It is Kokang and Changchun

　The staff watched Belfast disappear before their eyes and said in unison: "Oh my God! Belfast has disappeared! Go and take a look, and report it immediately..."

　Before they could finish their words, the Belfast reappeared. At this moment, they felt like a group of monkeys being fooled.

　Chapter 37 The Eve of the Storm

　In mid-May 2021, on an island in the Pacific Ocean, a group of young girls in black tights were busy working in an orderly manner underground on the island, with only a few of them on guard on the ground.

　However, if you think they are ordinary girls, you are wrong. Every humanoid creature here can dismantle a tank with bare hands.

　They are the deep sea.

　"Mr. Admiralty Code, after more than a month of hard work, we have now completed the construction of the most basic infrastructure. After multiple tests, it is in good working order. You can move in soon."

　A deep-sea officer was reporting to Admiralty Code on the construction status of the base camp. Admiralty Code listened to the report and was generally satisfied.

　"Great, I've had enough of this crappy tent. By the way, have you figured out why the psionic shield won't work?"

　The commanding Deep Sea, who was reporting the situation, expressed deep regret and said, "I'm sorry, Master Admiralty Code, we still don't understand. Furthermore, it seems that aside from the inability to deploy psychic shields and weapons like particle beams, all other aspects of psychic energy are operating normally."

　"Is this... the rule of the world? Sometimes these rules are really annoying!" Admiralty Code pursed his lips and frowned, saying with a headache.

　"We relied on our indestructible psychic shield to gain a crushing advantage over the humans in the early stages of the war. But now this greatest and most obvious advantage is gone. Even worse, the humans in this world have extensive knowledge of ship spirits. Even if we launch a surprise attack, they will react quickly... Tsk."

　Admiralty Code was in a very bad mood and was thinking about future construction and plans to conquer humanity.

　The commanding Deep Sea on the side changed the subject and said, "Um... Sir, there is good news. The rules of the world are still fair. What if the enemy also becomes weaker?"

　"Hmm? What do you mean?"

　Admiralty Code paused and turned to look at her after hearing what Commander Deep Sea said.

　The Commander Deep Sea replied, "The Spy Deep Sea we previously sent to Japan to gather intelligence on humanity has now sent us more detailed intelligence on human society."

　"Speak!" came the order from the Admiralty Code.

　The Commander-Type Deep Sea nodded, then began to explain the intelligence reported by the Spy-Type Deep Sea.

　"Well, let me first talk about the thorn in our side in our future conquest of humanity—the Ship Spirit.

　The ship spirits in this world, also known as ship girls among humans, are different from the previous world. The ship spirits in this world are not of the same origin as ours. At least there are no various patterns on the ship's hull. This is the first point.

　Second, their combat effectiveness is relatively weak. The weakness of the Ship Spirits in this world stems from their lack of particle beams and shields, and their attack methods are traditional, essentially the same as their pre-Ship Spirit counterparts. Furthermore, the Ship Girls in this world are rather materialistic.

　Let me give you an example. The ship spirits in our deep sea and the previous world can communicate through conscious space, and the ship spirits' consciousness can even separate from their bodies. The previous ship spirits could use their own psychic energy to build carrier-based aircraft, but the ship spirits in this world replenish their carrier-based aircraft in addition to the traditional method, which is to feed the ship spirits with raw materials and then generate them in the hangar...

　The existence and activities of shipgirls in this world are deeply dependent on objective reality. Their abilities are determined by the various devices on their bodies. If these devices are damaged, their corresponding abilities will be greatly reduced or even lost.

　However, we cannot be careless. The ship spirits of this world possess an incomparable advantage over the ship spirits of the previous world—their main bodies can be transformed into ship armor. They can transform their main bodies into weapons carried on their backs, and can even glide on the water like ice skates..."

　After listening to this, Admiralty Code asked, "What about the human side?"

　"Humanity has even more good news for us. Since the beginning of last year, a large-scale epidemic has broken out around the world. With the exception of a few countries that have managed the situation well, most major nations are in a very serious state. The economies and politics of these countries have been significantly impacted, including many developed countries in Europe and America. Ironically, humanity's number one global superpower is the region hardest hit by the epidemic."

　When Commander Deep Sea said this, Admiralty Code couldn't help but laugh, a cold and ruthless laugh.

