Lin Lan had indeed heard of the West Continent Institute of Technology.
It was once a research institution established by the Orlan United States on the West Continent.
After the Siren Disaster broke out, the takeover by the Zhuhai Commercial Association resulted in this research institution falling under their control and being renamed the West Continent Institute of Technological Research.
Today, this institute has become a profit-oriented tech company entirely controlled by the Zhuhai Commercial Association and is heavily guarded.
Many of the results they've produced in the field of Wisdom Cube technology have made the Navy Department green with envy—yet they can only obediently spend money to purchase them.
To put it bluntly, "purchasing" is no different from restocking.
After all, the Zhuhai Commercial Association has no shipgirls of its own.
The shipborne equipment developed through Wisdom Cube technology can only be sold to the Navy Department.
While the top brass of the Zhuhai Commercial Association wants to abolish the Navy Department, many within the organization are reluctant to give up the existing achievements in Wisdom Cube technology.
As a result, both sides have reached a silent understanding and engage in these clandestine transactions.
Of course, such secret deals are only limited to the West Continent.
On the East Continent, since the headquarters of the Zhuhai Commercial Association has direct oversight, it would be impossible for the tech companies to so blatantly let the Navy Department "restock."
Lin Lan gazed at the yacht gradually disappearing down the dark river, gently stroking Nimi's small head beside him.
He quickly figured out what this so-called "Shipborne Equipment Trade Fair" really was.
To maximize profit, the institute would definitely adopt an auction format to sell these shipborne equipment pieces to the Navy Department.
Besides the purchasing agents dispatched by high-ranking Navy officials, there would surely be many area-based port commanders arriving, hoping to grab a bargain.
After all, getting their hands on brand-new shipborne equipment would significantly boost their shipgirls' combat capabilities.
Some commanders, who came from wealthy families or the upper echelons of the Navy Department, would naturally participate in such trade fairs to bid on equipment that the Navy Department itself didn't value.
Thus, Lin Lan could almost be certain that this female commander named Qi Yue came from an unusual background.
However, though he appreciated her kindness, it didn't mean he had any interest in attending.
He knew very well the specs of those Orlan United States' Wisdom Cube shipborne gear from his academy days.
If this were a game, that equipment would be solidly categorized as white or blue gear—nowhere near the level of purple, let alone gold.
If it had been before he met his own shipgirls, perhaps Lin Lan—who had started with nothing—might have been excited.
But now, just from the Ironblood faction alone, he possessed a large stash of purple and gold equipment he'd used during his transition period.
Not to mention plenty of blue and white gear he hadn't even bothered to dismantle yet.
So, he had long since lost even the slightest interest in those shabby Orlan shipborne gear—he wouldn't even waste time dismantling them.
Moreover, the West Continent Institute of Technology was directly managed by the Zhuhai Commercial Association.
And there were only two conglomerates that made up the Zhuhai Commercial Association on the West Continent: one was Battleaxe Military Industries, and the other was...
At this point, Lin Lan couldn't help but chuckle.
Qi Yue wanted to buy him equipment at a trade fair held by his own faction. That really pricked his conscience.
"Commander, you didn't let us speak the whole day. We were dying over here!"
"Exactly! Commander, you're so cruel! That was pure torture!"
"Abuse! Complete and utter abuse!"
Interrupting his thoughts were the three wolfpack little chibis beside him.
Now that the guest had left, they no longer needed to pretend to be pawn-class shipgirls and started complaining to Lin Lan.
"I don't want to do this kind of gig again, Commander. You actually made us pretend to be mute!"
Z1 pulled along Nimi and Z2, glaring at Lin Lan with puffed-up cheeks.
Facing their complaints, Lin Lan quickly squatted down with a smile and began to appease his shipgirls.
"My bad, my bad. I'll play hide and seek with you tomorrow, alright?"
These little chibis had been seriously pent up all day.
After he finally calmed them down, a voice came from behind—it was Mainz:
"I didn't even get to drink black coffee today, Commander. You owe me for that, don't you think?"
And Weser also smiled as she chimed in,
"And we didn't even get to eat anything all day, you know."
Hearing the two of them, Lin Lan helplessly pressed his palm to his forehead.
Oh no… I've become a sinner.
Just as Lin Lan was about to get up, the pink-haired chibi U-81 suddenly produced a silver ring from her hand and held it out in front of him.
"Commander, when we dove down to hunt the Leviathan today, we found a sunken cargo ship and the wreckage of pawn shipgirl equipment under the sea. I picked this up there."
Taking the ring from U-81, Lin Lan's expression subtly changed.
He carefully examined the exquisitely crafted silver ring.
Under the moonlight, the ring shimmered with a silvery brilliance—it was stunningly beautiful.
Upon hearing U-81's description, Lin Lan had already guessed what it might be. A wave of indescribable heaviness rose in his heart.
"You did well. As expected of my wolfpack."
Slipping the ring into his pocket, Lin Lan suddenly stretched out his arms and swept the three petite wolfpack chibis in front of him into a tight hug.
"Ah! Commander, you sneak attacker!"
The three girls in their school swimsuits hadn't expected this sudden assault. With a swift move, they were all caught in Lin Lan's arms and let out startled cries.
But clearly, even though U-37, U-81, and U-96 voiced their protest—
Their faces were filled with pure satisfaction. They didn't resist at all, thoroughly enjoying the warm embrace of their beloved Commander.
"Commander, we helped too today! Don't be so biased!"
Z1 tugged on Lin Lan's coat from behind as she spoke.
"Alright, alright. You all get a share."
After hugging the three U-boats, Lin Lan turned around and gave Z1, Z2, and Nimi each a big warm hug.
"Ahem, Commander… haven't you forgotten two people?"
After letting go of a blushing Nimi—whose face was red as an apple—Lin Lan heard Weser's teasing voice.
So he stood up and gave both Weser and Mainz a firm hug.
"Hugging two at once? You're such a greedy Commander, heh."
Weser teased, while she and Mainz clung tightly to their greedy Commander.
Feeling the warmth and sweet scent of his shipgirls, the heaviness in Lin Lan's heart finally began to ease.
After separating from the two in his arms, Lin Lan noticed that everything around him began to blur.
A few seconds later, the real appearance of his port area emerged.
And three tall figures gradually came into focus beside the dock.
It was Bismarck, Tirpitz, and August.
As the three walked slowly toward him, Lin Lan removed his navy cap and smiled at Tirpitz:
"Good thing you suggested keeping the main fleet behind us today. Otherwise, if we had run into the Leviathan… I might've really sunk in the gutter."
"You flatter me, Commander. I just offered the suggestion as a precaution."
Queen of the North, Tirpitz, replied plainly. But the slight shift in her blue eyes gave away that she wasn't nearly as composed as she appeared after being praised.
"Commander, that sea monster you encountered—is that the same Leviathan you and Count Zeppelin saw before?"
Bismarck looked straight at Lin Lan. When he nodded, she continued thoughtfully:
"For it to evade carrier-based aircraft tracking and escape the wolfpack's pursuit, this Leviathan is likely a creature controlled by the Sirens…
no, more likely, a new type of biological weapon created by the Sirens."
Hearing such a confident analysis, Lin Lan was momentarily stunned.
"That sea monster is a deep-sea creature native to the Grand Trench of the Holy Teaching Nation. It predates the appearance of the Sirens by far. Are you sure?"
He had originally assumed the Leviathan was a deep-sea beast forced to migrate due to Siren interference, with little actual connection to them.
But for Bismarck to state outright that the Leviathan was a Siren-made bio weapon—that genuinely surprised him.
How was she so sure?
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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