Revisit Azur Lane

Soon after, New Jersey and his group approached the temporary camp. Hermione and London went directly to Hood, while New Jersey went straight to Zhou He. Zhou He took a deep breath by the stove, looking quite intoxicated: "I can smell the aroma of the food from far away. I haven't eaten in so long, I'm starving."

"Everything is ready for you. Let's eat first, and then we can talk about the situation over there."

Seeing this, Zhou He couldn't help but smile. He brought all the dishes from the insulated box to the freshly wiped table and invited Cleveland, Harman, and Hermione, who were returning from their flight, to eat together.

New Jersey, on the other hand, remained calm and immediately started eating, while Hamman glanced at Yorktown, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself. Only Cleveland poured himself a glass of cold water, gulped it down, and then, with a hearty shout, spoke to Zhou He:

"Commander, the function of this spire is similar to what Yukikaze said—a communications base station. But it has a more important function: it can monitor an area within dozens of nautical miles. It provides a top-down view, like a spy satellite, and the display is extremely detailed. We have seen all your actions on it."

"Oh? That's quite interesting. It's a pity we didn't bring Akashi and the others along; perhaps they could have analyzed it."

Zhou He was surprised, but not particularly surprised, as these two functions were still within his expectations.

The New Jersey girl, who had originally intended to keep everyone in suspense, almost choked on her food. She abandoned her composure and, holding her bowl, interrupted to speak: "This tower serves as the monitoring center, storing a large number of surveillance images. We reviewed all of them and discovered that this testing ground not only contains Sirens but also ship girls similar to us, but using equipment that is at least an era ahead of ours. The two sides have engaged in several battles in this area. No, the word 'exercise' is more appropriate to describe that scenario than 'battles.'"

"Naval girls ahead of their time? Combat exercises?"

This amount of information was a bit overwhelming, but Zhou He's brain was working quickly. He vaguely remembered that there seemed to be a similar event plot setting in the game.

It took him a while to realize that Azur Lane's official team seemed to have run out of ideas and had created a group of Type II ship girls, which were modeled after modernized or second-generation ships that inherited their names. The most famous of them was Yorktown II, which was like a completely transformed version of the Essex-class ship girl.

If that's the case, that would be great. With locals around, he can go and find partners to collaborate with.

However, there is a small problem: the 'future world' in the game's story seems to be a virtual world created by a group of metas and arbitrators, and the test field in front of us is obviously not at that level.

'But there are ship girls who appear to be second-tier vessels among them. Could there be an arbitrator among them?'

Zhou He bit his lip, turned his head to look at Yukikaze, who was lying by the campfire in a similar state to Yuudachi. Yuudachi had her eyes closed, while Yukikaze was counting stars with her eyes open. As if sensing Zhou He's gaze, she looked up with a "?" and sat up halfway: "Did you find anything?"

“Our next opponent may be an arbitrator.”

Zhou He took a breath and suppressed the worst possible situation.

"what!?"

Xuefeng was immediately startled, his ears perked up. What was going on? Why would there be an arbitrator in a test site managed by the experimental agency? The various systems within Siren were clearly defined; wasn't this a blatant overreach of authority?

"Is that arbitrator very capable?"

Yuudachi was startled by her shriek and opened her eyes to see Yukikaze's surprised expression, asking her curiously.

Yukikaze glanced at her: "It's not a matter of how powerful they are. Our current opponents have always been the experimental units. They are not combat models. The Arbitrators belong to the Arbitration Unit and are very special combat units. They are high-end individuals within the entire Siren system."

"Hmm, I feel like I've heard these words somewhere before?"

Yuudachi wasn't startled, but the words sounded familiar. She looked at Zhou He, and realized that the only words she could recognize could have come from him.

"Yuudachi, you're too lazy. The Commander said a long time ago that the Arbitration Agency is very strong in combat."

Zuikaku, who was sitting next to Shoukaku, yawned and waved his hand casually: "It doesn't matter. It's a good opportunity to see the highest level of Sirens' combat power."

"..."

Looking at this group of leisurely fellows, Xuefeng couldn't think of anything to say for a moment.

If they really encountered an arbitrator, they didn't care about themselves; the only possibility for them was to die here. So they stood up and said to Zhou He, "Your Highness Zhou He, as long as you can provide the coordinates of the port area or the outside world, or the anchor items connected to them, I can try to break through the barrier of this testing ground and leave."

"Coordinates and anchor points."

Zhou He could understand why Xuefeng was so flustered. When playing the game, there was a comparison of the combat power between the Ember and the Arbitrator. Not to mention the abnormal Black Enterprise, about four ordinary meta ship girls could defeat one Arbitrator. In contrast, Frederick the Great gathered several factions to gang up on the Builder's host in the event, and there were three meta members in the group.

