I really don't have money for the ship girls.

Ying Tian breathed a sigh of relief, finally unable to hold back any longer. His lips stretched wider and wider, and in the end, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Seeing Ying Tian's reaction, the Prince of Wales smiled and said, "I thought you would soften your heart."

“I won’t be soft-hearted, and I have no right to be soft-hearted.” Ying Tian said with a chuckle. “In this situation, the best response is to sincerely apologize and try to make up for the mistake. Maybe Fu Ya can still salvage her reputation at school. But she still hasn’t realized that she did something wrong, nor has she thought about compromising. Why should we be soft-hearted for someone who is both stupid and wicked?”

Seeing Fu Ya's mental state, Ying Tian felt as if he were drinking ice water on a sweltering summer day—refreshing and exhilarating. He felt no soft-heartedness, only the principle of karmic retribution, and was genuinely thrilled.

"Aren't you afraid she'll really jump into the lake? Public opinion might turn around then."

"I'm not afraid." Ying Tian sneered. "Fu Ya is the most selfish person. Her most precious thing is herself. How could she possibly be willing to jump into the lake?"

The Prince of Wales nodded, agreeing with Yingtian's assessment.

"So what's next?"

Ying Tian said, "Let's celebrate and go get some late-night snacks."

"You're treating?"

"I'll treat you. As for money, we should save where we can and spend where we can... Of course, I can't afford anything too expensive."

The Prince of Wales smiled as he walked side by side with Ying Tian along the path, finding the night sky, which was completely devoid of stars, to be so beautiful.

"The roast duck we had before was pretty good."

"Buy, buy two."

"One is enough, let's eat together."

"Okay, let's eat together."

Fu Ya was still having a fit of madness by the lake, while the two people walked together under the streetlights, the light casting long, long shadows of them.

Chapter Nineteen: The First Recharge Was Taken by the Prince of Wales

Fu Ya has dropped out of school, reportedly due to depression.

It's probably really depression.

The Prince of Wales was also somewhat depressed because once this matter was over, Ying Tian would have to fulfill her promise to recharge the game, which also meant that she would soon return to the port, leave the commander, and return to the naval base without a commander.

In a small hotel in the back alley, Ying Tian deleted a lot of things from his phone, finally freeing up some space to re-download the game.

The Prince of Wales sat watching Ying Tian's actions, deleting chat history and pictures to make room for others, and casually remarked, "No pictures of me?"

"I didn't take any pictures of you... Oh, you mean the Prince of Wales? Because he's not very popular, there aren't many good pictures of him." Ying Tian was somewhat relieved; thankfully, he hadn't had enough space on his phone to delete some embarrassing things, otherwise it would have been awkward.

"Yes, I'm really sorry if it doesn't look good."

"That's not what I meant. You're beautiful, and the Prince of Wales is beautiful too." Ying Tian was genuinely grateful to the blonde beauty beside him and quickly said, "It's just that other people are blind and can't see the Prince of Wales's charm. I'll set her as my secretary ship when I get into the game."

“Heh.” The Prince of Wales remained noncommittal. She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “Actually, if you are really strapped for cash, you don’t have to top up your account yet.”

Ying Tian said while operating the machine, "It's not that tight. You've helped me so much, how can I go back on my word? Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to explain yourself after being away on business for so many days."

"It's good that it doesn't bother you..."

The Princess of Wales breathed a soft sigh of relief. Before setting off, she had made an agreement with everyone at the naval base: if new supplies arrived in the port, it would be her signal, and Strasser and the others would activate the equipment to teleport her back to the naval base's timeline. If there was no signal, she would be teleported back fifteen days after departure, based on the naval base's timeline.

Gently touching Yingtian's shoulder and feeling the warmth of the commander's body, the Prince of Wales felt a little ashamed.

