Elder brother's garrison

"So, regaining the power of the ship girls doesn't contradict being an actress!" the manager said with concern. "Why did you choose to retire?"

"..." Lu Ming lowered his head and remained silent.

"Lu Ming, don't always fall silent after just a few words! I'm in a real hurry!" Seeing Lu Ming fall silent again, the manager slapped his thigh in a panic. He turned to Xiao Bai and waved, "Admiral Lu Lin! Come and talk to me too! Do you think turning back into a ship girl conflicts with being an actress? What is Lu Ming so fixated on?!"

"Uh..." Xiaobai scratched her lips awkwardly, then walked to her manager's side with a wry smile. She pursed her lips at the silent Lu Ming, "Hmm...yes...Miss Lu Ming, why did you suddenly decide to retire?"

Perhaps it was because Xiaobai asked him directly.

Lu Ming's hands trembled slightly.

Lu Ming finally moved. She raised her head and looked at Xiao Bai with her clear, azure eyes.

"Agent," Lu Ming said to his agent.

"I am here!"

“…Do you know?” Lu Ming looked at his agent, spread his palms out, and slowly said, “Before Admiral Lu Lin treated me, she gave me two choices.”

"Which two options?" The agent was taken aback.

“The first option is that she will cure my illness. This option is risk-free and guaranteed to succeed,” Lu Ming said quietly to his agent. “The other option is to try to restore the ship equipment and regain the power of the ship girl during the treatment process… However, doing so would involve huge risks and the success rate would be extremely low. If it fails, I will die.”

Lu Ming finally spoke a long speech. Her expression was very calm, and her tone was very gentle, as if she were talking about someone else, not herself.

"So... you accepted the second option?" The agent opened his eyes wide in disbelief upon hearing this.

"Mm." Lu Ming nodded.

"Are you... are you stupid?!" the agent gasped. "Why didn't you choose the first one?! I don't remember you being such an adventurous person!"

“I don’t like taking risks.” Lu Ming said, then suddenly gave her manager a bitter smile. “But… I want to… become a ship girl again.”

“...That makes sense, after all, ship girls have longer lives and more youth…” the manager frowned.

“No.” Lu Ming interrupted her manager, shaking her head weakly.

"Am I wrong?" the agent asked.

"That's not why I chose to turn back into a ship girl," Lu Ming replied.

"Then what's your reason?"

"...I just...simply want to turn back into a ship girl." Shikamaru looked down at his hands and said slowly.

"...?" The agent was stunned, looking completely bewildered.

"Everyone at the company is great, and being a star is amazing... I've learned so many things I didn't know before, I can eat whatever I like anytime, anywhere, I make a lot of money, I'm famous, and I can do so many things I've never done before. As a human, I'm very happy now." Lu Ming grabbed his collar and said to his manager, "But... I want to be a ship girl even more."

“But life as a ship girl can’t possibly be better than what you’re living now!” the manager retorted, listening to Lu Ming’s words. “You’re not thinking of taking the money you’ve earned and going back to the ship girl community to enjoy yourself, are you? Please don’t have any unrealistic fantasies. You should know how serious your breach of contract penalty is! You’ve only been in the industry for less than a year, you can’t possibly have saved much money! The savings you’ve earned are enough for an ordinary person to live on for several lifetimes, but it’s far from enough to cover the exorbitant breach of contract penalty!”

“I know,” Lu Ming nodded. “I’ve thought about it.”

"...Is the life of a ship girl...so reckless that you're willing to do anything for her?" The manager looked at Lu Ming with exasperation.

"Mm." Lu Ming smiled at his manager.

This was the first time Lu Ming had shown a cheerful smile to his agent.

Seeing Lu Ming's smiling face, the manager couldn't help but frown. He stood up and paced back and forth, looking at the floor with a worried expression.

How can there be such a stubborn woman in this world!

The agent was extremely frustrated.

Feeling frustrated, the agent really wanted to take out a cigarette and smoke to relieve his boredom.

But just as the agent put a cigarette in his mouth and was about to reach into his pocket to take out a lighter, he saw Xiaobai sitting not far away, looking at him expectantly.

"..."

The agent remained silent for a moment, then gave up the idea of ​​smoking, took the cigarette off his lips and put it in his pocket.

My mood instantly became even more depressed.

The agent sighed, slapped his forehead, and glanced back at Lu Ming.

