Azur Lane Mobile Front

"Is that the commander of the Enterprise?" The goddess of the hearth stared blankly at the Enterprise fleeing like a refugee, and finally noticed Rob's presence.

Chapter 18: Life is like a play, all depends on acting skills

Headquarters. Several people sat around a round table.

"Have you read that old jerk Jenkins' report?" A portly man in military uniform slammed a report on the table.

"Which part are you referring to?" A man wearing glasses, who looked more like a researcher, picked up the report and casually flipped through it.

"It's about that flying corporate lady, of course. As for ships, you're the most knowledgeable person here, and I'd like to hear your opinion."

"It's completely useless for reference. There's no complete description of its combat performance, and the ship research institute doesn't have any specific data. Apart from knowing that it can fly, we know absolutely nothing about it."

"so what?"

"The best way to find out the answer is to test it directly on the battlefield. However, this method is not very safe and is not recommended. So let's wait for the test results and the effectiveness of the exercises. Although it won't be completely accurate, it will give us a general idea."

"From your professional perspective, can you estimate what level it is?"

"Without specific data, everything is fake. But if you insist, based on the information we have, the flying Enterprise has a maneuverability in the air that is not much different from that of an airplane. Ships with this kind of maneuverability usually don't have very strong firepower. I guess it's the firepower level of a destroyer to a light cruiser."

"If it's only this level, then there's no need to pay too much attention to it. Unless there's a possibility of mass production of this kind of ship equipment, it doesn't have much value. What did the ship equipment research institute say?"

"It's completely unanalyzable. So mass production is out of the question. I think it's better to invest resources in the new ships that are currently under development."

"Since you've put it that way, if there are no surprises in the subsequent tests, then this matter is settled."

Not long after, testing began on the ship-mounted equipment for the company, which was also the Strike Gundam.

"Enterprise, you need to do this and this for the upcoming tests." The day before the tests began, Rob told Enterprise about keeping something in reserve during the tests. Although he had mentioned it before, Rob wasn't sure if Enterprise still remembered it.

"Why? Actually, I'd like to know the specifics of all aspects myself," the company said, puzzled.

"Think about it, is it faster to test one weapon or two weapons?"

"Got it!" Enterprise exclaimed with sudden realization, then burst out laughing. "Commander, you really thought I forgot? I remember everything you told me."

Realizing he'd been tricked, Rob reached out and pinched Enterprise's cheek. "I've noticed you're getting more and more cheeky these days!"

The testing, which began on the second day, progressed quite quickly. After all, the company had kept one trump card up its sleeve, leaving them with only a beam rifle as their weaponry.

Furthermore, the company not only concealed the new weapons, but also reduced the output of the beam rifle. The testing team spent a long time testing it, and the result was that this thing's output level was roughly equivalent to a 152mm naval gun, and its range was even shorter. Its only advantage was its extremely high projectile velocity, which, given the engagement distances that ships are accustomed to, meant it could hit exactly where it was pointed at.

Then, regarding air defense, the testers stated that this was about the same level of capability as the Atlanta-class aircraft. Although it only has one beam rifle, it's truly effective at one-shotting enemy aircraft. It seems the report that the Enterprise almost single-handedly stopped most of the Sakura Empire's aircraft is true.

A few days after the test ended, the planned exercise was canceled. The reason given was that logistics said they simply couldn't find blank rounds for this thing.

Based on the test results, the research institute concluded that its air defense was roughly equivalent to that of an Atlanta-class destroyer, but its firepower output was inferior to that of a Brooklyn-class destroyer.

When Rob saw the report, he maliciously wondered if the members of Sakura Empire would jump up and smash the testers' heads if they saw this result.

After managing to appease the headquarters, Rob began frantically grinding for credits. After all, Saratoga had said that to graduate early, he needed to complete all the required credits. Thanks to the high praise he'd received from his previous internship, Rob had earned a considerable number of credits. Rob finally finished all his credits within a month of the beginning of spring.

