332: Eating Dumplings

Upon hearing Lin Lan's invitation, all the Eagle Union shipgirls in the living room almost immediately nodded in agreement — even the usually serious Enterprise.

Are you kidding? Since New Jersey had already personally demonstrated last night how to "work overtime" with the Commander, what was there left to hesitate about now?

As the Commander's married ships, their greatest regret had always been not getting to share more intimate experiences with him.

Now was the time to make up for that regret.

However, Essex had her own little plans running through her mind.

Even though she had already beaten her senior, Enterprise, on the racetrack that afternoon — and her obsession with surpassing Enterprise had somewhat lessened after the Commander returned — there was still one critical thing she couldn't let go of.

The one thing she had always wanted to compete with her senior for.

What should she do to win over the Commander before Enterprise did?

That question was currently troubling the model student Essex the most.

As for Lin Lan, he obviously had no clue what Essex was thinking. For him, handling more than one girl at once had long since become the norm.

After he sat on the sofa, Missouri leaned against him on the left, while Gridley lay across his lap on the right, fiddling with a camera film roll.

Meanwhile, in his arms sat the blonde, ahoge-sporting little chibi Eldridge. One could say he was completely surrounded by little chibis.

What a warm, cozy scene.

While his hands idly petted the three chibis, Lin Lan's attention was focused on the TV screen in front of him, which was currently broadcasting news from the East Continent.

"Today, third-generation robots are sold out in many cities. 

To address the shortage, the Commerce Council will fully mobilize logistics to ensure a steady supply of third-generation robots…"

Seeing this news, Lin Lan couldn't help but frown slightly.

Even though he had already instructed New Jersey in the afternoon to order the Goilia Consortium to stop selling robots, with the mass dumping from the Tianxing Consortium and the Noah Desin Consortium, many civilians within Goilia's sphere of influence were still managing to obtain them through various channels.

Expecting to completely stop the circulation of robots within his territory in just one day was simply unrealistic.

He'd have to discuss the matter again with Little Sara and New Jersey tomorrow morning.

"Um, Commander, could you come here for a moment?"

Suddenly, Essex's voice called from behind him. Lin Lan looked up and saw Essex standing behind him with a serious expression, her amber eyes staring down at him.

That gaze could even give one a slight chill, as if sensing a hidden danger.

"I… I have something I'd like to say to you in private."

Hearing Essex speak so awkwardly while maintaining such a stern look, Lin Lan couldn't help but grow curious.

He knew Essex's personality well. Though she appeared cool and aloof, she was secretly quite quirky.

He didn't believe Essex would behave like the domineering Iron Blood shipgirls and just throw herself at him.

Not to mention Enterprise was still sitting nearby on the sofa, watching curiously.

So Lin Lan simply shrugged and smiled.

"You actually have a secret to tell me? Alright, let's go."

After lifting Eldridge up and spinning her once in the air, he placed her back on the sofa, then followed Essex toward the stairs.

Once the two had disappeared upstairs, Gridley, who had been lying on the sofa pretending not to care while fiddling with her camera, suddenly smirked and looked at Enterprise.

"Hey, Enterprise-sis, do you think Essex called the Commander upstairs to have him all to herself?"

"Heh. The fact that she had the courage to take the initiative and invite the Commander is already a big step forward. Letting her be with him first is fine."

The silver-haired war goddess of the Eagle Union showed a confident smile on her exquisite face. 

Of course she knew why Essex came here today.

Just like Essex understood her, she also knew her junior who had always strived to catch up to her very well.

In fact, as one of the Eagle Union's core combatants, Enterprise understood all her sisters deeply.

Though she might not quite reach the level of a true flagship in terms of representing the faction as a whole, when it came to leading battles, she was definitely one of the top flagships in the harbor.

Only with such understanding could she adjust tactics and fighting styles to suit each sister's personality during sorties.

At the same time, Enterprise was also one of the shipgirls who understood Lin Lan the best. She knew her Commander would never break their hearts.

