In the several hours of waiting upon the Angel Race's answer.
Zhao Chen was not idle either; he summoned Charlotte and Lilith in haste and told them the business.
As for how Zhao Chen knew that permanent Grade-5 cosmic bug-nest would burst into a swarm surge, upon this point Zhao Chen said only that he had seen it from data of anomalous spatial fluctuation.
At this reason, Charlotte and Lilith of course both chose to believe him entire.
Of anything this man said they would entertain no doubt whatever.
And began at once to move troops and appoint commanders.
"If we have no way of knowing how much of the interstellar hive-race we must face, then I advise reckoning upon the worst result. Move the whole of our military stores to the Holy Radiance Empire, and at the same time draw off so far as may be the legion fleet strength within the Starlight Empire and the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom. Against the Demon Race they could do nothing much, but against the interstellar hive-race they may perhaps help us somewhat," Lilith said, setting out her thought.
Charlotte said next, "Then I shall now arrange for the gravely damaged interstellar warships to return to the Owl Dragon base at once for repair, complete the work in the shortest time, and hasten to the cosmic bug-nest. As for those lightly damaged, let them go straight to the military starports of the Warhammer or the Holy Radiance Empire and borrow their equipment for the repairs. In so short a time, the Owl Dragon base alone could hardly complete the whole of the work."
Zhao Chen nodded, agreeing with their plan. "Do as you have thought. I shall contact the Empress Qin and the Empress Saint Cana at once; as for the Warhammer, Charlotte, you shall settle it. And at the same time tell the three empires to enter a state of emergency war mobilization. All military stores and raw materials of every power, official and unofficial, are to be shipped to the Holy Radiance Empire. And when the war is over, for these military stores and raw materials we have requisitioned, our Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group will pay at market price — or in Owl Dragon-line goods, interstellar warships and the like. And should they choose to exchange for our Owl Dragon-line goods when the time comes, all at 30 percent off!"
The highest leader of the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom now was Charlotte.
Set against the Starlight Empire, the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom was rather the more obedient card in Zhao Chen's hand.
As for mobilizing three empires, that was a choice there was now no helping.
For having just come through this hard battle with the Demon Race, they had spent far too much of their military stores; and in so short a time, resting upon the Owl Dragon alone and the official powers of the three great empires, the military stores that could be gathered might not answer.
But among the several lords and the private powers there might well be no small stock in hand.
To exchange that stock of theirs at market price — these people would surely be very willing.
And most of them would likely choose to exchange for Owl Dragon-line goods when the time came; 30 percent off, after all!
Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships, auxiliary classes of every sort, or grain — all were good choices.
"In short, I leave the whole of this business to you two. Should anything sudden arise, you may give orders in my stead!" Zhao Chen said gravely.
"Understood!" the two answered, and went off to their emergency mobilizing.
Over on the other side, the angel Tilia soon gave her answer too.
Zhao Chen looked at the video window before him.
"Our lord the Holy Angel King is willing to help you hold off this attack of the interstellar hive-race, and we shall take our orders wholly from you. But upon one condition beforehand: should our angel interstellar warships' loss rate pass 30 percent, we shall quit the field at any time. And at the same time, in this fighting against the interstellar hive-race, whatever value of interstellar warships our angel legions lose is to be exchanged into Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships within the sales agreements, as compensation to us for the losses of the war. Further, as to your T4 interstellar missile ships, I hope the sales rights may be opened to us." The angel Tilia came straight to the point.
At first hearing, such conditions seemed a great many.
But set against the support before, this support was in fact the more reliable.
For they had set out their requirements outright: I will fight for you, but if the casualties run too high, I withdraw.
Let the ugly words be spoken first.
Whereas the earlier case, in which nothing whatever was made plain, had held no sincerity at all.
Which is why Zhao Chen had set no great hope upon them then.
That there should be so great a change was in the main because, after this great pitched battle between the Owl Dragon Legion and the Demon Race's fleets, the Angel Race set the more store by the Owl Dragon's value.
If it could be helped, they had no wish to see so fitting an ally simply vanish.
And that at the hands of the interstellar hive-race besides — a calamity that is a grave hidden peril to any interstellar power in the universe.
Though the one point of some difficulty was the article of the T4 interstellar missile ships.
Zhao Chen was silent a while.
He who grudges the child will never snare the wolf; the most important thing now was to come through this crisis of the Swarm Surge.
And within the Owl Dragon system now, the topmost starship technology had already begun to cross into T5-grade.
T4-grade interstellar missile ships were not so very important.
And even should the Angel Race come by the ships, to take them apart and research them out would want thirty to fifty years at the least.
And whether they could build them was another matter again.
But the Angel Race must not be let come by so good a thing as easily as that either.
"I can open to you the sales rights of the T4 Judgment-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship, but there is a condition. Upon the fields to come against the interstellar hive-race, for every thousand T4-grade Hive Motherships or every one T5-grade Hive Mothership you annihilate, I can sell you one T4 Hell-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship and 10 matching interstellar missiles," Zhao Chen said.
The angel Tilia hesitated a moment; in their talk before, the Holy Angel King had given her room to judge for herself.
She looked toward Zhao Chen. "Then let it be done as the lord says. The relevant agreement I shall send you. Hereafter these three angel legions of ours will take your command; though at the same time you must provide us military stores and supply."
Zhao Chen agreed.
Though he had opened the T4 Hell-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship to the Angel Race, and would sell them several in time.
Yet they seemed to have overlooked one key point.
Namely that an interstellar missile ship is unlike other classes: it is a starship of high consumption, and what it consumes is physical ordnance.
Half the composition of an interstellar missile ship's fighting power comes from the several models of interstellar missile it is fitted with.
The Angel Race had likely not yet grasped this, and supposed that once they had bought them home they could research and produce interstellar missiles themselves.
Ha ha ha.
It would not be so easy as that; when the missiles ran out, they would have to come and buy from the Owl Dragon still.
Take an advantage of Zhao Chen, and sooner or later he earns it back tenfold!