For the time that followed, Zhao Chen stayed at the academy; because Chu Xuan was at his side now, were he to leave the academy it would surely rouse suspicion.
So this while Zhao Chen didn't go to the Owl Dragon Fleet's temporary base, keeping only the necessary comm contact.
What surprised Zhao Chen was that Li Wei's elder sister had, of all things, come to the Northstar Academy, and even wished to invite him to a meal.
A person's curiosity Zhao Chen could understand.
But he didn't, for now, want to expose himself too much; he'd already exposed enough before the Chu family.
Were he to add the technologies he'd handed Li Yaqi to that, all of it converging on this one person, Zhao Chen—
—then Zhao Chen couldn't vouch whether the Chu family might alter their "notions" about him.
So Li Yaqi's several invitations Zhao Chen refused on various pretexts.
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Chen had been at the academy some 20-odd days; it was nearly the end of March.
His daily life was going to report at his class — but the great majority of Fifth-Year Class One's students had taken part in this joint interstellar task of the Northstar Academy and the Heaven's Glory Academy, so in fact there were scarcely a few people in the class.
The rest of the time was playing "escort-and-companion" to the eldest miss Chu Xuan; Chu Xuan would often ask about starships, and what could be said Zhao Chen didn't hide.
At the same time, through the eldest miss Chu Xuan, Zhao Chen could learn a great many things a plain student, or a baron, would have no way to learn.
The whole Starlight Empire was far from so calm and windless as it looked on the surface — but those matters had nothing to do with the present Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen and Chu Xuan's getting-on counted as each taking what they needed of the other, and the two grew more familiar besides.
But those at the academy who didn't know took this lovely girl, who had appeared so suddenly, for Zhao Chen's girlfriend.
"Look, quick — that Zhao Chen's out shopping with his girlfriend again."
"I hear Zhao Chen's already become a student of Fifth-Year Class One — isn't that impressive."
"And to think that Jiang Shasha turned Zhao Chen down before; now he's a stock with promise, and her heart's likely eating itself with regret."
"Shh, shh, keep it down. That Jiang Shasha's right over there…"
Jiang Shasha, passing by just then, heard the talk of those around her, and clenched her fists.
After the Jiang family moved away from the Owl Dragon System, they'd made the long journey to settle in another star region of the North Wind Star Region, where the Jiang family had industry arranged in advance, so the Jiang family had fit in quite quickly.
And after the term opened, Jiang Shasha too had returned to the Northstar Academy.
Zhao Chen's several fine showings since then she'd all come to know.
Each time Zhao Chen showed outstanding ability, it was as good as a slap in the face, and the gossip and murmurs naturally were not wanting.
Above all the latest — Zhao Chen completing threefold the fourth-year segment's assessment credits within four months of term opening, grade-skipping into a student of Fifth-Year Class One!
"He's just a touch strong in his studies; the Owl Dragon System's mess sits there waiting, and after graduation he'll still have to go back and honestly be a baron, trapped his whole life in that wretched place! Shasha, there's nothing to be sad over. You have a far more brilliant future!" Jiang Shasha looked at Zhao Chen's distant retreating figure, and consoled herself.
And among those keeping an eye on Zhao Chen was Li Yaqi too.
After Zhao Chen refused her invitation, Li Yaqi felt much surprised; her own identity was, if nothing else, that of the Northern Goose Starship Technology Group, seller of the very hottest T1 Wolf-Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer of the moment.
Even the Northstar Academy's vice-dean, its instructors and professors, treated her with all respect during this visit of hers.
Who knew how many students, this while, deliberately drew closer to Li Wei — on one hand to show their faces before this rising tech-conglomerate's boss.
On the other, perhaps to lay hands on a T1 Wolf-Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, so coveted now that the queue stretched half a year out.
Yet this Zhao Chen had, of all things, refused her outright?
Where there's an oddity, there's a demon behind it!
Li Yaqi set to investigating this student named Zhao Chen.
A ship assembled from three old, obsolete ships that hit an astonishing 100 star-knots, and beat a T2 Bald Eagle-class Light Interstellar Cruiser besides.
And after that, bringing out the never-before-seen T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Escort, which beat a T2 Purple-Rose-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser!
A terrifying command of starship technology, and a ship no one had ever known of besides.
All this information left Li Yaqi unable not to suspect this Zhao Chen — but then, look at Zhao Chen's age.
21!
The same age as her own younger brother.
A student like this could develop outstanding starship technology?
This left Li Yaqi still rather disbelieving.
So Li Yaqi began to step up her research into Zhao Chen, and even tried to engineer a chance to meet Zhao Chen face to face.
But to her surprise, she'd of all things caught sight, at Zhao Chen's side, of the eldest miss of the Chu family, Chu Xuan!
She'd earlier had the honor of attending a banquet held by the Chu family, and had once glimpsed the eldest miss of the Chu family from afar.
She never dreamed a student of the Northstar Academy, a baron and no more in station, would of all things know the eldest miss of the Chu family.
At this, this Zhao Chen's identity grew more baffling and blurred still.
"Could it be the Chu family too means to cooperate with him? But if the Chu family knew his true depths, the Chu family has its own starship-technology conglomerate under it — no need to let my Northern Goose reap this advantage. Which means — the Chu family likely doesn't yet know Zhao Chen's true depths! How maddening. I really want to charge up to his face and ask him outright whether he's that person!" Li Yaqi felt more anxious now than at any business talk she'd ever held with another.
In the end she decided: she'd wait for Chu Xuan to leave Zhao Chen's side, and then find a chance to talk with Zhao Chen.
For if Zhao Chen truly was that man, then her Northern Goose Starship Technology Group and Zhao Chen shared a tie that could never be cut.
Zhao Chen woke in the captain's bedroom of the Blizzard Zero.
He gave a stretch; this while, though the eldest miss Chu Xuan was here, the ease of his days he rather enjoyed all the same.
Quarterly Task complete; task reward may be claimed
Suddenly a voice sounded in Zhao Chen's mind.
Zhao Chen opened his System page and looked at that System task.
Quarterly Task: Possess five different models of T2- and above-T2-grade ships (5/5)
Forge an interstellar fleet reaching thirty ships in count (30/30)
Possess one T3-grade ship (1/1) (a System-produced ship)
This meant the T3 Blizzard that Zhao Chen had waited so long and hard for had at last rolled off the line into service!
He at once opened his comm page, ready to contact Charlotte — but the very next second Charlotte's message came in.
The T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser has entered service off the line, and will enter a week-long trial-voyage training phase.
Zhao Chen replied: Received.
At this Zhao Chen felt much eased.
To have a T3-grade ship in hand — that feeling was simply different.
A pity only that, with Chu Xuan here, Zhao Chen had no way to go at once and feast his eyes on his first T3-grade ship.
But for now he could claim the quarterly task reward first.
Quarterly Task reward claimed
Obtained 30 task points
Obtained 3,000 System points
Obtained a T3 Super-Soldier Serum
Obtained a T2 Snow-Mastiff-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship blueprint
Obtained a T3 Andromeda Interstellar Medical Ship blueprint