Revisit Azur Lane

"Why do I feel like you're underestimating me, Commander?"

Kaga BB's intuition activated, and she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows: "I heard from Zuikaku that when you first met Tosa, you were terrified of her. I'm Tosa's older sister, so watch out, I'll whisper in Tosa's ear."

And you're still whispering sweet nothings in my ear, huh? Does Tosa agree to share a room with you?

That's what I thought, but Zhou He believed that confidence was one of Kaga BB's few strengths, so he gave her some face: "You guys know it yourselves, but don't spread my dark history everywhere. Back then, I was still very inexperienced as a commander, and I really didn't know how to get along with a strong comrade like Tosa."

"Hmph, I thought so too."

Kaga turned her head and chuckled softly. Zhou He didn't know what she was so proud of. She was quite cool when she first joined, always following Tosa, but now she's getting more and more naive.

While Zhou He was talking to Kaga, Yuudachi ran off first. By the time Zhou He bypassed Kaga, Yuudachi had already disappeared. Zhou He could only greet the people in the living room. There weren't many people there. Apart from Jarvis, who was tending to the infirmary, and Hermione, who was sweeping the road outside, there was only New Jersey and Nagato, who seemed lost beside her.

"Good morning, Nagato, New Jersey."

Zhou He guessed that Nagato bumped into New Jersey when he went out and was then brought here. Otherwise, Nagato would not have been with New Jersey. He was also a little afraid of New Jersey, in a physical sense.

"Hmm~"

Nagato responded honestly, while New Jersey made a strange sound. She looked Zhou He up and down, stroked her chin, and smiled, "Commander, you're in such good spirits. You must have had a good rest last night."

"Yes, I had a really good dream."

Zhou He answered casually. He had guessed that a small portion of his ship girls, like Yuudachi, did not know what the oath or marriage meant. However, large ships like New Jersey and Kaga did know. Yesterday could be considered his and Yuudachi's 'wedding night,' and according to common sense, he should not have gotten up so early today.

He wanted to sleep in later, but Yuudachi was like an animal, wanting to sleep after eating. He couldn't just ignore Yuudachi's wishes and force her to sleep in later, could he?

However, this wasn't the kind of topic that could be discussed openly. He sat down on the sofa and looked at the two figures in front of him, speaking quite seriously: "Our results yesterday were quite good. In your opinion, should we continue our attack today?"

"Of course, now that we have the advantage, we cannot give the enemy a chance to breathe. We must continuously reduce their combat units, especially since the enemy's numbers still exceed ours. We should keep putting pressure on them and force them to make wrong judgments."

New Jersey didn't think much of it; she was best at playing with an advantage. With a numerical advantage, she would overwhelm the enemy; with a qualitative advantage, she would continuously reduce the enemy's manpower.

What is the current situation?

Nagato only joined after the battle yesterday, and she was too quiet to understand the situation in the port area and the Sirens. Now was the perfect opportunity, so she directly asked Zhou He a question.

After the number of people in the port area increased, Zhou He spent most of his time explaining the current situation to his new members. He had already developed his own set of explanations and quickly recounted their strengths and weaknesses as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the Sirens.

As for the current situation?

He glanced at the attack map, which clearly showed that all the nearby Sirens had retreated to the area around the Sirens base where the tester was located. The only remaining area was the Mirror Sea of ​​the Southern Sixth District. The entire map was so clean that it made him feel uncomfortable, giving him a strange feeling that the Sirens were about to explode.

"The Sirens are very afraid of your strength, but with your base at our backs, it will be difficult for us to break through. Perhaps we can try to reclaim the islands first, and then focus on dealing with the base location."

Nagato was extremely surprised when she heard Zhou He's explanation. She had not witnessed the battle of the others yesterday, and it was hard to imagine that just over thirty people could force a Siren fleet of more than a hundred to defend near the base.

But no matter how strong their combat capabilities are, their numbers are too small, and they will eventually get tired in battle. Once the enemy is on guard, it will be difficult to take them down, whether by air or frontal attack. It is definitely not feasible to take them down by brute force.

She thought for a moment and continued, "Recapturing the islands is only one aspect. When we enter this so-called Mirror Sea, we will inevitably encounter powerful enemies. A prolonged battle will certainly affect our combat performance. Perhaps we can use this as a strategy to lure the garrison fleet out to ambush us."

This is a very simple line of reasoning. Any general with a sound mind would not miss such an opportunity to turn the tide of the battle. Moreover, the Sirens' fleet far outnumbers theirs. Nagato can be certain that the Sirens officer who is the test subject will come to wait for them to come out.

“That makes sense, but it would put a lot of pressure on you.”

Zhou He had thought of this last night. Entering the Mirror Sea would mean his ship girls would fight against the chess pieces inside, which would take an unknown amount of time. Not only would there be fighting, but there would also be logistical pressure. Because of this, he had a bold idea, but he didn't know if it would work.

"Hmph, if you can't even handle this much pressure, then you should retire sooner rather than later."

