"This was originally the room of the second vice captain, but since I only have one vice captain, and I wanted to bring you back this time, it's been empty. You'll stay here for the next few days." Zachary Chase said, carrying his sister's luggage and pointing to the vice captain's single room in front of them.
"It's pretty good." Wendy Chase looked around the room.
"How are you going to arrange your starship?" Zachary asked.
Wendy was a fourth-year student and also had her own exclusive starship.
"Senior Suzanne Lane has a long-term rented berth at the starport, and she's going home for the holidays, so my starship can just stay at her berth. My crew members are all academy students too, and I've already given them a holiday." Wendy said, sitting on the bed.
"If I remember correctly, your starship is a T2 Fire Crow-class Heavy Interstellar Battlecruiser." Zachary recalled.
Wendy nodded.
When Wendy chose her fourth-year starship, she faced the same situation as Zachary: no funds, so she could only choose from the academy's starship warehouse. However, Wendy was lucky because she was an honors student, and the academy gave her special consideration, specifically preparing a T2 Fire Crow-class Heavy Interstellar Battlecruiser for her, even though it was a second-hand vessel with a thirty-year service history. But it was definitely considered a top-tier T2 starship.
Coupled with Wendy's reputation as an honors student, students from other departments naturally flocked to join her starship, but considering the salary and benefits, Wendy only recruited commoner students.
"The T2 Fire Crow-class Heavy Interstellar Battlecruiser is good, but it's an old vessel after all. In the future, I'll get you a new vessel!" Zachary mumbled.
Wendy rolled her eyes: "A new vessel? Forget it. Don't think that just because you extorted five hundred thousand star coins from Victor Hargrove, you can show off. Five hundred thousand star coins aren't even enough for a fraction of a T2 starship."
Zachary smiled without a word. He hadn't told Wendy that he had completed another transaction; by selling the starship technology of the T1 Wolf Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, he had a full three million star coins in funds!
Besides, he wasn't planning to buy a starship. He had a system with a lot of starship technology. Wouldn't it be more suitable to build his own? Why would he need to buy one?
"Look at you. You have to believe your brother! Just tell me what type of vessel you want, and I'll arrange it for you before the end of this year!" Zachary waved his hand, looking nonchalant.
Wendy chuckled: "If you're capable, get me an Aircraft Carrier Starship."
The price of an Aircraft Carrier Starship is the most expensive among all vessel types, without exception! Because they carry a large number of Interstellar Fighters and Interstellar Drones, the combination of these two makes the price exorbitant.
Zachary's mouth curved upward. Isn't this just walking into a trap?
"No problem. Isn't it just an Aircraft Carrier Starship? Your brother will arrange it for you! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" Zachary said with a smile.
"You just boast." Wendy certainly didn't believe Zachary. You should know that a T2 Aircraft Carrier Starship, even a light one, costs no less than ten million star coins!
"Alright, after you've settled in, let's go eat." Zachary walked to the door.
After waiting for Wendy for a while, the two went to the Starship Restaurant together.
As they walked down the corridor to the Starship Restaurant's entrance, Wendy sniffed: "I think I smell something fragrant."
Zachary smiled and didn't speak.
"By the way, I noticed that your half-orc female crew members are a bit different from before… but… I can't quite put my finger on it…" Wendy looked at Zachary suspiciously: "You didn't do anything to those half-orc female crew members, did you?"
Zachary tapped Wendy's head: "You little girl, what are you thinking about here!"
Wendy stuck out her tongue, blinking at Zachary.
She realized that her relationship with Zachary seemed to have changed a lot recently. The old Zachary would never dare to touch her head, and he would always be very reserved in front of her, as if she were the older sister and Zachary was the younger brother.
The two walked into the restaurant, laughing and talking. At that moment, Wendy's feet stopped, and she looked at the scene before her with astonishment.
Steaming hot noodles, fragrant bread, fluffy white steamed buns, and even aromatic pieces of meat. There was even a white, crescent-shaped food, which was the legendary dumpling!
"Is this your Starship Restaurant?" Wendy was dumbfounded.
"Of course. Come over here to order." Zachary pointed to Wendy behind him, addressing the chef behind the counter: "Whatever she orders, put it on my tab."
"Captain… you don't need to swipe, do you…" the chef said with a strange expression.
According to the rules Zachary himself set, when dining in the Starship Restaurant, Zachary also had his own meal standard. However, because he was the captain, his meal standard was three times that of ordinary female crew members! And some officer-level female crew members naturally had higher meal standards than ordinary female crew members.
This class division was also to motivate female crew members to work. Excellent performance could lead to promotion, which would allow them to enjoy better meal standards. It was a kind of incentive policy.
"Follow the rules." Zachary then started ordering: "Give me a plate of pork and cabbage dumplings."
A large portion of the menu here was designed by Zachary, so there were many Chinese dishes. And dumplings, in fact, also existed in this world and were quite famous, rumored to be an ancient dish from a Blue Star. But because natural ingredients later became expensive, this dish gradually became a meal for nobles—a legend in the eyes of ordinary people.
"Hurry up and order. People are still queuing behind you." Zachary urged, looking at the stunned Wendy.
Wendy quickly glanced at the menu and then ordered a plate of Shredded Pork with Fish Flavor over Rice.
Then a hovering robot scanned Zachary's face. This was considered 'payment.'
"Please wait at your seat. A robot will deliver your meal later," the chef said.
Zachary and Wendy found an empty seat and sat down.
"What exactly is going on? Are these all natural ingredients?" As soon as Wendy sat down, she stared at Zachary and asked.
Zachary nodded: "Yes."
Wendy pointed to the holographic electronic screen sign on the counter: "Can ordinary crew members order those foods?"
"Everyone has their own meal standard; as long as it doesn't exceed the limit and isn't wasted, it's fine."
"What's the meal standard for ordinary crew members?"
"0.3 star coins per day, not exceeding 10 star coins per month."
"10 star coins?!" Wendy shrieked, her voice startling the people eating around them. She immediately lowered her head and whispered: "Are you crazy! 10 star coins! Even the noble guard fleets of our Star Glory Empire don't have such high meal standards! My meal standard for my crew members is only 0.05 star coins per day!"
"If they don't have it that high, why can't I set it that high? This is my starship. I can set it however I want." Zachary said with a smile.
Wendy covered her face: "You… don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have those five hundred thousand star coins. You'll get into trouble sooner or later like this."
"Then we'll talk about it when trouble comes." Zachary shrugged.
At this moment, Wendy and Zachary's meals were delivered.
Fragrant pork and cabbage dumplings and Shredded Pork with Fish Flavor over Rice.
In front of the delicious food, Wendy gave up debating with Zachary. As she ate, a look of happiness appeared on her face.
After finishing the meal.
Just as Wendy was about to continue 'educating' Zachary, her handheld terminal rang, indicating a new message.
Wendy opened it, and her expression suddenly changed.
"Not good! Something happened in the Little Dragon Star System!"
The Little Dragon Star System was Zachary's territory star system.
"What happened?" Zachary asked.
Wendy projected the message holographically: "This is from a confidant my sister left in the Little Dragon Star System."
'Someone in the Little Dragon Star System has colluded with external enemies, attempting to assassinate the Zhao family! Second Young Master and Third Young Miss, absolutely do not return!'