The last week of the year.
The whole Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire was very busy, and the Owl Dragon Star System above all had reached the most strained and busy time of the year.
People of every sort were at their posts doing their work.
Above all, those in charge of security dared not slacken in the least.
The number of people and starships gathered in the Owl Dragon Star System now was the highest of the whole year.
And that was with traffic restrictions in force; otherwise the number would have been thousands of times greater.
Just now, out of one of the star gates, a few small starships came slowly and appeared in the Owl Dragon Star System.
These small starships' papers were very simple: people from such-and-such a family power, come at this invitation.
But in fact, aboard these small starships were guests from other interstellar civilizations' universes.
To disguise who they were, they had come in under a shell.
All this too had been arranged by the Owl Dragon Supreme Secretariat.
"This is the Owl Dragon Star System?" Huaya Lanlan looked at the scene before her in great astonishment; she had guessed the Owl Dragon Star System would be very prosperous.
But she had not imagined it would be so prosperous.
All through the star system, endless streams of interstellar warships could be seen; every lane carried great numbers of interstellar warships coming and going.
On almost every planet there were several space cities, and star ports and the like.
This was beyond doubt a very busy star system.
And many top-tier interstellar warships could be seen here too.
T6 interstellar warships, which outside existed almost only in legend, could all be seen here now.
Huaya Lanlan even saw, at that moment, a convoy of three hundred interstellar transports sailing slowly along a dedicated shipping lane in the distance.
And among these three hundred interstellar transports were a full ten T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transports, and the rest, every one, T5 Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transports.
In the Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes, this would surely be the very finest interstellar transport fleet.
But here it seemed something one could see with ease.
"Nini, how many interstellar transports of this grade does the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire have?" Huaya Lanlan looked at Huaya Nini beside her, who had long grown used to such sights.
When the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group had begun cooperating with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire before, it was Huaya Nini who had gone on the mission to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, so she had naturally seen all this long ago.
Huaya Nini thought for a moment and answered, "Of the T6 Star-Sea Whale-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transport, there are at least three hundred in service now. And they're still being built without end. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire gives interstellar trade a great deal of weight; the Owl Dragon Emperor has given the three interstellar trade groups under him very great powers. Of course, the Owl Dragon Emperor holds controlling stakes in these interstellar trade groups too, and takes a very rich share of their earnings. But the Owl Dragon Emperor doesn't interfere in how these interstellar trade groups run because of it; they're wholly controlled by their own heads. Both Miss Li Yaqi of the North-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group and Miss Red Rose of the Rose-Red-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group are very fine interstellar merchants. Working with them is a pleasure. And the Owl Dragon Emperor not only doesn't interfere with their ideas; he even hands them some starship technology already retired from the military, so they can command more starship technology and industrial technology, to use in interstellar trade."
The North-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group and the Rose-Red-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group were naturally no strangers to Huaya Lanlan; they were the two interstellar trade groups working most closely with their Bailan Interstellar Trade Group now.
"And below them, the T5 Star-Kun-class Super-Heavy Interstellar Transports are estimated to number over three thousand; they're the mainstream interstellar transport of these few top interstellar trade groups of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire now. But these interstellar transports are of the wartime-control type, meaning that when the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire needs them in a time of war, these interstellar transports will serve the military's needs first, without condition. Besides that, some branch interstellar trade routes use T4 Giant Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transports. And the T3 Great White Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transports and T2 Moose-class Heavy Interstellar Transports they used before have all been handed down to the interstellar trade routes of the lower-tier markets, for short hauls within a star system or between a few neighboring star systems. Right now, inside the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, these interstellar transports and the advanced star-gate network together have formed a very convenient system of interstellar transport."
As Huaya Nini told all this, her eyes were full of admiration and longing,
as though she had watched all of it being built with her own eyes.
Hearing what her sister said, Huaya Lanlan's opinion of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire rose further still.
"Look over there! Those seem to be Holy Elf Empire interstellar warships!" Huaya Nini suddenly pointed now to an anchorage area for starships in the distance.
Huaya Lanlan looked over, and could see some interstellar warships with the Holy Elf Empire's crest on their hulls hovering there.
