Chapter 176: No One Cares (3000 words plus)
The crowd on the shore gradually calmed down because someone used a telescope to find that although the waves were huge, they were far from enough to hit the sea defense line.

Safe and tight.

What's more, no captain would paint a cruiser with Disney's Mickey Mouse pattern before a war.

But the yachts on the coastline are not so lucky as the tonnage difference is too great.

There is a large platform on the cruiser's sports deck. In the past, this was where soldiers performed drills. Now, the platform is equipped with complete musical instruments and special speakers. Four sturdy uncles are standing on the side, three of them wearing turbans and one wearing sunglasses.

All wearing black vests and white overalls.

Judging from his physique, he looks like a soldier; judging from his clothes, he also looks like a soldier.

But they are the band invited by the Izu Fireworks Festival to perform for the spectators.

Maybe it’s because they are not famous, or maybe it’s because they are not a performing band at all, so no one recognized them.

"Are those people soldiers? Why aren't they wearing uniforms?"

"Wow wow wow it's worth coming this time!~!"

"As the event planner for this year's fireworks festival, you did a great job! Great job!"

"They're not soldiers, they don't have uniforms, maybe they're just cleanup personnel."

"How can a tidy person have that kind of physique? I heard their arms are thicker than my thighs."

"It's normal for the seamen to be strong! Those who are not strong will die on the ship!"

There was more and more discussion, which became a hot topic. Visitors once again flocked to the shore, took out their mobile phones, and waited excitedly for the performance - although they didn't know what the performance would be.

People were crowded together.

It's more lively than before.

Far away.

The man wearing sunglasses on the deck took the microphone, turned it on, tested the sound, and then said:

"Ahem, everyone, please keep order and don't gather together. Please leave some space so that everyone can see."

Can you see them all?
What do you see?
How can it be?

No matter how big the ship is, it is still too small compared to the endless coastline, and there are so many people that they have to squeeze together if they want to see clearly.

The crowds were still thick.

The uncle in sunglasses saw that the crowd was not following instructions, so he picked up the walkie-talkie and said something.

Then, the sound of the cruise ship's horn resounded through the sky.

People looked in the direction of the sound and were stunned.

The 155mm (6-inch) main gun in the center of the ship slowly rotated, with the muzzle raised to nearly 90 degrees, forming a right angle with the deck; the 48 secondary guns mounted on the hull and embedded on the decks on both sides also rotated at the same frequency, facing the sky in all directions...

next second.

The earth-shaking sound of artillery fire rang out.

What followed was a continuous barrage of shots, with the sound of bang bang bang continuing.

Streams of light, dragging red tails of flame, rushed into the night sky one after another, and then exploded one after another.

Atami, a town originally famous for its hot springs, is now completely covered in fireworks. The huge fireworks are colorful and dazzling, and they seem to gather into a towering tree in the night sky, with leaves made of rosy clouds covering everything.

In an instant, it was as if it were daytime!
The crowd watched all this in shock; their eyes, ears, and noses could no longer accommodate anything else.

They began to slowly disperse, and finally understood why they said "everyone can see it". Indeed, everyone can see it, and perhaps even people in the next city can see it.

While lamenting that the cruiser was a waste of its talent, he also admired the huge investment made in Izu's fireworks display.

"So……"

The man in sunglasses noticed the crowd dispersing, pondered for a moment, and waited until the other three members arrived at their respective positions before taking a deep breath.

The audience held their breath.

“Just Live More——”

“Woooow!!!”

The volume of the man in sunglasses suddenly increased, and the accompaniment of the instruments instantly set the whole sky on fire. The cruiser's "signal broadcast" was used as a sound system by them, and it could probably be clearly heard several miles away. The audience on the shore also screamed and matched their performance.

At the same time, countless brilliant golden fireworks exploded in the sky at the same time, and everyone's cheeks were reflected in gold.

Spectacular!

Shocked!

It can even be said to be a feat that is difficult to replicate.

But it's quite outrageous that a cruiser can actually sail to the waters near Japan. Aren't they afraid of causing the Third World War?
But everyone looked very happy.

……

Behind the light cruiser Elizabeth was the small yacht on which Utsunomiya Shuo was riding.

No one can see here.

The broken shadows of fireworks are reflected on the river surface.

The yacht was sailing behind the passenger ship. The lights from the shore were blocked by the ship's hull, and the only source of light came from the fire above.

He and Zero sat on the small sofa with a small laptop in front of them, and on the screen was the 'singer' who was singing.

They stared at the screen in a daze.

The colors on their faces changed with the colors of the fireworks exploding in the sky, sometimes red, sometimes yellow...

A blue firework exploded in the sky, blooming into a magnificent little bear pattern.

The lights on the riverside were shining, and the band's passionate performance spread to all the spectators on the shore, who moved along with the rhythm.

