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

He thought for a moment and asked, "What is the current situation at the naval base? Is it that even with my spacetime influence, resources are far from enough?"

The Prince of Wales replied, "The situation is actually not bad. The main thing is that the naval base is launching more sorties than before. While maintaining a minimum number of sorties and sea clearing, there are still supplies left. Now everyone in the naval base can take turns launching sorties once every fifteen to twenty days, which is almost three times the previous sortie frequency."

“Then we won’t consider the second option.” Ying Tian paused, then explained, “Chicheng, it’s not that this option is bad, I just think it’s a bit too radical.”

Akagi's clenched hands loosened as soon as she heard the commander explain to her. Suppressing her emotions, she said as calmly as possible, "I understand. Of course, Commander has to consider the overall situation. I understand all of Commander's decisions."

"I'm glad you understand."

Ying Tian then asked, "I would also like to know, is this metal a consumable? Is it needed long-term?"

“Let me explain this.” A familiar voice came from the phone; it was Peter Strasser, the chief of the port’s research team. “The two-way portal isn’t something that can be built and then left unmaintained. Repairs and backups require more metal, and current experiments suggest that the portal may suffer some damage during the transmission process. Therefore, the longer the supply of metal is stable, the better.”

"I understand."

Ying Tian pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, the third plan is naturally the best. However, considering the difficulty of the third plan, we should still implement the first plan. At the same time, the third plan should also be implemented. We can do some preliminary work first and then transition to the third plan."

"That's decided. Now let's discuss the implementation details."

Ying Tian made the final decision with a single stroke of the hammer. He understood that if the discussion were allowed to continue indefinitely, it might go on forever. This showed how difficult it was to reach a decision when there was no leader to lead the group.

It's not that everyone is wavering, but rather that there are too many outstanding people, and everyone has their own principles and beliefs. No one can completely convince anyone else, so in the end, they can only rely on compromise and the exchange of interests.

Sometimes it doesn't have to be the right decision, but at least you have to make one.

Whether it was Hood, Enterprise, Akagi, Bismarck, or Richelieu, they all had no objections; all they had to do was cooperate. This is the power of direction.

Chapter Sixty-One: Preparations Before Departure

Now that the decision has been made, everyone in Yingtian and the garrison naturally worked towards the predetermined plan.

Due to limited sources of information, very little information could be found about the company called Plymouth Mining. It could only be barely determined that it was a subsidiary of the British mining giant Rio Tinto and had no business dealings with China. Since the metal tin industry required very small quantities, the small amount of associated minerals mined domestically was sufficient to meet the demand.

It took a long time of conversation in their curry-accented English to finally get the head office's contact information for the Asia-Pacific general agent of St. Louis and Plymouth Mining Company—an Indian company.

After several exchanges, the mining company adopted a cautious attitude towards increasing production and exports to China, insisting that representatives be sent to meet with them in person.

Therefore, this trip to the UK was unavoidable.

So, in addition to the intense preparation for the exam, Ying Tian also needed to apply for a passport and a UK visa. Fortunately, thanks to St. Louis's management, Ying Tian's bank account had been very healthy in recent months, and with a property under his name, he successfully obtained a UK tourist visa in just two weeks after finding an overseas agency.

In addition, Ying Tian also practiced his spoken English diligently with St. Louis; he was truly learning a foreign language.

Yingtian is a typical Chinese-English learner; her listening and writing skills are fine, but her spoken English is relatively average, with a strong Chinese accent. However, accent isn't the key factor. As long as you're confident enough and willing to speak, you can still communicate naturally and confidently, just like how you can communicate without barriers even with different accents. In this regard, St. Louis is a master; she has countless methods to help Yingtian become more and more confident.

It almost turned into actually learning a foreign language.

Of course, St. Louis had much more to do besides this. Together with Ying Tian, ​​she mortgaged the property she had just acquired to the bank and invested all the loan in the stock market, cryptocurrency, futures, and gold trading. She needed to earn enough funds for her plan in a short period of time and transfer a portion of the funds overseas. Without the corresponding network of contacts and with intermediaries earning high commissions, St. Louis was under tremendous pressure.

