Revisit Azur Lane

Bismarck's voice was very distinctive, and Zhou He immediately recognized it. He turned around and looked at Bismarck's ambiguous smile, clenched his hands behind his back, and nodded with feigned composure: "Good morning, I'm here to deliver the reward. Bismarck, you don't need to be polite. I organized this event because I was prepared for it."

"understood."

Bismarck pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to the sea not far away: "I hope the commander can set up a training ground for new recruits inside or outside the bay."

"A training ground at sea?"

Zhou He frowned slightly. He didn't know much about these military matters, so he simply repeated the question in a low voice and threw it back to Bismarck: "Tell me about the specific training details."

“Unlike the era of warships, after observing these past few days, I’ve found that as ship girls, the training we need for different models is quite similar, which can be divided into three aspects: ‘mobility’, ‘accuracy’, and ‘air defense and air superiority’.”

Bismarck had already prepared the relevant content and gave a brief explanation as he accompanied Zhou He near the dock:

The training in maneuverability involves two aspects: first, allowing ship girls to learn their normal speed and burst speed through repeated testing; and second, conducting impromptu evasive maneuvers in complex terrain, including avoiding shells coming from a distance.

This training is for everyone from destroyers to aircraft carriers, but the difficulty varies depending on the size and weight of each ship type.

Accuracy training is easy to understand; it involves the ship girls practicing two basic skills when facing enemies: 'fixed-point bombardment' and 'moving bombardment'.

Air defense and air superiority are even simpler. They refer to the ship girls' reactions and air defense measures when facing enemy air attacks, while air superiority refers to the aircraft carriers' control training of carrier-based aircraft, finding the most suitable tactics for killing the enemy through mutual training.

“I have considered incorporating training programs that involve mutual cooperation, but this is not a program that I can implement on my own. It would be more appropriate for you, Commander, to promote it.”

Bismarck's explanation was detailed and easy to understand. Zhou He understood Bismarck's training ground requirements just from the distance from the lawn to the dock.

As for the final collaborative training—which reminded Zhou He of the disastrous teamwork he had witnessed between Sakura Empire and Eagle Union a couple of days ago—he pondered for a moment before giving his answer: "I will find an opportunity to promote 'collective battle exercises' as a monthly or quarterly assessment activity."

In terms of cooperation, Zhou He couldn't force it. It was impossible to quickly increase the cooperation level of his own ship girls in a short period of time, because it was very difficult to understand each other. As comrades in the same camp, they could understand each other's combat rhythm through accumulated joint battles over time, but this was not the case for people from different camps.

To enable ship girls from different factions to understand each other, they must constantly practice and spar with each other, thoroughly studying each other's habits and tactics to achieve a unique form of mutual understanding.

"can."

Bismarck quickly understood Zhou He's thinking. Her influence was limited to the Ironblood faction. The core users of the training ground she set up this time were the Ironblood members. Whether members of other factions participated in the training was up to their autonomy. Even Zhou He couldn't force everyone to train.

Have you reserved the training venue?

Having reached an agreement with Bismarck, Zhou He began searching the Home Mall while asking questions: Furniture boxes can only be selected individually. For example, one can choose a complete gym, which contains a variety of fitness equipment and can be called a set. However, there is no corresponding kit for Bismarck's current needs, so she can only assemble it herself.

For example, in the mobility training, he found a cutting-edge technology in the home system that allows him to directly root himself on the ground and the seabed. It is a patterned black cylinder that the system calls the "Sea-Stabilizing Needle," which is an ornament and sells for 1 home coin.

Considering that the speed of the ship girls is different from that of normal people, and that the route needs to be curved, he used 25 to 50 meters as a node for calculation. Since a track needs to be on both sides, he directly bought 40 tracks, spending 40 Home Coins.

The reason for such extravagance is that the latter two training programs do not cost much. According to Bismarck, artillery training and anti-aircraft training will be carried out simultaneously with mobility training. So Zhou He spent 10 Homeland Coins to buy 10 durable artillery targets, which are just ordinary furniture in the Homeland Mall.

As for the location—since it was the first design, Bismarck and Zhou He decided after discussion to place it in the bay, specifically about 800 meters from the lighthouse at the pier. The target would be installed facing outwards from the bay to avoid shelling friendly forces (about 5km from the command post).

After discussing it, Zhou He boarded a small speedboat, and Bismarck deployed her ship equipment. The two of them worked around in the selected area for a while, using the first "stabilizing needle" as a coordinate point, and designed a straight road of 200 meters, followed by a 300-meter curve. The curve had 5 turns in total. It was not a sharp turn, but the passage was only 5 meters wide, which was still quite difficult for ship girls of the battleship and aircraft carrier type.

During the design phase, only two "stabilizing pillars" were used as the starting point for the straight sections, while the subsequent 38 pillars were all used for the curves. Several empty areas were deliberately left for future secondary design.

After roughly completing the task, Zhou He purchased two rolls each of red and blue coarse rubber thread, which Bismarck, along with Ibe and Huteng who came to help, used to stretch and bind the entire passage.

