131: Chapter 131 Some Things

Carefully closing the ancient book, Li Ming sighed.

"So, can you make any sense of it?"

"I can understand some of the simpler parts." Li Ming rubbed his brow. After high school, he studied engineering and hadn't learned much classical Chinese.

"For the weak to prevail over the strong in action, one must uphold five essentials as guiding principles: First, choose terrain, occupy strategic points to facilitate harassment; second, move swiftly, appearing and vanishing like wind and thunder; third, divide and unite, deploying forces as flexibly as one's own arm and fingers; fourth, await the opportune moment, watching for gaps like a raptor poised to strike; fifth, retreat rapidly after success, leaving no trace like dew evaporating at dawn. When all five are combined, one attains the subtlety of 'making the enemy manifest his form while keeping ours concealed, compelling the enemy without being compelled by him.'" Li Ming read aloud the passage he had transcribed. "Do you understand what this means?"

"Uh... this should be describing some kind of battlefield tactic?" Zhou Hong pondered. "From choosing the battlefield to the method of combat, it seems to discuss using advantageous terrain to swiftly annihilate the enemy."

"That's one way to interpret it, but..." Li Ming paused. "I think this passage refers to a strategy."

"A strategy?"

"Guerrilla warfare," Li Ming replied but didn't elaborate further.

"Can you explain it in more detail?" Zhou Hong stroked his chin, somewhat curious.

"What, are you planning to go to war?" Li Ming laughed.

Zhou Hong sighed helplessly. "What do you think? Do I look like someone who knows how to fight?"

"No, you seem more like the type who... uh, writes articles criticizing people from behind the scenes."

"I am not!" Zhou Hong chuckled in exasperation. "Want me to write a 10,000-word essay criticizing you right now?"

"Suit yourself," Li Ming shrugged.

"Sigh..." Zhou Hong held his forehead. "I'm just a bit interested, and... it could also serve as a reference."

"Alright." Li Ming scratched his head. "Actually, all that can be summarized in sixteen characters: When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy halts, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."

"This... is this the same?"

"Not exactly, but the general idea is roughly the same."

Li Ming waved his hand. "That's all I'll say. Delving deeper, I wouldn't understand it either."

"Understandable." Although somewhat disappointed, Zhou Hong nodded in understanding. "I've troubled you again today. I didn't realize this book could be interpreted this way."

"Different people have different interpretations. And..." Li Ming glanced sideways at him. "Given the size of our society's collection, I really don't think you can read through all the literature here."

"True." Zhou Hong nodded. "I mainly focus on historical materials and literary works... stories and myths, that sort of thing?"

"That's pretty good." Li Ming gave a thumbs-up, then checked the time. Half past three.

Stretching, Li Ming looked at Zhou Hong, who was also preparing to take a break. "Speaking of which, what about your Ship Girl?"

"Me..." Zhou Hong's expression stiffened. "I haven't constructed one yet."

"Ah, this..." Li Ming also froze. "Alright, my bad for asking."

"It's not your fault. It's just that I... can't get over a hurdle." Zhou Hong stood up. "Let me buy you a milk tea. We can talk while walking."

"Deal."

——————

"So, this is the reason you're unwilling to construct one, right?" Sipping his milk tea, Li Ming understood his dilemma.

"Exactly." Zhou Hong rubbed his face in distress, then took off his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief, letting out a bitter laugh. "If I approach shipbuilding with the mindset of just getting extra allowance, is that really okay?"

"I actually think you should give it a try." Li Ming squinted at the sun. "After all, this is the Maritime Academy. Sooner or later, you'll need to have a Ship Girl, or they won't let you graduate."

"Not graduating wouldn't be so bad? Staying on as a teaching assistant also comes with an allowance." Zhou Hong chuckled.

"I have many Ship Girls around me."

Zhou Hong was taken aback.

"You might not know, but I had a Ship Girl even before enrolling. I'm a special admission student; I actually didn't need to construct a Ship Girl initially." Li Ming paused and took a couple more sips of milk tea. "For me, how to accept them has always been a big issue. My personal abilities are limited, and I don't know why she chose me."

"It wasn't until I constructed a new Ship Girl that I suddenly realized some things can't be judged by utility or gain."

"What I mean is, I just want to take care of her, for no other reason." Li Ming stopped and looked at Zhou Hong. "As for the future, who knows? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And frankly, you should think about yourself too. Are you really content with finding an ordinary person to marry, have children, live an unremarkable life, and ultimately repeat the cycle of our generations?"

Zhou Hong looked at Li Ming. "The cycle..."

"Yes, the cycle." Li Ming affirmed. "Although the overall trend is still inevitable, you as an individual, and your family... A Ship Girl would be a guardian deity, your eternal lover and partner. No human fickleness, no worldly shrewdness. They always seem to be this way. Although their personalities vary, they..."

Li Ming seemed lost in thought, recalling the relationships between other Commanders and their Ship Girls. "Will always be together, except death or sinking into the deep sea would separate you."

Zhou Hong remained silent for a long while. "Let me think about it some more."

"Alright... I'm heading to the Rights Society. I'll be off now." Li Ming stood up and left.

Watching Li Ming's retreating figure, Zhou Hong stayed silent for a good while, then took out the cube the academy had given him.

He had been caressing these two cubes for three years but could never make up his mind.

With a bitter smile, he turned his head away.

Should he really construct a Ship Girl? Even if it might mean the unknown?

The answer was yes. He really didn't want to wait any longer.

Compared to living a life with only books, he'd rather share the daily chores of life with a partner.

——————

"Comrade Commander!"

"Alert?"

Li Ming jogged a couple of steps to reach Alert and then very naturally picked her up. "Why aren't you playing with everyone else?"

"Didn't we agree to go take a look together?" Alert puffed out her cheeks. "Comrade Commander trying to make me addicted to video games is a big bad guy!"

"Okay, okay, big bad guy..." Li Ming was both amused and exasperated. Although that was indeed his intention, her self-discipline seemed to be better than he imagined. "Then let's go see what this Rights Society is all about."

"Then will you please put me down!" Alert struggled a bit, trying to get her feet on the ground.

"No way." Li Ming grinned.

"Commander! You're mean!" Alert's face flushed bright red. She could only kick Li Ming with her calves, though the effort was weak and feeble due to being carried.

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