"I recruited some crew members for the starship. They said they'd deliver them within a day," Zhao Chen said.
"Crew members? What kind of crew members?"
"Slave crew members. You said they were the cheapest option."
"How much did you spend? Didn't you already use up all your academy credits?"
"Not much, just three thousand stellar credits."
"If I remember correctly, you only had a little over three thousand stellar credits left in your living expense account."
"That's right."
"..."
Black lines were practically forming on Zhao Wan'er's forehead. She'd never realized how unreliable her older brother could be.
"Look, here's the list." Zhao Chen even showed Zhao Wan'er the slave purchase list with accompanying photos.
When Zhao Wan'er saw the photos, things got even worse.
Because every single one was a beastman—and all female beastmen at that.
Zhao Wan'er glared at her brother with a darkened expression: "Zhao Chen!"
...…
After thoroughly scolding Zhao Chen, Zhao Wan'er angrily stormed off.
In her view, her brother had completely lost his mind and was beyond redemption.
She needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario—cleaning up Zhao Chen's mess.
After Zhao Wan'er left, Zhao Chen first freshened up, got some proper sleep, and changed into clean clothes.
Right on schedule, his 'slave crew members' arrived.
"Hello, are you Mr. Zhao Chen? Here are the one hundred slaves you ordered. Please present your ID card," a man with a professional smile appeared at the entrance of Zhao Chen's workshop.
Behind him were mechanical carts covered with black cloth—ten in total, each three meters tall, four to five meters long, and two meters wide.
Strangely, no people were visible.
Zhao Chen showed his ID card and asked curiously, "Where are the people I ordered?"
"They're inside here." The man lifted the black cloth from one cart, revealing metal cages.
Each cage was roughly a one-meter cube containing a beastman curled up with arms around knees. Their clothes were tattered, with electronic shackles around their necks and ankles. They all looked haggard and terrified...
"This software controls their electronic shackles. The shackles have electric shock and self-destruct functions. Any external tampering without the password will trigger explosion," the man explained.
"I see. Do these cages come included?" Zhao Chen pointed at the equipment.
"Of course," the man smiled. These beastmen had been sitting in inventory for ages—throwing in some carts and cages was nothing compared to finally selling them.
"I'll take them in myself then." Zhao Chen pushed the dozen carts into his workshop himself.
Removing all the black cloths revealed the beastmen in their entirety.
They came in many varieties—some covered in beast-like fur, others more humanoid with animal ears or tails. Most had canine, porcine, or caprine features.
But one stood out particularly.
A white-furred beastwoman with blue eyes that burned with hostility, anger, and resentment. She had a pair of broken white ears and a severed white tail.
Ugly scars marred her face and body—without them, even as a beastman, she'd likely meet human aesthetic standards.
Zhao Chen was very 'familiar' with this beastwoman—she was the primary reason he'd chosen this particular batch.
"Hello, General Charlotte."
The white-furred beastwoman looked startled when addressed by name—especially that title.
"General Charlotte, born in the Black Fang Star Sector of the Warhammer Interstellar Tribal Confederacy, from the White Tiger bloodline. You rebelled against the local lord's oppression of beastman tribes, forming an interstellar resistance army."
"For three years, you fought over fifty space battles of varying scales."
"Once commanded three hundred resistance starships against five hundred lord's fleet ships in a pyrrhic victory—even destroyed one of their T3 starships."
"But three months ago, betrayal revealed your plans. Ambushed by vastly superior forces, your entire fleet was destroyed before you disappeared."
"Never thought you'd end up a slave sold to the Stellar Glory Empire." Zhao Chen recited the beastwoman general's history matter-of-factly.
Hearing her past laid bare left Charlotte momentarily dazed.
Zhao Chen opened her cage and sat cross-legged before her.
"So, want to talk?"
Charlotte laughed bitterly. "Talk? I'm a prisoner. What's there to discuss?"
"How about your freedom? And that of your fellow beastman soldiers sharing your fate?"
That got Charlotte's attention. She eyed Zhao Chen warily. "What do you mean?"
"Straight to the point—I have a starship but no crew. I want you and your people to serve as my crew."
Charlotte sneered. "So you want free labor. Isn't that why you bought us slaves?"
"No, no, no. I want crew members, not slaves. Willing interstellar warriors who'll fight for me sincerely!" Zhao Chen corrected.
"Beastmen never fight for others." Pride flashed in Charlotte's eyes.
"Think of your comrades then. After your defeat, nearly thirty thousand beastman slaves were sold to our empire."
"I only bought one hundred. The others' fates remain unknown."
"Don't you want to save them?" Zhao Chen stared intently.
Charlotte hesitated—Zhao Chen knew he was halfway to success.
He stood up. "Fight for me, and I promise this: when able, I'll buy back all your scattered soldiers across the empire."
"Lead them in serving me for three years, and when that time comes—you'll all be free."
"So, will you fight for me? Or rather, will you fight for your freedom?"
Zhao Chen extended his hand into the cage.
Conflicting emotions warred across Charlotte's face.
Finally, she grasped his hand—though still defiant. "I do this for my people!"