The speaker was not Zhou He and the other two, but Kaga, who had approached upon hearing the words. Her eyes gleamed, her tone was serious, and her expression was indifferent, revealing her true thoughts without reservation.

New Jersey and Nagato remained silent upon hearing this. Zhou He shook his head: "We don't know the situation inside the Mirror Sea, so it's hard to determine whether this battle will be difficult or easy. We should wait until Hood and the others arrive to discuss it together."

"I don't mind."

Kaga didn't care. After showing off, she turned and left, leaving the other three somewhat uneasy. Nagato hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "The Kaga I know is an aircraft carrier. Is she also like this?"

"No, but it's hard to say which of the two has a better personality."

Zhou He thought of the aircraft carrier Kaga. Judging from the time when Kaga became his temporary ship girl, she was very obedient. However, Kaga BB had never disobeyed his orders since joining the port. In terms of obedience, the two seemed to be about the same.

As for personality, the aircraft carrier Kaga hasn't arrived at his home yet, so he can't sense it and therefore can't judge its merits.

But one thing he could foresee was that the two Kaga brothers would inevitably run into each other and would definitely not get along.

It feels like it’s going to be fun.

Chapter 179 Surprise Inspection!

Yukikaze couldn't sleep for most of last night.

Unlike Nagashima and others who had become internet addicts and stayed up all night playing games, she tossed and turned in bed, feeling a tightness in her chest whenever she closed her eyes. She finally fell asleep around 1 a.m., only to be awakened by a nightmare in which she was chased and mocked by Yuudachi. She woke up again just as dawn was breaking.

"What's wrong with me?"

Xuefeng, who usually only needs two or three hours of sleep a day to be full of energy, looked at her somewhat haggard self in the mirror. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to accept it.

She was all alone in the room, and it was so quiet that she couldn't stand it. She wanted to go out for a walk, but when she opened the closet, she saw the dress Zhou He had given her. It was a white lace dress with several black bows at the chest, and it looked very pretty.

The reason Zhou He chose this dress for her was because he felt that the dress resembled the outfit of the Yukikaze skin in the game, and he was certain that it would suit Yukikaze perfectly.

Not long after, Yukikaze, wearing a pretty white dress, went out of her residence for a walk in the port area before dawn. She ran into Ashigara and Zuikaku, who were out exercising early in the morning. After greeting them, she stood by and watched them, her thoughts wandering to who-knows-where.

As dawn broke, she saw Yuudachi running out of the command post. Her drowsy mind instantly cleared up – she looked at the sky and if she wasn't mistaken, it was only close to seven o'clock. Yuudachi should still be fast asleep in bed, right?

"Hey, Yuudachi, why are you up so early? Don't you feel tired?"

A group of people were actually on the lawn between the command post and the restaurant. Jean Bart was also there enjoying the breeze. She was even more surprised than Yukikaze. After greeting them, she asked them a question in surprise.

"Not tired."

Yuudachi lightly jumped around a few times, and everyone could see that she was no different from usual, but how could she be no different?

Jean Bart was completely baffled. These days, when she had nothing to do, she would teach Yuudachi some basic knowledge about men and women. Although she had never actually seen newlyweds do it, she believed that with Yuudachi being so cute, Zhou He should be unable to control himself after just a few moves on the bed.

At this moment, the clever friend remembered that Zhou He had carried Yuudachi upstairs last night. Zuikaku immediately asked, and Yuudachi honestly replied, "I fell asleep right after dinner last night, and I don't remember anything after that."

"Phew, poor Commander."

Ruihe laughed very happily. Zhou He always tried to oppress and bully her, so it was rare to see Zhou He get the short end of the stick.

Jean Bart was speechless, but Yuudachi's habit of sleeping right after eating was also in line with her personality. He figured that his commander liked Yuudachi like this, so he patted Yuudachi on the shoulder and reminded her not to sleep so early next time.

The conversation between the group ended quickly, and Yukikaze, who had been observing from the sidelines, had disappeared.

The scene shifts to the command center hall. Zhou He has finished discussing things with New Jersey, but Hood is still nowhere to be seen. Curious, he finds Hermione sweeping the front door and learns that when Bismarck moved into the manor with her Ironblood crew, Hood also moved into the new house with her team. Only Zhou He's caring maid Hermione and nurse Jarvis remain here; everyone else has gone to the small manor.

"Ms. Hood probably thought the commander would come down later today, so she wasn't in a hurry to come over."

Hermione observed Zhou He with a slight smile. As a maid, she knew a little about matters related to serving the emperor in bed. Although Zhou He had not mentioned any such needs, she could tell from her usual observations that he was trying his best to restrain himself. Now that he had a legitimate reason, it was not impossible for him to relax and even get up at noon.

What she could observe, Hood could also see, but unfortunately they both guessed wrong.

But Hermione had some doubts. Zhou He and Xi Li had been sleeping in the same bed for so long, yet they hadn't done anything. Was it because Zhou He had great self-control, or because he didn't really know much about this, or because he lacked confidence in himself?

