Elder brother's garrison

Page 1759

“Yes. The police station replied that the missing person’s information was incorrect,” Lu Ming answered. “He was originally an employee who joined our company three months ago, but after he went missing, the police station investigated and compared his information with our company’s records and found that his real name did not match his real name.”

"Uh... so he changed his name and joined your company?"

"Ah."

"Doesn't your company ever check the records or anything like that?"

“I uploaded the documents when I joined the company, but we didn’t find any problems at the time. His name, ID card, and household registration were all correct,” Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai. “According to what the police station said later, his ID card, household registration, and other documents were probably also forged.”

"Why would he falsify information to get the job?" Xiaobai wondered.

“We didn’t know at the time.” Lu Ming shook his head, but after thinking for a while, he said to Xiao Bai, “Until the police station told us something else.”

"what's up?"

"The police said that this person had gone missing once before, six months ago."

"Eek!" Upon hearing this, Xiaobai shuddered twice. "So, the person who was supposed to disappear came to your company and disappeared again?"

"Ah."

"What is going on here..."

“The missing employee must be the one who sent us these notes,” Lu Ming said. “He disguised himself as someone else and infiltrated the company for three months in order to investigate information about our company.”

"They're up to no good..." Xiao Bai swallowed hard upon hearing this.

Xiao Bai finally understood why the atmosphere in Lu Ming's company was so oppressive.

It turns out there was a mole within the company!

"The conclusion reached by the agent and others in the company is that this person is probably serious," Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai. "During the three months he has been lurking in the company, he has a thorough understanding of how the company operates and knows my work habits and routines... If I don't listen to him, he will probably really take action."

"A person who had disappeared once had been lurking in the company for three months under a false identity. Their purpose should not be just to send a few prank letters..." Xiao Bai looked at the letters in his hand again, and when he saw the bright red name on the third letter, he suddenly felt a heavy weight.

Is this considered a hater of Miss Luming?

No, no, no, I don't think ordinary haters would go to such an exaggerated extent...

This is a criminal declaration that could send chills down your spine...

"So, Miss Luming, your company suspended all your work a few days ago to ensure your safety?" Xiaobai asked, folding the piece of paper in her hand and handing it back to Luming.

"Mm." Lu Ming nodded.

"No wonder Yamato and the others haven't been able to contact you since the day before yesterday..." Shiro sighed, "So, Miss Shikamei, you've run into this kind of trouble..."

"I'm sorry for putting our cooperation on hold," Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai.

"No, no, there's no need to apologize." Xiaobai quickly waved her hand and said to Luming with a wry smile, "There's nothing we can do about this. I understand your difficulties, Miss Luming... After all, we're all here to make money. We can't risk our lives for material things, right?"

"So I've been very free these past few days," Lu Ming said to Xiao Bai. "According to the note, as long as I don't work, I won't be in danger."

“That’s true…” Xiaobai thought for a moment, then asked in confusion, “But Miss Luming, why is he stopping you from working? Judging from this period of infiltration, he’s been watching you for more than three or four months, hasn’t he?”

"I don't know," Lu Ming shook his head.

"Is there no reason or anything like that?"

"I don't know."

"Then... Miss Luming, did you call the police?" Xiaobai asked again. "I mean, did you call the police to arrest this person?"

“Hmm… My company called the police for me a few days ago.” Lu Ming nodded. “The police station said they would help me locate this person as soon as possible.”

"Then... Miss Luming, when do you plan to rest?" Xiaobai asked curiously.

"I don't know, he'll probably stay in prison until he's caught," Lu Ming replied.

“…Oh.” Xiaobai tapped his chin and lowered his head in thought.

Based on the brief understanding he had just received, Xiaobai felt that this was a premeditated and meticulously planned threat.

The current situation is that since the threat's preparations have been so detailed, he must have even prepared several hiding places after he escapes... At least according to Xiaobai's guess, if someone who can do those things really wants to hide, even the all-powerful police officers won't be able to find him in a short time.

If they can't find anyone... will Luming be forced to remain at a standstill indefinitely...?

Thinking of this, Xiaobai looked at Luming with some worry.

Chapter 2422 In short, we need to think of a way.

Xiaobai is now considered an industry insider who has brought the ship girls halfway into the entertainment industry. She has a general understanding of just how serious the consequences are of causing a top star to stop activities or even suspend work indefinitely.

For a top star like Lu Ming, the loss from taking a break from work is not just financial.

