Revisit Azur Lane

"I originally intended to use it to find Kursk, but unfortunately there was a problem with the design, so it couldn't score very high."

Seeing Zhou He's attempts to raise the height, Lingmin quickly spoke up to explain.

Looking for Kursk?

Zhou He seemed to have heard something similar that morning, and Ling Min nodded: "When we launched the attack yesterday, I didn't see Kursk, so I wanted to make this to help me find her."

"So that's it."

It was Zhou He who transferred Kursk away, but he didn't say it. After landing the drone, he sat half-upright on the lawn and looked up at Lingmin: "I plan to build fortifications in the port area soon. Lingmin, do you know anything about the design parameters of the coastal artillery?"

"You know a little bit, don't you?"

Lingmin thought for a moment and realized that the coastal defense guns and the ship's guns were pretty much the same, except that one was fixed in one place and the other moved around with the warship.

"That's just right."

Zhou He glanced at the blueprints in the system's inventory. Since he had the time and help, he might as well start by developing a prototype of the coastal defense gun.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Little Bit of Fun

"The commander should be clear about the operational logic of the coastal defense positions, right?"

Listening to Zhou He's words, Ling Min didn't mind that her port area would become more fortified and secure, but when she looked around, there was only Zhou He and herself. Even the most advanced defensive fortifications would still require manpower to build.

"I can probably imagine it."

Zhou He hadn't gotten up yet, sitting on the lawn and counting on his fingers: "We'll fence off a piece of land to build a military zone, dig underground spaces for storing ammunition and maintaining circulation, then build a road to transport the assembled guns, cannons, and other equipment there, and go there occasionally for maintenance. When the enemy's troops are pressing in, we'll put them into use when needed?"

"...That's true in theory, but what about the more specific details?"

Lingmin could tell from Zhou He's words that he was an amateur, so she simply stopped beating around the bush and beckoned to him: "Building a position, laying roads, assembling equipment, and operating and maintaining it all require a lot of manpower and resources. Just these things alone would take all of us in the port area several months to half a year to barely get one place done."

"Indeed, these are things that need to be carefully considered."

Zhou He could understand human speech, and he nodded in agreement: "I don't expect to complete these things in the short term. We have quite a few production workshops over at the dock. I want to first produce some samples of the coastal defense equipment and put them into production."

"Ah, if that's all there is to it."

Lingmin understood as well. She stroked her chin and asked, "What type of machinery does the commander plan to produce? Old-style fortresses, new mobile turrets, or are you going to directly research missile-related weapons?"

"Um…"

Zhou He turned his gaze to the system interface and found the research list of ship equipment. The weapons that could be manufactured individually were all for ship girls. To find weapons designed to normal specifications, he would have to extract them from the warship blueprints and models provided by the system.

As for the missile system he wanted most, the system only contained modified missile drive templates from the Four Great Kings of Donghuang.

Historically, New Jersey, after undergoing modernization, also possessed missile weapon systems. It's likely that since New Jersey Mod 3 isn't implemented in the game, it's not included in the system either.

"For now, let's tinker with the mobile turret."

After searching, Zhou He did not immediately pursue the missile route, because this thing is not like ordinary artillery shells. Mass production requires a great deal of industrial expertise. He decided to explore this sea area more in the future and see if he could seize the Sirens' production base for his own use.

“You guys are very good at this, aren’t you, Lingmin?”

He was referring to the Northern Alliance, the behemoth that once rivaled the White Eagle for supremacy, possessing the world's strongest steel torrent.

"Just so-so."

Ling Min sensed the longing and admiration in Zhou He's words, put one hand on her hip, and snapped her fingers with a smile: "Although I have never formally dealt with anything on land, it is no problem for a genius mechanic like me. I can come up with a rough design plan by tomorrow. Will you, Commander, supervise its execution, or will I start the production workshop myself?"

"Leave it to me first."

Zhou He did not doubt Lingmin's design capabilities. Even if Lingmin's initial design had some minor issues, he could simply put the parameters into the system, and the system would automatically adjust it to a reasonable state.

From this perspective alone, his research system is quite considerate; even someone as naive as him in military affairs can develop relatively reasonable things.

"understood."

