At this moment, in the room next door, Li Yaqi couldn't hold herself back from wanting to go charging out. But she was caught and held by Mother Li.
"Yaqi, your father said so. No matter what happens out there, you're not to go out!" Mother Li urged.
Li Yaqi clenched her fists, seething with an indignation she couldn't set right.
"This pack of wine-sacks and rice-bags — before, when I was out earning money for them, every last one of them beamed at me, all but wishing I were their own dear daughter. Now that something's gone wrong, they come running out one by one to point the finger, all but wishing to wash their hands clean of any connection!"
Mother Li heaved a sigh. "Aren't people just like this — when great calamity comes down upon the head, each takes wing its own way."
"I… I just can't swallow it!" Just as Li Yaqi was fuming, the handheld terminal on her wrist flickered with a notice. Seeing this notice, she at once excused herself from her mother and made her way to the office in the inner room. She entered a virtual-network space.
"Lord Zhao Chen." Li Yaqi looked at the Zhao Chen before her, and only at this moment did her gaze soften. This man before her — at a time like this, he alone was giving his whole heart and mind to how he might rescue her Northern Goose. Set against those uncles of hers, it was, quite simply, a heaven and an earth apart.
"The matter of renting the star-port workshops — how have your arrangements come along?" Zhao Chen asked.
Li Yaqi raised a hand and put forth an electronic spreadsheet, upon which were displayed the coordinate-positions of star-port workshop after star-port workshop.
"As of now, we've already rented 200 coordinate-workshops fit for the production of T2-grade interstellar warships — all of them with contracts already signed, on a lease term of half a year. Indeed, I can even send people off to other surrounding star regions — for instance, the Chu River Star Region. It's estimated that, within three days, I can come by the rental rights to at most 500 T2 star-port workshops! Only, on the side of mobilizing the technical personnel — the fast ones have arrived by now already; the slow ones may still need a week's time," Li Yaqi said.
500-odd.
It had to be said, Li Yaqi's efficiency in getting things done was, still, quite high. She'd even, of her own accord, already thought of the surrounding star regions. The Chu River Star Region was indeed a good option; the number of star-ports over there was comparatively large. In truth, were Zhao Chen to step forth in the identity of the Chu family's grandson-in-law, it might well be more convenient still. But the relationship between Zhao Chen and Northern Goose was, for now, still a secret. Short of the last extremity of necessity, Zhao Chen would not make public this force in the interstellar-trade line that he was cultivating.
"Very well handled." Zhao Chen raised a hand and transmitted an electronic document straight to Li Yaqi.
Li Yaqi received it, and saw the name of that document.
The T2 Iron Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship.
"This is an exceedingly advanced T2 interstellar industrial ship; set against your starship production lines, and your workshop-factories, its production efficiency is faster and more convenient by far. My plan is this: those star-port workshops you've rented go all out to produce and manufacture this T2 Iron Hammer. The T2 Iron Hammers, once built, then sail back to your Northern Goose Group base, to engage in the work of producing T2 Tibetan Mastiffs. I've done a reckoning: a star-port workshop, in a situation of sufficient raw materials, can complete one T2 Iron Hammer in 20 days. And one T2 Iron Hammer can build five T2 Tibetan Mastiffs in a single month. This being so — so long as you can build to completion 300 to 500 T2 Iron Hammers, then to complete the second batch's 3,000-ship arms-purchase order before the end of June is entirely without any problem whatsoever!" Only now did Zhao Chen lay bare his plan to Li Yaqi.
"An output of five in a single month!" Li Yaqi was astonished beyond measure, looking at this T2 Iron Hammer for all the world as though gazing upon a treasure trove. So far as she knew, of the known T2 interstellar industrial ships in active service, there had never yet been one this advanced. Its value even surpassed that of the T2 Tibetan Mastiff.
"You're… handing this interstellar warship over to me?" Li Yaqi looked at Zhao Chen, scarcely able to believe it.
Zhao Chen nodded. "This is the only method that can save your Northern Goose."
In Zhao Chen's hand there was already the T3 Furnace-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship; the T2 Iron Hammer's value was, by now, none too much left — and handing it to Li Yaqi could, on the contrary, wring out a bit of its remaining worth.
