T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought · bridge.
"How did the talks with that crew go? Smoothly enough, I take it?" Zhao Chen looked at Lilith at the far end of the video window.
Lilith nodded and said, "Very smoothly. Of the 68 production concerns we picked out, all of them capable of building T3 and T4 interstellar warships and their components, every one is willing to join our Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group's industrial system. Of these, 29 are in the Holy Radiance Empire, 21 in the Starlight Empire, and 18 in the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom. We have already sent people expressly to take up station within these military-industrial enterprises. The production work hereafter will be settled between our resident personnel and the representatives of each enterprise."
"When they heard you promise that over the coming decade these military-industrial enterprises might see an average annual profit growth of 30 percent — and reach a tenfold increase within 10 years! And that they would enter the industrial supply chain of our Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group besides. Those family powers behind the enterprises were each of them sharpening their heads to press in and work with us. They even agreed without a moment's thought to our terms — that we control 45 percent of the equity in their military-industrial enterprises, the Holy Radiance Empire's sovereign 10 percent, and they themselves 45," Zhao Chen said, with feeling.
He had supposed that a negotiation taking in the senior military-industrial systems of all three empires would not go very smoothly, and that some hard measures might be wanted at the last.
But he never thought that after the first meeting it would be agreed by every vote.
Some representatives were even anxious that they had come too late, and that no chance would be left them.
Lilith smiled slightly. "That crew are all pursuers of profit, and such people know very clearly what they stand to gain. For men who put profit above all, give them profit enough and they will bow their heads and call themselves subjects. And for us, it looks as though we have given away a good deal. In fact we have gained the more. To hold so many ready-made military-industrial systems — though these cannot match our own — is to have a ready-made framework, ready-made craftsmen, ready-made technical personnel. Set against developing to such a scale ourselves, to use theirs ready-made is far faster. As for that wager of an agreement, tenfold in 10 years — for us as we now are, is that not easy enough?"
Zhao Chen smiled in perfect understanding.
The Northern Goose Group, in a bare five years down to now, had multiplied its profits none knew how many times over.
To have these military-industrial enterprises multiply tenfold within 10 years could not be simpler.
And it achieved besides the purpose of controlling these enterprises, and a half share of the profits.
"Then the business at home is left to you and Charlotte. This journey to the Angel Race — if it goes quickly, by my estimate the terms will be settled and I shall be back within half a month. In this while we keep in contact; should anything of importance arise, contact us at once. And if I cannot be reached, you may decide for yourselves — I grant you the highest grade of command authority!" Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte in the video window beside him.
Charlotte and Lilith were now the two women Zhao Chen trusted most.
To hand everything of his over to them to manage left Zhao Chen easy in his mind.
"Mind your safety." Charlotte said it in four plain words.
"Keep in contact," said Lilith.
The video communication ended.
And at this time Zhao Chen's acting captain, Xue Xiaoxiao, called out to Zhao Chen in excitement, "We have reached the largest starport in the Holy Radiance Empire's north!"
For this journey to the Angel Race's territory.
Apart from Zhao Chen there were only Xue Xiaoxiao, and one succubus secretary Lilith had assigned to Zhao Chen for the occasion.
And apart from this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought, only 30 interstellar warships went with them.
"Commander, the Holy Radiance Empire's Empress Saint Cana requests an audience. And the fleet leader of the Angel Race's survey fleet requests an audience besides." A comely but plainly rather nervous succubus secretary stood at Zhao Chen's side.
The succubus Nancy, graduated half a year ago from a Goddess Academy-class starship.
She had held in turn the posts of starship secretary, small-fleet secretary, and legion deputy secretary.
One of the succubus secretaries Lilith was cultivating with particular attention.
Ever since the Owl Dragon's compass of influence had reached across all three great empires, Lilith had begun gathering in every scattered member of the succubus race.
To this moment the number of succubi within the Owl Dragon system had passed 1,000.
Because succubi have very good intelligence and efficiency in business, the post of secretary was the chief direction in which they were cultivated.
"There is time enough; let us see them." Zhao Chen stretched himself lazily.
Their fleet was to halt a while at this starport to take on supply, and at the same time to join with the Angel Race's survey fleet and go on together to Angel Race territory.
Something above five hours, near enough.
"Yes." Secretary Nancy at once got in contact with both parties, and settled the time and place of the meetings.
"Nancy, you need not be so nervous. I am no man-eating monster; treat me just as you did the captains and commanders you worked with before." Zhao Chen, seeing Nancy so nervous, could not help laughing.
"Ye… yes…" Secretary Nancy was constrained still.
It seemed a stretch of time would be wanted to settle her yet.
Thereafter, by Secretary Nancy's arrangement.
Zhao Chen first saw that Empress of the Holy Radiance Empire.
Zhao Chen measured this Empress up and down; though it was a bare two months since they had met.
The air about Saint Cana was now wholly unlike what it had been.
The Saint Cana of before had been like a war-spear, filled with the will to fight.
Whereas she now was more like a goddess standing high above and looking down upon all living things.
"This journey to the Angel Race — how long will it take?" Saint Cana, on seeing Zhao Chen, put on no airs whatever, but sat straight down in a chair and asked it, coming directly to the point.
"Half a month at the least. At the latest I shall assuredly be back before the end of March."
"I hear that in this one battle at the demon lane your Owl Dragon Legion annihilated 300,000 Demon Race interstellar warships entire — and that your own loss rate passed 30 percent?" Saint Cana looked toward Zhao Chen.
The Owl Dragon Legion was now the thing that sheltered the Holy Radiance Empire, and Saint Cana naturally took the more care for it.
"Just so. The losses were considerable." Zhao Chen nodded, and made no concealment.
Saint Cana hesitated a moment, but said it all the same. "As to what you promised me — the handling of the permanent Grade-5 cosmic bug-nest within the Holy Radiance Empire's borders?"
Zhao Chen had foreseen that in seeking him out Saint Cana would assuredly raise this matter.
Come to that, upon this matter Zhao Chen had put her off for a good while now.
"How does the case stand upon your side at present?" Zhao Chen asked.
Saint Cana had made ready long before, and opened a star chart.
"Whether it is our good luck I cannot say, but these two months the number of hive-race fleets coming out of this Grade-5 cosmic bug-nest has not been very great. And no second T5 Hive Mothership has appeared. The first T5 Hive Mothership has kept to the neighborhood of the cosmic bug-nest all along, as though it had fallen into a kind of… dormancy."