Shipgirls and Salted Fish Commander, Port Survival Guide

"Lexington, lead the way, let's get to the operations command center right now."

"Yes, Commander, please follow me." Seeing Jing Su's serious expression, Lexington suddenly smiled with relief.

'Hehe, Commander, you're getting serious now, that's great~'

The current situation does look dire. After all, the sheer number of Siren hosts, whether real or not, is truly astonishing.

But so what?

Jing Su is back, so the port area can now go all out.

Chapter 279 Choice

"I've never heard of such a large-scale host before. We must strike quickly and annihilate them before they can fully assemble."

"Use your brain! How could there be so many Sirens? This is clearly a trap. If we actually attack, we will definitely be defeated one by one. We absolutely cannot move. On the contrary, we must strengthen our defenses, reinforce our defenses, and make full preparations to wait for the Sirens' mainframe to arrive."

"I think it would be better to send a few troops to gather intelligence. Right now we know nothing and are completely in the dark, which puts us in a very passive position."

"You know we're in a very passive position. In this situation, can we send a small detachment to scout? If it's too small and something goes wrong, who will be responsible? If it's too large and alerts the Sirens, what if we play a joke on the front lines!"

"Who are you calling brainless? No matter how large their force is, they're still sirens, just defeated foe. Launch a full-scale attack, kill as many as they come, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Heh, you're just brainless. What if we fall into a trap? What if the main force is trapped and the Sirens launch a surprise attack on our rear? The commander is right at the front. If something goes wrong, are you going to take responsibility?"

"you......"

The room was filled with the sounds of arguing, with everyone sticking to their own opinions and refusing to give in. But when the topic turned to Jing Su, all the ship girls present fell silent.

Yes, Jing Su is on the front lines. What if something really happens to her?

At this point, the ship girls realized that they seemed to have made a mistake due to their reliance on experience. They thought it was just a normal quarterly offensive and there wouldn't be any major problems, which is why they called Jing Su to the front line. But they never expected that a quarterly offensive that any faction could easily suppress in the past would turn into a massive Sirens offensive.

Against a Siren fleet of this size, the ship girls can afford to pay a price and slowly wear it down; they won't necessarily be defeated. At worst, they can deploy part of their defenses and employ encirclement tactics.

But now, things are different. Jing Su is on the front line, so many tactics can't be used. And as I said before, what if something happens to Jing Su?

The war has already begun, and even if we wanted to send Jing Su back, it would be impossible. There are countless planes and a massive number of warships. Once an anomaly is detected, a large number of planes will be dispatched to intercept them in a matter of minutes. No matter how powerful the ship girls are, they cannot stop all the planes.

If the aircraft were to breach the defenses, the consequences would be unimaginable.

This is also true of ancient warfare. Morale was highest when the emperor personally led the army. However, unless the emperor actively requested it, one should never instigate such behavior. If the emperor backed down on the battlefield, was killed, or even captured, it could directly shake the foundations of the country.

"It's alright, don't worry about me." At this moment, Jing Su's voice suddenly rang out.

"Hey, Commander, when did you arrive?" At this moment, everyone noticed that Jing Su had been standing at the door for some time, seemingly having been listening to their conversation. The conference room became noisy again.

But almost no one took the initiative to approach Jing Su and develop a relationship with her. Not to mention that the atmosphere was very delicate at the moment, the most awkward thing was that the ship girls had been discussing too loudly, too hastily, and too undignifiedly.

"Ahem, I haven't been here long." Jing Su coughed lightly and, led by Saratoga, walked to the head seat of the conference room. "Alright, I probably don't need to repeat the general situation again. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

The ship girls looked at each other, glancing left and right, but none of them were willing to speak. Finally, Saratoga led the way and started talking, though the main points were the same as what they had been arguing about earlier.

These include traps, a full-scale attack, and reinforcing the defensive line.

The ship girls who hold the trap view argue that the Sirens have never sent more than five Sirens mainframes to fight against them. Usually, it's only one, occasionally two, and five is already an extreme case. How could they send an entire army of Sirens mainframes like this?

If there were so many Siren hosts, the struggle for command would be fierce. After all, the Siren are actually more divided than the port area; in a true sense, different factions would fight each other if put together.

Therefore, from this perspective, it is impossible for so many Siren mainframes to exist. They are either clones with the real mainframes hidden somewhere, or they are new warships, similar to the other Siren warships.