Li Yaqi bit lightly at her lip, and murmured, "Lord Zhao Chen, your… this T2 Iron Hammer of yours, its value even outstrips the T2 Tibetan Mastiff. For the sake of my… Northern Goose… there's simply no need. With an ability like yours, you could perfectly well build an interstellar trade group anew of your own."
Li Yaqi looked at Zhao Chen in puzzlement. Viewing the matter from a merchant's angle, Zhao Chen had, beyond doubt, made a deal at a colossal loss.
Zhao Chen said with a smile, "You've misunderstood on two points. First: this T2 Iron Hammer of mine is not being handed to you for free — it comes with a condition, and that condition I'll discuss with you shortly, together with another matter. Second: though I am a man not overly skilled in interstellar trade, I am a man who reckons himself to understand well the importance of talent. Set against Northern Goose — what I put my trust in, in truth, is you! An interstellar group of Northern Goose's kind, I could set up several of, at any time, so long as I wished it; but you, Li Yaqi — there is only one of you."
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Li Yaqi felt her own cheeks flush crimson and burning hot; for some reason she had, of all things, the feeling of a little fawn careening about within her breast. She didn't even dare, now, to meet Zhao Chen's gaze.
"You… you said just now… that there was another matter — what is it?"
Zhao Chen fixed his eyes upon Li Yaqi. "I hear that no small number of the people within your Li family have been attacking you — that's so, isn't it."
The mere thought of that whole mess made Li Yaqi feel her head begin to ache once more. She said in self-mockery, "I've made myself a laughingstock before you."
"In truth, I hold that, for some matters, it's best to cut through the tangled hemp with a swift blade. When the time to sever has come and you sever not, you suffer the chaos in return. What I wanted to say just now is this: I want to use my T2 Iron Hammer, and cooperate with you. Mark it well — with you, and not with your Li family. The framework of this cooperation can be another interstellar trade group — Southern Swallow, Great Wild Goose, Little Bird, whatever you like — or it can still be this Northern Goose. But the division of profit, of course, can't possibly be the same 70/30 as before; instead it becomes 90/10. 90 for me, 10 for you; the T2 Iron Hammer amounts to a further buy-in of shares on my part." Having finished, Zhao Chen didn't neglect to add, with a light chuckle, "This 90/10 is a 90/10 split of the net profit."
Zhao Chen gave Li Yaqi a feeling as of cream poured over the crown of her head — a sudden, flooding clarity. She looked at Zhao Chen, his words turning over in her mind.
"Perhaps you still hold some reluctance to let go of the family; you might as well take this very chance to…" Zhao Chen looked at Li Yaqi through narrowed eyes.
Li Yaqi understood Zhao Chen's meaning; she drew a deep breath and gave a heavy nod.
……
Having ended the comm with Zhao Chen, Li Yaqi opened her eyes.
She walked out of her own office and headed straight for the meeting room outside, where the quarreling was still going on.
"Yaqi…" Mother Li looked at Li Yaqi in surprise — but she found that the aura about her daughter had turned utterly different.
"Mother, Father is old in years. There's no having him bear everything on his shoulders. And Li Wei isn't home either. I, as the daughter, must naturally hold this family up. Set your heart at ease — our Northern Goose won't collapse, and our Li family… will be a brand-new Li family."
Having said this, Li Yaqi pushed the door straight open and walked out.
The suddenly appearing Li Yaqi drew looks of shock and astonishment onto the faces of the whole crowd of uncles in the meeting room. Li Yaqi even caught sight of one of her younger uncles, at this moment, of all things, pointing at her own father and dressing him down there. This made Li Yaqi all the more resolute in her thoughts.
Not waiting for these uncles to open their mouths, Li Yaqi said in a solemn voice, "Since you gentlemen uncles all hold that this is, one and all, Yaqi's fault — then very well; Yaqi won't drag the uncles down along with her, either. So long as each of you uncles is willing, we can divide the household right now. The affairs of the Northern Goose Group are to be borne by me, Li Yaqi, alone — and I draw a clean line severing all relation with the whole company of you uncles!"