Sitting in the chair, Lu Ming was secretly looking at Xiao Bai beside him. Xiao Bai's clear blue eyes were like a vibrant lake, seemingly shimmering with an exceptionally bright light.

The agent silently watched Lu Ming's expression, and stopped slapping his forehead.

Time flies.

It has been almost a year since Lu Ming debuted as an actor.

—Was this girl's gaze always this bright before?

The agent lowered his hand, frowned, looked at his rough, large hands, and then looked at Xiaobai.

The agent's gaze shifted constantly, becoming increasingly complex.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, the agent realized something and showed a look of understanding.

"Everyone has their own ambitions...sigh."

The agent sighed, swayed back to his chair, and looked at Lu Ming and Xiao Bai with a complicated gaze.

"Manager, I..." Lu Ming was about to speak as soon as he saw his manager return.

"Stop talking." The manager raised his hand to interrupt Lu Ming, shaking his head with an expression that said, "I'm really impressed by you." "I understand. If you want to retire, then retire. I won't stop you."

"Thank you, manager." Lu Ming looked at his manager, his eyes gradually brightening.

"After all, I'm just a passerby who picked you up from the street in the pouring rain and nurtured you into the company's cash cow... that's all." The manager sighed, then looked at Lu Ming, "Lu Ming, tell me, what are you going to do after you retire this time?"

"I'll work hard to earn money... to compensate you." Lu Ming said in a low voice, sounding guilty.

How do you make money?

"……do not know."

"You're defying the heavens! You're truly defying the heavens!" the manager yelled, pointing at Lu Ming's nose.

"Hmm...uh..." Lu Ming immediately shrugged and lowered his head.

"Your breach of contract fee is a terrifying astronomical figure..." the agent muttered again, rubbing his forehead and sighing. "I don't care about myself, but do you think our company's leadership would be so kind as to let such a cash cow as you leave the company?"

"..." Lu Ming lowered his head, looking extremely guilty.

"You need to give me a stable place to go right now, otherwise I will absolutely not agree to your retirement," the manager said sternly to Lu Ming. "Do you understand? A stable place to go!"

“A place that’s safe and secure…” Lu Ming murmured.

"Yes, after all, this involves your future repayment ability!" the agent instructed. "If you really go to sea to live the life of a ship girl, what will happen to your debts? Who will the company collect money from? So your new place must be a reputable place with abundant assets that can guarantee your debts!"

“Good reputation, substantial assets…” Lu Ming murmured.

“Yes, you must find this place!” The agent leaned forward slightly, coaxing him earnestly, “And the closer the better, the faster the better!”

"turn up……"

Lu Ming and his agent slowly turned their heads.

Both of them looked at Xiaobai sitting not far away.

Chapter 2523 Yearning for Companions and the Sea

As Lu Ming and his agent were talking, they both turned their heads to look at Xiao Bai sitting in the middle.

Lu Ming's gaze was pure and gentle, while the agent's gaze was sincere and serious. These two different gazes converged on Xiao Bai, leaving Xiao Bai stunned on the spot for a moment.

Eh?

Wait, could this development be...?

"Admiral Lu Lin!" Before Xiao Bai could even process what was happening, his manager suddenly shouted, then placed his hands on the table and bowed his head to Xiao Bai.

"Huh? W-what's wrong?" Xiaobai replied subconsciously.

"I heard that you and Lu Ming have a very close relationship! Like sisters. Is this true?" the agent asked with a heavy heart.

"Uh..." Xiaobai blinked, glanced at Luming, and then nodded to her manager, "That's not wrong..."

"Now, only you can free Lu Ming from this misery!" The agent stood up, speaking solemnly as he bowed deeply to Xiao Bai. "Please help me!"

"I??"

“Yes! Just like we said, if Lu Ming is really determined to retire, then the biggest obstacle to her right now is this company itself!” The agent said sincerely to Xiao Bai, “Without a wealthy and reputable organization acting as an intermediary for Lu Ming, the company will not easily let a top star like her leave!”

"...Is that so..."

"Yes! Although we don't know your status in the admiral circle, you're definitely not an ordinary admiral. Your credibility is certainly beyond reproach." The agent clenched his fist and gently pounded his chest, speaking earnestly to Xiaobai. "Furthermore, you're currently the agent for the hottest ship girl group on the market, so your status and assets in the entertainment industry are absolutely sufficient. If you're willing to vouch for Luming, I believe the company won't make things too difficult for her!"

"Am I the only one?"

