Chapter 100.9: Iron Blood's First Aircraft Carrier (Part 5)

But, was it really just a dream?

"Damn it, Dad's up. Wait for me for a bit!"

Lin Lan shouted casually, quickly putting on his clothes from beside the pillow.

The dream he had just had felt so real, making him feel as if he had truly crossed into the game as a commander.

After getting dressed, Lin Lan was about to turn off his phone alarm when he saw that he had fallen asleep with the game's main interface still open.

Young Zeppelin, set as the secretary ship, was looking at him angrily on the phone screen.

Last night, before falling asleep, he had made a vow with Young Zeppelin during an event.

"No wonder I had such a vivid dream. I actually fell asleep with this still open last night."

Lin Lan mumbled to himself, put his phone into his pocket, jumped out of bed, and hurriedly grabbed the textbooks on his desk, rushing towards the door.

Fortunately, their dorm was on the first floor and close to the teaching building. He made it to the classroom just before the bell rang, taking a seat in the back row.

Old Zhang had already started the lecture, and a few classmates around him had begun playing mobile games. 

As Lin Lan opened his book, he suddenly heard the faint voice of the little chibi crying:

"You must find me in the future, okay? Promise me! Promise me!!!"

Driven by an impulse, Lin Lan opened his phone and searched for the name "Count Zeppelin."

He scrolled through the results and found the following information:

In late April 1945, as the North Union Red Army approached Stettin, Ironblood intentionally sank the Count Zeppelin to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

However, after the North Union occupied the area, they salvaged the sunken ship in 1946. The last reported sighting of the ship was in Swinemünde, where it was transporting supplies and preparing to head to Leningrad, after which it vanished without a trace.

Subsequent declassified documents revealed that it briefly received the designation 'PO-101' as a target ship for North Union naval aircraft.

In July 2006, a sunken ship measuring 265 meters in length was discovered near Weber Harbor. It was confirmed to be the long-missing Count Zeppelin, the 'Ironblood's first aircraft carrier.'

After reading all this, Lin Lan felt a sharp pang in his heart.

This was the first time he had seen this information, but why did Young Zeppelin say such things in his dream last night?

"Lin Lan! Get up and answer this question!"

Old Zhang's call interrupted his thoughts. Lin Lan got up, putting aside his curiosity and continuing with his day.

It was probably just a strange dream.

…

"These damned Ironblood ships are really tough. Even after being salvaged and used for explosive tests, it withstood five rounds without sinking."

In a cold sea area, several North Union Red Army soldiers stood on the deck of a North Union destroyer, staring at the massive wreck in the distance.

"It would have been great if our country could have built such a powerful ship back then. My children, my wife, and Boris, who shielded me in Stalingrad... wouldn't have been killed by Ironblood."

A middle-aged Red Army soldier said through gritted teeth.

"It's all in the past now, all in the past, Andrei."

The other soldiers comforted the middle-aged man.

This damned war started by the Third Ironblood Empire had taken too many beautiful things from their lives.

Thankfully, it was finally over.

"Even though the Ironblood guys deserve to die, I must admit, this ship is really beautiful. It's a pity that it's too badly damaged to be used by us."

A younger Red Army soldier lamented as he looked at the large ship in the distance.

"Heh, not to mention five rounds of explosive tests. I heard from my brother in the 12th regiment that they even bombarded this ship with naval bombs recently, but it still didn't sink."

Another Red Army soldier proudly shared secret information he had obtained, eliciting amazement from the others.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky. It was so cold that the breath they exhaled almost froze on the deck of the destroyer.

Andrei looked at the falling snowflakes and suddenly remembered the family and comrades he had lost.

He gazed at the ship, a bitter curse escaping his lips:

"The country it served is gone. I don't know why it still endures. What does it have left to hold on to?"

...

Yes, what do I have left to hold on to?

Covered in wounds, witnessing the fall of my country, seeing my comrades die one by one.

Helplessly watching as the enemy surrounds me, unable to even earn the honor of martyrdom, dragged here as a prisoner.

Even that item was taken away...

In Count Zeppelin's eyes, there was no longer any trace of innocence or optimism, only deep despair and numbness.

The snow fell slowly onto her body, making Count Zeppelin feel as if she were surrounded by the coldness of loneliness and death.

In that commander's port, it seemed like there was never any cold.

Count Zeppelin's mind flashed with memories of the warm port, and the gentle face of that man.

The dream was so beautiful, it felt like it didn't belong to this detestable, filthy world.

She looked up at the snowflakes drifting down from the sky, suddenly wanting to cry but finding herself unable to.

The brutal and bloody war had robbed her of her innocence and capriciousness.

Now, covered in blood, could she really return to his side?

Count Zeppelin quietly watched the enemy ships coming to end her life, self-mockingly.

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