So later, Ying Tian spent more time learning English with Lino. This gray-haired girl was truly enthusiastic, and her voluptuous and charming figure was no less than that of St. Louis. However, a girl with a fan club mentality might not be a qualified teacher.

"Is my way of saying this too formal, and does it not conform to everyday grammar?"

"No, it's great, really great." Lino's beautiful round face flushed with excitement, her eyes looking like she thought, "How could my brother be wrong?" "The Commander has been practicing for so long, of course there's no problem."

"I've only practiced for ten minutes."

"The commander has grasped the essence in just ten minutes, he's really amazing!"

Ying Tian was pleased to be praised by such a beautiful woman, but he still said truthfully, "Teacher Lino, I know my own limitations. You need to work on my oral communication skills."

"Wow, Rino~ Teacher?" Rino suddenly cupped her face, her white breasts swaying beneath her light blue sundress. "The Commander actually called me teacher, what should I do? I'm so happy, my face must be super red right now!"

Fangirls are often brainless, but if the star they idolize is themselves, then they become incredibly adorable. Ying Tian was also infected by this enthusiasm and became somewhat giddy. However, how could he possibly improve his spoken English while with someone like Rino? So, Ying Tian had no choice but to use his full strength.

He placed both hands on Lino's smooth, rounded shoulders, looked at the girl's pretty face with her pouting pink lips, and said, "Lino, now only you can help me."

"just me?"

“Yes, only you,” Ying Tian said. “Actually, even if I hadn’t practiced my spoken English well, it wouldn’t have mattered much. At most, I would have been tricked and trafficked by smugglers in England, and then had my limbs cut off and forced to beg on the streets to make money… It’s not your fault, it’s all my fault for not practicing my spoken English well, it’s all my fault.”

“Impossible! Anyone who dares to touch the commander, we’ll bomb the whole city!” Reno said excitedly. “I know, I know! He’s an inconspicuous little beggar by day, but at midnight, he transforms into a righteous thief, just like Robin by Batman’s side, right?”

Ying Tian was speechless for a moment, even this kind of hypnotic rhetoric for fans didn't work. He couldn't help but hug the slender girl and said sincerely, "Rino, you are so cute."

"Huh... Eh? Ah!"

Lino's eyes widened, her cheeks flushed, and she seemed to be on fire, her eyes filled with intoxicating spring water, so excited that she couldn't even speak.

Although my spoken English improved very slowly while I was with Reno, being in the same room with such a beautiful and lovely girl could make me feel great and give me more motivation to do anything.

Another ship girl who arrived had the same effect – Zhenhai.

Ying Tian always remembered the scene of their first meeting. It was the night he received the report from the garrison headquarters. Zhenhai appeared out of nowhere in the living room. Her smooth, flowing black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her wide sleeves revealed her fragrant shoulders and white armpits. The only part of her white fitted short dress that was worn was black fabric adorned with platinum decorations at the chest, which created a strong visual contrast with her slightly exposed white breasts. Combined with her black lace gloves and black stockings, they formed a beautiful black and white picture with her dazzling white skin. Even though she was wearing a white veil, it did not diminish her charm but added a touch of hazy beauty.

Graceful? Beautiful? Mature? Elegant?

It seems that any adjective can be used to describe her, or to put it more directly, she is absolutely stunning.

The stunningly beautiful Zhenhai.jpg

More importantly, she was a ship girl from the Eastern Empire, which created an inexplicable cultural and emotional connection that made Ying Tian feel very close to her, and the two got along very well.

Zhenhai's arrival was, of course, to lay the groundwork for the implementation of Plan Three. However, she had an even more important task at hand: to handle domestic liaison work after Yingtian's successful negotiations in the UK. Before that, she needed to find a company with import and export qualifications to act as her agent. St. Louis wasn't really suited to handle this kind of matter. Although Zhenhai was a bit too beautiful, at least she had a Chinese face, which was much more appropriate compared to the other women's various appearances.

Thus, Ying Tian became the legal representative of "Binjiang Town Port Trading Co., Ltd." with a registered capital of 100,000 yuan. There was no phone number, no email address, and no registered address. The legal representative held multiple positions, including chairman, general manager, and employee. Anyone who wasn't blind could tell at a glance that this was a shell company.

