Revisit Azur Lane

"Haha, don't worry, things will be the same as before, except that Yuudachi will have an extra ring on her hand."

Zhou He didn't think that Xi Li would neglect her work after getting married. After all, he was usually quite free. Even if he spent some time with Xi Li, he still had plenty of free time.

"A beautiful answer."

Cleveland gave a thumbs up, chatted with Zhou He for a few minutes, and was then called away by Montpellier. Before leaving, Montpellier glanced at Zhou He. Although Zhou He couldn't read her eyes, he could clearly sense that Montpellier was probably worried that he would take Cleveland away from her.

What a joke! He's not some rebellious son who defies his father!

He was determined to be the one, but first he had to test his skills against Yuudachi before considering whether he had the ability to be a rebellious son.

'It's floating, it's floating.'

After mentally slapping his own uneasy heart, Zhou He called Xili to leave the command post and return to the third floor of the new dormitory. He helped Nagato make her bed and then disassembled all the new clothes and hung them in the matching wardrobe. As for the 'choosing clothes' he told New Jersey, it was just a polite excuse to get her to leave. He could just buy them directly from the system according to the size, which was cheap and convenient.

"This is where you live, Nagato. It's a bit ordinary. I'll try to arrange a large, independent house for you in a while."

The little fox was clearly clueless about housework and could only watch Zhou He busy himself, occasionally helping to hold down the bed legs and pull up the sheets when he asked. After he finished, Zhou He repeated what he had said when he came: now Sakura Empire has Nagato, Eagle Union has New Jersey, and they can be said to have their own flagships. Royal Navy and Iron Blood have their own territories, and these two can keep up.

However, whether or not they can obtain their own territory depends on the efforts of the people in both the Sakura Empire and Eagle Union factions. So he added, "Your exclusive bases have a high priority in my planned port development. Let's work hard together."

"Ah."

Standing two steps away, Nagato looked up at him, tugged at the hem of her clothes with both hands, and smiled faintly.

……

"Congratulations, Commander!"

Zhou He hesitated for a moment before entering the restaurant, but as soon as he stepped inside, he saw the girls who had been eyeing him clapping and offering their blessings. Jean Bart was sitting with Yuudachi, one hand on her shoulder, and he raised his chin at Zhou He with a smile, saying, "Commander, you're too cautious. You could have proposed to Yuudachi at this time, in this kind of setting. Are you secretly worried that we'll make things difficult for you?"

"Hahaha, I call this acting first and informing later."

Zhou He raised his hand to indicate his surrender, and calmly replied, his gaze falling on Yuudachi who was looking at him: "In fact, this is to show my determination to make a vow to Yuudachi. Regardless of whether you object, I will put a ring on Yuudachi's finger."

"Even though it's an excuse, it sounds kind of cool."

Someone chimed in, and Zhou He wanted to see who was speaking so directly. Then he saw Yi Bei, who was leaning against the table with one hand. Yi Bei had a faint smile on his lips, and his slightly upturned, wise eyes exuded a mocking aura, making people want to go up and lecture him.

"This kid isn't very good at reading the room, Commander, don't worry about him."

Hu Teng glanced at Yi Bei and casually brushed aside her interruption. However, Zhou He also thought that his excuse was really cool. Before he transmigrated, he would secretly draft his thoughts before discussing anything with others, but now he could just say these things off the cuff.

People still need to exercise after all.

The atmosphere shifted a bit after the interruption. Zuikaku stood up, clapped her hands, and winked at Zhou He: "Let's put that aside for now. Congratulations to Commander and Yuudachi on making your vow. Commander, remember today! Next year, this day will be the anniversary of your vow with Yuudachi. If you forget, watch out for Yuudachi's pranks."

"definitely."

Zhou He's heart skipped a beat, and he thought he would write the time down in his diary in a little while.

After that, others also offered their blessings, suggestions, and even expectations for Zhou He. As the kitchen staff began serving dishes, the scene gradually became lively. Jean Bart gave Zhou He the seat next to Yuudachi and even took it upon himself to push the two closer together, while he sat opposite them, watching the two with great joy.

To be honest, Zhou He usually gives the spotlight to his own ship girls at banquets, but today he was put in the spotlight, which made him a little uncomfortable. However, seeing that everyone was quite happy, he gradually relaxed and chatted with the others. He even took the time to feed Yuudachi. He couldn't help but sigh that this must be what an ideal life is like.

Soon, the banquet reached its midpoint. For this banquet, Zhou He arranged for a case of Coca-Cola, as the guests from Europe all wanted to drink alcohol at the banquet, so they generously brought along Coca-Cola to accompany the drinks.

"commander."

Unwittingly, Hood walked through the clinking glasses of the crowd to Zhou He's table, her gentle gaze fixed on him and Yuudachi with a slight smile: "Congratulations to the Commander and Yuudachi on reaching the oath. This is another 'milestone' for the Commander."

"Yes, huh?"

Zhou He nodded instinctively, then sensed something was off, but felt it was fine; a milestone should be usable like this, right?

He glanced at Yuudachi, who was squinting and taking small sips of cola, then looked at Hood and tentatively asked, "Hood, if you have something to say, just say it."