　The laughter from above confused the Commander-type Deep Sea, so he asked, "Why is Admiralty Code laughing?"

　"Hehe, I'm laughing - humans are humans, carbon-based organisms will always be so fragile, so vulnerable... By the way, developed countries are like that, what about China?" asked Admiralty Code.

　Commander Deep Sea replied, "As the first country to be hit by the outbreak, they've actually managed it very well. It's like heaven and hell compared to the outside world."

　Admiralty Code leaned on her simple wooden desk. Even though she was usually very calm, she felt a little emotional after hearing what she heard. If she had sweat glands, she might have a drop of cold sweat on her head right now.

　"What a formidable opponent..."

　Admiralty Code recalled the painful lesson of the previous world's battle on the alluvial plains of the Yangtze River Delta. Numerous deep-sea pioneers perished in Shanghai, yet they were never able to completely capture the entire city. Ultimately, humanity pushed back and recaptured it. The brutality of this battle could be described as a two-way meat grinder.

　"No matter what, this East Asian giant must not be touched first!" Once bitten, one becomes afraid of the ropes for ten years. Admiralty Code has an extremely strong desire to survive.

　Commander Deep Sea added another crucial piece of information: "Sir, this world's Russian Federation also needs to undergo data revisions. Unlike the Russian Federation, which languished for a long time in the previous world, this world's Russian Federation experienced a period of decline after the disintegration of the Surpass, but it quickly rebounded and remains a world power today. While much of their conventional and unconventional military technology is still based on legacy technology, their overall strength should not be underestimated."

　Admiralty Code's inner thoughts: Damn it, if it weren't for the pandemic, this would have been the start of hell. Making a comeback with a defeated army that's barely at full strength, and conquering a world with a much stronger, more comprehensive nation and a richer knowledge of shipgirls, I can't do it...

　However, with a large-scale epidemic, the difficulty is greatly reduced. This may be the case when the world consciousness closes the door and opens a window for you.

　Admiralty Code: "Why is it all bad news? Is there any good news on our side?"

　Commander Deep Sea: "Yes, since the first petri dish was completed, we found that the process of cultivating a deep-sea pioneer seems to be much faster than in the previous world, although the ones in the petri dish are not yet fully mature."

　This is one of the few good things that has happened to Admiralty Code since it came into the world.

　After listening to the entire report from the Commander-type Deep Sea, she gave a command to the Commander-type Deep Sea in front of her after careful consideration:

　"At present, we still focus on the construction of the base camp and restore the population and develop productivity. As for where the resources come from, we can plunder those ancient

　The precious metals found in sunken merchant ships, such as the one we found nearby, will be of great help in the financial support we need for reconstruction work.

　As for external affairs, we will still focus on infiltration and espionage, using the United States and Japan as a breakthrough point, and gradually establish intelligence stations in various countries..."

　The efficiency of the deep sea is very high, and the AdmiraltyCode command is instantly transmitted to the entire deep sea spiritual network space.

　Meanwhile, Tokyo Haneda International Airport

　A mechanical voice announcement rang out from the lounge's broadcast: "Attention passengers on All Nippon Airways flight NH7006 from Tokyo to Chicago, boarding is now underway..."

　"Received, Lord AdmiraltyCode. I am now at Tokyo Haneda International Airport, preparing to board the plane." In the airport terminal, a white-haired woman responded to her superior's order in the mental cyberspace.

　Chapter 38: The Story of Japanese Ship Girls (5)

　"Um...Hibiki-chan, is there anything you want to tell me?"

　On an anti-aircraft destroyer in Maizuru City, Japan, Xiang meets a lolita wearing a shrine maiden costume, Haruzuki, in the bridge of the destroyer.

　Harutsuki held the Kagura staff standing on the ground in his right hand, shaking it gently, waiting for Xiang's reaction.

　At this moment, Xiang's brain is working quickly, organizing language.

　Before meeting Haruyuki, Changchun specifically warned Xiangqian, "When you're working with religious people, be careful with your words. Don't start by reciting the lyrics to the Internationale. It's like petting a rabbit by the fur. Besides, Haruyuki is a rather shy child. I'm a little worried that your straightforward personality and way of speaking might backfire on Haruyuki..."