Lingmin nodded, then looked up at the second floor of the command post: "Commander, do you think Kursk might be in her room right now? Can I find her by searching room by room?"

"No, Kursk says she's a hunter, but she has some habits similar to animals. If you go into her room, she might not go back to live there."

Zhou He quickly raised his hand to stop them. Although they were both ship girls from the Northern Alliance, Lingmin and Kursk had vastly different personalities. A proper exchange would be more appropriate than such a stunt.

"Ugh, is it this difficult?"

Lingmin revealed a subtle expression. She had never been in contact with the ship girls of the Northern Alliance, but she instinctively felt that the people of her own faction should be very enthusiastic. Kursk was a little surprised.

"If you want to communicate with Kursk, pay more attention to my surroundings. You can occasionally see her following me, although I may not know it."

Zhou He smiled and offered his solution based on his personal experience.

Because Tosa followed him, he had many face-to-face exchanges with Kursk, and it seems that they have become friends who can talk and communicate (?).

"Ah~ no wonder Commander said she was an invisible bodyguard model."

Upon hearing this, Lingmin quickly realized that Kursk's enthusiasm was probably latent. If he really didn't want to communicate with people, he wouldn't have gotten so close to Zhou He, let alone become his personal bodyguard.

So she nodded to Zhou He: "Then I'll trouble you, Commander, to take good care of Kursk. She must be a good girl."

"I would have done it even if you hadn't told me."

Zhou He looked up at the bay. There were 21 ship girls in the port area. Only a very few would not take the initiative to talk to him, such as Ironblood's U556 and Montpellier. Both of them recognized their own big sister. Ranking them from the lowest to the highest in terms of favorability, Kursk should be the highest.

The ship girls who obey him so readily must value his presence highly, and in return, they will strive to be good commanders.

"Heh heh, I'll be going now. This drone is for the Commander, but don't use it for anything bad."

Lingmin waved with a smile, turned around and walked away happily. Zhou He was left pondering Lingmin's last words, then reached out and picked up the drone that was parked on the ground to examine it. Good heavens, it actually had built-in cameras, and more than one at that.

Having confirmed this, Zhou He looked up and around before taking out the control lever again. He hadn't noticed before that there was a small hidden screen next to the joystick, which was connected to the drone's camera without any delay.

"..."

nice one!

Zhou He picked up the drone and went straight into the command building. He solemnly placed the drone and its control stick on the top shelf of the bookshelf in his office. Who knows, in the future... cough, he might be able to use this little gadget to observe the living conditions of his ship girls.

I never imagined that something I made so easily would be so useful; technology truly changes lives.

Zhou He, sitting back down at his desk, casually picked up a book he'd been using to save face, thinking it was about time he let Akashi get some exercise.

When it comes to making small toys, he believes that Akashi is just as creative as Ryouto.

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Little Thoughts

Since the restaurant and dock were built, Zhou He has noticed that the command building area has become quieter.

Hermione was usually in his sight, as were Yuudachi and Zuikaku, and he never thought there was anything wrong with it while sitting in his office.

"Tsk tsk, now that things have come to this, do you think I'm actually feeling lonely?"

After sitting in his office for a while browsing through the little houses in the Home Mall, Zhou He came back to his senses and felt that the office was a bit cold. His thoughts immediately wandered far away. Because he had lived almost alone before he transmigrated, he had unknowingly developed a habit of immersive thinking. Time passed by inexplicably, so even though he wanted to write more drafts every day, he had to give up because it was too late.

"Thinking about it carefully, it's because Zuikaku and the others have found people they want to be with, which is a good thing."

Even so, Zhou He looked around the quiet and empty office, thinking that he had to find a way to liven things up around him. Although as the commander he had to consider the ship girls' lives and hobbies, he couldn't neglect himself.

Anyway, let's go out and replenish the ship girls' energy first.

After finishing his thoughts, Zhou He pushed back his chair, glanced at the drone on the top shelf of the bookshelf, and then went out: This was a gift from Ling Min, and there was no problem with keeping it here for collection and display!

When he reached the second floor, he heard voices coming from the first floor. He slowed down and continued down the stairs. He glanced down at the corner of the stairs and saw that the bait he had laid that morning had worked. Z23 was reading a biography of a famous person. Surprisingly, Count Spee was also resting there.