Given that, who went first or last didn't matter to her.

After all, the Commander would always take care of everyone.

Hearing Enterprise's response, Gridley just chuckled and didn't say anything more.

Missouri and Eldridge also obediently sat on the sofa continuing to watch TV. Although they were both little destroyer chibis, they weren't dumb.

But…

"Huh? You guys… talking about… Teacher… upstairs… Essex-sis… talking?"

Anxiously clutching her ice crystal, Anchorage looked at them in confusion, her face full of puzzlement.

Wasn't Teacher just going to talk about serious matters with Essex-sis? 

Why did Enterprise-sis and the others sound like they meant something else?

"Mmhmm, they're just going to talk, Anchorage~ Don't worry about it. Later, we'll go upstairs together and join in the conversation. Guhihi~"

Gridley grinned mischievously at the tall and curvy heavy cruiser girl whose mind was even more childish than theirs.

"Okay! Teacher, everyone, together!"

Anchorage happily nodded, only grasping the first layer of Gridley's words, and continued playing excitedly with the ice crystal Lin Lan had given her.

—

Lin Lan watched Essex's back as she led him, her long light purple ponytail swaying with each step.

Essex was already tall and well-proportioned, and with that form-fitting white T-shirt casually thrown on and her pair of long, alluring legs, claiming he wasn't moved would be a lie.

Still, he wondered what the flagship of the Dumpling-class wanted to say to him.

Listening to the concerns of his shipgirls and helping solve their problems was one of his duties as Commander.

It had always been like this in the game too — shipgirls would come to talk to him, which would trigger various personal storylines.

So Lin Lan naturally assumed Essex had some personal trouble she couldn't resolve and wanted to talk in private.

He thought she might take him to the garden on the top floor, but unexpectedly, Essex stopped at the second floor and led him down the hallway.

Just as Lin Lan was about to ask what was going on, Essex suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and without a word—

"Essex, you—mmph!"

Before Lin Lan could finish speaking, the tall carrier girl reached out and pulled him into her arms. 

The next second, he felt a sudden warmth on his lips, along with her hot breath against his face.

The flagship of the Dumpling-class had actually kissed him—by force!

Lin Lan's eyes widened in shock, unable to process what had just happened.

If it had been someone like Akagi, Taihō, or Roon, he would've mentally prepared himself long ago — wouldn't have been surprised at all.

In fact, if it were them asking him to talk privately, he'd think twice before following. Who knew if he'd make it out with his kidneys intact?

But Essex? She had always been one of the more proper shipgirls in his harbor — and yet here she was, pulling something like this?!

Feeling her soft body pressing tightly against him through their clothes, and the way she gently guided him toward the second-floor bedroom, Lin Lan suddenly understood what Essex was trying to do.

She really did want to claim him for herself first!

Still locked in that close embrace, Essex pushed open the bedroom door and fell onto the soft bed with him.

Only then did she finally break off the kiss — though she still held him tightly beneath her.

Looking up at the now completely flushed purple-haired carrier, Lin Lan saw nothing of the seriousness from earlier. Essex's face was glowing with shyness.

Her elegant eyes, partly covered by her bangs, shimmered with a misty, dazed look, yet they remained fixed on him.

Only then did Lin Lan realize — she hadn't turned bad.

If this were Akagi or Roon, there's no way they'd stop here. They'd already be getting down to business.

"Commander… please, forgive me… I… I had to… before Enterprise-senpai… I had to take you for myself…"

Tears welled up in Essex's eyes, her voice girlish and soft, growing quieter with every word until it was barely above a whisper.

At last, Lin Lan understood what had been bothering Essex — and why she had done this.

He sighed lightly and smiled, reaching up to gently stroke her smooth, delicate cheek.

Feeling the silky texture beneath his palm and the soft pressure of her body against his, the flame in his heart was truly ignited.

So, with a warm voice, he smiled up at the dazed and overwhelmed Essex and said,

"How could I possibly blame you? This time… you win."

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