"This is just the beginning. In the future, this company will definitely become a giant that stirs up the business world." Zhenhai, walking out of the Administration for Industry and Commerce side by side with Yingtian, looked at the bright sun on the horizon with a confident smile. She turned to look at Yingtian's profile and said, "Commander, don't you believe it?"

"Believe."

Zhenhai chuckled and said, "It's fine if you don't believe me. It's only natural to make a cautious judgment before you understand my abilities."

Ying Tian thought that whether he believed it or not, he would lose nothing, so why not believe it? But of course he couldn't say it out loud, as that would damage morale.

So he explained, "Trust sometimes doesn't need many reasons. Trusting you is trusting the inherent potential of our nation. Back then, we could only have motherships like yours that could carry two seaplanes, but now we have three aircraft carriers."

“Yes, three aircraft carriers, the newest of which is electromagnetic catapult…” Zhenhai realized something, and his smile froze on his face. “It can only carry two seaplanes. I’m really sorry.”

Ying Tian thought for a moment and said, "It's alright, we have electric bullets now."

"Mastering details is what makes an excellent commander; my combat ability is just average."

"It's alright, we have electric bullets now."

"But I don't have electric bullets, I take off and land on water."

"It's alright, we'll have nuclear power in the future."

Zhenhai blinked, looked up at Yingtian's increasingly familiar face, then covered his mouth and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hehehe, the commander is indeed very interesting."

"It's just an illusion. You won't think that way once you get to know me better."

"Then I'll try to learn more about the Commander."

Zhenhai, her slender fingers clad in black gauze gloves, gently stroked her smooth chin, a smile playing on her rosy lips: "I'm really looking forward to it."

However, Zhenhai's expectations are likely to be dashed in the short term, because with the end of Yingtian's last exam, the summer vacation is about to begin, which also means that Yingtian's trip to England is about to start.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Going to England

Ying Tian had never been on a plane before, and in fact, he had never even been on a train. He never expected that his first time on a plane would be an international flight, and he was a little excited about it.

"Commander, don't be afraid. The plane will make a lot of noise and turbulence during takeoff, and it may encounter air currents during ascent. But once it reaches the stratosphere, it will be very stable. I know that very well. Moreover, passenger planes don't have to do many tactical maneuvers like fighter jets, so the process is much smoother. As long as you stay relaxed, there won't be any problems."

At noon in late June, outside the waiting hall of Binjiang International Airport, Xianghe held Yingtian's hand and patiently explained the precautions. Although she had never been on a plane, as an aircraft carrier pilot, she had launched countless carrier-based aircraft, making her an ace among ace pilots. Few people would dare to say that they knew more about airplanes than her.

St. Louis rented a three-row, seven-seat SUV and brought seven ship girls to see Yingtian off. That's right, Yingtian was the only one on this trip to Britain, or rather, Yingtian was the only one for the time being, since the others didn't have identities and couldn't buy plane tickets.

"Don't worry, it's true that this is my first time flying, but I'm not a child, so I won't be scared."

Lino handed the suitcase to Yingtian and said, "The naval base's cell phone doesn't use a regular signal, so it's fine to turn it on on the plane. If, and I mean if, anything happens, be sure to tell the naval base so they can send a message in advance. Even in the air, we have ways to ensure your safety."

"Understood." Ying Tian took the luggage. The feeling of being cared for and reluctant to part was heartwarming. He said reassuringly, "There are no 'what ifs.' The plane is quite safe. It's about time. I'll go through security first."

"Remember to let us know you've arrived safely when you transfer flights or land."

"Commander, have a safe journey," he said.

"With Ayanami's blessing, everything will definitely go smoothly."

Ying Tian patted Ayanami's head and gave the little girl a farewell hug. Then came Shoukaku, Mercury Memorial, and Reno. When they arrived in St. Louis, it wasn't just a hug; the mature blue-haired woman even stood on tiptoe and gently kissed Ying Tian's lips.

"Wow!" Rino couldn't help but exclaim.

Shoukaku clenched his right hand, his expression stiffening slightly, then becoming even stiffer the next moment.

