"This is a T5! I truly cannot build it… mmf—" Annie declared herself powerless outright.
But Annie's words were not finished before a great chicken leg was stuffed into her mouth.
"Believe in yourself. You can do it. Are the T4 warships of before not being mass-produced easily enough now?"
Pop.
Annie pulled out the chicken leg that filled her mouth. "That's because we have the T4 Gemini-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships, and because there was a T3 foundation to build on… mmf—"
A great sausage was stuffed into Annie's mouth.
"And have we not a T4 foundation now? We haven't a T5-grade industrial ship yet, true, but leaning on the T4 Gemini, and with a bit of effort, a T5 can still be tried."
Chomp, chomp.
Annie swallowed the sausage in her mouth. "If it were an ordinary T5 that would be one thing, but Commander-in-Chief, look at this T5's data and tell me this is an ordinary T5 warship… mmf—"
An ice cream blocked Annie's mouth up.
"I grant you this T5 is indeed no ordinary thing. But have I asked you to build it for me this instant? Let us try first — only try."
Annie finished the ice cream in her mouth, with some of it still unlicked at the corner of her lips.
"When I was building the T4 warships before, you cheated me with that same 'only try'… mmf—"
A great pig's trotter stuffed Annie so full her eyes rolled up.
This time Annie pulled the trotter out outright, and gulped.
"Hic… don't… don't… don't stuff any more, there's truly no room…" Annie wept and held her belly, which had plainly gone a round fatter, and looked in dread at the Commander-in-Chief opposite, who was watching her with the kindliest of smiles.
And in his hands there was still a beef marrow-bone and a great crab stick.
And on the table beside them, food heaped up like a mountain.
For the first time, Annie… had come to dread food.
Stuffed further, Annie would burst.
Seeing it, Zhao Chen pressed Annie no more; he set the food down and took a wet wipe from beside him to clean his hands.
"This T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought — I hope your side may try building it. On the time of building I make no demand whatever; as far as it can be carried, so far let it go. And after that I'll find a way to develop a T5-grade industrial ship." Zhao Chen looked at Annie in the earnest.
His chief reason for coming to Annie this time was exactly this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought.
He had originally planned to begin building it at the year's end, or the year after.
But the hive-race technology in Qin Xiaotian's hands, and the tangled state of the Holy Radiance Empire now, had bred a sense of crisis in Zhao Chen.
If this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought could be built as early as possible, that would beyond doubt put one more card in Zhao Chen's hand.
And even should Qin Xiaotian in future truly gain the power to control a genuine T5 Hive Mothership, Zhao Chen with a T5 Hades in hand would not fear that threat.
"But look at this T5 Hades's build cost — the estimated cost alone comes to 3 trillion star coins!" The chicken leg and the pig's trotter were still, at this hour, not laid down in Annie's hands.
Full though she was, she could not bear to part with those two good things.
"That's the total cost, and I haven't said it must be finished this instant, have I? 3 trillion star coins — spread across a year, or half a year, comes to an outlay of 300 billion a month. And your side, being at the beginning of it, won't want so much either; 200 billion a month arranged for you would be more than enough. And the raw materials wanted for development and manufacture you needn't trouble over. On my side there'll be plenty." Zhao Chen guaranteed it with every vow he had.
For the money trees now in Zhao Chen's hand — the five resource star regions out beyond, and several trading groups besides—
could bring in above 700 or 800 billion star coins of profit in a single month!
And that rising every month besides at an astonishing rate, which was why Zhao Chen dared open the T5 Hades building program ahead of time.
Money in the pocket makes a man bold in his business!
Hearing Zhao Chen say so, Annie still could not settle it.
"I… will think it over…"
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth lifted slightly. "And not this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought alone; that T5 Creator-class Starship I mean to open a building program for as well. And besides — our T4 Golden Eden-class Starship is finished now, is it not? I went to look at it a short while ago. Very fine indeed. By way of a reward to you: if you can see this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought built, then I can reward you with a T4 Golden Eden-class Starship of your own, and arrange 10 habitable planets reformed by the T5 Creator-class Starship for you besides, and make you a lord over them."
At promising pie in the sky, Zhao Chen was the most practiced hand there was.
And a short while ago Zhao Chen had already been to see this completed batch of T4 Golden Eden-class Starships, greatly improved on the T3 Silver Eden-class in every respect.
Set beside a warship, the Golden Eden was more like a paradise out of the world, drifting in the cosmos.
"A Golden Eden!" Annie was stirred on the instant.
Being a warship she had built herself, she naturally knew its worth; she had even spent a stretch of time aboard one on her own clearance, and it had been enjoyment of the highest order.
And with a great output of high-quality ingredients besides!
If she could have such a Golden Eden belonging to her alone, that would be simply like a dream.
Though Annie had, it was true, a Bronze Eden-class Starship in her name already, and the T3 Silver Eden-class awarded her earlier.
But people are greedy, and dwarves no less so.
And Annie above all — for having tasted better things, she was naturally haunted by them.
The more so with a chance of possessing one now before her!
And besides that, 10 habitable planets!
A lord!
"Lord Annie, how do you find it on consideration? Lord Annie? Lord Annie? Lord Annie?" Zhao Chen looked at the Annie who had gone blank and rather light-headed, and obligingly called it a few times more.
Hearing that form of address, Annie felt as though a current had gone through her from head to foot.
At the thought of it — upon her own planet, thousands upon thousands of subjects kneeling before her, working for her, offering up good food to her.
Annie shut her eyes, and felt herself already standing within such a scene.
"Annie! You are the finest dwarf of our family!" Annie's father praised.
"Annie! Your mother is truly proud of you!" Annie's mother extolled.
"Sister! You're too splendid — you're simply Nana's idol, and Nana likely won't catch up with you in a whole lifetime." Her sister Nana looked at her with worship in her eyes.
"Lord Annie! Lord Annie! Lord Annie!"
……
"Here? Wake up? Wake up?"