For Bailan City's outward look was very beautiful, and it used the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's technology besides.
It was simply a flawless work of art.
Even the exacting high elves could not help praising it when they saw it.
"On behalf of the Bailan Interstellar Trade Group and Bailan City, I welcome Lady Bluewater Elf Queen here." Huaya Lanlan stood on the gangway ahead, greeting the party of Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen.
Huaya Lanlan had made arrangements long before for receiving the guests this time.
According to their standing and their overall strength,
some she had her trusted subordinates receive; those of some standing, she or her sister received.
And someone of the standing of Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, naturally had to be received by her in person.
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, nodded slightly and looked at Bailan City before her. "This was built with that building technology of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's?"
"Yes," Huaya Lanlan answered.
"It seems the Owl Dragon Emperor really does treat you well, to bring out even so good a technology." The tone in which Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, said it seemed to carry a meaning behind the words.
Huaya Lanlan smiled faintly and said, "In fact it's no very important technology. You and the Owl Dragon Emperor are partners now too, and the universe trade alliance is in your charge besides. If you want one, just tell His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor. I'm sure His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor would be willing to build such a star city for Your Excellency the Bluewater Elf Queen too."
Hearing Huaya Lanlan say this, Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, really was tempted for a moment.
But she soon held the thought back.
In the Holy Elf Empire now, everyone knew that Salaman, the Flame Elf Queen, was already very close to the Owl Dragon Emperor.
If at such a time she had the Owl Dragon Emperor build her such a T6-grade space star city, her own relationship with the Owl Dragon Emperor would be past explaining too.
From the Holy Elf Empire's point of view, their relationship with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire now was one of partners and allies, but they still needed to keep a little distance.
"May I ask where His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor is now?" Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, asked.
For this conference, Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, in fact had no need at all to come in person.
But it was wholly for the Owl Dragon Emperor's sake, and also because Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, meant to show every power taking part in this universe trade alliance plan
how much their Holy Elf Empire counted in it.
So on receiving the invitation she had got this journey ready.
"His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor is conferring with Minister Li Yaqi of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Ministry of Commerce on the details of the cooperation. The general direction was settled before. But some fine details still need confirming. Above all, some small agreements reached with various interstellar civilizations' powers." Huaya Lanlan did not hide the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's small agreements either.
After all, such things could not be hidden; if the Holy Elf Empire wanted to know, it had many ways of finding out.
Rather than hide things and have everyone suspect one another, better to set them out openly.
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, did not mind hearing this either.
For back when the Owl Dragon Emperor left the Holy Elf Empire, she herself had said that, in visiting the Searing Holy-Hammer Free Federation, he could use Eden-class starships as a bargaining chip to persuade them.
That was bound to bring about some small deals.
All this was quite as expected.
"Take me to see His Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor," Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, said straight out.
Of those attending this conference, to tell the truth, the only one she cared about was the Owl Dragon Emperor.
The others, in the eyes of Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, were of no account.
"Very well, please follow me." Huaya Lanlan did not refuse, but led the way straight off.
It seemed the Owl Dragon Emperor had long foreseen that Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, if she came in person, would certainly ask to see him,
and had told Huaya Lanlan especially that she could bring Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, straight to him.
After Salaman, the Flame Elf Queen, Zhao Chen had in fact all along meant to win over the other Elf Sovereigns.
To tell the truth, the Holy Elf Empire's existence and help were rather important to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
So to have the Holy Elf Empire back him fully was something the Owl Dragon Emperor very much wanted to see.
But to get there, the thinking within the Holy Elf Empire as it stood would have to change.
And to change it, the first to change would be those few Elf Sovereigns.
Of the five Elf Sovereigns, Zhao Chen needed at least more than half standing with him.
Now Salaman, the Flame Elf Queen, was beyond doubt his staunch ally.
The fellow the Nightglow Elf King was very cool-headed, and could not be won over any time soon.
The old fellow Gustav, the Radiant Elf King, looked kindly, but was in fact the craftiest of the five Elf Sovereigns, like an old fox.
Every time one dealt with him, he wore a smiling face, as if he and you were good friends getting on famously.