"It's not anything important."

Hood picked up her wine glass filled with cola and swirled it gently, as if it contained some kind of precious liquor, making it sparkle under the light. After swirling it twice, she said, "Today I witnessed the exchange between the Commander and the Observers. Bismarck and I both agree that your diplomatic skills are somewhat lacking, Commander."

"Well, I always feel very uncomfortable when I talk to the Sirens. The Observer really hit a nerve with me, which annoyed me a bit."

Zhou He thought it was something serious and immediately admitted his shortcomings.

"That's normal. The Observer lives up to her model. She deduced everything about our situation just by observing and gathering intelligence. She has an advantage in intelligence, so whatever she says will seem very powerful."

Hu De didn't think Zhou He's table-flipping was wrong, but if things continued like this, it definitely wouldn't work. After a pause, she said, "However, the commander could actually work backward from her statement. For example, her statement about withdrawing from this sea area to cut off our development was clearly a test for the commander, because if 'she guessed wrong' and they really withdrew from here, not only would we lose the resources of two bases, but it would also give us space and time to develop—the difference between these two is our room for maneuver."

Although Bismarck suggested she apply for the position of Foreign Minister, she still felt she needed to convey some key points to Zhou He to avoid future misunderstandings when she made judgments, which would be too troublesome.

"Hmm... I think I understand."

Zhou He felt a sense of awe and wonder, as if he were watching a popular science video by an expert before he transmigrated. He felt like he understood while listening, but in reality, he didn't.

"Commander, there is no need to feel pressured. Just remember that you must never show any weakness or flaws during negotiations."

Hu De smiled and put down his cup, crossing his arms over his chest: "If something similar happens again in the future, please remember us, Commander, and let us do our part for you from time to time."

"Ahem, I get it."

Zhou He finally understood. He had indeed been a fool today. There were Hood, Bismarck, New Jersey, and the Incredibles there, yet he insisted on showing off his intelligence to the Observer. It was incredibly stupid.

"That's good."

Hood's eyes flickered slightly; she had something else to say, but when she saw Yuudachi, she calmed down again, picked up her glass, and gently swirled it at Zhou He: "I wish the Commander a good night's sleep."

"Thank you."

Zhou He raised his glass and clinked it lightly with Hood's. After they drank, Hood got up and left. She actually wanted to ask Zhou He about the different meanings of the oath rings he had mentioned earlier, whether it meant that he would give rings to other people. She still hoped that Hermione could stay by Zhou He's side. This matter was important to both Hermione and the royal family.

However, there's still plenty of time; there's no need to rush.

The banquet lasted until 10:30 p.m., and the night was deep. When the party ended, Zhou He found it amusing that his group of people were just drinking cola, but they were walking unsteadily as if they were drunk, shouting all the while, making a very funny scene.

"Commander~"

Yuudachi, too, clung to him as if her bones had gone limp. Zhou He smiled and reached out to stroke her little head: "Let's go home too."

Chapter 178 Changing Strategies

It turned out that Xi Li wasn't drunk, but rather just feeling sleepy after relaxing and eating. He was led by Zhou He and kept yawning as they walked. When they went upstairs, he even clung to Zhou He's back and almost fell asleep. The others who hadn't gone upstairs yet chuckled to themselves when they saw this.

"Everyone should go to bed early."

Zhou He couldn't help but laugh along, greeted the others, then turned around, squatted down, and picked up Xi Li in one go, carrying her upstairs.

"Wow, the commander is pretty amazing too."

Royal Ark mingled among the crowd. She envied Zhou He for being able to openly and honestly interact with the destroyers, but she was more pleased than anything else. After all, Zhou He had a good character that could withstand any test and wouldn't let the destroyers suffer any injustice.

"Hmph, you guys don't know, do you? When the Commander first arrived at the port..."

Zuikaku, who had been acting drunk and silly outside, returned to normal and began to recount the events of the port's early days, just over a month ago, attracting a lot of attention.

On the other side, Zhou He, who was originally a little apprehensive and expectant about going to bed, looked at Yuudachi, who rolled over on the bed and fell fast asleep wrapped in the quilt. He shook his head helplessly, turned around, put his hat on the table, took off his clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

He thought it would be an unforgettable night, but it turned out to be an unforgettable night in a different sense.

But it's nothing. Yuudachi has already put on the ring and officially become his first wife. The rest are minor matters. She was busy for so long today, so it's understandable that Yuudachi is tired.

'In the game, buying a ring usually includes a wedding dress skin, but here the system makes you buy it separately. How stingy!'

Zhou He, still steaming after his shower, put on his gray pajamas, sat down at the table, took out his diary, and wrote down November 3rd. This day next year would be his and Yuudachi's anniversary.

"We dealt with the observers today, but there are still test subjects inside the Siren base."

After noting down the time, Zhou He began to consider future attack plans: Today could be considered a great victory, and tomorrow he would definitely pursue the victory. However, given the lesson learned from the observer today, the tester would certainly not fall for the trap and attack again. His attempt to reduce the number of Sirens at the base by luring them out would definitely not work.

