Azur Lane Under the Stars

Page 553

Although I don't know why Belfast said that, she must have her reasons.

"Commander, good luck!" Hu De gave Ren Shuo a thumbs-up.

"Okay, keep it up."

Ren Shuo said.

We definitely need to prepare properly, after all, success or failure might hinge on this one move.

Chapter 599 With Me... Rome!

"So, you won't let me wear a suit, but you're making me wear the commander's uniform. Why?"

Ren Shuo awkwardly tugged at his crisp collar, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Although the commander's clothes are all custom-made and made of high-quality materials, so there is no discomfort or itchiness when wearing them, Ren Shuo was once an ambitious young man who grew up under the red flag.

After wearing the same uniform for so many years of compulsory education, it always looks so outdated, and it's giving me PTSD.

It's not a physical feeling, but a strong psychological rejection.

"Commander, you don't understand! This is the uniform for victory!"

Yorktown chuckled as he helped Ren Shuo straighten his clothes.

Ren Shuo rolled his eyes: "I know you girls have a 'winner' outfit' thing... but guys have one too? And you wear it on the outside? You're like Superman."

"Well, the first time the Commander met Rome, he was wearing the Commander's uniform. As the saying goes, you have to finish what you start."

Yorktown helped Ren Shuo smooth out the wrinkles on his clothes, took a step back, and said sweetly.

"Alright, I'll do as you say... How's Veneto's preparation going?"

Ren Shuo looked into the inner room, where Veneto and Belfast were preparing.

"Alright, Commander."

Veneto's voice came from inside.

Veneto, dressed in a white dress, walked gracefully out from inside. The long skirt covered her long and shapely thighs, revealing only her fair ankles. Her jade-like feet were clad in high-heeled black sandals, making the already tall Veneto appear even more slender.

Her silver-gray hair also clearly shows that it has been styled intentionally; you can always trust Belfast's craftsmanship and taste.

Coupled with Veneto's somewhat aloof expression, she exudes an air of sophisticated elegance and a cool, mature woman.

In short, that fleeting moment of charm made Ren Shuo feel as if he were seeing the Sardinian flagship Veneto, strategizing and brimming with confidence on the battlefield.

But the illusion crumbled the next second.

Veneto gave a "gentle" smile and tilted her head at Ren Shuo: "Commander, how is it?"

Yorktown and Belfast suppressed their laughter, while Ren Shuo covered his eyes in exasperation.

“Really Veneto, please don’t smile like that… at least try to keep a straight face when you’re wearing this outfit.”

"Why?" Veneto asked, puzzled.

Ren Shuo thought to himself, "Look at Guanghui's gentle smile, it's all-encompassing. And look at Xianghe, it's like an older sister's doting affection..."

Why does your smile always give me a silly feeling? Is it because you've built so many sandcastles in Gascon that it's created a certain impression?

I think Veneto, you need to seriously reflect on this.

Despite having thought about all this, Ren Shuo said, "I think you look even better like this."

Although Veneto instinctively felt that something was amiss, he still chose to believe in Suo.

With all preparations complete, Belfast acted as driver, taking Veneto and Ren Shuo to their destination.

This is the largest opera house in the city, but Ren Shuo looked at the magnificent gate and the standard Sardinian-style decorations...

Why do I feel like I've seen this somewhere before?

Ren Shuo felt the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember what to say.

Veneto asked in surprise, "Why is it so similar in appearance and size to the large bathhouse I used to run?"

Ren Shuo, like Conan with lightning flashes in his eyes, instantly understood.

Oh my god, I knew I'd seen this somewhere before! Turns out it's the large bathhouse in Veneto's house.

But honestly, this theater... compared to Veneto's bathhouse, is it that Veneto's bathhouse is too luxurious, or that this place is a bit shabby?

With this question in mind, Ren Shuo arrived at the main entrance, where a well-dressed hostess stood with a professional smile on her face.

Upon seeing Ren Shuo and Veneto, they proactively approached them and asked, "Do you have an invitation?"

He subtly glanced at Ren Shuo.

Hmm, Commander, young and handsome... he must be the special guest Miss Rome was talking about, right?

Who is this guest? He actually managed to get Miss Rome to book a private event.

Although she had many thoughts in her mind, the young lady's expression remained unchanged as an experienced receptionist.

After checking Ren Shuo's invitation letter in accordance with the rules and regulations, Ren Shuo and his group were allowed to enter.

Veneto found it strange once inside.

Why? There's no one here.

Ren Shuo looked around and indeed, there were only himself and Veneto; there was no one else. Could it be that he had arrived too early?

No, you can always trust Belfast's time management.

Although it was a bit strange, Veneto and Ren Shuo still entered the venue to watch the performance.

The room was still empty, with no audience members present.

"Am I... in the wrong venue?"

“Impossible, there’s only one venue here…” Veneto denied.

"Please sit down first, the show is about to start," Ren Shuo said.

The two waiting for the performance were completely bewildered, while Belfast, who was waiting in the parking lot, smiled knowingly.

The huge parking lot had only a handful of cars.

It seems that only the host and Miss Veneto accepted the invitation to this performance.

Perhaps this makes sense, because if we only talk about a few people, we can better lay our cards on the table.

"Go, Master!"

Belfast leaned comfortably against the car door, enjoying the cool evening breeze.

…………

As the curtain slowly rose, melodious music began to play, not deafeningly loud, but rather creating a unique tranquility.

On the left and right, Rome and Giuseppe, dressed in their finest attire, also made their appearance.

Rome wore a small crown and a pristine white lace dance dress. Her slender waist was bound by a dark blue ribbon, and there was a decorative floral cluster on her side. Her flawless white thighs were adorned with asymmetrical leg rings.

Her small feet, like works of art, were encased in deep blue ballet shoes. Under the light and against the dark background, she looked like a noble and elegant swan, dancing gracefully in the quiet night.

Giuseppe, on the other hand, created a visual contrast with Rome, wearing a black lace ballet dress, a headscarf that resembled a black wedding gown, and black ballet shoes...

The lace sleeves on her arms contrasted sharply with the snow-white skin on her chest and her delicate, alluring collarbone, making her already fair skin appear even more flawless, like the finest jade.

If Rome is a pristine white swan, then Giuseppe is a mysterious and alluring black swan.

The contrast between black and white, combined with her stunningly beautiful face and incredibly graceful dance moves, was like the most beautiful painting in the world slowly unfolding before Ren Shuo.

Although Ren Shuo didn't know much about these dances, the relaxing and pleasing aesthetics were undeniable.

As the music alternated between rousing and soothing, the performance on stage was like a storybook, allowing Ren Shuo to delve deeper into its story.

Time always slips away unnoticed, and when the song ended, Ren Shuo was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

Giuseppe and Roma slowly walked to the center of the stage, their soft curves rising and falling with their slight panting.

A slight blush appeared on her snow-white face due to exercise.

The two of them standing there are a stunning sight.

With the two performers' elegant curtain call, the short dance performance came to a temporary end.

Ren Shuo and Veneto also stood up and applauded, expressing their praise without reservation.

Sensing the praise from Ren Shuo and Veneto, the two women did not return backstage as they would during a normal performance. Instead, they slowly walked down to Ren Shuo and Veneto, who had stood up and were applauding.

Standing silently, Ren Shuo could even smell the faint fragrance emanating from their sweat.

Do you like dancing?

Rome spoke slowly, her heterochromatic eyes, like jewels, looking at Ren Shuo with a gaze as clear as water.

“I really like it, it’s beautiful,” Ren Shuo replied.

"That's good..." Rome smiled, his confidence tinged with a hint of gentleness.

"We're glad you're satisfied with our performance, Commander Ren Shuo." Giuseppe breathed a sigh of relief.

Veneto glanced at Rome, then at Ren Shuo, and wisely chose to remain silent.

"Swans at night can dance at any time, but they only show their dance to important people when they are at their most perfect. Commander Ren Shuo, are you prepared to take on this important responsibility?"

Rome's lips curled slightly as he stepped forward, his slender white fingers gently touching Ren Shuo's chest.

Ren Shuo smiled knowingly: "Of course, I don't have many advantages, but I am strong. No matter how important the matter is, I can carry it on my shoulders."

Now that things have come to this point, how could Ren Shuo not understand? Rome must have figured it out.

Through the actions of Veneto and Littorio, he gained a greater familiarity and affinity with the port area, and he became friends with Rome. Moreover, he was able to meet all the criteria for selecting commanders, which could even be described as demanding.

Rome himself has been thinking about this for the past few days, and even went to talk to the team leader.

The final conclusion is that I, like a rootless duckweed, am perhaps truly tired of drifting and need to find a place to anchor my soul and a place that can shelter me from the wind and rain, and together we can restore the glory of Rome.

Now that they knew what Rome wanted, their approach was to forge ahead relentlessly.

Looking at the commander who had been her life partner, Rome smiled confidently, took a step back, and bowed like an elegant Cygnus princess.

"I am Rome, the rightful heir to the will of Romulus. I look forward to your guidance... So, Commander, guardian of the seas, leader of the port, the one whom all have the right to call you—which one should I address you as?"

Ren Shuo laughed and said, "No need for all that trouble, just call me Commander."

"Hmm, then Commander, from now on, the mission to reclaim Rome won't just be my mission alone. You'll have to help too."

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Ren Shuo said.

The simple oath-taking ceremony in Rome was over, and Giuseppe couldn't wait to jump out.

Unlike her elegant and quiet demeanor on stage, Giuseppe offstage was a girl who was sometimes overly lively. She smiled and said to Ren Shuo:

"Alright, alright, it's my turn~ Commander, as I said before, if you can handle Big Sister, then I'll join the port. Now it's time for me to keep my promise~"

"Ahem... Mercenary Captain-class light cruiser, number two! Giuseppe Garibaldi! She'll be fighting to uphold Sardinia's glory from now on. Hey! High five, Commander!"

Giuseppe's self-introduction and oath were simpler.

Ren Shuo smiled and gave Giuseppe a high five.

Giuseppe exclaimed happily, "The Commander's hands are huge too!"

Rome said, "Commander, our luggage is packed. Can we return to the port tonight?"

"Of course, there are plenty of rooms in the port area, but you're leaving tonight?" Ren Shuo was taken aback. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to your companions?"

Roma shook his head: "We've already said goodbye. I've talked to the director these past few days, and Giuseppe, Leonardo da Vinci, and I have all left the company. St. Louis also gave the drama company a considerable sum of compensation."

"...Speaking of which, what about Leonardo da Vinci?"

Ren Shuo suddenly remembered that Leonardo da Vinci should also be featured in the performance.

"That guy seems to have been working on his research and development so much that he can't get anyone to come, so only the two of us could come."

Giuseppe looked somewhat helpless.

"That kid Leonardo da Vinci also wants to join the port, Commander, do you agree?" Roma asked.

Ren Shuo immediately nodded: "Of course I agree."