Chapter 25: The Faction Flagships (Part 2)

Lin Lan's eyes widened as he watched the small, brown, cute creature wearing a tiny military hat wobble its way onto the table.

He never imagined that such a creature could become real.

But after thinking it over, it made sense. He had raised quite a few Commander Cats in the game.

These adorable pets could boost the combat stats of the shipgirls during expeditions. They were soft, chubby, and completely harmless.

Although Lin Lan had spent countless resources trying to get a Commander Cat with good attributes, seeing a real one in front of him now filled him with mixed emotions.

The Commander Cat, seeing Lin Lan, immediately acted like a long-lost pet and jumped into his arms, rubbing against him affectionately.

Lin Lan, helpless, had to scratch the silly cat while continuing the meeting.

And honestly, petting the Commander Cat felt pretty comforting.

"Comrade Commander, long time no see. Knowing that you're in good health, the other comrades in the Northern Union will definitely throw a party tonight."

Sovetsky Soyuz, the leader of the Northern Union, carried a cold aura that kept people at a distance.

Her ice-blue eyes, as pure as crystal, gazed at Lin Lan, and she smiled sweetly, like a frozen beauty awakened by love.

"Commander, you look like you've regained your youth. That's wonderful~"

The next speaker was a young woman with long, silver-gray curls, an elegant figure, and dressed in a red and black uniform.

Seeing Lin Lan's current appearance brought a genuine smile to her face.

This was Vittorio Veneto, the flagship of the Sardegna Empire, also known as VV, the battleship.

(Vittorio Veneto)

"But Commander, now that you're back, if you ever eat pineapple pizza in front of us Sardinians again, even I might not be able to hold back my anger."

Veneto seemed to remember something from the past and pouted at Lin Lan with a hint of annoyance.

Uh oh…

Lin Lan's smile froze as he suddenly remembered how often he had ordered pineapple pizza while having the Sardinian shipgirls as his secretaries.

For Sardinians, putting pineapple on pizza was probably as offensive as seeing strawberry tofu dishes to Easterners.

Definitely something worth getting angry over.

Next to Veneto, a woman with long, golden hair and a holy aura, despite being just a projection, held a Bible in her hands, exuding a pure and sacred presence that could purify the soul.

Her violet eyes, filled with deep longing, gazed at Lin Lan. This divine and flawless representative of the Holy Iris Church only showed her human side when facing him.

"After many nights of prayer, today my wish has finally come true. Welcome back, my Commander."

This was Richelieu, the flagship of the Iris Libre and a cardinal battleship.

(Richeliu)

In the game, the Iris Libre had split into two factions due to conflicts between Ironblood and the Royal Navy.

Richelieu led the Iris Libre, while her sister, Jean Bart, led the Vichya Dominion.

Later, after both sides reconciled and joined the port, Lin Lan decided to reunite them under the Iris Libre, believing that they were originally one and the same.

Now, Richelieu was the undisputed leader and flagship of the Iris Libre.

"Commander, you're finally back. I waited so long for you."

A familiar voice with a regional accent reached Lin Lan's ears. He turned to see a black-haired woman in a white qipao paired with black stockings, looking at him with deep affection.

The tight qipao hugged her body, accentuating her perfect curves. She was an elegant beauty with a classic Eastern style, almost as if she didn't belong to this world.

Lin Lan couldn't help but feel moved to tears.

Ah, It's the Family from the Dragon Empery.

The seaplane carrier, Zhenhai, classified as a light carrier, was like a big sister in the Dragon Empery.

(Zhenhai)

Lin Lan had originally expected Yat Sen to be the representative of the Dragon Empery, but it seemed that something must have come up, and Zhenhai was attending this meeting instead.

After warmly greeting each flagship, Lin Lan, still petting the now completely relaxed Commander Cat in his arms, asked curiously:

"Are you all communicating like this because you're far apart from each other?"

"That's right, Comrade Commander. Unfortunately, it's the situation we're in."

Just as Queen Elizabeth was about to speak, Sovetsky Soyuz jumped in:

"After you disappeared, the port's oil supply couldn't be replenished like before. To keep the port running, we had to go out and establish our own bases, gathering oil and supplies through various means."

This aligned with what Ironblood had said earlier, Lin Lan thought to himself.

"But after all the battles we've been through, we haven't really encountered any formidable opponents lately. We're basically moving freely in Siren territory."

Saratoga said this with a relaxed tone.

It was understandable, given that everyone present was level 125 with +13 gold gear; they had the confidence to back up their words.

"However, each nation is currently very strict about controlling oil, so relying on commissions from their merchants and companies, the oil rewards we receive are pitifully small."

Veneto rubbed her temples, speaking with frustration, "I've even heard that some factions have started branching out into the restaurant business…"

"That's called using our strengths to solve urgent problems, Veneto dear. Besides, our Dragon Empery restaurant is thriving day by day."

Zhenhai said this with a slight blush.

She and Yat Sen had opened the restaurant without the Commander's permission.

After all, they were shipgirls, and their main duty was supposed to be combat.

"Oh? I think that's great! Being able to earn money safely without going to the battlefield is a wonderful thing."

Lin Lan chuckled. No surprise there—his Dragon Empery family members were known for their frugality, hard work, and resilience, traits that were valuable in any world.

"Sister Zhenhai, I just wanted to say that we in Sardegna are also considering going down that path and would like to ask you for some advice."

Veneto, sensing that Zhenhai might have misunderstood, quickly clarified.

"That's easy. If the Commander agrees, once Yat Sen returns in a few days, this won't be a problem at all."

Now that Zhenhai had received Lin Lan's approval, her long-standing worries disappeared, and she agreed to Veneto's request with a smile.

How could Lin Lan refuse? He was more than happy for the girls to avoid the battlefield.

Besides, the Sirens couldn't stand up to them anyway…

Even the relatively weaker Dragon Empery had its four Kongou-class battleships fully upgraded and equipped with +13 top-tier gear.

The power of those missiles was no joke.

"In any case, even though everyone says the lack of oil and supplies is the issue, the real reason they've been traveling around is to find you. You should be grateful to them, got it?"

Elizabeth finally got her turn to speak, scolding Lin Lan with frustration.

"Don't worry, my wives. Once we have enough oil, I'll personally go to each of your homes and apologize."

Lin Lan said with a smile, even making an exaggerated bow, which made the flagships present smile knowingly.

As long as this guy, the Commander, was back, they all felt reassured. No challenge seemed too big to handle now.

"Commander, now that you're back, are you planning to return to your port with the Royal Navy, or do you have other plans?"

Frederick the Great smiled at Lin Lan, posing the question.

If Lin Lan planned to return to the port, the Ironblood faction would need to prepare to head home, leaving a portion of mass-produced ships to guard this floating fortress.

This would be a big task, so she needed to clarify with Lin Lan to make preparations in advance.