Revisit Azur Lane

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“…Awesome.”

Zhou He read it several times. The meaning was that the better he managed the port area, the stronger its attraction would be, the more meta ship girls would be able to see it, and the greater his chances of getting a meta ship.

But it has nothing to do with the present.

He lowered his head, pinched the bridge of his nose, and after calming himself down, he opened the task options. Three tasks popped up:

① The fleet launches an attack and defeats the Siren flagship from the sea. Reward: 1 Wisdom Cube

② For every healthy ship in the port area, a corresponding amount of Home Coins can be collected on the day of the mission.

③ Explore this mysterious ocean, discover and capture a Siren base. Rewards: Random research blueprints + random ship equipment parts.

The random icon corresponds to the '?' icon.

"Mmm, I understand how to play this game."

Upon seeing the task, Zhou He completely understood, nodding and flashing a sunny smile.

This system, in terms of both its functions and tasks, exudes an aura that cannot be rushed. Whether it's the development of the port area or the increase of ship girls, it will take a lot of time to advance.

Having transmigrated to this world, the one thing he has in abundance now is time!

"Even if you achieve a fleet dominance in the game, you'll only get a few 'awesome' comments. I wonder if I'll ever achieve that in real life here~"

Zhou He clasped his hands together, suppressing his restless mood, and took a deep breath to set himself a small goal.

Only when he felt completely calm did he half-close his eyes and look at the final attack option. The screen stretched and switched in an instant, and he saw a gray map that was divided into countless pieces, just like the vast world in the game. Only in the very center was there a bright building with an anchor symbol on its head, and almost overlapping with the building was the 3D figure of Yuudachi.

"This map..."

Zhou He grinned. Although he knew this wasn't the open world of the game, he couldn't help but pray in his heart: please, there shouldn't be any Siren invasion blocks of level 100 or higher near his home.

Chapter Three: Good Logistics is the First Step to Success

"Hmm? Isn't there a more detailed mini-map?"

Since he was new to the place and didn't know what to do, Zhou He could only study the functions of his own system, which was to stare at the 3D figure of Yuudachi on the map. However, he couldn't do anything, whether he tried to 'point' at Yuudachi with his mind or try to zoom in. He could only look at the map interface, which looked like a picture.

After a while, Yuudachi still hadn't escaped the command center's coverage area. Zhou He was getting a little tired of looking at it. While wondering how big a square on the map was, he pushed back his chair, got up, and walked out of the office.

"Can the camera zoom in when we move to other areas? Are there any other functions that can assist in combat?"

Walking in the empty stairwell, Zhou He didn't stop thinking—perhaps because his future was already set, he felt he was in a very good state. Usually, when he was eating or playing games, he would have to think about whether he could read a novel or watch a video at the same time. Now, he didn't need to worry about the efficiency of his time and could calm down to think about what he should face next.

Incidentally, the reason he attaches so much importance to the map function is not only because it can provide combat assistance from a god's-eye view, but also because this function is directly linked to his future 'role'.

Before he transmigrated, whether he was playing games and reading storylines or fanfiction about ship girls, the presence of the 'commander' as the protagonist was extremely weak, as if it didn't matter whether the person existed or not. Of course, he unilaterally believed that even without the ability to command in battle, the commander could still exist as a cheerleader, a power bank, and the group's darling.

However, in the early stages of exploration, he hadn't even pulled the top-tier ships from the gacha pool yet, so he, being a half-baked player, still had to be used as a whole character.

The staircase leads directly to the second-floor lobby, where a round clock hangs on the wall. It is very finely crafted, and you can't hear the ticking even when you're standing underneath it. The clock hands are currently pointing to 12:37, which is lunchtime.

"Yuudachi seems to like eating meat?"

Zhou He glanced at the time. In his memory, Yuudachi in the game was a very easy-going dog. His family usually kept two or three dogs back home—but this shouldn't be generalized.

Amused, he turned and walked into the kitchen. The rectangular kitchen was fully equipped with modern appliances, with a long table in the middle and a vegetable cutting area, a stove area, and a refrigerator around it, enough for two or three people to work together.

Zhou He carefully checked the contents of the refrigerator. There was enough food for him and Xi Li to enjoy for a week. Not to mention the stove that could be lit in the air, he skillfully cooked a small bowl of rice and thawed a piece of meat. After spending half an hour preparing the ingredients, Zhou He rinsed his hands with water and shook them gently. His gaze fell on the map interface of the system's attack.

