Revisit Azur Lane

The system interface flashed, showing him Kursk walking through an area full of collapsed buildings. Kursk quickly noticed his spying and nodded at him: "Commander, you look a little tired. Are you exercising?"

"That's it."

Zhou He hummed in agreement: "How's the situation over there? Have you found any traces or information left by other people?"

“There are facilities for human habitation here.”

Kursk frowned slightly, turned and walked into a still intact building, turning to the side to show Zhou He the hall inside, which resembled a restaurant. After a moment, he spoke: "But so far, I haven't found any trace of anyone living here. Many facilities were destroyed without even being activated."

"What's going on? If there are complete facilities, shouldn't there be a unified place to manage them?"

Zhou He frowned. Construction at sea is no simple or cheap project. The offshore base, built with a lot of manpower and resources, was destroyed before it was even put into use? Putting that aside, those construction teams must have left traces, right?

"Yes, but the power supply system is damaged. I'm looking for useful tools to see if it can be repaired."

Kursk walked around the building, searching as he spoke: "This wasn't built to military base standards; it was probably originally just a transit point or a logistics base."

"who?"

Zhou He already had a general idea of ​​the problem. If such a large construction base belonged to the human camp, it was impossible for it to be completely devoid of signs of life. The coastal area was not so clean either; at the very least, some ships or wreckage would remain.

If we set aside humans, then it can only be the Sirens.

His mission ③ was to capture the Sirens' sea base. Kursk is already on the island but has not yet met the conditions, which means that this mission also has unique completion criteria, such as completely taking control of the base or him personally landing on the island.

Another possibility is that this base is related to the Mirror Sea next to it. He needs to deal with the Mirror Sea before this base can be used by him and completely belong to him.

"They're all quite troublesome."

Zhou He shook his head slightly and looked at Kursk in the video, saying, "Kursk, try to repair the power system first. If that doesn't work, write down the specific structure there. If you find any strange equipment or phenomena, do not act rashly."

"clear."

Kursk also had a suspicion that if that were the case, this was not something she could handle alone.

……

After cutting off contact with Kursk, Zhou He made a token inquiry about the situation of Ruihe and the others. Once he was certain that there was no more powerful Siren fleet, such as battleships or aircraft carriers, he gave them the authority to decide whether to engage in battle.

After completing his observation of the fleet, Zhou He felt he had rested enough. He stretched and stood up, looking at Yuudachi, who had started yawning after finishing his meal. Yuudachi usually listened to him, but occasionally he would reveal his wild side.

"I'm going to work now."

Leaving those words behind, Zhou He walked out of the kitchen, put on his shoes through the back door, and continued hoeing the ground following the route drawn by Xi Li. His initial plan was to make right-angle turns, but after trying to pave the road, he found that he could change the angle and shape of the road, which was very convenient. He could directly pave a smooth curve.

The workload remains the same, but the aesthetics have improved significantly.

After eating his fill, Yuudachi became sleepy. With fewer helpers, Zhou He's work efficiency decreased, and his workload also decreased significantly. He even had the leisure to think about which way the hot spring pool should face. Although it was just a temporary bath, it was the first functional area in the port area.

After driving and stopping for about an hour, Zhou He finally finished digging the bend. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but it gave Zhou He a lot of motivation: he still had an afternoon, which would be enough for him to finish the road.

After spending some more time shoveling away the dirt, Zhou He returned to the kitchen and made himself a bowl of seafood noodles. Xi Li, who had been dozing off, woke up again at the smell of the aroma and begged Zhou He to make her the same kind, which really made him both laugh and cry. He could only pat the dog's head as a reward.

After lunch and a short rest, Zhou He and Xi Li, who had rejoined the construction site, continued working. They were incredibly efficient and finally finished digging the road around 3 p.m.

"finally."

Looking at the fruits of his labor today, Zhou He was deeply moved. Indeed, where there's a will, there's a way; he had dug out such a long road.

"Commander, the hot spring!"

Xi Li tugged at Zhou He's sleeve. The two of them had gotten their clothes dirty from working, and the little guy's eyes were sparkling.

Without her urging, Zhou He was already eager to see just how luxurious the 15 Home Coin hot spring was. After thinking it over, he decided to place the hot spring pool horizontally facing the bay. It didn't really make any sense, but that's how he wanted to put it.

Since the beginning of the morning, Zhou He has spent 4 Home Coins to exchange for 40 meters of cement road, extending the original 10-meter road in a straight line for 20 meters, then adding a right turn and another 10 meters of road after the turn.

As for the hot spring pool, Zhou He chose to place it parallel to the road.

"There's no need to dig a pit for the hot spring, and covering it up is fine too, since the terrain is a bit higher."

Having already made his plans, Zhou He stood on the edge of the island off the road and decisively purchased a large hot spring pool for 15 Home Coins from the Home Shop and selected to browse. In a flash, a massive building far exceeding his expectations appeared in his sight.