"It seems the Holy Elf Empire truly values its relationship with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. It's even sent its own envoys here to attend the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's New Year ceremony," Huaya Nini said with feeling.
Huaya Lanlan swept her eyes over those interstellar warships, and her eyes lit up. "And two Elf Queens are attending."
"Two Elf Queens? Sister, how can you tell?" Huaya Nini asked in surprise.
"Because there are two Elf Queens' flagships over there. They should be the flagships of the Flame Elf Queen, Salaman, and the Bluewater Elf Queen, Marietis," Huaya Lanlan said.
"The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has actually got two Elf Queens to come!" Huaya Nini was greatly astonished.
The Holy Elf Empire's standing within the known universe was quite astonishing.
The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's military strength now held many in awe, true.
But in overall strength, people still put more faith in the Holy Elf Empire, an interstellar empire with a long history, after all.
And as everyone knew, the Holy Elf Empire was very strong, but its pride kept it from dealing much with the outside world, and the Elf Sovereigns very seldom attended other interstellar empires.
This time two Elf Queens had come together to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, which showed well enough how special this was.
"By the word we had earlier, those attending this banquet aren't only the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire," Huaya Lanlan said seriously.
Huaya Nini looked at her sister curiously.
A keen light flashed in Huaya Lanlan's eyes, and she said, "These last few months, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire hasn't put its mind only on our Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes and the Stone Kingdom. By the intelligence I've learned, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has been active in at least three other interstellar universes. And at this banquet, the Owl Dragon Emperor also means to bring us all together."
"Huh?" Huaya Nini was greatly startled.
"In fact this wasn't news we got through our own intelligence system. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's side has no intention of hiding it from us either. I expect that in this union, the Owl Dragon Emperor wants our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group to serve as a kind of axle in the middle," Huaya Lanlan said, giving her guess.
"Then which interstellar civilizations' universes are they?" Huaya Nini could not help asking.
Huaya Lanlan looked at her sister and spoke a few names.
Huaya Nini covered her mouth in great astonishment. "I never thought the Owl Dragon Emperor would play on such a grand scale. Without anyone knowing, he's done all these things."
Huaya Lanlan, on the contrary, said very calmly, "These arrangements: in fact, as far back as when the Owl Dragon Emperor was winning us and the Stone Kingdom over, I could already see signs of them. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and the Devourer Civilization are mortal enemies now, and there's Order behind the Devourer Civilization besides. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire will never give way, so the only way to break the deadlock is to keep building up its strength in a short time. It has a very strong industrial base itself, but relying only on its own patch of ground, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's universe, it would be very hard to push up its overall strength in a short time. But if the resources of several universes can be fed into it, then the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire might well grow in a short time to the point of being able to defeat the Devourer Civilization and stand against Order."
Huaya Nini understood all at once.
Very soon the two sisters aboard this starship came before a most splendid interstellar structure.
Huaya Nini introduced it to her sister excitedly: "Sister, this is the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's capital interstellar city. It has many names, the Owl Dragon imperial capital, the City of the Owl Dragon and so on. But its proper name is the one on that plaque: 'Chang'an City.' It's the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's political center; the headquarters of every large office and the like are all here! This is the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's brain!"
Looking at this Chang'an City before her, which filled one with awe, Huaya Lanlan was greatly shaken at heart too.
As the starship sailed in and berthed,
Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini wore formal dress, with some ornaments on their faces to hide who they were.
Only then did they leave the starship and set foot in this Chang'an City.
"Greetings, two honored guests. I'm a secretary-officer of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Secretariat, ordered to receive you two honored guests here. This is my communication account. While you two honored guests are in the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, I'll be in charge of receiving you. For anything at all, you can contact me directly." A secretary-officer looked at Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini with a smile.
"Hello." Huaya Lanlan nodded with a smile, putting on no airs at all.
First, as an interstellar trader, she knew very well that harmony was precious, and never looked down on anyone.
Besides, she knew very well that this secretary-officer, acting as their guide, held a special position.
It sounded like only an ordinary secretary-officer.