Another strange point is that the Purifiers who entered the Mirror Sea did not send troops to join the Observers in attacking them from both sides, nor did they take advantage of the mechanism to escape from the Mirror Sea.

He believes this is a key point. According to the observer, the existence of this port area created by the system will affect the surrounding space and make it unstable. He has also experienced this many times. So, has the mirror sea area where the purifier is now located also undergone similar changes?

"If that's really the case, then Purification is truly an unlucky old man."

Zhou He couldn't help but click his tongue twice. In the game, the Purifier and the Tester were model employees of the Experimental Agency. They were always present at any event and were always there when they got beaten up. Now that they were involved with him, it seemed that these two were heading towards a situation similar to that in the game.

"Or, instead of taking the deceptive route this time, why don't we just charge into the archipelago and break through it?"

He had some ideas. With Yukikaze there, the Siren base could definitely be taken down, but the Observer group had been inside for so long, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't have some high-tech weapons inside that could instantly kill his own ship girls. On the other hand, with Yukikaze there, the Mirror Sea could definitely be breached as well, and it was much less threatening than the base. It was a case of picking the weakest link first...

A moment later, Zhou He had an idea and wrote a few lines in his diary. He looked up at the dark, windy window, got up, tidied himself up, and returned to the bedside. He smiled slightly at Xi Li, who was sleeping rather restlessly, reached out to turn off the light, and got into bed as well.

The bed had already been warmed by Yuudachi, but Yuudachi herself was even warmer. As soon as Zhou He crawled into the covers, it was as if he had been discovered, and Yuudachi's fragrant and soft body instinctively pressed against him.

The next day, Zhou He woke up from his dream. He couldn't remember the details of the dream, but a warm feeling remained in his heart. It was a very beautiful dream, vaguely related to Yuudachi.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Yuudachi's pretty face. Her red, jewel-like eyes were staring straight at him, and her fair and pretty face was filled with expectation and curiosity. When she saw Zhou He open his eyes, she showed a cute smile, and her small canine teeth were very eye-catching. The scene was like a continuation of a dream. Zhou He instinctively reached out and pulled Yuudachi into his arms, closing his eyes to feel this happy moment.

"?"

The next second, Zhou He opened his eyes with a strange expression, only to find that the buttons of his pajamas had been undone at some point, and Yuudachi, who was buried in his chest, was actually licking his chest with his tongue (?). The strange experience made him shudder. He could feel that although Yuudachi's tongue did not have barbs, there was a subtle scraping sensation. It was the first time he had experienced this, and he did not know if it was normal.

Putting everything else aside, he could feel his little brother suddenly getting aroused again, making him move back a little awkwardly. He lowered his head, pinched Yuudachi's chin with his hand, and smiled with a look he didn't usually have in his eyes: "You slept so soundly last night, how come you're so energetic this morning?"

"Hehe, I'll definitely have more energy after a good rest."

Xi Li smiled slyly, clearly a mischievous fellow, but at this moment, she had a unique attraction in Zhou He's eyes. Regardless of Xi Li's reaction, he lowered his head and sealed Xi Li's little mouth with his.

Unfortunately, it was Zhou He's first time kissing someone, and his brain was overloaded, causing him to forget all the countless tutorials he had learned before his transmigration. After a simple kiss, they separated. Looking at Yuudachi, who was wide-eyed and shocked, he licked his lips and thought to himself with pride, "Now I'm awake too, time to get up."

He did want to continue discussing things with Yuudachi, but he could still distinguish between reality and fantasy. If he and Yuudachi, two complete novices, were to continue, they would have to spend at least an hour or two doing research, and they would be exhausted like dogs afterward. Would they then be able to interact with other people in that kind of mental state? He didn't want to put himself through that.

Such wonderful things are better left for the evening.

After saying that, he stood up decisively, but Xi Li, unwilling to admit defeat, suddenly pounced on him and knocked him down by the bedside. She turned around and kissed him on the lips. Her strength was so great that even if Zhou He had been prepared, he might not have been able to defend himself. He was immediately turned the tables.

After mimicking Zhou He's chirping, Yuudachi sat up with satisfaction, a smug smile on her face. Then, she leaped over Zhou He and landed on the ground, happily shouting, "Get up!"

"..."

Zhou He was a little nervous. He hadn't expected that Xi Li would actually be provoked by him. He got up with a sigh and rubbed his shoulder, which Xi Li was holding down. Then he touched his lips. No matter how you look at it, he was the one who came out on top.

Never mind, it doesn't matter who takes the initiative.

Zhou He didn't hesitate much. On the contrary, he thought it was a good thing for Yuudachi to take the initiative. After all, with the stamina of a ship girl, he, an ordinary person, definitely couldn't compare. The ideal solution was for him to lie down and let the others do it automatically.

……

After washing up and getting dressed, Zhou He took Xi Li downstairs. This time, Rui He didn't block the door or make a fuss, which saved him some trouble.

"Commander, you're up so early today too?"

When he went down to the first floor, someone greeted Zhou He with rather rude words. Zhou He turned his head and saw that it was Kaga BB. He nodded in agreement, "Getting up early is a virtue."