Revisiting Azur Lane

"That's annoying."

Zhou He said, and turned his attention to the Home Mall. After searching for a while, he found what he needed. He raised his right hand and a professional book on "Civil Engineering" appeared out of thin air. He then started to read it.

This system mall sells almost all the goods that can be used in daily life. Although it costs 1 Home Coin, it is a necessary expense. If you don't know something, you have to learn it. While there are still few ship girls in the port area, he has to master more skills.

"Ah, it's something I don't understand."

Yuli originally wanted to come over and take a look, but she backed off when she saw the title of the book. This complicated thing was not suitable for her.

Her eyes moved back and forth between Zhou He and the bed, and finally Yuli climbed onto the bed. She lay on her side wrapped in a not-too-thick quilt, looking at the figure in a white military uniform sitting in a standard posture beside the desk. Her mood gradually calmed down, and along with the sound of turning pages, her breathing slowly became even.

After a while, Zhou He stood up, rubbing his temple, glanced at the sleeping Yuli, carefully turned off the lights and left the room.

Chapter 15: Poor as a Clink

"Ugh."

It was still morning, and Zhou He had already woken up when it was still dim outside the window. However, his waist and legs were a little sore, causing his movements to be a little stiff. After getting up, he stood by the window and supported his lower back - regardless of the reason for the lower back pain when squatting at home, the reason for this feeling now must be that he walked too far with Hermione yesterday, and the bed was too soft.

Well, that must be the case.

With this personal thought in mind, he looked into the distance. The bedroom window also faced the bay at the entrance of the island. The natural scenery was very pleasing to the eyes, and the running figures on the water of the bay made him feel refreshed.

"Zuihe is here too. Do all shipgirls have the habit of doing morning exercises?"

Zhou He rubbed his waist, wondering whether he should do some exercise. In the end, he came to the conclusion that it was possible but not necessary. He lazily got dressed, washed up, and went out.

Arriving on the first floor, Hermione, who had changed into a luxurious black and white maid outfit again, was mopping the hall. Seeing Zhou He coming down, she stopped and greeted him: "Hello, Commander."

"Morning."

Zhou He leaned against the stairs and looked at Hermione, who looked more like a boudoir lady than a maid. He curiously asked Hermione why she added "Mr." when she called him. Hermione smiled slightly and tilted her head to think about it: "Because adding Mr. makes it seem more formal. I respect Mr. Commander very much."

"Respect... Yeah, I get it."

Zhou He, who heard the new words, shifted his gaze unnaturally and changed the subject to look at the bay outside the door: "Yudachi and the others like to play in the bay, Hermione, don't you want to go and play a little?"

"Well, compared to morning exercises, cleaning the house more fresh is more in line with my interest."

Hermione's honest answer made Zhou He feel even more ashamed. The ship girls awakened by him all had clear goals and the ability to act, but he, the leader, was lazy and accomplished nothing. This was not acceptable!

Zhou He completed his self-condemnation within seconds, and with a relaxed tone, he separated from Hermione and walked outside the headquarters. The air, which had not been polluted by industry, was very fresh, with a hint of coolness and saltiness. Unfortunately, outside the headquarters was an empty lawn, without any of the key elements of the island port area.

"Renovate the port area early → use the Homeland Coins to buy the finished products → increase the number of ship girls, otherwise you have to wait → attack the Siren to complete the mission."

A series of formulas popped up in Zhou He's mind. He was very familiar with the feeling of empty pockets. Anyway, he decided to do what he could first.

He strolled around the Home Store and found the road that was separated from the manor set - 1 Home Coin could buy a 1.5-meter-long and -meter-wide road made of cement or other materials, which could be directly covered in reality, but he needed to dig a hook in advance, otherwise it would be directly covered on the soil surface.

"Should I say this is cheap, or is it really expensive?"

Looking at the product descriptions in the store, Zhou He didn't know how to comment. He turned around and looked at the road he had walked. It was at least a hundred meters from the headquarters to the bay, which meant more than 10 home coins. The road to transformation was still long.

Or pave the road yourself? But I don't have the materials.

Zhou He looked down at his empty hands. He could only say that his system was kind enough to give him a destroyer, otherwise he would not be able to use any of its functions.

