Azur Lane: Isekai'd with Maxed-Out Port

"Chief Li, are you joking with me?"

Even though Luo Tao knew he wasn't a match for the bastard in front of him, this situation had crossed his bottom line. 

If this scoundrel took his ship girls to the Battleaxe Military Industry for experiments, he couldn't imagine the consequences.

Luo Tao looked at the menacing one-eyed man before him and prepared himself to fight back to the bitter end.

"Heh, do you really think you have the right to refuse?"

Li Banan regarded Luo Tao with disdain, and the two shipwives behind him stepped forward with hostile expressions, glaring at Luo Tao.

However, even in the face of the two light cruisers, Luo Tao's eyes remained resolute; he did not back down.

"In that case, I'll give you a day to think it over."

After a tense silence, Li Banan put on his sunglasses and spoke in a chilling tone: "If you hand over your ship girls to me and cooperate with the Battleaxe Military Industry, I can offer you unimaginable benefits. You'll be treated like family."

"Whether it's money, power, or anything else, I can provide it. Being the ruler of Yalang City is far more tangible than simply protecting your three ship girls, isn't it?"

Luo Tao's expression did not waver. "I'm not like you, Chief Li."

Seeing Luo Tao's defiance, as well as the little chibi standing protectively in front of him, Li Banan sneered and sighed. 

"Very well. I'll be waiting for your ship girls at the Battleaxe Mansion tonight. If I don't see anyone, or if I suspect you're planning to escape, you know the consequences."

As he finished speaking, a series of explosions erupted from the sea, causing Luo Tao's ears to ring.

After leaving those words, Li Banan turned his back and left the dock, flanked by the two shipwives.

"How dare this bastard do such a thing? Damn it!"

Once Li Banan was gone, Luo Tao sank weakly to the ground.

He was still just a recent graduate, and the threat posed by someone like Li Banan had drained his courage. 

He had steeled himself to face death, yet this situation left him feeling helpless.

The little chibi shipgirl beside him stepped forward and hugged him gently, but he was consumed by despair.

Tonight was the deadline.

He could either surrender his three ship wives as bargaining chips to survive and become a subordinate of Li Banan—something he found utterly unacceptable, as it crossed the line for him—or he and his ship wives would face an "accidental" death on behalf of the Admiralty.

Luo Tao buried his head in his hands, feeling pain coursing through him.

He lied to himself, claiming he wasn't afraid of death, but who isn't? He had known since he entered the Naval Academy that he would have to fight the sirens and could die at any moment.

Yet he never imagined he would meet his end not at the hands of the sirens but at the hands of "his own people."

He glanced at the little chibi ship girl beside him, noticing how cute and innocent she looked.

Why did he have to encounter such a scoundrel and involve these innocent ship girls in this mess?

Just as Luo Tao was drowning in self-blame and despair, his phone suddenly rang.

Seeing the name on the screen, he took a few deep breaths to steady himself before answering.

"Hello? Old Luo, hey, hey, where do you think I am now?"

A familiar voice came through the phone, and for Luo Tao, who was steeped in despair, it felt like grasping a lifeline. 

He replied, his voice trembling, "Lin, Lin Lan, I need to tell you something. Please listen..."

Since he couldn't escape tonight, Luo Tao chose to confide in his old classmate, someone he had fought alongside at the Naval Academy, about everything happening in Yalang City.

At the very least, if he died, Lin Lan would have the chance to avenge him.

Meanwhile, in a café located in a shopping center in downtown Yalang City, Lin Lan listened in silence as his classmate detailed everything.

Luo Tao slowly recounted the misdeeds of Li Banan, the commander of Yalang City, and Ming Muhan, the general agent of Battleaxe Military Industry.

A cold rage filled Lin Lan's expression as he listened. 

Even as his old classmate grew increasingly emotional, almost in tears, as if confessing last words, Lin Lan's resolve only deepened.

"Luo Tao, you've been wronged. Listen to me first."

Next to Lin Lan, Zeppelin, Agir, and Mainz noticed his shift in mood and set down their coffee cups.

He fought to contain his anger, speaking to his old classmate in a calm but firm tone: 

"Take your three ship wives to the shopping center in the commercial district of Yalang City. I will be waiting for you in the café on the top floor."

Upon hearing Lin Lan reveal his location, Luo Tao gasped in disbelief.

"Why are you in Yalang City? Li Banan and the Battleaxe Military Industry haven't discovered you yet." 

"You need to leave this city quickly; you can't face them, and I don't want you to get dragged down with me!"

Despite Luo Tao's insistence on keeping Lin Lan out of danger, Lin Lan's expression hardened.

If he hadn't found his own port ship girls, it's likely that Luo Tao would have been able to escape this predicament.

But now, all Lin Lan wanted was to shred that bastard's plans and take down the Battleaxe Commandery.

To take a ship girl and hand her over to the consortium for illegal experiments, then threaten his classmates to do the same—that was unforgivable.

Li Banan had moved to the top of Lin Lan's kill list, and he would definitely pay for his crimes.

"Just come, and remember to wear civilian clothes. Bring all your ship wives with you; I'm sure I can help you."

Hearing the firm tone in Lin Lan's voice warmed Luo Tao's heart.

The old classmate he remembered had always been a reliable friend, someone with a personality similar to his own.

Though he often took a more traditional approach to problems, Lin Lan had an innate ability to make him feel understood.

Now, he had no choice but to believe that his old classmate could help him escape this dire situation.

"Okay, Lin Lan. I'll be there soon."

After hanging up, Luo Tao turned to the little chibi secretary ship beside him. "Call your friends. We're going to the city center."

On the other end, Lin Lan fell into a long silence after ending the call.

The three iron-blooded ship girls before him remained quiet, simply sipping their coffee as they awaited his orders.

"Really... gutless bastards."

After a lengthy pause, Lin Lan finally took a deep breath and spoke these words softly.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered that his classmates might be bullied by the commander of Yalang City.

However, the way Li Banan could disregard his ship girls made Lin Lan shudder to think about how psychologically twisted this man must be.

"Commander, your heart is filled with destructive emotions. Do you want me to help you vent your rage?"

Zeppelin set down her coffee cup and stared at Lin Lan with blood-red eyes, her tone cold.

"Not yet, Zeppelin."

Lin Lan considered Luo Tao's situation and the information he had shared. 

After a moment of reflection, he replied to Zeppelin: "Tonight will be the time for you to unleash my anger in this city."

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25+ advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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