Hearing this incredibly familiar speech pattern, Lin Lan immediately knew who Sui Qiong had learned it from.
"Blücher, you... sigh."
Lin Lan looked at Blücher but ultimately chose not to blame this simple-minded heavy cruiser girl.
He wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing for Sui Qiong to have picked up this way of speaking from Blücher.
As they stepped out into the courtyard, Lin Lan and his two companions happened to run into the Universal Bulin sister.
She was carrying various decorating tools while leading four Manjuus and two Muscular Meows, heading straight towards them.
"Buli! Commander, we're here to help! What color scheme do you want for your bedroom?"
Seeing Lin Lan, the Universal Bulin excitedly waved her large wrench and asked.
"Mm... Sui Qiong, what color would you like for your room?"
Since the room was being decorated for Sui Qiong, it was only natural for Lin Lan to ask her opinion.
"Blue."
Sui Qiong thought for a moment before answering calmly.
Hearing her answer, the Bulin sister wagged her white tail and, after briefly consulting with the Manjuus, turned back with an energetic response:
"Blue? No problem! We'll have it buli-fied before nightfall!"
With that, this peculiar construction crew marched into Lin Lan's office loft.
"Finished before nightfall? That efficient?"
Lin Lan looked up at the sky in astonishment.
The sky had already turned a deep orange, and the port was gradually being enveloped by the night.
A little over ten minutes later, Lin Lan and the two girls arrived outside the cafeteria, only to be greeted by the sound of a melodious piano tune drifting from within.
Upon entering, Lin Lan realized that the cafeteria, now renovated to resemble a tavern, had been furnished with many additional tables and chairs.
Dozens of eyes immediately turned toward him.
With a quick scan, Lin Lan saw that all the Ironblood shipgirls currently in the port, plus one green-haired heavy sakura merchant, were already seated.
Most of the shipgirls had changed out of their Ironblood uniforms, opting instead for casual wear or elegant evening dresses.
At a glance, Lin Lan almost felt an illusion—rather than powerful warships, they looked more like ordinary, beautiful young women.
Perhaps, this was his greatest success as their commander.
The tables were laden with an abundance of food, alongside glasses filled with red wine and beer.
Of course, the Wolfpack and Z-class destroyer chibis had only soft drinks in their cups.
The music playing just now had been from Bismarck, dressed in a black evening gown, seated at the black grand piano in the center of the cafeteria.
The dark gown complemented her golden, shoulder-length hair, softening her usual untouchable and cold aura, replacing it with an alluring charm.
Upon seeing Lin Lan enter, Bismarck ceased her playing, and the entire cafeteria fell into silence.
Closing the piano, Bismarck stood up from her seat and walked toward Lin Lan with a smile.
"Good evening, Commander."
As soon as they stepped inside, Blücher had already taken Sui Qiong with her to find Admiral Hipper and the others to sit with.
With so many beautiful and adorable Ironblood shipgirls watching him intently, Lin Lan couldn't help but feel his face heat up as he stood before the flagship of Ironblood, who seemed like the leading lady of the evening.
His heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably.
He didn't even need to check—he was sure his face had turned red.
Although he had already attended a grand banquet thrown for him by Friedrich der Große and Prinz Eugen when he first arrived at the Ironblood fortress, he had been too overwhelmed by the initial shock at the time.
Moreover, back then, Friedrich der Große had likely issued an urgent assembly order to prepare the banquet as a surprise for him.
Many of the Ironblood shipgirls had still been in their uniforms during that event.
Unlike now, where most had changed into casual or evening wear, fully displaying their feminine charm in a visually striking manner.
At this moment, any man would find it impossible to remain indifferent.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Seeing Bismarck extend her hand toward him, Lin Lan took a deep breath, smiled, and reached out to hold hers.
Feeling the smooth, warm softness of her hand, much of Lin Lan's unease from being the center of attention dissipated.
After all, every shipgirl here was his oath-bound partner—there was no reason to feel embarrassed.
"Hehe, not at all. Commander, you've arrived just in time."
Bismarck chuckled softly before leading him to the center of the cafeteria hall.
"Commander, you should be the one to announce the start of the banquet."
Hearing Bismarck say this, Lin Lan knew that, as their commander, it was indeed his role to make the announcement.
Quickly organizing his thoughts, he cleared his throat and met the gazes of all the Ironblood shipgirls watching him.
With a light smile, he began:
"The esteemed flagship has really put me on the spot here. As you can probably tell from my face, I am a bit nervous."
His self-deprecating remark elicited a wave of laughter, which was exactly what Lin Lan had intended.
After all, a banquet was meant to be lively and cheerful.
"This banquet is mainly to welcome the comrades who arrived from the fortress yesterday and to celebrate the successful completion of our first major operation since my return."
"Right now, our port has no shortage of food, drinks, or alcohol, so please eat and drink to your heart's content—don't hold back."
"Well, I think that's all I needed to say. So, let the banquet begin!"
As soon as Lin Lan finished speaking, the straightforward, one-eyed elder sister Scharnhorst stood up first, raising her beer mug high with a hearty cheer.
Following her lead, the cafeteria erupted in a festive atmosphere.
Applause, clinking glasses, and the playful bickering of chibis fighting over food filled the air, making for an incredibly lively scene.
"Commander, I didn't expect you to be so good at stirring up the atmosphere."
Just as Lin Lan breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the joyous expressions on every Ironblood shipgirl's face, he heard Bismarck teasing him with a soft chuckle.
"Hah, well, you know, my previous work often involved social gatherings and drinking engagements. Situations like this were common."
Lin Lan glanced at Bismarck's breathtakingly beautiful face and added with a faint smile:
"Of course, attending a banquet with you all is nothing like those business gatherings. This time, I'm genuinely happy."
"Alright, let's go eat first."
Seeing Lin Lan in such a good mood, Bismarck also smiled lightly.
With her leading the way, Lin Lan went over to join the table with Tirpitz, Ulrich, Brunhilde, Graf Zeppelin, and Peter Strasser.
After greeting the elegant Ironblood ladies, they all began to enjoy the feast.
Having expended a great deal of energy in the afternoon's training session, Lin Lan's stomach had long since begun protesting.
"Look at him, he's starving! He's already devouring the food."
The cool and dignified white-haired lady, Graf Zeppelin, commented as she swirled a glass of red wine in her hand.
"Commander, while I do appreciate your enthusiasm for dining efficiently, I suggest you slow down a bit."
Peter Strasser took a small sip of her wine, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement as she smiled at Lin Lan.
Lin Lan put down the pork knuckle in his hand and looked at Peter in confusion, only to see her motioning toward his back with a grin.
Turning his head, he saw Scharnhorst and her younger sister Gneisenau standing behind him, each holding a large mug of beer.
The one-eyed, bold elder sister grinned mischievously at him.
"Commander, no need for words. Let's drink! Little sis, hand the commander a beer. Tonight, we're drinking until we drop!"
Seeing the apologetic smile on glasses-wearing Gneisenau's face as she handed him a beer-filled mug, Lin Lan's mouth twitched slightly.
And besides Scharnhorst, he also noticed that Prinz Eugen, Ägir, Elbe, and several other shipgirls had already set their eyes on him, their glasses brimming with beer.
It seemed there was no escaping an Ironblood-style drinking battle tonight.
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