The turnover rate in the entertainment industry may seem slow at first glance, but it is actually extremely fast. The fierce competition between idol stars belonging to different agencies is, frankly speaking, nothing more than the pursuit of exposure. No matter how talented or gifted a star is, once they lose exposure, they will eventually begin to decline in the ever-changing online environment.

In a sense, celebrities in the entertainment industry are constantly battling against time. Time is the most important thing for them. The peak of any celebrity's career only lasts a few years. If they don't seize the opportunity to gain greater exposure, fame, and resources, the inevitable result will be a slow fall from grace, eventually leading to their being forgotten by fans.

When fans can't see their favorite idols for a long time, even the most fervent emotions will eventually be submerged by the long tide of time.

The entertainment industry is such a cruel place.

"Miss Lu Ming, how many film and television collaboration offers have you turned down in the past few days?" Xiao Bai asked Lu Ming.

"There are probably a dozen or so," Lu Ming replied after thinking for a moment.

"So many?!" Xiaobai exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm." Lu Ming nodded and slowly explained to Xiao Bai, "Because I was prepared for a long vacation, I had to turn down all the film projects I had taken on recently. Including endorsement and clothing advertising projects, I turned down about a dozen collaborative projects."

"You've only rested for a few days, and the losses are already this great..." Even though Xiaobai was mentally prepared, she was still shocked by Lu Ming's answer.

"There's nothing we can do about it." Lu Ming's gaze drifted lightly into the distance, but his expression didn't show much disappointment. "I'm not irreplaceable. If I don't participate, the companies that cooperate with our company can't keep waiting for me."

"How could that be? Miss Lu Ming, you are the most amazing actress I have ever seen!" Xiao Bai quickly shook his head.

"..." Lu Ming lowered her head in a daze. She looked at Xiao Bai, who was looking very serious, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "Yes, thank you."

Xiaobai wanted to say something more.

Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from behind Xiaobai and placed on her shoulders.

A strong force suddenly pulled Xiaobai to the back.

"Huh? Saratoga? What's wrong?" Little White was pulled back several steps before he realized that the person who pulled him over was Saratoga.

Saratoga had just rummaged through Luming's refrigerator and looted a lot of snacks and drinks. In Xiaobai's sight, Saratoga was still sucking on a yellow ice cream stick, and her big blue eyes were shining mischievously.

"I heard what you just said." Saratoga deliberately pulled Shiro a few steps away, then, as if whispering a secret, pulled Shiro to the ship girls' side and excitedly said to Shiro, "Shiro, let's help!"

"help……?"

"Use your invincible network of admirals to find the culprit!"

“Saratoga, my Admiral Network doesn’t work on ordinary humans…” Little White sighed.

"Then let's use our intelligence!"

"I'd like to too, but even the police can't do it in a short time, how could I possibly do it..." Little White said to Saratoga with a sigh.

"Uh... um... well... we can't just watch... that..." Saratoga pouted, then suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had thought of something. "Oh! That's it!"

Saratoga seemed to have thought of something and leaned close to Whitebeard's ear, muttering a string of words.

Little White listened attentively to Saratoga's advice, her eyes gradually brightening.

"Huh? That's right... that seems like a good idea!" Little White looked away and excitedly patted Saratoga on the shoulder. "Saratoga, you're so smart!"

"Hmph!" Saratoga put her hands on her hips and raised her chin smugly.

not far away.

Lu Ming tilted his head, watching Xiao Bai interact with the ship girls, his eyes full of doubt.

"Miss Lu Ming, I have a suggestion!" Xiao Bai turned her gaze to Lu Ming and walked up to her excitedly, asking, "Miss Lu Ming, let me ask you first, do you still want to continue working as a celebrity?"

"Me...?" Lu Ming was stunned. She looked at Xiao Bai for a moment, then answered with a somewhat unfocused gaze, "As for work... I'll still do it if I can..."

"In that case, let's get to work!" Xiaobai gave Luming a thumbs up.

"...But, a threat..."

"The note says that if you keep working, he'll make you pay, right?" Xiaobai smiled, holding up a finger and saying to Luming, "Miss Luming, have you considered that we're currently in the dark while the enemy is in the light? Continuing to drag this out isn't a good thing for you. In some ways, perhaps luring someone who has ill intentions towards you to make a move is the fastest way to resolve the current trouble?"

"...But, danger..."

"As for danger, that's even less of a problem." Xiaobai pointed confidently behind him, and Saratoga immediately puffed out her chest and raised her head. "While we're luring the snake out of its hole, we'll protect Miss Luming's safety!"