"Dean, are you there? I'm coming in."

That day, Rob, who had finally found out that Saratoga was in her office, came to ask Saratoga for his graduation certificate.

Then Rob saw Saratoga scribbling furiously at her desk, looking like a primary school student rushing to finish homework the day before school started. Judging from the pile of documents at least twenty centimeters high on the desk, she still had a lot of homework to do.

Saratoga was too busy to pay attention to anyone, and Rob wasn't in a hurry either. He found a place to sit down and watched a certain destroyer "catch up on its work," while wondering how many books Saratoga had on her stool.

"Ugh! Seriously, why do I have to sign these kinds of documents?! Are all those people at headquarters just sitting around doing nothing?!" Sarah was exasperated.

Then she saw Robert, who had even brewed her a cup of tea, sitting on the sofa, looking at her with a smile.

"Robo, when did you get here? And your expression is really strange."

"Ah, Dean, it's alright, don't worry about me. I'm just here to get my diploma anyway." Luo Bo expressed how hard he struggled to finish his assignments back then, and how satisfying it was to watch others finish theirs now.

"Graduation certificate? What graduation certificate?"

"You said it, you can graduate in two years if you get all the credits."

"Are you in such a hurry to graduate?"

"Of course, I'm in a hurry to go back and defend my country!"

Saratoga looked Rob up and down, then his eyes darted around as if he remembered something, and the ahoge (cowlick) on his head twitched.

"Rob, did your company tamper with the tests before?" Saratoga asked with a wicked grin.

"What makes you say that, Dean?" Luo Bo replied with an air of righteous indignation, stating that there was absolutely no such thing.

"I had to go through a lot of trouble to find out this from Enterprise Hornet. Your Enterprise alone can take on six Sakura Empire aircraft carriers."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could there be such a brave person in the world?" Rob still insisted that people shouldn't talk nonsense and that there was no such thing.

"Do you still want your diploma?"

"want."

"Then tell the truth!"

"We really can't take on six! Two at most! No more than that!"

"Hmph! I knew it was you who had the company tamper with things!"

Having found the answer, Saratoga had his own plans in mind; after all, being able to take on two opponents was quite impressive.

“Whether you graduate or go to Donghuang, it’s fine. But you have to agree to one condition.” Saratoga revealed his true intentions.

"Tell me about it first."

“We’re short-handed right now, especially after Pearl Harbor. We need a lot of manpower, both for the Sirens and the Sakura Empire.” Sara said, her ahoge (cowlick) drooping down. “Sara hasn’t seen her sister for half a year.”

Is this an attempt to play the victim? Rob frowned, realizing that things weren't so simple.

"Dean, although I think you're probably just trying to recruit me, do you really think it's realistic to be separated by half the globe?"

"Oh right!" Sarah exclaimed, suddenly realizing. "Then you shouldn't leave!"

"Let's talk this out, Dean!"

"Seriously!" Saratoga jumped onto the table, brandishing her magical girl wand as if to enlighten Rob. "If Saratoga really asks you for help, it means the situation is pretty serious. Do you think I'm just someone you can drag along to do manual labor?! Rob, don't run away, Saratoga promises she'll only knock once!"

"No, no!" Rob said, indicating that he was still a child and that 40,000 tons was not a weight he should be able to bear at his age.

While Robb and Saratoga were still locked in a tug-of-war, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean...

A port in Donghuang.

A woman wearing a white embroidered short cheongsam and holding a plum blossom umbrella stood on the beach. A sea breeze tousled her long, black hair, which she tidied with her hand before continuing to gaze towards the other side of the ocean.

The news that just came from the White Eagles brought some comfort to the Eastern Empire. This was the only good news they received since the Sakura Empire declared war.

"A commander? After so many years, finally a commander is willing to come to this land."

Chapter Nineteen: First Arrival in Donghuang

In May, spring is drawing to a close in Donghuang, while summer is rubbing its hands in the wings, ready to unleash its power.