　Also, you must understand that the current priority is political struggle; those ontological philosophical issues are secondary contradictions. Turn on the free mic when you talk to Chunyue. I want to hear what you say and Chunyue's reaction.

　Hibiki sorted things out in his head and asked Haruzuki, "Haruzuki-chan, what do you think of God?"

　"God..." Chunyue said without hesitation, "I think he must know everything, be able to do everything, and be kind!"

　Hibiki tapped his chin with his finger, glanced up at the sky, and said, "Hmm... Is God all-knowing, all-powerful, and kind? How do you know?"

　"Because this world is arranged by the gods, and this applies to us Tsukumogami as well.

　And like that... past defeats were punishment from the gods. Those high-ranking military officials were constantly pursuing war and forcing countless innocent Japanese people to ride on their war chariots and make unnecessary sacrifices.

　And precisely because God loves everyone, He doesn't want to see the happiness of a few who act recklessly built on the suffering of the majority, so He brought down punishment, made Japan lose the war, and allowed Japan to be redeemed. Isn't Japan's post-war economic miracle a redemption?

　Xiang smiled after hearing this and continued, "Hehe, it seems that the God is really kind, but this doesn't mean that the God knows everything and can do everything.

　If the gods know everything and can do everything, why don't they just create a perfect other shore?"

　"Xiang-chan, that's not right. Of course, God is omniscient and omnipotent. We see so many imperfections in our daily lives. That's God testing us." Haruzuki pouted, frowned slightly, and answered.

　Xiang nodded in agreement, trying to go along with Haruzuki and took over the conversation: "Well said, a test. Actually, I've always felt that since it's a test, then we have to do practical things to satisfy the gods and pass the continuous tests, right? It's like an exam, we are the test takers, and the gods are the examiners.

　Then isn’t the suffering in this world equivalent to the difficult questions on the test paper?

　If the gods are kind, I think they wouldn't want to see the suffering in the world go unresolved, right? Just like a teacher doesn't want to see a blank paper.

　Hibiki's words put Haruzuki in a new perspective, causing him to fall into deep thought.

　In Harutsuki's mind, Hibiki's words were a bit like the Buddhist teachings of universal salvation, but Harutsuki himself did not object. This was because the content of Japan's current Shintoism differed significantly from the ancient version, just like the difference between Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius and the Confucianism of Cheng and Zhu.

　In Japan from the Nara period to the Heian period, the introduction and prosperity of Buddhism had a great impact on Shintoism. In order to maintain its shaken status, Shintoism also absorbed some Buddhist ideas. This is very similar to the experience of Chinese Confucianism during the Tang and Song dynasties.

　Therefore, Harutsuki felt that it was a miko's duty to help more people find salvation, because miko were servants of the gods. Since the gods were kind, wouldn't they feel gratified when they saw their miko saving people from suffering? Isn't this also a different way of serving the gods?

　Haruzuki was still a little worried and said, "I, I understand. You mean to ask us to help the people solve their problems? But will the people accept a monster?" (Note: In Japanese mythology, "Tsukumogami" are monsters, not gods.)

　As he spoke, the animal ears on both sides of Chunyue's head twitched.

　Xiang tried to dispel Chunyue's doubts and said, "Chunyue, you can ask yourself, would you deliberately harm others? Let's assume that we are both demons.

　It may sound strange, but if we live a normal life and do some good things occasionally, who is the "monster" between us and those street thugs who are always causing trouble?

　So you don't need to worry about your own identity. There are many people who do evil in the world, but do they get the public's acceptance? Compared to so-called gods and monsters, the public cares more about your actual actions towards them.

　Besides, times have changed, and girls like us with some non-human features are more popular among young people."

　"Is this true?" Chunyue was incredulous. A girl with non-human features wasn't considered possessed by a demon, but was actually favored by many young people. This was unbelievable.

　Xiang said earnestly, "Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. We are all former comrades, how could I lie to you? You will find out for yourself later."

　Harutsuki beamed with joy and thanked Xiang: "Thank you so much, Xiang-chan, for what you said to me. I...I've figured it out. For the sake of God, I should act now!"

　Chunyue couldn't wait to embrace the world again. Before she finished speaking, the hatch of the bridge opened for her as Chunyue wished.

　"Haruzuki, don't be impatient! I haven't finished yet..." Xiang said, holding Haruzuki who was about to leave.