But mind you, she worked in the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Supreme Secretariat; if Chang'an City was the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's brain,
the Secretariat was surely the brain within the brain,
answering directly to the Owl Dragon Emperor and the Chief Secretary-Officer.
Almost everything to do with internal affairs was handled directly by the Secretariat, and even the military's logistics had the Secretariat's help.
So this secretary-officer before her held a very special position.
"Please come with me. I'll first show you two around our Chang'an City. Of course, if you two are tired, I can take you to your hotel to rest first." The secretary-officer looked at the two of them.
"Let's look around first, then," Huaya Lanlan said.
In fact she was very curious about this Chang'an City too.
"Very well; please come with me." The secretary-officer led the way.
Very soon the party got into a flying car and began to weave through this Chang'an City.
Touring along the way, Huaya Lanlan saw buildings of every kind here, and interstellar races of every kind.
This Chang'an City could be said to have everything; it was not only the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's political center but a small habitable planet as well, where many ordinary people could be seen living their lives.
Besides everyday things,
she also saw the headquarters of the North-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group and the Rose-Red-Dragon Interstellar Trade Group here.
Each covered a very large area, with endless streams of people to be seen at the door.
Some of these people were the two interstellar trade groups' staff; the others were interstellar merchants wanting to work with these two interstellar trade groups.
By now, the whole Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire knew very well:
here, if you wanted to get rich, you had to work with these interstellar trade groups that had the Owl Dragon royal house behind them!
There was no other choice.
"Sister, this headquarters is much bigger than even the most lavish headquarters in our Flower-Fairy Federal Tribes! It isn't the first time I've seen it. But every time I see it, I'm moved all over again. If only our Bailan Interstellar Trade Group could have a headquarters of this grade in future too," Huaya Nini said with feeling.
Huaya Lanlan looked at the resplendent headquarters building before her and said seriously, "We will."
It seemed like a murmur to herself, yet it also seemed like some kind of promise from Huaya Lanlan.
The tour was very soon over.
The secretary-officer guide took the two of them to rest, and told them the itinerary to follow.
"Tomorrow there will be a ceremony in which our Owl Dragon Emperor will personally reward those who rendered meritorious service over the past year. You two can go and watch then," the secretary-officer guide told the two of them of what was to come.
The two of them were very interested in this too.
They might care little for military matters.
But any fool knew that at such an occasion one could meet the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's senior figures, and the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's military in particular held even greater power now.
That was what happened in the early days of nearly every rising interstellar kingdom.
And to use such a chance to make contact with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's senior military figures could only do good, and no harm at all, to the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's future growth.
As interstellar traders, they knew very well how important connections were!
Very soon it was the second day.
Huaya Lanlan and Huaya Nini changed into brand-new clothes and, led by the secretary-officer guide who had long been waiting, walked into the core district of Chang'an City.
Here there was a palace square, and on it, at this moment, several thousand people had already gathered.
The great majority of them were the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's own military personnel; they could be seen all in crisp uniforms.
The rest came from every corner of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire,
interstellar races of every kind.
And Huaya Lanlan's sharp eyes found that among them were no few people not from the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
She even saw that Flame Elf Queen of legend!
That showed well enough how important this ceremony and banquet of rewards was.
As salutes and music sounded all around,
the banquet very soon began too.
On the high platform at the front of the palace square, an imposing figure walked slowly out.
This was beyond doubt the Owl Dragon Emperor.
He wore not the ordinary everyday uniform but a military dress uniform, with the army's air of slaughter, yet also the presence of one who stands above.
And though this Owl Dragon Emperor's face showed no expression at all, he carried authority without anger.
When the Owl Dragon Emperor reached the middle of the high platform,
every Owl Dragon officer in the palace square saluted as one.
The others, too, showed their respect for this Owl Dragon Emperor each by their own manner of courtesy.
As Huaya Lanlan made her bow, she glanced quietly toward the Flame Elf Queen.
She actually saw the Elf Queen, famed for her pride, bowing to the Owl Dragon Emperor too; it was only a courtesy between equals and friends, but to make an Elf Queen bow of her own accord
showed well enough how formidable a place the Owl Dragon Emperor held in this Elf Queen's heart!
