Today's tutelary fort remains peaceful.

"Hello everyone." Xue Cheng also waved.

"Admiral, are you here to see us?" The lustful elementary school student rushed over and hugged Xue Cheng's arm. Although she was wearing the same sailor suit as her sisters, her skirt and the hem of her clothes were obviously shorter. As she raised her hand, her slender waist was revealed.

"Yeah." Xue Cheng touched Dian's head and said with a smile, "I left Yamato with you guys and was a little worried, so I came over to check. Is that guy doing anything wrong?"

"Don't worry, Admiral." The eldest of the four sisters, Xiao, put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly, saying, "She's just holding the dock. As long as the invincible Xiao is here, I don't think she would dare to do anything bad!"

"Sister is right. That kind of guy is not worth caring about at all." Lei also echoed with his arms crossed.

Xinlai's face was calm. She felt that they should not underestimate the opponent. Even the weakened Yamato still had the power to sink a destroyer with one shot.

But with Shinano-nee, Nagato-nee, Mutsu-nee, and Montana-nee here, even Yamato wouldn't be a match, right? So... it's okay to be a little bit bold, right?

Thinking of this, Xinlai said calmly: "Admiral, please rest assured, Yamato would not dare to do anything bad."

"I feel relieved to have you help me watch her." Xue Cheng said with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Ao walking towards him with a girl who looked a bit like her, but with a less charming and more serious look between her eyebrows.

"Hello, Nagato, Mutsu." Xue Cheng greeted them.

Mutsu replied with a grin, while Nagato responded seriously, "Hello, Admiral."

76. Collection of Materials

The Nagato-class battleship No. 1 was the most powerful battleship in the Japanese Navy before the Yamato-class entered service. It was not until the appearance of the Yamato that it finally took over the position of flagship of the Combined Fleet.

Unlike the unlucky Mutsu who blew himself up for no apparent reason, although Nagato also had no outstanding military achievements, as the flagship of the Combined Fleet and the Emperor's flagship, his personality was relatively much more reliable, with a serious character, unlike his sister who was frivolous.

"Are you here to see Yamato too?" Xue Cheng guessed that Nagato must be interested in the Yamato battleship, so he came here.

Nagato nodded. She had always had a strong curiosity and a determination to never give up about the Yamato, which succeeded the Nagato class as Japan's strongest battleship in history. Unfortunately, there was no Yamato-class battleship girl in the world to this day, and the only Yamato-class Shinano was an aircraft carrier, which had no reference value in terms of combat power comparison.

As for Yamato, although it is a deep-sea flagship, after the separation of the ship equipment and the drastic drop in attributes, it should not be too far behind the ship girl. Nagato really wants to see if he has the strength to challenge the Yamato class now.

"Then why are you sitting outside?" Xue Cheng asked curiously, "Isn't Yamato here?"

"No, Yamato didn't go out. We were just a little late." Mutsu said regretfully. If it wasn't for the accident, she really wanted to see the difference between her sister and Yamato right now. "It was Taihou. She heard that Yamato was in our port area, so she rushed over and insisted on asking her to do an interview. She said it was for a new work. She's in the living room right now, and we didn't want to disturb her, so we just came out and waited."

"Dafeng..." Xue Cheng touched his chin. In his impression, Dafeng was indeed a literary girl. She spoke in a flowery manner and liked to quote from classics. She also mentioned that she was writing in the game lines. No wonder she was interested in Yamato.

But what would Taihou's new work be about? Since they'd chosen Yamato as their source material, it should be about deep-sea shipgirls, right? Xue Cheng suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. He looked at Nagato, his eyes sparkling. "It shouldn't be a problem if we secretly listen in on it, right?"

Nagato hesitated for a moment, then nodded, remembering that Taihou didn't ask them to retreat during the interview.

Leaving Danyang and the Six Drives team playing in the courtyard, Xue Cheng and the Nagato sisters quietly slipped into the room under Shinano's guidance. Following the faint sound of talking, they came to a paper door.

"This is it." Shinano leaned over to Xue Cheng's ear and whispered, "Admiral, don't be too loud, or you'll be discovered."

In fact, Taihou and Yamato did not prohibit onlookers from watching the filming process, but Xue Cheng, who was full of childishness, thought it would be quite fun to sneak in like this. He gestured to Nagato and Mutsu, indicating that they should hide behind him, and then quietly opened a gap in the paper door in front of him.

A round table in the living room was covered in a variety of snacks. A girl with long pink hair tied into twin ponytails sat with her back to the door. A laptop sat in front of her, one hand tapping away on the keyboard while the other shoveled snacks into her mouth. As the puffed food crunched, the girl mumbled, "That's all for the first phase of the interview. The rest of the interview will involve some personal questions. Ms. Yamato, if you feel uncomfortable, you may refuse to answer."

