Watching the map of interstellar universes before them grow larger and larger, the scientists and researchers around them were all very excited now,
like a newborn child seeing the world outside for the first time.
Very soon the scan of the interstellar universe map was complete.
Compared with what the equipment Zhao Chen's people had developed themselves had scanned before, the result was a hundred times better.
Its range alone had grown several hundredfold.
Where there had been only three universes, more than a dozen could now be seen.
And this was not the interstellar universe data the Sacred Elf Empire had provided either.
After all, this was only the first device of the Owl Dragon Empire's newly developed generation, still no match for the Sacred Elf Empire's long years of foundation.
But for the Owl Dragon Empire now, it was enough.
And on this universe map were the few interstellar civilizations' universes the Bluewater Elf Queen had mentioned before.
Zhao Chen recorded this interstellar map.
Then he looked at Dr. Camille beside him and said, "The experiment went very smoothly. Next, gather the relevant data from this experiment yourselves, and upgrade this device further."
Because of her standing, Dr. Camille also knew of the interstellar universe map information from the Sacred Elf Empire,
and knew that what they could see for now was only part of it.
Dr. Camille said at once, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty; we'll certainly press on with the research, and close the gap with others in the shortest time we can."
Zhao Chen nodded, satisfied, and then left.
With this interstellar map, the next step of his plan could begin.
The Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · the bridge
Zhao Chen looked at the two before him, Marshal Charlotte and Secretary-Officer Lilith.
"This is the map of interstellar universes we've charted ourselves."
Zhao Chen opened the material, and a holographic data projection appeared before the two of them.
Marshal Charlotte and Secretary-Officer Lilith at once looked it over carefully.
"The interstellar civilizations' universes marked in that data you sent back before are all on this too," Secretary-Officer Lilith said, pointing at several coordinates.
Zhao Chen nodded, then looked at Charlotte. "That was the intelligence the Sacred Elf Empire's Bluewater Elf Queen provided, with some suggestions for us. Whether we take those suggestions, of course, depends on whether they suit us. Right now everything is in place for us; we can go on to the next step of the plan. Look and see whether we use the material the Bluewater Elf Queen provided."
As the Owl Dragon Empire's supreme marshal and commander, Marshal Charlotte had naturally seen that material the moment Lilith received it.
Charlotte said seriously, "The intelligence the Bluewater Elf Queen provided is indeed very valuable. If everything described in it is true, we can adopt eighty percent of it, only with some changes to suit us. That way we can save a great deal of time. Some of them we may even have firmly in our hands within half a year, feeding back into the Owl Dragon Empire."
Zhao Chen asked with interest, "It looks as though you already have ideas. Tell me in detail."
Charlotte said seriously, "From the information the Bluewater Elf Queen provided, I've drawn up some battle plans. None of these battle plans needs us to use much legion fleet strength. That can lighten our burden greatly. After all, we're still under threat from the Devourer Civilization; we've got back to an establishment of 3 million interstellar warships, true, but we can't draw off too many interstellar legion fleets for this operation. No more than a third, at least!"
That third was naturally 1 million interstellar warships.
To use 1 million interstellar warships to conquer those interstellar civilizations' universes: outsiders would likely think it a fantasy.
After all, in attacking the Owl Dragon Empire's universe, the Devourer Civilization had moved nearly 40 million interstellar warships all told.
And now the Owl Dragon Empire would use only 1 million interstellar warships?
What was that if not a pipe dream?
"Considering that the number of interstellar legion fleets we can move really is small, conquest by force is the worst option for us. Backing proxies, on the contrary, and controlling the other side's interstellar universe from the shadows, is the most efficient and lowest-cost way. If there's a drawback, it's only whether those proxies will listen to us once they've achieved their own aims. There is a risk in that. But everything carries risk; so long as we can hold those proxies firmly, this whole plan will be perfect," Charlotte said, as sure of herself as though it were already done.
Zhao Chen nodded. "Then tell me: which interstellar civilization's universe are you aiming at?"
"Not one interstellar civilization's universe. Five interstellar civilizations' universes." Charlotte let fall a piece of news Zhao Chen could hardly believe.
