The last day of Galactic Star-Year 3033.
Zhao Chen listened as Lilith, at his side, delivered him the annual report — on the present state of development of the Owl Dragon Legion and of the various territories under it.
"As of now, we possess something over 13,000 auxiliary-type interstellar warships — and that's not counting the 10,000-odd T2 Iron-Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships under the Northern Goose Group's hand." Lilith set out the auxiliary-type warships first.
Never underestimate the auxiliary-type warship — it is, as it were, the foundation of a tall building, and that foundation decides just how high the structure can be raised!
"The auxiliary-type interstellar warships fall mainly into four great classes: the auxiliary-type warships under the four trade groups, and the auxiliary-type warships that follow the Owl Dragon Legion into battle. The Earth-Dragon Mining Group, the North Dragon Mining Group, the Rose-Red-Dragon Mining Group, and the Eden Grain-Trade Group. To the first three mining groups have been allotted 11,000-odd T3 Prospector-class Heavy Interstellar Mining Ships — one batch of them delivered at the close of this month. So from the start of next year, the single-month total output value can reach 320 billion star coins! The Eden Grain-Trade Group has been allotted 300 T3 Eden-class Starships. Of this food output, apart from meeting our own needs, the great bulk is sold abroad. Our chief customers at present are the North Wind Star Region and the Chu River Star Region; besides that, we've privately opened certain sales channels as well, selling into other star regions of the Starlight Empire, and over to the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth. Once the lion's share of transport cost is deducted, our single-month takings run to around 30 billion star coins," Lilith said.
Zhao Chen looked over these economic pillars of his: "Which is to say — from the start of next year, our Owl Dragon Legion's single-month takings come to 350 billion star coins!"
350 billion!
As Zhao Chen spoke the figure, even his lips trembled a little.
"And that's not all — you're forgetting we have a share of takings from foreign arms sales besides. Over these past several months, the Northern Goose Group has sold close to 5,000 T2-grade interstellar warships abroad each month. Had we not needed to free up part of our production capacity to fulfill the Owl Dragon Legion's own build plans, we could likely have produced more still. But even at just 5,000 sold abroad a month, the monthly takings from it reach 50 billion star coins. And that's with the warships sold to the Chu River legion priced at half off, as you instructed beforehand — otherwise the profit on this alone could double!" Lilith added.
"So that's 400 billion!" Zhao Chen drew a cold breath; his own money-making prowess had all but given him a fright.
Two years ago, Zhao Chen had had to slave and scrape and count every coin for a few million star coins.
Now, in the span of a single month, he could earn 400 billion.
"There's one more small slice of takings besides — the territorial taxes. But you handed down a command earlier: for the Owl Dragon System, the Morton System, the Ellis System, the Reef Star Region, and the five newly developed resource-star-regions— —all territorial tax from these is to be taken from the people and spent on the people. Used to invest in and build up certain important local infrastructure — star-gates, star-ports, and the like. And to bear the salary costs of the crews posted out to garrison these regions; whatever's left over is put out among the populace in the form of loans, for commercial investment, infrastructure, and so on," Lilith said.
This was Zhao Chen's own instruction.
Zhao Chen laid great weight on military industry now, but he understood well too that the livelihood of these territories of his mattered greatly — and since it was all tax collected from these very places, and the sums not so large, he'd simply use the money to develop these systems outright.
Once the pie was made bigger down the road, all the more would fall to Zhao Chen.
"400 billion is no small thing already — that's four times over the Chu River Star Region's monthly income! Cast your eye across the whole Starlight Empire, and not one single power out there earns as much as we do!" Zhao Chen said with feeling.
"Next is our industrial system. In service are three T4 Gemini-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships, which can produce 15 T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruisers a month; 500 T3 Furnace-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships, which can produce 7,000 T3 Wolverine-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Destroyers a month. And the Northern Goose Group's 10,000-odd T2 Iron-Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships can produce 50,000 T2-grade interstellar destroyers a month!" Lilith said.
What is a military-industrial empire.
This is Zhao Chen's military-industrial empire.
A military-industrial empire built up and spread wide in the span of a few short months.
And a fearsome gold-devouring behemoth, at the same time.
"If we were building at that rate, how much would we consume in a single month?" Zhao Chen asked.
Lilith soon gave a figure: "Around 100 billion star coins — but that's only the barest build-consumption; what I just laid out was only by way of example. After all, the interstellar warships you build are all pretty pricey," Lilith said.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem…" Zhao Chen covered his face; what Lilith said was true enough.
That figure was reckoned by regular combat fleets of the interstellar-destroyer and interstellar-cruiser sort; Zhao Chen couldn't possibly build nothing but those.
Still, the overshoot wouldn't run to anything too wild.
At the very least, set against the threshold of 400 billion star coins in monthly takings, it could still be covered.
"Besides that, we have our interstellar-transport fleets — but as yet we've set up no dedicated transport group; these are allotted instead to the various trade groups named above. At present we possess 300 T3 Great White Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transports in all, wholly able to bear the transport tasks we require," Lilith said.
What Lilith spoke of next was the state of certain other auxiliary-type interstellar warships.
The T3 Goddess Academy-class Starship, for instance — originally there had been only one.
But because the Owl Dragon Legion was now expanding at breakneck pace, a single Goddess Academy could no longer keep up with the speed at which Zhao Chen needed fresh recruits.
So at present it had been expanded to 30!
Supplying the Owl Dragon Legion with qualified recruits in an unbroken stream.
Besides that were 100 T3 Andromeda-class Interstellar Medical Ships and 300 T3 Virgo-class Heavy Interstellar Supply Ships — all battlefield-auxiliary warships that followed the main fleet.
"And in service are 20 T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump-Ships, divided into 10 squads." Lilith made a point of raising this strategic warship class.
This was a trump card in Zhao Chen's hand, so its numbers could on no account fall short.
It was precisely because of this warship class that Zhao Chen dared let his own big white cat go setting fires in another's backyard.
Zhao Chen talked over a few more particulars of the auxiliary-type warships with Lilith in detail, then signaled her to go on.
Next, what Lilith had to speak of was, of course, the Owl Dragon Legion's combat-type interstellar warships!
"At present, our Owl Dragon Legion — setting aside the T2-grade interstellar warships already allotted to the various local garrison-fleets— —has in service something over 7,000 T3-grade interstellar warships, and 81 T4-grade interstellar warships."