“…You…?” Lu Ming was stunned, looking at Xiao Bai with some surprise.

"What's wrong, Miss Luming? Don't you believe in the strength of our naval base?" Xiaobai asked, pouting. "Although our naval base mainly undertakes deep-sea missions, we occasionally take on part-time jobs like bodyguarding in human society. There are no procedural problems with that."

"Do you want to be my bodyguards?" Lu Ming finally understood what Xiao Bai meant.

“That’s right.” Xiaobai nodded happily to Luming. “That’s exactly what I mean! Isn’t that a good idea?”

"..." Lu Ming stood there with his head down, seemingly lost in thought, and didn't give Xiao Bai a reply for a long time.

"Miss Lu Ming?" Seeing that Lu Ming hadn't replied for a long time, Xiao Bai couldn't help but step forward and tug at her sleeve.

Lu Ming suddenly came back to his senses as Xiao Bai made physical contact with him.

Lu Ming raised his eyes to look at Xiao Bai, his gaze momentarily complicated.

"Am I... worthy of your protection?"

"What are you saying—Miss Luming, you're a superstar with hundreds of millions of fans. Many of the ship girls in our naval base have seen your work. Whether from the perspective of your status or from the perspective of our ship girls' wishes, it's perfectly reasonable for us to protect you." Xiaobai said, giving Luming a reassuring look. "Moreover, Miss Luming, you're a partner of our naval base. Your work stoppage has, in a sense, affected our promotional plans. Therefore, helping you resolve this matter is our duty, both personally and officially!"

Lu Ming listened quietly to Xiao Bai's words, then slightly raised her head to look at the person behind Xiao Bai.

The ship girls behind Xiaobai were also watching Luming with smiles.

Looking at the smiling faces of the ship girls, Lu Ming's expression was somewhat dazed for a moment.

"...Are ship girl bodyguards...very expensive?"

“Yes, hiring us is very expensive.” Xiaobai nodded and held up a finger to Lu Ming. “It would cost at least a hundred autographed photos of top female celebrities to pay for it.”

“…” Lu Ming.

"If a hundred is too much, ten will do too." Seeing that Lu Ming didn't speak, Xiao Bai thought that Lu Ming was not very satisfied with this payment method, so she quickly changed her mind and said, while waving her hands frantically, "This is already a friendly price, I can't go any lower, I really can't go any lower."

"..." Looking at Xiaobai's anxious appearance, Lu Ming was suddenly amused by Xiaobai, and finally snapped out of her somewhat absent-minded and dejected state. At the same time, her eyes showed obvious gratitude. "...Thank you."

"Hey...you're welcome." Xiaobai scratched his head. "So, Miss Luming, do you agree to our proposal?"

"Mm." Lu Ming nodded.

"Then it's settled!" Xiaobai breathed a sigh of relief and said to Luming, "From now on, until the bad guys are caught, our rookie naval girls will be responsible for protecting you, Miss Luming."

"Thank you for your help." Lu Ming bowed to Xiao Bai.

"It's alright, it's alright. Helping Miss Luming is helping ourselves too," Xiaobai said with a smile. "But Miss Luming, after things are settled, your autographed photo and such..."

"My lord." Just then, another pair of hands gently reached out and touched Xiaobai's shoulders.

Xiaobai turned around and saw Shenhai Chicheng covering her mouth as she approached.

"Shin...Akagi? What's wrong?" Xiaobai asked curiously.

“My lord, I have just overheard your conversation.” Akagi Shinkai nodded to Shiro and asked softly, “My lord’s method is indeed a good way to resolve the current predicament, and if we are lucky enough to catch the criminal, it could even be a solution once and for all. However, I have a small question about my lord’s idea, and I would appreciate your answer.”

"What questions?"

"If I heard correctly, Miss Luming should have already turned down all her work by now."

"Yeah? What's wrong?"

"If that's the case, then even if Miss Luming is under the master's protection, she won't have any work to do, right? What method will she use to attract the prisoner's attention now?"

"Uh." Xiaobai was stunned.

Deep Sea Akagi's question hit a nerve with Xiaobai.

Chapter 2423 Close-Combat Bodyguard

Akagi's question completely stumped the newbie.

broken.

I never expected that the first step of the plan would suffer such a severe blow...

"Miss Luming, um... do you still have any of the work you turned down before?" Xiaobai turned around haltingly, looking at Luming with an embarrassed expression.

“No more.” Lu Ming shook his head, but then said softly, “But it’s okay. If we open up more opportunities, there should be other new collaborative projects soon.”

"Really, really?"