Chapter 35: Big and Small Smiling Faces
"Quick, get out of the way!"
Lin Lan shouted as he saw the backdrop falling toward Z35 and Z36. They had also noticed it, but it was too late to dodge!
Without any hesitation, Lin Lan leaped forward instinctively, preparing to use his body to shield the falling backdrop.
He couldn't let his ship girls get hurt!
He rushed onto the stage and pulled the two little girls, who were still stunned, behind him.
Lin Lan braced himself with his elbows up, closing his eyes in preparation for the impact of the backdrop. But the pain never came.
"Well, well~ Commander, you look quite good like this."
Eugen's relaxed voice came from beside him. Lin Lan opened his eyes to find Eugen standing next to him, smiling warmly.
Below the stage, the four Z-class ship girls had deployed their ship equipment.
Four different metal-colored shark-shaped ship equipment, along with Eugen's dragon-shaped equipment, held the backdrop steady in mid-air.
"Commander..."
Z35 and Z36 behind Lin Lan stared at him in shock, making him feel like a fool.
Did the ship girls, who were so powerful, really need a regular person like him to protect them?
As this thought crossed his mind, the two little idols had already burst into tears and clung to him.
"Commander! Wuwuwu..."
Forgetting his thoughts, Lin Lan hurriedly crouched down and held the crying girls tightly.
"Don't worry, don't be afraid. Everything's okay now."
"Commander, the performance... the performance... wuwuwu..."
Z35, with red eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks, looked deeply upset.
"We practiced and practiced for so long just to gain your approval. And now... now..."
Z36, no longer maintaining her chuunibyou persona, cried loudly while hugging Lin Lan.
Ah, these two little girls.
"It's okay. I saw your performance just now. It was a very successful show and completely up to debut level."
Lin Lan comforted the crying girls in a gentle tone, as if talking to children.
"Really? Can we really debut now?"
Z35 looked up at Lin Lan, with un-dried tears still on her face, like a little kitten.
"Yes, really." Lin Lan nodded firmly, wiping Z35's tears. "You will definitely become the top idol group of the Iron Blood."
"Hum, hum... I knew it, we will definitely captivate the commander's heart..."
Despite her tears and sniffles, Z36 still spoke in her chuunibyou manner.
"Yes, yes, yes, I am indeed captivated by you. I'm now your first fan."
Lin Lan also wiped the tears from Z36's face.
Eugen watched silently from the side, but her expression was not her usual flippant smile.
"Huh? This makeshift stage is really too fragile. It broke so easily?"
At that moment, a familiar tsundere voice came.
From the first word, Lin Lan already knew who it was.
He turned his head to see Hipper and Blücher, two golden-haired heavy cruisers, coming from the direction of the floating elevator.
Lin Lan frowned slightly. Shouldn't he be comforting the little destroyer girls right now? Even Hipper's sharp tongue...
"It's Master Hipper!"
Seeing Hipper, Z35 and Z36, who had calmed down, waved happily at her, even though their eyes were still red.
Just like... elementary school students eager to show off to their teacher.
"Master Hipper, thanks to your constant teaching, we finally got the commander's approval!"
Z35 was overjoyed, still in Lin Lan's embrace.
Lin Lan remembered that Hipper was very fond of music.
She was quite skilled at playing the electric guitar, even reaching a master level capable of public performances.
"Huh? Getting this guy's approval should be your normal standard, right?"
Even though Hipper said this, she couldn't help but reach out and pat the heads of the two little girls.
"Some flat-chested tsundere is still so stubborn, hehe."
Eugen covered her mouth, laughing as she spoke.
"Hipper! Hmph, today you're the secretary ship. I won't argue with you!"
Hipper, feeling furious after hearing her sister's cutting remarks, glared at Eugen and gritted her teeth to control her anger.
Lin Lan stood up and saw the four Z-class ship girls using their ship equipment to gently place the fallen backdrop on the ground.
"By the way, what does the graffiti on that backdrop mean?"
Lin Lan asked Z35, remembering the big and small smiling faces he saw earlier.
"The black small faces represent all of us, and the big smiling face is the commander. As long as the commander is with us, everyone's face will be smiling."
Z35 answered with a pure smile.
Hearing this, Lin Lan felt something in his heart being touched.
As Eugen arranged for other ship girls to help clean up the makeshift stage, the little girls looked on with reluctance.
Lin Lan, seeing this, spoke firmly to the Z-class girls:
"When we return to our base, I will set up a super luxurious stage that can seat everyone."
"At that time, Z35, you and Z36 will definitely become the most beloved idol group in the whole port. We will all come to watch."
"Really, Commander? Does this mean you agree with what I said during the vow, 'to be our producer'?"
Z35 looked at Lin Lan with joy. After receiving his nod of approval, she hugged Z36 and happily jumped up.
"Ugh... don't hug so tightly... I knew Commander is the best in the world. Even without demonic power, I can still draw unlimited strength when I'm with the Commander..."
Watching Z36 still having her chuunibyou moment while being held by her sister, Lin Lan and the surrounding Z-class ship girls couldn't help but laugh.
Ah, Z36, she's hopelessly deep into her chuunibyou phase.
But, who hasn't gone through a chuunibyou phase at some point?
As Lin Lan was reflecting on Z36's incurable chuunibyou and reminiscing about his own lost chuunibyou youth, he suddenly sensed something was off.
It seemed like a certain heavy cruiser, who was known for being a die-hard Commander fan, hadn't made a sound.
Based on the experience that quiet kids are usually up to no good, Lin Lan instinctively crouched down.
The moment he did, a golden-haired blur flew at him from behind, passed over his head, and collided with Eugen in front.
Eugen caught the attacker, who had crashed into her chest, and sighed with a hint of exasperation:
"Sis, aren't you worried that you might injure the Commander's back with a tackle like that?"
The one who had attacked Lin Lan from behind was none other than Eugen's older sister, Blücher.
"Hehe, I controlled the strength properly. I managed to avoid the Commander with my love-filled tackle, but it's okay. I'll definitely succeed next time!"
Energetic Blücher freed herself from Eugen's embrace and grinned, placing her hands on her hips.
Lin Lan stood up and thought to himself that Blücher really didn't seem to care about her older sister's reaction to her actions.
"Since both my older and second sisters are here, Commander, why don't we go to my older sister's room and see her flower arranging skills and collection?"
Eugen, noticing that Hipper and Blücher were both present, smiled and suggested to Lin Lan.
"Huh?"