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

American Airlines Group: Enterprise, Yorktown, Hornets, Essex, Shangri-La, Bunker Hill, Intrepid, Calleyon, Lexington, Saratoga, Princeton, Independent.

Japan Airlines Group: Akagi, Kaga, Shinano, Zuikaku, Ryuho, Soryu, Hiryu, Hiyo, Junyo, Chitose, Chiyoda.

In addition, considering the need to protect the absolute safety of Yingtian, and the fact that Central Africa was once a French colony with French as its official language, the Iris ship girls, serving as translators and defenders, are also indispensable.

Richelieu, the flagship of the Iris, personally led the expedition, with Louis IX and Joan of Arc participating; all were heroes of the Iris.

Also arriving was Belfast, the head maid whom they had just parted ways with. She was fully responsible for taking care of Yingtian's daily life. In Africa, she had to ensure the safety of every drop of water, every grain of rice, and even every breath of air. No one in the garrison could question the head maid's professionalism.

Ying Tian didn't have time to distinguish who was who among the ship girls in front of him. After all, the only one he had met before was Belfast. Moreover, they were all wearing yellow jumpsuits, and their most striking hair color was hidden under the hood of the jumpsuits, making it really hard to tell them apart at a glance.

"Meeting under these circumstances..."

"Commander, wait a moment."

"Please wait a moment, Master."

Ying Tian was interrupted before he could finish speaking, and then he was surrounded by the ship girls and quickly helped to change into a bulletproof vest, Kevlar fiber trousers, a level 3 helmet, and even a gas mask.

"Gas masks are really excessive."

“Not excessive,” Belfast said. “In a place like this, it’s hard to say whether there are any toxic germs mixed in with the air, and even if there is only a slight possibility, we have to be on guard.”

Ying Tian insisted, "This is far too conspicuous."

“We’re already conspicuous enough.”

"It's really unnecessary."

"Okay, then you don't need to wear a gas mask, but you have to wear this mask, and you can't take off your bulletproof helmet either."

Belfast understood the principle of moderation. Since she had refused the gas mask, she couldn't refuse other protective measures. Not only that, the head maid also pulled out a pistol from somewhere and handed it to Yingtian: "And this, although we don't want you to have the chance to use it, it's better to have it than not."

"Well, I believe no one will give me a chance to use it."

Ying Tian took the gleaming metallic pistol, but even though he was interested, he didn't have time to examine it closely. He said to everyone who was looking at him, "I know that meeting you all under these circumstances is not what everyone wanted, but since it has already happened, there's nothing more to say. After we find Da Feng and complete the mission, we can do whatever we want."

"Is it really okay to do anything?"

It was a very cute voice. Others couldn't tell the difference, but Saratoga Yingtian recognized it immediately. After all, the only one who stood out from the crowd was the incredibly cute and massively displaced aircraft carrier Saratoga.

Ying Tian said, "Of course."

"You mean what you say?" Saratoga blinked her large purple eyes, looking at the man in front of her expectantly.

"Keep your word."

Chapter 5 has ended.

Saratoga has a dream—

She dreams that one day, all ship girls who have suffered as much slander as she has will be able to stand up and truly realize the essence of her creed—that every ship girl is born equal.

She dreamed that one day, on the beach of the naval base, she and Shinano could play beach volleyball together, and no one would tell her that she should just go build sandcastles instead.

She dreamed that one day, she could stroll happily through the port's commercial center like Bremerton, without eating candied hawthorns or drinking milk tea, but instead confidently walk into a lingerie store and say, "Give me adult lingerie, the largest size."

She dreamed that one day she could actually wear her sister Lexington's clothes and not be picked up and told that Lexington had become young again when she dressed up as her sister to play pranks.

……

Saratoga also worked hard and struggled for this dream. She once firmly believed that she would continue to develop. She tried everything, from pig's feet and peanut soup to milk-stewed papaya, whether it was a folk remedy or not. Saratoga even secretly asked Kashino for tips and tricked the destroyer girl into rubbing her breasts with candy, but it didn't work. It didn't work at all. She didn't grow any taller. As for her cup size, if it didn't exist, it just didn't exist.

Saratoga was already in despair. Without a commander, she would never grow up. If it weren't for her sister, she might as well just destroy everything.

Then the commander from another world who influenced the naval base appeared, and Saratoga suddenly realized why she couldn't grow up!

It's all the Commander's fault, or more accurately, the fault of that damn game! How could my idol, with a displacement of 43,000 tons, possibly look like this? She should at least be a 36D long-legged big sister, if not comparable to Shinano or Formidable.

It's all the game's fault for fixing the commander's impression of him, and then the commander's influence on his world and ship girls prevented him from growing.

So Saratoga made up her mind that after finding Taihou, she would make the Commander acquire that game company and then force them to modify Saratoga's character art. She didn't need to be too tall, just about the same height as Frederick the Great, and her bust size didn't need to be like Kashino's, just about the same as Illustrious's...