But he never lightly stated a position, so his true stance was very hard to get at too.
That left only two who could be won over: the Emerald Elf King and the Bluewater Elf Queen.
And these two were rather special in turn.
The Emerald Elf King loved technological research and never meddled in affairs of state; he was rigid, but that did not mean he was a fool.
So all along, his attitude toward the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire had been: I'm willing to work with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and study technology together.
But if you want me to take the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's side and back the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire publicly,
the Emerald Elf King would play dumb.
And the Bluewater Elf Queen's attitude was much the same.
So for now, Zhao Chen could only try every way to win over the Bluewater Elf Queen first.
But to return to the matter.
The Bluewater Elf Queen kept following behind Huaya Lanlan.
Suddenly the Bluewater Elf Queen asked, "To persuade the Searing Holy-Hammer Free Federation this time, what sweeteners did the Owl Dragon Emperor bring out?"
Huaya Lanlan, walking ahead, turned her head slightly without breaking step, and said with a light smile, "I don't really know the details either. But it was all to do with Eden-class starships. The two sides talked well."
You don't know?
You just don't want to tell me outright.
"Do you really not know, or are you only pretending not to?" Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, said teasingly.
Huaya Lanlan smiled lightly and said, "Please don't put me on the spot over this, Lady Elf Queen. I'm just an interstellar trader, in business. I don't want to offend anyone."
"Just an interstellar trader? This interstellar trader of yours is no simple one. In cross-universe trade now, your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's hand reaches almost everywhere. It holds over fifteen percent of the whole cross-universe trade market. And once the universe trade alliance is set up, your market share will rise fast over the next few years. Raising it to thirty percent should be no problem. Thirty percent of the cross-universe trade within the known universe: the profit in that is no small sum. As far as I know, from the time you began working with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire till now, your Bailan Interstellar Trade Group's income has gone up several times over. I wonder whether your monthly income now has passed 1,000 trillion star coins." Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, looked at Huaya Lanlan with a smile that was not quite a smile.
To this way of probing,
Huaya Lanlan said with a smile, "You're joking. It's all the Owl Dragon Emperor's backing; we only earn a middleman's fee. If the Holy Elf Empire were willing to work with us, we naturally wouldn't refuse either."
The words seemed an explanation, but there was in fact something of a counterblow in them.
We work with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, and our bowls are full to the brim.
But we've never refused to work with the Holy Elf Empire either.
All along, hasn't it been your Holy Elf Empire that refused to work with others?
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, caught the meaning in the words, and glanced at this flower-fairy interstellar trader before her.
To be able to say all this before an Elf Queen like her, neither humble nor overbearing,
showed well enough how special this flower-fairy interstellar trader was.
The Owl Dragon Emperor really does know how to pick people.
Very soon Huaya Lanlan had brought Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, outside a small courtyard.
Huaya Lanlan knocked.
The door was opened.
Standing inside was a guard soldier.
On seeing Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, the guard soldier did not go in to announce her, but simply opened the door.
"Please."
"It seems His Excellency the Owl Dragon Emperor knew I was coming." Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, smiled lightly, said nothing more, and walked in.
"Then I won't disturb you. Because representatives of other interstellar civilizations' universes are still coming, the reception work is very busy right now. I'll take my leave. If you need anything, you can contact my subordinates." Huaya Lanlan stood outside the door without going in, and took her leave with a slight bow.
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, did not stop her either.
For she knew that what Huaya Lanlan said was true.
In this period, the interstellar powers that had received invitations to attend this conference alone numbered over a hundred.
Let it be explained here:
it did not mean each interstellar civilization's universe had only one representative.
For some lower- and middle-tier interstellar civilizations' universes in fact had more than one interstellar civilization's power, and might still be divided, or in the form of a federation.
So those coming this time numbered over a hundred.
For Huaya Lanlan, that meant arranging different levels of reception and reception work.
Fortunately they were interstellar traders by trade, and in dealing with and receiving people they had unique abilities and gifts.
Anyone else in their place might not have managed so grand an occasion.