Almost an hour has passed, and Yuudachi still hasn't reached the command center's coverage area, seemingly strictly adhering to his instructions for orbital probing.

"Is it possible to change orders mid-attack?"

He tried to remind the system to help him improve the function, and the system actually responded. It was like wandering around in a mini-game in a big world and attracting TB's attention. A blue arrow appeared above the head of the 3D Xiaoyuda, with a prompt such as 'Long press to wake up the function'.

Zhou He squinted at the 3D miniature Yuudachi, his eyebrows furrowing so tightly he looked a bit silly, but he successfully brought up the function page: 'Fleet Retreat' 'Update Command' 'Video Call'.

"Video call!?"

Zhou He was completely dumbfounded. Was this even possible?

Without saying a word, he selected the third option, and the interface suddenly switched from 3D mini-Yuudachi to real-time projection. In the video, he was not face to face with Yuudachi, but to Yuudachi's right. What he saw was a serious Yuudachi with white hair flying wildly in the sea breeze, sharp eyes, and a low profile as he sped across the sea, his back, hands, and sides covered by ship equipment.

A cool girl can charm anyone. Zhou He listened to the weakened sounds of wind and water and didn't know how to start the conversation.

"?"

Yuudachi noticed the 'gaze from afar' and glanced to her right unintentionally. This single glance startled her so much that she screamed, lost control of the steering wheel, and spun wildly across the turbulent sea, crashing into large waves before finally coming to a stop. She rubbed her eyes with her arm and stared incredulously at the projection of Zhou He appearing in the air: "Commander!?"

"Ahem, it's me. How's the exploration progressing?"

Zhou He, realizing his mistake in the kitchen, coughed lightly to cover it up and then asked in a serious tone. Before Yuudachi could answer, he spoke up first: "I have something I want to confirm this afternoon. Yuudachi, please come back after you've confirmed that there's no danger around the island. I need your assistance."

"Okay, yes! Yuudachi will return to base immediately~"

Yuudachi looked around to make sure there were no problems, and then immediately gave an answer. After roughly identifying the direction of 'home', she started running again. However, during the return journey, Zhou He's video call never stopped, which made Yuudachi very curious. She couldn't help but ask Zhou He how he was able to contact her, wondering if he had used some new kind of equipment.

"New equipment..."

Zhou He stared at the system panel, a plan forming in his mind, and a smile appeared on his face: "Unfortunately, Yuudachi, you guessed wrong. I was just using my privileges as a commander, just like how I was able to invite you, Yuudachi, to take up your post in such a remote port."

"Huh~ Commander is this amazing?"

Yuudachi accepted Zhou He's explanation without a trace of doubt, only blinking in surprise.

"Haha, it's alright."

Her question made Zhou He awkward. He stopped trying to look cool, chuckled, and paced around the kitchen hallway. Finally, he stopped by the window and looked out at the lawn, calming himself down: "Yudachi, how long will it take you to get back?"

"Hmm, 13 to 16 minutes, I looked around the port area as instructed by the commander, but I didn't see any Sirens or any terrain that could be marked. That's strange. There should be some reefs or associated islands around such a large island as the port area."

Yuudachi tilted her head and thought for a moment before replying, "The surroundings are calm, but it's strangely quiet."

"Is that so? Let's talk about the details when we get back. Yuudachi, do you need to refuel before you set sail?"

Zhou He hummed in agreement, recalling some of the game's mechanics, before seeing Yuudachi shake her head: "No need, deploying ship equipment for sailing consumes my stamina..."

After a slight pause, Yuudachi looked at Zhou He in the video and smiled sweetly, "So, Commander, could you help prepare some snacks before we set sail?"

"Snacks? I'll think about it."

Zhou He pondered for a moment, then thought of the "Stargazing Party" item in the Homestead system. So that's what ship girls eat to replenish their stamina?

"Great!"

Yuudachi was overjoyed that his first proposal was approved, and he could now openly eat snacks during his attacks!

Seeing the happy girl, Zhou He also smiled. Then, he exclaimed "Ah!" and realized that Yuudachi would be home in about ten minutes, and he should start cooking. So he smiled and turned off the video call to do the logistics work.

Chapter Four: From Wild to Domesticated

"I'm back!"

Running back to the command center, Yuudachi raised her voice and called out loudly while looking left and right—Zhou He had been on the first floor when they were talking on the phone, but her sense of smell was better at finding people than her sight. The aroma of food wafting from the kitchen attracted her, and she walked briskly with bright eyes toward that direction.

Zhou He also heard the calls outside the door. He turned down the fire, wiped his hands with a towel, and walked to the door, where he met Yuudachi who was coming over. He suppressed the infatuation he had been feeling for Yuudachi's elfin face and nodded slightly: "Welcome back."

"Hehe~ Commander, what delicious food are you making?"

Yuudachi responded to Zhou He with a smile, then turned her head to look into the kitchen, closed her eyes and sniffed. She liked food made by humans, even though she had never tasted it herself, but that didn't stop her from liking it.

"It's just some simple home-cooked food. The rice isn't cooked yet. Why don't you go sit over there for a while?"

Zhou He glanced at her, then turned and pointed to the dining area next to the cooking area in the kitchen. There were two long white tables there, like a small canteen.

"Yes~"

Yuudachi obediently ran over with small steps and sat down obediently, but less than two minutes later she began to fidget, craning her neck to watch Zhou He walking around in the kitchen. After thinking for a moment, she picked up a stool and sat outside the dividing line between the kitchen and the dining area—half-squatting on the chair, she could observe Zhou He's actions by wagging her tail at eye level.

"..."

Zhou He glanced at her upon hearing the noise, but continued working without any reaction.

Logically, he should have imagined Yuudachi as an adorable dog waiting to be fed, and rubbed its head. But even if it resembled a dog, Yuudachi's expectant gaze was just too enthusiastic. He wasn't socially anxious and could communicate normally with people, but suddenly being so close to a beautiful girl who appeared on his phone made him very nervous. Rather than making a mistake, he chose to do nothing.

Because the ingredients had been chopped beforehand, the stir-frying process was quick. Including the rice cooking and steaming, it took less than twenty minutes. After finishing, Zhou He looked at Xi Li, who was still motionless, raised his hand to beckon her over, and then picked up the greens and stir-fried meat and handed them to her hand, instructing, "Put them on the table."

"understand!"

Yuudachi, full of energy, carried the plate and walked out quickly. Zhou He turned around, wrapped his hands in a towel, and took out the rice cooker inner pot containing steaming rice. When he turned around, he saw Yuudachi coming in again to get the plate of food. His well-behaved appearance surprised him.

In the game, Yuudachi is supposed to be a very reckless and wild character, but the Yuudachi in front of us is just like an energetic and confident obedient house dog.

"A character's setting is just a character's setting. How much of a ship girl's preferences can be conveyed through just a few lines of dialogue?"

He pondered to himself that the character development of ship girls in the game Azur Lane was very weak in his opinion. It was just a matter of adding appearance and personality settings on the basis of the line "following history". Even the secretary ship mission was only touched upon briefly and was considered a supplement to the setting.

"You're thinking too far ahead."

Zhou He shook his head. He had only met Yuudachi recently, so what did he know about her?

Three dishes and one soup, with three small stir-fried dishes in the middle and a large bowl of seaweed and egg soup.

Zhou He scooped up a bowl of rice and pushed it in front of Xili: "I made Chinese...Eastern cuisine. Xili, try it and see if it suits your taste."

"Okay~ I'm starting!"

With a very Japanese-style clapping of both hands, Yuudachi picked up her chopsticks, directly picked up a slice of meat and placed it in her bowl, then very carefully put a clump of rice into her mouth. The whole process was very elegant, like a well-bred young lady from a secluded family.

"..."

Zhou He sat across from Yuudachi, watching him eat slowly and deliberately, and his eyes twitched inexplicably. Was something wrong?

"Huh? Commander, aren't you going to eat it? It's delicious."

Yuu-Dachi noticed Zhou He's gaze, licked the tip of her chopsticks, and asked curiously.

"Ah."

Zhou He looked away, picked up his bowl and began to eat normally, while also observing Xi Li's reaction out of the corner of his eye—this person was very skilled at using utensils, only took one bite of the green pepper, but could accept the taste of stir-fried green pepper and meat, and was visibly happy while eating the meat.

He eats vegetables, but you can tell from his twitching eyebrows that he doesn't like them.

After the meal, it wasn't until Yuudachi put down her chopsticks that Zhou He understood something from her satisfied and earnest face: Yuudachi was enjoying the food and the fruits of his labor.