Revisit Azur Lane

"Hey~"

Xili smiled happily and rubbed Zhou He's hands together—she was pleased with Zhou He's praise, even if it was just the most ordinary words.

"uh-huh?"

The New Jersey ship that landed late watched the two interact intimately. Yuudachi, who was still the secretary ship, realized the key point in the blink of an eye. She rested her hand on her chest and rubbed her chin with her fingers with great interest. So they can date the commander?

Zhou He couldn't ignore such a large ship like New Jersey, so after quickly cheering Yuudachi up, he stood up and asked New Jersey, "How does it feel to use the ship equipment?"

"It's very lightweight, more agile than a battleship, and more agile than I imagined, but the equipment is somewhat outdated and not the latest model."

Looking down at Zhou He from New Jersey, she couldn't see his eyes at all because he was wearing a military cap. It was impossible to judge a person's mood just by their expression, so she had a sudden idea. She leaned forward and rubbed her hands on her thighs, while looking up to observe Zhou He's expression and smiled slightly: "At first, I was a little unsure about the speed and was worried about falling if I went too fast. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Commander."

"You're being cautious, which is good."

On the surface, Zhou He appeared calm and collected, but inwardly he was screaming with excitement. The sight of a cool and confident woman like New Jersey looking up at him from below was already incredibly captivating. Add to that New Jersey's exaggerated charm, and being able to pretend nothing had happened was the best Zhou He had ever accomplished during his time studying in the port area.

He didn't even dare to think about being caught between these two... cough, too much talk leads to mistakes.

Worried that he might ramble on, Zhou He only vaguely remembered the shape of the onesie wrapped in silk. After saying a few words to her, he looked away and led Yuudachi toward the command building. At the same time, he called to New Jersey, "It's almost dinner time. I'm used to eating dinner at this time, but the restaurant serves all day. If you get hungry, you can go to the Manjuu in the restaurant anytime."

"Are those furry little guys really that powerful?"

Because of Zhou He's emotional control, New Jersey didn't notice any change in his mood. She only felt that he was acting much the same as before, and after feeling a little relieved, she followed him: "I think they look like genetically mutated chicks. If we let them cook, wouldn't we be unable to eat the dishes?"

"If you want to eat it, I can help you cook it."

Zhou He had thought about this long ago. Because of Manjiu, the meat he provided for a long time did not include poultry such as chicken and duck. It was mainly mutton and beef, as well as ingredients that were fished out of the sea.

"Huh, the Commander can cook?"

New Jersey was immediately surprised, while Yuudachi, standing to the side, proudly praised Zhou He: "The Commander's cooking is better than Manju's."

"Psychological reasons."

Zhou He was naturally pleased to be praised, but he knew his own limitations. Others might think his cooking was delicious simply because he was human and could adjust the flavors by observing the preferences of his diners. Manjiu couldn't do that, but their cooking techniques were very advanced, allowing the ingredients to bring out 100% or even 90% of their flavor value. Each had its own advantages.

"You're too modest. I definitely want to try the Commander's cooking sometime."

New Jersey was good at currying favor, echoing Yuudachi's praise of Zhou He, which made the latter grin, but he wasn't particularly guilty, since his ship girls did like the food he cooked.

The three walked together, from left to right and from tall to short, chatting and laughing in a very pleasant atmosphere. Others who passed by were quite surprised. After the port area reached ten people, the ship girls who joined later rarely appeared next to Zhou He. It was as if there was an unspoken rule of first come, first served. New Jersey, who had just joined, did not stay with people from her own faction. Instead, very few people followed Zhou He.

When Bismarck, who was inside the restaurant, saw this scene, she frowned slightly: "The legendary ships of the White Eagle are indeed not simple."

"Hmm? Is there any explanation for this?"

Elbe, who was sitting up straight and enjoying her steak with a knife and fork, looked at Zhou He strangely after hearing Bismarck's words: "Miss Bismarck, do you mean that the White Eagle's new recruit is plotting something by following the Commander?"

"Don't be so blunt. It'll have a bad impact if others hear it. These kinds of things should be said in private."

U96 looked at the Ironblood light carrier she had just met. This port area was also strange; it could even anthropomorphize and name ships that their faction didn't have.

"Well, neither of you is wrong, please don't argue."

Sitting next to Bismarck, Z23 felt that the two were equally matched, but stopping them was more important right now, so he refrained from commenting for now.

"There's no need to speculate; her entry into the inner circle was a preordained event."