　"Saving all sentient beings is easy to say, but difficult to do. If you don't have the right method, how can you achieve salvation for all sentient beings?"

　Chunyue, who was held back, thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she humbly asked Xiang for the answer.

　Anyway, Hibiki probably used a method that was acceptable to religious believers, avoiding Marxism's ontological views in the field of nature and focusing on the views in the field of social history, thus preliminarily exposing the root causes of the suffering of the Japanese people today.

　After teaching Haruzuki a lesson, Haruzuki needed some time to digest what Xiang had said. As it was already getting dark outside, Xiang accepted Haruzuki's request and temporarily stayed in Haruzuki's body for the night.

　After listening to the whole process of Xiang's education of Chunyue, Changchun couldn't help but give a thumbs up and secretly praised Xiang's rapid progress.

　Lying on the floor of the captain's lounge, she was browsing the internet when a piece of news from a few days ago caught her attention: "An explosion at a chemical plant in Fukushima Prefecture caused the production of toxic gas..."

　Xiang's expression instantly became serious, and then he clicked on the title to see what was going on.

　"According to NHK, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant in Ishiki City, Fukushima Prefecture this morning, injuring four people and producing a pungent odor. The fire was still not extinguished several hours after the explosion. The relevant departments are currently investigating the detailed cause of the accident..."

　"These idiots who are just sitting there doing nothing are totally hopeless!" Xiang said after reading the news.

　Chapter 39: The Story of Japanese Ship Girls (6)

　Early the next morning, Xiang opened his eyes.

　Looking at Haruzuki who was still sleeping soundly in bed, Xiang gently got up from the bed, found paper and pen on the desk in the captain's lounge, wrote a message to Haruzuki, and quietly left the destroyer Haruzuki.

　It was a long time before Chunyue woke up from her sleep. She sat up with sleepy eyes and found that Xiang was gone, leaving only the neatly tidied bed on the floor.

　"Xiang-chan? Xiang-chan? Where are you..." Chunyue was a little anxious when she couldn't see Xiang. She got out of bed and looked around, but there was no one there. However, she found a note on the table.

　Chunyue picked up the note and saw that it said:

　Haruzuki-san, by the time you see this note, I'll already be on the Shinkansen bound for Fukushima. I was very pleased with our bilateral exchange yesterday. Please take your time to reflect on what I said yesterday. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

　I'll give you a quote from a song that was widely circulated in the military before you even started building it. Ironically, the lyrics of this song are clearly full of left-wing sentiments, yet it's widely sung by the right.

　"The rich and powerful only know how to be proud of their family background, but few of them care about the country. The wealthy only know how to boast about their wealth, but they don't care about the country at all."

　I sincerely hope that you can think independently and grow into a shrine maiden who serves the people and a child of God who dedicates his life to the cause of the revolution. The gods will surely be moved by your efforts...

　————————————————————

　Fukushima Ohara General Hospital in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, two weeks after the chemical plant explosion

　A sixty-year-old man was dying in the intensive care unit, and the data displayed on the vital signs monitoring device beside his bed was not optimistic.

　The elderly man's family members were waiting anxiously outside the intensive care unit.

　Who would have known that the old man was still an energetic sixty-year-old just a few hours ago.

　What happened to this old man today also caused a butterfly effect.

　A few hours ago, the elderly man's daily life was greatly affected by the pollutants leaked from the chemical plant explosion a few days ago. So he put on a mask and went to the chemical plant to protect his rights.

　Unexpectedly, the person in charge of the chemical plant was indifferent and ignored what the old man said. He also said confidently:

　"Compensation? The chemical plant is in this state now. Where are we going to get the money to compensate the surrounding residents? Why don't you ask the Fukushima government?"

　The old man was immediately enraged by the official's words. The Fukushima government? Did the Fukushima government still have credibility after the nuclear accident? Instead of hoping the Fukushima government would take the initiative to smooth things over, he might as well buy a year-end JUMBO lottery ticket (a Japanese lottery).

　So the two sides had an argument, and the conflict intensified.

　He attacked the old man first, and the incident turned into a physical conflict.

　The old man was seriously injured by the person in charge. The onlookers called an ambulance and the police, and the old man was rescued by an ambulance.