Just now, she actually had those thoughts, wanting to stop the commander from sending the signal and wanting to spend more time with him. She knew perfectly well that a group of sisters in the naval base were anxiously waiting for news of her. She had come here not to satisfy her own selfish desires, but to carry the trust of countless people and to concern the future of the entire naval base.

Such thoughts, stemming from passionate love, are far too unseemly...

Ying Tian had already entered the game interface. Despite the lag of three frames per second in esports, he finally managed to set the Prince of Wales as his secretary ship. He couldn't help but turn his head to look at the dashing blonde woman beside him. Comparing her to the character portrait on his phone, it wasn't that they were completely unrelated; they were practically identical. Whether it was appearance, figure, or temperament, they were remarkably similar.

"I'm coming in."

"Hmm... Oh." The Prince of Wales snapped out of his reverie and looked at the phone with Ying Tian. "Such a rudimentary interface."

"That's a good point. You'll have to ask your company's graphic designer."

Following his usual routine, Ying Tian first claimed the sign-in rewards, then the mailbox and oil supplies, and completed all the tasks. The resource interface, which had been nearly empty, now displayed a considerable number.

He jokingly said to the Prince of Wales, "Is it that as soon as I receive it, countless supplies rain down from the sky in your parallel world, making a dazzling appearance?"

“Of course not.” The Prince of Wales explained seriously, “The game isn’t the key. The key is you, Commander. The supplies don’t just fall from the sky. Instead, they are gathered at the naval base in various forms by your influence over spacetime. For example, they might drift to the port area with the floating Siren wreckage, or you might rescue a resource transport ship hijacked by the Siren, or you might destroy a Siren stronghold and obtain unexpected resources and equipment.”

Ying Tian remained silent for a moment, then could only sincerely praise, "Strict."

"Many things are hard to understand, but there's nothing we can do about it; that's just how it is."

"The setting doesn't need to be understood; the parallel universe concept has been overused."

Ying Tian replied in a somewhat awkward way, then awkwardly entered the recharge interface. After hesitating for a moment, he clicked the recharge button. Not only would there be a double reward for the first recharge, but he would also receive the peerless aircraft carrier Saratoga, which boasts an explosive figure and off-the-charts strength.

648 is gone just like that. It hurts, but it doesn't feel as painful as I imagined.

To hide his feelings, Ying Tian casually made a conversation, saying, "There should be a new little Jiajia at the garrison now, right?"

“Of course not,” the Prince of Wales laughed. “There is already a Miss Sarah active in the port area. If another one comes, Miss Lexington will have a headache.”

"If I click 'retire,' none of the ship girls will disappear, right?"

"No, but I advise you not to do it, the person who gets tagged will be sad."

"Oh." Ying Tian remained noncommittal, then asked, "The recharge has been credited to your account. What's next?"

The Prince of Wales said, "Let's exchange it all for oil and supplies."

"all?"

"Yes, all of them."

"Doing this is extremely inefficient..."

The Prince of Wales said, "What do you want to do?"

"How do we do this? Let's open a shipyard. It's the most cost-effective option. We can get everything else for free except for the skin..." Ying Tian glanced at the Prince of Wales and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "That's right, let's get a new Oath Ring and marry the Prince of Wales."

The Prince of Wales sensed that Ying Tian's tone wasn't very serious, but even so, her heart was pounding, and she felt like her mental cube was about to explode. Then she heard Ying Tian's next sentence.

"Oh right, the Prince of Wales' favorability isn't high enough for marriage... Let's just exchange it all for oil and supplies. Since it's the reward I promised you, I'll do whatever you say."

"Hmm," the Prince of Wales responded, clenching his right fist and then relaxing it.

After Ying Tian finished handling everything, he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at the beautiful face of the Prince of Wales, and a thought immediately came to mind—it was all over. No matter why she chose to help him, she should leave now.

The deep reluctance turned into a faint sorrow, and finally into a relieved smile. All good things must come to an end, and Ying Tian, ​​as an orphan, had long known this truth.

