Within a T4 Great-Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport.
The angel Tilia looked at those T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer modules, divided part by part, laid out in ranks trim and even within the vast cargo hold.
"Here we have the components required by the military order for 10,000 T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers. By our calculation, when you have taken these back to your works. And produced the core parts wanted, and fitted the whole together. It should want no more than 10 days to finish," Zhao Chen explained to them from beside.
He paused, and added, "Not reckoning, of course, the time the transport between wants."
The Angel King Tilia stood with her small mouth open, and could not for a long while quiet the astonishment within her.
The angel Susan beside her had put away her arrogance of before, and there was now some curiosity in the eyes with which she looked at this Owl Dragon lord.
"Owl Dragon lord, your industrial strength has truly astonished us. In so short a time to have produced us so many T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers — and in quality even far surpassing the requirements for the components we produce ourselves. How have you brought it about?" The Holy Angel King looked toward the lord Zhao Chen.
Having had the angel Susan's report before, the Holy Angel King and Tilia had decided to board and look for themselves.
Boarding, and seeing this, they were exceedingly astonished within as well.
"If you have the time, we should most warmly welcome your visiting our Owl Dragon Star System. I should be very willing to show our Owl Dragon Star System to our friends. There you will have your answer," Zhao Chen said with a smile — though how much of it was to be believed there was no telling.
In short, say the pleasant thing first, and one cannot go wrong.
Though upon thinking it over the thing was impossible: for an Angel King to travel all that way to the Owl Dragon Star System — never mind her own safety, the mere state of the fighting between the Angel Race and the Demon Race now.
Would not permit such a thing to happen.
So the Holy Angel King only nodded in courtesy, saying she would assuredly go when she had the time.
"Was this interstellar transport likewise produced and built by yourselves?" the angel Susan inquired in curiosity from beside them.
As to the military order, she had not the least doubt of it left.
What made her curious now was this interstellar transport she stood in.
It was a T4-grade interstellar transport, and by its inner construction it surpassed even their Angel Race's T4 interstellar transports.
"The T4 Great-Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transport; and there are besides some T3 White-Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transports. In carrying this military order, we have rested wholly upon them."
Having said so much, Zhao Chen turned his eyes to the Holy Angel King. "In fact, if we can establish a long-term relation of cooperation. With our Owl Dragon contract-building interstellar warships for the Angel Race. I have two pieces of advice which may perhaps greatly raise the efficiency of supply — and so raise besides the number of interstellar warships reaching the front-line fields."
"Say on," the Holy Angel King said, looking toward Zhao Chen.
"I advise that a dedicated star gate route be established between our two territories; in this way, in the plans for our cooperation hereafter, the time of transport there and back may be greatly shortened," Zhao Chen said.
To establish star gates was to draw two places nearer together.
Which was for the Owl Dragon exceedingly important.
"The lord's advice is very good, but this lane between our two sides is very unstable, because upon its flank lies that year-round region of cosmic disaster. Subspace travel of the star gate kind simply cannot be carried out there; the risk is far too great," the Holy Angel King said, shaking her head.
Zhao Chen said with a smile, "Then we may build it somewhat further from that stretch."
"Does the lord mean to build it within the Machine Race's territory?" the Holy Angel King asked in surprise.
Zhao Chen nodded with a smile.
The Holy Angel King weighed it a moment. "If it were so, then though we might escape the effect of the unstable space. Yet the Machine Race's threat stands still; these several years the Machine Race has withdrawn its armies and made no further military action beyond its borders. But none can say when they may come rolling back again."
Zhao Chen said outright, "The building of the star gates, and their maintenance and the rest hereafter, shall be answered for wholly by our Owl Dragon. Your side need only provide us, within your own star-heavens, a site for building a star gate, and permit us to rent that site free of charge for the long term. And that star gate will be under our full control. Should any mischance whatever befall this star gate route, whatever losses arise shall be borne entire by our Owl Dragon."
At hearing this requirement.
All three angels were blank a moment.
This requirement held very great good for them: if a long-term traffic of military orders with the Owl Dragon were truly established hereafter, a star gate route could greatly shorten the time of coming and going, and it wanted no effort of theirs.
But to permit the Owl Dragon to build a star gate within their own territory, and controlled by the other side besides… speaking militarily, this was an exceedingly dangerous thing.
"This proposal — allow us to think it over," said the Holy Angel King, without agreeing at once.
Zhao Chen nodded with a smile, and said nothing further.
As for why he was easy about building a star gate within the Machine Race's territory, he had his reasons.
"For the second proposal, your ladyships may need to move a little way." Zhao Chen, with a trace of mystery, led the three of them toward the hangar.
"Where are we going?"
Reaching the hangar, the angel Susan inquired in puzzlement.
"There." Zhao Chen pointed outside it.
Shuttles lay berthed within the hangar, and the hangar's hatch stood open, though a transparent energy barrier still divided the universe from the space within the ship, and it did not hinder the shuttles' coming and going.
Following the direction of Zhao Chen's hand.
The three angels looked across.
The next second, astonishment showed in the eyes of all three.
For they saw a T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer hovering there; and that position lay in the middle of the transport fleet, and with the fleet so vast in number besides.
They had simply not noticed this T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer before.
But at this moment there was no understanding it in the minds of any of the three.
Among the T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer technology they had provided the Owl Dragon, the energy system and the engine core system — core technologies both — were not included.
And lacking these, a T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, though it were fitted together, was but a shell of scrap iron with no fighting capacity and no capacity to sail at all.
Yet at this moment they saw with their own eyes this T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer standing there — and could see several engines alight!
Which meant this T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer could sail as it should!
"What in the world have you done?" the angel Susan could not help asking.
"I have only used my own technology to complete this interstellar warship," Zhao Chen said as lightly as a passing cloud.
This was the small task Zhao Chen had given Chief Engineer Annie and the rest — in which the chief hand had been Zhao Chen's own.