Above all, her talk with Huaya Lanlan of the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group went very well.
Perhaps it was because Huaya Lanlan, standing where an interstellar trader stands, saw things from a wholly different direction.
After the banquet, the Bluewater Elf Queen even made a point of inviting Huaya Lanlan to take a walk with her.
"I had thought that in your dealings with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire would bring some compulsion to it, or the manner of one above, to win more for themselves. But in talking with you all, I find it doesn't seem to be quite so. Their cooperation with you has indeed won them a good deal, but at the same time it's brought you a good deal too. And without anyone noticing, they've deepened their reach into your interstellar powers as well. Don't you object to the latter?" the Bluewater Elf Queen asked Huaya Lanlan curiously.
Huaya Lanlan explained with a smile, "Anyone with sense can see these things. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's investment in us naturally means it hopes we'll follow it loyally always, and provide it with gains of every kind at the same time. That's wholly understandable; as the saying goes, no one gets up early without a profit in it. We interstellar traders, still less, never do anything without a return. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire invests in us, backs us, helps us; naturally it hopes to get more from us. And in the meantime, they'll also worry that we, once built up, might slip out of control, or even turn on our master. That worry arises in most partnerships between the strong and the weak. The strong side worries that the weak side, once it grows strong, will threaten its leading position. And the weak side worries that the strong side's control over it will tighten, and even affect its own independence."
The Bluewater Elf Queen listened to this analysis and nodded in agreement; it was very sound, and very clear.
"This troublesome question is one that arises, and can't be escaped, in any partnership between two sides or among many. And the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's way of dealing with it, for now, is to make the cake bigger. So long as the cake is big enough and the shares are large enough, a great many problems are in fact set aside for the time being, because most people have their eyes on the gain in front of them. Second, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire deepens its reach into us through cooperation of every kind: the division of gains, for instance, or demands for stakes in certain groups and companies that are set up. But in its cooperation the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has stated plainly that it won't interfere in our own management and decisions; all it wants is a big enough share of the gains. Sometimes, through stakes, technology license fees and so on, they may take eighty or ninety percent of the gains," Huaya Lanlan said lightly.
But the Bluewater Elf Queen was greatly surprised. "Over eighty percent of the gains? And you don't object?"
"Gains? Perhaps in future, but not now. Because by our own efforts, the room for gain we could get might be only ten. But with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's help, the whole cake may come to over a hundred, so even if we only get a fifth, we still get a gain of over twenty. It even grows a great deal every month. Our profits are shared out, but the figure we get in profit is far beyond what we had in hand before. Most people only look at what's in their own hands. So long as what's in their own hands is enough, it isn't a problem. Not for now, at least. On the other hand, to keep this order in balance: so long as the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire holds the military standing it has now, this balance is assured. That's a situation everyone is glad to see."
Hearing this explanation, the Bluewater Elf Queen looked as if she understood.
"In truth the most central thing is that the Owl Dragon Emperor, greedy as he is, knows very well that sheep must be fattened before they're slaughtered to yield more. So we're all very glad to work with him, and reach this win for both sides," Huaya Lanlan said frankly.
The Bluewater Elf Queen nodded. "As you say, the Owl Dragon Emperor has indeed done very well."
At this, a look of regret came into the Bluewater Elf Queen's eyes, and she sighed. "A pity. Some time ago I proposed, inside the Holy Elf Empire, setting up an alliance organization led by the Holy Elf Empire. But most people turned it down. The only one who supported me was the Flame Elf Queen. In the High Elf Council, hardly anyone agreed to support my idea."
Hearing the Bluewater Elf Queen say this,
Huaya Lanlan looked at the Bluewater Elf Queen and said frankly, "Lady Bluewater Elf Queen, let me say something that may not sound pleasant. Even if the Holy Elf Empire were willing to set up such an alliance now, it could never do it the way the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has."
The Bluewater Elf Queen looked at Huaya Lanlan in surprise, as if she somewhat doubted the words.