Back to Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen.
She walked into the courtyard.
She saw an open-air desk where Zhao Chen sat with his head down at work, dealing with all sorts of things.
Before him and on either side were other staff.
To look at them, they were all from the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Ministry of Commerce.
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, did not disturb them either, but stood quietly to one side; nor did she keep a discreet distance, but watched these people of the Owl Dragon Ministry of Commerce directly as they handled all sorts of things.
She could hear what they were discussing.
"This contract still needs some correcting here; the figures you've supplied are this interstellar power's figures from fifty years ago. His Majesty has said these figures must be the latest, within three years at least!"
"Check this agreement over once more; if there's no problem, it can go to the other side at the conference."
"Why hasn't Cooperation Agreement No. 017 been finished yet? Hurry up!"
Watching these people bustling about, the look in the eyes of Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, changed slightly.
She found that these people worked in a way quite unlike the high elves under her.
Even the air about them was different.
By rights, this was a temporary workplace, and that ought to have made no small difference.
Yet one could not feel it at all.
Every one of them, in speaking and conferring, was very direct, even when facing their own superiors.
She even saw a subordinate swear outright because a superior could not supply a figure in time.
Someone, to sort out a thing quickly, ran back and forth with no thought for how she looked.
Every one of them here seemed like a perpetual-motion machine, never stopping at all.
By comparison, the high elves under her would mostly never run about with no thought for how they looked.
For in high elves' eyes, appearance was very important.
And their tone of speech, their attitude in handling things and so on, were all very important.
So their efficiency in handling things was a different matter entirely from these people of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's Ministry of Commerce before her.
"Your Excellency the Bluewater Elf Queen, forgive me for not coming farther to meet you. There's really too much on my hands at the moment. I haven't left this courtyard for three days." Only now did Zhao Chen raise his head and look at the Bluewater Elf Queen.
He had probably seen the Bluewater Elf Queen come in long before, but had had to deal with what was on his hands, so had not stopped.
Seeing the Owl Dragon Emperor speak to her,
the Bluewater Elf Queen stepped over before the Owl Dragon Emperor.
She looked at a chair the Owl Dragon Emperor had got ready for her.
The chair was very simple; one could see it had been got ready on the spot.
The Bluewater Elf Queen said nothing, but sat down in silence.
"One can see that you and your people are very busy. It's understandable. After all, next you'll be dealing with dozens of interstellar civilizations' universes and over a hundred interstellar civilizations' powers, and setting up cooperation large and small. Every one of these agreements matters greatly. It really is a very heavy workload," Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, said.
Zhao Chen stretched, smiled wryly and said helplessly, "I meant to slack off a bit and be a hands-off boss. But our Empire's Minister of Commerce is very conscientious; certain important agreements and contracts have to be looked over and signed by me in person. In fact they're the professionals in these things. Her signing her consent would be enough."
Zhao Chen shrugged helplessly.
Just then, as luck would have it, Minister Li Yaqi came over and threw Zhao Chen a roll of the eyes. "You are the Owl Dragon Emperor after all. All these things bear on the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interests; I'm the Minister of Commerce, and I have no authority to decide them myself."
Hearing Minister Li Yaqi's aggrieved tone, Zhao Chen curled his lip at Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, beside him, as if to say: You see? That's how it is.
"But now that Her Excellency the Bluewater Elf Queen has come, you ought to receive her. You can take a little rest." Minister Li Yaqi looked at the Bluewater Elf Queen and nodded slightly, by way of greeting.
At this, Zhao Chen brightened at once and stood straight up: "That's great. Come on, let's go out for a stroll. I've been cooped up in this courtyard nearly to death."
Just then Minister Li Yaqi's voice came from behind Zhao Chen.
"But these documents and matters that need your handling and review will still need your review in person when you get back."
At this, Zhao Chen's smile froze at once.
But at least he could take a break now.
"I know, I know. I'll deal with them when I get back; look over the important ones and confirm them, and I'll take a look after."
When Zhao Chen had said this, without waiting for Minister Li Yaqi to speak, he took Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, straight out of the courtyard,
as if afraid Minister Li Yaqi would change her mind.
