Revisit Azur Lane

After ending her conversation with Zhou He, she stepped off the speedboat and looked at the metallic figure projected on the wall, wielding massive and wild equipment: "Prepare for combat."

-

Unseen by Zhou He, a massive, thousand-meter-long, space carrier, resembling a war fortress, floated high in the sky, its massive data chains flashing beside it as it gradually materialized from the void.

Chapter 195 The Final Battle Before the Decisive Battle (1)

Just as Zhou He had expected, the proxy was also unable to observe the space where he was located, and even circled around his doorway many times because it couldn't find a spot.

Taking this opportunity, he got a clear look at the surrogate's face. She had a common cute face, but she looked very angry. Her long white hair fell to her calves. Her own ship girl was said to be octopus-shaped, but Zhou He looked more like a squid. However, they were similar. When she moved, tentacles like guide canes floated around her in the air, giving her a very subtle overall feeling.

The agent XIV lingered at the entrance of the port for a full hour before leaving, and the angry look on his face as he bit his lip was truly satisfying.

"Do agents also have emotional systems?"

Zhou He put down his binoculars and, while pondering, observed through the world map that the Colorado fleet had already circled around to the west to the Sirens' base. It was a pity that this fleet was not assigned to his shipyard, so he could not transmit information through the system. However, their technology was so advanced that the Sirens would not be able to detect them easily.

Walking back and forth along the shore by the pier until the direction of Agent XIV's movement appeared on the world map, confirming that she was heading to the closed testing ground, Zhou He breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on a bench, eagerly opening the map of the testing ground to observe.

In contrast to his smooth progress, the actions of everyone in the test site were greatly hindered. In just over two hours, they were attacked by two waves of agents.

The first wave of attacks was a joint assault by Agent VIII and Agent IX. The former was a heavy cruiser with huge shield-like ship equipment on both sides. On the surface, she looked like a virtuous woman with long gray-blue hair, but when she got into a fight, she was extremely ferocious and could use gravity waves in a small area.

The latter is a battleship with a gloomy face and a five-point resemblance to the tester. Her combat ability is extremely terrifying. Because she is a battleship, her barrage range and area are terrifyingly large. Similar to III, which was killed by Yukikaze yesterday, her shells are like shooting stars falling from the sky. She is a force with firepower so strong that she can wipe out a team by herself.

Zhou Hejia's fleet's response plan was to use Yukikaze as the main target for a decapitation strike, with the remaining crew providing tactical cover, similar to yesterday's plan.

During the battle, VIII withstood Yukikaze's charge. Caught off guard, Yukikaze was hit by her gravity wave, which greatly restricted her mobility. Fortunately, she was strong enough to withstand the barrage of attacks from the two agents and used a torpedo to severely injure VIII, who was confident in her defense. VIII was almost killed by her, but IX released a dense fog that made it impossible to see her own hand in front of her face, which divided the battlefield and took away the seriously injured VIII.

In this battle, Yukikaze sustained minor injuries, while Yuudachi, Ayanami, Hermione, Kursk, Bismarck, and others suffered considerable damage.

Less than half an hour later, the agents attacked again. Two agents, XV, with the same number but different codenames, attacked. Just as the Purifier had said, the two were extremely well-coordinated. One was a destroyer and the other was a heavy cruiser. They were not capital ships, but they had strong basic combat capabilities. They caused great trouble for Yukikaze with barrage and beam attacks.

However, they did not interfere with the backline ships such as Shoukaku and Bismarck, resulting in an excellent output environment for the rest of the Zhou family. After dealing with the Executor in their group, they began to assist Yukikaze. Yukikaze seized the opportunity to shell and kill the XV destroyer. As for the XV heavy cruiser, it was covered by the IX that came back later and escaped, but it was also severely damaged.

Overall, Zhou He's side won both battles decisively. Of the four attackers, two were severely wounded and one was killed. Furthermore, they wiped out a fleet of over sixty Executors, greatly reducing the fighting strength of Tova's side.

However, the formidable combat power of the four agents also put immense pressure on everyone present. After Zhou He repaired their damage and replenished their ammunition, they began to cautiously advance in formation, discussing how to deal with these agents.

"The strength of the Executors is still too much for them at their current level."

Zhou He pressed his furrowed brow with two fingers. The intensity of these two battles was extremely high. At first, he tried to observe the battle situation through Xuefeng, but later he found that his presence would distract Xuefeng. So he started to judge the battle situation by observing the changes in the positions of the personnel on the map.

He saw traces of the agents' two retreats, but Yukikaze and the others were physically blinded by sight, so even if he gave them directions, they couldn't keep up.

……

At this moment, in the test field.

Leaving the rising black smoke column behind, the more than thirty ship girls formed a circular formation, leaving behind dense white waves on the sea. Their speed was not fast, but it ensured that no one fell behind.

"We've taken down another proxy this time, but IX's ability is really troublesome. Even though the radar and the commander's intelligence are consistent, we still couldn't catch up and let two proxies escape."

Positioned towards the inner part, the group in the center of the circle was summarizing their current situation. New Jersey's face had lost its previous cheerful and sunny expression, and her expression was very serious. The battle with Agent IX had taught her what the ultimate battleship was. The dense barrage of bullets covered her even when she was firing at full power, making her realize that she was no longer the strongest battleship of the era. She could no longer rely on brute force, but had to use her brain.

"Next, we need to find a way to deal with IX. Her abilities are too troublesome. If it weren't for the commander's accurate intelligence, we would probably have been attacked by her in two groups."

Hood took over the conversation. She and Bismarck were flanking the Yorktown and other carriers in the formation. Their expressions were no longer as calm as before. She proposed a plan based on the current situation: "Since we know her exact location, we will take the initiative in the next operation and try to take down IX first before the Sirens catch us off guard. We will provide cover, while Miss Zuikaku and Miss Yukikaze will be responsible for the decapitation."

In the two battles, they discovered that the operative ship's rigging was exceptionally sturdy. Apart from Yukikaze, only Zuikaku's attacks caused significant damage. Although Zhou He suggested that Yuudachi would also work, Yuudachi's torpedoes were always used on weak Sirens, so she was excluded from the core decapitation squad.

Her statement was too blunt, but on the battlefield, it is often this kind of straightforward and clearly defined tactic that leads to success.

"How's the situation at White Eagle Base?"

Bismarck agreed with Hood's statement, and then inquired about the White Eagles' locations in New Jersey and York City. The former had the White Eagles' contact information and coordinates, while the latter was conducting reconnaissance and exploration in that area.

"This is not good. Their communication network seems to have been invaded by the Sirens. A lot of the content in the communications is being censored, and the authenticity is unknown, so real-time intelligence exchange is not possible."

New Jersey shook her head. Even such an important place had been invaded by the Sirens. You can imagine how bad their situation was now. Getting them to go out and provide support would be as difficult as climbing to the sky. They would be killed by the Sirens' ambush as soon as they came out.

"Most of the reconnaissance planes heading that way have been shot down, and there are people specifically guarding the skies over there."

The intense combat and relocation caused Yorktown to break out in a cold sweat. She shook her head as well. This testing ground was truly under Vato's complete control. Once the other side got serious, they had no way to take shortcuts.

"This is troublesome, Purifier. Who's causing trouble ahead of us?"

New Jersey curled her lip and found the Purifier looking around in the crowd. This guy didn't seem very useful, but he did provide the trail of the previous four Agents. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to defeat and injure these Agents so quickly.

"The ones blocking the way are the battleship Agent VI and the light cruiser IX, while the ones blocking the sky are the aircraft carrier VI and the aircraft carrier XIV."

Purification was very frank in revealing the information, but with a sly smile on his lips: "By the way, the withdrawn IX.XV and VIII are also heading over there. Next, you will be facing the encirclement of seven agents. The White Eagle base is blocked, and the people over there can't get out at all. Forget about providing cover, they can't even attract attention."

"Just tell us the exact location, and you don't need to worry about anything else."

New Jersey may have been talking a good game, but she was actually a little unsure of herself. The simultaneous attack of two agents had already made them quite flustered. If all seven of them attacked, what chance would they have?

