The sun had just risen over the river beside Lihu County, casting its morning light across the water.
A white, double-decker yacht was sailing straight down the center of the river, heading toward the downstream estuary.
On the first level of the yacht, over a dozen adorable little girls and petite young girls were seated.
Meanwhile, on the terrace of the second level, sat a young man and woman.
Both were dressed in white naval uniforms—they were two county port district commanders en route to Lin Lan Port.
"Gotta say, it's a damn good thing that scumbag Li Banan is finally dead. With him gone, our workload instantly got so much lighter."
The one speaking was a cheerful young commander with brown hair. His name was Lu Yangshu, and he had graduated from Red Maple Naval Academy three years ago.
He took off his naval cap and let the cool morning breeze brush through his hair as he gazed at the nearby fishing boats already out on the river. He was slightly surprised.
A year ago, he passed through Lihu County.
Back then, the area around the county was in ruins, and there hadn't been a single fishing boat in the river.
But just now, when they had docked at the Lihu County pier waiting for staff from the local naval office, they had found the outer area of Lihu County completely transformed.
Whether it was the children playing by the riverside or the smiling residents busily rebuilding their homes, everything pointed to one thing:
This place was now absolutely secure, and its residents no longer feared raids from the Sirens.
You have to understand, within the naval command of the western continent, Lihu County had once earned the nickname "The Dreaded Eastcloud."
Just a year ago, Lihu County could go through more than three commanders in the span of a few months. If that's not "dreaded," what is?
To have turned the once desolate Lihu County into what it was now—it was hard for Lu Yangshu to believe the current commander was just an intern who hadn't even graduated yet.
"That guy wasn't worth mourning."
A cold, distracted voice broke the silence, drawing Lu Yangshu's gaze toward his colleague.
The woman seated across from him, holding an unknown book in her hands, was a rare female port district commander in the Navy.
With striking features and a curvaceous figure accentuated by the white uniform, she was more captivating than most TV models.
Her name was Qi Yue. At the moment, she was focused on her book, not sparing him even a glance.
Lu Yangshu simply sighed and didn't press the conversation further.
After all, even this yacht was provided by her—if she didn't want to talk, he had no reason to make a fool of himself.
This stunning commander in black stockings wasn't someone who relied on her looks to secure a leadership role. She had real ability.
Not only had she qualified for a port commander position thanks to outstanding performance at the academy, but in just a year on the job, she had already wiped out most of the Sirens in the surrounding waters.
Rumors suggested she might be closely related to a bigwig in the Navy.
But rumors aside, her impressive combat record was undoubtedly the result of her own leadership.
Snap.
Just as Lu Yangshu was gazing at the riverbank's reconstruction, mentally preparing himself to face the damn Sirens again once they reached open waters, the sound of a book closing snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Did Luo Tao tell you last night too? That during this rescue mission, we're to follow the local port commander—this Lin Lan's—arrangements?"
Qi Yue placed the book on the table between them, tied up her long hair, and asked in a cold tone.
"Uh, how'd you know? Well, since the big hero said so, there must be a reason. Don't tell me you're thinking of…"
You didn't become a port commander by being an idiot—Lu Yangshu immediately caught the implication in Qi Yue's words.
Each task issued by the Navy contributed merit points to the commanding officers.
Merit points were extremely important for port commanders.
They served not only as credentials for future promotions to larger cities but also as the threshold for requesting shipgirl equipment from the Navy.
In joint operations involving multiple ports, the merit was mostly awarded to the operation's lead commander.
"He's just an intern, and from what I know, he was in the same class as Luo Tao at the academy."
Qi Yue spoke calmly, her tone dripping with indifference toward both Luo Tao and Lin Lan.
Lu Yangshu frowned and looked at the strong-willed beauty in front of him.
"I get that you're unhappy about Luo Tao's sudden promotion to Yalang City Commander, but as your colleague, I have to remind you—it's best not to underestimate anyone."
"Luo Tao's a national hero in the Navy right now, with a future brighter than the sun. If you're planning to piss off his good friend just for a bit of merit, don't drag me into it."
Now that Lu Yangshu had noticed the changes in Lihu County, how could he still treat Lin Lan as some clueless intern commander?
And now this woman was actually trying to rope him into going against Lin Lan—when Lin Lan had Luo Tao behind him?
He wasn't an idiot. Why would he willingly walk into a disaster?
Still, he didn't say anything to Qi Yue about the details he had just picked up on.
Some things were better left unsaid. If she really insisted on walking into a wall, he wasn't going to stop her.
Qi Yue didn't immediately argue after hearing the young man's words. Instead, she silently weighed her thoughts.
Lu Yangshu was right—she truly was resentful about Luo Tao suddenly receiving that prestigious appointment.
To prove to her old-fashioned family that a woman could become an outstanding port district commander, Qi Yue had put in many times more effort than anyone else to earn her merit.
Yet the position she had set as her goal had been snatched away by an intern commander overnight. That naturally sparked her resentment toward Luo Tao.
In her eyes, even if Luo Tao was a genius intern who had uncovered the Sirens' plot in Yalang City and defended it with real skill—
Could a genius really do that more than once?
And besides, how many shipgirls could an intern commander possibly have under his command?
In Yalang City, Luo Tao had relied on the surviving shipgirls left behind after Li Banan's death to hold the line.
So why should Lin Lan, another intern just like her, be the one to lead this rescue operation?
Just because of his relationship with Luo Tao?
Thinking of her own relatives—those who had tried to persuade her to give up being a commander and marry off as a pawn to form a "new relationship" for the family—
Qi Yue's hand under the table curled into a tight fist.
Whether it was because Lin Lan and Luo Tao's connection reminded her of those family memories, or because of concern for the safety of her shipgirls in this mission—
She was not going to hand over leadership of the operation to Lin Lan without a fight.
Just like that, in a heavy silence between the two, the yacht soon reached the river's estuary.
But when they stood up and turned their eyes toward the coastline—expecting to see a quiet but functional port—they both inhaled sharply.
"What the… hell?! Was this port just bombed by Sirens? What the hell happened?!"
Lu Yangshu couldn't suppress the shock in his voice, eyes wide in disbelief.
Qi Yue, too, was stunned as she stared at what looked no different from a wasteland. She was speechless.
And no one could blame them for their reaction.
Because what lay ahead wasn't a port anymore.
It was a desolate shoreline, as if it had been carpet-bombed over and over again. Only a few lonely tents stood on the open ground.
By the ruined riverside pier stood a young man in a white naval commander's uniform.
Surrounded by a few little destroyer-class girls and two older girls, this young man bore a weary look in his eyes, but he still greeted them with a smile full of apology.
There was no doubt—this had to be Lin Lan, the port district commander of Lihu County.
The moment they saw Lin Lan, both Lu Yangshu and Qi Yue instantly understood why Luo Tao had so pointedly hinted before their departure that Lin Lan should be the one leading the operation.
It wasn't because Lin Lan had extraordinary abilities. It wasn't because of some imagined dirty backroom deal.
It was purely because this port commander of Lihu County was just too damn pitiful—so pitiful that anyone with a heart would feel bad for him!
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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