74: Chapter 74 Test (1)

"Hey, Lin! You're back!"

"Uh... yeah, I'm back. Had some things to take care of."

Faced with the enthusiastic Finn, Li Ming felt he couldn't just ignore him, so he forced himself to keep up the conversation.

Fortunately, Verres arrived just in time. "Finn, we have... something to do with Captain Lin. Could you please go with Olena to visit their Communications Station (it's actually a Radar Station)?"

After much persuasion, they finally managed to coax Finn away, and Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Add another one to the list of people who struggle to deal with overly enthusiastic folks. Verres thought to herself, but still maintained a smile on her face.

"Hello again, Commander Li Ming. It's good to see you."

"Please, drop the formalities. It makes me uncomfortable." Li Ming shook his head. "What do you need me to do today?"

"Just some simple tests. Don't worry, it won't affect our cooperation. It's purely out of curiosity."

Verres told a little white lie. This was far from 'pure curiosity'.

"Well, the first test today is on military aptitude." Verres waved, calling over Idnas who had been observing from a distance.

Li Ming looked up slightly, sizing up the other person.

Sunlight shone on her dark blue hair, highlighting her sharp, cold features. Her deep gray eyes scrutinized him, as if trying to pierce right through.

Her tall, perfectly proportioned figure was flawless, accentuated by her form-fitting clothes to an almost unreal degree. Even accounting for the platform boots she wore, she was still a good head taller than Li Ming.

Come on, I'm 180cm tall...

"Ahem, Commander Li Ming, do you have a Training Ground available?" Verres interrupted their mutual observation.

"Yes, follow me."

——————

"Personal physical fitness is excellent, or rather, unexpectedly strong," Idnas evaluated. "Even under overload conditions, his weighted run produced surprisingly good results. He also maintained a decent level of combat awareness despite high physical exertion... Of course, that combat awareness isn't exactly top-notch, but it's more than enough to handle ordinary soldiers."

"I-d-n-a-s, dear~" Verres's face darkened, yet her smile was unnervingly bright. "Do you realize you almost worked Commander Li Ming to death?"

"I'm fine, I just need a moment..." Li Ming raised a hand, though he currently felt like a puddle of mud, burnt out and reduced to ashes.

Idnas showed a flicker of confusion. Looking back, she saw that Li Ming, who had been performing well, now didn't want to move a muscle.

"Mmm, my apologies..."

A miscalculation. Using Ship Girl standards against a human was indeed a bit too much...

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine..." Li Ming struggled to his feet, grabbed water from a nearby table, and took a large gulp. "What's next?"

"Next should be..." Idnas checked her notes. "A Battlefield Command Simulation. Commander Li Ming, do you have the necessary equipment for that?"

"I do, but I'm not sure if it meets the standards you're used to."

"Actually, a Naval Chart would suffice," Idnas said, nervously wringing her hands. Asking him for a chart wasn't too different from asking for classified information.

"It's fine. I have some charts of areas we use for regular exercises. You can use those," Verres interjected. "That wasn't very polite, Idnas."

"Mmm, my apologies..."

——————

"Uh..." Verres took off her glasses, her expression somewhat dazed.

"Hmm..." Idnas's gaze was sharp as she scrutinized the reliability of the simulation.

To be honest, Li Ming didn't achieve the predetermined operational objective. Although he had proposed from the start, 'repair the Airbase in our zone and mobilize four Reconnaissance Squadrons from the rear,' it was clear they didn't even know the performance specs of the aircraft, let alone how to deploy them effectively.

The end result was Li Ming sending the only Bomber Airship to high altitude to act as a scout, then using it to guide Destroyers on reconnaissance runs.

capital ships, accompanied by cruisers and a portion of the surrounding Destroyers, intercepted Idnas's fleet as it approached their own base. Meanwhile, Destroyers on the periphery pushed forward to launch a strong assault on Idnas's base.

However, his handling of the main fleet was still poor. He failed to secure the T-crossing advantage early. With a numerical disadvantage from the start, Li Ming's 'base trade' tactic didn't pan out.

"Good ideas, but poor execution," was Idnas's final assessment. "Still, he knows a thing or two. The ability to leverage one's own advantages to gather intelligence alone puts him ahead of many."

Li Ming wasn't particularly surprised. It would be weird if a rookie like him could beat an Old Hand who had been on the battlefield for years.

Verres watched his condition out of the corner of her eye. His physical stamina seemed to have recovered, but the fatigue hadn't vanished.

"Let's leave it at that for now. Give me the report later, and go fetch Leica while you're at it."

"Understood." Idnas stood up to leave. She glanced back at Li Ming, saw he was in acceptable condition and chatting with Verres, and finally relaxed a little.

"What do you think of Idnas?" Verres asked, sitting down opposite Li Ming once Idnas was out of earshot.

"She's quite good," Li Ming said. After a moment's thought, he added, "She seems very reliable."

"So? Are you interested?" she teased. "The Ship Girl General Bureau doesn't object to Commanders 'recruiting' ships, you know. Let me tell you, this Old Maid seems cold and aloof, so no one dares to approach her. In reality, she's quite envious of her old colleagues who got 'recruited,' but she puts on a Tsundere act, saying she hasn't met anyone worthy..."

"Isn't that a bit... inappropriate?" Li Ming scratched his head. "Besides, I don't have any plans to recruit more ships at the moment. Not to mention..."

"Eh? Commander Li Ming, don't you think the more Ship Girls you have, the better?" Verres feigned shock, preparing to continue her performance.

"Generally speaking, yes. But..." Li Ming shrugged. "Your lifespans are practically infinite, aren't they?"

"Hmm, maybe?"

"I think she has plenty of time to find someone better than me. No need to waste time on me." Li Ming spread his hands.

Stunned.

Only one sentence echoed in Verres's mind:

"How on earth did he come to that conclusion?"

After a long silence, Verris finally responded:

"Who knows? Some things, we don't bother with logic."

"I suppose that's true..." Li Ming didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

That's exactly why I rely on them so much. They are so utterly illogical.

Not that I mind, of course.

"Yahooo! Sorry to interrupt the pleasant atmosphere, you two."

Leica opened the door. "Now it's my turn. Hello, Commander Li Ming!"

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