"If you can't come up with a solution, why don't you just abandon the White Eagle's last base and head straight for the core where Tova is?"

Purification chuckled.

"..."

New Jersey remained silent. She had the same thought, but such an impulse could lead to destruction. They were directly attacking Tova at the core. If they failed to defeat Tova directly, and the remaining agents gathered together, they would be completely doomed.

In such a life-or-death situation, they must remain calm and cannot gamble on their chances of success for the slightest possibility.

"Hmph, no need to think about it. The remaining agents are all near the White Eagle Base, blocking their way out. As long as you move in that direction, you will definitely encounter them."

Although Purification was unreliable, at least she had never lied. New Jersey nodded with narrowed eyes: "Take care of yourself."

After saying that, New Jersey turned around and explained the situation to the others—the Agents had blocked the entrances and exits of the White Eagle base. This was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, if the fighting got intense, the members of the White Eagle base would come out in full force and give the Agents a good beating, and they might win more easily than expected. On the other hand, the bad news was that they had to fight their way through.

"In that case, we have no choice but to fight with all our might."

Hood narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.

"Let's find a spot to rest before we attack."

Bismarck interjected, "We'll discuss the feasibility after we get in touch with the commander."

No one on the scene had any objections. With Zhou He around, they could unleash 100% or even 1000% of their fighting power. Zhou He was their source of strength!

Chapter 196 Integrated Intelligence

"Are the aircraft carriers of the Agents really that powerful?"

Just as Bismarck was proposing the plan and leading the team to find a place to rest, Zhou He had already contacted Ruihe. Upon learning that they were preparing to fight the seven agents guarding the White Eagle base, he thought for a moment and asked a question: "They have blocked the sky leading to the White Eagle base. Are they also defending other directions?"

"Ah, I don't think we have that."

Zuikaku was right in the center of the group. She turned her head to look at Shoukaku and the others from Yorktown, scratched her head and replied, "The Executor's carriers have higher performance, but not by much. It's just that Shoukaku and the others haven't reached my level yet. Moreover, the Executor usually brings a considerable number of Executor carriers. If a real battle breaks out, we will most likely be at a disadvantage in the fight for air superiority."

"In that case, have Shoukaku and the others scout other directions, especially the core area of ​​the test site where Towa is located, and take care of the black spire along the way."

Upon hearing her words, Zhou He understood. Looking at the test site map, he saw that there was still a large area of ​​black fog. It had been three days, and the map hadn't even been cleared yet, which was enough to show that Tova was trying very hard to interfere with the operation of his own fleet.

At this moment, the area that his fleet passed through was lit up, meaning that there were no more Sirens to be seen. According to the Purifier, the combat power in the test site was not that abundant. It was foreseeable that the remaining Siren fleet was with the Agents who were sealing off the White Eagle base and the Arbitrator Tova who was sealing off the core base.

Pulling himself back to reality, he stared at Zuikaku and said in a serious tone, "Just now I observed from the Great World that an Executor in an octopus-themed ship was leading a bunch of Type III Executors from the Siren Base toward your side. I need you to explore the entire test site. Shoukaku and the others will be in charge of the other directions, while Zuikaku, you will be in charge of infiltrating the White Eagle Base. You will be dispatched in two hours at most to deal with those Executors."

"!?"

Zuikaku's gaze was stern. She had never seen Zhou He so serious since joining the port. Moreover, almost no combat orders given by Zhou He had ever been wrong. In other words, once they had explored this test site, Zhou He would definitely be able to lead them to solve the trouble here!

She nodded earnestly: "I understand."

Without waiting for Zhou He's instructions, she took a step forward and relayed Zhou He's orders to the other five aircraft carriers present. The other five carriers also did not have many questions and quickly began to take action. Since they came from the east, there was no need for lassos in the east. The two light carriers, Elbe and Long Island, were sent to the northern edge of the test site, while Royal Ark, Yorktown, and Shoukaku jointly explored the southwest, a direction they had not yet set foot in.

As for Zuikaku, he was solely responsible for the western area, which was blocked by numerous agents.