This faction's idea is to fight according to the old strategy, that is, to defend and counterattack. They will wait for the Sirens to attack continuously, and then the ship girls will counterattack with their defensive offensive. After the Sirens are worn down to a certain extent, they will start to counterattack.

The all-out attack can also be understood as an annihilationist strategy. Their core argument is that with so many mainframes still emerging continuously, if they were truly mainframes, the emergence of even one would be enough to intimidate, and the emergence of two would likely trigger an offensive. However, with so many yet no offensive action, their intentions must be far greater, and they must strike first before the mainframes are fully assembled.

Of course, this school of thought has the weakest theoretical basis, so it has the fewest supporters, and is basically supported by warmongers.

The core idea of ​​strengthening the defense line is the same as that of the trap school: European-style defensive counterattack. However, their school is relatively extreme. The trap school thinks that the opponent does not have that many Sirens, and the defense strategy is still set up according to the assumption of one Siren host. The defense school, on the other hand, plans for the worst-case scenario and treats the opponent as if they have that many Sirens.

In other words, the defensive faction proposed building a defensive line beyond everyone's imagination, so that the Sirens would be overwhelmed with problems and wouldn't want to fight at all.

If this drags on for a while, the Sirens will retreat on their own. After all, maintaining such a large-scale Siren fleet is very costly. Even with so many worlds supporting them, the Sirens cannot afford it. It's not that they don't have enough resources, but they simply can't transport them all.

Thanks to the vigorous efforts of the ship girls, the Sirens in this world do not have enough teleportation anchors to transport supplies. As the battle progresses, it is common for the Sirens to run out of resources and be unable to continue.

Therefore, the defensive faction has always been very vocal in its calls for construction. However, if we were to actually build according to their ideas this time, the resources required would be enormous.

The Sirens couldn't transport resources as the war progressed, and the same thing happened with the ship girls – it wasn't a lack of resources, but rather insufficient transport capacity to move them.

"Commander, what do you think?" After the representatives of the three factions expressed their views, they all turned their attention to Jing Su. At this moment, it was up to Jing Su to make a decision.

Should we take the initiative to attack, or build up our defenses?

Chapter 280 The Attack

"I think the reason you guys are arguing so much is simply because you don't have enough information. Just find a way to get enough information, and that will solve the problem," Jing Su said after a brief moment of thought.

"However, if we send out a small force to gather intelligence, the scouts could be in danger if they encounter a trap." The ship girls had already discussed the idea of ​​gathering intelligence, but it was rejected by them internally. With such a large-scale Siren mainframe, it's better to be safe than sorry. If it really is the mainframe, the scouts would be wasted.

"Then why not just send the main force to scout?" Jing Su asked with a smile.

“But, like this, eh!?” Saratoga was about to say something, but before she could finish, she suddenly froze, ‘Hiss, it seems... it really does work.’

Reconnaissance is risky, but intelligence is crucial. So why not send the main force to conduct reconnaissance? They can return safely and obtain intelligence at the same time.

Who says that main forces can't do reconnaissance missions?

Of course, it's not that the ship girls couldn't think of this approach, but rather that they had considered it, yet subconsciously felt they couldn't do it.

After all, let alone a fleet entirely composed of Siren mainframes, even a normal, ordinary Siren fleet, once it reaches a certain size, is not something that a typical ship girl squadron can handle.

As the saying goes, "Many ants can kill an elephant." As mentioned before, once the Sirens reach a certain scale, they have the ability to shield themselves. This means that if the ship girls venture too far into enemy territory, the command center outside will not know what is happening inside. At this point, if something unexpected happens, it will be too late to provide support.

But what if we let the main force go?

Or, to take it to an extreme, you could form a colorful formation and send it to scout out the situation. With a formation of this size, the question isn't whether to provide support or not, but whether the enemy is large enough to kill.

In the past, each faction fought alone, and everyone used the decorated ships as their ultimate weapon. They would only send them out after the opposing main force appeared. No one really considered sending the decorated ships out to scout the situation from the beginning.

On the one hand, it's unnecessary. As mentioned before, this is the first time we've seen a swarm of Sirens. On the other hand, it's also because we can't get them to cooperate. The colorful ships are practically the main force of each faction. Unless it's a critical moment, they won't be sent to the battlefield. Moreover, they basically only listen to the people in their own faction. The words of the front-line command are useless.

