Lilith nodded. "Everything you've said about them is right. The Stone Kingdom and the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes are both ones I picked out. With these two, I'm confident we can get them to accept cooperation with us almost without using any force at all. We might even grow it into a close partnership."
Zhao Chen looked at Lilith with interest. "Tell me what you have in mind."
"In truth, for us these two are linked. We have to build a relationship with the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes first, then use the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' network to reach the Stone Kingdom's upper ranks. Because, according to the intelligence the Bluewater Elf Queen's side has given us so far, the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes are one of the few interstellar powers that have good relations and dealings with the Stone Kingdom," Lilith said.
Zhao Chen understood: the Flower-Fairies were the key to the Stone Kingdom's door.
"Then how do you mean to win over the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Interest," Lilith said with a smile.
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes at Lilith.
Lilith explained, "First, what is the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes' foundation? Nothing but interstellar trade. They build interstellar trade group after interstellar trade group, then work closely together, building a Flower-Fairy trade network across the universes and exchanging each other's resources. They're weak in themselves, but put all their connections and resources together, and they become a huge Flower-Fairy community of interstellar trading interests. They look as though they have no armed forces of their own, but every interstellar civilization and power that works with them is a claw in their hand. It's how the weak protect themselves."
As she said this, Zhao Chen noticed a trace of wistfulness in Lilith's eyes.
It made Zhao Chen think of the succubus race behind Lilith, and how alike it was to this Flower-Fairy race.
"And the interests we can bring the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes are enough to tempt them over to our side!" Lilith said confidently.
"Why?" Zhao Chen was somewhat curious.
Lilith smiled slightly……
"So long as we can win over the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, everything else we do afterward will be much easier. Mind you, a large interstellar trade network is very often an intelligence network too. So of these five targets, the first we have to win is the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes!" Lilith said firmly.
"How long would it take?" Zhao Chen asked.
"If it goes fast, one chance to talk." Lilith held up one finger.
Zhao Chen looked at Lilith in some surprise.
"What do you need?"
"Nothing at all; you need only go with me to the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes and meet the bosses behind that Flower-Fairy alliance once," Lilith said.
Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte. "Do you have any other ideas?"
"I don't know whether Lilith can win over the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes as smoothly as she says; if she can, so much the better. Besides that, I need a little time on my side to prepare sending our interstellar legion fleets to those interstellar civilizations' universes. Our aim isn't military conquest, true, but we still have to be ready both ways. And we can't act entirely on the material the Bluewater Elf Queen provided. The very first step is to send our interstellar reconnaissance fleets to the target universes and scout the real situation there closely. After that, we go at it on two fronts. On one hand, following our plan, we make contact with the locals who might work with us and accept our backing. On the other, we prepare our second hand too: being ready to use our legion fleets. We now have the technology to send fleets across universes, true. But over such distances, it's best if we can build a military base of our own in each target universe, and later build star gates for passage between universes. With an anchor point like that in a target universe, whatever we face then, we can adapt as needed."
Zhao Chen agreed with Charlotte's thinking too.
Work both hands, in case of need.
Then, whatever happened, the Owl Dragon Empire would have the time and the ability to meet it.
For the Owl Dragon Empire now could not afford even one accident.
Any one of them might bring the Owl Dragon Empire into enormous danger.
"Then since you both have good ideas, we'll go by them now, several steps at once. We have the coordinates of these civilizations' universes now. I'll arrange it at once: Lilith and I go to the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes to carry out Lilith's plan. At the same time, Charlotte, you go by your plan, starting with the three interstellar civilizations' universes other than the Stone Kingdom and the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes. Don't rush into contact; first find out how things really stand there. In diplomacy Lilith is the more skilled. Once you've confirmed things are as they seem, Lilith will arrange people to make contact with those who might become our proxies. In this time you won't sit idle either; as you just said, quietly build bases of our own in these interstellar civilizations' universes, to make sure we can meet whatever may develop later. If necessary, you can even send some legion fleets to lie in wait there ahead of time."
Lilith and Charlotte both nodded in agreement.
