After parting from the Chu family fleet, Zhao Chen's T3 Blizzard passed through the Lantian Star System's Star Gate and, after several days' winding journey, at last returned to the Northstar Star System.
Zhao Chen didn't go back to Northstar Academy, but headed straight for the Owl Dragon base.
This rescue of the two academies' people had cost the better part of 10 days. Over that stretch, the two T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships at the Owl Dragon base hadn't rested for a moment. By Zhao Chen's original production plan, once the existing schedule was complete, they were to keep building T2 Iron Hammers. Of an interstellar auxiliary ship like this, Zhao Chen never thought he had too many! And now, on the expansion platforms of the two existing T2 Iron Hammers, the hull keels of two more T2 Iron Hammers had already taken shape — expected to roll off the line and enter service by mid-April.
Zhao Chen and Lilith left the T3 Blizzard and took a shuttle over to T2 Iron Hammer Number One.
"Commander." A bull-folk beast-folk woman — over two meters tall, able to hoist Zhao Chen with one hand — stood before him in her work coveralls. The bull-folk beast-girl had a pair of horns on her head; the muscled curves of her limbs were really quite lovely, her skin a healthy wheat-tan, her ears drooping, and a short little tail behind her. Set back in Zhao Chen's past life, she'd have been fitness-model material, no question!
Zhao Chen shot a glance at a certain place, and rather doubted whether so large an… obstruction… might get in the way of her work. And besides… her race wouldn't happen to be the dairy-cow clan, would it?
Ahem, ahem.
Zhao Chen drew back his wandering thoughts. "You're called Jenny, aren't you?"
"You actually remember my name!" Jenny gazed at Zhao Chen, moved.
Jenny was the captain and chief engineer of T2 Iron Hammer Number One, once a subordinate in Charlotte's old fleet, chiefly responsible for ship repair and construction. Hardworking, uncomplaining, never a word of grievance about any assignment — perhaps a little short on natural talent, but without question a "good worker"! Which was exactly how she'd become the first captain and chief engineer of a T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship.
"Of course. You're here working for our Owl Dragon Fleet, after all; the ships we sail all have a share of your effort in them. How could I not remember you? Tell me — is there any reward you'd like?" Zhao Chen rested a hand on Jenny's shoulder.
"Then… could I have a hug from you, Commander?" Jenny looked at Zhao Chen with pleading eyes. Then she hurriedly waved her hands and said, abashed, "Maybe that's too improper a thing to ask. If you'd rather not, then never mind."
"No — it isn't that I'd rather not. I'm just surprised you'd ask for such a thing." Zhao Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Jenny gave a foolish grin and rubbed the horns on her head. "Back when I worked under General Charlotte, it was because I ate the most of anyone in our whole clan. My parents saw they truly couldn't afford to feed me, so they gave me to General Charlotte when she passed through. General Charlotte treated me well — following her, I might not eat my fill, but at least I wouldn't starve. Later General Charlotte brought us along to work for you. At first I was a little afraid. But afterward I knew that decision of General Charlotte's was absolutely the right one. Commander, you're like a god to us. Here… we don't get pushed around anymore, and every day we can eat our fill. I can eat a whole big basin of rice every single day — for the first time since I was born, I know what it's like to have a full belly. So I've always looked up to you, Commander. If… if I could just hug you… then I'd be content. I don't want any other reward…"
Truly a guileless girl.
"All right, then." Zhao Chen smiled and opened his arms.
But he soon rather regretted it. Zhao Chen now stood a meter 80; Jenny, this bull-girl, stood over two meters. And the main trouble was that this simple soul wouldn't stoop down to hug him — she just came straight in and swept him up in her arms. It let Zhao Chen experience a sensation called suffocation.
"Mmmff—" Zhao Chen struggled.
It was Lilith, off to the side, who saw that things had gone wrong and hurriedly called a halt to Jenny — who'd gotten so excited she'd forgotten the time.
"Sorry… I'm so sorry… I got too excited just now!" Jenny hastily let go, looking at the Commander in a fluster.
"It's… it's fine." Zhao Chen forced out a smile.
Jenny's strength was truly enormous. Now Zhao Chen understood the rumors that among the beast races there were certain special beings who could shatter a T1 warship's hull armor with a single punch. Just now, even Zhao Chen — a man injected with the T3 super-soldier serum — hadn't been able to break free of Jenny's arms for a good moment; that strength was simply astonishing. In an ordinary person's place, that one hug would likely have knocked him to pieces.
"So, Jenny — I've come to discuss a proper matter with you. It's about the ship-construction plan for the next several months." As Zhao Chen said this, he raised a hand and opened a construction-plan list he'd already drawn up.
Seeing the electronic document, Jenny's face went utterly blank. Then, embarrassed, she scratched her head. "Commander, I won't hide it from you — this thing… one look and I'm lost. Before, it was always General Charlotte telling me what to do, bit by bit… The truth is, put me to work as an artisan, or a starship engineer, or a repair hand, and I'm fine. But make me a captain — I really can't do it… If you hadn't assigned an Annie to Ship Number Two a while back, and I hadn't borrowed her over for a few days — those days you and General Charlotte and Lilith were away, I truly wouldn't have known how to organize the work."
Annie?
"Annie's here?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Yes, right over there at the Number Four workstation. That child's not only good with her hands, she's clever too. The things I can't make sense of, she understands at a glance. And some of the original ship-construction steps — after her adjustments, the efficiency shot right up!" The moment she started, Jenny heaped praise on Annie.
Zhao Chen hadn't expected Annie to master the work aboard a T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship so quickly. In fact, he'd foreseen earlier that this first batch of beast-folk artisans might not meet future construction needs. They might be hardworking and able to bear hardship, but most beast-folk had one-track minds; give one a single task and she might do it well, but put her in charge of coordinating and managing, and she'd make a shambles of it. Beings of outstanding gifts, like Charlotte, were only a tiny minority among the beast-folk.
"Take me to see Annie," Zhao Chen said.
"Right, Commander, this way, please." Jenny stepped into a boxy, rectangular corridor alongside — the kind that could connect to any work position aboard a T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship, very convenient indeed.