As the crew became more familiar with the ship, Elrond finally began to relax, and after the third day of embarkation, the group took the ship out of the dock for the first time under Elrond's organization, grinding for over two hours before returning to the dock.
Once Elrond relaxed, he began to look for opportunities to visit Brigadier General Jackson and Colonel Attilio Parisi in turn After all, relationships are all about getting closer!
The rest of the time was either communicating with Mr. Coburn about the company's future plans and discussing the establishment of their own Brazilian branch in the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was to start formal dating with Lilith, and was even invited by Lilith's mother to have dinner at home, it was during dinner at home that Elrond always felt that the atmosphere was weird, and that his mother-in-law always made Elrond sit in the middle of Lilith and Vivian.
After dinner it was more of a drag away Mr. Coburn leaving Elrond sitting on the couch with a beautiful girl sitting on one side. This makes Elrond feel uncomfortable, not that Elrond does not like the feeling of hugging left and right, which is the dream of many men! But you're hugging your girlfriend and sister-in-law in your girlfriend's house while your in-laws are busy in the kitchen, it makes your scalp tingle just thinking about it okay!
The good thing is that Lilith also seems to have no qualms about her sister Wei Wei An's closeness to her. Even brought Wei-Wei An out with her on the later date, which made Elrond numb his claws, wanting to get close to Lilith, with his sister right next to him, what can be done about it?
Elrond would feel a little awkward, but the two sisters were unconcerned, slowly after a few times, Elrond let go, mainly because he often stayed together and got used to it, Elrond's relationship with the sisters heated up very quickly. Sometimes in front of Wei Wei An's face the two will also come to a kiss, but in a send the two home, Wei Wei An and he said goodbye, but also with the sister as well and he came to a deep kiss.
Elrond's scalp was numb with fear, and he looked at Lilith, but Lilith laughed at Elrond's expression, and if Elrond didn't understand what it meant, he would be worse than a beast. In this way, Elrond spent a few days of his life in Italy.
At last the order to depart was communicated. This time Elrond would be sailing his own ship, the Gilas, in a small formation with three transports arranged by Lt. Cmdr. Graham from the Universal Trading Company, to follow the U.S. convoy across the Atlantic Ocean before joining up with the U.S. East Coast to protect the convoy heading south to Brazil to transport the raw materials fleet.
The one-way voyage took close to twenty-five days, and with a delay in Brazil, it was estimated that it would be two months later, in early March 1945, when Elrond reluctantly bade farewell to the two lovely sisters, and introduced Mr. Coburn to Mr. Bojan Gambino to arrange for the cigarette deal that was to follow.
After asking Brigadier General Jackson, and Mr. Mayor of Naples and Lieutenant Colonel Rolando Crespo of the Italian Garrison to help take care of his business in Italy and his father-in-law's family, he set off with everyone's best wishes.
After a long voyage through a heavy German blockade, it finally arrived on January 20, 1945, at the U.S. naval base at Natal in the northeast corner of Brazil.
And the U.S. escort fleet only escorted the ship as far as this point, with the Brazilian Navy's own fleet escorting it the rest of the way. The good thing was that Elrond and his party of four ships all belonged to the Brazilian military, so there was absolutely no need to worry about their safety in Brazil. After another week of sea route finally arrived at the Navy's Rio de Janeiro Naval Base.
On the arrival of the flotilla, naturally, there were people waiting to receive them, and newspaper reporters came to give a large-scale report on the ceremony in which the Brazilian Navy escorted the bodies of the fallen soldiers from thousands of kilometers away. In fact, the remains were already cremated in urns, because it was impossible to transport the bodies from Italy to Brazil, such a long distance and such a long time, if the bodies were transported, they would have rotted by the time they arrived.
The journalists were not able to see the other three transports that were loading and unloading the loot. Among the military generals receiving Elrond and the others, Elrond accidentally spotted a familiar figure, none other than Lt. Col. Graham, who was supposed to be on the Italian battlefield.
Sure enough, shortly after the welcoming ceremony, a soldier came by to inform Elrond that Lt. Col. Ragham had informed him to meet him at the base headquarters.Elrond didn't have time to think about it, and after straightening up his military appearance, he boarded the jeep that had come to pick him up.
A way around, finally came to an office, the guard knocked on the door to report, informed Elrond to go in. Elrond also did not hesitate to stride into the office. Only to see the main seat of the office sitting on a, figure about slightly fat middle-aged white, red rosacea, hanging a pair of black-rimmed glasses, shoulder with the rank of colonel.