By changing the commander's impression of me, and then under the commander's influence, I'm sure I can grow taller very quickly...

"Saratoga, what are you daydreaming about? Get in the car."

"Oh, okay... I'm just a little curious, how can there be such a poor place in this world even without sirens?"

"Human society is a dog-eat-dog world, where the strong prey on the weak and exploit the weak... well, I don't know. If it were the ship girls from the Northern Alliance, I guess it would make sense."

After reuniting with the ship girls, Ying Tian and his group rented six cars at the airport. Although there was no local currency, the US dollars they had prepared in advance were still hard currency. In this kind of country, there is nothing that money can't buy.

"So, has it been detected by radar?"

"It only has low-band radar and no high-power detection waves, so it should only be the airport's command radar."

A few strands of purple hair peeked out from under the hood, and the woman with a cool and serious expression was the lead ship of the Essex-class aircraft carrier, HMS Essex. She had just quietly launched her carrier-based aircraft, which were circling over the city, using the high-altitude view to act as the command center for the entire convoy.

"The carrier-based aircraft is beyond visual range and has not been detected by radar waves; the visibility is good."

"Well done."

Mpoko International Airport is only seven kilometers from Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Even though the convoy was traveling on bumpy, unpaved roads, it quickly entered the city. Perhaps because of the large number of people, there was no place mentioned in the travel guides where a head tax was collected. Even black men can be bullies who prey on the weak.

Ying Tian, ​​holding the walkie-talkie, asked, "Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you."

"No problem, it's very clear."

“Alright, let’s split into five groups according to the plan. I will take charge of one group, and Akagi, Enterprise, and Richelieu will each take charge of one group. Go to the embassies of China, Japan, the United States, and France respectively to seek help and see if you can get any useful information.”

Company: Received.

Akagi: Please rest assured, Commander.

Richelieu: Understood.

Ying Tian continued, "You'll be in charge of Yorktown for the entire route. Go and purchase the off-road vehicles and fuel we need. We've already found the exact location in Essex and sent it to you."

Yorktown: Okay, location received.

Yingtian: Then let's each go our own way. Whether we succeed or not, let's meet at the designated location before 4 p.m.

The commander's voice came through the walkie-talkie. Saratoga took the walkie-talkie from Enterprise, cleared his throat, and said earnestly, "Roger!"

Then there was no sound from the walkie-talkie.

"Oh no, the Commander doesn't want to talk to Senior Sarah anymore, what should we do?" In the car, Kalion took off her hood, revealing a head of light purple hair. She was the sixth ship of the Essex-class aircraft carrier, with a mature and voluptuous figure, and her appearance was somewhat similar to her older sister Essex.

Saratoga snorted and pouted, saying, "It's none of my business. Even if the Commander doesn't want to deal with it, it's Enterprise's fault."

"Exactly." The one driving in the front was Hornet, the third ship of the Yorktown-class aircraft carriers, the younger sister of Yorktown and Enterprise. "It's not easy to see the Commander, and you can't even exchange a few words. It's fine, but Enterprise, you always have such a stern face. How can the Commander like you? Can't you learn from Akagi?"

The company said somewhat helplessly, "Bumblebee, focus on driving. We're on a mission right now."

"Relax, my driving skills are so good I could drive with my eyes closed... Ugh, this lousy road made me bite my tongue."

Saratoga said, "Are you sure you can handle this, Bumblebee?"

"It has nothing to do with me, it's the road that's uneven and the car can't handle it."

Bangui is said to be the capital of a country, but it is actually just a city with a population of 700,000. In China, it might not even be as good as some of the 19th-tier counties and cities. In addition, the embassies are mostly located on Martyrs Street in Bangui. With the help of Essex's navigation, we quickly arrived at our destination.

"Bumblebee and I are going in to gather information. Do you want to get out of the car?"

Saratoga responded to the company: "I'll stay and watch the cars, and so will Kariyong, you stay too."

"Okay, this way you can look out for each other and not wander off."

"Don't worry, you guys go ahead."

Enterprise and Bumblebee got out of the car. Saratoga watched them go, exchanged a few words with the guards at the gate, and successfully slipped inside thanks to his fluent American English and white skin.

"Jiajia, is there something you want to ask me?"

Saratoga said to Kaliyon with some dissatisfaction, "In public you're all about being Saratoga, but in private you're just like Gaga?"

"Calling him Jiajia sounds more affectionate; we're old comrades-in-arms."

As she spoke, Kaliyong crossed her slightly chubby long legs, her good figure still evident even in her loose trench coat.

Looking at the swaying creature, Saratoga pursed her lips. Oh well, it's just two lumps of flesh; she doesn't care. Right now, there are more important things she wants to know: "Kalion, by the way, what do you think of the Commander?"

"What do you mean, how about it?"

"It's about first impressions, feelings, and things like that."

