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墨書 Inktalez
If it weren't for the fact that Chuyang happened to catch the annual recruitment event at Rongcheng Naval Academy and was incredibly lucky to be accepted, he, as a newcomer to this world without roots or any valid identification, would likely have ended up sleeping on the streets.
During the first two years at the academy, the school provided them with a certain amount of allowance, which was more than enough for daily expenses as long as they didn't spend extravagantly. However, by the third year during the internship period, the school would cancel all kinds of benefits and subsidies, meaning that all meals and daily expenses would need to be covered by the students themselves.
For other students, this was not an issue at all; the Naval Base that provided them with internship positions would cover all their expenses within reasonable limits and also pay them a decent salary. But Chuyang, for some reason, ended his internship journey at that Naval Base in just a month and returned to Rongcheng, so for the eleven months leading up to graduation, he had to rely on hard work outside to make ends meet.
The money spent on buying clothes for Firefly consumed more than half of his savings. Now, looking at the exquisitely packaged clothing box in his hands, Chuyang felt an overwhelming urge to cry. On one hand, he felt pained about the money spent; on the other hand, he was filled with anxiety about his future path.
Tomorrow was graduation day. If he didn't find a Fleet Girl before the ceremony, then aside from receiving his diploma, he wouldn't need to attend the subsequent commissioning ceremony or the allocation meeting at the Naval Base, which would mean an end to his journey as an Admiral.
"I must be too ambitious; perhaps I am destined to be an ordinary person." His more than twenty years of experience in his previous life made him noticeably more mature than his peers. Although he still felt regret about not becoming an Admiral, he wouldn't cry like those younger ones. Not becoming an Admiral didn't mean life couldn't go on; with a diploma from the Naval Academy, he could still find a decent job in society and perhaps one day form a happy and warm family with a kind-hearted girl who might not be particularly beautiful but would be gentle and virtuous.
"Uncle, what are you mumbling about?" A child's voice suddenly came from behind, causing Chuyang to pause for a moment. He quickly adjusted his expression before turning around and saying, "It's nothing. Here you go, Firefly. This is the dress I bought for you. Let me know if you like it."
Words could hardly describe Chuyang's excitement at that moment. If he weren't afraid of scaring the little girl and making things awkward, he would have loved to pick up Firefly and shower her with affection.
"I like it! But Uncle, I won't call you Dad," Firefly said with a playful smile while blinking her big eyes. In fact, when Chuyang rushed into the Children's Clothing Store, Firefly had followed him inside but went straight to the racks of clothes in the back. Because she was so small, her little figure was perfectly hidden behind the racks. Additionally, Chuyang was caught up in his excitement over finding a Fleet Girl, so he didn't notice her actions.
However, Firefly saw all of his expressions and movements clearly; when he said, "I'm buying clothes for my daughter," it naturally reached her ears without missing a beat.
"But Uncle, I can't just take your things for free." Saying this, Firefly unzipped her small crossbody bag and carefully counted out a stack of money before handing it over to Chuyang.
"What are you doing?" Chuyang suddenly had an ominous premonition. In his past experiences of summoning ships, he had encountered similar situations where he joyfully presented something that the Fleet Girls liked, only for them to accept it and then, after inquiring about the price, pay him exactly what it was worth. This usually indicated a failed summoning.
To be honest, if this were not on the street but in some secluded corner, Chuyang would definitely have shouted to the heavens, "Am I destined to be alone forever?"
"I'm sorry, Uncle Strange." Firefly lowered her head shyly; she regretted her decision.
"It's fine, you can keep the clothes!" Chuyang said, unable to hide his disappointment as he waved his hand dejectedly. Perhaps he had failed too many times! Aside from disappointment, Chuyang was not overly saddened. Of course, he wouldn't take the money; he considered it a gift for Firefly, marking an imperfect conclusion to his impending Admiral career.
"Uncle Strange, why are you leaving?" Seeing Chuyang turn to leave, Firefly stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after him, grabbing his hand. "Uncle Strange, contracts are very important for us Fleet Girls! This is our first meeting, so I can't just hastily sign a contract with you."
"What do you mean?" In fact, the moment Firefly grabbed his hand, Chuyang stopped. Looking at the little girl with a face that seemed to say he was hopeless, Ling Yi squatted down, suppressing her excitement and eagerly awaiting Firefly's next words.
"You’re really silly." Firefly flicked Chuyang's forehead with her small hand and said, "Uncle Strange, no wonder you can't summon any ships; who asks a Fleet Girl to sign a contract on their first meeting?"
In this world, the contract between Fleet Girls and Admirals is not a conventional paper contract or some mystical element from fantasy novels; rather, it is a kind of spiritual resonance. It is well-known that everyone's Mental Power fluctuations are different. However, even the most powerful humans cannot change their inherent Mental Power frequency. Yet Fleet Girls can. When a Fleet Girl recognizes someone and decides to become their Fleet Girl, she adjusts her mental fluctuations to synchronize with the Admiral's, establishing a kind of mysterious spiritual connection—one could say it is telepathy—indicating that the contract has been formed.
Although Fleet Girls can adjust their Mental Power fluctuations at any time to dissolve the contract and are not bound by the Admiral in any way, they take contracts very seriously. Once a contract is signed, unless the Admiral does something truly unforgivable to them, the Fleet Girl will not break the contract for life. Therefore, no Fleet Girl would casually sign a contract with just anyone.
Additionally, aside from those Fleet Girls awakened personally by Admirals through Shipyards, any summoning by an Admiral is not instantaneous; it requires a process of mutual understanding similar to pursuing a girlfriend. Of course, there are also cases akin to whirlwind marriages; Fleet Girls are women too and among them are some quirky infatuated ones.
Firefly's meaning was easy to understand: she could not immediately sign a contract with Chuyang but was giving him an opportunity to pursue her. Depending on how Chuyang performed in the future, she would decide whether or not to sign the contract.
In this brief moment, life’s ups and downs came too quickly for Chuyang; he didn’t know what expression to give Firefly. However, he ultimately suppressed the bitterness in his eyes and smiled as he extended his hand. "Then let’s get acquainted again. My name is Chuyang, a graduate of Rongcheng Naval Academy's class of 17."
"Firefly, originating from the John Isaac Sannicroft Company Shipyard in Woolston, Hampton County, England, Old World Royal Navy G-Class Destroyer..."
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