Although this doesn't directly demonstrate the vast difference between the mainframes of the experimental agency and the dispatched individuals of the arbitrators, it's certain that his family can't defeat a proper arbitrator right now.

"If we're talking about anchor points, I myself am probably the most suitable anchor point."

Zhou He smiled and poked himself with his finger, but he wasn't in a particular hurry to retreat and run away: "There may be an Arbitrator here, or there may not be, but one thing is certain, even if an Arbitrator model appears, it won't be the real Arbitrator you know. If there were something that fierce, the Observer wouldn't have needed to risk his life to delay us yesterday."

"The observer's actions are unpredictable. Perhaps she simply wants to figure out our composition before we are all wiped out here."

Xuefeng felt that Zhou He's words made sense, but when she thought of those troublesome arbitrators, she was unsure of what to do. Before she came here, she had never actually dealt with an arbitrator. Even if she occasionally encountered one, they would just look at each other from a distance or in space before leaving.

Based on her personal experience and the experiences she had with those Meta ships, the Arbitration Authority adopted a policy of not provoking them. Just as they were wary of the Arbitration Authority, the people in the Arbitration Authority were also wary of their fighting power.

"Yukikaze, are arbitrators really that scary?"

Seeing Yukikaze's hesitation, Shoukaku gently inquired. Although they didn't consider Yukikaze a special member, her combat ability was undoubtedly the strongest on their side. The fact that she was so conflicted showed that the Arbitrator was truly formidable.

Yukikaze hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and replied with a grin, "The arbitrators, they're not actually that amazing!"

Without pausing, she pointed to the distant spire and said, "However, they are not powerful to me. To you, there may be a difference as great as that spire."

"Wow, you're actually praising yourself in such a roundabout way."

Zuikaku immediately laughed along with him.

Although Xuefeng made some polite remarks, the others, seeing Xuefeng's initial reaction, realized that the arbitrator who was singled out by both Zhou He and Xuefeng must be ridiculously strong, an opponent they couldn't handle at their current level.

"I don't know what level the arbitrators are at, but I'm not afraid. If the commander says to attack, I'll attack; if the commander says to retreat, I'll retreat."

New Jersey ate a couple of bites of rice, a grain of rice still stuck to the corner of her mouth as she spoke, but the smile on her face was very composed, which was quite inconsistent with her mindless remarks, which resembled those of Yuudachi.

"There's no need for you all to demonize the enemy like this. We'll only know who's strong and who's weak on the battlefield once we've fought."

After listening to Zhou He and Xuefeng's conversation and combining it with the information Hermione had given him, Hu De stood up and spoke: "Given the characteristics of this spire, our every move is now under the watchful eyes of the Sirens. However, the Sirens have not sent any troops to attack us for several hours. Either their forces are limited, or they are unsure of our combat strength and dare not come easily."

"These two points are enough to show that the enemy in this mirror-like sea is not so terrible. Even if we have to retreat, we should take some intelligence with us to make it easier to attack again next time."

Hood's conclusion that they could advance or retreat at will won the approval of most people. Among them, Bismarck agreed to gather intelligence, but many others thought that it was too far-fetched to judge advance or retreat based on individual combat capabilities since they were all warships. Did they think that their shells would be useless against the so-called arbitrator?

"In this case--"

Seeing that the discussion was almost over, Zhou He summarized: "We'll spend the night here, explore the area tomorrow, and if we can't make a decision, we'll retreat immediately."

"Commander, are you in projection mode? Are you going to sleep here too?"

Some people asked curiously, while others avoided looking away, and Zhou He nodded frankly: "I'll spend the night with you."

"Then your body...doesn't that mean you're completely at Jarvis's mercy?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou He immediately searched for a spokesperson and quickly located Royal Ark, who was found whistling with his head tilted to the side when he was discovered. He also felt uncomfortable, which was why he set the time for tomorrow. If it were any longer, it would be hard to say what the situation would be like on his main body. He was a little worried that when he woke up after deactivating the projection, he would be lying naked on the operating table, with Jarvis staring at him expressionlessly…

The image was too abstract, so Zhou He simply chose not to think about it.

If he didn't always return to the depths of the Second Port Area during projections, he would have logged off long ago.

"Let's stop saying things that could undermine unity! We'll be spending the night outside, and we need to take turns keeping watch to prevent a Sirens attack."

Zhou He waved his hand, ending the whispers, and began to call out names: "It's 8 p.m. now. We're implementing a 6-hour shift system. Yukikaze and the aircraft carrier are not on the shift. Keep your spirits up. The first shift will start with Nagato and New Jersey. Wake up the others and me at 2 a.m. to take over."

"Order!"

No one objected; in fact, some were quite excited. Having been in the port area for so long, they had hardly ever done a night watch mission before, and the feeling of being ordered to stay up all night was so novel!

"...Then I'll go to sleep first and see if I can fall asleep."