A passenger ship docked at T Port in Donghuang. Among the continuous stream of passengers disembarking, a young couple stood out, especially the woman. Her waist-length silver hair, graceful figure, and striking features made her almost impossible to look away from. As for the man beside her, he attracted more envious glances than anything else.

Of course, the kind of plot that the masses would love to see, such as a rich kid who doesn't know any better trying to flirt with someone and then getting beaten up, didn't happen.

After all, a girl with hair of this color who is obviously not a normal person and is also very beautiful is most likely a warship. Those who dare to go up and cause trouble have disappeared ten years ago.

Although everyone was puzzled as to why they needed to travel by boat to board a ship, they simply assumed that the people were experiencing life.

These two are naturally Robert and Enterprise.

After a long journey, they finally arrived in Donghuang. Both Rob and the company said they never wanted to take such a long ship ride again anytime soon.

After dragging their luggage and asking around for a while, the two finally found the port office of T Port.

When Rob and his companion got out of the car, they saw a small courtyard with only a few three-story buildings, which looked quite old. A sign at the entrance read "Donghuang XXT Port Office" in large characters, but two of the characters were so badly faded that they were illegible. Rob and his companion carefully checked the sign to confirm they hadn't gone to the wrong place, then pulled their luggage inside.

Rob walked around, looking at the place. Although it was small and looked a bit dilapidated, it wasn't dirty or messy, indicating that someone still kept it tidy. But seriously, wasn't the vegetable patch at the very edge a bit excessive? Was it really a racial talent etched into their DNA?

The two looked around and saw that the first floor of the middle building was a large hall. They guessed that the reception area should be there, so they went over to ask someone for details.

Upon entering, there was a long wooden table with several sheets of paper on it, presumably brochures or something similar. A young girl was sleeping on the table, her head and body completely covered by a white fur-trimmed coat, with only a single brown ahoge sticking out.

Although this didn't seem very reliable, it was at least the first living person Rob had seen. With a "nothing to lose" attitude, Rob led the company forward to check the situation.

"Emmm, sister, Pinghai... is hungry. Pinghai wants to eat steamed buns."

It seems that the local economy is indeed quite tight; look how hungry the children are.

Rob tapped the table with his finger. "Wake up."

"Baozi... Baozi is gone!" The girl was startled awake, sitting up abruptly, still calling out for Baozi. Then she suddenly realized there were two people in front of her, blinking rapidly, clearly still not quite understanding what was happening.

Rob wasn't in a hurry; he just stood there and waited quietly. After a while, the girl seemed to have fully woken up. She rubbed her eyes and wiped her mouth.

"Hello, my sister said that we're not accepting any more cases in the port area. Everyone's too busy."

"Hello, miss, I'm the new commander, here to take up my post. May I ask who's in charge here?" As he spoke, Rob took out his commander's badge and transfer order.

"Eh? Commander? Eh!!! Sister, sister, the commander you mentioned before is here!" The girl ignored Rob and ran inside, leaving Rob bewildered.

A moment later, an oriental beauty emerged, dressed in a cheongsam, with long black hair and bangs, and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye. The woman possessed a beautiful face, like a silver platter, with eyes like water apricots, lips naturally red, and eyebrows naturally dark green. However, what truly captivated the eye were her beautiful legs, tightly encased in black stockings. Rob quickly averted his gaze after just one glance, lest he be impolite.

"Excuse me for keeping you both waiting. Are you Commander Robolo?" The woman's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze or a flowing stream, soothing and comforting.

Rob showed his commander's badge and appointment letter. "Yes, it's me. May I ask your name, Miss?"

The woman picked up the commander's badge, carefully compared it with the photo on it, and then looked at the appointment letter, confirming that it was correct. She gave a warm smile, "Nice to meet you, Commander Luo. I am Yi Xian from the First Fleet of the Eastern Empire Navy."

"Nice to meet you. I am Rob. I hope you will take good care of me from now on, Miss Yixian. This is my initial ship, Enterprise."

"A company?" Yi Xian was startled when she heard the name. Although she didn't show it on her face, she still took a few more glances and then looked at Luo Bo.

"Although I don't know if Miss Yixian knows any of the companies on White Eagle's side, my husband doesn't. The specific reasons are a bit complicated. If Miss Yixian would like to hear about it, I can explain it in detail when we have the chance."

"I see. Well then, Miss Enterprise, welcome to Donghuang."

"Hello, from now on we'll be comrades fighting side by side." The company also extended its hand and shook hands with Yixian.

Yi Xian then turned around and said to those behind him, "Ning Hai and Ping Hai, come over here quickly and see Commander Luo."

The two little ones who had been peeking out from the doorway heard Yixian's words and came running over. They were both wearing identical cheongsams, each with a pair of stockings. Luo Bo wondered if cheongsams and stockings were a characteristic of the Eastern Huang faction? But why were these two only wearing one pair of stockings? Was it some kind of new sisterly tacit understanding?

"Commander Luo, hello. I am Ninghai, the lead ship of the Ninghai-class. Nice to meet you. And Miss Enterprise, hello." A girl with black hair and a more mature figure greeted Luo Bo and his companion first. The girl Luo Bo had just met quickly greeted him as well: "I am Ninghai, the lead ship of the Ninghai-class. No, no, I am Pinghai. Pinghai, the lead ship of the Ninghai-class."

As she was talking, the girl next to her tapped her head, "You're the second ship, I've told you that so many times."

"Huh? So I'm the second ship?"

They seem to be quite an interesting pair of sisters. Rob watched the two sister ships interact, then turned to look at Enterprise, who seemed a little lost in thought.

"What? Missing Yorktown and the Hornets?"

"Yeah, a little bit. It's been a while since I've seen everyone. I heard that Sister Yorktown has some combat missions recently. I wonder how it's going."

After everyone introduced themselves, Yi Xian took Rob and Enterprise to see her house, since the two still had luggage. Then she instructed Ning Hai to call back any nearby ships and cook a few extra dishes that evening as a welcome dinner for Rob and Enterprise.

Chapter Twenty: Discussing Business at the Dinner Table is a Unique Feature

At the banquet, Pinghai was undoubtedly the happiest. Her little mouth never stopped moving from beginning to end, and nearly half of the food on the table ended up in her little belly. No one knew how her tiny stomach could hold so much; Rob could only attribute it to the ship itself being inherently unscientific.

"Mommy, sister, will I be able to eat so much delicious food tomorrow?"

"No way! Today is a special day. If we eat like this every day, we won't have anything to eat in a few days!"

"Why is this happening?" Pinghai turned to look at Luo Bo. "Commander Luo, could you come again tomorrow? That way, your sister will make Pinghai lots of steamed buns and other delicious food."

"Idiot Pinghai, the commander will be staying here from now on. There's no going back!"

"Oh, I see."

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Commander." Yi Xian put down her chopsticks early on and just watched the Ning Hai sisters interact.

"That's good, it's a good thing to be energetic." Rob only ate a couple of bites as a symbolic gesture, because the company didn't know how to use chopsticks, so Rob's main task was to serve the company food.

There was an extra ship at the table compared to during the day; it must be the one Yixian had asked Ninghai to bring back earlier. After introductions, Luo Bo learned that her name was Zhenhai.

Rob confirmed once again that cheongsams and stockings were indeed characteristic of Donghuang.

“Miss Yixian, I have some questions, and I hope you will be kind enough to enlighten me.”

"Commander, just call me Yixian. There's no need to be so formal. Also, I really wouldn't dare to ask for your guidance. If there's anything you don't understand, I, Yixian, will answer it without hesitation."

"Then I'll be rude. May I ask how many ships Donghuang currently has? And why doesn't it even have a proper command post?"

"Donghuang currently has twelve ships registered, but as for why the command headquarters doesn't have any, I'm ashamed to say that the situation on Donghuang's side is probably more severe than you imagine, Commander."

"Appreciate further details."