This first draw had turned out a thing of such value for its cost.
Which left Zhao Chen the more expectant of the two main pieces.
He tapped the first T5 shop draw ticket.
A scene like the last, but more splendid, appeared before him.
Thereafter the holographic projection of an interstellar warship floated up before him.
Congratulations: obtained the technical drawings of the T5 King-of-the-Hill-class Heavy Interstellar Comprehensive Strategic Escort.
Though it was but an interstellar escort, Zhao Chen was well content.
For a fleet that is a system, the existence of any class whatever is of the utmost importance.
As for this T5 King-of-the-Hill's character, it was in the main sound and regular, and gave one a feeling of solidity.
But having read it through, Zhao Chen could call it nothing but perfect.
This was an interstellar escort that had reached perfection, weighing the needs of every side and arriving at an utmost balance.
There might be escorts that surpass it in some one quality; but there is assuredly no starship that can surpass its showing upon a field!
Zhao Chen's eyes went to the last T5 shop draw ticket.
An interstellar escort he did not mind either.
But within, he carried a thread of hope still.
Zhao Chen raised his hand again and touched that golden card.
The spinning… the firework beams… the bursting apart…
The holographic image of an interstellar warship floated up before him.
Seeing this course a third time, Zhao Chen was long since unmoved by it.
He minded the more what class had come out.
Congratulations: obtained the technical drawings of the T5 Spear-of-Sin-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ship.
Zhao Chen swung a fist sharply.
Though this was not the interstellar missile ship, strongest of all in field-wide firepower output, it was a good choice all the same.
And most important, it was the fire-support class that best fitted the Owl Dragon Legion's actual case at present.
An interstellar missile ship's firepower output is mighty, but there is no helping its high consumption.
Set against it, an interstellar heavy-artillery ship's field consumption is a good deal lower, and it can guarantee a sustained firepower output over a long time.
As for that trouble of insufficient strength in the output…
If one hull will not answer, then ten; if ten will not answer, then a hundred.
Where quality falls short, let number make it up.
"Not bad luck at all. One T5 interstellar escort, one interstellar heavy-artillery ship. A shield and a spear — it may be reckoned as filling in a piece of the T5 order." With this result Zhao Chen was well satisfied indeed.
What remained was only to fold these three classes into the Owl Dragon Legion's building plans to come.
And it fell out well: after this campaign, the Owl Dragon Legion's later plans for procuring interstellar warships wanted some amending and widening too.
He wondered besides how Chief Engineer Annie had been faring this while.
He had heard that to widen the building of starship ordnance and other weapons supplied to the field in this stretch of time, she had in the main been working overtime and had had no proper rest.
Then… let her rest properly three days.
And after three days, seek her out.
Zhao Chen turned it over within, and was well satisfied with his own arrangement.
Having come by three treasures, Zhao Chen could now with an easy conscience go and dream a sweet dream.
He lay upon the bed and shut his eyes, and had the robot beside him clean his body with the simplest of its equipment.
Sleep came upon him at once.
Though he seemed to hear the sound of the door opening.
Of those who hold leave to open the door of Zhao Chen's room, there are not many.
Zhao Chen listened to the footsteps, and could in the main be certain who it was.
Being far too sleepy, he did not open his eyes, but slept on.
"Asleep?" Charlotte came on tiptoe up before Zhao Chen, looked at him already lying down, and pouted in her displeasure.
She had come by a chance of rest with no small trouble.
She had meant to come and find Zhao Chen, and never thought the fellow would sleep so dead.
Charlotte sat upon the bedside, looked at Zhao Chen sleeping like some child, and could not help showing a soft smile again.
She took up her own tail and drew it across the tip of Zhao Chen's nose; and seeing that impatient expression of his, forced down her laughter.
Having teased him a few times, Charlotte lost interest in it too, and stretched herself.
She felt weary as well; through these days of campaigning, and above all of fighting deep in the enemy's rear, the pressure upon the spirit is very great, and she had had no proper rest.
And these last days there had been business after the war to see to besides, and no rest either.
Until today, when she had at last given herself half a day's leave.
Seeing Zhao Chen sleeping so soundly, she made ready to sleep as well.
Though she did not, as he had, use technological equipment to clean herself.
But went into the bathroom beside, ran the water, and made ready for a proper soak.
At the outset Charlotte had not liked bathing, for she disliked water.
But several times Zhao Chen had drawn her in to bathe with him, and without knowing it she had come to like this feeling of ease.
Above all a soak in warm water, which left her feeling her whole body relax.
"Ah yes — nightclothes…" Charlotte came out of the bathroom to look for them.
And when she opened the wardrobe to take them, she saw a thin garment hanging there.
At the sight of it she threw a look of no good humor at the dead thing upon the bed.
That garment was far too shameful; before this the fellow had kept asking her to put it on, and she had refused every time.
But somehow, now, she had a feeling of wanting to put it on.
When he woke and saw her, his expression would assuredly be a splendid one.
At the thought of it Charlotte made up her mind, took the garment out, and went into the bathroom again.
Half an hour later.
The sound of water stopped.
The sound of a door opening came.
Zhao Chen upon the bed had by now slept quite away in his ease; and though his body sensed the stir, he did not mind it.
But… had he listened closely at this moment, he would have found.
That the sound of the door opening was in fact two!
With the footsteps, two people's eyes met.
The air within the room seemed in that moment to grow heavy.
"How is it you are here?"
The two spoke it at once.
For there stood Lilith in leather, and Charlotte in that thin garment, both of them with faces full of astonishment.
At the doorway behind Lilith one could see a uniform jacket cast off.
By the look of it, Lilith had changed into the leather beforehand, and had shed the jacket the moment she came in, unable to wait.
Only that she had never thought the first to see the gift she had made ready with such care would not be the one she had imagined.
"I…" The two of them were for a moment without words, not knowing what to say.
The stir roused Zhao Chen too.
"I am a little tired; if there is to be a business of it, let us have the business after we have slept." Zhao Chen rose without thinking, put out both hands, drew someone in, and lay down upon the bed.
But very soon Zhao Chen sensed that all was not as it should be.
What was this…
Why did it feel… like two people?
In that instant Zhao Chen's sleep was wholly gone.
Within the room, six eyes met.