“Commander, following your line of thinking, we can do this: openly probe the Sirens' situation. We can form a full-color squadron, send them out to attack, and have them confront the Sirens head-on. We'll know what the situation is once we test it out.”

The ship girl who said this was Belfast. As the core commander who always sat in the command center, she was involved in almost every battle, big or small, on the front lines. She hadn't thought about it this way before, but now that her mind was open, she quickly came up with a feasible strategic plan.

"Okay, Belfast, please work on drafting a plan now. We'll proceed according to your ideas." Jing Su nodded, indicating that Belfast should start drafting the operational procedures now. As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise. As mentioned before, Jing Su is completely clueless about command and has no idea how to handle things. It's better to leave matters like this, which determine the critical situation on the front lines, to professionals.

Everyone has their own limitations. If you can't do something, don't dwell on it too much. If you give yourself enough time to learn, you might be able to command a battle or two in the future. But right now, it's definitely too late.

But why bother doing it yourself?

With ship girls by your side and such strong support, why not use them? Who says the power of ship girls isn't your own power?

Jing Su finally understood that at this moment, he was actually there to keep Belfast in check; with Belfast there, any plan could be executed perfectly.

Belfast has been the commander-in-chief on the front lines for a long time and knows the strength of each faction very well. Letting her take charge of this matter is definitely a professional choice. She knows the specific situation and has reliable commanders under her. So all Jing Su needs to do is make the payment, cough cough, no, I mean give her full support.

However, this kind of support cannot be said in private. So, after Belfast left, Jing Su stood up and shouted to all the ship girls present: "Everyone, I have an announcement. I have decided to take the initiative to test the Siren's combat strength and adjust the subsequent strategic policy based on the test results."

Given that the size of this Sirens is indeed quite intimidating, I have decided to assemble a colorful fleet to probe the Sirens' main force.

No, two, please.

Bismarck, you take the second-generation ship equipment and form a back row team with Hutten and Prince Rupprecht. Ron, Mainz, and Felix Schulz, the three of you, form a front row team.

Garden, you are the flagship of the second team. The main back row players are York City and Chilsager, and the front row players are Guam, Raffi and Eldridge (modified).

Team One, you are facing the Sirens head-on, trying to probe their combat capabilities as much as possible. Team Two, you have stronger air defense capabilities, so provide cover and make sure no aircraft interferes with Team One.

"As for the remaining details, you'll follow Belfast's instructions."

"Yes, Commander!"

"No problem, Honey, I definitely won't let you down!"

As soon as Jing Su finished speaking, Bismarck and Garden stood up in unison and addressed Jing Su, some seriously and some jokingly.

Afterwards, the two rushed out of the conference room to check the ship equipment. Everyone was attending the meeting as usual today, so the ship equipment had not been updated yet, especially Garden. She was currently wearing some white equipment, and it was not a pleasant thing to go to the battlefield with such things.

At that moment, Garden and Bismarck glanced at each other simultaneously, their eyes burning with fighting spirit, a mixture of excitement at the prospect of fighting side by side and a desire to compare themselves.

"Alright, that's settled then. Meeting adjourned. Other ship girls don't need to worry about not having any battles to fight. Once the first and second squadrons have found out about the Sirens' situation, you'll have plenty to do."

Now, go back and prepare for battle. When the time comes, go all out and annihilate these warships in one battle!

"Yes, Commander!"

The saying goes, "Big matters should be discussed in small meetings, and small matters in large meetings." The more important the matter, the less it should be delayed, and the higher the efficiency, the better. Jing Su made the decision directly, which was the fastest since the start of the quarterly offensive.

After saying that, all the ship girls present stood up and left the meeting room. Their faces were either serious or excited, but no matter what kind of ship girl they were or what they looked like, what shone in their eyes was a surging fighting spirit.

They couldn't help but be excited. This was Jing Su's first battle personally commanded since her return, and it was such a tense and exciting one right off the bat. What better opportunity to capture Jing Su's heart? They had to perform well!

This battle will be immortal!

Chapter 281 The Unconventional Marco Polo

"Hahaha, Commander, you're actually sending the main force out on your own initiative, aren't you giving me an opportunity!"