Hu Teng glanced at Yi Bei and U96, and casually echoed their sentiments.

Leaving U96 aside for now, Yi Bei has a big problem. She looks like she's not easy to deal with, but she's actually an honest and obedient girl, you could even describe her as a 'naive and sweet' girl from a book. She initially wanted to run to Zhou He's side, but Bismarck stopped her, obviously worried that her personality would be manipulated by people from other factions.

"Yes~"

Yi Bei quieted down. U96 sensed that Yi Bei was acting strangely, but she didn't say anything more. She focused on eating, and it was the first time she had ever eaten. Everything tasted delicious, and she even wanted to lick the plate clean.

Count Spee looked at Bismarck, who remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

On the other side, Zhou He led Xi Li and New Jersey to their seats upon entering the restaurant. He enthusiastically recommended several of the restaurant's signature dishes (the most requested dishes) to New Jersey. While waiting, he suddenly had a whim and quietly asked New Jersey if he knew whether the 24 White Eagle presidential election ended with Old Deng winning or Jian Wang returning as the king.

"Is this why these two are addressed in Donghuang?"

New Jersey smiled slightly, then shook his head: "Unfortunately, the official campaign hadn't started before I came here."

"It's a pity indeed."

Before Zhou He transmigrated, he frequently came across videos analyzing the two men's mutual attacks, thoroughly enjoying the gossip.

Furthermore, New Jersey's answer to this question is enough to prove that the historical ship girls he built are all based on the historical template of his world. Strictly speaking, his own ship girls are all his fellow countrymen, and their memories come from the same world.

The New Jersey before him inherited the long memories of the original warship, and its integration level was likely even higher than that of Hood. Her overflowing confidence and nonchalance stemmed from the fact that the historical New Jersey was genuinely strong and fearless of any enemy!

Taking her as an example, if a ship like the Anshan, which was modified and has survived to this day, were built, he might be able to learn about the future progress of the Azur Lane game (laughs).

"Commander, are you laughing so happily because you've thought of something interesting?"

The seating arrangement of the three was strange. Zhou He and Xi Li sat opposite each other, while New Jersey sat next to Zhou He. However, neither Zhou He nor Xi Li cared, as they usually sat like this.

"Yes."

Zhou He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. For some reason, after learning that his own faction all came from his world, he felt inexplicably at ease and close. Even though they had been together for so long, it seemed that he was still a child who couldn't stand on his own.

However, he should be able to become an adult in a few days.

"..."

As he laughed, Zhou He suddenly stopped laughing. Although having a ship girl wife was something to be happy about, the bad news was that his ship girl's 'endurance' was outstanding and continued to increase with each expedition.

He could only hope that the ship girls' daytime combat durability and nighttime combat durability were not the same type of durability bar; otherwise, even if he only had Yuudachi as his marriage ship, he would most likely still be in short supply.

"The commander suddenly became so serious again. Is it because he's thinking about the Sirens?"

Yuudachi watched Zhou He's changing expression. Since she was already used to it, she wasn't worried at all. Instead, she found it quite amusing and asked with a grin.

"No, but almost. I wonder if there are any hidden scientific and technological facilities in the Sirens base that might affect our attack."

Zhou He composed himself, thinking that since the Sirens had such advanced black technology, they should also have the technology to enhance human genes and performance, right?

'Next time I encounter someone seeking refuge with a Purifier, I'll accept this as a gift.'

He nodded to himself. Since the system couldn't enhance him, he would find his own way. Akashi certainly couldn't reach that level for the time being, but the Sirens, with their vast database, could definitely do it. Even if it was just a similar accidental discovery, he could bring it back as research material.

"The technologies that could affect us are most likely either 'communication jamming' to hinder our fleet movements, or 'powerful weapons' that could significantly influence the course of the battle. Commander, which one do you think the Sirens can achieve?"

New Jersey, having experienced modern equipment, quickly considered the enemy threats that would be encountered in today's 'modern' naval warfare.

"There is a high probability that both can coexist."

Upon hearing this, Zhou He immediately became serious. He wasn't afraid of the former, but he was a little unsure about the latter. Take the sky-piercing laser cannon fired by the Eliminator during the Ominous Event, for example. If his ship girl had been hit by that one shot, she would most likely have died on the spot, and he would have had no room to 'repair' her.

'Looks like we'll have to change our strategy tomorrow.'