"Yes, it's only you! In fact, you're the best choice!" The agent said, walking up behind Lu Ming and patting her shoulders repeatedly. "Admiral Lu Lin, you saw it too! Lu Ming is actually more naive than you think! If other organizations with vested interests were to vouch for her, who knows what they might do to her using that connection? You know Lu Ming has only been integrated into human society for a year; she can't outsmart them! In comparison, if you, Admiral Lu Lin, vouch for her as her close friend, her safety will be guaranteed, won't it?"

The agent's huge hand slapped Lu Ming's shoulder, making Lu Ming's whole body tremble.

Lu Ming closed his eyes and bounced up and down on the chair.

"Oh...that makes sense." Xiaobai listened to her manager's words and looked at Lu Ming, who was floating in her seat, and nodded in agreement. "What does it take to act as a guarantor for Miss Lu Ming?"

"Hmm... how should I put it? It seems like we don't need to do anything extra." The agent withdrew his large hand, lowered his head and thought for a while. "Lu Ming's status is rather special. Generally speaking, when a star of this caliber leaves a company, the company will be quite strict about the contract. But if Admiral Lu Lin is willing to vouch for her, considering your reputation, I should be able to exchange her freedom for a relatively small loss."

What am I supposed to do?

"Just give me authorization," the agent nodded, then said to Xiaobai, "A verbal authorization is fine too."

"Huh? So simple?"

"Of course, you'll still have to handle the actual contract signing yourself," the agent said to Xiaobai. "I'm just responsible for negotiating with the company on your behalf, Lu Lin."

"I see." Xiaobai nodded and said to the agent, "Then I'll authorize it to you."

“I understand.” The agent took a deep breath and nodded to Xiaobai. “Admiral Lu Lin, Lu Ming, wait here for me for a while. I’ll go and negotiate with the company on your behalf. It won’t take long, and I should be back in half an hour.”

After saying this, the agent turned and walked out of the dressing room.

With a whoosh!

The agent opened the door to the dressing room, and the employees outside crowded at the door, craning their necks to look into the room.

"Agent? How did the negotiations go?"

"Has Lu Ming changed his mind?"

"Agent? Say something!"

"Can we go in now—"

"boom!"

Before the employees outside could utter a few words that could be heard clearly, the agent's massive figure walked out of the dressing room and slammed the door shut behind him once more.

The soundproofing in Luming's dressing room was excellent; once the door was closed, the noise outside disappeared.

For a moment, only Xiaobai, Luming, and the silent Veneto remained in the room.

"Miss Luming, is your manager... alright?" Xiaobai asked Luming curiously, looking at the closed door.

“?” Lu Ming looked at Xiao Bai.

“Logically speaking, shouldn’t an agent be on the company’s side?” Xiaobai said to Luming. “A top star like you, Ms. Luming, would definitely cause huge losses to the company if you left, right? A normal agent would do anything to keep you in the company. But Ms. Luming’s agent is different. Although he was very opposed to your leaving at first, after you explained your reasons to him, he didn’t stop you anymore. In fact, he even tried to help us leave successfully and was willing to become our spokesperson to negotiate with the company on our behalf…”

"Hmm..." Lu Ming lowered his head, savoring Xiao Bai's words.

"Admiral, do you mean there's a trap?" Veneto understood the implication in Xiaobai's words and looked at him with a strange expression. "Is the Admiral worried that this agent might use the Admiral's verbal authorization to do something bad?"

"That's not what I meant, I was just a little curious..." Xiaobai smiled at Veneto, "Besides, verbal authorization doesn't have much power. Even if it's really used to decide something, I still have to do it in person in the end, right?"

"No, it won't happen." Just as Xiaobai was talking to Veneto, Luming's voice came in.

Xiaobai and Veneto both looked up.

Lu Ming clenched her fists, looking quite serious.

“The agent is a very good person.” Lu Ming shook his head at Xiao Bai and then said, “He won’t hurt us.”

"Miss Luming, is there any basis for your statement?" Xiaobai asked Luming.

“When I first started dismantling ship equipment, I had no savings, no food, and no place to stay,” Lu Ming said earnestly to Xiao Bai. “One rainy day, I was starving on the street when my manager found me. He treated me to a meal and let me work to earn money. He’s a very good person.”

Lu Ming's words were not very convincing.

But Xiaobai looked into Luming's bright blue eyes and nodded.

"I see." Xiaobai turned to look at Veneto. "Veneto, what do you think?"