"I don't know your name yet, so I'll call you Prince of Wales. Thank you so much..."

"I know, I know everything."

The Prince of Wales interrupted Yingtian, who was still preparing her words. She was also immersed in the sorrow of parting, but the information from the Mind Cube made her realize that she was about to leave.

“I understand you have doubts, and I understand you still don’t believe what I’m saying.” The Prince of Wales looked directly into Ying Tian’s eyes and said with his most beautiful smile, “But it’s alright. I have what I wanted to know, and I believe everyone will agree with my judgment, so you will accept it in the future.”

"I……"

With a slender, white finger covering Ying Tian's lips, the Prince of Wales said, "I'm sorry, there's no time left, so please listen to me, okay?"

Ying Tian was somewhat puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless.

"First, I hope you don't neglect the game. Play it in your spare time, even if it's just as a way to relax."

Ying Tian nodded.

"Secondly, you can do fewer part-time jobs, or be more lenient with yourself. Trust me, money won't be a problem in the future."

Ying Tian pursed his lips and nodded.

"Finally, I have something to give you. Please close your eyes."

Looking at the Prince of Wales's flawless face and gentle eyes, Ying Tian obediently nodded and closed his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, but still decided to speak: "If the gift is a recharge cashback, it would be best to give direct cashback. I don't think coupons or anything like that will be available..."

Upon hearing Ying Tian's words, the Prince of Wales couldn't help but laugh.

My beloved—

The Prince of Wales tilted his head forward, interrupting Ying Tian's words. The warm, moist touch of the beauty's pink lips seemed to make both of their souls tremble the moment they made contact. Time stood still at that moment, with only their breaths exhaling onto each other's lips—a greedy demand and a heartfelt confession.

"We will meet again, my commander..."

Ying Tian's mind went blank; his lips and tongue moved purely out of subconscious instinct. He was dazed and unaware of his surroundings, completely oblivious to the Prince of Wales's gradually blurring and disappearing from the room. When he opened his eyes, he saw only sunlight streaming through the curtains, illuminating the vast room, and the dancing dust motes performing a beautiful Tyndall effect.

"Gone...?"

Ying Tian touched his lips in a daze; the sweet warmth of the Prince of Wales still seemed to linger there.

Is this supposed to be a goodbye kiss? Foreigners are so open-minded.

I thought my first kiss, which I thought I'd keep for a lifetime, was gone just like that—what a loss… Well, the Prince of Wales is so handsome, it doesn't seem like such a huge loss after all.

Yingtian was not unaware that the Prince of Wales's identity was problematic; in the past few days, many of her behaviors had been quite unusual.

I've never seen her use a cell phone or take out any money, which is almost unimaginable for a modern adult.

Despite speaking such fluent Chinese, she must have lived in a Chinese-speaking environment for a long time and should be very clear about the situation in China. Yet, she seemed very curious and kept asking about the political situation in China and the world.

Most importantly, given the Prince of Wales' already enormous popularity, not a single media outlet has been able to uncover her true identity; it's as if she appeared out of thin air.

All these details suggest that the Prince of Wales' identity is far more than just that of a game company employee.

However, Ying Tian didn't care anymore. Everyone has secrets they don't want others to know. Isn't it enough to have made such a friend and be able to recall this beautiful memory in the future?

"That should be enough..."

Ying Tian lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Even though he had long ago resolved to be open-minded, he still felt somewhat lost at this moment.

Time passed slowly, and Ying Tian suddenly remembered something. He rushed out of the room and ran to the hotel front desk.

"Uncle Cheng, did you see my friend leave?"

"How would I have noticed?"

Did she pay for the room?

"No."

"..." Ying Tian was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. "Uncle Cheng, can the room fee be paid in installments?"

Uncle Cheng crossed his legs, revealing his tattered white socks, and said with an iron face, "No, no discussion."

Ying Tian felt like crying. Is this the price of growing up?

