Revisit Azur Lane

Zhou He was right; the Sirens were indeed panicked, or rather, the Purifiers who had been pulled into the Mirror Sea along with his family were panicked.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what's going on here?"

The Purifier, accompanied by two small shark-shaped floating cannons, kept muttering something. Her bright, large eyes warily observed the mist around her and what was deep within it. After a brief internal deliberation, she chose to 'rush forward' and charged towards the location where Zhou He's ship girl had originally been.

"Those who always stay hidden in the background are unreliable. What exactly did the Builder connect this place to?"

The purification of the fair face showed some tension, but not to the point of being particularly panicked. The observer's original plan was to use their scattered positions to attract the singularity where the ship girls gathered, and then have the builder lie in wait on the seabed to create the mirror sea area.

Just before the Observer lost communication with her, that guy was still spouting nonsense like 'It's done,' but the instant the Mirror Sea unfolded, she lost contact with the Observer, the Tester, and even the Builder. What's worse, the mass-produced and Executor units that had been following her orders also broke free from her control, as if they had been taken over by something with higher authority.

This experience was rare, but it existed in the host's records. She remembered very clearly what it was—an ominous sign.

……

Although the sun was not visible, the sky above Zhouhejia Port was clear, a stark contrast to the thick fog outside the port. This difference gradually attracted the attention of many people over time.

"It's not even finished generating yet. Is the Sirens' efficiency really this low?"

Having just held a 'Mirror Sea Strategy' conference with his ship girls, Zhou He sat on the cool corridor floor, gazing at the mist that seemed to rise even higher than the mountains. He couldn't wait to test the quality of this Mirror Sea.

"Perhaps they are also considering what kind of terrain to create, or how to deploy their fleet to a designated location?"

A light voice answered Zhou He's question. It was Hermione standing behind him. She had tried to dissuade Zhou He from sitting on the ground but failed. As a maid, it was not convenient for her to sit on the ground with Zhou He, so she could only stand aside and wait.

In contrast, about two body lengths to Zhou He's right, Miss Shentong was kneeling on the floor very naturally, her posture upright, also gazing at the distant mist. The refined temperament she displayed was several levels higher than Zhou He's.

"If that's the case, I'll think more highly of them."

Zhou He chuckled. The Sirens themselves were products of advanced technology. In the game, the people in the experimental mechanism were strictly carrying out their 'plans'. He remembered Frederick the Great's event, which even deduced the best time for Ironblood to rebel. If it weren't for the appearance of several meta ships as plan variables, Frederick the Great's counterattack would have ended in failure.

In short, these observers are individuals who follow the orders of the host or even higher authorities to carry out tasks. Their actions are all premeditated, and they rarely do anything outside the plan. They are truly pawns.

Of course, Zhou He would only think these things in his heart, and would only touch upon them with his mouth, so as to avoid making mistakes and revealing his true level.

Turning her gaze from the distance to the front, Yuudachi was enthusiastically surrounding Yukikaze on the lawn, looking very energetic. However, Yukikaze seemed to be thinking about why the fog hadn't cleared up yet, and didn't pay much attention to Yuudachi. As a result, Yuudachi's attention was drawn to Jeanbart, who was carrying a bag of grilled meat and deliberately passing by, so she went over and ate some meat.

Upon seeing Xuefeng, Zhou He suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Shentong, "Has Xuefeng changed at all these past few days?"

"Thanks to the commander's guidance, Yukikaze is much more cheerful than when she first arrived."

Shentong was appointed by Zhou He as Xuefeng's guardian. Although Xuefeng was not by her side all day, some things could be concluded with just a few words and a few glances. After saying that, she changed the subject: "However, Xuefeng's combat ability is beyond my imagination. I have nothing to teach her. Although she still asks me about the operation in accordance with the commander's orders, she is obviously distancing herself from me on weekdays."

“That’s normal. This Yukikaze’s experiences are even more dramatic than the historical Yukikaze you know. To be honest, I’m a little worried that she’ll get tired of staying here and leave.”

Zhou He hummed in agreement. From Admiral Hipper to the Akagi sisters, he had experienced and become familiar with the feeling of the ship girls he had acquired turning away and flying away. When facing Yukikaze from outside, he did not treat her as purely family, but rather as a guest or friend.

"Commander, there is no need to worry. Although this port is small, it is a reliable place to stay."

Jintsu usually doesn't speak much, but she was quite enthusiastic when Zhou He took the initiative to talk to her. Perhaps worried that she was being a bit too arrogant, she translated again: "With our current port, it is indeed difficult to keep such a powerful ship girl. However, ship girls like Yukikaze who have been drifting abroad for many years must also want a place to rely on. As long as the commander and the port are here, even if Yukikaze chooses to leave in the future, she will eventually come back."

"makes sense."