Carlyon rested her chin on her hand: "We just met and didn't even say a word. Anyway, he looks pretty much like the photos in the group chat. Tall and thin, with an average appearance. I just don't know if what some people are saying about him having a mole on his butt is true. And a lot of people are saying that the Commander is exceptionally talented and can violate us in his dreams. They're also saying he's a pervert who likes women wearing bras on their heads. They're making it sound so convincing. But now that I see him, I don't think the Commander is that kind of person."

Saratoga fell silent. What were these "some people" and "many people"? What about moles on buttocks, bras on heads, and sexual assaults in dreams? Why had she never heard of these things before?

She was too embarrassed to ask, and didn't dare to ask, so the answers were always things like, "We adults are just joking around, it's not suitable for children," or "It's just a joke between good friends," even though they were adults too...

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Saratoga said. “Do you think the Commander is easy to talk to?”

"How would I know? It shouldn't be difficult."

"Yes, I think so too."

Saratoga was determined to show the commander the strength of an aviation tactical pioneer in this operation. Searching for Sakura Empire ship girls with carrier-based aircraft was Eagle Union's specialty. She was determined to impress him and make sure he couldn't refuse any request he made.

Just then, Enterprise and Bumblebee walked out of the embassy, ​​their expressions somewhat subtle.

"So fast? Didn't you get any information?"

"Not really." Bumblebee scratched his head, his expression unreadable, "I just received news from the Commander that Taihou has been found."

"what?"

Chapter Six: Taihou, you're making us look really silly.

Ying Tian was fully prepared for the difficulty of this mission. The three days of transiting between various countries were just an appetizer; the real challenges were yet to come.

We have Taifeng's landing coordinates, but we don't know her movement trajectory over the past few days. The search area may need to be expanded to thousands of kilometers, involving several surrounding countries. Should we seek cooperation with local forces? What if she crosses the border and clashes with local guerrillas and armed groups? These countries are mostly plagued by frequent civil wars and fragmented factions. Most importantly, what should we do if we encounter UN peacekeeping forces, French overseas troops, or Wagner mercenaries?

Ying Tianguang thought it would be a military blockbuster – Iron-Blooded Wolf Warrior 3: Sweeping Africa. Fortunately, the ship girls who came this time were from the US-Japan alliance. They could just use English and Japanese to frame the US. As long as the fire didn't burn them, it would be fine.

"We have brought twenty-three aircraft carriers and more than a thousand carrier-based aircraft this time. Even with the densest observation array, we can cover thousands of square kilometers." Carrier-based aircraft are another pair of eyes for the aircraft carrier girls. Essex said while judging the scene observed by the carrier-based aircraft, "There are almost no tall buildings around here. The only obstruction is the forest. As long as we take off with all the carrier-based aircraft, we can find Taihou even with a carpet search."

“I have no doubt about that.” Sitting closely next to Yingtian on guard was Joan of Arc, the light cruiser from Iris. To ensure visibility, she had removed her hood, and her brilliant golden hair was tied up in a high bun. She was a beautiful young woman with a resolute and noble air. “What I’m worried about now is Taihou’s mental state. Even if she is a warrior who fights against the Sirens, she has never acted alone. I think we should find a way to convey the message that we are looking for her. This is crucial.”

“I understand, but it’s not easy to do.”

“I think it’s very simple.” A slightly cold voice came from the passenger seat. “If Taihou uses high-explosive shells, we’ll use one or more. That kind of noise can travel a long distance, and Taihou will be able to notice it.”

Essex retorted bluntly, "Kaga, are you brainless?"

"What's the problem?"

Kaga crossed his arms and glanced back with his blue eyes, but not at Essex; he was looking at Ying Tian, ​​who was staring out the car window.

What about casualties?

"Just find a secluded spot."

"What if it attracts the attention of other forces? This is not our world, and the military will not give way to us."

"Do we need them to make concessions?" Kaga said coldly. "If they're always so hesitant and timid, when will they ever find Taihou?"

Essex retorted sharply, "You know we're not here to fight, we're here to find Taihou."

"Everyone, please stop arguing," Joan of Arc tried to mediate between the two, but her words clearly had no effect.

"ridiculous."

"Kaga, you're oversimplifying this incident."

"It's not simple, which is why it's worth being serious about it."

"I didn't notice."

Joan of Arc looked at the two of them, feeling very puzzled. Why were they arguing in front of the commander? There were still missions to be completed, and everyone should be working together.

The strong and confident girl was unaware, and even Essex and Kaga themselves were unaware. Although they had some conflicts in the past, they were actually subconsciously trying to show their abilities to the commander. The first time they met the commander was not on a sunny afternoon or a celebratory evening, but on such a tense mission. Almost everyone had a subconscious sense of unease.

"Everyone, stop arguing. The commander should decide what to do."

Joan of Arc disliked arguing, and she was even more puzzled as to why Ying Tian remained silent. Was he angry or something? But at this moment, she could only turn to Ying Tian for help: "Commander, what do you think we should do?"

"This matter is certainly not simple..."