Considering how Zhou He usually resisted her 'physical contact services', could it be that he wasn't resisting her, but had another reason?

In that instant, Hermione's gaze sharpened, and she walked to Zhou He's side with both hands holding a broom, whispering in his ear, "If the Commander doesn't understand matters of marriage, Hermione can personally enlighten you."

Zhou He silently took two steps back: what was bound to happen had finally happened. Fortunately, this time Hermione didn't just say "it's a maid's duty" and lock him in a dark room, otherwise he would have been truly devastated.

He looked at Hermione, whose face was gentle but whose eyes were resolute. It would be a lie to say that his heart wouldn't race if a girl like her, who knew a little about everything, was extremely obedient, did all the housework, and was also exceptionally gentle and beautiful, was throwing herself at him. But he still denied it, shaking his head lightly: "Hermione, you're overthinking it. Yesterday it was just too late. I was thinking about arranging combat missions today, so I went to bed early. I was more alert and less likely to make mistakes."

"So that's what it is-"

Hermione felt a slight regret, and bowed to Zhou He with both hands holding the broom in front of her: "Commander, you have been doing your duty. It is very impolite of me to doubt you. Please punish me, Commander."

The scene was very formal, and Zhou He also touched his chin in cooperation, tilted his head, reached out and brushed Hermione's hair aside to examine the girl, and then withdrew his hand and laughed: "Hmm, that's right, then Hermione, you'll be punished by having to stay by my side and serve me tea and water from now on."

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Commander."

Hermione and Zhou He exchanged a smile. Because of their interaction, their bodies were very close, and from an outsider's perspective, they looked quite intimate while laughing and talking. Xuefeng, who had just come out of the command building, almost couldn't hold back.

Okay, she couldn't help herself: "Hey! What are you doing?"

"!"

Xuefeng's voice was somewhat shrill, startling Zhou He who was caught off guard. He turned around and saw Xuefeng, who wasn't even wearing pantyhose on a windy day, just tall boots and a dress. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Wait a minute."

"!?"

Xuefeng was taken aback by his attitude and didn't dare to say anything for a while. She watched as Zhou He and Hermione whispered to each other, Hermione turned and left, and Zhou He walked towards her. She usually couldn't feel Zhou He's aura, but today Zhou He gave her a strong sense of pressure. So much so that when Zhou He walked over, she subconsciously took a step back, but she went astray and was forced into a corner by Zhou He.

"Why are you dressed so lightly in such cold weather, especially so early in the morning?"

Zhou He reached out and pinned Xuefeng against the wall. He looked down at her with a serious tone: He didn't really know if the girls in Chongying really had to endure the cold to show their legs in winter, but he just couldn't bear to see his younger sister dressed so lightly on a windy day.

Yukikaze must be corrected.

"You, me, I just like to dress like this, what's it to you!"

Xuefeng frowned, somewhat annoyed by his harsh words, and stubbornly disagreed.

"No matter how much you like this outfit, you have to wear it according to the season. It can look beautiful in late spring, summer, and early autumn, but not now. Even if you are very tolerant of changes in temperature, you can't wear it like this."

Zhou He remembered this outfit; he had given it to him a couple of days ago. It did look a lot like the swing skin in the game, but it was too revealing and the clothes were too thin. It wasn't suitable for the autumn/winter season at all. He softened his tone: "Did you not find any winter clothes you liked? Tell me what style you like, and I'll buy it for you."

"..."

His tone changed so quickly that Xuefeng didn't react for a moment. She thought Zhou He was coming to scold her, but he was actually there to care about her. She felt a little sour and didn't know what to say.

Seeing that Xuefeng remained silent, Zhou He took a closer look and discovered that Xuefeng's usually smooth hair was quite messy now. Not only was it sticking outwards, but there were also obvious creases. This was not a matter of whether it had been combed or not; Xuefeng must not have slept well last night.

Looking at Yukikaze's pretty face again, Zhou He's ship girls are all great beauties without makeup, and Yukikaze is no exception. Without any external covering, compared to usual, it is obvious that she is listless and even has a kind of sickly haggard look, as if she has been cultivating immortality for several days.

'broken.'

Zhou He suddenly realized that Xue Feng's mind seemed a bit foggy today, and the reason was clearly due to him.

That's outrageous! What makes him so special that Xuefeng cares about him so much?

This was no longer a situation where he could chuckle or make jokes; he started having a headache early in the morning.

In short, he lowered his voice and coaxed Xuefeng into the command living room. After all, it was a house, and there were quite a few people inside, so the temperature was much higher than outside.

"Jarvis, come over here and check if Yukikaze has caught a fever from staying up late and being exposed to drafts."

As soon as Zhou He entered, he saw Jarvis practicing calligraphy in the infirmary and called out to her.

"Huh? You're the one with a fever. I've never been sick since I was created!"

Xuefeng became unhappy upon hearing his words and started making a fuss, but her shouts attracted the attention of others, and they immediately quieted down.