Revisit Azur Lane

"what--"

Zhou He withdrew his gaze and sighed deeply. He turned around and carefully picked up Yuudachi from the bed, carrying her to the door. He looked at Zuikaku with emotionless eyes, and Zuikaku blinked and obediently reached out to take Yuudachi.

"Let me sleep a little longer today."

After saying this, Zhou He smiled politely at Hamman, Xianghe, and the others, and then closed the door.

"How scary! Shoukaku-nee~"

Zuikaku shrank back, put Yuudachi on the ground, and then pounced back into Shoukaku's arms, sobbing, "Please don't do this again. The Commander's gaze just now sent chills down my spine, it was more terrifying than ever before."

"Didn't you just say that the Commander wouldn't get angry over something so trivial?"

Shoukaku was also helpless. She gently patted Zuikaku's back. If it were Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu's pranks, she would have given them her whole heart. But the target was Zhou He, her own commander. She had seriously advised him beforehand, but Zuikaku didn't listen at all and came with her friends. She even said that Zhou He was probably not awake yet.

"Apologize properly after the commander gets up."

As Shoukaku spoke, Zuikaku obediently nodded in agreement, and the others who followed behind also nodded. Only Yuudachi was still rolling around on the ground with her pillow, as if she had obtained some kind of treasure.

Inside the room, Zhou He buried his head in the pillow and immediately realized that it wasn't his pillow; his pillow didn't smell as good.

But it's not really appropriate to open the door and ask Yuudachi to change the pillow now, so I'll just have to make do with what I have.

……

The little incident that happened in the morning made the command building lively. A group of kids were discussing how to apologize to Zhou He. Their conversation attracted other passersby. Tosa, Bismarck, and other aloof and taciturn members listened and then walked away. However, Hood and Long Island were quite interested. The old lady, as everyone's senior, generously taught them how to apologize. The only problem was that she entered her elder teaching mode, and the simple teaching session was infinitely extended by her examples and stories.

So much so that when Zhou He went downstairs after taking a nap, he happened to run into Hood talking about her experiences during her tour of the Empire. After drinking the warm water that Hermione handed him, he bypassed the many destroyers who were drawn to the story and left the command building.

"Hood seems to be in a good mood today."

After catching up on two hours of sleep, Zhou He felt much better. After going outside, he turned to chat with Hermione and soon learned that the reason was that the group of kids wanted to apologize to him.

"I'm a little curious about the commander who would frighten Zuikaku."

Hermione smiled slightly, her teasing words making Zhou He's heart itch a little, but he quickly calmed himself down and waved his hand with a smile: "That was just an instinctive reaction to buy time to catch up on sleep, and the scary feeling was because I didn't say anything."

"I see."

Hermione didn't believe it at all, but since Zhou He said so, she would take it as fact. After all, she couldn't imagine what Zhou He would be like when he didn't speak, whether he would be frightening or attractive.

"It seems we only have one first-aid kit in our port area. Are the tools in it enough to equip Jarvis's medical room?"

Discussing things that make you angry isn't fun, so Zhou He changed the subject before entering the restaurant. Akashi and Lingmin's collaborative research was already taking shape, and other things that could enrich life in the port area needed to be arranged as soon as possible.

He had never tried sleeping in the 'infirmary' before, a common occurrence in anime, and he wanted to give it a try.

As for the 'entertainment equipment' that Long Island mentioned, it's available for purchase in the Homestead system, and the price isn't too expensive. Once he finishes building his new dormitory, he can try to buy some for Akashi to research and mass-produce. Mastering the technology himself is truly convenient.

'In the game, Akashi is not only a research genius but also has a greedy and strange personality. My child doesn't have these traits. Is it because of their environment?'

Zhou He hadn't realized how useful Akashi was when he was slacking off, but now that he needed Akashi's help, he understood just how useful this cat really was. In terms of skill, it was almost equivalent to Doraemon—of course, the specifics would depend on Akashi's performance.

Before long, Zhou He arrived at the restaurant. It was almost eight o'clock, but it was still breakfast time. Zhou He casually ordered a breakfast for one person and chatted with Hermione about the situation around the port area.

With going out not an option, he had ample time to learn about and develop the island he lived on.

"Ah, from what the commander said, it seems that Bismarck also mentioned wanting to go to the island and the other side to take a look."

Hermione conveyed information that Zhou He was unaware of, which surprised him somewhat. He then smiled, as he was wondering which ship girls to take on a spring outing, and it turned out that he already had a complete list of candidates.

Perfect timing! He could also take this opportunity to discuss with Bismarck the manor she wanted. These kinds of rewards should be implemented as soon as possible, lest his own family members mistakenly think he was just making empty promises.

"Hermione, you should come too, after you've arranged the infirmary for Jarvis."

While chatting, Zhou He's breakfast was brought over by Manjiu, and the battle quickly ended under Hermione's watchful eye.

I've gotten used to being watched while I eat.

Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Iron-Blooded Mansion

During the meal, Zhou He saw Ruihe acting suspiciously outside. After he finished eating, he was blocked as soon as he went out the door.

"I am very sorry for what happened this morning—for disturbing the Commander's rest!"

Without dawdling, Ruihe, standing in front of Zhou He, bowed his head and expressed his apology. These few polite phrases, which he didn't know where he had learned from, made Zhou He's eyes twitch. However, seeing Ruihe's earnest and sincere appearance, it seemed that she was really apologizing to him. So he smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he was also partly to blame for this and hadn't managed his emotions well.

After he finished, he glanced around and, not seeing anyone else, asked curiously, "These words weren't taught to you by Shoukaku, were they?"

"Ah, I just heard Hood say something and I used it."

Ruihe was clear-headed. Seeing that Zhou He had accepted the apology, she considered the matter over and took two steps back with a visibly relaxed expression. She tilted her head slightly toward the command post and said, "However, Sister Xianghe said that the apology should be sincere."

"Shokaku is right, but some things vary from person to person. What Hood said that is enjoyable to hear might be very provocative when you say it. You should be a little careful."

Zhou He nodded and casually commented a couple of times, but he saw Ruihe's eyes subtly flash. He didn't want to know what Ruihe had figured out, so he walked out of the restaurant and stood on the road looking towards the dock. He could vaguely see figures moving around, and there were also people active in the bay. He squinted and looked closely. It seemed that Cleveland was leading Montpellier in spontaneous training over there.

Did you see Tosa today?

After confirming Bismarck's location, Zhou He turned his attention back and asked Hermione and Zuikaku, who had followed him. Hermione shook her head, and Zuikaku tilted her head and thought for a moment: "I saw her and Kaga go to the back."

The "behind" she referred to meant the area behind the command post, in the direction of the island.

"is it?"

Zhou He was somewhat surprised. If he wanted to explore the inner island, he thought he would bring Tosa along. Although Tosa was so cold that he was hard to understand, he was also exceptionally safe, a level above Zuikaku, who also liked swordsmanship.

Perhaps this is the difference brought about by personal temperament.

"...I always feel like the commander is looking down on me. It's perfectly fine to discuss anything with me."

Ruihe didn't have the ability to read minds, but she caught Zhou He's 'this guy isn't very good' attitude in a glance. She proudly patted her chest and made a suggestion.

"I want to go and survey the situation on the other side of the mountain today."

Zhou He strode toward the pier, gesturing to the side as he said, “I’ve heard that there are many fruit trees near the beach facing the sea, but I haven’t been to see them. Judging from the recent temperature changes, winter is probably coming soon, so I want to go for a walk to clear my head before that happens.”

Is winter approaching?

Zuikaku and Hermione were both somewhat surprised. They could perceive the precise changes in time throughout the day, but when the timeline was extended, they were just like ordinary people. In addition, they had high resistance and did not feel the cold very clearly.

"That's just my deduction."

Zhou He wasn't sure either. After all, in his era, there was almost no spring or autumn. When the temperature rose, it was summer, and when the temperature dropped, it was winter. He didn't know what the situation was like in this world. However, with the sun shining every day, the temperature was continuously dropping, and it was getting dark earlier than before. It seemed like the seasons were about to change.

"In that case, the warehouse might not have enough blankets."

Hermione had never doubted Zhou He's judgment. With a slight frown, she informed him of the warehouse's supplies: when they joined, there were only four or five people in the port area, and the warehouse had more than enough supplies they could use. They could even run to different empty rooms to find clothes that fit them. But in the blink of an eye, the number of people had increased to more than twenty, and the warehouse's bedding had been reduced to only a few sets—

The supplies provided by the system were only enough for Zhou He and 24 other ship girls, and they were only the autumn limited edition, consisting of just a thin blanket.

"It's okay, I'll add it later."

Zhou He, who owns the Home Mall, doesn't care about the lack of these supplies. What he cares more about is whether they will need to light a fire to keep warm if the temperature is very low in winter. Only the kitchen in the command building has a fireplace, and the other rooms only have air conditioning and no underfloor heating.

Winter clothes?

Ruihe chimed in with a question, and Zhou He pondered for a moment before replying, "I'll figure something out."

Compared to going out to fight, these tedious logistical and supply tasks were more of a headache for Zhou He. In reality, ship girls can't just buy a new outfit and wear it for years like in a game. In fact, his ship girls would wear out a set of clothes every time they went out. He had touched the original clothes that came with the ship girls while Hermione was washing and drying them. Some of them had even worn them out and brought them back in tatters. These were all made of ordinary materials, and their only outstanding feature was that they were very elastic and felt great to the touch.

As for clothing, Zhou He also has plans to produce and design his own, but so far no ship girl talents have emerged in this area. If they don't come soon, he will have to use homestead coins to purchase them.

'Could Akashi design a garment that can materialize energy?'

