"What? A million demon interstellar warships are to harry that stretch of the universe of yours?" The War Angel King's face changed at hearing the news.
Zhao Chen shrugged helplessly, with the expression of a man who has no means at all. "The Demon Race are wicked past pardon; ever since the Machine Race withdrew and that demon lane appeared. The Demon Race have eyed us as a tiger eyes his meat. They have already launched several attacks upon us one after another. You will have heard of it too — that our Owl Dragon Legion beat the Demon Race's 300,000 interstellar warships only at a bitter price. And this time the Demon Race come rolling back with a full million demon interstellar warships. This is a design to destroy every interstellar power in that stretch of the universe of ours. Much as our Owl Dragon Legion would guard the several great interstellar races, the will is there and the strength is not."
Zhao Chen with that whole air of I am small and weak and want protecting.
The War Angel King looked at this man with some contempt.
Weak?
A weak power that can annihilate the Demon Race's 300,000 interstellar warships with 30,000.
Why should we dread your building a star gate within our territory, if not for that very military strength of yours.
Did we not know that your combat-type interstellar warships are few in number, we might not even have talked this cooperation through.
Though if the Demon Race truly sent a million interstellar warships against the Owl Dragon Legion, then strong as the Owl Dragon Legion's fighting power had been before, such an army would indeed be hard to bear up against.
"But our own front-line fields are exceedingly deadlocked at present…" The War Angel King's brows drew together; he was no fool, and had no wish to send his own legion fleets to another's homeland to fight for the protection of another.
Zhao Chen let out a sigh. "I know. The true agreement of cooperation is not yet struck, and that mutual aid of allies rests wholly upon the principle of free will. I shall not require that the Angel Race must aid us. I shall lead my Owl Dragon Legion and fight the Demon Race to the death, though I fear the end of it will be nothing to be sanguine about. By which time the Demon Race will have swallowed a great stretch of our star-heavens, and come by a great quantity of population and resources. And by that time we shall have no way of supplying the Angel Race the interstellar warships you want. The Demon Race will then…"
"Stop, stop, stop — say no more!" The War Angel King stopped Zhao Chen from going on; he had heard well enough that these words were a sounding of them from the side.
You may decline to help us, but weigh the consequence for yourselves.
This was simply a manner of coercion by another road!
"How many interstellar warships will you have to aid you?" The Holy Angel King saw through the tangle of interests behind it; having seen the profit lying in the Owl Dragon, the Angel Race would not permit such a thing to happen.
"The more the better, of course. Or shall you send a million angel interstellar warships across to support us?" Zhao Chen blinked his eyes and looked at the Holy Angel King.
A million?
That this fellow could even think of it.
The War Angel King forced down the urge to thrash him. "A million is out of the question! Two hundred thousand at the most!"
Though he said 200,000 with his mouth, the War Angel King was mightily uncomfortable within.
How was it he had the feeling of having been taken in.
"How should 200,000 answer? Eight hundred thousand!" Zhao Chen began to haggle.
"Three hundred thousand! You know our Angel Race is in fierce battle with the Demon Race now; to draw off 300,000 is no small matter as it is!"
"Seven hundred thousand — this must be reckoned by the long view. Once your side has helped us drive off the Demon Race, then in our military cooperation hereafter can we not supply the Angel Race's front line with interstellar warships in an unbroken stream? Our Owl Dragon's military-industrial production is expanding now; in future — within six months I can guarantee that this present share of 5 trillion star coins in monthly military orders can rise to 10 trillion!"
"Three hundred and fifty thousand! That is the limit already!"
"…………"
The Holy Angel King watched these two, who looked ready to come to blows.
She broke in helplessly. "There are certain angel legions I can move upon my side; and further, I can put Tilia's Principality Angel Legion in charge of this military support. In all, 400,000 interstellar warships can be moved."
The Holy Angel King looked toward Zhao Chen. "My lord, you understand the Angel Race's present case as well. This is already the greatest support we can give at present. And the time of this relief is limited besides. These legion fleets can guarantee support to your side for three months at the most."
Three months was time enough.
Four hundred thousand interstellar warships, though it did not reach Zhao Chen's aim.
Yet among them was the Principality Angel Legion fleet of Tilia, an Angel Guard — to be reckoned an elite among the angel legions.
"Further, in this action of support, the consumption of battle is to be answered for by you!" the War Angel King added.
With this fellow, he would be truly uncomfortable within if he did not get a little of his own back.
"Then let it be made up out of the interstellar warships delivered within the military orders." Zhao Chen knew well enough what the other side had in mind; though this much outlay could not be avoided.
Only that Zhao Chen might choose the manner of payment most favorable to himself.
And with that, every object of Zhao Chen's coming to the Angel Race was accomplished.
A great harvest, it might be called.
————
The Hades · bridge.
Quarterly mission
Task: establish a formal alliance with the Angel Race, or declare war upon the Angel Race.
Reward: 500 task points.
Task points remaining: 550
Zhao Chen leaned back upon the sofa, stretched himself, and listened to Lilith reporting beside him.
"When we are back, hand Annie and the rest the technical drawings of the new classes within those military orders the Angel Race has given us. Have them fill out all these new classes, and at the same time build, as fast as may be, interstellar warships stronger than the original ones," said Zhao Chen.
He would never believe that when he set better interstellar warships before those angels, those angels could remain unmoved.
Was the Owl Dragon-modified T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer not fact enough?
None escapes the law of it is delicious after all.
Hereafter the Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships could be sold into the Angel Race by degrees.
The road is walked step by step, and the rice eaten mouthful by mouthful.
That money tree the Angel Race — if Zhao Chen did not shear it bald, his name was not Zhao!
"And the building of the star gate route; that must be set upon the calendar. Two months! Within two months I shall have built a star gate route running straight from the Holy Radiance Empire to the Angel Race!" Zhao Chen set out his requirement.
"But by the building route you have laid out. Almost the whole of it lies within the Machine Race's controlled region." Lilith was somewhat anxious.
"That business I shall handle myself." Zhao Chen smiled slightly.
His contact with the Machine Race before had left Zhao Chen with something learned: the Machine Race had secrets, and the Machine Race seemed to bear no very great enmity toward the other interstellar races.
And that Machine Race little girl was interested in him.
So fine an opportunity — how should Zhao Chen not turn it to use!