Huaya Lanlan went on, "I've had some dealings with the Holy Elf Empire too; I know very well what temper and character the High Elves of your country have. Haughty, self-satisfied, conceited; they look down on every interstellar race but the High Elves, and despise most lower beings."
These words were not very pleasant, but the Bluewater Elf Queen could not deny them, for that was just how the High Elves were.
"I don't deny the Holy Elf Empire has very great military strength too, and in overall strength it even surpasses the newly risen Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. But mind you, an alliance is a joining of all one's allies: allies, here, not subordinates. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's people don't look down on other interstellar races; they put gain first, but at the same time they keep strictly to the rules in what they do. Working with them is a great pleasure. For me at least it is. That's also why these people are willing to be here." Huaya Lanlan pointed to the guests who had sat at the banquet.
The Bluewater Elf Queen fell silent; it had to be said that what Huaya Lanlan said was all true.
"You're right; perhaps this is something only the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire could do," the Bluewater Elf Queen said, somewhat forlorn.
…………
The year's end was truly very busy for Zhao Chen, the Owl Dragon Emperor.
There were banquets large and small to hold nearly every day, and meetings to attend besides.
Over these few days, Zhao Chen had only three to five hours of rest a day.
Had Zhao Chen's body not been enhanced, he might never have held out to now.
"This is the military department's last report of the year on interstellar warship figures." Secretary-Officer Lilith walked up to the desk, looked at the Owl Dragon Emperor wearing the face of a man with nothing left to live for, and rapped on the desktop.
Only then did the Owl Dragon Emperor's soul come back.
"Just tell me. I can't read a single word now; the words are flying around in front of my eyes like little angels." Zhao Chen's eyelids moved; no other part of his body wanted to move at all.
Lilith said nothing more, took out the report and began to go through it.
"At present, our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has fifteen front-line main legion fleet groups in all; these fifteen are divided into the Empire's regular legion fleet groups and the Empire's five ace legion fleet groups. The former, the Empire's ten legion fleet groups, are all at full strength now, each with five hundred thousand interstellar warships, five million interstellar warships in all. The latter, the Empire's five ace legion fleet groups: the latest figures reported are the Reverse Scale ace fleet group with fifty thousand interstellar warships in service; the Blizzard ace fleet group with two hundred thousand in service; the Queen of the Starry Sky ace fleet group with a hundred fifty thousand in service; the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group with a hundred thousand in service; and the Hell-Angel ace fleet group with a hundred fifty thousand in service, including fifty thousand interstellar supply ships of its own for logistics. Six hundred thousand combat interstellar warships in all. And among these we now have over six thousand T6 interstellar warships, a million T5 interstellar warships, and over four million T4 interstellar warships. Besides that, a batch of special interstellar warships is about to join active service, so it doesn't appear in this report for now."
"Nearly six million interstellar warships," Zhao Chen muttered. "Without our noticing, we've become a great house with great holdings."
"But by the military department's simulated operations, to defeat the Devourer Civilization with an absolute advantage, we need at least ten million interstellar warships, including over ten thousand T6-grade interstellar warships. To be able to stand against T6 Order, we'd need at least thirty million interstellar warships, nearly fifty thousand T6-grade interstellar warships, and a certain number of T7-grade interstellar warships as well. And this is only conjecture. For no one knows whether the mighty T7 Order still has other trump cards hidden," Lilith said seriously.[1]
"One step at a time. Over the coming year, we guard against the Devourer Civilization's next invasion on one hand, and on the other build up our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's economic system outside, so it can keep feeding back into our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and speed up and enlarge our own growth," Zhao Chen said, setting out his vision of the future.
Lilith went through some more afterward; only once Zhao Chen had confirmed he had "heard" it all was this stage at last over.
But right after that, Lilith brought out another document.
Zhao Chen covered his face helplessly; the work truly never ended.
