded by the deep sea and left, Shiro couldn't bring herself to speak and finally gave up and left.

Xiao Bai took a deep breath, left the factory, and headed towards the city lord's mansion.

The city lord's mansion was located in a corner of the human city, not far from the open space where the factory was located. Xiaobai walked there for a while and arrived there.

Despite being called the city lord's mansion, it was actually just a small house that was decorated fairly well, far from being a mansion.