Zhuo and Ling were still staring at the screen stupidly.

Zhuo felt that this kind of fireworks display was a bit strange, as if it had turned into a concert. A fireworks display should be quiet, with people looking up at the sky silently. However, the audience on the shore did not say anything, perhaps he was the only one who felt this way.

The recoil from the Elizabeth cruiser's accumulated fire created waves all around, blowing the yacht they were on all over the place.

The seawater continuously washed the side protective steel plates, splashing thick salt water onto the expressionless faces of the two men. They didn't even wipe it with their hands.

They all held the side armrests with one hand and sat still.

“Rich people are amazing.”

Zhuo looked at the sky and sighed without any tone.

In front of such a steel behemoth, 4000 drones, 99 supercars... are simply weak - there is no comparison at all, they are not even in the same league.

"It's the potato chips that are great." said Ling.

"Yeah, it is true..." Zhuo looked at the colorful night sky, "...I have to admit, it is stunning."

"Yeah." Zero responded symbolically.

Then the two of them continued to stare blankly at the uncle jumping up and down on the screen.

……

Time passed slowly.

The yacht was blown all over the place, perhaps because the wind was strong on the river, or perhaps because Zhuo's hands were very tired.

Zhuo accidentally let go of the handrail and his body involuntarily slid to the other side, with his hip pressed against Ling's body.

Then stop.

"The wind is a bit strong." He continued to stare at the screen.

Maybe the concert at the fireworks display was quite good and he needed to enjoy it.

Staring at the screen.

After two or three seconds, he felt the little person next to him quietly move, the physical contact disappeared, and he shrank to a corner of the sofa - like a cat quietly shrinking in the corner.

Unfortunately, the wind picked up on the river and the yacht started to shake again.
The wooden chairs had been polished too bright and now, stained by the sea water, had become even more slippery.

It's like there's no friction!
So once again, I couldn't help but slide towards Zero.

Half of the body was stuck together.

Ling was now sitting in the corner of the sofa. If it weren't for the armrest, half of his body would have been hanging outside.

Still, she moved again.

As if using some kind of martial arts, his small body shrunk even smaller, his hands were placed on the armrests, his upper body leaned out, it could not even be considered as sitting on the sofa, it was all supported by his hands on the armrests... and he widened the distance a little bit again.

The ship shook again.

Zhuo's body tilted and he fell over.

"..."

Zero didn't even bother to glare at him.

But she finally stopped moving. She had nowhere to hide. Her lower body was now out of the chair. Only her hands were supported on the side armrests, trapped in the middle and unable to move... unless she stood up and jumped into the river.

Zhuo didn't move either, as if he had just "slipped" over accidentally, his eyes were fixed on the screen, as if a stripper's erotic dance was being performed on the screen.

Zero felt his hands and feet become somewhat stiff. He remained in this strange posture motionless, staring at his reflection on the water, as if he was trying to appreciate the fireworks through the reflection on the river surface.

Utsunomiya Shuo remained in this position motionless, and Zero also did not move, as if they had reached some kind of silent agreement, or as if they were just two stone statues.

Zhuo's eyes were a little dazed and the sound in his ears was very loud.

Fireworks like salutes kept rising into the sky.

The screams from the shore never stopped.

The roar of the uncle on the cruiser could be heard from all directions.

So noisy.

But it seemed like I couldn't hear anything.

The T-shirt, soaked by the tide, stuck to my skin. The sea breeze used to feel a bit cold - but now I couldn't feel it anymore.

It was as if there was an endless flow of warmth coming from the area of ​​skin that was in contact with Zero, refreshing the heart.

But there is no trace of desire.

His heart was very calm, so calm that he seemed to want to just fall asleep.

……

It felt like just a moment, the singing performance on the passenger ship ended, and the final fireworks bloomed in the sky as planned, creating a stunning aerial work. This was definitely the biggest firework of the night. There was only one, but it seemed to cover the entire night sky.

The fireworks display officially came to an end.

It ended too quickly.

It was unexpected.

It leaves people with no time to prepare and react.

The passenger ship that was performing the show left, and the yacht that was setting off fireworks also sailed away into the distance.

After the performance, the crowd on the river bank dispersed, and the night market stall owners were packing up their things to go home.

But there are still some people who are still not satisfied and are chatting by the river to promote their feelings with each other.

Utsunomiya Shuo was also attracted by the huge firework at the last second, and at this moment he was still looking up to savor it carefully.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he felt that his body, which was pressed against Zero, was a little hot. His heart felt itchy, and he subconsciously looked at the blonde loli beside him, but found that she was also looking at him.

They both turned their faces away at the same time.

Then Ling stood up suddenly and walked into the yacht without looking back.

Meteor in stride.

　Thanks to Gangqiwansui for the 500 points.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)