Raising his head to make himself appear less deliberate, he glanced down the stairs and saw Count Spee looking at the storybooks he had selected. He didn't know which world these books came from, but the content of the books was mostly a compilation of authoritative content and stories from around the world, making them very valuable.

His movements weren't big, but they were quite noticeable to the ship girls. Z23 turned her head and, upon seeing Zhou He, quickly stood up to greet him: "Commander."

Count Spee wasn't as nervous as Z23, but he still glanced at Zhou He and nodded in acknowledgment.

"good afternoon."

Zhou He responded with a smile, asking the two if they wanted tea before going to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of hot water. He then sat down in the living room with the cup and looked at Z23. Instead of mentioning the books, he chose another topic: "Z23, you've been in the port area for a while now. How do you feel about the living conditions here?"

"Oh, this?"

Z23 hadn't anticipated Zhou He's unexpected move. Just like a student who was daydreaming in class and was called on to answer a question, Z23 was a little nervous. However, Z23 quickly recovered and said after thinking for a moment, "I personally think it's great. The room is spacious and quiet. I don't have to worry about being disturbed when I'm reading, thinking, or sleeping at night."

"Uh-huh."

Zhou He felt the same way. Although the rooms in the command post were arranged very close together, the infrastructure was very complete, making it a luxurious single room. The problem was that there were only single rooms on the second floor, and no spacious places like the offices on the third floor or the lobby on the first floor to accommodate more people. So he said, "This is just a temporary place for you to stay. You will have a better place to stay in the future. So I would like to ask in advance, Z23, what are your thoughts on the design of the living space and the space outside the rooms?"

Just as different factions have different eating habits and tastes, there will certainly be differences in living environments. Even within the same large estate, there will be design differences between the Royal and Ironblood factions, both belonging to Europe.

He needs to keep a close eye on things, lest he build a house in a brutal, iron-blooded style for the royal family later, making him look uncultured.

"Yes, it would be great if there were a dedicated library."

Z23, sticking to the point, shrugged and continued with examples: "Actually, a design like the command post is quite good, but the space on the second floor is a bit cramped. If there were a large living room for communication and rest, as well as a separate kitchen and a drinking area like here... well, that would be about right."

No one dislikes a spacious and fully functional house, and the same goes for ship girls. However, Z23's description has a clear goal: it is an ideal design that allows many Ironblood members to enjoy a high-quality life together.

"Indeed, it's pretty much what I thought."

Zhou He pretended not to hear the word related to alcohol. He didn't like drinking, but it seemed that European countries like Royal and Ironblood had a fondness for alcohol, as did the Northern Alliance. So he wouldn't strictly forbid his ship girls from drinking—he hadn't provided any alcoholic beverages yet, and if his ship girls wanted to try them, it would depend on whether they had the ability to do so.

He can make horizontal comparisons based on the requirements obtained from Z23. The future fiefdoms of the Royal Navy, Eagle Union, Northern Alliance, Sakura Empire, Iris Liberty, and Eastern Empire are all roughly designed in terms of space, with only differences in decoration style. There may be ship girls who prefer to live alone, and he can inquire about their needs to build them separately.

"Thanks."

With a general idea in mind, Zhou He smiled and nodded at Z23, picked up his teacup and blew away the steam. He could wait until the next sortie to reward the MVP with the allocation of the new house. With Lingmin's help in designing the coastal defense positions, the internal construction of the port area was proceeding smoothly. When he had some free time, he could explore more of the island.

"Commander, you're too kind."

Z23 first breathed a small sigh of relief, then smiled and waved her hand, indicating that her words did not warrant thanks.

Zhou He just smiled at her, which made Z23 blush and cover her blushing face with her book.

"It still has to be a destroyer."

Zhou He gave a thumbs up in his mind. He was quite fond of destroyers now, not out of romantic love, but because these little guys were easy to get along with and made him feel like a reliable adult.

The two were exchanging questions and answers, while Count Spee, completely unaffected, flipped through her books, showing no interest in the matter what was going on.

Zhou He vaguely remembered that Count Spee was a quiet, taciturn, and aloof person, but he did not avoid people because of this. He thought it was remarkable that he could do that.