Revisiting Azur Lane

"no problem!"

Lingmin glanced at the crane and other mechanical equipment, his eyes sparkling: "I will make them work at full capacity every day!"

"rely on you."

Zhou He didn't remember what workload his own shipyard had, but since Lingmin said so, he had to cooperate to some extent.

After receiving the task assignment, Lingmin ran to the dock platform happily. At this moment, she had many wonderful ideas and couldn't wait to realize them one by one.

While Zhou He was talking to Ling Min, the other three people had already come up to him. Suppressing the smile on his face, Zhou He spread his hands towards the three people: "My name is Zhou He, I am the commander of this port area, welcome to you."

“I don’t know what I can do with a body like this.”

The girl in a black dress and a red iron-blooded flag-marked apron around her neck looked at Zhou He calmly, her tone as calm as the expression under her silver-white hair with red highlights: "But I will do my best to complete your order, Commander."

"I look forward to your performance, Admiral Count Spee."

Zhou He nodded at Spey, and moved to the girl with airplane ears, long silver hair and red eyes next to him: "Montpelier, Cleveland is on a mission outside, I will arrange for you to meet up next."

"understood."

Montpellier, who had a slight Sakura style, nodded and said, "Please let me, Cleveland, accompany you on future missions."

"Will do."

Zhou He nodded. She remembered that all of Cleveland's sisters were obsessed with their eldest sister. As long as Cleveland was around, it was like having the instruction manual for their family. It was ridiculously convenient.

After finishing the conversation with Admiral Count Spee and Montpellier, Zhou He looked at the last silver-haired girl holding a flute. The crane-wing sleeves on her body had already revealed her identity. Her bright blue eyes exuded a soft glow, and when her eyes met Zhou He's, the corners of her lips curled up gently. Unlike the lively and warlike Zuikaku, she could make people feel what a Yamato Nadeshiko was just by standing there.

"It looks like I can give Zuikaku a big surprise this time."

Zhou He had argued with Zuikaku before about wanting Shokaku to help him cook, but when he actually faced Shokaku he had nothing special to say. He just wanted very strongly to see how Zuikaku and Shokaku would react when they met.

"Really? That kid came before me. I'm sorry to trouble the commander."

Xianghe's eyes flickered, and he bowed slightly to Zhou He, holding the bamboo flute in both hands.

"Don't be so reserved. Zuikaku helped me a lot. If I were to say, I should be thanking her."

Zhou He did not avoid Xianghe's salute. He stroked his chin with one hand and smiled, "So when you meet Zuikaku later, praise her as well as me."

"Follow your orders~"

After Xianghe stood up, she looked at Zhou He for a moment. When she heard his language (Donghuang), she broke into a sweat, worried that she would be treated differently. It seemed that her mind was too narrow.

"Normally, a welcoming ceremony should be held for new members, but there is something very important that needs your help right now."

After a brief conversation with the three of them, Zhou He looked back at Lingmin who was doing something under the tower and continued, "There is a White Eagle fleet fighting the Siren, and there are many suspected Sakura Empire shipgirls mixed in the Siren camp. I want to rescue the White Eagle team and find out if those Sakura Empire shipgirls are really colluding with the Siren."

"After we meet the Sakura Empire fleet, are we going to sink them directly?"

Count Spee glanced at Shokaku and asked.

"If they take the initiative to attack you, then fight with the determination to sink them. Can you do it?"

Zhou He also glanced at Shokaku, and after thinking about it, he added, "According to reliable intelligence, the people commanding the Sakura Empire's fleet girls seem to be the Akagi and Kaga sisters from the First Carrier Fleet."

"Wha...I'm so sorry, I was rude."

When the two names came out, Shokaku cried out in surprise, but immediately suppressed it, and his tone became dangerous: "I know Akagi, even if Senior Kaga's behavior and personality are extremely bad, he would not do such a thing. These two things mixed with Sirens must be bad forgeries. I hope the commander can give us a chance to clean up the mess."

"I'm glad you've realized this, but don't underestimate them and the Sirens. Before we annihilate the enemy, I hope you can return safely."

Zhou He was not surprised by Shokaku's change of attitude. The First Carrier and the Fifth Carrier were his favorite lineups to use when the game was launched before he traveled through time. At that time, with the help of Nagato, he could simply pass the level with his eyes closed. Therefore, he was relatively familiar with the personalities of these people. Although Shokaku could not get rid of the two members of the First Carrier, he still respected his predecessors in his heart.

