Elder brother's garrison

As Xiaobai and Yugan chatted, the restaurant owner came to them with a smile, carrying plates of seafood.

"Here comes your order: steamed yellow croaker, boiled prawns, and hairy crabs—"

As the owner called out, seafood dishes were neatly arranged on the tables.

The aroma was so enticing that it made everyone's mouths water.

"The dishes are all served, you can eat now." Yu Gan said to Xiao Bai and the other two, then stood up from her seat. "I'll go rest for a while nearby. Miss Bai, you can call me when you're done eating, and I'll come back."

"Huh? Miss Yu Gan, aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm a tour guide, I can't stay with the guests..."

Yu Gan quickly shook his head.

She's such a well-behaved young tour guide.

"Then let me ask you another way." Xiaobai looked at Yu Gan and asked, "Miss Yu Gan, have you had dinner?"

"Huh? Not...not yet." Yu Gan paused for a moment, then blushed and answered with her head down.

Xiao Bai's gaze swept over Yu Gan's clothes.

While judging a book by its cover is not a good thing... Although Yu Gan is fair-skinned and her clothes are kept very clean, and her style is well-matched, giving her a youthful and playful look, a closer look reveals that her clothes have some rolled edges and minor tears. Considering the scene of her young age running to the train station to compete with a group of men for a job, it can be inferred that her family may not be very well-off.

Just now, when Xiaobai asked Yu Gan if he wanted to have dinner together, she clearly caught Yu Gan's gaze drifting over the food on the table for a moment, and she also noticed a subtle swallowing motion in his throat.

Ok.

Xiao Bai had a pretty good impression of Yu Gan.

"What a coincidence, we haven't had dinner either." Xiaobai smiled, and before Yu Gan could continue speaking, she held up one finger to the shopkeeper, "Boss, one more serving of rice."

"Alright!" The boss happily ran to the kitchen.

“Miss Bai, this won’t do…” Yu Gan quickly raised her hand.

“Miss Yu Gan just told us so many interesting things. It would have been so boring eating without you by my side,” Xiao Bai said with a smile to Yu Gan. “Sit down and eat with us. I’d like to hear more about Dean Shenhai.”

Yu Gan opened her mouth, but when she looked at the smiling eyes behind the white mask, she couldn't help but lower her head.

"Well... well... okay." Yu Gan obediently sat down and whispered her thanks to Xiao Bai, "Thank you..."

Chapter 2313 Going to Sea

Xiao Bai didn't have to wait long before the restaurant owner brought over a set of bowls and chopsticks.

Yu Gan sat somewhat awkwardly in her seat. At first, seeing the owner carrying a bowl of rice towards her, she instinctively wanted to get up and take it, but quickly remembered Xiao Bai and the other two beside her. She then hurriedly pressed her arms down, lowered her body slightly, and nervously pressed her legs together.

In the end, Xiaobai got up and took the bowl and chopsticks, gently placing them on the table in front of Yugan.

"Miss Yu Gan, the food is served. Let's eat."

Xiao Bai sat back down and smiled at Yu Gan.

"Mmm." Yu Gan blushed, nodded gently, and carefully picked up the chopsticks.

Yu Gan waited until Xiao Bai and the other two had started eating before slowly reaching out with his chopsticks, picking up a piece of snow-white fish and spreading it on the rice. Then he picked up the rice with the fish on it horizontally and put it into his mouth.

Yu Gan chose the restaurant and helped order the food, so the food served by the owner was naturally what Yu Gan liked to eat.

After taking her first bite of fish, Yu Gan remained quiet and made no large movements, but her bright eyes instantly sparkled with remarkable starlight.

"It's so delicious..." Yu Gan said softly, holding her bowl and chopsticks.

"As expected of freshly caught seafood, the meat has such a chewy texture!" York exclaimed, chewing on the fish. "When it comes to seafood alone, this owner's cooking skills are probably on par with Akagi-nee's!"

“We’ve really found a treasure trove!” Baltimore said with a smile.

Hearing York and Baltimore's evaluation, Yu Gan's restraint was relieved. She was about to look up and say something to Xiao Bai when she suddenly realized that Xiao Bai had not taken off his mask even while eating.

Xiaobai was seen peeling shrimp with great interest. First, she pulled the white and pink shrimp meat out of the thin shell. Then, she used her little finger to lift up her mask a little bit, pinched the shrimp meat between her thumb and forefinger, and put it into the mask through the gap. Finally, she chewed it with relish.

"Mmm, these shrimp are really big and taste really good." Xiaobai said with satisfaction, but suddenly felt a stinging gaze on her face. She turned her head to look at her side and found that Yu Gan was staring at her blankly.

"What's wrong, Miss Yu Gan?"

"Miss Bai, aren't you... going to take off your mask?"

"Huh? Oh, oh..." Xiaobai subconsciously touched the mask on her face, then smiled apologetically at Yu Gan, "Um... it's not very convenient."