It hurts so much, it hurts so much.

Chapter Twenty: The Second Naval Base Plan Launched

"...In conclusion, the world where the commander resides is generally peaceful and stable. There are no Sirens or a long-standing world war. The backwardness of technology and the deterrent power of nuclear weapons maintain peace between major powers."

"The country where the commander is located is similar to Donghuang in our world. Its culture, customs and historical process are basically the same. It holds a pivotal position in the international community. At least in the provincial capital city I visited, the domestic situation is prosperous and stable, with good public security. Most residents are educated, and there is a mature legal and social operating mechanism. Therefore, I suggest that violence should not be used unless necessary. Peaceful means can be used to integrate into the community."

"The Commander is currently receiving his education at an excellent institution of higher learning. He has no parents and grew up in a social welfare institution. Based on my observations over this period of time, the Commander is cautious and open-minded, and acts without being rigid. He not only has a clear understanding of his own situation, but also has a firm heart and clear values. I believe he is someone worthy of entrusting my life to."

On the small island where the naval base is located, the Prince of Wales, weary from his journey, only had time to call everyone in the port area to let them know he was safe before rushing to the conference room to report to the naval base's senior management on his experiences in another world and the results of his investigation.

Those sitting in this conference room were all ship girls with a certain status in the naval base, as well as technicians and the participants who initially made the plan. They were all listening attentively to the Prince of Wales's account, afraid of missing a single detail.

Bismarck crossed her arms and tapped her arm lightly with her right index finger, a standard gesture when she was thinking.

As Hood listened to the Prince of Wales' words, she nodded gently. The return of her close friend relieved her, and as a member of the Royal Navy, she would naturally support all of the Prince of Wales's judgments.

Marco Polo fiddled with the black top hat on the table. She wasn't absent-minded; on the contrary, she was probably the most attentive listener. However, her thoughts differed from most of the ship girls present—still using nuclear weapons as a deterrent? Then wouldn't the appearance of ship girls be a game-changer? Peaceful and stable countries would be even better; they could be replaced without firing a single shot, establishing a true Third Rome! The commander is an orphan? Even better. A commander like that should be naive and easy to control. I don't even need to personally intervene; Veneto can easily charm the commander… Of course, we can't rush things. Hmm, interesting, very interesting.

Unlike Marco Polo's smiling face, Akagi's expression gradually darkened. She had been completely absorbed in the Prince of Wales's story about being with the Commander, as if she, Akagi, had been the one who had accompanied the Commander through it all. It wasn't until the Prince of Wales began his summary that Akagi snapped out of her reverie, clenching her hands tightly, her brightly painted nails almost digging into her flesh.

Upon hearing that the country in the other world was similar to Donghuang, Yixian's eyes lit up with delight. She gave Zhenhai a questioning look, but Zhenhai gently shook his head, indicating that they couldn't rush things. Yixian pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

Having stated his conclusion, the Prince of Wales paused, took a sip of black tea. The black tea brewed in Belfast was still as mellow and fragrant as ever, and it was certainly better than the one-dollar packets of instant black tea powder bought from roadside stalls. However, the Commander's taste was incomparable to anything else.

"I've finished speaking. Does anyone have any questions?"

“I do,” Strasser said, maintaining the professionalism of a technician. “You just said that not all matter can be preserved during time travel, right?”

“Yes,” the Prince of Wales replied. “At least for this time, the precious metals, cell phone, and guns I had prepared were all lost during the journey, but my clothes, jewelry, and even the fuel in my ship’s equipment were preserved. I can’t see any pattern to it.”

"So, it has a certain degree of randomness...maybe it's related to quantum collapse." Strasser bit his pen and quickly wrote a few lines in his notebook. "One more question, Wales, did you feel like you became ordinary in the other world?"

"Become ordinary?"

"Yes, for example, situations that occur in ordinary women such as hunger, weakness, or menstrual cycles."