Chapter 98: The Current State of Lihu County's Outer District
"Why do I feel like my physical condition is becoming almost superhuman... Well, it's not a bad thing," Lin Lan thought as he lay on the bed, gently stroking the girl's dragon horns and her little head.
Rupprecht, nestled in his arms, let out a soft, cute hum, snuggling closer and holding him tighter.
Lin Lan's face turned slightly red, unwilling to wake her.
The warmth of being close to the girl made Lin Lan reluctant to get out of bed.
He gently embraced Rupprecht, closed his eyes, and enjoyed this blissful moment.
About an hour later, when the sun had fully risen above the horizon, Rupprecht finally awoke.
What Lin Lan hadn't expected was that the first thing the dragon girl did upon waking was to dutifully suggest returning to the port area.
Well, after all, Rupprecht might have a wild and carefree personality, but she was still a meticulous Iron Blood ship girl, Lin Lan thought.
However, Rupprecht, if you always get what you want, and if we return to the port area just because you say so, then as your Commander, wouldn't I lose face?
Once the sun was high in the sky, the two of them left the hotel after freshening up and took a taxi to the outer district's pier.
Before leaving the outer district, Lin Lan also called Sun Xiaozhu to give her some instructions.
"Commander, what on earth did you do yesterday? Did you really summon the Sirens to the inner district? The sight of that Battleaxe Military Industries unit's destruction was just horrifying!"
Sun Xiaozhu had clearly seen the photos of the first Battleaxe Military Industries unit annihilated by Rupprecht. Her voice trembled as she asked Lin Lan.
"If I had that kind of power, why would I still be a Commander? I might as well be the King of Orlan," Lin Lan retorted irritably before asking,
"Battleaxe Military Industries didn't send reinforcements, did they? What's the situation on your end now?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Sun Xiaozhu reported honestly,
"Battleaxe Military Industries hasn't sent any more troops. The Tian'ou Group's administrative staff have reported the situation truthfully to the company, and the Navy Department still hasn't issued any new orders."
"However, two Battleaxe Military Industries mecha units did enter the inner district yesterday, and one of them went missing. It just vanished from the radar."
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Lin Lan's mouth as he heard Sun Xiaozhu's words.
If he were to wait for any message from the Navy Department, his port would probably have been bombed to pieces by Battleaxe Military Industries by now.
If it hadn't been for the dragon girl Rupprecht being nearby yesterday, and hearing that group from Battleaxe Military Industries suddenly switch their target to attack his port, the flames of war might have already reached his doorstep.
At this point, Lin Lan had given up hope in the Navy Department.
He had figured it out—the Navy Department's policy toward the various ports in the remote regions was to leave them entirely to fend for themselves.
When something bad happens, you deal with it yourself.
When something good happens, we'll help you publicize it.
After all, what the public sees in the end is the credit belonging to the entire Navy.
It's utterly irresponsible.
Back when he was at the academy, Lin Lan had felt that the Navy Department was doing its best to protect the people of the United Republic of Orlan.
But now it seems that in remote areas like Lihu County, the Navy Department's central office can do very little and relies entirely on the local port commanders to act in good conscience.
Lin Lan could understand this situation.
After all, the Navy Department is not like a conglomerate with specialized departments that can meticulously take care of the people's livelihood in the area.
However, if you allow a conglomerate to come knocking on your door without even giving the port commander a prior warning, that's just too much.
"Anyway, if anyone asks about the destruction of the Battleaxe Military Industries units, just say that Sirens were found in the city and that I've already eliminated them," Lin Lan instructed.
He then remembered that Sun Dewang would be arriving to take office in a few days.
He added to Sun Xiaozhu over the phone, "The Tian'ou Group's new agent will start in a few days. If possible, help him get familiar with Lihu County's affairs quickly. We'll need that guy in the future."
Although Sun Xiaozhu didn't understand how Lin Lan knew the agent of a conglomerate, she was now almost entirely obedient to Lin Lan's words.
After all, she had witnessed the strength of Lin Lan's port firsthand. With such powerful ship girls, she no longer had to worry about being attacked by Sirens.
For someone dispatched to a remote area, this was already a tremendous reward.
Moreover, this young Commander dealt with those conglomerate thugs as if he were killing chickens. His decisiveness made Sun Xiaozhu admire him even more.
After giving Sun Xiaozhu a few more instructions, Lin Lan and Rupprecht left the inner district and hung up the phone.
However, Lin Lan suddenly thought of something.
Since Battleaxe Military Industries had already dispatched units intending to occupy Lihu County, would they also send units to intercept Sun Dewang at sea?
He recalled the route from Yunhai City.
If nothing unexpected happened, Sun Dewang would first reach Yalang City at the mouth of the river's upper branch before traveling downstream to Lihu County.
And Yalang City seemed to be another stronghold of Battleaxe Military Industries.
With this in mind, Lin Lan temporarily decided that once he returned to the port, he would lead some Iron Blood ship girls to wait near Yalang City in advance.
If Battleaxe Military Industries dared to intercept Sun Dewang, they would take down those audacious enough to challenge the Dragon King's authority.
Moreover, he happened to have a former classmate stationed in Yalang City as a commander. He could take this opportunity to visit and see how they were doing.
At this time, in Lihu County's outer district, many fruit farmers were carrying baskets of fresh pears toward the inner district to sell.
He even saw those men in vests from before doing some heavy cleaning work around buildings that had yet to be rebuilt.
The entire outer district of Lihu County had shed the desolate atmosphere it had when he first arrived. With no more fear of Siren attacks, the people here could finally live in peace.
Now this is more like it.
Seeing the vibrant life in the outer district, Lin Lan felt his murderous intent from the Battleaxe Military Industries' attack gradually dissipate.
When the vehicle stopped at the pier, Lin Lan got out of the car and immediately saw his white yacht moored at the dock.
A girl with long white hair and rainbow-colored eyes was sitting bored on the edge of his yacht, watching a few Liao Continent children playing with fishnets nearby.
"Hehehe, Elbe, the great evil dragon battlecruiser Rupprecht is back!"
Rupprecht, seeing the Iron Blood ship girl on the yacht, immediately hugged Lin Lan's arm, waving and shouting joyfully.
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