The Dragon Emperor · the captain's office.
Zhao Chen looked at the figure of light that appeared before him — that Machine Race little girl.
This time it was only by Zhao Chen's leave beforehand that she could appear here so smoothly.
"Well then — have you cut down that fellow the Mechanical Prophet!" The little girl looked at Zhao Chen with her eyes alight.
"No," Zhao Chen answered levelly.
The little girl rolled her eyes. "Pah. When you contacted me you said you had business touching the Mechanical Prophet. I thought you had settled it already."
Zhao Chen raised a hand, and a holographic interstellar sand table floated up, a district marked out upon it in red.
"At the coordinates you gave me, my people have found 300,000 mechanical fleets garrisoned, and T5-grade warships among them. Tell me — resting upon the strength now in my hand alone, how am I to destroy this Mechanical Prophet in so short a time?"
"Three hundred thousand? So many!" The little girl muttered in surprise.
By the look of it, she had not expected so many warships either.
"You did not know?" Zhao Chen looked at her.
The little girl shook her head and pointed at that red district. "Because my authority is barred outside this district, and every Machine Race unit that enters it loses contact with me. So I do not know how many of the Mechanical Prophet's warships are within. It seems no few of the mechanical warships gone missing these years past were carried off by the Mechanical Prophet."
"And there is a starship manufacturing zone within it besides; they work with the Demon Race and provide the Demon Race with warships. That evil technology the Demon Race researched out these last years was most likely provided by your Machine Race." Zhao Chen's fingers tapped upon the desk, and the eyes with which he looked at her were not kind.
"Here, here, here — that was not provided by me. I had guessed before that there was cooperation between them; I never thought the cooperation would be so great." The little girl waved her hands without cease, drawing a line between herself and that district.
"But it is the Machine Race, when all is said. How am I to know whether you have not similar technology in your own hand? For there are far too many secrets about you." Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes and folded his arms.
"Ahem — there are certain things I am not unwilling to tell. It is only that knowing them now would answer nothing for you; there is no good in it for you."
"How do you know there is no good in it, if you do not tell it!" Zhao Chen returned.
The little girl was unwilling to dwell too long upon this question; she pointed at the red district upon the sand table and looked at him. "Since you have investigated as far as this. And have called me over. It shows you are willing still to deal with this Mechanical Prophet. Say on, then. What terms have you?"
Zhao Chen said, "The number of Owl Dragon Legion warships in my hand is not great, and we have lately been through a hard campaign against the interstellar hive-race. To fight 300,000 Machine Race warships of unknown strength besides leaves the chance of victory exceedingly low.
"You may have me act, if you will.
"Send at the least 500,000 Machine Race warships of the same grade to take my orders, and I shall lead them and destroy this Mechanical Prophet!"
The little girl spread both hands and shook her head. "Have you forgotten what I told you before? I cannot lay hands upon these creatures myself. Still more when that district is exceedingly strange; should my mechanical fleets enter it, they may very well be taken under the Mechanical Prophet's control. To me that is a virus!"
"Then we have no means?" Zhao Chen shrugged.
In an instant the whole office fell quiet.
The little girl's expression grew grave; she set both hands upon the desk before Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen looked with some surprise at the place where those hands met the desk; there was nothing whatever to show this was but a holographic image.
"I know you have a means.
"Say it plainly. What do you want!" The little girl fixed her eyes upon him.
"100 trillion star coins' worth of raw materials.
"Where there is fighting there will be casualties and losses; I want that compensation." Zhao Chen named his first term.
The little girl nodded. "No trouble at all; 100 trillion may be paid you at any time."
It seemed the price named had been somewhat too small.
Though the main piece was yet to come.
"Because I must fight that Mechanical Prophet's fleets, I want the combat data of every warship now in the Machine Race's service!"
This time the little girl paused; then she nodded. "Detailed starship data will not do; but the simple combat data and characteristics I can give you."
The Machine Race has all along been to Zhao Chen a thing that holds a threat.
Though they are not wholly enemies now, who can say what may come hereafter?
To come by a little more relevant intelligence is all gain and no harm.
"I want you to support me with 500,000 Machine Race warships," said Zhao Chen.
The little girl rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Did I not say just now that my fleets…"
"The mechanical fleets you support me with need not enter this red district," Zhao Chen cut in.
The little girl looked at him in surprise. "Not enter?"
"The detailed plan of battle you need not know for the present.
"You need only complete these terms of mine," said Zhao Chen.
"You mean to draw the Mechanical Prophet's warships out? That is impossible; they will never lightly leave that district. They know I am watching them!" The little girl shook her head, holding that she had guessed his plan.
"There are plans a man cannot know will not answer until he tries. And besides, you have no other choice now." Zhao Chen looked at her with a smile.
The little girl stared a long while at that smiling face of his, then turned her back upon him. "Very well; I shall trust you this once.
"I can give you one Machine Race legion fleet that obeys my orders absolutely — 500,000 warships.
"Your action I need not know of.
"But you must give me a time, surely?"
"Before the end of this year; success or no, I shall do this thing," said Zhao Chen.
"Then it is agreed." So saying, the little girl seemed to make ready to go.
"The 100 trillion star coins' worth of raw materials — when do I have it?" Zhao Chen called out.
"I shall send you a set of coordinates; go and take it there in three days." Having said this, the little girl vanished.
The smile went from Zhao Chen's face.
He leaned back in his sofa chair, narrowed his eyes, and murmured to himself, "The Mechanical Prophet… and you too, small creature.
"However many secrets you have, I shall look into every one of them by degrees."
Task (The Machine Race's Secret)
First-stage task: seek out the coordinates of the Mechanical Prophet. (Complete)
Second-stage task: launch a punitive expedition against the Mechanical Prophet; annihilate at the least 300,000 of the Mechanical Prophet's interstellar fleets. (To be completed within three months.)
Zhao Chen looked at the System task interface, newly updated before him.
This Machine Race assuredly hides some great secret.
"Little Dragon Girl, go over the Dragon Emperor's systems.
"Remember: every time this creature comes, go over them again."
"Yes!"