Whether he had a bad personality or died too early, it was nothing compared to surrendering to the enemy. In Shokaku's opinion, this was the Siren trampling on the dignity of their deceased predecessors, and it was something that could never be tolerated!

"Yes."

Shokaku's response was very powerful - she was confident that she and Zuikaku were stronger than the two men in the First Carrier Fighter, and could accomplish both requirements of clearing the door and returning safely.

"Very good, Count Spee, I will communicate with Bismarck. When you get there, follow her instructions. In Montpellier, follow Cleveland. After you meet up with Zuikaku, I will give you specific instructions."

Zhou He glanced at Lingmin in the distance, turned around and made some simple arrangements for Xianghe and the other two.

Not long after, the three new members stepped onto the sea and walked away. Lingmin on the dock glanced at them, then turned his gaze to Zhou He who was walking towards him.

Chapter 69 Kaga

"I won't ask all of you to join the combat team. Lingmin, you are more suitable for research and development and mechanical maintenance than combat. It's up to you to make your own choice."

Zhou He came to the huge crane tower and fought side by side with Lingmin, and simply expressed his thoughts.

He remembered that there seemed to be quite a few scientific research-oriented ship girls in the game, mainly the black marketeer Akashi, followed by Yubari, Minsk, and new ship girls like Lingmin. Although his family has not started scientific research yet, they can also have some idea in advance.

"Yes, Comrade Commander, your idea is very good!"

Lingmin nodded in understanding, then clenched his fist towards Zhou He and said seriously: "However, as a master of mechanical maintenance, it is also very necessary to experience the baptism of war! Polishing the worn-out ship equipment after the battle until it shines again is the most exciting moment!"

"…Yeah."

Zhou He looked away. He remembered that while supplying ammunition, he would also repair all the damage to the ship girl and the ship equipment. Although it was very rude, it seemed that there was no need to be sensitive in this regard.

However, he couldn't dampen the passion of this talented mechanic like this, so he thought for a moment and said, "In that case, Lingmin, you should also go to the battlefield to experience it. I'll arrange someone to be your bodyguard."

"Is there anyone else here?"

Lingmin looked towards the interior of the dock complex in surprise. It clearly looked lifeless, but there were unexpectedly quite a few ship girls in the port area?

"Yes, there is a reserve research member and a hunter from the Northern Alliance (self-proclaimed), but she may not appear directly beside you, so she is like an invisible bodyguard."

Zhou He stretched out two fingers and then put one away.

Including the four new members, the number of his ship girls has reached an astonishing 20. There are many forwards and a sufficient number of battleships. Including his replacement for the repair ship, it is already a configuration that can fight a large-scale battle seriously.

Even if there had not been a sudden conflict between the White Eagle and the Sakura Empire's shipgirls, he would have dealt with all the mass-produced types and executors in the three areas in batches. This action only accelerated the process.

"Sounds mysterious? Good! Commander, you have piqued my interest. Let me uncover the mystery of this invisible bodyguard!"

Lingmin blinked, gave a thumbs-up energetically, and then asked, "What's her name?"

"Kursk."

……

Under Zhou He's arrangement, Bismarck, Zuikaku, Hood and Shokaku who joined later gathered together.

After a short rest, Zhou He arranged for them to be divided into two groups: led by Bismarck, the ship girls of Iron Blood and Sakura Empire formed a team to directly attack the Sakura Empire fleet and open up a second battlefield.

The Royal and White Eagles led by Hood, together with Jean Bart and Lingmin, rushed to support the White Eagle fleet that was under siege from the side.

No one asked Zhou He the reason for such assignment. After getting to know a few new members briefly, they quickly started to act.

"Miss!"

After the action began, Montpelier immediately found Cleveland and showed a bright and sincere smile to the other people who were completely speechless: "I can fight with you again!"

"Oh! I didn't expect you guys to join Minato so soon."

Cleveland was naturally enthusiastic when facing her sister. Because the collision volume of the ship's suit could not reach out and touch Montpelier, she just waved at Montpelier and said, "Follow me, and continue to leave our footprints in this world."

"Yes! Sister!"

Montpellier understood completely and ran to the front of the line with Cleveland.

