Zhao Chen's initial excitement faded as he scrolled.
The system mall interface floated before him, row after row of starship options sliding past his eyes.
T1 Grey Squirrel-class medium interstellar destroyer.
T1 Shield-class medium interstellar frigate.
T1…
All T1.
Without exception.
The exchange conditions were laughably low—one mission point, a few dozen system points. From a purely economic standpoint, these system starships were absurdly cost-effective. Any one of them would outperform real-world vessels of the same tier.
But Zhao Chen wasn't impressed.
"T1 is still T1," he muttered.
Right now, he commanded a ship assembled entirely from T2 hulls and systems. Even if Blizzard Zero was crude, it sat firmly above the T1 threshold.
How could he possibly downgrade?
He frowned and directly queried the system.
"How do I upgrade the mall?"
The response appeared instantly.
[System Mall Upgrade Conditions — T1 → T2]
Exchange at least one T1-level product (Incomplete)
Complete one D-rank system task (Completed)
Consume 100 system points (Available)
Zhao Chen leaned back.
"So I still have to exchange a T1 product…"
It felt like the system was deliberately blocking his path.
Then—
A thought struck him.
Who said he had to build the T1 ship?
Starship technology itself was a commodity.
Sell the blueprint.
Excellent starship designs were always in demand. The reason few circulated was simple: they were too valuable to part with.
Zhao Chen didn't share that concern.
Direct sales earned less than manufacturing and selling the finished product—but speed mattered more right now.
There was only one problem.
"If I personally sell starship technology, I'll draw attention," Zhao Chen murmured. "Especially as a student.
"I need a buffer."
A familiar face surfaced in his mind.
Li Wei.
Li Wei's family ran Beiyan Interstellar Trade Group, a conglomerate deeply involved in interstellar commerce. In recent years, they had been pushing aggressively into the starship arms market—with miserable results.
Zhao Chen remembered Li Wei complaining about it over drinks.
If they couldn't produce a best-selling model before the end of the year, the Li family would abandon starship manufacturing entirely.
"A perfect intermediary," Zhao Chen said quietly.
He pulled up academy network records and began researching Beiyan Interstellar Trade Group's recent products.
Six starships in five years.
Every single one a failure.
Some had glaring performance flaws.
Others were simply overpriced.
The worst model had sold fewer than ten units before being forcibly discontinued—along with massive compensation payouts.
Even the most successful one had sold fewer than a hundred ships… at a loss.
Zhao Chen's fingers moved rapidly as he cross-referenced these designs with the system mall's catalog.
"This one's too complex."
"Poor scalability."
"Market's too narrow."
He eliminated options one by one.
Finally—
"That's it."
He selected a blueprint.
[Exchange Confirmation]
Consume 50 system points and 1 mission point to redeem:
T1 Wolf Lice–class Medium Star Destroyer
Confirm?
"Confirmed."
[Redemption Successful]
Technical drawings acquired: T1 Wolf Lice–class Medium Star Destroyer
Remaining system points: 350
A flood of data surged into Zhao Chen's consciousness.
Complete structural layouts.
Engine configurations.
Weapon loadouts.
Manufacturing tolerances.
This was a thoroughly mature design.
Durable.
Cheap.
Easy to mass-produce.
If Zhao Chen hadn't already possessed the Blizzard Zero and the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser blueprints, he might have seriously considered building this ship himself.
At that moment, a soft female voice sounded.
'Ding. Captain, an external communication request has been received.'
'Identity confirmed: Li Wei.'
Zhao Chen smiled.
"Speak of the devil."
"Tell him to wait outside the ship," Zhao Chen ordered. "I'll come down."
Before leaving, he issued strict orders to Charlotte: no crew were to disembark, and no outsiders were allowed aboard Blizzard Zero without his explicit permission.
Starport Berth
Li Wei stood beneath Blizzard Zero's massive hull, eyes gleaming.
The ship stretched nearly 260 meters, its battleship-derived frame radiating oppressive weight. Rust-streaked armor plates and archaic contours gave it a brutal, domineering presence.
"It's beautiful…" Li Wei murmured.
A pity the 1200mm cannon was hidden.
The hatch opened.
Zhao Chen stepped out casually.
Li Wei lunged forward and slung an arm around his neck. "When did you become a monster like this?!
"I mean—when did you get this good at starships?"
"While you were chasing girls, gaming, and wasting time," Zhao Chen said calmly, "I was reading."
"Reading?" Li Wei squinted. "You mean starship engineering?"
Zhao Chen shrugged. "Theory matters."
Li Wei believed him.
Zhao Chen had always ranked near the top academically. He just hadn't expected the gap to be this terrifying.
"Brother," Li Wei said eagerly, "let me board the ship. Just one look at that 1200mm cannon—please!"
Zhao Chen smiled faintly.
"That depends," he said. "I need you to do something for me first."
Li Wei's grin turned wicked. "Say the word. Want my entire private collection?
"Ten thousand terabytes. Seven hundred and twenty races. Action, drama—everything."
Zhao Chen instantly jumped back three steps, staring at him in disgust.
"Get lost," he said flatly. "Do I look like that kind of person?"