The news of the Mechanical Race's large-scale retreat quickly spread throughout the upper echelons of the Starlight Empire in the following days.
After all, such a massive movement couldn't be concealed.
Everyone was speculating about why the Mechanical Race was withdrawing.
It was rumored that the high-level officials of various interstellar forces in the Galactic Alliance were discussing this matter.
At the same time, the Galactic Alliance's various forces also set their sights on the Star System resources left vacant after the Mechanical Race's retreat, as they were now unclaimed territory!
October 10, 3031, Galactic Calendar
Zhao Chen and Li Yaqi arranged a time for a holographic communication to discuss the military procurement.
Li Yaqi appeared before Zhao Chen.
"Congratulations, President Li," Zhao Chen applauded, congratulating her. "Now, the front page of Starlight Empire's hot news is almost entirely about the Northern Goose Group every day. You're even being called the Business Empress!"
"Please don't tease me, I've been exhausted these past few days. Outsiders might not know, but despite all my hard work, I'm still someone's employee," Li Yaqi looked at Zhao Chen with a hint of resentment.
She found it strange that for such a huge business deal, Zhao Chen had genuinely not interfered from the beginning of their cooperation, even trusting a portion of the profits to remain in the Northern Goose Group's account.
It was understandable before, but now that hundreds of billions in Starship orders had been signed, Zhao Chen still showed no intention of interfering.
She wondered if he was truly uninterested in money, or if he truly trusted Li Yaqi completely.
"Let's talk. How did the military procurement contract signing go?" Zhao Chen asked.
Li Yaqi raised her hand and presented a top-secret electronic contract for the military procurement order to Zhao Chen, allowing him to browse it freely.
"The signing went very smoothly. Originally, the Imperial Army planned to procure 10,000 units, but because our T2 Mastiff only costs 3 million star coins, they decided to increase the order to 15,000 units, for a total military procurement order of 45 billion star coins."
Forty-five billion star coins, this was quite a bit more than anticipated.
Li Yaqi continued, "According to the Imperial Army's requirements, this order must be fully delivered by the end of next year, and several batches will be delivered in succession as agreed during this period.
Based on our previous profit-sharing agreement, all costs are borne by me, so you will receive 31.5 billion star coins.
Congratulations, Viscount! By then, your wealth might even surpass that of counts and marquises.
Moreover, we have also received orders from other forces.
The market share for the T2 Hyena has been completely taken over by us."
"That's all thanks to your actions at the military procurement conference, which directly accelerated the demise of the T2 Hyena," Zhao Chen applauded.
"And Miss Li Yaqi, you didn't earn any less this time either.
The raw material cost is only 3 billion star coins. Other costs like labor, transportation, and expanding production lines, even combined, won't exceed 9 billion star coins.
You still earned nearly 5 billion star coins.
As far as I know, the Northern Goose Group's pure profit for ten years in the past probably wasn't as much as this single deal, right?"
In this cooperation, Zhao Chen and Li Yaqi achieved a win-win situation.
Li Yaqi gained the opportunity to showcase her abilities in a field she had always dreamed of.
Zhao Chen, on the other hand, could earn money while doing nothing.
"I will still fully entrust the Northern Goose Group's matters to you, but I need you to help me with something," Zhao Chen mentioned something of his own.
"Please tell me," Li Yaqi said.
Zhao Chen said, "Now that the Northern Goose Group has grown in scale, procuring Starship raw materials is much more convenient than before.
So, in the future, for the Starship raw materials I need, I'll trouble you to procure an extra set along the way, and then I'll arrange for Chitu to secretly transport them using her channels."
Previously, the Northern Goose Group's annual procurement of raw materials was only a few hundred million.
So, at that time, Zhao Chen didn't directly use the Northern Goose Group's channel, otherwise, it would have easily exposed their relationship.
But now, with the Northern Goose Group's vast enterprise, the procurement of these raw materials will not attract attention at all, so Zhao Chen can naturally use this channel with peace of mind.
"No problem. Just give me a raw material order when the time comes," Li Yaqi nodded in agreement.
After their conversation, they ended the communication.
The Imperial military procurement matter was thus concluded. Since Zhao Chen's eldest sister was nowhere to be found, Zhao Chen had no intention of staying there any longer.
After bidding farewell to Chu Xuan, Su Lan, Xue Xiaoxiao, and others.
Zhao Chen's T3 Blizzard set sail for the Owl Dragon Star System.
And those who were still discussing how the Northern Goose Group's introduction of the T2 Mastiff-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer had dethroned the Hurricane Conglomerate's T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer.
They had no idea that the true mastermind behind this incident had already quietly departed.
In their eyes, there was only Li Yaqi, the rising Business Empress of the Northern Goose Group!
...
Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser · Bridge
"It's still more comfortable to be on my own Starship Bridge," Zhao Chen adjusted the captain's chair to a comfortable position and opened the system page.
He had been with Zhao Wan'er and the others for the past few days and hadn't had time to check the latest quarterly mission.
Quarterly Mission:
Requirement One: Exchange for a t3 level auxiliary Interstellar Starship technical blueprint
Requirement Two: Achieve 100 combat Interstellar Starships
Requirement Two wasn't too difficult. If the number wasn't enough, he could always expand some more T2 Black Rhino, as they were cheap and cost-effective anyway.
As for Requirement One, Zhao Chen needed to consider the system points issue.
At this moment, Zhao Chen felt as if someone was staring at him.
Zhao Chen opened his eyes and saw Zhao Wan'er standing beside him, constantly staring at him.
"Is there something on my face?" Zhao Chen touched his face.
Zhao Wan'er didn't speak, just continued to stare at Zhao Chen.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Chen asked incredulously.
Zhao Wan'er, like a Sherlock Holmes detective, asked mysteriously, "Is that Li Yaqi and that T2 Mastiff related to you?"
Oh my, this woman's sixth sense is truly amazing.
How could she have guessed that?
Zhao Chen was startled, but his expression remained unchanged, "How could I be related to that business genius?
If I were to say I'm related, I only know her younger brother."
"Really?" Zhao Wan'er eyed Zhao ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Chen suspiciously.
Just then, Adjutant Bessie suddenly walked over and reported, "Commander, the latest news from the base."
"Tell me," Zhao Chen immediately asked.
Zhao Wan'er also stopped asking questions.
Adjutant Bessie said, "It's about the information Chitu scouted back. They've already found the base of that slave trading organization!"
Zhao Chen immediately became energetic, "Bessie, return to the Owl Dragon Star System at the fastest speed!"
He was rushing to get his T4... rushing to avenge Chitu!