Xiao Bai definitely wouldn't dare to take off her mask in public.

After all, even in a remote town like Peicheng, which has been violently indoctrinated by the culture of the Deep Sea Dean, Xiaobai was not sure if there were any fans around who had seen "Happy Base". If he took off his mask and revealed his face, and was caught by fans who recognized him, then with the current trend of spreading the word on the Internet, he could forget about staying in Peicheng in the future.

Xiao Bai's concerns were naturally inconvenient to share with Yu Gan, but after hearing Xiao Bai's words "not very convenient," Yu Gan lowered her head thoughtfully, glancing at Xiao Bai's mask occasionally without asking any further questions.

Yu Gan had never seen a strange person in her life who wouldn't even take off their mask while eating. She stared at Xiao Bai's profile for a long time, then looked at the two beautiful bodyguards beside her, and wondered if Miss Bai had some obvious scars or birthmarks on her face that affected her appearance, which was why she was unwilling to take off her mask to eat.

Thinking of this, Yu Gan suddenly realized something, but her gaze towards Xiao Bai became regretful.

What a pity...

If only Miss Bai's face wasn't injured.

Just by looking at her eyes, face shape, and the condition of her exposed skin, you can tell that Miss Bai's face would be very beautiful if it weren't for the scars. Sigh... Although she's from a wealthy family, Miss Bai is kind-hearted, gentle, and considerate. She doesn't have the haughty airs often associated with rich people. Why is it that someone like her has encountered such misfortune? This world is so unkind to good people.

Yu Gan sighed, and as she thought of this, she seemed to remember something else, and her expression became much more depressed. She then silently began to eat her rice.

After half an hour.

They had plenty of water and a full stomach.

There was still quite a bit of food left on the table.

Yu Gan ate very restrainedly. Even after being invited by Xiao Bai, she tried to take as little food as possible, only picking at the fish in front of her and only taking a small portion of it that was facing her.

Finally, after Yu Gan finished the large bowl of rice in her hand, she barely touched the dishes in front of her.

"I'll go get it packed up!" Baltimore got up and walked into the store.

"I, I'll go!" Yu Gan quickly stood up. Just as she was about to attend, she suddenly felt a cool and soft pull on her hand. It was Xiao Bai pulling her hand and back to her seat.

“Miss Yu Gan, please sit here.” Xiao Bai smiled at Yu Gan, and while speaking, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea into Yu Gan’s cup. “Leave the packing and payment to Baltimore. Let’s continue our conversation about the Deep Sea Director of the port.”

"Ah! Right, right... Dean Shenhai!" Yu Gan looked at the overflowing teacup in front of her and finally realized what had happened. Her face flushed red, and she looked at Xiaobai somewhat awkwardly. "No, I'm sorry... I was so focused on eating that I forgot to mention Dean Shenhai..."

"It's good to focus on eating." Xiao Bai shook his head dismissively. "How much do you know about those two Deans of the Deep Sea?"

"It's no secret that Dean Shenhai is in Peicheng, because I'm a self-taught tour guide... I basically know everything everyone knows." Yu Gan picked up his water glass with both hands and gently rubbed the steaming glass. "Hmm... Miss Bai, how well do you know Dean Shenhai here?"

"All I know is that the Dean of the Deep Sea once appeared here."

“Just like other tourists who come here.” Yu Gan suddenly smiled at Xiao Bai.

"That's why we need a tour guide like you to help us."

“Actually… ah, we’re just on the topic, Miss Bai, look over there.” Yu Gan smiled at Xiao Bai. She was about to say something when she suddenly caught something out of the corner of her eye. Then she stretched out a hand and pointed in a direction from the fishing port.

York and Little White looked in the direction Yu Gan was pointing.

At the dock of the fishing port, a group of about a dozen tourists were gathered around a fishing boat. A lean old man was standing on the deck of the boat, gesturing to the tourists below. The tourists below listened to the old man's speech, excitedly holding up banknotes and scrambling to climb onto the boat. For a moment, the scene looked very lively.

"Did you see that?" Yu Gan asked.

"Um... what is that?"

“Those are fishing boats that are about to go out to sea. The people who drive them are all local fishermen who are very familiar with the waters around here,” Yu Gan said. “If tourists want to go out to sea to look for the Deep Sea Hermit, they will pay a lot of money to take one of those fishing boats out to sea.”

Chapter 2314 Plan Execution

"That's the fishing boat that went to find Dean Shenhai..." Xiaobai nodded as she looked at the tourists on the dock, then asked, "It's almost dusk now, isn't it dangerous to go out to sea at this time?"

“They do it during the day too,” Yu Gan replied. “However, a considerable number of tourists firmly believe that the Deep Sea Herald appears at night, so more people go out to sea at night.”