"Commander? What are you worrying about here so early in the morning?"

Zhou He was patted on the shoulder. He turned sideways and found Zuikaku and Yudachi who had stopped drifting on the sea and came behind him. They smiled and waved their hands: "I'm just thinking about the development of the port area."

After giving a simple answer, he looked at the two of them and said, "You fought a battle with the Sirens yesterday, and many Sirens from farther away were attracted here. Today, Zuikaku, you will accompany Yuudachi to explore the sea area around the headquarters."

"oh!?"

Zuikaku immediately became interested, lowered his head and looked at Yudachi, raised his right hand and clenched his fist and asked Zhou He excitedly: "How do you deal with sirens? Defeat them directly?"

"No, your goal today is only to survey the sea area around the headquarters. Yudachi, remember? You and I planned the areas yesterday. You can let Zuikaku fly planes out to check them out, but you can't go near them."

Zhou He ruthlessly denied it and turned to instruct Xili.

The role of Zuikaku, the elite Zhenghang, is not just as simple as fighting with the Sirens. Now that the map is completely black all around, Zuikaku's reconnaissance ability is more important than his combat ability.

After Yudachi nodded in response, Zhou He looked at Zuikaku again and said, "It doesn't matter if the reconnaissance plane is discovered or destroyed, but you must not reveal your position. Our port area is still in the initial stage, and all battles need to be strictly formulated... Well, in short, you have to get my permission. If possible, I will let Hermione come to support you."

"Ah~ Is that so? This is very Commander-like."

Ruihe raised his eyebrows and winked at Zhou He: "Then how are we going to communicate with the commander at sea?"

“Please do not discuss this on the premise of fighting an encounter at sea.”

Zhou He complained and raised his hand to press Zuikaku's hand down: "I can observe the situation after your attack, and I can also contact you. If there is a Siren approaching, I will warn you - but don't let me see you actively approach the Siren."

"Like yesterday? Commander, you are so reliable."

Zuikaku laughed, and patted Zhou He's shoulder to cover up his guilty conscience: "I am an aircraft carrier. Even if I am an elite, I can't be so arrogant as to actively enter the enemy's artillery range, right?"

"It's not the best. If you want to engage in close combat, there will be opportunities in the future."

I don't know if Zuikaku held back, but Zhou He only felt his left shoulder go numb from being hit. He retreated out of Zuikaku's attack range and added, "Let's have breakfast before we go. Is there anything you want to eat?"

"Rice! Grilled fish! Eggs! Meat!"

Yudachi next to her suddenly made a loud noise, which shocked Zuikaku so much that she moved sideways several steps. Seeing Yudachi getting excited when talking about food, she also thought about it: "Commander, can you make tempura? I want to try it."

"..."

Zhou He suddenly fell silent. He did know that this dish was very famous in Sakura Empire, but that was all he knew. After all, he was not free enough to learn about foreign cuisine.

But tempura looks like deep-fried shrimps coated with flour. Just wrap the shrimps in flour and eggs, and then put some vegetables on top, and that’s it, right?

Thinking about it, it didn't seem that difficult, plus he could let Yudachi taste the food, so he nodded and said, "I understand."

"The commander is indeed very reliable."

Zuikaku showed a refreshing smile. The main reason why she wanted to eat this was that this was a common dish in the Sakura Empire. If Zhou He could cook it, then Shokaku, who would join in the future, would definitely be able to cook it too. She could compare more easily to see whose cooking was better.

"Then I'll go back and prepare."

Zhou He waved and looked back. Although he seemed calm, he actually had a headache. When would he be rich enough to exchange his home currency for ready-made dishes? He hoped that it wouldn't be until he became a great chef through three meals a day.

Chapter 16: Bad Speech

After making the imitation tempura perfectly and having a happy breakfast, Zhou He sent Yudachi and Zuikaku away from the port.

After finishing the work, he originally wanted to go home to read and study, but after thinking about it, he did not go back. Instead, he walked along the route he and Hermione walked yesterday again. By the way, he turned to the introductory structure part of the civil engineering book he bought yesterday. While reading, he inspected the situation around his own command center. In the end, he concluded that the system really helped him to find a good place to sit in the port area.

