The marquis's second son wore a look of deliberation.
To speak truly, working with the other side now was a great risk; after all, this was, at present, the Prince Faction's ground, and on the surface the Prince Faction still held the advantage in strength.
Should the Prince Faction win out in the end, then he'd be settled with, come the reckoning.
"I know what you're worried about. You're afraid that, after we've lost, you'll find it awkward to explain yourself to the Prince Faction — am I right?" Zhao Chen said mildly.
"Whether we win or lose, nothing I say now will convince you. But in truth, if you merely take on this much, the Prince Faction won't hand you any punishment down the line. On the contrary — when the time comes, you can wait until we've lost, hand over all the data on this star system to the Prince Faction, and go on developing this system all the same. This sort of cooperation, in fact, does you no harm whatsoever."
Thump, thump, thump—
The marquis's second son's eyes lit up; it had to be said, he was tempted.
He was truly tempted now.
"But I'm worried about my family's side… and besides, I have no funds in hand just now…" the marquis's second son said with some anxiety.
"The first problem, I have no way to solve for you. But, to speak plainly — do you truly mean to go on depending on your family forever?"
These words of Zhao Chen's struck straight at the heart of this marquis's second son.
As the second son of a marquis's house, he in fact had no great prospects: he couldn't inherit the title, and in all likelihood the future held only his taking charge of some one branch of the family's business, and then dying without having made anything of himself.
Some of the more dangerous matters, indeed, fell to collateral sons like them to handle — this very business of opening up the outer-ring star regions, for one.
And when the time came to pluck the fruit, it would be the eldest son who plucked it.
This was a thing all those collateral second sons could foresee, and could do nothing about.
It was the rule of the great houses of this world.
And to seek a way out, one had to break free of the family, develop on one's own, and make something of oneself.
Zhao Chen noted the change in the other's expression, and went on: "As for funds — at the outset, I can extend you some capital as a loan. In truth, the other things — equipment, technology — I have them all; what I lack is talent to manage this place for me. And not just for the moment, either — quite possibly for generation upon generation to come."
There was a great deal of information wrapped up in this one line of Zhao Chen's.
In fact, it had already been plain enough from his earlier words: he wished to recruit a 'proxy' to manage the rest of this star system's affairs for him.
Put simply — it amounted to being like a lord appointed by the Empire.
"I… I need to think it over." The marquis's second son's expression was complicated — hesitant, torn.
"That's all right; you can think it over slowly. Within three days: either you give me your answer, or you leave," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
With that, the video comm closed.
"This one will choose to stay," Lilith said from the side.
"Why?" Zhao Chen looked toward Lilith.
Lilith said with a faint smile: "Commander, you've forgotten one skill we succubi are best at — reading people. We read people very accurately."
Zhao Chen nodded with a laugh.
He raised a hand and opened up the star-map of this stretch of the star-universe, taking in a great deal of information.
"Next, we proceed by this plan. Break up our legion fleet's 3,000 interstellar warships into two forces. One will be the border-garrison fleet — 1,000 interstellar warships all told, stationed, by our preset dispositions, at several important positions along the line where our territory meets the region the Holy Radiance Empire controls. The remaining 2,000 interstellar warships split into 200 interstellar squadrons, 10 interstellar warships each, to go 'take over' these star systems." Zhao Chen instructed.
Only 10 interstellar warships to a squadron — someone might think the number too small.
But one mustn't forget that these were, one and all, T3-grade interstellar warships.
And the interstellar warships garrisoning those systems — what were they?
T3 interstellar warships one could count on one's fingers; the overwhelming majority were T2-grade combat-type interstellar warships.
Of Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon-series interstellar warships, a mere 10 sufficed to settle them.
"Very well. I've already arranged the person in charge of each small fleet; within a day they can all set out. Within half a month at the latest, they can reach every star system. Within a month, we can have all these star systems under our control. Within two months, we'll establish the 10 most basic star-gate hubs; the later gates will be finished by year's end!" Lilith said.
"Good. You take charge of overseeing this; notify me the first instant of any problem. Above all on the Holy Radiance Empire's side — send out some of our T3 Silver-Rat-class Light Interstellar Stealth Reconnaissance Ships to scout their every move. The focus is on their interstellar-transport-fleet dispatches to the border. And any large-scale movement of combat-type interstellar warships!" Zhao Chen reminded.
On the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's side, with Charlotte stirring the pot, Warhammer's expedition plan was bound to miscarry.
So Zhao Chen and the others needed only see to the Holy Radiance Empire on this end.
Beep, beep, beep—
Zhao Chen's and Lilith's handheld terminals rang out at once.
The two exchanged a glance, and opened the message window together.
Just as they'd imagined.
"War's broken out at last," Zhao Chen murmured.
The message was simple.
A day earlier, the long-waiting Prince Faction had struck first — and had chosen, straight off, to go at it on two fronts.
They'd dispatched 50 legion fleets each, 150,000 interstellar warships apiece, to launch offensives against the North Wind Star Region and the Chu River Star Region.
Which was to say — this time the Prince Faction had directly committed 300,000 interstellar warships!
Opening with a grand stroke, indeed.
Though there was no telling yet how much of it was real and how much feint.
After all, one could guess that the Prince Faction's most fitting strategy was to fight a war of attrition against the Chu River legion, dragging it out until the Chu River legion's strategic resources were spent to the dregs.
"The question now is whether the Prince Faction's main thrust is at the Chu River Star Region or the North Wind Star Region." Zhao Chen rubbed at his chin.
Lilith analyzed from the side: "By rights, one squeezes the softest persimmon first. If the Chu River Star Region is a hard bone, then the North Wind Star Region is the soft persimmon. This sort of two-front warfare — apply pressure, then seek the chance to launch a fierce assault on the North Wind Star Region directly, swallowing it whole outright — is likewise a sound strategic course. After all, the industrial systems of the Chu River Star Region and the North Wind Star Region are joined as one: take the T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship's supply chain, for instance — 30% of it is built here in the North Wind Star Region. Take the North Wind Star Region, and it's as good as cutting off two of the Chu River Star Region's limbs."
Zhao Chen nodded: "That does make sense. But old Chu will have thought of this too; his legion fleet long ago built up a coordinated-combat system with the North Wind Star Region, and when the time comes he'll surely reinforce it. The Prince Faction will foresee this as well — one can't rule out that they'll feint at the North Wind Star Region, then seize the chance to take some key military star-port region of the Chu River Star Region."
Zhao Chen and Lilith exchanged a glance, and let show wry expressions.
This was an interstellar campaign — a true interstellar campaign — not a thing to be settled in one local battlefield.
There were 10 million possibilities within it!