Revisit Azur Lane

Tosa's narrow, fox-like eyes were half-closed. Although her expression did not change, it gave people an unusually beautiful feeling of smiling. Her gaze swept over Zhou He again, and she turned and walked away without pausing.

"…horrible."

Zhou He's hands behind his back gripped each other's wrists. He could handle the cold and mischievous Tosa, but he really couldn't stand that half-smiling look just now. Just looking at him made his heart race, as if he would be eaten up in the next second.

But he quickly realized that he was too exhausted to handle the pile of wood. Tosa was gone—so he had to find someone else.

……

After taking a shower at the command post, Zhou He, feeling refreshed, lay down on the bed. Oh no! He squinted, not wanting to move, but he couldn't. He still had to go to the kitchen to help Hermione cook. So he gritted his teeth, got up, and went downstairs. He sat on the bottom of the stairs in the hall and began to contemplate life.

"Yay, Commander, you've worked hard."

After an unknown amount of time, footsteps sounded outside the command post. Zuikaku walked in with light steps, greeted Zhou He, and went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. After gulping it down, she came out and found Zhou He still squatting there. Curious, she approached him and asked, "Commander, what's wrong with you? Your eyes seem a bit unfocused."

"I'm thinking about a problem."

Zhou He didn't even bother to look up. Actually, he suddenly realized that the spacing and height of the staircase were really nice. Sitting on it felt like sitting on a small stool back home, so comfortable that he didn't want to get up.

Unlike Yuudachi, Zuikaku wasn't as naive. Zhou He was usually full of energy, but he was clearly exhausted. However, she wasn't stupid enough to pry into his secrets. So, like a Japanese delinquent, she squatted down next to Zhou He with her legs apart, pointed outside, and laughed, "Yuudachi and I were just standing at the entrance of the bay with the net for a while. It seems we encountered a school of fish. Hermione and the others are helping to untangle the net now. Commander, would you like to go and give us some guidance?"

"So lucky?"

Zhou He's eyes lit up. If they encountered a school of fish, how many fish would they have caught? No wonder Ruihe smelled of seafood. Feeling a surge of excitement, he stood up, supported himself on his knees, went to the kitchen to get a large bucket, called Ruihe, and ran outside. Ruihe followed with a smile.

Upon arriving at the beach, Zhou He indeed saw Yuudachi and Hermione struggling with a fishing net full of fish. Neither of them seemed very skilled. Tosa was also standing nearby, occasionally saying a few words. Zhou He walked quickly and overheard the last few sentences, which basically meant to stop making things so complicated and just cut the net, and the fish would come out naturally.

Yuudachi and Hermione ignored her. This fishing net was an important production tool in the port area. How could it be used as a disposable tool?

"This is truly a bumper harvest."

When Zhou He arrived at the scene, he saw fishing nets piled up on the beach and various marine creatures caught in them. The drag marks on the beach behind were still very obvious. The net was quite sturdy. Many large rocks were hanging underneath, but Ruihe and the others managed to pull them up without breaking them.

He had never been a fisherman in his past life, but he considered himself a potential fisherman. He didn't care that he had just taken a shower, so he rolled up his sleeves and joined in. He also called Ruihe to go to the beach to get some water for the bucket.

"Commander! How long will this many fish last us?"

Yuudachi isn't usually a patient ship girl, but when it comes to edible things, her patience is greatly amplified. The fish in the net have been transformed into braised and steamed dishes through a visual filter.

"At least a week, you guys have really been a great help."

Zhou He wasn't sure either, but these fish weren't necessarily meant for the dinner table. They could also be made into smoked fish, which, like beef jerky, would be convenient for ship girls to carry when they went out. All they needed was a pot of hot water to turn it into a simple and delicious meal.

"Ahem."

Hearing Zhou He's praise, Xi Li's eyes narrowed into slits with joy, finally understanding the true meaning of Zhou He's words: "Food earned through one's own labor tastes better."

This large net contains the most species of sea bream, as well as a lot of golden pomfret, grouper and other species. In addition, there are also non-fish marine creatures, such as crabs, prawns, octopuses, sea urchins, and oysters attached to corals and rocks. However, what caught Zhou He's attention the most was that there were two large lobsters of different colors in it!

"That's really something, we'll eat these tonight."

Zhou He figured that the non-fish mixed with the rocks behind were probably caught by Zuikaku and Yuudachi when they trawled ashore; having the ship girls cast their nets was really effective.

Steamed or braised!?