Zhou He had originally planned to go for a spring outing, but several problems arose after the onset of winter, and he was already sweating. If he continued to calculate like this, the amount of Homeland Coins he would consume would be astronomical.

Putting these complicated issues aside for the time being, Zhou He strolled to the edge of the dock. Today, Bismarck was accompanied only by Count Spee and U556. The submarine girl habitually swam in the sea, so Bismarck and Count Spee were both by the water. The latter sat casually on the ground, while the former stood upright. Even just looking at his back, one could feel the oppressive and murderous aura he exuded—this was not something imagined, but something that truly existed in reality.

A person's temperament is closely related to their mental state and personality. Someone like Zhou He, who is practically a shut-in, would only be a sheep even if he were to become a commander. But people like Tosa and Bismarck are born with an arrogant personality and the aura of a superior. When Zhou He met Tosa, in addition to not being good at getting along with aloof people, he felt very uncomfortable around Tosa. This was not just out of fear, but because the other person was just too outstanding, making him unable to look directly at him, feeling ashamed of himself, and instinctively wanting to retreat.

But after a while, he got used to it; maybe that's just how humans are.

"Bismarck".

Zhou He, who was nearby, did not hear the conversation between the group, so he took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Bismarck: "How are the housing plans coming along?"

"commander."

Upon hearing this, Bismarck turned around and greeted him politely. After that, she glanced at Count Spee and U556 before looking at Zhou He: "I've discussed it with them. The architectural style that Z23 discussed with the Commander is sufficient."

"Is that so? Has a location been decided?"

Zhou He was not surprised, because the kind of housing he and Z23 discussed was already a design with extremely high comfort. If the house was big enough, it could easily accommodate ten or even dozens of people living together.

"It has been found, but whether it is actually built there still needs to be determined by the commander."

After having dinner yesterday, Bismarck began looking for a location, but she hadn't studied it in depth. Considering that the ship girls in her own faction might not be suitable for production in terms of personality and behavior, she chose a location that was more convenient for living.

"No, that's not the case. Let's not delay, let's go take a look now. I also have some trivial matters to discuss with you, Bismarck."

Zhou He chuckled. In his eyes, Bismarck was already a near-perfect flagship of the camp, so choosing a base for his own people was a trivial matter that he would arrange casually.

There wasn't much of a struggle. After Zhou He made his judgment, Bismarck nodded and left the dock with him. Count Spee just glanced at the crowd casually, while U556 climbed onto the dock, wiped himself down, changed into his land clothes, and hurriedly followed Bismarck.

On the way, Zhou He mentioned and inquired about exploring the inner island. Bismarck didn't hide anything and told Zhou He about the possibility that "unknown advanced equipment and technology may exist inside the island." Zhou He was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and agreed with Bismarck's guess—she was right. The island's composition was very complex; it was created for him by the Azur Lane system. Technically speaking, the system might not be able to defeat the Sirens' highest technology, but the Sirens might not be able to defeat their own system either.

Because he found it troublesome, Zhou He didn't try to take credit for himself as usual. Instead, he agreed with Bismarck's point of view and said that he would also join in the search for possible anomalies on the inner island. Anyway, the island would be developed sooner or later, and who knows, Bismarck might actually find the technological relics left behind by the system that he hadn't discovered yet.

As they walked and talked, led by Bismarck, Zhou He and the other two returned to the restaurant. However, their destination was not the restaurant itself, but a huge open space behind it, which was one floor higher than both the restaurant and the command post.

"right here."

Bismarck stepped on the weeds that were beginning to turn yellow and tilted his head to ask Zhou He for instructions.

"This place is quite nice too."

Zhou He took a few steps forward from Bismarck, then turned to look at the dining hall and command post not far away. Geographically, this location was northwest of the command post. A straight line could be drawn between the two, placing the dining hall precisely in the center. The elevated floor could be paved with bricks and tiles to form a retaining wall. A few steps down from the dining hall would lead directly to the dining hall and command post. Because it was offset from the dining hall, the view of the bay was unobstructed.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Commander."

Bismarck looked up at the higher and deeper inner island. Hood had mentioned to her the night before that if she won, the reward residence would be placed in the highest place, next to the forest, to show how important members of their Royal Navy were in the port.

She immediately understood that Hood was moving closer to the image of a 'royal nobleman' she remembered. With Hood's talent, it would be easy for him to take on an important position in the port in the future, so Hood had already begun to plan for the future.

Bismarck did not deny Hood's choice and judgment, because he inherited the status and honor of the royal family. However, she personally did not think highly of Hood's choice of location. The main reason was that it was too far from the power center of the port area, where Zhou He was located. If a few more buildings were added in the middle, not necessarily large buildings, but a few small buildings, the distance between the command headquarters and the royal estate would be even greater. The royal family would be semi-isolated, and it would be difficult for them to meet Zhou He in their daily lives.

So after weighing the pros and cons, she chose a location that was close by, convenient, and offered scenic views, while also allowing for greater flexibility in future expansion.