Revisit Azur Lane

Zhou He smiled as he looked at the panicked Ruihe, and laid his palm out to her: "Although it's a bit late, I still have to say it again. Ruihe, your excellence is beyond question in my opinion. The prosperity of our port area today is half due to your efforts."

"..."

Zuikaku's eyes flickered, and finally, somewhat unconvinced, he asked, "Only half?"

"The other half belonged to Yuudachi, and even you were brought back by Yuudachi."

Zhou He raised an eyebrow; he hadn't even included himself in the calculations.

"hateful."

Ruihe hesitated, but reality left her no choice but to accept it.

"Anyway, that's it. We're about to head camping, so hurry up and get ready. It would be really embarrassing to get lost."

Zhou He patted the stair railing with his palm, gave Ruihe a smile, and turned to climb up to the third floor.

"Aha…"

Watching Zhou He leave, Ruihe, who had thought she was very tough, subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and raised her hand to rub her hair.

Why would she argue with Zhou He over such a trivial matter?

Downstairs, Xianghe strolled away with a faint smile.

Chapter Ninety-Four Adjustments

When Zhou He returned to the third floor, he first saw an office with an open door and no one inside, and then he turned around and saw Hermione standing in front of his door, seemingly hesitating whether to go in.

"commander."

Hermione, dragging her suitcase, also noticed Zhou He. She put down her suitcase, took small steps closer, and quietly asked him if he needed help unpacking his clothes.

"Clothes, bring a set."

After thinking for a moment, Zhou He stepped forward, opened the door, and went inside. He was quite particular about his appearance and would take a shower every day if conditions allowed. He felt very refreshed when he showered, not like the forced relaxation of staying up late scrolling through his phone, but a psychological relaxation.

This is one of the reasons why he made a lot of noise when Hermione barged into the bathhouse downstairs earlier.

Of course, if there are no other options, he can accept taking a shower every 2-3 days.

As Zhou He opened the wardrobe, contemplating whether to bring his military uniform or everyday clothes, Hermione peeked in from the doorway to observe. The room was sparsely furnished, and sunlight streamed in through the window, making it appear quite tidy. The sheets on the bed were wrinkled, but most of them had been smoothed out. Several books and notebooks were piled on the desk, where Zhou He would sometimes jot down notes; it served as his private workspace.

"Did the Commander bring Yuudachi back to spend the night yesterday?"

Hermione didn't have Yuudachi's keen sense of smell, but she could still smell the lingering scent in the room that didn't belong to Zhou He.

Zhou He's doting on Xi Li made her envious.

"Yes, as you know, because of this, Ruihe brought a group of people to check on the patients this morning, but I scared them away."

After thinking it over, Zhou He decided to bring his military uniform. He did this not for any other reason than that he usually wore this white military uniform, and his ship girls were used to it. If he got lost, his white uniform would make him easier to find.

"Miss Zuikaku seems to care a lot about the Commander."

Hermione smiled and took the matching clothes from Zhou He, then took two steps back, squatted down, and put them into her suitcase.

"Ah."

Zhou He smiled. Besides Yuudachi, Zuikaku was the person he talked to the most in the port area. He said, "I guess she wants to see me embarrassed in the face of unexpected situations because I've become more and more capable lately."

"...?"

Hermione paused, closed her suitcase, and stood up. She observed Zhou He naturally and calmly, but couldn't tell whether his words were true or false because of the smile on his face. She smiled faintly and said, "So the Commander considers Miss Zuikaku a playmate. If the Commander tells Miss Zuikaku such an important matter directly, she will definitely be happy."

"Really? Say that next time you have an argument with Zuikaku."

Zhou He stroked his chin. He should have said that when he praised Ruihe earlier; it might have made Ruihe like him even more.

Hermione smiled without saying a word. Now she was certain that Zhou He really had no other intentions, but as for Ruihe, she wondered what he was thinking.

"Let's go down first and give Zuikaku some more time to prepare."

Zhou He glanced back at his room, and after confirming there was nothing to pack, he followed Hermione out of the room. After closing the office doors and windows tightly, they went straight down to the first floor. Hermione carried a meter-tall suitcase downstairs with one hand, her posture still elegant, and the suitcase didn't budge at all, which amazed Zhou He.

"Are you leaving?"

The other people who had signed up for the camping trip gathered in the hall. The person asking questions was Hood, who hadn't signed up. She sat in a chair, with Jarvis standing behind her. The two of them, one gentle and the other cold, made the surrounding space feel empty.

"Wait a little longer, Hood, are you coming too?"

Zhou He approached the crowd and stood behind the bench where Xi Li and the others were sitting. He put his hands on the back of the bench and smiled, "The Sirens can't detect our port area, so it's fine if you all go together."

"Yes."

Hu De picked up the teacup on the table next to him and said with a warm smile, "Actually, I'm not very good at operating in areas where the situation is unknown. If there is a next time, I will definitely participate."

"Is that so? Please be sure to participate next time."

Zhou He was neither discouraged nor surprised. After all, Aunt Hu De was at the top of the aristocracy, so it was normal for her not to be interested in this kind of grassroots exploration and surveying work.

The conversation between the two did not last long. Zhou He soon started chatting with the destroyers Yuudachi, Z23, and Javelin. When they mentioned that they had brought clothes but had nowhere to take a bath, Zhou He smiled brightly and said that if there was no bath, he would dig a hot spring pool on the spot for everyone to take a bath and relax.

This isn't an exaggeration. He can't afford to spend 15 Homestead Coins at home, so the 8 Homestead Coins option is more cost-effective. If there's a scenic spot with great views, he can just take a picture of a hot spring and use it as a marker. Later, when there's a major development, he can just pave a road there. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation.

"Commander is amazing!"

This generosity was truly felt by the destroyers, who, who hadn't planned to bring any luggage, all left and went upstairs—no one could resist the temptation of soaking in a hot spring immediately after playing.

"Does the commander have any spare resources?"

Children see the surface, while mature adults see the essence. Bismarck was quite surprised. Could it be that Zhou He's statement that "rewards are extra gains" was just empty talk?

Zhou He shrugged: "There are still some. After this camping trip, I will probably build another new dormitory, so Bismarck and the others don't need to rush to move out."

"understood."

Bismarck liked the Ironblood uniform that came with her from the start. She would change it when going into battle, but she would put it on at home. At this moment, she sat upright in the chair opposite Hood, and her tone of voice was as calm as ever.

Zhou He is most unable to resist a dashing and cool woman. Bismarck and Tirpitz are both personalities he likes (referring to the extent of giving them rings). His gaze shifted: "So, it seems that Count Spee is not planning to go out together?"

"Spee likes quiet and being alone, so it's good for her to stay and get used to the environment."

Bismarck indicated that he also gave a reason on behalf of Count Spee, who was not present.

Since it was all their own ship girls' choice, Zhou He naturally wouldn't say much. Since several main forces from each faction were here, he took the opportunity to explain the situation of the Sirens outside—it was best for them not to launch any attacks recently. As for when they could launch an attack...

Zhou He planned to conduct a simple experiment.

"The Sirens are quite adept at using their advantages, but with such a large fleet, the resources they consume are countless. It's hard to tell whether they've only occupied and developed the marine resources, or whether they've also taken over the mineral resources on land."

Both Bismarck and Hood found themselves in a difficult situation facing the Sirens' numerical onslaught.

They are indeed very capable fighters, but the enemy is a monster army that doesn't care about casualties at all. Conservatively speaking, the number of Sirens they have sunk in this period of time is enough to wipe out most countries in the world. If you add the new ones that have joined later and those that haven't come yet, even the Royal Navy, Sakura Empire, and Eagle Union, which are major maritime powers, might not be able to withstand them.

After all, a country's production efficiency has its limits. In a protracted war, the side with stronger resources will inevitably win.

"The commander once said that there is a human port in the South Third District, where some historical data may still exist."

Hood continued to follow the idea of ​​finding land and then fighting the Sirens with land behind him.

"Hopefully so, that will be the target of the next large-scale operation."

This was a decision Zhou He had already made: to take over that port area and then use it as a stepping stone to advance towards the Siren base in the western fourth district.

However, there are too many mass-produced Sirens outside now, and they can't get out without fighting a battle first, which is a big problem.

After some discussion, they reached the conclusion of waiting for the right opportunity, which Zhou He didn't mind, but the others present were very concerned, making the scene somewhat serious.

However, the serious atmosphere was quickly dispelled by Yuudachi, who hopped down from the second floor, and the much more civilized destroyers Javelin and Z23 following behind. Walking at the very back was Zuikaku, wearing a coat and long jeans, carrying a cloth bag over her shoulder, and a sword at her waist, looking like a wanderer in modern society. After coming downstairs, her gaze swept across the scene and converged on Zhou He: "Have you rested enough? We can set off now."

"Let's go then."

Zhou He quickly chimed in, clapping to end Tata's conversation, and strode to the main entrance. He then turned and shouted to everyone present, "The first round of outdoor spring outings and camping activities in the port area has officially begun!"

"Oh!"

Yuudachi was very supportive, and the others who hadn't said anything joined in the cheering, instantly making the scene lively. Bismarck and Hood exchanged glances and then stood up. Tosa placed one hand on the hilt of his sword and followed the crowd as they went out.

Chapter Ninety-Five: Gathering and Hunting (?)

Zhou He had climbed to the mountainside of the forest behind the command post with Tosa and Kursk, but there were only high rocks there and no passage leading to the back of the mountain. This time, led by Zuikaku, she chose another route - entering from the right side of the forest.

"Hey! Don't run around! I won't be responsible if you get lost."

To the right of the forest is a depression between two mountains, where there are relatively few trees, but they are all large trees that have been there for a long time. They have absorbed nutrients from the soil, leaving no extra nutrients for weeds. However, their drooping branches and roots still obstruct the passage of pedestrians.

However, these obstacles were more like a playground for destroyers with superhuman physical abilities, allowing them to expend energy and play freely. Yuudachi was a prime example, and even normally composed girls like Javelin and Z23 showed considerable playfulness when faced with these obstacles. As a result, they were weaving in and out of the way, while Zuikaku followed behind, acting more like a babysitter than a guide, grabbing the destroyers from all sides.

"This place is quite interesting."

Zhou He was positioned towards the back of the group. Facing tree roots that were more than half a meter or even close to a meter tall and slightly damp to the touch, he couldn't easily cross them like his ship girls. He could only obediently climb or detour. Because of this, his spirits were quite high. This level of obstacle was just right for him!

"If the commander likes it, he can design an obstacle course next to the port area."

Today, Hermione changed into light clothes for the outing and stayed by Zhou He's side, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

Tosa and Bismarck followed closely. The former nimbly leaped and prodded across the uneven obstacles, while Bismarck, with her feet firmly on the ground, observed the surroundings. Wearing long boots, she kicked aside a pile of leaves, looked down at the damp soil riddled with tiny holes, and frowned slightly: "It's very damp here, and because of the location and environment, it doesn't get any sunlight all year round, making it easy for poisonous creatures to grow. Commander, be careful and don't get hurt."

"Understood~"

Zhou He responded and continued to walk unhurriedly through the obstacles. With Tosa and Bismarck following him, he wasn't worried at all about being bitten by strange creatures. However, the military uniform he was wearing seemed to be quite different from the adaptive military uniform of Donghuang. It was fine for walking slowly and doing small movements at home, but it was a bit of a hindrance when he needed to do intense and frequent movements.

Although the mountain and forest areas are fun, he still hopes there won't be too many of them.

About half an hour later, Zhou He stepped out of the tall forest and came to a sloping clearing overgrown with weeds, using the branches that Ruihe had cut down to make a path. Sunlight fell from the sky, and in his open view, Zhou He found himself halfway up the mountain. The path here was mostly made of stones embedded in the soil, and weeds grew densely from the cracks between the stones, making it look as if it had been squeezed out by the big trees next door.

"Phew, this island is bigger than I imagined."

Zhou He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his clothes and stood on the rock, gazing further ahead. According to the map drawn by Changdao, the end of this line of sight should be a slope leading directly to the sea. However, he couldn't see that so-called slope at all. He could only see a mountainous terrain with a huge difference in elevation and abundant greenery. If there was anything eye-catching, it was that he saw a lake that covered a considerable area. This lake tilted to the right and seemed to flow into the sea in the form of a waterfall or a stepped incline.

"In other words, you can see the waterfall if you move to the right from the outside."

Zhou He quickly calculated and marked a spot in his mind, thinking he could visit that place when he had time in the future.

"Commander, are you still able to walk?"

Ruihe, who was walking in front, was sweating profusely from being tossed around by the little cuties. After finally reaching a safe open space, she looked back and saw that Zhou He was not moving. She called out to him from about ten meters away.

"Hermione, you see? This guy really is eyeing me and wants to see me make a fool of myself."