The total cost of the training ground is 54 Home Coins.

It doesn't seem expensive, but this is just an unfinished training track. To improve it, at least several hundred Home Coins would be needed, and new tracks and obstacles would have to be designed. Zhou He only had to do a quick calculation, and the cost figure was already beyond his comprehension.

"..."

Sitting on the boat, he turned his head to look at Bismarck, who was talking to Yi Bei and the other person. Although the training ground was still far from being established, he was quite enthusiastic, and it was clear that he had been thinking about this job for a long time.

"Or should we try harder?"

Zhou He looked at his Home Coin balance of 141 after turning his gaze away. Including the daily 34, he still had 175 Home Coins.

While searching for decorations, he noticed the prices in the shops. The small shop started at 15 Home Coins, with prices going up to 20, 30, 50, and 100. According to his envisioned mall, he would need to buy at least 100 Home Coins worth of items, and then buy some clothes to put in the mall. Each person would need to buy a set to hang up, which would cost 34 Home Coins.

Adding to that the road paving work near the royal estate and the living expenses he'd set aside, he could only say he couldn't exert any effort at all.

Zhou He rummaged through his pockets, but couldn't even find a loose thread. He could only succumb to reality: 'Next time, I'll save up more next time.'

Every time he starts a project, he's full of ambition beforehand, but halfway through he starts babbling incoherently. He must then keep quiet, keep a low profile, and save up big time!

As for why not use the remaining customizable furniture boxes to open the store?

There are only two left. The sisters of Eagle Union and Sakura Empire are still waiting for him to help build their old bases. Next, find an opportunity to take pictures of these two bases and build all the cubes into ship girls. His daily income will increase rapidly, and the cost-effectiveness will definitely be higher than exchanging for items in the store.

He's a seasoned gamer, so he naturally knows when to act impulsively and when to exercise restraint.

"Commander, this is basically done. Shall we check the results together?"

While Zhou He was debating whether it was more important for his ship girl to be happy or for the cost-effectiveness to be more important, Bismarck had already finished her arrangements and returned. Looking at Zhou He's conflicted expression, a smile appeared in her eyes and at the corners of her mouth. The sea breeze blew in her face, lifting her golden hair and concealing the small smile.

"Ah, who should do the testing?"

Zhou He snapped out of his daze, leaned back on the side of the speedboat, and asked Bismarck, who pointed to Hutten and Ibe: "We can conduct three tests at the same time."

Is this a really high-difficulty level right off the bat?

Zhou He stared at Bismarck, unable to see any flaws, and his heart pounded. He could only smile and ask, "The Elbe planes won't drop bombs, will they?"

"Of course, I only allow her to use the machine gun to add a sense of crisis, that's enough."

Bismarck answered matter-of-factly, which made Zhou He turn back to look at Hutten and Ibe, adding a sense of crisis. These were live ammunition! Even if the ship girl would resonate with the ship's equipment when it was deployed, the danger of being hit by these bullets was still very high.

Zhou He was a little nervous, but he couldn't say anything. After all, Bismarck must have already obtained Hutten and Elbe's consent. He could only start the speedboat and return to the dock.

Bismarck did not go ashore, but stood on the water in front of Zhou He and gave instructions to Hu Teng and the other man.

Hu Teng began to move on his dragon, the surrounding water surging wildly, but the sea-stabilizing pillar and the dividing lines on both sides remained unaffected. As he passed the target cannon beside the straight road, Hu Teng controlled the ship's equipment to fire a roar. The huge caliber brought powerful force, and the target cannon, which was originally floating on the sea, was quickly sent flying backward in the black smoke of the explosion. Then the huge sound reached Zhou He's ears, making him frown.

Looking at the distant target, its sturdiness is astonishing. Despite being hit by a 406mm shell, it showed no signs of shattering; it was simply pitch black.

This was only the first step. Before Hu Teng even started, Yi Bei, who had run a distance away, had already begun to launch her carrier-based aircraft. She didn't have many carrier-based aircraft, but they were more than enough to target Hu Teng alone. As Hu Teng entered the curve area, Yi Bei's diving fighters began to launch a rapid-fire attack. The water around them splashed up a lot of water due to the bullets, and sparks were visible as they spun around Hu Teng's ship armor.

Even for a battleship, being hunted unilaterally by an aircraft carrier is a terrifying thing. Hutten began to fight back, but it was basically ineffective. She couldn't hit or shoot down the enemy ships, so she was chased and shot down by the planes all the way. This desperate scene was seen by everyone who had been attracted by the sound of gunfire. Some people were surprised at what was going on, while others were secretly amazed by the audacity of the Ironblood faction.

Fortunately, the 300-meter curve was not long for the ship girls. Hu Teng was unable to run at his normal level, but he also left the track within two minutes. Yi Bei also stopped attacking at the same time.

'This training is incredibly hardcore.'

Zhou He was deeply shocked, experiencing for the first time the horror of war. What was like a bullet that was insignificant to Hu Teng was deadly to humans, a matter of life or death in an instant.