“…It feels like we’re seeing two stupid sisters.”

Although Long Island was only a light ship, it was still part of the capital ship class, and she followed Hood and whispered to him.

Jean Bart, who was also a captain of the battleship, kept a distance from the two for unknown reasons and was not interested in their conversation. Instead, Cleveland's words resonated with her - in the battle with the Siren just now, she felt the powerful strength she possessed, and now she is in very good condition.

With such a healthy and strong body and strength, she will definitely be able to leave her own footprints and legends in this world!

"Eh, I really didn't see Kursk."

Lingmin looked around during the operation and was surprised to find no trace of Kursk, so she naturally talked to Changdao, whom she just met, in the team, hoping that she could help find Kursk's location.

This matter was not too difficult for Changdao, but judging from everyone's reaction to Kursk in the past two days, she thought it would be more interesting to make Kursk an urban legend, so she lied that she had not found Kursk, which made Lingmin very puzzled. She suspected that her colleague whom she had never seen was absent from work. She muttered to herself that she would get a remote-controlled reconnaissance plane and then search the entire port area for Kursk.

"..."

While chatting, everyone entered the territory of the Northern Third District under the leadership of Changdao's scouts. However, most of the Sirens here were attracted away by the White Eagle Fleet further north, leaving only a few scattered mass-produced ones and executors coming over from the Eastern Third District.

"Cleveland, Javelin, you go and attract the Executor Siren's attention and try to avoid observation. Changdao, you too, observe from the sky and record the Executor's type, appearance, and combat capabilities. We don't have any information on them, so don't attack them hard until we know the details."

After receiving the report from Chang Dao, Hood quickly gave instructions. The reason why she liked Zhou He very much was that although Zhou He was only a newly appointed commander, he was meticulous, calm and not radical. He first collected intelligence to make himself the advantageous party, and then unilaterally crushed the enemy to win.

This is a kind of battlefield aesthetic that Hood thinks is very elegant. For example, the sudden encounter between her and Bismarck in her memory was because the intelligence agency was not in place, and she was hastily faced the enemy and was taken away all of a sudden, which made her look very stupid and not elegant at all.

"understood."

Several people gave answers respectively, and began to contact the executors under the guidance of Nagashima's intelligence. During this period, Hood and Jean Bart cleaned up the remaining mass-produced models nearby. Unlike those who were directly ordered by Akagi and the others, these mass-produced models did not receive corresponding instructions and were in a casual and chaotic state as usual, and were easily dealt with.

"Nowadays, only mass-produced aircraft carriers can pose a little threat to us. No matter how many other mass-produced aircraft carriers there are, they are just chickens and dogs that will break into pieces at the slightest touch."

Many of Zhou He's ship girls don't know that their strength will increase with the number and duration of attacks. Hood is one of them. Her idea is somewhat similar to Zuikaku's, that is, the mass-produced Sirens are becoming less and less resistant to attacks, and their hit rate is getting higher and higher. Even if there are several times more mass-produced ones than themselves, after the two sides come into contact, they will destroy these mass-produced Siren fleets with a crushing force.

It's just boring.

"Nagashima, explain."

As the main gun roared and the white mist rose and dissipated, Hood began to ask Changdao about the Executor's situation.

……

On the other side, Bismarck gave a similar order. She had two aircraft carriers with sufficient combat power, and her reconnaissance and air control capabilities were far superior to Hood's. Therefore, her mission was more difficult and she had to face the East Third District where the core of the Mirror Sea was located.

"As I see it, there are five major types of Sirens, known as Executors."

Although Shokaku is only a new member, her ability is unquestionable. While Zuikaku was busy fighting against Zhou He, she released a group of machines to launch a tentative attack on the executors on the periphery and received feedback.

There are five categories of executors: destroyers with firepower targeting destroyers (white-haired creatures with both hands wrapped in fish-shaped ship suits and two tentacles on their heads), light cruisers (white-haired creatures with twin ponytails covered in black armor and holding a huge main gun in their left hands), heavy cruisers (white-haired creatures with side ponytails whose lower bodies are purely mechanical like hermit crabs), battlecruisers (white-haired creatures with more than ten extended gun barrels and two huge main guns that can be charged and fired with a single eye like crabs), and aircraft carriers (cold-blooded white-haired creatures wearing headphones and surrounded by tentacles that look like golden runways).