Xi Li's eyes lit up instantly. When she first arrived, she and Zhou He caught a bunch of crabs. They fed her with dipping sauce and barbecue sauce, and she was completely satisfied. Unfortunately, there were far fewer crabs on this beach after that one trip. She wanted to go to the outer beach to collect crabs, but she felt it was pointless without Zhou He, so she hadn't been able to have another seafood meal.

"All."

Zhou He was very generous, but these were all ordinary ingredients that could not provide much energy. The ship girls all ate like big rice bowls... rice experts, so he had to get some meat from the system to make the main meal.

"..."

Tosa watched as Zhou He and the other three chatted and laughed as they separated the fish and nets. He didn't lift a finger, but he felt a strong sense of participation.

……

After separating the fish and non-fish seafood he had caught and bringing them back, Zhou He immediately spent some Home Coins to buy a complete seafood cooking book from the store. This was a necessary expense for maintaining his quality of life (he had 19 coins left).

"Hey, Tosa, did you and the Commander run into Kursk when you went to cut down trees today?"

Zhou He and Hermione were busy in the kitchen, while the remaining Sakura Empire trio chatted outside. Zuikaku casually started a conversation with her hands on the table. After all, they were companions from the same port, and she hadn't seen or spoken to them for the past two days, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

"Ah."

Tosa nodded, then after a moment's thought, pursed his lips and said, "The Commander said she and I are the same kind."

"Really? Then he's a reliable guy."

Zuikaku propped herself up and looked the Tosa over. She had seen the Tosa in battle before. Although there was no comparison, the Tosa’s combat power as a battleship was beyond doubt. The Kursk, which was of the same type as the Tosa, must be no less formidable.

"You also think that she and I are the same kind of people?"

Tosa raised an eyebrow. Were these two too trusting of Zhou He?

"what?"

Zuikaku and Yuudachi, who was chewing on beef jerky, exchanged a glance and waved their hands on the table: "Since the Commander says so, there must be some basis for it."

"The commander has a good eye for people."

Yuudachi spoke more bluntly than Zuikaku, and the two of them expressed their full agreement with Zhou He's statement. However, it was this reaction that made Tosa suddenly realize something. His gaze shifted between Yuudachi and Zuikaku, and finally he snorted and closed his eyes: "That guy has strong observation and action capabilities and is meticulous. As long as he doesn't jeopardize us in battle, he can indeed be considered reliable."

"Hey, Tosa, you're not just praising yourself indirectly, are you?"

Zuikaku's words made Tosa's eyes widen. How could these guys be so perceptive in this area? She can praise Zhou Hexing, but she can't praise herself? What's going on? Are they bullying her?

"Hahaha, Tosa, you should also be able to sense that the commander is very familiar with us. Since he said that Kursk is similar to you, then you two probably have similarities, it's just that you haven't spent enough time together to show them yet."

Seeing Tosa's reaction, Zuikaku smiled and gave a serious analysis.

"Uh-huh."

Yuudachi said, "Me too."

Upon hearing this, Tosa frowned slightly. What she said was true. Although Zhou He hadn't shown anything particularly convincing about her during their work today, she felt comfortable talking to him. Even though she was always by Zhou He's side, she didn't feel any aversion.

This discovery eased Tosa's brow as he pondered, "Disguise? No, that guy doesn't have that kind of cunning. Is it vision? Is it talent?"

Obviously, this is not a question she can draw a conclusion on at this stage, but one thing is certain: Zhou He is qualified as the commander of the port area.

Tosa narrowed his eyes and looked at Yuudachi: "Yuudachi, you are the Commander's initial ship. Has this world done a thorough study of us?"

"Oh? I don't know."

With a beef jerky dangling from her mouth, Yuudachi shook her head innocently when asked, "The commander had already taken office when I came here. He seemed troubled about the initial ship selection, so I came over."

"..."

Tosa leaned back tactically, ignoring Yuudachi's easy prey, and looked at Zuikaku, who raised her hand with a silly grin: "I don't know either. I crawled out of the wreckage of the Sirens. When I found the Sirens, I overheard the Commander's communication and felt that Shoukaku-nee would come here too, so I followed."

"Can't you guys be a little more serious? How come you don't even know the commander's situation?"

Tosa didn't know how to complain. When they were built, they were given the memories of old-era warships and the common sense of the current era. They knew how to build their own commander and knew that they should fight the Sirens. She was the same, which is why she recognized Zhou He as her commander.

The problem is that she doesn't receive the common sense of this world. Just like Zhou He, who created her, she is completely clueless about this world.