A loud, arrogant laugh rang out as a mature woman in a jumpsuit, black stockings, a beauty mark near her eye, and long hair reaching her waist stood at the door, laughing wildly.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jing Su asked helplessly, looking at the arrogant ship girl in front of her.

"Haha, of course we'll take this opportunity to force you, Commander, to abolish the four secretary ships, then declare me the Grand Secretary Ship, and grant the Grand Secretary Ship supreme power!"

In this way, I will be the supreme being in the port area!

Hahaha! "

"So, what's your purpose in doing this?" Jing Su's vision blurred. You kidnapped me, and this is all you're after?

"Of course, it is our duty to restore the glory of Sardinia!"

Commander, let us together uphold the glory of the Empire!

"With such a powerful fleet at your disposal, don't you really have any other thoughts?"

"Do I need to have any ideas? My dear Marco Polo~" Jing Su said softly after a moment of silence.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, what did you call us? What 'darling'? You can't just say things like that!" Jing Su blurted out, but unexpectedly, it triggered Marco Polo's reaction. Marco Polo almost stumbled backward and bumped into the box. His face turned red with embarrassment, and he was visibly flustered.

"Does our relationship not deserve such a statement?" Jing Su raised an eyebrow and said teasingly. She had figured out that this guy in front of her was just a simpleton, and she would just have to coax him a little.

"As for whether we're a good match or not, we definitely are. But you, me, damn it, how could such important words be spoken in this indecent setting? We must hold a grand ceremony. The way things are now is far too casual!" Jing Su's words left Marco Polo speechless. After a moment of thought, Marco Polo immediately convinced himself. It would naturally be best to have a further relationship with Jing Su. To some extent, this was an unexpected joy of the day.

"So, can you let me go now?" Jing Su asked softly, raising her tightly bound hands.

"Is this...is this a vow? Damn it, I already said it's too hasty in this kind of setting!" Marco Polo, his face flushed with embarrassment, clearly misunderstood Jing Su's meaning, and stammered, gesturing wildly.

"Forehead......"

“Well, it’s not entirely unacceptable. In this situation, one should not be bound by oaths or such things. However… since it’s you, let’s be a little more ‘accommodating’. Don’t disappear on your own before we achieve our ambitions together, okay?” Marco Polo, who felt he had figured it out, walked to Jing Su’s side and, ignoring Jing Su’s wide eyes, leaned down to kiss her.

"???"

The situation developed too quickly, and Jing Su didn't react for a moment. But soon, the strange taste in his mouth brought him back to his senses. His eyes widened as he looked at Marco Polo in disbelief.

"How about it~ Do you like it? Do you like me like this~" Marco Polo looked at Jing Su with a little hesitation but also with great expectation.

"Indeed, it has a unique flavor~" After thinking for a while, Jing Su answered truthfully.

"So, that's all you'll say? Heh heh heh, I thought I'd get your perfect praise. Turns out you're a greedy person at heart!" Marco Polo seemed to have been hit by something, taking a few steps back and mocking himself, "I've been humiliated~ Heh heh, but it's fine. It makes you realize that only the stronger can gain more benefits and control more happiness. Being humiliated by you is nothing!"

"what?"

Jing Su was stunned. Was this a bit of a slew of a change of topic? How did I humiliate you? What did I say?

"Hehehe, I really like you like this, yes, just like that, humiliating me like this, hehehe, it's really troublesome, do you hate my tongue that much? Hehehe, how about you experience the feeling of two pairs of tongues~"

"What are you talking about, Marco Polo?" At this moment, Jing Su finally realized that Marco Polo's state was very abnormal, or more precisely, mentally abnormal. What he was saying was incoherent. At first, it might have been in line with his character, but the more it went on, the more it gave people the feeling that he was about to turn evil.

"Alright, alright, I do need to teach you a lesson~ my dear commander~" Marco Polo walked to Jing Su's side, ran his fingers across Jing Su's face, and said softly, "Come on, now, announce that I have become the Grand Secretary Ship of the port, and grant me supreme power and status throughout the entire port."

Hehe, don't worry, even the most powerful secretary ship is still just a secretary ship. I will only exercise those powers when you are not present.

"Uh, it's back to normal?" Jing Su sighed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Marco Polo asked, taken aback.

"I mean, look behind you~"

"Heh, my dear Commander, did you think I'd be fooled by such a simple trick..."