Zhou He watched as the New Jersey troops prepared to set sail, nodded to them, and then went straight into a warehouse not far away—it would be stupid not to use a ready-made house to shelter from the wind and rain!

"Well then, thank you for your hard work."

The people present began to say goodbye and split into several groups to find places to rest. Some went into tents, while others ran directly to the warehouse where Zhou He was.

Yukikaze was one, Hermione was the second, and then Tosa, Shinju, Hutten, Yorktown and others filed in one after another, directly surrounding Zhou He in the warehouse, ostensibly to protect him.

"?"

Zhou He had just finished laying out the bedding when he was immediately surrounded by girls. He was dumbfounded. Did he, a projection, really need protection?

With so many people around, how can he sleep?

Chapter 184 The Honest Iron-Blooded Member

Zhou He ultimately couldn't fall asleep, not because the girls around him were too close, but because the system popped up a 'warning' as soon as he closed his eyes to rest.

The warning was simple: he would deactivate the projection whenever he fell asleep.

"Ah, there really is no such thing as a free lunch in the world."

Zhou He sat cross-legged on the laid-out bedding, looking at the girls not far away who were sleeping neatly under their blankets, as if they were camping in the summer. He felt a complicated and indescribable feeling.

He had never had or mentioned the topic of 'sleeping together' with anyone other than Yuudachi. Logically speaking, there are many places to sleep here, so it shouldn't be a problem for him, as the eldest, to have a separate dormitory room, right?

But this group of people followed him in, and made no attempt to avoid him, as if they didn't consider him a member of the opposite sex, which made him very conflicted.

'Fine, just consider me a leader who is approachable and popular enough.'

Everyone at the scene seemed to be asleep, and Zhou He himself pretended to be asleep for about half an hour before getting up. During that time, he kept observing the situation on the system map. The two factions he had named, Sakura Empire and Eagle Union, were scattered all over the island. Some had run far away, and some were close by. The reconnaissance range was quite wide, but the safety of the situation in the middle of the night made him a little nervous.

After waiting a while longer, seeing that it was almost ten o'clock, he got up and walked out of the warehouse through the path left by everyone when they made their beds. The main gate of these warehouses was a large, heavy, and visually striking sliding iron gate. In order to facilitate a quick exit in case of war, a small gate was opened here, which made it convenient for Zhou He to leave.

The system's projection felt incredibly realistic. Stepping outside, a damp, cold sea breeze brushed against his face. Zhou He was already used to the salty, damp smell and the not-so-refreshing invigorating effect. He turned his head and glanced at the temporary campsite made up of tents. In the center of the campsite was a campfire, with the road leading to the warehouse and cooking utensils placed at the back. For a picnic, it was quite a luxurious setup.

"commander?"

There were still people around the campfire. Yi Bei was hugging her legs and staring pitifully at the burning fire. As an aircraft carrier, she had been relieved of her night watch duty by Zhou He, but Bismarck had assigned her the task of guarding the campfire. She had been sitting here in a daze, enjoying the wind and the fire for a long time. When she heard footsteps, she looked up and saw Zhou He coming out. She immediately showed an expression of joy like a lonely puppy seeing its owner.

"?"

Zhou He closed his eyes and pinched his brow. Was he too mentally exhausted? Yuudachi's appearance and habits were like a dog, but Yi Bei didn't seem to be any different at all.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Ibe suppressing his joy and adding firewood to the campfire. That made sense. He walked over and sat down by the campfire: "Ibe, why aren't you asleep? Is it a duty assignment arranged by Bismarck?"

"Yes, Miss Bismarck was worried about resting in this unfamiliar place, so she specially arranged for me to keep watch, saying that I could go to sleep after they woke up."

Ibe poked the campfire with a wooden stick, making the flames crackle. The firelight illuminated her delicate face. She spoke with a serious yet slightly flippant tone, a faint smile on her face, seemingly satisfied with Bismarck's arrangements.

Just as Zhou He was about to say something, Yi Bei suddenly poked her, and a spark blew into her hair. She immediately let out a shrill scream and fell backward to the ground. Her first reaction was to cover her hair, and her second reaction was to cover her mouth. Only then did she look at Zhou He, as if she had done something wrong. Her appearance was just short of tears.

"..."

Zhou He swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, unsure how to respond. He simply got up, leaned over, and gently patted Yi Bei's hair, saying in a warm voice, "It's alright, your hair is fine. Be careful next time, though. If the sparks from the explosion were bigger, you might have burned your hair."

"Phew, thank you, Commander."

Yi Bei was relieved. He let go of her hand, thanked her, and half-squatted on the ground, patting the dust off his back and buttocks. This girl also liked to wear skirts, but her skirt was very well made. Because it was red and black, it looked very thick. When she stood up, the hem of the skirt fell below her thighs. Combined with stockings and boots, Zhou He was quite satisfied.