"What a bunch of fearless people," Xiaobai sighed. "Do fishermen even want to do this kind of work?"

"Because it's really profitable," Yu Gan said slowly, taking a sip of tea. "Our fishing boats here charge tourists several thousand yuan per person."

"So expensive?"

“Hmm.” Yu Gan nodded. “After all, this is a big job of going out to sea to find the Dean of the Deep Sea. As the fishermen say, they are risking their lives to accompany you. No amount of money is cheap compared to their own lives.”

"If you really think that way... that's true." Xiaobai smiled.

"But Miss Bai, you mustn't get on their fishing boat," Yu Gan said, changing the subject to Xiao Bai.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

“The water here is very deep. As I just said, they are all experienced fishermen who are familiar with the surrounding sea conditions,” Yu Gan said seriously. “If we let them sail, they will at most just wander around the nearby safe waters, circle around the few areas where they usually fish, and then come back pretending to have gone on a long voyage.”

"Is there still this?"

“Yes. So Miss Bai, you shouldn’t waste your money.” Yu Gan raised his hand and said, then thought for a moment, “Well… if you really want to go out to sea, my suggestion is to find a companion who knows how to sail to rent a boat together, at least you won’t be taken advantage of by those unscrupulous captains.”

"I see, thank you for the reminder, Miss Yu Gan." Xiao Bai smiled.

"Hmm..." Yu Gan lowered her head and took another sip of water, then said to Xiao Bai, "But... Miss Bai."

"Ok?"

There's something I still need to remind you of.

"What is it?"

“The Dean of the Deep Sea Academy is no longer in this area. The tourists who come here are at most chasing after the shadows that the two Deans of the Deep Sea Academy once left in this area.” Yu Gan said to Xiao Bai, “Miss Bai, you are a good person and I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm, but if you really came here to catch the Dean of the Deep Sea Academy, you are probably just wasting your time.”

"That's true." Xiaobai nodded with a smile.

"Miss Bai, aren't you disappointed?" Yu Gan looked at Xiao Bai curiously.

"Not disappointed."

"Dean Shenhai is no longer here."

"Well... I actually already knew that," Xiaobai said with a smile. "After all, if Dean Deepsea were still here, the Admiral's Guild wouldn't allow Peicheng to receive so many tourists every day."

“Uh…” Yu Gan paused for a moment, looking at Xiao Bai’s smiling face for a long time, “Then… Miss Bai, why…”

“Following in the shadows left by Dean Deepsea is a pretty good thing, isn’t it?” Xiaobai said with a smile. “Maybe by following those shadows, we can find out where Dean Deepsea is now.”

Yu Gan blinked as she looked at Xiao Bai's smile.

Yu Gan has been working as a self-employed tour guide in Peicheng for some time now. Although he hasn't taken many orders, he has seen quite a few people.

Men, women, adults, children, rich, poor, good, bad...

The job of an unlicensed tour guide involves interacting with all sorts of people.

Yu Gan could clearly sense that although Xiao Bai was traveling with the other tourists who came to Peicheng, she was fundamentally different from them. As for the source of this difference, Yu Gan stared at Xiao Bai's face for a long time, but couldn't figure it out for the time being.

"I've paid the bill!" Baltimore came running back from the restaurant, carrying a bag of food.

"Well, it's getting late, we should head back to the hotel to rest." Xiaobai nodded to Baltimore who had returned, then looked at Yu Gan, "Miss Yu Gan, thank you for your hard work today."

"Huh? You're resting so early?" Yu Gan asked in surprise.

"I'm a bit tired from the journey," Xiaobai said. "Miss Yugan, you should go back and rest too. We'll tour Peicheng again tomorrow morning."

"Ah... alright." Yu Gan looked at Xiao Bai for a while, then stood up and nodded to everyone. "Well then, let's call it a day. I'll go home right here and wait for you at the hotel tomorrow morning."

"It's a deal." Xiaobai reached out her hand to Yu Gan.

Yu Gan smiled playfully and shook hands with Xiao Bai.

Yu Gan bid farewell to Xiao Bai and the other two again and thanked them for the meal they had just given her. Then, with light steps, she turned and left, quickly blending into the crowd on the street.

A pair of hands rose from behind her and gently rested on her shoulders.

"Finally, I can call you Admiral! I've been holding back for so long!" York breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I just don't feel comfortable calling you Miss Bai."

"I actually quite like this nickname," Xiaobai said with a smile as she turned around.

“No, ‘Admiral’ sounds better.” York shook his head righteously, then asked, “Admiral, what are we going to do next? You specifically sent Miss Yu Gan away beforehand, you must have thought of some plan while we were eating, right?!”

"Is my intention that obvious?"

"I guess even Miss Yu Gan has guessed it."

"Haha..." Xiaobai chuckled and nodded slightly, "Yes, there is indeed a plan."

"What's the plan?"

"The plan is—tonight."

"?"

……