On leaving the courtyard, Zhao Chen was like a prisoner set free; with no thought for how he looked, he flung his arms wide.
"At last, some relief. The working conditions in there really don't suit me. Every one of them like a robot, every one able to work ten hours without a break. If I hadn't made a rule forcing them to rest at least four hours every ten, I reckon they'd never stop till they'd worn themselves out."
Zhao Chen could not help grumbling to Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, beside him.
Looking at the Owl Dragon Emperor with no thought at all for how he looked,
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, could not help laughing, and said, "You really are rather interesting. Any other leader would probably wish his subordinates were like that. You, on the contrary, think they work too hard."
Zhao Chen walked ahead; they went toward a place like a man-made park, Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, walking side by side with Zhao Chen all the way.
Zhao Chen said, "When you're working, you do need to be earnest. But it takes balance between work and rest too, doesn't it? What is life for? Not for work, but for enjoying life. Work is so that we can enjoy life better. So none of it should be turned upside down!"
Zhao Chen said this in a very earnest tone.
To Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, the words sounded very odd.
The emperor of an interstellar empire, actually saying here that life was for enjoying life.
From a middle-ranking noble, or a commoner at the bottom, it would have been fitting.
But to hear it from the mouth of an emperor was truly rather beyond belief.
"Isn't that rather an unsuitable thing for you to say? You are the Owl Dragon Emperor. If the aim of life is to enjoy life, you reached that goal long ago," Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, asked, puzzled.
Zhao Chen shrugged and said, "In theory, I reached that standard long ago. But in life there are always some people who can't bear to see you doing well. Seeing you doing well, they want to come and bully you, grab your things, or make you bow and scrape to them. And as for me: besides seeking a good life, there's one more thing: anyone who bullies me, or bullies the people I care about, that won't do! I hold grudges, too; I always pay back a wrong. So, without my quite noticing, there came to be today's Owl Dragon Emperor. And Order's existence is as good as a sharp blade hanging over my head. So long as it isn't removed, I'm not at peace. I can hardly have the interstellar legion fleets of Order burst out over my head some day while I'm on holiday with my children and my wives, can I? A life that might be shattered at any moment like that isn't what I want. My life, my family, my loved ones, my kin and friends must live in a stable, peaceful place, threatened by no one. That's the ideal behind founding the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, and behind all I'm doing now."
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, looked at the Owl Dragon Emperor before her in some astonishment.
To protect.
It was in fact a rather common word; was not the very existence of Elf Sovereigns like them also to protect their own people, to protect the Holy Elf Empire?
And the Holy Elf Empire's sealing off its own technology before, to keep Order from invading:
in a way, was that not a way of protecting too?
Only it seemed somewhat the very opposite of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's "protecting."
It made her feel that the Owl Dragon Emperor before her was truly very special, utterly unlike the leaders of interstellar powers she had met.
"Now I understand why that Salaman gets on so well with you," Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, said teasingly.
"Oh, right. How's that Salaman been lately? You haven't been bullying her, have you?" This remark, coming out of Zhao Chen all of a sudden, was something Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, had never expected.
Bully?
Bully her?
Why does this feel like a big brother looking out for his little sister?
It gave Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, a strange feeling in her heart.
Mind you, as Elf Sovereigns they basically stood at the top of the pyramid already; there was no one left who could protect or help them.
But did they not, in their hearts, wish for someone to lean on when they needed it?
She thought back to when Salaman, the Flame Elf Queen, had been arraigned by the High Council, and the Owl Dragon Emperor had sent over a quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought outright.
Isn't that just a big brother protecting his little sister?
Thinking these tangled thoughts,
Marietis, the Bluewater Elf Queen, let none of it show on her face,
but smiled faintly, shook her head and said, "You're joking. With a temper like Salaman's, you think we'd bully her? How could that be? It's enough if she doesn't bully others. Now, with that quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought you gave her, she's all the more impossible. She keeps taking it about as her flagship, touring everywhere. As if she were afraid people wouldn't know she has such a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship."