At first, when Chen Jianhong heard that ridiculous suggestion, his instinctive reaction was to refuse.

The reason was simple.

The Dolphin belonged to the residents of Coral City. It was not his personal property. Whether by law or duty, he had no justification, no authority, and no reason to bring the submarine to join the New Alliance.

And yet, despite telling himself that, the moment he thought of Sun Yuechi, who was currently enjoying a comfortable life in Dawn City, his once rock-solid will suddenly wavered.

Why shouldn’t he agree?

He couldn’t help asking himself.

Even their administrator, of all people the one who should never abandon his responsibilities, had handed off everything without a moment’s hesitation, not even wrinkling his brow.

He himself was merely the captain of a cargo submarine, not a soldier. He was not responsible for the lives of hundreds aboard. So why should he continue fighting a hopeless war?

It wasn’t even a real war.

The submarine had no weapons capable of harming a Federation warship. From beginning to end, they had done nothing but flee and get beaten.

He was sick of the frustration, sick of the crushing weight on his shoulders. Rather than continue suffering, accepting the New Alliance’s lifeline seemed the smarter choice.

After all, by those two girls’ account, Shelter 70’s administrative authority had already been transferred to the New Alliance. So if the Dolphin, designed and built by Shelter 70 residents, was given to the New Alliance, wasn’t that perfectly reasonable?

He wasn’t surrendering to the Federation’s thugs.

And for the over 500 survivors and crew aboard the submarine, it was undeniably the best option.

When the thought clicked into place, everything suddenly became clear. The resentment he had felt upon learning of the administrator’s fate evaporated like smoke.

If you jump, I jump. Now everyone’s the same.

With a bright smile breaking across his face, he reached out toward Tail without hesitation. “This idea... actually sounds pretty good.”

“Just like you said, since our administrator is already with you, we might as well join you too... if you don’t mind.”

The two soldiers beside him exchanged identical looks of shock, as if he had suddenly lost his mind.

Join the New Alliance?!

This was a path none of them had ever expected.

But Tail didn’t see a problem at all. Overjoyed, she grabbed his offered hand. “Oh! I’m so glad you chose us! Our administrator says the New Alliance welcomes all survivors, and of course that includes you! French Fry Harbor will throw a grand welcome ceremony for you! I promise!”

Chen Jianhong gave a mild smile and released her hand. “Ceremonies aren’t important. As long as you can provide us with food, fresh water, shelter, and basic supplies, that’s enough. We also brought some engineers from Coral City, and some engineering equipment. Within their ability, they can help you with complex tasks.”

“Oh! Don’t worry! Whether it’s flowers, food, water, or housing, we’ll take care of all of it!”

Eyes sparkling, Tail pounded her chest with pride.

Lose one submersible, gain one nuclear submarine! What a profitable deal!

Watching this development, Sisi was utterly stunned. She had never expected him to agree. She had already prepared to help Tail escape embarrassment, yet the man really said yes?!

Even if they were all shelter survivors, and communication was easy, they had met less than an hour ago!

It took Sisi half a minute to recover. Her lips moved as she whispered, “Giao...”

That was insanely absurd. And things only got more absurd from there.

Right after agreeing to join the New Alliance, the captain didn’t hesitate at all. He brought the two girls straight to his office and announced over the shipwide broadcast that the Dolphin submarine was joining the New Alliance.

Most survivors aboard reacted calmly to the announcement. A few even sighed in relief, openly showing signs of release. The war had confused them from the start, they had been dragged in without understanding anything.

They didn’t care about winning or losing. Federation or New Alliance, either was fine.

They just wanted their deprived, suffocating life to end and return to normalcy.

After the announcement, Chen Jianhong quickly assumed his new role. He ordered the course set toward the Baiyue Strait and personally gave the two curious girls a tour.

“... The Dolphin was built ten years ago. It’s the largest nuclear submarine currently active in the South Sea, and also the one with the biggest cargo capacity. Its main function is transporting goods between islands and settlements, and performing underwater construction tasks.”

“I recall the maximum diving depth is about 1,000 meters, though we rarely need that. The deepest facility in these waters is around 600 or so meters. It’s an oceanic research station. Coral City itself averages about 200 to 300 meters.”

Tail’s eyes shone. “Ocean settlements! I really want to see one!”

Chen Jianhong chuckled, “Not possible for now. After the blackout, those places became dead cities. Maybe after the war, if it doesn’t drag on too long. Otherwise, it’ll only be good for archaeology.”

His tone became tinged with sorrow.

Those underwater cities were the miracle that southern survivors spent nearly a century building. Yet a single foolish war could destroy it all.

Tail nodded thoughtfully. “It’s like when a house is abandoned too long, you can’t live in it anymore, right?”

Chen Jianhong nodded. “More or less.”

Even if they occasionally drifted off-topic, the two somehow managed to get along.

Sisi walked beside them, leaning against the railing and staring out at the rows of cargo containers. “This submarine really is huge... The length alone surpasses the Ohio and the Belgorod.”

The width was even more impressive. The thing was practically an underwater aircraft carrier.

Hearing her words, Chen Jianhong blinked. “Ohio... What’s that?”

Sisi blinked, then laughed. “Nothing important.”

Indeed, it wasn’t. Fusion-powered versus boiler-powered antiques. There was no comparison at all.

Chen Jianhong didn’t understand but didn’t press. It wasn’t the first time he couldn’t follow their conversation.