I just don't know why he was left with a bare command center in the end.

"What went wrong? Could it be that it was so that I could grow with Minato and everyone else?"

This system is so gentle that Zhou He almost cried because of his imagination. It’s a pity that he prefers to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

After recalling the roads he had seen and roughly conceiving a paving map of the area adjacent to the headquarters, Zhou He walked back to the headquarters, took out a pen and paper in his own office and began to draw. He was not greedy and would first add three building areas around the headquarters, and then expand them after completion.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

"Commander, I'm sorry."

After a brief knock on the door, Hermione pushed the door open lightly. Looking at Zhou He, who seemed not to have heard the sound but was still looking down at a book or drawing, she put the teacup in her hand next to the desk with a faint smile on her lips, and then carefully poured out the freshly brewed hot tea: "Take a short break."

Zhou He was naturally not so absorbed in his thoughts that he could not see other people around him. He took a deep breath and put down the pen in his hand. Looking at the clumsy lines on the paper, a sudden idea flashed in his mind: Could it be that there was only a command center in the port area because there were too many buildings and the Sirens would be able to discover this place?

"Am I stupid enough to realize this so late?"

After thanking Hermione in a low-key manner, Zhou He picked up the hot tea and blew away the rising steam, silently re-evaluating his own intelligence level. He was not smart before he traveled through time, and his so-called emotional intelligence was only reflected in online chatting. In reality, he could only barely guarantee that he was not a patient with social phobia and jade syndrome. He didn't even have a good relationship with his family, so he could only rent a house and stay at home.

"..."

After a while, Zhou He gave up thinking and shifted his attention to the system interface, switching to the attack map. Just as he expected, with the help of Zuikaku's reconnaissance aircraft, the four surrounding areas were completely illuminated in a short time, and he could see the Sirens wandering inside clearly.

Yesterday, only the Siren fleet in the north was left. Now all four areas are occupied by Siren icons. The turmoil of yesterday's battle has caused a lot of trouble.

As he was looking, he suddenly saw a Siren symbol in the northern area that was more muscular than destroyers and light cruisers. Subconsciously, he began to observe the surrounding situation: light cruisers and destroyers were probably the smallest patrol teams of the Siren, usually 4 to 6 in a team, while this heavy cruiser was a heavyweight, with two small teams of destroyers and light cruisers following him. The number of Sirens in the entire area was as high as fourteen.

Compared with the players in his family, this number is simply astronomical. Even a strategic player like Zhenghang cannot compete with it because of the lack of manpower, and there is no way to talk about any pulling tactics.

"What a pity, what a pity."

Muttering this, he lowered his head and took a sip of tea. The bitter taste was followed by a brief fragrance. The tea given by the system tasted quite good, but he didn't know what kind it was - no, here he should praise Hermione for her superb tea-making skills.

He put down the teacup and looked at the maid who was even prettier than in the game and who made him unable to take his eyes off her: "The aroma of the tea is just right. Even among the royal maids, Hermione, your cooking skills must be among the best."

"Thank you for the compliment, Royal Maid Corps~Does Commander know what our personalities and interests will be like after we are awakened?"

Hermione was clever and had an even better ability to observe and guess the thoughts of her lover. Zhou He's casual remark aroused her curiosity.

"Ah, I am also considered a commander, and I know a lot of information about the appearance, personality, and strengths of each ship girl in advance."

Zhou He did not realize his slip of the tongue. He was not careful enough to control his words. However, even if he realized it, he would probably give the same answer.

The moment he met Yudachi, he had already made the decision to be honest with the ship girls who joined his port area - if there were any questions about himself, he would respond with words like "I am also a commander."

"Well, there is such a thing."

Hermione's eyes wavered a little, she pursed her lips, turned her head away and whispered, "That's too cunning."

The voice was low, but Hermione was standing close to him. Zhou He was stunned for a moment, put his hands together on the table, propped up his chin, and said in a slightly deep voice: "Indeed, it would be great if you could choose the commander you like."

The personalities and hobbies of ship girls are diverse. If there can be a two-way choice, it can avoid the encounter between commanders and ship girls with incompatible personalities, reducing unnecessary troubles and adjustment periods.