After some further discussion, the present plan was settled completely.
And with that, the Owl Dragon Empire's plan for a new stage began!
……
The T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · the bridge
"Everything is ready. The Emperor's Guard Fleet is prepared," Lilith reported to Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen looked out the viewport and saw some interstellar warships at once strange and familiar.
For they were in fact all Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships, the interstellar warships in active service with the Emperor's Guard Fleet.
As for why they looked strange:
they now all wore entirely new paint, with no Owl Dragon fleet crest, and none of the gold paint that had stood for the imperial house before.
At first glance from afar they were just some rather large interstellar warships.
Judging by looks alone, one would at most guess this was an elite fleet with a great many T5 and T4-grade interstellar warships.
"Good, then let's set out," Zhao Chen said eagerly.
He was about to go to a new interstellar civilization's universe; for Zhao Chen it was an entirely new experience, so he was looking forward to it very much.
The T6 White-Jade-type Cross-Universe Single-Use Star Gate device was launched.
Very soon a star gate like white jasper appeared.
Full of anticipation and excitement, the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship and the Emperor's Guard Fleet set out,
bound for an unfamiliar interstellar civilization's universe.
Because the distance this time was very great, far beyond the distance to the Sacred Elf Empire or the Devourer Civilization's universe,
the time was longer too.
After nearly twenty-odd hours, the white haze beyond the viewport cleared completely.
A familiar yet unfamiliar universe appeared before Zhao Chen and the others.
"Your Majesty, please wait here with the Dragon Emperor; I'll first have interstellar reconnaissance ships scout the surroundings and make sure it's safe!" Xiong Xiangxiang's video window appeared before Zhao Chen.
Her face was very grave; she dared not take this task lightly in the least.
For she had to protect the Owl Dragon Emperor's safety in an almost wholly unfamiliar interstellar universe.
Here, if they really ran into anything, they would have no support at all; no call for help of theirs could get out.
So her responsibility was great.
Zhao Chen nodded to show he understood.
Lilith said nothing more either, for this was Xiong Xiangxiang's work and responsibility.
"Also, could you send some interstellar reconnaissance drones to the nearby planets and bodies, to see what things are like here?" Zhao Chen said.
Xiong Xiangxiang thought a moment and answered, "That's no problem; I'll have it arranged right away."
Zhao Chen was curious not only about this interstellar civilization, but about this universe too.
After his experience of the Sacred Elf Empire's universe, Zhao Chen felt that perhaps every universe was somewhat different.
The Sacred Elf Empire, for instance, had a World Tree, a marvel of a living thing the Owl Dragon Empire did not have.
Who knew whether, in this universe where the Flower-Fairies lived, there might be some other strange creatures and structures?
Very soon the answer was revealed.
First, this star system was very safe!
Why did Xiong Xiangxiang dare declare it very safe?
Because it was a "dead star system."
What was a "dead star system"? A star system with no star, or rather one whose star had already died.
A star system without a star was basically on the road to its end; keeping life going in a star system without a star would cost a great deal.
That cost was more than enough for the local government to move the people of the star system to other star systems.
And in this "dead star system," the planets were naturally in no good state either.
Wasteland everywhere, with hardly any resources to be seen.
No sign of life at all.
"Let's go; we'll look at other star systems," Zhao Chen gave the next order.
Xiong Xiangxiang received the order and at once had the Emperor's Guard Fleet set out.
And what happened next struck Zhao Chen as quite incredible.
For they ran into one "dead star system" after another.
Had Zhao Chen not been sure they had come to the right place, and had the Bluewater Elf Queen had any need to lie about something so easily exposed,
Zhao Chen would truly have suspected this was a "dead universe."
Luckily, after passing through several more dead star systems,
they at last saw the first star since coming to this universe.
This star's light was not very brilliant either; it was one of those stars in old age.
But so long as there was a star, life could live here!
"Don't forget who we are," Zhao Chen reminded them.
This time they were using the identity of a mercenary legion fleet provided in the Bluewater Elf Queen's intelligence,
to make it easier for them to act here.