Their coordinated action made the others realize that Zhou He was in command, and they gradually slowed down, becoming wary of the possible attacking Siren fleet.

'Letting them team up and cooperate on their own is too inefficient...maybe they don't have a built-in map like I do.'

After getting his own aircraft carriers moving, Zhou He looked at the map and took a deep breath as he watched the map light up at a visible rate. He had been in the test site for three days. He hadn't figured anything out on the first day, and he had even slept for most of the second day. It was only on the third day that he began to seriously analyze the battle situation.

Upon closer reflection, his impulsive idea of ​​using projection to accompany the fleet during the attack actually caused him to miss the best practice for a surprise attack and slowed down the pace of the campaign.

He should use this approach appropriately in the future.

After finishing his self-criticism, Zhou He glanced at the world map. It would take at least 4 to 5 hours for Agent XIV to officially enter the test site. He would have Ruihe and the others run around the map for two hours, and he would have more than two hours to deal with the Agents in the test site.

There wasn't much time, but it was enough.

Switching the map back to the minimap, he opened the video call with Yukikaze, expressed his appreciation for her efforts, and asked her how she felt after fighting the Agent.

"To me, apart from their beam attacks being dangerous, none of these guys' other methods are even considered methods."

Sitting on the back of the white wolf, Yukikaze snorted proudly twice, but upon peeking and noticing Zhou He's frowning expression, she immediately let out a loud howl and changed her tone: "However, based on my observation, although the agents in this testing ground possess powerful mechs and special abilities, they are not very skilled in combat. I suspect this is because the parameters Towa knows do not include their combat data. The best example is when they fought XV, they encountered simultaneous attacks from Shoukaku and the others, and I, and quickly lost their composure."

"Yes, this information is very valuable and can be very useful."

Zhou He immediately smiled, and Xuefeng relaxed as well. She immediately switched back to her slightly arrogant demeanor, whining and asking for credit. This made Zhou He, who was now more relaxed, smile. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through his mind, but it wasn't convenient to say it now. He decided to appease Xuefeng for the time being, so he said, "Recently, I've found Xuefeng to be very reliable. Without your participation, our port area wouldn't be as lively, and I wouldn't feel so at ease when everyone is on the move. Thank you, Xuefeng."

"Hmph, it's just so-so (huhu~)."

Although it wasn't a particularly flattering compliment, Xuefeng, who rarely received praise, was overjoyed, especially from the person she admired. She probably thought she was keeping her expression in check, but in Zhou He's eyes, she couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth, and even tilted her head and let out a sound of intoxication that was hard to decipher.

'Oh no, have I become a scumbag who manipulates young girls' feelings?'

Zhou He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply. You see, he used to be a shut-in who wouldn't even dare to look girls in the eye when they met.

The living environment really has an immeasurable impact on people!

He glanced at his home currency when he had a moment to spare. After running out of supplies yesterday, he received 38 from daily quests. Including today's 38, that's 76. The Oath Ring is worth 60. Now that things have come to this, he can only accept his current situation of having both a cat and a dog.

I wonder if his bed can fit three people...

Oh no, my consciousness has drifted too far away.

Zhou He subconsciously wiped his lips, and after making sure he didn't have an indecent reaction, he pretended to be serious and said, "In a little while, I will make temporary formations for the Agent fleet. I hope you can explain to the team members I have selected how to guard against the Builders."

"Oh, leave it to me."

Xuefeng also suddenly came to his senses, did a similar mouth-wiping motion as Zhou He, and nodded seriously.

After reaching an agreement with Yukikaze, Zhou He cut off the video call and then contacted Bismarck, Hood New Jersey, and others to explain his ideas: with Yukikaze as the main force, his elite members would be selected to help Yukikaze delay the other agents, and the remaining members who were not selected would be prioritized to deal with the executor teams that followed the agents.

As for the surviving test site ship girls, they are unplanned reinforcements. It would be best if they were there, but we can't expect them to be of much help. Everything should be based on the forces we can control.

In the midst of command, communication, and planning, time slipped away, and the sun in the sky began its slow descent.

"Sister, why is the teacher keeping looking outside? Is she waiting for everyone to come back from the attack?"