Zhao Chen raised a hand and passed several starship-technical documents into Annie's keeping. "These are several interstellar warships we're to build in the future. As it happens, this quarter's construction plan is nearly done, isn't it. So make good use of the time and draw up the next construction plan."
At this, Annie turned utterly to a bitter-gourd face.
Never, never had she imagined that what awaited her would be, not some reward, but — of all things — work? At this, Annie went utterly limp and dispirited; her whole person seemed for all the world to have turned to stone.
But before long, the aroma pervading the air roused Annie's appetite.
"Sis Bull… I want to eat grilled beef leg… I want 10 of them!" Annie put on a whole face of indignation, looking at Jenny — Sis Bull — off to the side, helping Zhao Chen with the grilling. She would turn her grief and indignation into strength!
Sis Bull laughed a simple, honest laugh. "This craft o' mine I only just learned from the Commander; don't rightly know yet if it tastes any good."
"I don't care — my wounded soul is in urgent need of fine food to fill it back up!" Annie clutched at her own heart, then, for all the world like a resentful wife, looked at Commander Zhao Chen.
"All right now, bro, do stop bullying Annie over here." Zhao Wan'er, off to the side, genuinely couldn't hold it in any longer, and said with a burst of laughter.
The work in Zhao Chen's hands didn't stop; grilling as he spoke, he said, "The work I assigned you just now is for real — have it arranged for me within three days. You did, indeed, handle things very well this time; the rewards that are due won't be short, either. Your immediate family will be able to enjoy the Owl Dragon Fleet's most basic crew-member welfare treatment, and in future related work arrangements they may enjoy the best treatment first as well."
Hearing Commander Zhao Chen say so, Annie at once broke into a beaming smile. "Really!"
"What? You don't want it?" Zhao Chen ribbed.
"I want it! I want it! I just knew our Lord Commander is the very best," Annie said with a giggling grin, without the slightest trace of that dejected look from a moment ago.
"A moment ago, a certain someone was who-knows-how griping and grumbling about me in her heart." Zhao Chen chuckled lightly.
"Who would dare grumble in her heart about the great Lord Commander — Annie would be the first to not let her off! I… I… I'll bite her to death!" Annie opened wide her "bloody great maw," putting on a look most fierce and ferocious!
"All right now — remember to complete the work assigned to you. For the moment, enjoy this fine meal well first," Zhao Chen said.
Annie at once began picking things out. "Sister Lilith, I want a portion of braised-sauce beef! Lord Commander, get me another charcoal-grilled beef steak besides!"
After Zhao Chen had returned, so as to reward the assembled generals, he'd gone straight ahead and held, within the pasture of a T2 Bronze Eden-class Ship, an open-air barbecue party. Those in attendance were, in the main, the Owl Dragon Fleet's high-ranking crew members.
Those serving in the post of secretary: Lilith, Bessie, Aili.
Those serving as starship captains and in other combat posts: Charlotte, Zhao Wan'er, Shen Bing, Chitong, Pei Shengnan, the wolf-girl Baixue, Ye Xiaotong.
And besides them, those serving in auxiliary-type logistics posts: Chief Engineer Annie, Chief Engineer Sis Bull, Chief Physician Sis Ram, Dean Xiong Xiangxiang.
The reason for gathering these people was not merely for a barbecue party alone; the main thing was that Zhao Chen had, besides, prepared to assign some matters.
A few hours later, everyone was, in the main, eight-parts full. Zhao Chen, too, laid down his grilling craft, and set to enjoying the fine food and dishes and the ice-chilled wine.
"Everyone, eat as you listen to me lay out a few matters. At present, our Owl Dragon Fleet has, in number, nearly reached 200 interstellar warships. Of these, combat-type interstellar warships alone already exceed 100. For us to go on calling ourselves by this name, the 'Owl Dragon Fleet,' may be not quite fitting anymore. And so I've decided we'll alter our current fleet system: the Owl Dragon Fleet becomes a thing of the past; from this day forward, we are the Owl Dragon Legion. Though we're still somewhat far from the legion-grade fleet standard of 3,000 interstellar warships, I believe that in the not-too-distant future, we can come to possess a vast interstellar legion of just this kind!" Zhao Chen began his speech.
The assembled all about ate and drank, with no great objection. Among them, the head-down, hard-toiling Annie likely couldn't even make out clearly just what it was Commander Zhao Chen was saying — that head of hers was buried in the meat, her face not even to be seen.
