"Up to now, our Fierce Dragon Fleet has 35 active interstellar warships. Among them, 17 are combat-type interstellar warships, and 18 are auxiliary-type interstellar warships. We have over 4,000 active soldiers, including 650 frontline combat soldiers and more than 3,200 second-line logistics and industrial ship soldiers. Additionally, there are over 5,000 reserve soldiers. Based on current calculations, maintaining our current interstellar fleet alone costs up to 15 million Star Coins per year. The welfare benefits and salaries for the female soldiers in the fleet amount to 1.2 million Star Coins annually. Beyond this, there are also over 50,000 Dwarves working in the stellar industrial factories, which are not included in these calculations." Secretary Officer Lilith first reported the current operational status of the Fierce Dragon Fleet.
"The fleet's annual maintenance costs are as high as 15 million Star Coins?" Zhao Chen was startled by this figure. "We only have 35 interstellar warships!"
Secretary Officer Lilith looked at the commander. "Commander, among our 35 interstellar warships, four are T3 interstellar warships. These four T3 interstellar warships alone account for two-thirds of the maintenance costs."
Zhao Chen now understood why stellar powers preferred to maintain a large number of T1 Interstellar Warships rather than operate a single T3 interstellar warship. During non-combat periods, T3 interstellar warships were like ancestors to be taken care of, while T1 Interstellar Warships could be easily repaired and maintained, more than sufficient for patrolling subordinate star systems. Don't underestimate Zhao Chen's current 35 interstellar warships—their maintenance costs likely far exceed those of other stellar powers with hundreds of interstellar warships under their command!
But what could be done? These were ancestors Zhao Chen had created himself, so they had to be maintained. And in the future, there would only be more to maintain.
Secretary Officer Lilith continued, "Originally, our account balance was 7.8 billion Star Coins. After deducting the 5 billion Star Coins for raw materials ordered from the Bloody Mary Mercenary Corps and the subsequent 1.5 billion commission, we have 1.3 billion Star Coins remaining. Regarding this payment, we have already delivered the final installment to the Bloody Mary Mercenary Corps. They will deliver the last batch of raw materials by the end of the month, at which point we will pay them the 1.5 billion commission. Your war income from the Reef Starfield is 1 billion Star Coins, but it has been converted into raw materials with a market value of 800 million Star Coins. Therefore, our actual account balance is around 2 billion Star Coins."
After listening to Secretary Officer Lilith's financial report, Zhao Chen had a general idea of the situation.
"Annie, have you formulated the construction plan for the next steps?" Zhao Chen looked at Annie.
"This is the construction plan I've developed based on the requirements you gave me. In August: Ten T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships will continue the construction of the Stargate in the Lion King Star System. If all goes well, it will be completed by the end of August. At the same time, the remaining ten T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships will build another ten T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ships. As per your request, this may be the last batch of T2 Hammers we build. This will bring our active T2 Hammer count to thirty. In September: The production capacity freed up from Stargate construction and T2 Hammer production will be fully released."
This month, we will construct and launch ten T3 Gold Digger-class Heavy Interstellar Mining Ships, fifty T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigates, five T2 Snow Mastiff-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships, one T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser, and one T3 Phantom Sting-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bomber.
The starship construction plans for these two months will consume raw material resources worth 160 million Star Coins."
Listening to Annie's report, Zhao Chen automatically visualized the blueprints for these construction plans in his mind.
The T3 Gold Digger-class Heavy Interstellar Mining Ship was a reward Zhao Chen had obtained from a previous quarterly mission. It happened to coincide perfectly with the newly discovered high-quality resource asteroid belt.
Constructing ten T3 Gold Digger-class Heavy Interstellar Mining Ships was precisely for mining resource ores.
Although the value generated might not be as high as what Zhao Chen could gain from warfare or selling starships, these mining operations formed the very foundation and bedrock of the Fierce Dragon Star System!
Relying solely on selling starships and warfare meant acquiring resources and wealth externally. It was essential to have the ability to generate resources internally.
Zhao Chen had understood the principle of not putting all one's eggs in one basket since he was a child.
"Proceed as you've outlined," Zhao Chen said with satisfaction.
"Commander, that asteroid belt also needs a name," Secretary Officer Lilith inquired about this matter.
Zhao Chen thought for a moment and casually said, "Then just call it the Fierce Dragon Resource Star Sector."
"Yes, sir."
Among the construction plans, the most numerous were the T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigates, a full fifty ships!
The primary reason for constructing so many T2 Black Rhinos was to enable them to undertake the future tasks of protecting both the Fierce Dragon Star System and the Lion King Star System.
In the future, defending stargates and protecting resource star sectors would all require interstellar fleets.
For now, they could serve as combat reinforcements within Zhao Chen's fleet. When the time eventually came to gradually phase out T2 starships, these highly cost-effective T2 interstellar warships could naturally and logically be relegated to secondary roles.
After finalizing these matters and seeing Annie off, Zhao Chen sat back in the captain's chair by himself. Pretending to be asleep, he opened the system interface.
[Host: Zhao Chen
Occupation: Top Starship Engineer
Special Attributes: Fleet Luck Bonus, Eye of Insight
System Points: 1820 (Monthly Fleet Income: 302 points)
Task Points: 35
Starship Count: 35 ships
Mission: Quarterly Mission (Incomplete)
Warehouse: T4 Reborn-class Clone Starship Technical Blueprint, T3 Gold Digger-class Heavy Interstellar Mining Ship Technical Blueprint, T3 Phantom Sting-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bomber Technical Blueprint...]
Looking at his current system points, Zhao Chen frowned slightly.
It was too little.
One of the requirements for his quarterly mission was to exchange for a T3 starship technology. While he had enough task points, he was far short on system points.
Although, relying on his current fleet size, he could earn a little over three hundred points in passive income per month, it was still far from sufficient.
Previously, most of his system points had been used to exchange for the T3 Glorious Moon-class Stargate technology, which led to the current shortage of system points.
He could only hope that in the coming two months, more missions would appear that would allow him to earn points. Otherwise, he would have to miss out on this quarterly mission.
Time swiftly passed, and soon it was early August.
It was strange. Originally scheduled for the end of July, the Bloody Mary Mercenary Corps was supposed to deliver the final batch of raw materials, but they still hadn't shown up.
While delays of two or three days were usually quite normal, for some reason, Zhao Chen couldn't shake a feeling that something was off.
"Commander, the first batch of trained recruits is about to graduate from the T3 Goddess Academy-class Starship. The dean would like to invite you to preside over the graduation ceremony," Secretary Officer Lilith contacted Zhao Chen at that moment, bringing up a matter.
The T3 Goddess Academy-class Starship?
Come to think of it, he hadn't visited the ship since it was commissioned into service.
"Understood. Arrange a time," he agreed to the schedule.
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