"I won't make grand, high-sounding speeches here. You all know what this banquet is for. Over the past year, our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire fought a war too. Against the Devourer Civilization, and we beat them so they ran pissing themselves, clutching their heads and fleeing like rats," Zhao Chen said at this point.
The people below all laughed.
Zhao Chen went on, "And in this campaign we had many officers who distinguished themselves. Officers who did outstandingly on the battlefield will naturally have rich rewards. Besides that, this year there will be some changes in our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's legion fleets too. I'll announce them all here."
The first list announced, naturally, was the formal list of those newly promoted to marshal.
"The three marshals announced this time have in fact held their real posts and powers since last year, but because it was wartime then, it was only briefly announced. But the proper procedure has to be gone through. So this counts as making up this ceremony for these three marshals. Here I confer on Wei Shishi the rank of Imperial Marshal, as supreme commander of the Owl Dragon Empire's Seventh Legion Fleet Group. I confer on Qingman the rank of Imperial Marshal, as supreme commander of the Owl Dragon Empire's Eighth Legion Fleet Group. I confer on Midai the rank of Imperial Marshal, as supreme commander of the Owl Dragon Empire's Ninth Legion Fleet Group."
As Zhao Chen read this out, the three Imperial Marshals came up onto the platform too; there was little excitement on their faces, since they had already held these posts for more than half a year.
Settled by this time, they were steadier than before.
Zhao Chen pinned the insignia of an Imperial Marshal on each of the three in turn.
The three saluted in turn.
The ceremony over, under everyone's admiring eyes, these three Imperial Marshals stepped down from the platform.
Zhao Chen stood in the middle of the platform again and said, "Besides these three marshals, today we will also welcome a new Imperial Marshal. At the same time, our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire will have a tenth legion fleet group!"
The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire had not been idle these six months.
Not only had it quietly developed the proxy plan abroad; at home it had kept adding interstellar warships too.
First, of course, filling out the interstellar warships the Owl Dragon Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Legion Fleet Groups had lacked.
After that, naturally, came building new legion fleet groups.
And so far it already had an Owl Dragon Empire Tenth Legion Fleet Group, at full strength, its trial voyages and trial training complete.
That also meant that on paper the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interstellar warships now numbered over five million in all!
And that was without counting the ace fleet groups.
In these six months the ace fleet groups had grown further too, mainly in their number of T6-grade interstellar warships.
Back to the matter at hand.
The spotlights began to gather on one seat at the banquet ground; the woman officer of valiant bearing in it stood up now, and as Zhao Chen spoke,
walked slowly toward the high platform.
"This newly founded legion fleet group, the tenth legion fleet group of our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, has a meaning all its own for our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. It stands for a comma on our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's road of development, not a full stop. It stands for our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's military strength entering another stage."
As Zhao Chen spoke, a figure already stood at the foot of the steps, waiting for the final call.
"And the one who will serve as supreme commander of our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Tenth Legion Fleet Group is… Pei Shengnan!" Zhao Chen read out the name.
Lieutenant General Pei Shengnan walked up onto the platform, head high and chest out.
Everyone below applauded.
Marshal Chitong's face showed, for once, pride, honor and gladness.
For this Pei Shengnan's ties to her ran deep.
Pei Shengnan was not one of the senior Owl Dragon-line officers; she had originally followed at Chitong's side, and had served as deputy leader of the Bloody Mary Mercenary Company that Chitong founded back then.
She had very good interstellar combat command ability herself, and was very skilled at flying interstellar fighters too.
In her time with the Bloody Mary Mercenary Company, she had taken the post of deputy leader to assist Chitong.
Only after joining the Owl Dragon Legion did she choose to use her original skills, starting out as an interstellar fighter pilot.
But her command ability was still there.
Later, from an interstellar fighter pilot, she very quickly grew into an interstellar fighter flight leader, squadron leader, group leader,
and a carrier starship's chief of the air wing.
After that, because of the Owl Dragon legion fleets' need to develop senior officers, and with her itch for interstellar fighters satisfied,
Pei Shengnan became a senior officer once more.