"Since we're changing to the 'Owl Dragon Legion,' then there are some systems that will need adjusting. My own position and role: Commander-in-Chief of the Owl Dragon Legion. Then, I'm preparing to establish several fleets; this way it'll be convenient for our command structure in the course of battle. First — the Owl Dragon First Fleet is, for the time being, to be composed of the T3 Blizzards and other conventional starships, with Charlotte serving as fleet commander, and Charlotte concurrently serving as the Legion's Deputy Commander-in-Chief. The Owl Dragon Second Fleet is to be composed of the carrier starships and the interstellar frigates, with myself acting for the time being as fleet commander, and Chitong and Shen Bing serving as deputy commanders. The Owl Dragon Third Fleet is to be composed of the interstellar missile ships, with the wolf-girl Baixue serving as fleet commander."
Hearing this, the wolf-girl Baixue's tail wagged for all the world like an electric fan — it seemed she was exceedingly satisfied with this arrangement.
"The Owl Dragon Fourth Fleet is to be composed of the interstellar stealth bombers — a special-operations-type fleet — with Zhao Wan'er serving as fleet commander." Zhao Chen looked toward his own younger sister. In truth, this arrangement was one he'd made with some helplessness. Originally, he'd prepared to arrange Zhao Wan'er within some other fleet, and had talked it over with her a little. But Zhao Wan'er had strenuously opposed it, and had made it plain that she'd already grown proficient in her mastery of the interstellar stealth bomber's combat system — that at present, within the Owl Dragon Legion, there was no one more familiar with this manner of fighting than she. Zhao Wan'er had seen through her brother's train of thought too, and knew he was worried over the matter of her safety. For, after all, the combat missions of the T3 interstellar stealth bomber were, comparatively, rather more fraught with risk. Zhao Wan'er had, calm and even in temper, said to her brother: she, Zhao Wan'er, was your, Zhao Chen's, younger sister; she was, likewise, the bloodline of the Zhao clan, and a member of the Owl Dragon Fleet too! It could not be said that, because she was your, Zhao Chen's, sister, she should get special treatment. She, Zhao Wan'er, wished to prove that she was no worse than anyone! Looking upon his sister at the time — eye-rims gone red, as though, were he not to agree, she'd come up and take a bite out of him — Zhao Chen could only grant this request of Zhao Wan'er's. Fortunately, the Owl Dragon Legion's strength was now greater, and with the coordination of multiple ship-types, a stealth-bomber fleet wasn't, after all, so very dangerous.
"The Owl Dragon Fifth Fleet is a logistics fleet composed of the interstellar supply ships and interstellar medical ships, with Bessie and Sis Ram — Yang Ni — jointly serving as fleet commanders." The secretary Bessie and Chief Physician Yang Ni had likely never imagined that they, too, could one day serve in the post of fleet commander — though their fleet's currently held number of interstellar warships might well be the fewest among all the fleets.
"For the moment, no requirement is set on each fleet's starship count; simply arrange it according to each's specific circumstances. We'll conduct supplementation later on down the line," Zhao Chen said.
"At the same time, the Owl Dragon Legion is to establish a secretary department, with Lilith serving as chief secretary; the appointments and arrangements of the secretary department are to be Lilith's responsibility. The Owl Dragon Legion is, besides, to establish a technology-and-industry department, with Annie serving as chief engineer, and Jenny — Sis Bull — serving as deputy chief engineer. And beyond these, there are some further appointments. Pei Shengnan, besides her current post aboard the T3 Phoenix, is to concurrently serve as Brigade Commander of the Owl Dragon Legion's Interstellar Fighter Flight Corps. Ye Xiaotong likewise — she is to serve as Brigade Commander of the Owl Dragon Legion's Mecha Corps. The two of you, besides your own fleet posts, are, moreover, to coordinate with Dean Xiong Xiangxiang's T3 Goddess Academy, so as to train up for the Owl Dragon Legion yet more outstanding interstellar-fighter pilots and interstellar-mecha pilots!"
This short few-minutes' speech of Zhao Chen's had, in one stroke, sublimated the "Owl Dragon Fleet" into the "Owl Dragon Legion."
"That's the… appointments arranged and done, just like that?" Shen Bing found it somewhat beyond her expectations — that so important an appointment ceremony should be, of all things, in an environment such as this. There was still a smear of oil at the corner of her mouth, not yet wiped clean…
This was utterly unlike the scene she'd pictured in her mind…