T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship · the bridge.
This counted, apart from when he'd built it, as Zhao Chen's first time setting foot on its bridge.
"Now this is a good deal roomier than Blizzard Zero's bridge." Zhao Chen swept a look around and sat straight down in the captain's chair.
Zhao Wan'er, the nominal captain of this T2 Queen Bee, said nothing to that — this was, after all, a ship Zhao Chen had built.
"Are we setting out ahead of time? At the fastest warp speed, straight for the Arctic Fox system?" Zhao Wan'er asked Zhao Chen.
"Right. This time there's no need to wait on Blizzard Zero. We'll set out first and rendezvous at Arctic Fox Starport," Zhao Chen said. "The things I told you to bring — did you bring them all?"
Zhao Wan'er said, "All the materials scraped together from the nobles, worth 700,000 star coins in total, are in the T2 Queen Bee's storage compartments. And the ship-wreckage of the Three-Clawed Serpent Interstellar Pirate fleet, Blizzard Zero will be hauling to the Arctic Fox system."
Zhao Chen nodded, satisfied — this was all capital for building ships.
"I didn't think you'd truly let the Jiang family go," Zhao Wan'er said, looking at Zhao Chen with some surprise.
Zhao Chen laughed. "What else? Butcher the Jiang family clean too? By Jiang Hong's intelligence, the Jiang family knew of the Bao and Cui families' plan, but they stayed onlookers throughout; they took no part in it. To take the Owl Dragon Star System firmly in hand I needed to establish my authority, so I cleared out the Bao and Cui families and that pack of houses. But no one wants a lord who kills without reason; kill too many, and the harm outweighs the good. So I won't move against the Jiang family. But I can make them clear off my fief."
Zhao Wan'er nodded in understanding. She'd thought Zhao Chen might seize this chance to deal with Jiang Shasha's family.
Yet from first to last, Zhao Chen had never once so much as mentioned Jiang Shasha's name.
"Let's make ready to set out." Zhao Chen was already standing in a hibernation pod.
The T2 Queen Bee's hibernation pods were far finer than Blizzard Zero's — handsomer in form, more comfortable to lie in, and even the pale-blue liquid injected carried a faint fragrance.
By and by, Zhao Chen drifted off to sleep.
And the T2 Queen Bee entered the warp-travel state along with him, making ready to cross the star-system edge-space for the Arctic Fox system.
……
Arctic Fox Starport.
"Good day to you, Mr. Zhao Chen; I'm the staff member in charge of your account at Arctic Fox Starport, registry number CC11. It's my great honor to serve you again." The woman greeted him with a smile on the far side of the video window.
"Arrange another ship workshop for me, the same as before; reserve it for two months for now. And I'll give you a materials order worth 2 million star coins — help me procure the raw materials on the list, as fast as you can! And last, book me a ticket to the Northstar Starship Military Academy," Zhao Chen said.
"Understood. I've arranged a large ship workshop for you per your requirements — the same one you used last time. And the ticket to the Northstar Starship Military Academy is booked; it's a first-class berth on a T2 interstellar cruise-liner, departing tomorrow afternoon. Is that all right?" the woman in charge asked with a smile.
"That'll do." As Zhao Chen said it, he'd already transferred 2,100,000 star coins from his account.
Zhao Chen had had only 1,900,000 star coins left before, but with the 700,000 scraped from the Owl Dragon Star System nobles, it came to 2,600,000 in all.
Even having now spent 2,100,000, he still had a full 500,000 star coins.
The woman in charge said, all smiles, "For the duration of your stay, should you need anything at all, you may contact me at any time. I'm at your service around the clock." With that she threw in another coquettish, lingering wink, and reluctantly ended the video comm.
This was her big-spending patron!
"One ticket?" Zhao Wan'er looked at Zhao Chen, puzzled, not knowing what he was up to.
The T2 Queen Bee, on its grade-4 warp engine, had come through a week of warp travel to reach Arctic Fox Starport a full week ahead of Blizzard Zero.
As it happened, it was the very last day of September!
"I have still some matters to see to, so I won't be going back to the academy just yet. You take this departure tomorrow back to the Northstar Starship Military Academy," Zhao Chen said.
"What could you have that's more important than your studies at the academy? Aren't you worried you'll fail the assessments at term's end!" Zhao Wan'er muttered — plainly none too pleased that Zhao Chen wouldn't go back with her.
Zhao Chen ruffled Zhao Wan'er's hair. "Rest easy — your brother knows what he's about. At the fastest a month and a bit, at the slowest two months, and I'll be back."
"Then I'll wait for you at the academy," Zhao Wan'er said.
The T2 Queen Bee sailed slowly into the ship workshop where it had first been built; with the one T2 Queen Bee parked, the remaining space was still ample to berth — or build — several more ships.
"The materials order hasn't arrived yet, and I have nothing to do in the meantime. Let's go have a wander around Arctic Fox Starport. Last time we came, I was too busy building this T2 Queen Bee to have a proper look around." Zhao Chen suggested.
A week of hibernation behind him, Zhao Chen too had a mind to enjoy this brief "holiday" before the coming stretch of busy days.
"Sure!" Zhao Wan'er agreed happily.
After that, Zhao Chen called up a squad of beast-folk female-soldier guards Charlotte had arranged for him, and the party of seven boarded an unmanned flycar and drove out of the ship workshop, into the interior of Arctic Fox Starport.
Arctic Fox Starport's interior was a great city, able to house several hundred thousand people.
Provided, of course, that you had money in hand!
"Come to think of it, my crew don't seem to have any uniform dress." Zhao Chen rubbed at his chin, looking at the five beast-folk female-soldier guards following him.
They wore the plainest cloth clothing imaginable — thrown in for free by the slaver at the time he'd bought them.
"As it happens, you haven't bought yourself any new clothes this year either. Let's go get you some new things, and I'll order a batch of crew uniforms while I'm at it," Zhao Chen suggested.
"I have my academy uniform," Zhao Wan'er said.
Zhao Chen looked at the academy uniform Zhao Wan'er still hadn't changed out of. No one wanted to wear a school uniform day in and day out — in truth it was all to save on expense.
Zhao Chen took Zhao Wan'er by the hand and pulled her along. "No, no — today I'm buying you clothes, and that's final! Not 10 outfits' worth, and we're not going home!"
Zhao Wan'er's whole face was a picture of astonishment.
Just as their party was on its way, a person in a black cloak, head bowed, came stumbling along toward Zhao Chen and the others.
A beast-folk female-soldier guard, quick to react, planted herself straight in front of Zhao Chen.
The person bumped right into the beast-folk guard, then apologized over and over.
The voice was a hoarse woman's voice.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
And then she hurried off at once.
Zhao Chen watched the figure's retreating back, all the way until it vanished round a corner.
"What is it?" Zhao Wan'er looked at the strange expression on Zhao Chen's face.
"It's nothing. Let's go buy clothes," Zhao Chen said.
Inside the clothing shop.
Zhao Chen stared at the several outfits before him, his expression deeply conflicted.
A hip-hugging uniform, a maid dress, a bunny-girl outfit…
If the crewwomen aboard his ship all wore uniforms like these…
That picture would be too glorious!
"Don't even think about it. Just have them made to this design I've drawn, and that's that." Zhao Wan'er, right beside him, had sketched several outfit designs by hand — demolishing Zhao Chen's lovely fantasy.
Suddenly Zhao Chen caught sight of a familiar figure outside the shop — and behind that figure were several more, moving furtively.
"Wan'er, wait here a moment. You two stay; you three, come with me." Zhao Chen suddenly slipped off with three beast-folk female-soldier guards and vanished into the crowd.