The purchase image shows a simple long hot spring, but in reality, this 'large hot spring' is not just a simple hot spring pool. It is an integrated package consisting of four parts: an outer wooden fence, an independent small courtyard inside the fence, the hot spring, and an area with insulated floor tiles that extend outward from the hot spring pool.

It occupied a full 150 square meters, leaving Zhou He dumbfounded.

Chapter Forty-Three Milestone

"Wow, what a wonderful hot spring!"

Inside the open-air hot spring pool enclosure, Yuudachi ran around happily, sometimes touching and looking at the garden planted with bonsai and natural flowers, and sometimes scooping water with her hands next to the hot spring pool, which was 7 meters wide and 9 meters long and could be called a swimming pool.

Zhou He was still reeling from the shock of how big the hot spring pool was, which cost 15 Home Coins. He had just walked in through the wooden fence entrance. He had originally wanted to make the hot spring and the road parallel and add some details, but now that was fine, he didn't need to add any details. The entrance door connected seamlessly with the end of the paved road. As expected, the foundation of the hot spring was much higher than the lawn after it was covered, with a step height of about 10cm. The foundation under the paving stones was concrete. After that, it would look very 'natural' to just pile up some soil around it.

"I underestimated the system."

After apologizing to the system in his mind, Zhou He looked around the hot spring pool. It was quite simple inside, without any fancy obstructions. Apart from the courtyard, the only things that could be called decorations were the stone platform at the entrance for placing clothes and toiletries, and the stone lion head at the far end of the hot spring that sprayed water.

He lingered his gaze on the courtyard landscape for several seconds, then turned around and found Yuudachi already swaying and struggling to take off his clothes. He glared at her and pulled the clothes back on her halfway off: "Yuudachi, what are you doing taking off your clothes?"

"Hmm, soaking in a hot spring?"

Caught off guard by Zhou He's sudden attack, Xi Li shrank back and cautiously looked at him as she answered.

"So, I see. I understand what hot springs are like."

Zhou He repeated himself, realizing he had made a foolish mistake. The main reason was that although Xi Li was small, she was also a very well-nourished little girl. He could usually treat Xi Li as a younger sister and a pet, but once she took off her clothes and his male instincts kicked in, it was a different story.

He forced a smile and reached out to pat Yuudachi's head: "Soaking in a hot spring is nice, but Yuudachi, have you forgotten that you haven't brought a change of clothes? You can't wear your old clothes after soaking."

"Oh!"

Yuudachi's ears perked up, and she suddenly realized: "The Commander is so smart!"

Zhou He released Xi Li and watched her run happily out of the hot spring garden. He breathed a long sigh of relief, raised his hand to rub his forehead, and followed her out of the hot spring garden. He pushed the cart and hoe to the side of the kitchen, rinsed them with water from the hose, and put them aside to dry in the sun. After that, he found a clean place to sit down and rest.

I dug for more than six hours today. It would be a lie to say I wasn't tired, but it wasn't as tiring as I had imagined. After sitting and basking in the sun for a while, Zhou He squinted and yawned. He then lay down and started the attack map with his eyes half-closed to observe the situation of Hood and Bismarck. He found that the map had been thoroughly explored. There were no whirlpools or large islands in the north or south, but there were marked reef and shoal areas.

As for the most threatening Sirens, he didn't see many of them at the moment, and Zuikaku had somehow moved closer to Bismarck.

"They must have fought. And it's true, with such a big commotion yesterday, all the Sirens that could be attracted should have come. The remaining Sirens are no match for them; they won't even be able to complete their mission."

Switching the interface to the dock, he saw the ammunition consumption of everyone. With a thought, he replenished all of their ammunition. He didn't even bother to check how many supply vouchers were needed. Other materials were scarce to the point of being almost nonexistent, but supply vouchers were plentiful.

'Homestead' and 'Supplies' are currently the two items that provide Zhou He with the best 'game experience'.

"commander!"

As Zhou He was dozing off, his thoughts gradually becoming hazy, he was suddenly awakened by a sound from afar. He frowned and looked over, only to find Yuudachi walking towards him with clothes and other bath supplies. Living with a ship girl was more like a dream than a dream, so Zhou He had no reason to be grumpy in the morning. He propped himself up and sat up, yawning lazily as he asked, "What's up? You've already chosen your clothes, let's go soak in the hot springs."

"Hmm... Commander, aren't you going?"

Yuudachi slowed her pace, a look of confusion on her face: "Aren't we going to soak in the hot spring together?"

"No, Yuudachi, you go ahead. I'm a little sleepy, I'll just sunbathe for a bit."