"Hmm~"

Hermione naturally knew that this was impossible, but the fact that Zhou He could say such words without hesitation was enough for her. Her bright platinum eyes swayed slightly, and she leaned over to Zhou He's ear and whispered, "Even if there is such a choice, Hermione will definitely come to Mr. Commander."

"I...ahem."

Zhou He had never seen such a scene before. He instinctively wanted to distance himself, but he held back. He put his hands together to suppress his instinct to flee. He waited for Hermione to finish her words and leave her ear before speaking. As a result, his voice became hoarse for some reason, so he coughed twice to cover it up. He picked up the tea at hand and was about to drink it to moisten his throat, but Hermione pressed his wrist with one hand. The maid kindly reminded him with a blushing warm smile: "The tea is very hot."

"Yeah."

Zhou He calmed down a lot now, realizing that he had been seen through, and it was impossible to be more humiliated than this, so he touched his throat and said with a hot face: "Me too, Hermione, you are welcome to join us anytime."

It turned out that he was not good at communicating with others. Hermione had only said a few words when he became a little confused.

Further study, you must further study!

He must try to at least be able to withstand all the verbal attacks from the ship girls who are joining now or in the future, otherwise his heart will not be able to bear it.

After the brief conversation, Zhou He gathered his thoughts and turned his attention back to the system interface. After confirming that Yudachi and Zuikaku were safe on the small map, he switched forms and began to study the route planning again. He would have to go out and find a suitable measuring tool to determine the distance ratio between the planned map and reality.

Facing Zhou He who was working seriously, Hermione watched for a while before quietly leaving with the cold teapot.

Chapter 17 Day 1

Near noon, Zhou He noticed through the system map that Yuudachi and the other were rushing back, so he put down the plan he had almost finished, came out of the office and accompanied Hermione to prepare lunch.

Yesterday Zhou He was the chef and Hermione was his assistant. Today Zhou He was lazy for a moment and handed over the cooking job to Hermione halfway through. He called it early learning, but everyone understands his real idea.

"Hermione, I'll go get them first."

Everything was almost ready. Zhou He said hello to Hermione who was finishing up, and walked to the bay in a good mood. Almost at the right moment, he saw two figures, tall and short, returning from afar.

"The commander always waits for us here. Could it be that he has nothing to do?"

After Yuli got ashore, she happily walked around Zhou He and greeted him like a dog returning home. Zuikaku shook her ponytail and asked curiously when she came over. Zhou He put his palm on the tip of Yuli's ear and defended himself: "The nature of my work here is indeed relatively simple. I am not as busy as you who are out at sea, but I am not as idle as you think."

"Sorry for saying something weird."

Zuikaku apologized very straightforwardly. Zhou He smiled and turned to wave at the two of them: "Lunch is ready. Come and eat after you have rested."

"Yes~"

Yudachi Piao followed quickly, while Zuikaku turned around and looked into the distance at the sea. His eyes became deep and restrained. After a moment, he casually put his hands behind his head and followed Zhou He.

——The dividing line between dry rice and rice——

After having a full meal, Zhou He left the kitchen after cleaning up the dishes with Hermione. He saw Yudachi and Zuikaku still resting at the dining table. He waved his hand, sat over and started asking them questions, focusing on Zuikaku's investigation today.

His system map showed that there were a good number of Sirens, but today he discovered a strange problem, that is, the maps on all four sides of the command center were all open, but there was no movement on the map of the sea outside. He personally judged that if he wanted to light up the small map, he must first send a ship girl to light up the large map of the unknown sea.

"The situation outside is pretty much the same as the commander predicted. A large number of Siren fleets have gathered here because of yesterday's battle."

Zuikaku took a sip of tea and told what he had seen today: "But fortunately, there are no aircraft carriers among these Sirens, and the battleships with seaplanes are still far away from us. We don't need to worry about the port being discovered for the time being."

"A battleship."

Zhou He half-closed his eyes and quickly scanned the four lit sea areas. Sure enough, there were a large number of destroyers, light cruisers and some heavy cruisers, but no battleships. Zuikaku's reconnaissance plane did fly to the area outside the lit map, but there was no light here.