In a stretch of space in the Lion King System.
Over 3,000 warships were sailing in a mighty host toward the direction of the system's third planet; by what they knew, their target this time was in that region. But before they'd even reached their destination, their ship radar detected the energy signals of enemy ships.
"Report — our ship radar detects the enemy's energy signals: 15 warships. By the earlier battle data — 10 T2 frigates, one T2 carrier, one T2 missile ship, one T3 interstellar battlecruiser, and one suspected T2 battleship!" the deputy captain reported to Han Tianwang behind him.
Han Tianwang sat in the captain's chair in a haughty posture. He too counted as a fleet commander now, leading over 3,000 warships. The thought of it was rather exciting. At Northstar Academy, how many could match the standing he had now? Zhao Chen? Heh — he'd soon become Han Tianwang's defeated foe!
"Relay my command — deploy battle formation. Remember! Once the fighting begins, charge at full speed. The enemy fleet's chief firepower is that T2 missile ship; close the distance and its threat is weakened. And there's that carrier as well! Deal with these two ships of the Owl Dragon Fleet, and the rest — those frigates, and that T3 warship — aren't worth a mention!" Han Tianwang said confidently.
A T3 warship? He, Han Tianwang, had those too — a full 10, no less. 10 times the enemy's! However strong Zhao Chen's T3 Blizzard truly was, could it take on 10 at once?
At Han Tianwang's command, over 3,000 warships slowly deployed into battle formation, arrayed in a half-moon — the posture of a force ready, the moment battle began, to encircle the Owl Dragon Fleet opposite with everything it had.
T3 Blizzard — Bridge
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, expression placid, looking at the holographic battlefield before him. Over 3,300 warships — that was the result his ship radar had scanned. 10 T3 warships, over 800 T2 warships, 2,500 T1 warships.
The T1 warships Zhao Chen naturally thought nothing of — ants, cannon fodder; however many, they were of no use. Only the weak leaned on such fodder ships to prop up their momentum. The 800-odd T2 warships broke down by class: over 600 T2 frigates, over 150 T2 destroyers, 50 T2 cruisers, 15 T2 battlecruisers, five T2 battleships, and two T2 carriers. Zhao Chen's gaze merely swept over these T2 warships — he didn't even bother to read their names. In a while they'd be nothing but a string of numbers on a battle-destruction report.
Zhao Chen fixed his eyes on those 10 T3 warships. Five T3 Gargoyle-class Medium Interstellar Frigates — the most common T3 frigate in the Reef Star Region, hailing from the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth, since Warhammer wasn't very strict about selling ships abroad. So the great majority of the Reef Star Region's warships, T3 warships above all, came from Warhammer. And the mark of Warhammer's ships was that their combat power might not be strong, but they were simple to repair, cheap in price, and easy to operate — very well suited to the beast-folk, and to the environment of the Reef Star Region. The rest were one T3 Venomous Scorpion-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser, two T3 Porcupine-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers, and two T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleships.
"Report — we've received a comm request," Aili reported to Zhao Chen.
"And here I thought those snake-charming folk meant to leave me hanging." Zhao Chen smiled faintly and accepted the comm.
The video window opened, and across from him appeared a female snake-folk — her gaze arrogant, but with rather less presence than that Queen Medusa's. Medusa's was called confidence; this snake-woman's was more the posture of conceit. After the comm connected, the other side said nothing for a while, only staring at Zhao Chen.
"What's this? Queen Medusa's actually sent me a mute," Zhao Chen said, feigning vexation, glancing at Aili beside him.
"You're the mute!" the snake-woman retorted.
"So she can talk after all," Zhao Chen said, looking at her in surprise.
"You—" The snake-woman had meant to give the other party a dressing-down first, and hadn't expected him to disregard her standing entirely.
"Report your situation," Zhao Chen said, calm as drifting cloud.
The snake-woman said, low, "Mind your attitude!"
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes, his tone turning deep. "I think it's your attitude that wants minding. Did your queen not make plain to you your task this time? You're here to take my orders — even if I order you to your death, you'll carry it out obediently."
The snake-woman bristled; and before she could flare up, Zhao Chen added, "Of course, you may refuse. At worst I'll slack off — or tell the enemy fleet that your queen is, at this very moment, raiding their homes. Then they'd withdraw, and how many ships would your queen's fleet lose? Who'd bear that responsibility?"
Only now did the snake-woman rein in that conceit of hers. She said, low, "Commander of the Seventh Fleet under the Snake-folk starship corps — I am the fleet commander, Qingman. Under orders to lead 500 Snake-folk warships, at your command."
"Little Qing, is it? If you'd been this good from the start, why carry on as you did just now?" Zhao Chen called out, flippant.
Little Qing?
A prickle of exasperation crossed Qingman's brow.
"I've already sent you the operation plan; the requirements are very simple — a three-year-old could follow them. I trust that's no problem for you, Little Qing?" Zhao Chen said.
Qingman, having received the message, glanced over the operation plan and knit her brows. "This…"
"Remember — you're only here to receive orders." Zhao Chen's face went stern, his tone brooking no doubt.
Qingman was displeased beyond measure, but said all the same, "Yes."
"Aili, get me the enemy flagship. Tell them to have Han Tianwang and Zhang Haoran come out and talk — if they have the nerve, come out and fight; don't be cowards who dare not show their faces," Zhao Chen said with a cold smile.
"Yes." Aili went to see to what Zhao Chen had ordered.
Soon two video windows popped up. Across from him were Han Tianwang and Zhang Haoran.
"Why, however do my two little juniors come to be here?" Zhao Chen said, feigning surprise.
Zhang Haoran, at the sight of that face of Zhao Chen's, couldn't hold back and said in seething hatred, "Zhao Chen, stop flapping your lips. Today this place is your grave. The humiliation you gave me before — you'll pay for it with your life!"
That Zhang Haoran had spoken up ahead of him left Han Tianwang somewhat displeased. He looked at Zhao Chen and said coldly, "Zhao Chen — if you must blame someone, blame only yourself, for touching what you should not have touched, doing what you should not have done."
Zhao Chen blinked, then had a flash of understanding. "Ah-ha — you mean Senior Su Lan? You failed to win Senior Su Lan, so, shamed into a rage, you want to be rid of me? Though you really aren't worthy of Senior Su Lan. Don't let that iceberg-beauty air she wears in front of you fool you — she's actually quite gentle…"
With that, Zhao Chen deliberately put on a suggestive expression and licked his lips.
"Zhao Chen, you court death!" In an instant Han Tianwang felt the top of his head go greener still.
"Young Master Han, don't waste words with this fellow — just wipe him out!" Zhang Haoran railed.
Zhao Chen looked at Zhang Haoran with contempt. "Destroy me? You're not worthy."
"Hahahaha — don't tell me you actually think you can beat us? Look at your ships, then look at ours! Over 3,000 warships! How could you win! To crush you dead is as easy as turning my hand!" Zhang Haoran taunted.
"A pity — how I'll win is something you won't live to see. Judging by that bridge background of yours, you're aboard a T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship, aren't you?" Zhao Chen said, a smile on his face.
Zhang Haoran didn't understand why Zhao Chen would suddenly bring this up. But all at once, in the view of his own bridge, Zhang Haoran saw a warship appear out of nothing outside his ship — and on this warship, one could clearly see the interstellar missile silos, already opened!
At the sight, Zhang Haoran's eyes went wide, as though he'd plunged into an ice cave!
At the same time, the enemy-attack alarm blared aboard the ship!
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Our ship is locked by interstellar missiles!"