The thought of his ship girls possibly being killed made him uneasy. Faced with such an enemy, all he could do was to warn them as early as possible and develop a damage control device that could be activated to save lives in critical moments, which was also a kind of cutting-edge technology.

"The enemy can do this? That's really tough to deal with."

New Jersey's eyes lit up. She hadn't encountered such a formidable enemy in a long time. She continued, "Commander, there's no need to worry. If such a powerful weapon truly exists, it will certainly be conspicuous and can be destroyed before the enemy can use it."

"Ah."

Zhou He had similar thoughts and was once again glad that Xuefeng had joined the port area.

When the time comes, let Yukikaze lead the charge.

Chapter 170 No pain, no gain

After a busy day of coming and going, and having dinner with New Jersey, Zhou He left the restaurant with Xi Li.

Night had fallen outside, and the clouds that had obscured the sun during the day had quietly dissipated, casting moonlight like water over the islands and the sea, making everything seem so peaceful.

While talking to New Jersey, Zhou He was seriously considering whether the Observer might pull any dirty tricks. Now that he was alone with Yuudachi, his thoughts had jumped to the fact that he could buy the Oath Ring tomorrow. In the game, he could marry whoever he wanted with the ring, but in reality, he had never thought about giving a ring to any woman. At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder whether he should give Yuudachi the ring in front of everyone or in private. He was nervous and expectant, and couldn't help but take a couple of breaths of the cool night air.

Yes, it's still a bit misty.

On the other hand, Yuudachi was in a cheerful mood as always. She would skip around every few steps as she walked beside him. Her cheerful appearance made Zhou He's mood miraculously calm down as he watched her. He strode forward to Yuudachi, turned around, opened his arms to hug her, and said with a smile, "Yuudachi, come and let me hug you."

"Ow?"

Xili blinked, and without thinking much, jumped forward and pounced into Zhou He's arms. The impact forced Zhou He to spin twice before he could steady himself. Xili, however, thought Zhou He was just teasing her, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, letting out a clear and melodious laugh.

"And so we're heading home."

Zhou He finally managed to steady himself, feeling the soft warmth in his arms that he could barely bear. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other hand around Xi Li's thigh. Xi Li cooperated very well, almost instinctively wrapping her legs around Zhou He and hanging on him like a koala. The two were very close, and Zhou He could even feel the pressure coming from his chest.

Maintaining this posture, Zhou He slowly moved back to the command post, then put Xili down, wiped the sweat from his brow, and smilingly took Xili's hand as they went upstairs.

As for why he suddenly wanted a hug?

This is Zhou He conducting a test. As a healthy adult male, he feels that he will likely be able to carry Yuudachi for exercise without any external support in the future. Confirming that he can carry her and walk with her puts his mind at ease.

Many others who witnessed this process displayed subtle expressions.

……

The next day, Zhou He also woke up early. The first thing he did upon regaining consciousness was to open the system interface, open the daily task bar, and look at the homestead coin tasks that could be collected.

If he claims the reward now, he can immediately buy the Oath Ring he's been longing for these past few days from the Home Mall.

However, today is a day for going out to fight, so it's hard to say whether other new ship girls will drop today. The most cost-effective time to get them is when everyone returns from the battle.

"..."

Zhou He faced a difficult choice as soon as he woke up, but his attention was quickly diverted by Xi Li, who was squirming in his arms. The hot body and the milky scent made it hard for him to calm down. Also, Xi Li was doing something, with his hands stroking him all over. In the morning, his mind was not yet fully in control of his body, and his little brother was already aroused from being touched.

This forced him to reach under the covers and grab Yuudachi's two little hands. Then, looking at Yuudachi who was tilting her head up with an innocent expression, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are you looking for?"

Caught red-handed, Yuudachi mischievously stuck out her tongue: "Nagashima told me that the Commander would like to be touched like this."

"And there's this."

To be honest, Zhou He really liked it. Yuudachi was really looking for teachers everywhere, but unfortunately, he only learned a few superficial things. For example, Jean Bart was a bit naive, and Nagashima only knew a little bit of the basics. Although he didn't grasp the essence of either, it was still quite interesting.

"Hehe~ Um, Commander, I feel like something is pressing against me. This has happened a few times before. Is it something you've been hiding on your person?"

Shang Xili smiled foolishly, twisting her body to try and break free from Zhou He's grasp. She could clearly feel a hot, rod-like object pressing against her inner thigh—something she had wanted to ask for a long time, but had never had the chance, and later simply forgot to ask.

"...You'll see later. Now we should get up."