261: Chapter 261 The Trial Begins...

"Are you awake?"

"Mm..."

Li Ming sat up. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep on the sofa. Looking into Kuznetsov's icy blue eyes, he asked, "How long was I out?"

"Over two hours," Kuznetsov said, putting down the notebook in her hand.

She was sitting in front of an electronic sand table, which was covered with various documents and files. It was clear she had been busy until now.

"Do you want to rest for a bit?" Li Ming stood up.

"No need, I'm not tired yet." She shook her head. "Li Ming, come over here."

"Coming... What is it?"

"I've re-evaluated your situation... While I can't teach you how to navigate political maneuvering in your environment, I can still give you some pointers on your other weaknesses."

Li Ming nodded in acknowledgment and looked at her.

"What are you just staring for? Sit down." Kuznetsov shot him a glare.

"Oh, right..."

"You fellow, why are you starting to daze off at a time like this... *Sigh*..."

She sighed. "Let's start with the most direct question. Li Ming, look at me."

She reached out with her left hand and pinched Li Ming's chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "How do you view your Ship Girls?"

"They are my family." Li Ming averted his eyes.

"Look at me," Kuznetsov said. "So you're afraid of them going to the battlefield, and you can't treat them as units, right?"

"...Yes."

"Then have you ever asked them what they want?"

"...It seems I haven't."

"Then you haven't." Kuznetsov narrowed her eyes. "You've overlooked one thing, or perhaps you've subconsciously forgotten it... A Ship Girl's survivability is beyond what conventional war units can imagine, do you understand?"

"..."

"This is why since the start of the Wisdom Cube era, both the West and the East have done their best to invest naval power into Cube technology. High survivability, strong comprehensive capabilities, good recovery... Factions that cannot effectively Command Ship Girls often fail to seize command of the sea."

Releasing her grip on his chin, Kuznetsov swept all the documents on the sand table to the floor and re-powered the table.

"Come. Ushakov previously assessed your tactical operations, so you should already know how to use this." Kuznetsov clasped her hands together, placing them in front of her face to hide her expression. "This time you only have Ship Girls. Let me see your level."

Calm down, Li Ming. In the last storm, although you didn't participate in the battle personally, you've seen their combat records...

"I won't make it too hard for you. We'll roll back the battlefield technology level to the World War II era. This will be your home turf."

Kuznetsov's eyes flickered as she pressed the networking button.

——————

Northern Fleet, Command Center.

"Server networking has been interfaced, beginning data import." Pamir watched as the old server began to work, then looked toward the silver-haired Ship Girl sitting alone at the command console, lost in thought.

Pyotr Velikiy.

"Pyotr... Is it really okay for us to do this? Syncing his information with the Intelligence Bureau..."

"His personal safety will not be affected until he truly poses a threat to the Marshal." Pyotr Velikiy's voice was like the eternal ice of the northern poles.

"But the Marshal doesn't want to..."

"If she truly notices, I will go and explain it myself."

"...Alright then..."

Pyotr watched as he began to select the units he needed, and the results surprised her slightly.

Type 1936A Z23, J-class Destroyer Javelin, Allen M. Sumner-class Laffey (II), and also Special Type II Destroyer Ayanami.

Le Fantasque-class Destroyers: Terrible, Triomphant, Intrepid, Vicious, Indomitable.

Dunkerque-class battlecruisers: Dunkerque and Strasbourg.

Yorktown-class aircraft carrier Enterprise. Essex-class aircraft carriers Yorktown (II) and Lexington (II).

"A strange configuration..." Pyotr fell into thought.

"He seems to have a particular fondness for Destroyers..." Pamir whispered. "He even poked the little Laffey avatar several times."

"..." Pyotr facepalmed. What kind of strange focus was that?

What she was currently focused on was this strange team. Even if Ship Girls didn't have extremely high requirements for comprehensive performance matching, it certainly wasn't without impact...

Then came the map selection, which was Kuznetsov's choice.

Archipelago waters—a type that heavily tests decision-making.

The tiny size of Ship Girls combined with the complex terrain of the archipelago created a high-intensity combat environment. The demand for Destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers would be magnified exponentially in this area.

Yet he had not chosen any cruisers.

He had one more chance to decide the type, but he gave it up. It was unclear whether it was confidence or laziness.

"Preparing to start," Pamir said. "100-grid area, vertical A-J, horizontal 1-10. Li Ming has confirmed the starting area, B-7. The Marshal is beginning to deploy scattered formations into the field."

"Pamir, maintain surveillance."

"Understood, Pyotr."

——————

"Oh my, sneaking out to drink again? How embarrassing..."

"You are..." Ushakov took two steps back, looking at this Ship Girl with gray hair and black clothes... dressed like someone from a dynasty before the last. "Mercury?... No, you are definitely not her..."

"Close enough..." Mercury Memorial Meta shrugged. Her blood-red eyes, which were quite different from the magenta of the normal Mercury, darted around. "Does a setback like that already require alcohol to numb yourself?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Nothing much... I suppose." She said somewhat indifferently. "I just wanted to express some sentiment. You juniors are becoming harder and harder to look at."

"Tch..."

Ushakov's mind raced. She felt a terrifying sense of pressure from this Ship Girl, who was extremely similar to her own senior Mercury in the Black Sea, yet entirely different.

Unlike Kuznetsov's majesty, Mercury Memorial Meta was pure, unadulterated aggression.

"This is not a place you should be." Ushakov deployed her rigging. Although it had no fuel and its power systems were nearly paralyzed, she was still a Ship Girl.

Twin 130mm naval guns aimed at this unknown intruder. Ushakov's missiles had already begun preheating.

"Oh my, such hostility? How boring..." Mercury Memorial Meta shook her head. "Then I'll see you next time. By the way, a little reminder for you all..."

She turned around, looking at Ushakov out of the corner of her eye. "Do not touch Meta Technology. And... for you, regarding certain matters, opportunities and time are limited, you know?"

"What the hell are you talking about!... Hey!"

Before Ushakov could react, Mercury Memorial Meta completely vanished. Even Ushakov's fire control couldn't lock onto her...

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