The Owl Dragon System.
Jiang Hong, aboard a shuttle, boarded this T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser bearing the number 030.
"Lord Commander awaits you in the meeting room." A female crew member came to greet Jiang Hong the very first moment she stepped down from the shuttle.
"Very well." Jiang Hong nodded, and followed the female crew member toward the meeting room. This was not her first time boarding a T3 Blizzard, but each time she came aboard, she'd still be astonished by the environment here. It was very hard to believe that this was, truly, an interstellar warship that waste of a baron from before had produced — and that, now, there were, moreover, a full several dozen of them. But just now her mind wasn't on this; there was a matter of greater importance awaiting her.
Jiang Hong arrived at the meeting room's doorway, and the door opened automatically. Zhao Chen was sitting in the head seat; before his eyes were several electronic screens, and he was, at that moment, browsing the various network channels of the Starlight Empire as it now stood.
"Lord Commander." Jiang Hong stood before Zhao Chen.
"Sit," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes."
Jiang Hong sat down, looking at the man before her. At this moment, she already dared not hold this man in any slight; indeed, she could feel that this man had about him a kind of superior's overbearing pressure, one that left her rather not daring to meet his gaze head-on.
Zhao Chen put away the electronic screens before him. "The news of the First Prince's death — you know of it, I take it."
"Had you not informed me of it, my information channels would still not know of this matter." Bringing up this matter, Jiang Hong still wore a whole face of disbelief. Had Zhao Chen not told her, by all estimates she'd even have thought it nothing more than a rumor.
"For, after all, the First Prince is the crown prince, the future emperor of the Starlight Empire. Now that he's died so inexplicably, if this news were to get out, it would surely cause enormous chaos across every sector of the Starlight Empire. By my guess, the royal house has laid down a gag order; at present, only a portion of the upper echelons know of this matter," Zhao Chen said in earnest. Had it not been for the T3 Silver-Rat-class Light Interstellar Stealth Reconnaissance Ships, he wouldn't have known this news either.
"The matter I had you try to get in contact with my eldest sister — how has it come along?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Jiang Hong shook her head, and said with some worry, "I used all the contact channels the eldest miss left me before, including an emergency contact channel — and I couldn't reach the eldest miss on any of them." Jiang Hong looked at Zhao Chen with worry, and asked, "This… it couldn't be that the eldest miss… has met with some trouble, could it?"
Zhao Chen fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "My eldest sister is with the little Princess's royal fleet. And the little Princess's royal fleet's most recent appearance was in the imperial capital system — that's the safest place in the whole Starlight Empire. As for being unreachable, that ought to be for some other reason."
Jiang Hong was, all the same, very worried.
"I'll find a way to make inquiries; you keep on using your channels, and the moment you reach her, notify me at once!" Zhao Chen enjoined.
"Yes!" Jiang Hong said.
Right after, Jiang Hong went on to say, "Lord Commander, there's another matter besides that I must report to you. Half a day ago, the North Wind Governor sent a message — he has something he wants to discuss with you in detail. He asks that, if you have the time, you get in contact with him at the first moment."
The North Wind Governor?
Contacting him at a time like this?
Right now the North Wind Star Region still had its shambles to be set in order; this Lord Governor wouldn't come seeking him out for no reason.
"I understand. You go back first," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes."
Jiang Hong withdrew and left.
Zhao Chen, on his side, began to get in contact with the North Wind Governor. Some 10-odd minutes later, the two sides were connected. A video window appeared before Zhao Chen; opposite was precisely the North Wind Governor. One could see that the North Wind Governor had grown a good deal more haggard; by all estimates, the destruction that wave of interstellar hive-race had wrought upon the North Wind Star Region earlier had been no small thing, leaving the North Wind Governor's workload much increased.
"Lord Governor." Zhao Chen placed a hand over his chest and made a noble's salute.
"When I sought you out before, I heard from your subordinates that you were very busy?" the North Wind Governor said in idle talk.
"It's because I've been carrying out the technical research-and-development work of interstellar warships, and rarely make contact with the outside world." Zhao Chen found a passable excuse.
The North Wind Governor nodded, and said, "Let me speak to you of some serious business. Regarding your earlier deeds in the North Wind Star Region, I reported them to the Central Star Region at the time. Recently I've come by the feedback: for your valorous performance this time in the North Wind Star Region, the Starlight Emperor is to specially summon you, and prepares to personally bestow upon you the Starlight Empire's Medal of Valor — and, by inside word I've come by, it's possible he'll further grant you a marquis's title, and reward you several star systems as a commendation. For, after all, on account of this interstellar-hive-race disaster in the North Wind Star Region, no small number of lord-nobles mishandled things, leading to severe losses; and there were, too, some lords who fell in battle outright. A good many vacancies have appeared."
Zhao Chen said in earnest, "Those are all things I, as an imperial noble, ought to do."
"Modesty is a good thing, sure enough — but what's rightly due to you, don't go refusing. And there's another matter besides. Based on the battle reports you reported up, along with those obtained through other channels, we've tallied out your Owl Dragon Fleet's enemy-kill situation. Our North Wind Star Region, joining with the Central Star Region — apart from the aforementioned commendations — will, moreover, for your fleet's valorous fighting and slaying of the enemy, award you 1 billion star coins! And because we've given you this sum of bonus, those interstellar-bug body materials will be for us to deal with," the North Wind Governor said.
"My thanks to you, Lord Governor," Zhao Chen said in gratitude. 1 billion star coins wasn't very much, but having it beat not having it.
"Lord Governor, on account of the research into interstellar warship technology, I need a great quantity of raw materials. I wonder whether this billion star coins could be directly converted into raw-material supplies; I can directly dispatch interstellar transport ships to take charge of the handover and transport." Zhao Chen put forth.
The North Wind Governor nodded and said, "That's no problem at all; I'll arrange it on my side. Within three days, 1 billion star coins' worth of raw-material resources can be delivered to the Arctic Fox System nearest to you. When the time comes, you need only dispatch your interstellar transport ships to take receipt of it."
"My thanks to you, Lord Governor." Zhao Chen gave his thanks once more. This billion star coins' worth of raw-material resources could be converted into strategic reserves; this counted, one might say, as slightly relieving Zhao Chen's most pressing need. He'd been in contact with Li Yaqi before, and Li Yaqi's side was, too, scraping together raw-material resources — but the amount wouldn't be too great.
"When do you plan to set out for the Central Star Region for the conferral of the title? This time, at the very latest, cannot exceed the end of September. For His Majesty's personal bestowal and reward, the earlier you go, the better." the North Wind Governor reminded.
"Very well; I'll make a bit of preparation on my side. Within half a month, I can set out," Zhao Chen answered.
"Good; then let me offer, in advance, my congratulations to our Lord Marquis of Owl Dragon," the North Wind Governor said with a smile of congratulation.
Zhao Chen hesitated a moment, but nonetheless opened his mouth to ask, "Lord North Wind Governor, there's one matter I'll presume to ask about."
"What matter? Just say it straight out."
"It's about the matter of the First Prince's death."
The North Wind Governor's expression changed all at once; his face grave, he demanded, "Just where did you come by this news!"