"You're the same way. You went out with the commander for a while and came back in such a good mood."

Zuikaku also commented that Tosa was expressionless before he left, but when he came back, he was squinting and could barely suppress the corners of his mouth.

"I just arrived yesterday! And I'm not in a good mood because I understand the Commander's weakness and is relieved that the Commander has a clear goal of becoming stronger!"

Tosa placed one hand on the table and explained the reason in a serious tone.

"You got into a fight with the commander?"

Zuikaku looked on incredulously, which made Tosa's lips twitch. For a moment, he wondered if he was wasting his time trying to get the information he wanted from Zuikaku. He slowly leaned back in his chair and said, "No."

Upon hearing that Tosa hadn't fought with Zhou He, Zuikaku's interest waned considerably. He waved his hand and said, "Although the Commander didn't say it explicitly, I can guess that there must be a reason why he came here. How could the Commander have managed to sneak into such a dangerous place alone?"

"Ah."

Tosa pondered for a moment and added, "Perhaps the commander's rear camp intended to establish a strategic foothold here, but they did not expect the Sirens to advance too quickly and did not have time to pick up the commander during the retreat."

Zuikaku suddenly felt enlightened, leaned forward and said in a serious tone, "That makes sense, so we have to bring the commander back safely, or at least reopen the trade channels."

"...This is a protracted war."

Tosa realized the great responsibility they bore.

"Ahem, what are you all thinking about here, ignoring me, the person involved?"

Zhou He's voice suddenly rang out. Tosa and Zuikaku looked up and saw Zhou He looking at them with a half-smile. They immediately coughed twice and pretended nothing had happened.

Zhou He was also quite helpless. He had just finished killing fish with Hermione and came over to see what was going on when he heard the commotion. He then heard a series of discussions such as "Tosa and he came back in a good mood after going out for a while", "gratified", "abandoned", "strategic pivot", "take him back to fight" and so on.

This put him in a bit of an awkward position, but the two seemed to genuinely believe they had guessed correctly and were preparing for a deeper discussion, so he had no choice but to speak up and stop them.

“My situation is indeed a bit complicated, but it’s not what you think. I’ll explain it to you in detail when I have the chance later, so please don’t speculate here.”

As for his origins, Zhou He didn't know where to begin, but he couldn't just let his ship girl make wild guesses. His ship girl was indeed a combatant who inherited the memories of ships from the old era, but at the same time, she was an ordinary girl who was curious about everything in the world. What if she gave him a tragic and resentful background story, only to find out later that there was no such thing at all?

Just thinking about this awful thing makes him feel full.

"You all heard that, right? Nod your head so I can see."

After he finished speaking, he realized that none of the three people opposite him reacted, so he had to speak up to emphasize it.

"Uh-huh."

Yuudachi, who seemed to be confused but impressed, nodded obediently. Zuikaku and Tosa seemed embarrassed by their own actions and nodded after a while to indicate that they had heard.

"Great, rest a little longer, the food will be served soon."

Having quelled the rumors, Zhou He nodded in satisfaction, left a message, and went back to the kitchen.

As soon as he left, Zuikaku and Tosa exchanged glances, each grabbing one of Yuudachi's shoulders.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Ordinary

After finishing an early dinner, with the sun still high in the sky, Zhou He, wiping the plates piled up by the sink, glanced out the window and turned to Hermione, who was wearing an apron and humming a tune as she mopped the kitchen floor: "We've been eating dinner so early lately. Hermione, won't you be hungry tonight?"

"No, Commander, you're worrying too much. We only get hungry when we're deploying our ship equipment and expending a lot of energy. Working from home right now is no problem at all."

Hermione stopped mopping the floor and looked over, a slight smile on her face, looking like she was in a good mood.

"That's good. If you get hungry, you can prepare your own late-night snack. Don't worry about the ingredients."

Zhou He hummed in agreement and looked away. These past few days, Hermione and he had become more and more skilled at cooking together, and it seemed that things had become easier. So the seriousness on her face turned into a relaxed smile, which was very heartwarming.

Honestly, if he had this kind of work atmosphere when he was working before he transmigrated, his boss probably wouldn't have let him go—but, well, that's just wishful thinking.

"Is Miss Kursk the same today?"

After Hermione finished mopping the floor, she started wiping the table. She saw the food Zhou He had placed on the table and asked him with a hint of curiosity, "People from the Northern Alliance should be very hospitable and like lively gatherings, right?"