Because Ron not only hugged her, and not only kissed her, but also wrapped his arms around Ying Tian's neck and kissed her passionately until Ying Tian patted her back as a reminder, and only then did he let go, still not satisfied.

"I'll wait for you to come back."

"Ah."

Ying Tian felt a little embarrassed being watched by so many people, but what's done is done, and there's nothing more to say.

In Zhenhai next, Ying Tian hesitated for a moment and only shook hands with her. After all, they had only met for a week and were not particularly familiar with each other.

"Then I'll go in, you guys go back too."

“Speaking of which…” Zhenhai blinked and said, “Actually, we can go in, as long as we don’t go through the security gate.”

"what?"

"What?!"

"Is that how it is?"

The women exchanged glances, and Ying Tian said, "I don't know. I've never been on an airplane before, and have none of you?"

St. Louis said, "The naval base has its own planes..."

Okay, so they're all rich young ladies who don't know the ways of the world. Wait, does that mean I have a plane too?

So after parking the car in St. Louis, everyone went into the public hall together to check in, drop off luggage, and so on. The seven graceful ship girls were a beautiful sight, attracting the attention of many people in the hall. Even Ying Tian felt an overwhelming sense of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

They said goodbye again at the security gate, but this time Zhenhai opened his arms, gesturing for Yingtian to give him a hug as well. Xianghe even tiptoed and gently kissed Yingtian's cheek. She originally wanted to kiss her lips, but in public, even such a gesture made the gentle and graceful Mrs. Xianghe blush.

Ying Tian waved to the seven women: "Alright, I'm off, don't worry."

"Be careful."

"be careful."

"Please let us know you've landed safely, otherwise we'll worry."

Ying Tian waved to everyone again, turned around and walked through the security gate. With such a large entourage, even the security staff couldn't help but ask, "Are you boarding alone?"

"Yes, they were just giving them to me."

"You must have a lot of friends."

"Yes, there are several hundred."

Under the envious yet suspicious gazes of the staff, Ying Tian couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile. The road ahead was uncertain, and he had to say goodbye to his beloved friends. However, at his destination, there was also the figure he longed for waiting for him. The garrison was with him, so what was there to worry about?

After passing through security, I waited in the departure hall and then queued to board the plane. Yingtian bought a business class ticket, which, although not as good as first class, was still much more spacious than economy class.

After a delay of more than ten minutes, the plane finally completed its takeoff preparations and began taxiing on the runway. Ying Tian, ​​who was flying for the first time, was a little excited. Looking at the city gradually shrinking outside the window, he couldn't help but take out his phone to take pictures.

"Sir, please put your phone in airplane mode."

"Oh, alright."

Ying Tian, ​​who had sent a departure message in the naval base chat group, quickly turned off his phone screen to pretend to be in the moment.

Perhaps it was this commotion that caught the attention of a trendy young man sitting next to Ying Tian, ​​who asked, "Friend, is this your first time going abroad?"

Ying Tian thought that the plane would be flying for a long time, and it would be good to have someone to chat with, so he replied, "Yes."

"Go to school?"

"No, we're going on vacation."

"Wow, traveling abroad alone, that's pretty awesome."

"Aren't you alone too?"

“I’m different. I’m going to see my girlfriend.” The trendy man said with some pride, “My girlfriend is studying in England. I often go to see her. I know London very well. If you have any questions, just ask me.”

"That's great, I have some things I'd like to ask you about."

The flight wasn't direct; it had a layover in Doha and took more than a day to finally land at London Heathrow Airport. Ying Tian chatted quite happily with this outgoing guy, even though the guy loved to show off his relationship. By the time they got off the plane, Ying Tian already knew that Zhao Laoge and his girlfriend's third kiss had taken place at Hyde Park's Speech Corner, and that they had kissed for half an hour until their lips were swollen.

After collecting their checked luggage, Ying Tian and Zhao Peng walked out of the airport terminal together.

"You're letting your family know you're safe, right...? My girlfriend is waiting for me outside. Have you booked a hotel yet? Do you want me to give you a ride?"

After sending the message, Ying Tian closed his phone and said, "Thank you so much, but no need, someone will answer."