Zhou He chuckled twice. There are many capable ship girls in Azur Lane, but most of them are strong women like Bismarck and Hood, who are ambitious and unwilling to be second to anyone. Strategists like Jintsuu, who are willing to exist as advisors, are extremely rare in the entire game.

To put it simply, he really likes this setup because it's reliable and controllable.

After careful consideration, he said, "In the future, there will be more and more people in our port area, and meetings like today's with everyone present will probably become less and less frequent. Do you think I should formally establish the position of secretary ship so that they can convey my orders to others?"

"I am not qualified to make a judgment, but the fact that Yuudachi is currently serving as the secretary ship has not shown any problems. Moreover, with a formidable enemy at hand, large-scale personnel changes may affect subsequent operations."

Shen Tong knew that Zhou He was testing her, and after a moment's thought, she gave her answer.

From her perspective, the current peaceful coexistence among the various factions is simply due to Zhou He's direct management. If Zhou He were to delegate authority to others, the large group in the port would instantly split into multiple smaller groups. This change might make management easier for Zhou He and wouldn't significantly impact the port's development, but for individuals, any new ship girls joining the port later would naturally be grouped into their own faction's group.

Everyone has their own subjective consciousness, and their energy is not unlimited. When choosing between acquaintances, strangers, and even former enemies, most normal people will prioritize dealing with acquaintances. Over time, the more ship girls join later, the stronger their faction consciousness will become. Not to mention the conflicts between factions, just dealing with things across factions is quite troublesome.

"That's true, I didn't think it through."

Zhou He hummed in agreement. Although he didn't intend to arrange a secretary ship right now, it didn't stop him from agreeing with Shen Tong's approach.

"The divine command has informed Commander Xiao that he is now in charge of all affairs in the port area and feels that it is difficult to take care of everyone who has joined the port area. But in reality, for us, as long as the commander is sitting here, even if it is just a few words from him, that is enough."

Jintsu actually wanted Zhou He to delegate tasks to others, but considering the current logistics work in the port area, it wasn't that they didn't want to help, but all the key logistical points were focused on Zhou He, and they couldn't help at all!

"Well, I see."

Zhou He couldn't help but lick his lips. His ship girls were just too sweet-talking. Luckily, he knew his own worth, otherwise he would have been fooled into thinking he was some important person.

"..."

Hermione stood quietly to the side, showing no interest in the topic of the secretary ship. She had been by Zhou He's side for a long time, practically acting as half a secretary ship, but nothing particularly special about her.

The conversation didn't last long, as the fog outside visibly began to dissipate, and the sun hanging in the sky was becoming faintly visible. Meanwhile, Lingmin and the others on the No. 01 aircraft carrier, which was far away at the entrance of the bay, jumped down. They seemed to have discovered something. The two Xianghe sisters didn't move over there, and after Lingmin and Bush exchanged a few words with Hu Teng, who had just passed by on the sea, Hu Teng also set off and headed towards the outside of the bay.

"Is it finally starting?"

Zhou He patted the floor, put his feet on the grass, stood up and walked towards the shore. Shen Tong and Hermione followed on either side, and soon met up with Ling Min and the other two who had run back.

"Commander! The Siren we fought with a few days ago has stopped at our doorstep and raised a white flag."

The petite Bush happily reported the situation to Zhou He. Unlike the others, she didn't think as much; she simply felt that the Sirens raising the white flag meant they had won.

"Raise the white flag?"

Zhou He frowned, sensing that things were not so simple. He looked around and then pointed at Xue Feng: "Xue Feng, go and see what they're up to."

"I am also very curious."

Upon receiving the order, Xuefeng immediately stepped into the sea and ran at full speed out of the bay. Zhou He activated the video function and followed Xuefeng's perspective. He blindly guessed that it was the Purifiers who had raised the white flag, because people from other experimental agencies would not do such a shameful thing.

Sure enough, before the snow and wind even got close, Zhou He had already seen the Purifier waving a white cloth he had pulled out from somewhere in the thinning mist. The scene was so comical that he almost couldn't help but laugh and could only raise his hand to rub his temples.

"Commander, what should we do with her?"

Those around Zhou He couldn't see the video interface, but after Xuefeng approached, Xianghe and the others saw Zhou He's projection and came closer to ask questions. Zhou He told them not to rush and to let Xuefeng test the waters first.

Without hesitation, Yukikaze ran out of the safe zone and stared coldly at the Purifier who was approaching with wide eyes: "What kind of tricks are you playing?"

"I'm innocent! I didn't create this mirror-like sea. The Observer asked the Builder to do it, but they've all lost contact with me now, and I don't know the situation, so I'm asking for help."

Purification's voice was louder than the snow wind, and he was so full of energy that you couldn't tell he was someone who would surrender.

"Out of contact? Requesting help? What do you mean? Explain clearly."