Lt. Commander Ragham, on the other hand, was sitting on the same couch in the parlor area of his office as he had been when Elrond had first met him, only this time he was noticeably more relaxed than last time, as if he were back in his own home.
Elrond didn't recognize who the colonel sitting behind the desk was, and could only stand at attention and salute, "Reporting sir, Navy Lieutenant Elrond, ordered to escort the remains of fallen generals back home, mission accomplished. Reporting to you."
The colonel officer in the main seat said with a smile, "Lieutenant Elrond, hard work. Come, come and sit over here. I've heard from Graham that I have to thank you for being able to find these three ships this time!" Saying that, he pointed to the parlor area where Raghuram was sitting, and got up and walked over himself. Apparently, he was ready to talk together in the guest rest area.
Seeing this rhythm is something that needs Elrond's contribution! However, the other party is the officer, Elrond can not not listen to the command, can only be thanked repeatedly, waiting for the colonel officer to sit down, before he himself sat down on the edge of the sofa, his butt did not even sit down, seemingly very respectful.
"Haha .... Elrond, don't be so nervous, we're all on our own, this is the commander of the Rio de Janeiro Naval Base, Colonel Adams Tichy. This time, because I organized the shipment, although I don't have the time to escort the entire shipment, when I receive the goods, I also have to come over by plane. It will be up to you to hand over the goods directly to Colonel Tichy in the future. See what I mean!" Lt. Colonel Ragham opened his mouth with a big, bright smile.
Elrond thought to himself, no wonder Lt. Col. Ragham arrived in Rio de Janeiro before himself, so it was by airplane! This boat ride is indeed too much of a waste of time, it seems that in the future he will have to take an airplane as well. Listening to Raghuram said that he is his own people, Elrond thought in his heart that I am considered as whose own people?
Elrond also switched to the smile of one of his own and said to Colonel Tichy, "Good day sir, this is just as well that I happen to know of the news of such a trio of ships, and it was Chief Ragham himself who negotiated the specifics of the matter. I can't take credit for that." Turning to Lieutenant Colonel Graham again, he said, "Sir I understand, in the future, every time the supplies are transported back, they will be directly handed over to Mr. Colonel, and no one will be able to pull a screw without a warrant from the two of you."
Colonel Tichy and Lieutenant Colonel Ragham looked at each other before smiling in satisfaction. Seeing that Elrond was very sensible, Colonel Tichy didn't say much more on the topic, he didn't want to talk too much about more sensitive topics with a lieutenant officer who wasn't in his inner circle, after all, it was considered a public weapon for private use. Changing the topic, he said: ''I heard that Lieutenant Elrond is from Sao Paulo? We are very close to Sao Paulo! Are you prepared to take two days to go home and have a look!"
As soon as Elrond heard Colonel Tichy's words, he was happy in his heart, this Colonel Tichy is a bit of a timely style! He was just thinking of finding some reason to go back to the house! He handed over the ladder.
"Yes sir, my subordinate's parents and family are in St. Paul, and after being away from home for two years, I do feel a little homesick. I would like to take two days' leave if I can, and go back to see my parents. I just don't know what arrangements the officers have made for the return shipment, and whether the time will come in a hurry."
"On the return trip we are mainly transporting some soldiers, the troops are not fully manned yet and the plan is to depart in ten days, so you have plenty of time. You can arrange for your crew to take turns taking a little vacation, but you'll have to be back in Rio de Janeiro two days early." It was Lt. Col. Graham who answered Elrond's question.
Elrond always felt that Lt. Col. Graham didn't act like a subordinate when he was with Col. Tichy, although the two acted close, Col. Tichy's rank was where it was at, and according to the rules of officialdom as Elrond understood them, it shouldn't always be Lt. Col. Graham who answered the questions, which didn't seem like a lack of respect for Col. Tichy.
It's also possible, though, that the fact that the two men don't belong to the same system and are not under each other's authority has something to do with it. Just as Elrond was an officer belonging to the Expeditionary Navy and was not actually under the jurisdiction of the two officers in front of him. Although Elrond didn't understand what was going on right now, it was impossible to show it.
Since Colonel Attilio Parisi had explained to him at the time that his ship's mission was to dock with Lt. Col. Graham and be responsible for transporting the remains and trophies of the fallen soldiers, he was definitely following Lt. Col. Graham's orders now. But even if Graham had explained to him the time of his return journey and his transportation mission. He would still have to send a telegram to confirm with the Expeditionary Navy before carrying it out.