Faced with Yuudachi's invitation, Zhou He waved his hand with a smile. He naturally wanted to soak in the hot spring, but it was too exciting for him to do it with the rest of his family. It wasn't that he would lose control, but it was just too stimulating and might cause him to have some strange fetishes.

So far, he is quite satisfied with his performance. Once he has accumulated enough experience that he is no longer easily swayed by the ship girls, he will be a competent commander.

"Ah~"

Yuudachi tilted her head and stared blankly for a moment, then ran over and squatted down next to Zhou He, pouting: "But I want to soak in the hot spring with the Commander."

"..."

"..."

When Zhou He met Yuudachi's eyes, he found it hard to describe the internal struggle that was going on in his mind. In any case, he stood up and said, "Yuudachi, you go first. I'll come with the clothes."

"Great!"

Yuudachi beamed with joy and obediently ran and skipped off to the hot spring park, clutching her clothes.

"...Why did I agree?"

Watching her leave, Zhou He raised his hand to touch his forehead. He didn't have a fever, so why did he suddenly short-circuit? But since he had already agreed, there was nothing he could do.

"Never mind, it shouldn't be a big problem. When I was little, I often bathed in the river with older girls I didn't know."

Zhou He made peace with himself. He actually wanted to go to the hot springs with Xi Li and the others. After all, he wasn't exactly a saint. He was just a stranger in a strange place, timid, and couldn't let loose.

He stretched and strolled back to the command post. He picked through his wardrobe, put on a pair of beach shorts, grabbed a towel, and went downstairs.

It takes about 2 to 3 minutes to walk from the command post to the hot spring. Along the way, Zhou He was still condemning his conscience, but when he arrived at the door, he did not hesitate at all and went straight in. Then he saw clothes scattered all over the ground, and then he saw Yuudachi splashing water all over the hot spring.

That makes sense. How could Yuudachi, who is usually so lively, possibly take a quiet bath?

"Is Yuudachi like this usually? Wait, Yuudachi does her own laundry?"

Zhou He placed the change of clothes on the stone platform at the entrance, turned around and collected all the clothes that Yuudachi had thrown away. Suddenly, a sharp question came to mind, and he asked Yuudachi, who was almost submerged in the water, "Yuudachi, do you usually give all your change of clothes to Hermione?"

"..."

Yuudachi didn't answer, but instead sank into the pool with a gurgling sound. Zhou He's lips twitched. He really shouldn't have thought about such details. It is the ambiguity that creates beauty.

"Never mind, Yuudachi, do you even wash your hair properly usually?"

Giving up on thinking, Zhou He took off his clothes, put on his beach shorts, walked to the hot spring, squatted down, and tested the temperature with his hand. It felt warm, not particularly hot, around 40 degrees Celsius. The system still knew how to do things.

"Have!"

Yuudachi, who had been drooping her ears and blowing bubbles, suddenly perked up and stood up from the water with a splash. She grabbed a handful of her wet hair that was sticking to her body and handed it to Zhou He: "Hermione taught me that hair must feel very smooth to the touch!"

“…I understand, Yuudachi is working hard too.”

At this moment, Zhou He finally understood what it meant for his heart to pound. He raised his hand to stop Xi Li from getting closer and also blocked his own view. He slowly soaked into the hot spring and was surprised to find that the pool was different depths at both ends. The left end was about a meter deep, while the right end was about half a meter deep. The slope was very gentle, and there were benches by the pool. People of different heights could find a suitable style.

The system is so thoughtful.

Zhou He, having managed to calm his heart rate by distracting himself, found a place to sit down. The perfect water temperature made him feel very comfortable, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes and let out a "Haa~" sound. Yuudachi, who was soaking in the water next to him, heard this and grinned, "It feels good, doesn't it! If the Commander doesn't soak now, there won't be any time when everyone comes back."

"Ok?"

Zhou He thought for a moment. Everyone was about to return to port, and he had to prepare dinner. He definitely wouldn't dare to take a bath after dinner, which warmed his heart. It turned out that Yuudachi had invited him so that he could enjoy the hot spring. What a cute little puppy.

He reached out and beckoned to Yuudachi, who immediately half-swam over in the water. Through the pale blue hot spring water, her perfectly beautiful curves were clearly visible. Zhou He opened his eyes and instinctively turned around. His retreat, however, activated Yuudachi's chasing instinct. With a howl, her eyes flashed and she pounced. Hearing the noise, Zhou He immediately started running. The two noisy creatures circled around each other, the hot spring water rippling and overflowing the stones, wetting the paving stones outside.

In the end, Zhou He was no match for Xi Li and was tackled from behind by her. Fortunately, the pool was not deep and he did not choke on water. The long-awaited play made him laugh happily. Xi Li, who was behind him, did not understand what was going on, but she could feel that Zhou He was very happy. So she was happy too, and she grabbed his hands even tighter and pressed her whole body against Zhou He's back.

"Okay, okay, no more trouble."