Xuefeng frowned and raised his hand to let the main cannons on the legs of his mount, White Wolf, aim. The Purifier on the other side was so frightened that he almost jumped up from the sea and raised his other hand above his head: "Don't shoot, don't shoot, I'll explain slowly."

"Miss Yukikaze, what is that next to you?"

The Purifier was the first to ask a question. With a bang, something exploded on the sea behind her, splashing seawater ten meters high. She immediately became quiet: "The other ship girls here may not know, but you definitely know Yukikaze. An ominous sign has appeared."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Xuefeng was taken aback and instinctively looked at Zhou He. The latter also gasped upon hearing the words: "We were clearly trapped in their Mirror Sea, what does this have to do with an ominous sign?"

Xuefeng agreed and immediately questioned Jingzhenqin, who was both angry and outspoken: "It's all the fault of that Builder. We agreed that she would be the core of the Mirror Sea, but then she suddenly lost contact, and my subordinates were all taken away."

"Speak the key."

Xuefeng's tone was unfriendly. She had spoken with the Purifier more than once or twice. This guy and the Observer were the two most troublesome people in the experimental agency. One was elusive and the other always did things of incomprehensible nature. Their behavior was unpredictable.

"As this mirrored sea unfolded, it resonated with other worlds for unknown reasons, capturing a portion of that area and recreating the ominous signs."

The purifier's eyes were sharp, and his tone was serious.

"What are you doing? How can you just release something like this?"

After listening, Xuefeng gritted his teeth. The so-called ominous signs are conceptual entities that exist in the world in a non-material form. Simply getting close to them will cause varying degrees of mental pollution. They are entities that are absolutely forbidden to spread.

"I don't know either! Only if you and I work together to defeat the builders in the north can this mirror-like sea end."

The Purifier was also in a hurry. Under normal circumstances, she would have just died, but this time the situation was extremely serious. If the ominous signs on the front line discovered this mirror sea area, then this ocean would have another restricted area that needed to be sealed off.

"Do you think it's that simple?"

Xuefeng gave her a disgusted look, then turned and entered the safe zone before saying to Zhou He, "Your Highness Zhou He, I don't deny that the Purifiers might lie, but if it's true, then we need to close this Mirror Sea area in a very short time."

"Because of an ominous sign?"

Zhou He stroked his chin. He had never actually mentioned this term in the game, but just hearing the name made it seem like something extraordinary.

"Yes, you could say that ominous signs are the source of all meta."

Yukikaze nodded seriously: "Let me and the Purifier handle this matter. The others are too dangerous."

"Let's go after the fog clears."

Zhou He tapped Xue Feng's forehead through the video: "Don't worry, I can lift your previous state and remove the side effects of the ominous sign."

Regardless, the Mirror Sea area will be closed, but before that.

He needs to squeeze the remaining value out of the Purifiers.

For example, worldview, and time calendar.

Chapter 129 Nao Nao Nao

"First, what is the ominous sign?"

Zhou He had many questions he wanted to ask, but in the end he left the first question to the most basic understanding of hostility.

“Your Highness Zhou He, you didn’t know before? No, I should also hear how the Sirens define omens.”

Upon hearing the question, Yukikaze paused for a moment, but quickly recovered and reappeared in front of the Purifier across the safe zone dividing line, throwing the question back at her.

"A bad omen."

Purification was much calmer now. She touched her chin with her finger and smiled as she extended her finger: "My permissions are not high enough to access that level of information, but based on what I know, their appearance is usually accompanied by black storms. Initially, they are classified as 'natural disasters,' and they indiscriminately destroy passing fleets and pollute and distort the cognition of intelligent life."

The ominous signs initially appeared during a period of stability and rapid development in human society. They emerged after the two major camps, the 'Ocean Federation' and the 'Forward Front,' clashed in the Bermuda Triangle. During that time, the ominous signs often appeared in the Bermuda Triangle in the form of storms, and initially did not attract much attention.

However, in the years that followed, the Omen transformed the Bermuda Triangle into an area suitable for their existence and began to spread outwards. Due to its 'natural disaster'-like nature and special pollution that could distort cognition, almost no fleet could stop its expansion. The human forces suffered repeated defeats, and even the ship girls with the latest weapons could not fight against the Omen.

Just as humanity was about to become history, the Sirens appeared. Some of them possessed resistance to the Ominous Corruption. They had powerful backing and inherited the advanced technology of the current world. Their existence became a line of defense against the advance of the Ominous Corruption.

Meanwhile, the remaining humans united to launch an organization called the 'Council', which, supported by some of the ship girls that had already completed meta-transformation, developed new types of ships capable of fighting against the Omen itself, thus becoming another line of defense.

Under the threat of the ominous sign, the initial Sirens and the Council briefly cooperated, launching a powerful attack to drive the ominous sign back to the Bermuda Triangle. However, after that, the two sides disagreed and began to fight each other.