"Master." A pair of mechanical beauties knelt upon one knee before the little girl.
"I have settled it with Zhao Chen.
"He has come by the basic information within that district, and hereafter will launch a military action against it.
"Though he named certain requirements.
"They were not too much to ask; I agreed to them all.
"Among them was that we support him with 500,000 interstellar warships," the little girl said levelly.
"But that district is unstable, and the risk to our mechanical fleets in entering it is far too great! To this day, of the warships we have sent in, not one has come out!" The mechanical beauties spoke it together.
"He has said it: the fleets we send will not enter that district; they need only wait upon its outer ring," said the little girl.
Hearing this, the mechanical beauties said nothing.
"Ah-Yin, lead the 500,000 warships yourself and work with him. So long as it is not entering that district, give whatever he charges you with the fullest cooperation there can be!" the little girl ordered.
One of the mechanical beauties — she of the silver hair — said, "Your servant understands."
"Ah-Jin, how stands the case there?" the little girl inquired.
"The figures have been rising all along, but they remain for the present within our compass of control," answered the mechanical beauty of the golden hair.
The little girl nodded and said, her voice low, "Since that creature appeared, it has grown less and less settled.
"He must be destroyed as soon as may be, or who can say what he may contrive.
"That in so short a time he should have built a starship manufactory within that district — no wonder he has gone and colluded with the Demon Race.
"By my guess he means to raise the Demon Race into claws and teeth of his own, and by that grow his own strength and carry out his plan."
Neither mechanical beauty spoke.
Of that Mechanical Prophet there are far too many secrets; a great deal even these two trusted servants do not know.
"Have there been any outbreaks of the virus of late?" the little girl asked next.
"Three in the past month, but all were handled by our emergency squads. No great effect was worked," Ah-Jin answered.
"We cannot take it lightly. Remember what trouble the first outbreak of the virus worked us in those days. For which we even destroyed a great quantity of mechanical lives in secret!" The little girl clenched her fist, and her voice was very cold.
Wholly unlike that childish manner of hers before Zhao Chen.
"I will on no account allow such a thing to happen a second time!"
"Let the master set her mind at rest; we shall keep the strictest watch!"
The little girl said nothing further, and the two mechanical beauties left the room of their own accord.
Within the whole space there remained only the little girl, and time seemed to have ceased to pass.
The little girl raised a hand, and a figure of light appeared before her.
It seemed to be a photograph: several people, and in the middle a little girl, her very image, with a happy smile brimming upon her.
"How I miss you all."
…………
Galactic Star Calendar 3035, the end of November.
The three great empires at this end of the universe, after fire upon fire of war, had come at last to a good half year of settled life.
And with the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group handing technologies of every kind downward, all three empires showed a swift development and a vigorous life.
Within those star systems of the Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions, once barren and unpeopled, wave after wave of migrants and pioneers appeared.
"The development figures for the Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions' private sector hold to a swift rise of 50 percent against the month before.
"The population has passed 10 billion.
"And under our planning, the first ten chief living star systems have appeared.
"…………" Lilith stood at Zhao Chen's side, reporting the development of this stretch of time.
The Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions, being Zhao Chen's own ground, stand in name under the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group's rule.
But because they were formerly held by the Machine Race, they were barren and unpeopled.
To develop these fifteen star regions, Zhao Chen and the rest had discussed a detailed plan.
First, to open resource industries — for the ground had been masterless before, and Zhao Chen need only take the whole of it in hand; that is the fastest thing to raise.
And with resource-extraction industries, the relevant trades may be built thereafter.
These trades all want people resident at work, which wants habitable cities built.
And with habitable cities comes living, and spending, and the pursuit of a quality of life.
And to provide such services wants people of every trade and calling.
Which for no few people is a chance of business.
And at the same time the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group opened an interstellar banking loan business of its own accord.
Within which was the founding of enterprises in the Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions: a founder may have a loan at low interest.
And it is by just such a chain of linked workings, with the vast financial power behind the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group to help it, that the Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions have risen at so swift a rate.
Drawing newcomers here in an unbroken stream.
"And what was the Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions' total return last month?" What Zhao Chen minded most was how much came into his own account.
Set against those military-purchase dealings, and the odd bit of gouging.
To do well by one's own industries — that is the water that runs long and fine!
"The Owl Dragon Fifteen Star Regions' total monthly output has by now reached 1.5 trillion, and there is a very high space of development left," Lilith answered.
1.5 trillion a month; near 20 trillion a year.
Which, set against the Angel Race, rich and open-handed, flinging 100 trillion in military orders to order two T5 warships, looks a great deal smaller.
But understand that the vast Angel Race's annual output is but 300 trillion star coins.
And that after a thousand years of development.
How long has Zhao Chen been at it?
Still more when this does not reckon in the returns from every side beneath Zhao Chen's hand — the protection money the three empires pay, the Northern Goose Group's returns, and the rest.
Add all of it together, and when Zhao Chen turned over last month's account there was near 5 trillion star coins of total return!
And that without reckoning those Angel Race military orders!
"Commander, the legion fleets are all fully equipped." A figure appeared upon the Dragon Emperor's bridge.
Charlotte was long since used to this transmission; appearing, she walked straight up before Zhao Chen.
"Ten Owl Dragon legions, two special fleets — all ready?" Zhao Chen asked.
"All ready and in order; and a logistical transport fleet besides," Charlotte added.
"And the Machine Race's side?"
"The Machine Race's representative has established contact with us," said Charlotte.
Zhao Chen stretched himself. "We have rested some months; go longer without stirring and our starships will likely rust.
"And it falls out well for bringing our newcomers out to show themselves.
"Drill a few tens of times, and it is worth less than one true fight upon a field."
Having muttered all this to himself.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, raised a hand and opened an interstellar war sand table, and pointed at the star region where the Mechanical Prophet lay.
"Carry out the action code-named Unveiler."