"Hmm, it's definitely not up to standard."

Before Zhou He could even react, Bismarck below had already started scoring Hutten.

Chapter 165 Living together

"How are you feeling, Commander?"

After giving Hu Teng a less than ideal score, Bismarck turned to Zhou He and asked him a question. The difference in elevation caused by the dock forced her to look up, while Zhou He had to look down. However, as soon as he looked down, his pupils dilated in shock, because Bismarck's uniform was not actually that fully covering him up...

Fortunately, Zhou He had also received strict training from Yuudachi and was no longer an ordinary boy who would be controlled by the sight of the Northern Hemisphere. He frowned slightly and said, "It's better to proceed step by step with this kind of training. At least we should run through it once before we start cooperating with the training."

"It can be used as a reference, but not every battle will begin only after all preparations are complete."

Bismarck touched his chin with his finger and hummed in agreement. In fact, one could judge Zhou He's general personality from his answer alone. He was a moderate person who disliked arguing and competing. To put it more harshly, he was somewhat timid. However, judging from Zhou He's previous proactive arrangements against the enemy, such an assessment did not apply to him.

Zhou He was probably so steady because his training partners were them.

"Yes, Bismarck, you're right. Quickly adapting to changes in the battlefield is also an important ability."

Zhou He was indeed very distressed for Hu Teng and the other trainees who had to endure live ammunition during training. However, after listening to Bismarck's words, he suddenly realized that undergoing rigorous training outside the battlefield was precisely to prepare for stepping onto the harsh battlefield environment. Many solid things begin to break from small cracks.

Even he couldn't possibly perform on-site emergency repairs every time.

So he changed his tune and agreed with Bismarck.

"exactly."

Bismarck's gaze narrowed slightly as she stared at Zhou He, whose expression had turned cold. She couldn't help but marvel at how strong her commander's ability to listen to advice and his comprehension were.

However, she was unaware that Zhou He was sweating profusely because of her intense stare. He wondered if she had noticed his glances at the Northern Hemisphere, and casually reached out to smooth it down. "I will take care of the training ground arrangements later. I'll leave this to you, Bismarck, for now, but don't overdo the training intensity."

"Yes!"

Bismarck's voice was powerful and clear, like the sound of a bell dispelling the distractions in Zhou He's mind. He secretly exhaled, nodded and smiled at Bismarck, and then turned and disappeared into the buildings.

Shortly after Zhou He left, many people interested in the training gathered around and eagerly signed up for this novel program.

……

"Tsk, system, are you even capable? The shipyards and docks that originated from you can't even follow my commands."

After parting ways with Bismarck, Zhou He thought that since he was already there, he took a detour to the workshop where the Builder ship equipment was being disassembled and studied, intending to ask Akashi and Lingmin about the progress of their project research, but he was turned away.

He was turned away at his own port.

This was the first time he had been rejected in this port area, especially when it came to discussing serious matters.

Logically, he should be angry, but his curiosity far outweighed his anger. Both Akashi and Ryoumin are geniuses, and now these two geniuses are collaborating on research and development—what kind of research and development, what kind of design are they doing?

Zhou He became increasingly eager to try it, but the production workshop was locked from the inside by two people, so he couldn't get in. He also couldn't control the materialized ship port. He could only complain about how rigid the system was and leave the complex.

At this moment, many planes were circling in the sky above the bay, and the sounds of artillery fire of all sizes were coming one after another. Zhou He only glanced at them and saw at least ten figures lingering near the newly built training track. They seemed to be quite popular.

"commander!"

From afar, Zhou He heard Xi Li's voice. After looking around, he realized something and turned to look towards the dock. He felt a gust of wind, and Xi Li was already standing prettily in front of him. Her hair, which had been blown by the wind, was still in place, making her even more adorable with her smiling face. He, who was feeling sullen, reached out and rubbed Xi Li's cheeks for a while, and his mood quickly improved. He cupped Xi Li's cheeks, looked down at her, and smiled, "Why are you looking for me? Aren't you going to play over there with them?"

"Hmm, the training is too easy, it's boring."

Yuudachi's cheeks were flushed from being rubbed, and when asked this question, she squinted her eyes and smiled proudly.

"Really? Yuudachi is amazing."

Zhou He believed that the training track was very difficult for heavy cruisers, battlecruisers, and battleships, but starting with light cruisers, the pressure of turning was not so great, and they had more experience in air defense. Destroyers like Yuudachi were even more exaggerated. The turns were too short, and they could finish in a little over half a minute or even less. The pressure was actually greater on the carrier side responsible for the attack.

"Hey hey hey."

Yuudachi stood on tiptoe, its tail wagging happily like a dog.

During their brief encounter, Zhou He released Xi Li, who then hugged his arm and rubbed against him, secretly pleased that Zhou He had finished his work for the day and no one would bother them anymore.

"Hey~ What are you doing over there? Don't you know it's noisy?"

As the two passed the command building, Hammanman stood at the door and called out loudly. Zhou He beckoned to her, and Hammanman looked at him suspiciously before walking over step by step.