"The T5 Prisoner-class Heavy Interstellar Assault Battleship's technology is fair enough.
"Only — I do not like this class of warship." Ah-Yin said it with her spirits somewhat low.
Zhao Chen kept his eyes upon the Ah-Yin before him a long while.
"What is it?" Ah-Yin marked Zhao Chen's look measuring her, and asked in perplexity.
"It is nothing; only that you feel to me somewhat other than you were."
"Wherein other?"
"Only that… you are more natural."
Ah-Yin, hearing such a judgment, did not understand the meaning within it for all that.
At this time Zhao Chen turned the subject outright. "Let us speak of the business.
"Are the lanes laid out?"
Ah-Yin returned likewise to the state of speaking business. "They are laid out, all of them.
"Those used are all great star gates, and can set up a joining with the star gates you built within our Machine Race's territory.
"Setting out from here, one day at the most will reach the gates we govern about the mechanical royal court."
"By the look of it, those several star gates I built within your territory then were a very good thing indeed.
"Or else, to furnish you support now would be no business of a day or two." Zhao Chen said it in his jesting.
The star gates they speak of are those very gates that Zhao Chen and that little girl agreed upon before, built within Machine Race territory to join the Angel Race.
Who would have thought that these several gates should now become the mechanical royal court's straw of salvation?
"How many warships have you made ready?" Ah-Yin inquired.
"That must rest upon whether the people you have brought are enough.
"Those tutorials in the handling of warships I sent you beforehand — have your people learned them?" Zhao Chen said in his teasing.
Ah-Yin snorted coldly. "In creativity we mechanical lives fall short of you carbon-based lives.
"But for the power of learning, though you carbon-based lives evolve ten thousand years more, you will not be as quick as we."
"Then I am at ease." Zhao Chen halted of a sudden, both hands in his pockets, and said as lightly as a passing cloud, "Here are the warships I furnish you.
"This time, let us see how much you can do, and how many you can drive away."
"Here?" Ah-Yin looked in perplexity at this long gallery; what was there here…
And just at this moment the walls at either end of the gallery turned transparent, and outside was the pitch-black universe.
But at this moment, against that pitch-black background of the universe, far off there stood warship after warship ranged in even order; and some of them had not yet had their paint changed, but carried the colors of their original fleets.
"Of these, the T4 part was properly to have been supplied to our own Owl Dragon Legion.
"The remaining T3 and T2 parts are for the most part what we have gathered up from below.
"Five hundred thousand warships in all.[1]
"Among which are five thousand T4 warships, two hundred thousand T3 warships, and the rest T2.
"And they take in besides our Owl Dragon's classes restricted from outside sale, the T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship and the T2 Lion-King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship.
"And along with them, interstellar missiles enough for these missile ships to make thirty rounds of firepower — all of it loaded aboard interstellar transports.
"Remember, these transports are reckoned upon the account too!" Zhao Chen clapped Ah-Yin upon the shoulder, and said besides, playing the poor man, "You must remember what I have done for you.
"And when that mistress of yours comes back, you must put in a good word or two.
"For this business of yours I have put out no little strength."
"Then why has your Owl Dragon Legion never stirred!" Ah-Yin put it straight back to him.
Zhao Chen said with some awkwardness, "Ahem… is it not that I too am seeking my chance?
"Think of it: that the Demon Race should of a sudden hold so many warships — is that not very strange?
"By those starship works of the Demon Race that show upon the face of it, so many warships could not possibly be produced in a short time.
"Which shows that behind the Demon Race there must assuredly be something upholding them.
"I am at present looking into these things with all my strength, seeking that my Owl Dragon Legion, if it move not, move not; but once it moves, must assuredly take the Demon Race!"
Ah-Yin rolled her eyes, nor did she press further into the Owl Dragon Legion's purposes.
What matters most now is the easing of the mechanical royal court's crisis.
The Demon Race's host has already worked a vast threat upon the mechanical royal court and upon everything about it.
And upon the mechanical royal court's own powers alone, there is simply no way to deal with this case.
Which is why Ah-Yin, upon learning of the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group's offer to furnish a body of warships, put down every objection and in the end persuaded Ah-Jin, and consented to this dealing.
And has brought a body of mechanical-life soldiers the long way to the Owl Dragon Star System besides.
"Well? Are your hands enough?" Zhao Chen looked at Ah-Yin and raised his brows.
"May I drive them away now?" Ah-Yin asked outright.
"Of course you may…" Zhao Chen was saying it with an open hand, when his heel was kicked.
At which he marked the look Lilith beside him was giving him; and there was an electronic panel in her hand besides.
Zhao Chen came to himself at once; he took the panel from Lilith's hand, whereon certain particulars were written.
"You need only set your name upon this.
"This body of warships.
"The T4 warship part, worth 1,000 trillion;[2]
"the T3 warship part, worth 100 trillion;
"the T2 warship part, worth 10 trillion;
"and the accompanying transports, with the matched interstellar missiles and war stores, worth 500 trillion.
"Which put together comes to 1,610 trillion.
"Seeing that we are old friends, I shall give you a discount.
"1,600 trillion!
"And if you find it dear… then we…" Zhao Chen wore the look of a merchant reckoning his account; but before ever he had done speaking.
Ah-Yin raised a hand and set her own name upon it outright.
"Will this serve?" Ah-Yin asked levelly.
Ahem.
To do business with a great house is bad in just this way: there is no savor in the thing at all.
"It will serve.
"This time my Owl Dragon does business, and for the first time accepts the form of credit — nor have I so much as asked a deposit.
"By which you may see how much I trust you of the Machine Race.
"But business is business, and trust is trust.
"Reckoning in the technology licensing fee from before, your Machine Race now owes me raw-material resources to the value of 2,000 trillion star coins.
"When the licensing fee was signed before, payment was required in full by the end of June.
"This time ours is an added dealing, so I give you three months' further term.
"Payment in full by the end of September; and should it not be cleared by then.
"Interest must be paid at 3 percent the month.
"See how good I am to you of the Machine Race — I look upon you truly as my own sisters and brothers." As Zhao Chen said it, he turned his head, and found that the Ah-Yin who had but now signed was already gone.
"Where is she?"
"She has gone to set her people to take over the warships," Lilith said beside him.
Zhao Chen was without words; that speech of his from the bottom of his heart just now — was it not spoken for nothing?