It left Zhao Chen's face somewhat out of his control.
He looked in surprise at Marshal Charlotte opposite, unable to believe what his ears had just heard: "You mean…… we use 1 million interstellar warships to conquer five interstellar civilizations' universes?"
That was no longer a pipe dream; it was simply a dream, the wildest of daydreams.
No, not even a dream would go that far.
At this point Lilith beside them said, "Moving on five interstellar civilizations' universes at once does sound outlandish. But it's the result Charlotte and I came to after discussing it several times. This time we won't rely on force to conquer them, but on other things, to make them truly willing to work with us. So what we're relying on is this."
Lilith pointed at her own head.
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes and asked, "Then tell me: which five are these targets of yours?"
"The Cancer interstellar civilization, the Mohadis Star Empire, the Fire-Sigil Interstellar Alliance……" The first three Lilith named were all very familiar to Zhao Chen.
For these were the Bluewater Elf Queen's recommendations.
"The Stone Kingdom and the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes."
At these last two, Zhao Chen was taken aback at first; when the information on these two interstellar civilizations and powers came to mind, he understood at once what Lilith and Charlotte were after.
Zhao Chen put a hand to his chin and said thoughtfully, "The Stone Kingdom is a civilization of a very small interstellar universe; its universe is very special, with a high proportion of mineral resources; even its race looks like stone, which is how it got the name Stone Kingdom. And this Stone Kingdom has always been very closed off; they don't want contact with the outside; apart from some necessary interstellar trade, they basically don't appear in other interstellar civilizations' universes. And at home they're very xenophobic too; apart from their own race, other interstellar races are rarely seen there. And they have a unified government, at the quasi-T6 grade of interstellar civilization. For us it's a very tempting interstellar civilization and power; if we could control it, we'd gain extremely rich mineral resources. But at the same time it's a stone with thorns on it; very hard for us to crack, and with 1 million interstellar warships alone, impossible."
Zhao Chen went on, "As for these Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, they too are a small universe. Unlike the Stone Kingdom, the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' universe is a very barren interstellar universe, with hardly any resources. That means the Flower-Fairy race's numbers are very small; the share of residents on its planets is the lowest of almost every known interstellar civilization's universe. In the early days there were even people starving to death among them. But from the time they gained the technology to travel between universes, they changed; they began building interstellar trade group after interstellar trade group, taking on the role of middlemen, selling one interstellar power's universe's resources to another interstellar power's universe and earning the difference. Over time they became interstellar traders known to every household, with interstellar trade groups great and small covering every trade and industry. Almost every interstellar civilization's universe has interstellar trade dealings with people of the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, even the closed-off Stone Kingdom. Over sixty percent of its cross-universe trade is in the hands of Flower-Fairy interstellar traders. By these means and in this way, they've made their own Flower-Fairy universe into a capital of interstellar trade, changing utterly from their barren past into a very flourishing, prosperous power. By nothing else but interstellar trade. And the reason those interstellar civilizations' universes dare deal with the Flower-Fairies' interstellar trade groups so boldly and so easily is that they have no military force they've built themselves. Even the interstellar fleets escorting their trade fleets are all long-term hired mercenary fleets. That too is why those interstellar civilizations' universes trust these Flower-Fairy interstellar trade groups, and choose to keep long-term partnerships with them, without any worry even when they hold over half their trade. And the Flower-Fairies' interstellar trade groups use this to build their own networks; they have no armed forces of their own, but on the one hand they can keep a great many mercenary legion fleets, and at the same time, once anyone dares covet and persecute the Flower-Fairies' interstellar trade groups, the interstellar civilizations' universes that have long dealt with the Flower-Fairies' interstellar trade companies will naturally step forward to back the Flower-Fairies. They may not care whether the Flower-Fairy race as a civilization lives or dies, but they can't watch their own interests suffer. If the Flower-Fairies were wiped out, the trade network built behind the Flower-Fairies' interstellar trade groups would collapse, which would naturally hit those interstellar civilizations' universes' foreign trade too. It's by this psychology that the Flower-Fairy race has survived until now amid so many strong civilizations."