"The Executor's fighting style is also very noticeable. Destroyers, light cruisers, and heavy cruisers all rely on simple artillery fire, which is just our reversal configuration. However, there is an obvious gap at the battleship level. The two huge main guns of the battleship Executor can charge and release laser shells. If hit, they will be directly melted and decomposed. We need to pay special attention."

"Next is the aircraft carrier-type Executor. It has multiple takeoff runways and can launch nearly 20 carrier-based aircraft in an instant. If you are not careful, air superiority will be taken away. It is a target that needs to be attacked. However, its anti-aircraft firepower seems to be a bit weak, which is a flaw."

Shokaku was telling the intelligence he had obtained. The sky was already in chaos, with a large number of carrier-based aircraft mixed together in air combat. Even Zuikaku, who had complained that Zhou He had silently created it for Shokaku, no longer had the heart to argue with Zhou He and devoted himself to the control of the carrier-based aircraft.

"very good."

Bismarck integrated the information obtained by Shokaku's reconnaissance, and after conveying it to Hood over a long distance, he began to make arrangements: "Zuihe and Shokaku seize air superiority and harass the battleship-type executors. Graf Spee, Z23, Yudachi, and Jinto distract and attract the executors' attention. Tosa, you go deal with the aircraft carrier executors, and I will deal with the battleship executors."

"understand!"

They were all excellent fighters who had inherited combat memories. They understood how to act the moment they received the order. Those who had been hiding in the dark began to appear in front of the Siren Executors. Soon, the sound of artillery fire on the sea resounded through the sky, echoing the chaotic battle for air supremacy in the sky.

"..."

Bismarck walked through the sea of ​​artillery, his face calm but his brows slightly furrowed. According to the intelligence Zhou He had given before, there were a large number of executor Sirens going to encircle and suppress the White Eagle Fleet in the north. However, after they fought with the executors here, there were still a steady stream of executors coming to reinforce here from the rear. There seemed to be some problems here.

However, her doubts were soon answered.

"Sister Shoukaku, that guy showed up."

Suddenly, Zuikaku, who was launching a new batch of carrier-based aircraft, called out loudly, and Shokaku's expression changed from serious to gloomy: "Before departure, I denied the commander's statement of cooperation, thinking that the two seniors were pawns created by the Sirens, but now it seems that the commander's judgment is more correct."

"You actually chose to cooperate with the Sirens. Is it so easy to give up the glory of the First Carrier Battle?"

Zuikaku also gritted her teeth. She had imagined the scene of meeting Akagi and Kaga countless times, but she never thought that the first meeting would be on the battlefield, and that the other party would appear as a hostile traitor.

"Kaga?"

Bismarck also heard about the goal of this operation when Zhou He explained it in front of the station. After hearing the communication between the two sisters Zuikaku, the doubts in his heart immediately dissipated, and he immediately stopped the two sisters: "Don't be disrupted by their appearance, and give priority to dealing with the dangerous executors."

"I know."

"clear."

Zuikaku and Shokaku suppressed their anger and released their carrier-based aircraft again. This time it was Kaga's turn to frown behind the Executor: "What's going on? How did Zuikaku and Shokaku get mixed up with the people from Iron Blood? And the number of these carrier-based aircraft is wrong. There are too many, far exceeding the original number of these two. Did they undergo a modification after cooperating with Iron Blood?"

"Interesting, are you also working hard to become stronger in places that no one can see? Then let me test your current strength."

Originally, Kaga was only following Akagi's orders to come to Nagashima to silence them. However, no matter how many carrier-based aircraft she sent out to search, she could not find any trace of Nagashima and others. It was not until Zuikaku and his men showed up that the executors she sent out got an answer.

——Having said that, Kaga himself did not go into battle. Instead, he made a casual move and several lifeless-looking ship girls of the Sakura Empire stood out from the crowd. They were Hiryu, Soryu, Ashigara and Kinu. After appearing, Hiryu and Soryu directly released their carrier-based aircraft to suppress the Zuikaku sisters. Ashigara and Kinu also mixed in with the executors and began to put pressure on Yuudachi and others.

As the leader of the Iron Blood, she was specifically suppressed by Kaga, and a total of seven battleship executors carried out saturation bombing attacks on her.