Charlotte pondered Zhao Chen's words for a moment without saying much.
She strapped the handheld terminal onto her wrist, using her permissions to access the relevant data about this starship.
What she saw was astonishing.
Charlotte's eyes widened as she looked at Zhao Chen in disbelief. "The data on this starship... is all real?"
"Of course it's real." Zhao Chen said, somewhat proudly, as if boasting about his own child. "So, how do you like my starship?"
Charlotte's expression turned serious. "If the data shown here is accurate, then this starship is almost invincible in duels among T2 starships!"
An invincible existence.
What a terrifying evaluation that was.
If Zhao Wan'er and Li Wei heard this, they would definitely scoff. A starship cobbled together from just three broken ships could be an invincible T2 starship?
What a joke.
"Wait a moment. We'll go out for a trial voyage. You can also assign the crew positions."
Zhao Chen scratched his nose awkwardly. "Because... I don't have much funding right now, this trial voyage will mainly be for you all to familiarize yourselves with the starship and for training.
I hope you can master controlling this starship as soon as possible."
"Can I see the list of slaves you purchased?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, you can see it within your permissions."
Charlotte opened the backup crew list, which showed the one hundred half-beast slaves.
They were all Charlotte's comrades, which softened her gaze considerably and filled her heart with guilt.
Thinking that many of her kind were still prisoners deeply unsettled her.
"Luckily, these are all experienced crew members. Plus, since this starship is only a T2-class starship, after three to five hours of practice, they should be ready for battle." Charlotte replied.
Zhao Chen smiled with satisfaction.
After half a day, Charlotte had familiarized herself with the Zero Blizzard, and the other half-beast crew members had finished their rest.
"This is the post assignment list I made for the half-beast crew. Operating the Zero Blizzard only requires fifty crew members." Charlotte handed Zhao Chen the list.
"The extras will be backup for each position; let them get used to the working environment first." Zhao Chen instructed. This was his first starship, but definitely not his last.
Later, these crew members could be assigned to other starships.
"I've already applied for the departure request at the starport. My lease on this starship workshop is almost up, so I used my remaining funds to rent a berth at the academy starport.
After the trial training, we'll return directly to that berth.
I've purchased some basic bedding and daily necessities; from now on, you will live on this starship.
As for other living supplies, I will find a way to handle them later." Zhao Chen finished speaking, feeling a pang of pain in his heart.
His account balance was shrinking rapidly.
He still had to support these one hundred half-beast girls. He absolutely had to figure out how to make money.
It was humiliating for a grand interstellar lord to be this broke.
"Yes." Charlotte accepted Zhao Chen's orders and gradually stepped into her role.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, looking at the old starship bridge. His heart was firm. He was determined to own a true T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser!
"This is your living area, five people per room.
As for meals, there are two meals per day; report to the dining area on time to collect them.
Each work position is divided into three shifts, rotating in three shifts.
Understood?" Charlotte looked at the hundred half-beast crew members in front of her. This feeling was like going back to the days when she fought in the rebel starfleet.
Months felt like a lifetime ago.
"General... are we really going to fight for those humans?" a female half-beast crew member raised her hand at this moment.
The mood among the half-beasts was low.
After all, they were still slaves, which weighed heavily on their spirits.
"Everyone here was once my subordinate. Because of my incompetence, you all have fallen into this plight. If you are still willing to trust me, I promise I will restore your freedom.
Captain Zhao Chen has promised that if we fight for him for three years, he will grant us freedom.
And if we distinguish ourselves in battle, he will search for our comrades who were sold within the Stellar Glory Empire.
You may not believe in humans, but... I, Charlotte, am willing to trust that man, so... please believe me. I swear by the honor of the White Tiger Clan that I will lead you all home!" Charlotte's words and emotions stirred the half-beast warriors present.
At this moment, Zhao Chen on the bridge saw this scene clearly through the ship's surveillance covering 80% of the starship.
Frankly, Charlotte was very straightforward. She was fighting for Zhao Chen not out of loyalty, but for freedom.
Zhao Chen didn't mind this. In fact, it was precisely because of this that he chose to trust Charlotte.
He wouldn't trust a slave who kneeled before him and swore loyalty just because they were bought casually.
Soon, the originally messy starship workshop was cleaned out completely; anything movable was taken away.
At the same time, the starship workshop's navigation channels were opened.
"Designation... Zero Blizzard... permission granted to enter branch route D13."
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, looking at Vice-Captain Charlotte beside him,
and at the dozen or so half-beast crew members appearing on the bridge.
"Departure." Zhao Chen said.
Vice-Captain Charlotte issued the command: "Start the starship engines and enter branch route D13."
The half-beast crew members operated the starship somewhat awkwardly but fairly smoothly.
A few minutes later, the Zero Blizzard sailed out from a navigation channel in the North Star Starship Academy's interstellar city.
The Zero Blizzard's bridge was a fully enclosed structure, relying on image capture equipment on the ship's exterior to project several external starship views inside the bridge.
Looking at the cosmic scenes appearing on the projection screens in front of him,
Zhao Chen's heart stirred with excitement.
He was sitting on his own starship, sailing through the universe...
"Captain, next we will conduct twenty-nine trial voyage training exercises.
Please issue orders." Vice-Captain Charlotte looked at Zhao Chen.
"Begin." Zhao Chen replied.
Having a competent subordinate was great; nothing needed to be done personally.
"Heading 071/299, starship engine power output at 30%, speed at 30 knots." Vice-Captain Charlotte professionally issued navigation commands.
Then, the Zero Blizzard began its first trial voyage training.
...
"Continue on this heading, starship engine full power output, speed 100 knots. All compartments, closely monitor relevant data and report immediately if any anomalies occur." Vice-Captain Charlotte was now conducting the final trial voyage exercise.
Full speed ahead.
This was to test how the starship operated at its fastest, most extreme speeds.
This was also Charlotte's biggest concern for the starship. After all, less than a month ago, this was still three separate starships!
One minute...
Three minutes...
Five minutes...
Ten minutes...
"Report: Engine systems normal, power supply normal."
"Report: Hull structure normal."
"Report: Navigation stable, no anomalies."
...
Three hours later.
Vice-Captain Charlotte finally breathed a long sigh of relief. She looked at Zhao Chen and stood straight. "Captain, the Zero Blizzard has completed all twenty-nine trial voyage training exercises. Please advise."
"Return to port." Zhao Chen smiled. "I think someone is already itching to get beaten up."