What sort of concept was 400 billion star coins?
In Zhao Chen's eyes, that was interstellar warship after interstellar warship.
Reckoned by the T3 Blizzard's single-unit build cost, 13 million star coins!
That was enough to build a full 30,000 T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruisers!
To picture that scene, Zhao Chen felt even his own blood surging to a boil.
The price Zhao Chen had earlier quoted Qin Xiaolei — 40 billion for one legion fleet — that was the procurement price.
And the build-cost price?
Under a twentieth of it!
To put it simply: in reality one needed only around 2 billion star coins to forge an interstellar legion fleet of such a specification.
And here with Zhao Chen, the value-for-cost was higher still!
"Your Excellency Zhao Chen? Your Excellency Zhao Chen?" Qin Xiaolei, looking at Zhao Chen — the corner of his mouth all but split to his ears, laughing in a somewhat deranged fashion — couldn't help but call out to him.
Even Zhao Ruyue couldn't bear the sight of her younger brother's state; she used her own military boot to quietly give Zhao Chen a kick.
Zhao Chen at once came back to his senses out of his own beautiful fantasy.
"Ahem, ahem… let's carry on with the serious business. Signing a procurement agreement is no problem; for, after all, there's an old saying that puts it well — even blood brothers keep their accounts clear, isn't that so. Only, first let me confirm one point once more: Princess, those funds and raw materials of yours — how soon can they be gotten into place?" Zhao Chen had, once again, set his mind upon these mountains of gold and silver of his.
"The nearer ones need roughly three months' time; the farther ones can be gotten into place within a year. If we have a safe, swift transport channel, then it could save three times the time," Qin Xiaolei said.
For, after all, some things weren't even within the Starlight Empire's borders, and the one-year transport time was, too, out of a consideration of concealment.
But a safe, swift transport channel — that Zhao Chen had!
Never mind the Northern Goose Group; the present Reef Star Region alone had a ready-made tool-person, did it not!
Red Rose of the Bramble Free Trade Group — what she was most skilled at was, precisely, covert transport of this kind; her Bramble Group had, before, taken the Reef Star Region as a transshipment hub, doing the business of interstellar smuggling among the various interstellar empires and interstellar forces.
And if Zhao Chen were, moreover, to provide some advanced interstellar transport ships, then the efficiency could be greatly raised.
What had originally been, at the longest, a year's time, could all be gotten settled within four to six months.
"Transport channels, I have them; I'll arrange it when the time comes. Since the funds and raw materials are no problem, then let's discuss the actual content of the agreement; you wait just a moment, and I'll prepare the materials."
Zhao Chen raised a hand and began to display image after image of interstellar warships, along with data — indeed, some of it Zhao Chen was editing on the spot.
At the same time, Zhao Chen put his one mind to two uses.
He opened the System store, and selected goods of the T2 series.
Do you wish to expend 300 System points and four task points to redeem the item "T2 Bull-Demon-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer" technical blueprint?
"Confirm."
Do you wish to expend 350 System points and five task points to redeem the item "T2 Wind-Whisperer-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser" technical blueprint?
"Confirm."
Do you wish to expend 400 System points and six task points to redeem the item "T2 Hippogriff-Knight-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser" technical blueprint?
"Confirm."
Zhao Chen redeemed three T2-grade interstellar warships in a row; for Zhao Chen, the System points and task points consumed in redeeming these T2-grade interstellar warships were, quite simply, a single hair off nine oxen.
Soon enough, Zhao Chen displayed before Qin Xiaolei the holographic projections of interstellar warship after interstellar warship.
"By my conception, the interstellar legion fleet I'll prepare for you will be composed of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, the T2 Snow Mastiff-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship, the T2 Lion King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship, the T2 Bull-Demon-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, the T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate, the T2 Wind-Whisperer-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser, and the T2 Hippogriff-Knight-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser. And the flagship is this class — the T3 Flame Dragon-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer."
Watching Zhao Chen display so many interstellar warships all at once, Qin Xiaolei and Zhao Ruyue were, in one stroke, both dumbstruck; among them, apart from some of the T2 interstellar warships in the active service of Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion, there were, of all things, besides, several classes they'd never even seen — ones that had never appeared on the market either.
"The technology of these three T2 interstellar warships is yours too?" Zhao Ruyue couldn't hold back from inquiring of her younger brother.
Zhao Chen smiled and said nothing.
For the sake of this big client (money-tree), Qin Xiaolei, Zhao Chen had directly redeemed these interstellar warships from the System mall.
Fresh out of the oven, every one, and still warm besides.
"But my interstellar legion fleet is mainly T2 interstellar warships… won't its combat power be insufficient? For, after all, it's all mainly T3 interstellar warships now," Qin Xiaolei said with worry.
Zhao Chen laughed and shook his head.
"Though over these past two years the Starlight Empire has begun the plan of phasing out T2 interstellar warships within the imperial army — yet the whole plan, from its start to its completion, how could it possibly be without 20 or 30 years' time? In this bare span of a few years, how many imperial-army fleets have you seen that have truly completed the full outfitting with T3 interstellar warships and the phasing out of T2 interstellar warships? Counting the whole Starlight Empire, high and low, on your fingers, there'd be no more than five, I'd say. Even your royal legion fleet — apart from a few of the main sub-fleets that completed the full outfitting with T3 interstellar warships, aren't the remaining greater part of the sub-fleets still using that earlier pairing of T2 matched with T3?"
Hearing Zhao Chen put it thus, Qin Xiaolei turned the thought over — and, indeed, it was just so.
"According to some data-intelligence, right now, within the Starlight Empire's imperial army, high and low, the number of T3 interstellar warships is only around 30,000 — reckoned at the most, it wouldn't exceed 50,000. It's still mainly T2 interstellar warships. Let me put it this way — I can guarantee to you: an interstellar legion built to this standard of mine, going one-on-one with any regular first-line imperial legion, spread out in full array to fight, has 100% chance of winning! Indeed, even fighting the many with the few would be no problem," Zhao Chen said without the least ceremony.
Why?
System-produced — this, just this, was the confidence behind Zhao Chen.
"Very well then; we'll go by this standard of yours." Qin Xiaolei did, after all, trust Zhao Chen — though the chief reason was, still, that she'd witnessed the terrifying combat power of those interstellar warships equipped by Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion.
That class, the T2 Black Rhino, its performance above all had truly been dazzling!
"Of course — though this is business between us, we do, all the same, support Your Highness the Princess, and so on the procurement funds I'll grant the greatest of discounts. The procurement price of such an interstellar legion is only 10 billion star coins! This being so, then when the time comes, those 400 billion star coins of funds can forge for you 40 legion fleets — 120,000 interstellar warships!" Zhao Chen wore a whole air of I'm making an enormous sacrifice.
Hearing this figure, even Zhao Ruyue couldn't help but be astonished, and cast a sidelong glance.
"Then how soon, at the fastest, can they be delivered?" Qin Xiaolei inquired with concern.
"Within three months of the first sum of payment being gotten into place — and, moreover, the construction speed of the subsequent interstellar legion fleets will grow faster and faster. Within 20 months, I can guarantee all 40 legion fleets delivered, every one!" Zhao Chen said, light and unhurried as a passing cloud.
Zhao Ruyue looked at her younger brother in astonishment.
To forge 40 legion fleets — 120,000 interstellar warships — within 20 months.
She knew what a terrifying starship-manufacturing industry this needed.