Half an hour later.
The result of the T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer against the T2 Tibetan Mastiff-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer was out.
The T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer — annihilated to the last ship!
The T2 Tibetan Mastiff-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer had five ships fallen, five gravely crippled, and the rest damaged to varying degrees. The loss ratio had reached a stunning six to one! And even counting in that portion of the T2 Tibetan Mastiffs gravely crippled, this loss ratio was still a terrifying three to one!
When the people throughout the whole hall saw this result, a silence held for a good long stretch of time. Everyone went from the disbelief of the outset to, afterward, an excitement — an agitation they couldn't disguise! For the vast majority of the ship manufacturers present were, in truth, responsible only for some parts and modules; had the T2 Hyena won the bid, that would merely have consolidated its original Hyena empire. But now the T2 Tibetan Mastiff had come out the superior, which meant the Northern Goose Group would build up a fresh "commercial empire." And so long as one cooperated with the Northern Goose Group, one could get a share of the soup. It could well be called a case of one man attaining the Way, and even his chickens and dogs ascending to heaven with him![1]
Li Yaqi wore a natural smile on her face, as though all of this had been within her expectations — but in truth her heart within was leaping like a little deer, thump, thump, thump. Though she'd long had great assurance of this result, right up until the final moment of settling it, her heart still hung suspended there. It was only now that she truly had a feeling of solid ground beneath her feet.
She looked toward the direction of the hall's audience seats.
In an outsider's eyes, this was the woman proclaiming her own victory, declaring that an era belonging to the T2 Tibetan Mastiff was about to arrive. But in truth, the direction Li Yaqi looked was precisely the spot where Zhao Chen's box was. Only Zhao Chen understood what Li Yaqi was expressing to him. She was saying to him: See that! I succeeded! I didn't let you down!
This woman, just now, was for all the world like a little girl holding an excellent report card, sharing the joy of it with him, her parent.
Some rejoiced, and some grieved. Set against the other side — the Hurricane Conglomerate — things were quite dreadful. The expressions of the three Hurricane father-and-sons were each more of a spectacle than the last. Chairman Feng Weihao's face was grim and sunken; through this half hour he hadn't spoken another word. Feng Dawei, the eldest young lord, still had eyes full of disbelief; he couldn't believe that the T2 Hyena commercial empire he'd shaped could crumble away like this. And Feng Xiaowei, just now, was more like a de-favored lapdog, utterly at a loss.
At this point the host stepped up onto the stage and said in earnest, "I declare: by the judgment of the procurement committee, the challenge the Hurricane Conglomerate raised against the Northern Goose Group's T2 Tibetan Mastiff is invalid! By the rules, the Hurricane Conglomerate shall bear the relevant losses caused to the Northern Goose Group in this ship duel, and shall moreover have its full deposit for participation in this procurement fair confiscated. It may not participate in any of the procurement-bidding activities to come! And at the same time, in this T2 interstellar destroyer bidding, by the unanimous decision of the procurement committee, the Northern Goose Group's T2 Tibetan Mastiff-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer is the winner! Next, will the Northern Goose Group's representative, Miss Li Yaqi, please discuss the detailed matters of the procurement order with the procurement committee."
At the staff's invitation, Li Yaqi — like a victor, under the envious, jealous eyes of the crowd — left the hall.
Next, Li Yaqi would sign a starship procurement order of many tens of billions, and would at the same time push the Northern Goose Group to a summit. But this was only the beginning of this storm; the Hurricane Conglomerate would bear a whole series of the negative repercussions it brought. Everyone could well imagine: from here on, the T2 Hyena's orders would plummet drastically — even the orders already signed at present might well face an ending of the buyers breaking their contracts. And on account of all this, a whole chain reaction would be worked upon the Hurricane Conglomerate's capital chain. As for whether the Hurricane Conglomerate could get through this difficult pass — that, no one knew.
Within the box:
"So brilliant! I never thought I'd witness with my own eyes someone overturn the hegemony of the Hurricane Conglomerate's T2 Hyena!" Xue Xiaoxiao said in astonishment.
Chu Xuan nodded. "If I recall rightly, this Northern Goose Group is from the North Wind Star Region; I imagine my maternal grandfather will laugh himself awake in his dreams. All along, my maternal grandfather has fretted over his region having no powerful starship-manufacturing group of its own. And now, here's one delivered right to his door."
Zhao Wan'er sized up her big brother with a dubious gaze. She'd noticed just now, too, that after winning, Li Yaqi had looked toward their direction. A coincidence? No! In the whole 360 degrees around her, why had she looked precisely this way? This made her feel more and more that this Li Yaqi absolutely had some secret with her big brother that couldn't be told to others!
Zhao Chen, just now, stood with his arms crossed, in quite a fine mood. With this deal of Li Yaqi's done, it meant that for a good stretch of time to come, Zhao Chen would have a source of income flowing in without cease. Though this starship order of many tens of billions might take a year, or even several years, to deliver and to collect the final payment on, a mere 30% down payment alone was enough to make Zhao Chen bloom with joy. And most important of all, he could in passing bring some pressure to bear on the Hurricane Conglomerate — this was quite simply one stone bringing down many birds!
Suddenly, the people in the hall noticed that Her Highness the little princess and the North Wind Governor, who'd been in the procurement committee's seats, seemed all at once to have received some word, and quickly departed from their seats.
"Something seems to have happened?" Zhao Wan'er noticed this and muttered, curious.
Beep, beep, beep.
Over on Chu Xuan's side, her handheld terminal was flashing with light; she tapped it open, took one look, and her face changed drastically.
"What's the matter?" Zhao Chen, noticing the change in Chu Xuan's expression, asked.
Chu Xuan said in earnest, "I've just received a message my grandfather sent. A great upheaval has occurred at the border! I think the little princess and my maternal grandfather leaving in such haste just now must also have been on account of related information!"
"The border? Could it be the Mechanical Race?" Zhao Wan'er asked, curious.
Chu Xuan nodded, then said, "My grandfather said… the Mechanical Race's interstellar fleets have suddenly withdrawn!"
The Mechanical Race's interstellar fleets had withdrawn?
"Is it the Mechanical Race's warships in some one region withdrawing?" Su Lan asked.
Chu Xuan shook her head and said gravely, "It's along the whole border defense line — every last one of the Mechanical Race's interstellar fleets has fully withdrawn!"
This news was something none present had expected. For the Mechanical Race's war with the Galactic Alliance had gone on, from the time they were born to this very day. In this millennium-long war, the two sides had perhaps each had their victories and defeats, and each held the advantage of a local battlefield at some given point in time. But from beginning to end, the Mechanical Race's warships had never once fallen back! And now, of all things, intelligence had come, telling them that the Mechanical Race's fleets — which had never once retreated in a thousand years — had actually pulled back?
This news was far, far too hard to believe.
Beyond the border… just what in the world had happened?