"Thank you for your understanding, Miss Dafeng, but there should be nothing I can't answer." The girl opposite her was wearing the same blue kimono as Shinano, with her long white hair tied up on top of her head and a gentle expression on her face. If no one knew her identity, no one would have thought that she was the crazy and ferocious deep-sea flagship.

"If that's the case, that's fantastic." Taiho's tone was filled with joy. She wiped her hands with a tissue and then said, "First question, Ms. Yamato, what is your ideal partner like? Oh, and by the way, this question isn't gender-restricted. If you like girls, you can ask."

"Eh?" Yamato was stunned. Xue Cheng, who was hiding outside the door, almost laughed out loud. Mutsu fell directly on him, his body trembling constantly, trying hard to suppress the urge to burst out laughing. Even Nagato, who had a calm expression, couldn't help twitching his mouth.

Only Taiho who asked the question and Shinano who was confused remained calm.

"Well..." Yamato felt that she was about to lose her disguise as Yamato Nadeshiko. She forced a smile and asked, "Is this question related to the material?"

Taihou nodded seriously. "Of course. Although my previous questions were all academic questions about deep-sea shipgirls, the work I'm currently conceiving depicts the love story between an ordinary admiral and a deep-sea battleship, so I'd really like to understand the deep-sea's perspective on choosing a partner."

"..." Yamato was a girl after all, so she felt a little hesitant to discuss such a private topic in front of someone she didn't know well. However, she had just spoken too confidently, and after hesitating for a long time, she whispered, "Well, I think... as a partner, he shouldn't be too bad-looking, right? Oh, right, I mean a man."

Dafeng was clacking away on the keyboard as she asked, "Oh, so, Miss Yamato, do you prefer handsome men or delicate and pretty men?"

As the saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest. Now that he'd said it, Yamato let it go. After all, Taiho was the only girl in the room, and she'd promised not to tell anyone before the interview. So, he said, "As for my ideal type, it's definitely the first one. But realistically, I don't think looks are particularly important. After all, you'll be relying on each other for the rest of your life, and if you only look at faces, you'll get tired of it one day. I care more about compatibility. If they're not a perfect match, life is bound to be bumpy."

"I see, Miss Yamato is a practical person?" Taihou nodded. "Then the next question is, what kind of personality do you like in the opposite sex, Miss Yamato?"

"As for personality, it's better not to be too outgoing. Be more introverted. It's okay to be a little quiet at ordinary times, but you must be careful enough and good at noticing the small details in life. For example, what kind of food do I like to eat, what colors do I like, or what objects my eyes stay on the longest when I'm shopping, and whether it's out of pure curiosity or desire..." Yamato talked incessantly.

"Does this powerful deep-sea flagship actually have a secret desire to be pampered like a little princess?" Dafeng muttered thoughtfully, "Hmm, that's the cute contrast. A heroine with this personality should be very popular, and the impact of the plot twists will be even more shocking..."

Seventy-seven, Dafeng's Customized Article

"That's not the case." Yamato blushed slightly and said uncomfortably, "It's not that I like being pampered, I just think it's easier to live with someone who's considerate."

Tai Feng smiled but didn't say anything. She continued, "So, when it comes to relationships, Ms. Yamato, do you prefer someone to be proactive or passive?"

Yamato thought for a moment and said, "Although I have thought about taking the initiative if I meet someone I like, as a woman, I still prefer the other person to take the initiative."

"It's a common thought. I originally thought Ms. Yamato would be the type with a strong Qi attack." Taihou muttered something incomprehensible, then asked, "So, what about..."

Before Taihou could finish her words, footsteps were heard outside the door. She immediately shut her mouth and listened. Soon, Montana's voice rang out: "Admiral? And Nagato and Mutsu... Ah, Shinano is here too. What are you doing hiding at the door?"

There was dead silence. Xue Cheng and the other three outside the door were like petrified, watching Montana walk out of the kitchen with snacks in her hands.

Montana tilted her head in confusion. What were the Admiral, Nagato, and the others doing? Were they playing hide-and-seek with the destroyer? But how could one play hide-and-seek without hiding? Why not stand outside the door?

Noticing that the Admiral and the others had been staring at her blankly, Montana thought for a moment, her eyes falling on the snack box in her hand. She seemed to understand something, and after a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly handed the box over: "Admiral, do you want to eat?"

"Swish!" The paper door of the living room was pulled open with great force, and Yamato appeared at the door with an expressionless face. She ignored the others present, staring at Xue Cheng with her purple eyes, and a cold smile slowly curled up the corners of her mouth: "Dear, since you are here, why are you standing outside?"

"..."

Yamato held his chin with one hand, turned his face away and deliberately avoided looking at Xue Cheng. His cheeks were puffed up like buns and he looked very angry.

"Okay, don't be angry. Haven't I already apologized?" Xue Cheng said helplessly. He knew that his eavesdropping was a bad act, so he admitted his mistake decisively as soon as he was discovered.

Yamato didn't even look at him. Instead, he looked through the window at the little destroyer girls playing outside and said coldly, "Is it enough to just apologize for eavesdropping on girls' private conversations? Then I'll beat you up and then apologize to you, okay?"

"These two things can't be confused at all." Xue Cheng scratched his hair in distress. "Besides, even if she heard it, what's the big deal? She's a girl after all. It's normal to have those thoughts. Don't take it to heart. No one will laugh at you."

Why don't you pick out a few private things and tell them to me? Yamato thought with gritted teeth. She ignored Xue Cheng's persuasion and opened a bag of potato chips on her own, pretending it was Xue Cheng, and started to chew them.

Seeing that Yamato was angry and obviously didn't want to listen to him, Xue Cheng wisely shut his mouth and turned his attention to another person.

Dafeng, a girl with twin pigtails, was constantly shoveling snacks into her mouth, but the clacking of her keyboard never ceased. Her ability to multitask was truly impressive. Her eyes were a peculiar shade of blue with pink, and her pupils were formed by three heart-shaped pupils. Xue Cheng remembered that Dafeng's artist had once said that she was wearing contact lenses with a functional assistive function.

Perhaps it was because Xue Cheng's gaze was too direct. After being stared at for a while, Da Feng finally sighed, closed the notebook, turned to look at Xue Cheng, and asked helplessly: "Admiral, is there something wrong with you keeping looking at me?"

"I was thinking, Dafeng has such a high level of literary literacy, the books she writes must be very exciting, right? I really want to read them."

"Well... although I do have a few best-selling books, those kinds of books are too energy-consuming, and I haven't written in a long time." Dafeng picked up a dumpling and put it in her mouth, saying casually, "Now I mainly take on some custom writing."

Xue Cheng's gaze became subtle. If he had not met Ticonderoga in the morning, he would not have thought anything wrong about the so-called "custom-made document" from Dafeng's mouth. But from Ticonderoga's mouth, Dafeng's custom-made document was placed together with Tirpitz's notebook, so he could not help but think wrongly.

"Can I also ask Dafeng to write a custom letter?"

"Admiral, you want to see it?" Dafeng looked at him in surprise, then thought for a moment and said, "I still have a few orders on hand that haven't been completed yet. If you want to see it, you'll have to wait a while. How about this, Admiral, add me as your friend first, then send me the request for the custom article. Once I finish the orders I have, I'll work on yours."

After adding Xue Cheng as a friend by scanning the QR code, Dafeng suddenly remembered something and said with a look of caution, "Let me make it clear first, even if you're an admiral, the fee can't be reduced by a cent, and the type of custom articles can't be..."

Glancing at Xue Cheng, and thinking of his own admiral's usual behavior, Tai Feng's expression was a little strange: "Well, Admiral, I won't take on the kind of topics that Tirpitz likes."

"Don't worry, why would I ask a girl to write that kind of thing?" Xue Cheng's words put Dafeng, who had been a little wary, at ease. He chuckled, with an indescribable malice in his smile, and winked at Dafeng: "Actually, my requirements for custom articles are not high. Just write one similar to the one you wrote to Ticonderoga last time."

"Hmm!" Dafeng, who was eating dumplings, changed her expression. She was about to speak when she choked on the food. She looked ugly. Seeing that the tea in front of her had been finished, she simply picked up Xue Cheng's teacup and drank it in one gulp. When she finally caught her breath and wanted to explain, she found that the admiral was not paying attention to her, because as Xue Cheng finished speaking, coughing sounds continued to be heard in the room.

It's fine if it's just Mutsu, a seductive vixen reading that kind of custom-made article, but what about Nagato? Would someone as serious as Nagato read that kind of article? And Shinano, what's with that look? Are you involved too?

Xue Cheng was dismayed to discover that, aside from the sulking Yamato and the bewildered Montana, even Nagato and Shinano didn't dare meet his gaze. Where was the promise that shipgirls were pure-hearted beings? Why were all of them old drivers?

"Admiral..." Dafeng's eyes flickered, not daring to meet Xue Cheng's gaze. She cleared her throat, forced a nonchalant expression, and said, "Well, I think you may have some misunderstandings. Regarding the custom-made text, it's actually not what you think."

"Stop talking." Xue Cheng slumped down on the tatami, looking up at the ceiling. He spoke in a tone of disillusionment, "I'm very sad. Such a thing actually happened in my own tutelage, and I, as the admiral, was completely unaware of it. This is my dereliction of duty. So...if I turn a blind eye, can you give me a discount on the price of the custom article?"

78. Challenge

"Haha..." Dafeng laughed dryly. She just wanted to get over the topic of the custom-made article quickly. As for future matters, there was no need to think about them right now. She quickly changed the subject: "Admiral, are you here to see Yamato today?"

Yamato turned away, ate potato chips resentfully, and snorted coldly. She didn't look like the dignity of a deep-sea flagship at all, but rather like an ordinary girl who was in a tantrum.

Why not make it real and capture Yamato? Then the Deep Sea Naval Base will be mine too. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Xue Cheng thought with some malice, and said casually, "Well, I guess so. I ran into Danyang while having lunch at Yixian's, so I brought her over. Remember, Danyang escorted the Yamato in history, right?"

"Danyang? Oh, you mean Yukikaze?" Mutsu covered his mouth and chuckled softly, "But the Yamato was sunk by those dumplings that time. They said it was a super battleship surpassing the Nagato class, but in the end it was only this good."

"Hey, over there, I heard that!" Yamato's brows twitched. Her anger was already lingering, and after hearing Mutsu's words, her rage intensified. She slammed the table and yelled, "Don't think I don't know about you. How can a guy who was sunk by a main gun explosion have the right to criticize me?"

"Huh? I really don't want to be told that by a piece of paper made with empty national treasury!"

"If that's the case, didn't you also build it with donations from some elementary school students?"

"Okay, okay, stop arguing." Xue Cheng held Mutsu's shoulders fearfully. He was really afraid that the two of them would fight. One was a deep-sea flagship, and the other was a front-line battleship in the garrison. If they fought, they might tear down Shinano's house.

By the way, yesterday the izakaya in Shinano was smashed to pieces by the runaway New Jersey. Could it be that Shinano’s unfortunate nature was at work?

"The Admiral is right. There's no point in arguing." Nagato took a sip from his teacup and then looked at Yamato. His tone was calm and unmoved, but his eyes were particularly bright. "I've always heard that the Yamato is a cutting-edge battleship whose paper data surpasses the Nagato. I really want to experience it myself."

Montana, who was silently eating snacks on the side, raised her eyebrows. Yamato had always refused to accept her challenge. If she could see the battle between Nagato and Yamato with her own eyes, it would surely be helpful in measuring the fighting strength of both sides.

Yamato narrowed his eyes, a sneer curling up at the corner of his mouth: "A challenge? Just you?"

"I know I may not be strong enough, but no matter how strong my opponent is, I will never back down." Nagato looked at Xue Cheng and said, "Admiral, please be my witness."

Xue Cheng hesitated for a moment. Even though Yamato was weaker now, he didn't think Nagato could defeat him. However, Nagato had already said this and it was obvious that he would not change his mind easily.

"If you insist, as the admiral I will support you." Xue Cheng said, "But we should have ammunition for the exercise, right?"

Nagato nodded. If there were no practice ammunition, wouldn't everyone be at risk of being sunk during normal training?

"Challenge me? Are you sure?" Yamato put down the snacks in his hand, a hint of arrogance flashing in his lavender eyes. "Who do you think I am? I am the deep-sea flagship, Lord Yamato! I've sunk hundreds of shipgirls, and you actually have the guts to declare war on me?"

"Just a model worker." Mutsu curled his lips at the side. "Yamato, your time has passed. Stop showing off here. The only thing you can be praised for now is your perseverance in fighting again and again despite failures."

"You..." Yamato's expression was clearly showing signs of losing control, but she forcibly suppressed it. She turned her gaze away from Mutsu and said to Nagato, "I admire your courage in challenging us, but we are allies now. I will try my best to avoid any actions that are detrimental to the friendship between us. Therefore, I will not accept your challenge."

Nagato was stunned. She had always remembered Yamato as a man of arrogance and belligerence, someone who never retreated even when severely damaged and on the verge of death. How could he refuse her challenge? She thought for a moment and tried to persuade him, "With the Admiral as a witness, this exercise won't harm our friendship, so..."

"Don't get me wrong, I don't trust you." Yamato tapped the table with his fingers. "Who knows if after I beat you up so badly, you might hold a grudge and do something behind my back? So I won't accept your challenge. Give up!"

"Please don't insult me!" Nagato clenched his fist and slammed the table hard: "I would never do such a thing!"

"How do I know if what you say is true?" Yamato glanced at Nagato, picked up his snack again, and said vaguely, "Even I have the awareness that I'm dependent on others. Until the Deep Sea Tutelary Fort is on the right track, I will not conflict with you."

"You say you won't conflict with others, but what about what you just said to me?" Mutsu said dissatisfiedly.

"You?" Yamato said disdainfully, without even looking at Mutsu, "I don't think a guy like you will affect our cooperation."

"Duel! I want to duel you!"