"This is the plan for the New Year ceremony of this third anniversary; it basically carries on the plan for the second anniversary before, with some things added on that basis. And the plan for your inspection tour of every part of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire this time, three days in all," Lilith explained.[2]
"Just do it all as you say." Zhao Chen waved his hand.
Now Lilith added one more thing: "And this time, for your tour of the whole Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, your flagship will change from the T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship to the newest quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship to enter service. And you'll lead the first five quasi-T7 interstellar warships completed in taking part in this ceremony, counting as their formal first appearance before everyone."
At this arrangement, Zhao Chen perked up somewhat, and said with blazing eyes, "This time we show quasi-T7 interstellar warships for the first time. The main reason is still to let those interstellar civilizations and powers that have only just begun following us, and the honored guests specially invited, take a good look at the strength our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has, so they don't come looking for trouble with us later and only embarrass themselves."
That was right: it was really a chance to show off muscle,
so that some uneasy hearts would do their work like good children and not think about things they shouldn't.
And this way was beyond doubt the simplest, most convenient and fastest.
Just as Huaya Lanlan had analyzed before: in this alliance system led by the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, so long as the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire kept its unquestionable military strength, this alliance system would be the finest there was.
"It's got me rather looking forward to it." The corners of Zhao Chen's mouth turned up slightly.
The first appearance of quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships.
Among the known universe's civilizations, apart from the Devourer Civilization, this would count as the first time any interstellar civilization had shown quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships.
As for whether any interstellar civilization or power already had warships of this grade in secret, no one knew.
……
Time passed bit by bit in this whirl of business.
At last the day came: the end of Galactic Star Calendar 3039, and the last day of Owl Dragon Year Three as well.
In every important star region and star system of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, it could be said that lanterns were hung and bunting strung everywhere to celebrate the day.
In other interstellar civilizations' universes there were celebrations of their own too, but few held events like this every single year just for the New Year.
After all, such events cost no small sum in manpower, money and materials.
And in interstellar empires long established, ordinary years usually saw only a small celebration;
only every fifty or hundred years would there be a great celebration on this scale.
The Holy Elf Empire, for instance, was like that.
But the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's case was rather special; for an interstellar empire risen in so short a time, celebrations like this every year could deepen the people's acceptance of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
At some point in future, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire would gradually play down this yearly celebration too, and change it to once every ten years, every twenty years and the like.
That was all for later.
For now at least, this was a day for everyone to celebrate together.
And in the Owl Dragon Star System, a great many people had already gathered in every banquet hall, waiting for the moment to come.
"What was the order of events before?" Huaya Lanlan asked her sister, Huaya Nini, beside her, who knew the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire better than she did.
Huaya Nini said, "Before, the order of events was that the Owl Dragon Emperor led his Emperor's Guard Fleet sailing through the Owl Dragon Star System, gave a speech, and then came the salute display. At the same time, the marshals of the Empire's legion fleet groups would appear with their own elite fleets in the important star systems all over the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire."
Huaya Lanlan understood; it was one way of raising the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's prestige.
Most likely it would be the same this year too.
Time passed bit by bit, and very soon the celebratory salute rang out.
But Huaya Lanlan very soon sensed that something was off.
For everyone in the banquet hall around her had fallen silent, their eyes fixed on the window, on the interstellar fleet sailing slowly out of the space at the far edge of the star system!
It was beyond doubt the Emperor's Guard Fleet.
But everyone knew the Emperor's Guard Fleet's flagship was the T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship.
Everyone knew that interstellar warship very well.
But the interstellar warship sailing slowly at the head out of the darkness now was plainly not the T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship.
It was not even any Owl Dragon-line interstellar warship they knew.
The Flame Elf Queen stood up now, her eyes as if burning, fixed on that mysterious, unknown interstellar warship, her gaze sweeping over its hull again and again.
The Bluewater Elf Queen beside her did not know much about interstellar warships, but under the spell of the mood, she too stood up and watched that interstellar warship curiously.
The Bluewater Elf Queen could not help asking the Flame Elf Queen beside her, "Salaman, by the look of you, is there something special about that interstellar warship?"
The Flame Elf Queen said in a low voice, "I don't know yet what's special about that interstellar warship. But judging by its shape, and by this occasion: for the Owl Dragon Emperor to use this interstellar warship as his flagship at a moment like this, its first appearance before everyone, there's only one possibility. This is a new interstellar warship the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has just brought out, and a very advanced, very powerful one. If it were only an ordinary T6-grade interstellar warship, it would never hold such a place in the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. That leaves only two possibilities. This interstellar warship is a brand-new interstellar warship far beyond any T6 Owl Dragon-line interstellar warship today. And the other possibility… it's a T7-grade interstellar warship; if not T7, then at least quasi-T7!"
Hearing this,
however insensitive the Bluewater Elf Queen was to such things, she realized clearly what this interstellar warship meant.
"A T7-grade interstellar warship? How could that be! How could the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire have developed a T7-grade interstellar warship? And… and… there's more than one……" The Bluewater Elf Queen now noticed too that behind the interstellar warship at the head there were four more interstellar warships exactly like it.
If it truly was a T7-grade interstellar warship,
and five were brought out at once,
that meant… the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire already had the military-industrial capacity to mass-produce T7-grade interstellar warships!
This… how could this be!
In that moment, everyone who guessed this was a T7, or rather a quasi-T7-grade, interstellar warship felt their hearts surge.
For they all knew very well what it meant, what it stood for.
Just then a woman's voice sounded on the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's official broadcast channel.
"Attention, please: the fleet now under way is the Owl Dragon Guard Fleet. On this voyage, the Owl Dragon Guard Fleet's flagship is not the usual T6 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship, as I'm sure you've all noticed. Here I formally inform you all that the flagship the Owl Dragon Guard Fleet is using this time, the ship the Owl Dragon Emperor is aboard now, is the quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought, newly developed and built by the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire itself and already in use. It is our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's first mass-produced T7-grade interstellar warship; strictly speaking it counts only as a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship, but it still uses a good deal of T7-grade technology, and has combat power beyond the great majority of mass-produced interstellar warships today! ……" This broadcast gave a brief introduction to the quasi-T7 interstellar warship making its first appearance.
The words were few, but nearly everyone who heard them took every sentence, every word, to heart.
Some even recorded it outright, and turned over every word of it again and again.
For behind these few words lay a meaning wholly out of the ordinary.
The only pity was that there was too little detailed data on this quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought; one could only make guesses from its shape and from its name, "interstellar dreadnought."
The real intelligence would have to wait for how it performed in its first real battle.
In that moment, a most mysterious veil was drawn over this quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought.
And because of it, many knew that at this third-anniversary New Year celebration of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, this quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought would beyond doubt become the hottest topic.
In the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, and in every interstellar civilization's universe it exchanged information with, this quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought topped the trending lists on the information platforms!
And mind you, next the Owl Dragon Emperor would ride this quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought at the head of the Emperor's Guard Fleet on a five-day tour through the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
That would beyond doubt keep raising the heat around this interstellar warship.
More people would wonder just what fighting power this quasi-T7 interstellar warship had.
"It seems we need a good talk with this ally of ours. The fellow has truly been hiding no few good things in private. The full series of T6-grade interstellar warships before, fine; those super-flagships with their great fighting power, we won't go into either. But this quasi-T7 interstellar warship, and a mass-produced one at that……" The Flame Elf Queen put her hand to her chin, looking very interested.
With this centerpiece set out, few people paid much attention to the rest of the New Year ceremony; after all, that was only routine ceremony following the rules.
After a salute, the ceremony could be said to be over.
Next came celebrations among the people everywhere.
And the Owl Dragon Emperor would begin his five-day inspection tour across the land.
But before that, naturally, someone came looking for Zhao Chen.