Once everything was set in motion, Feng Mo and Old Wang parked their starships in the logistics department, where they would undergo maintenance and repairs for a week. After leaving the starships behind, they took a hovercar back to their temporary dormitory.
There, Feng Mo logged onto the internal network and ordered materials for building two T2 Black Bear-class frigates, spending nearly three million credits. Previously, when constructing ships on his territory, the cost of a single T2 Black Bear was around one million credits, with discounts for bulk orders.
However, these two frigates were customized, with enhanced armor thickness and strength, making them more expensive. As Feng Mo was finalizing the order, the doorbell rang. A holographic screen popped up, showing Old Wang and the other two members of their team.
"Xiao Y, open the door!" Feng Mo called out, and the door slid open automatically. Old Wang entered, shouting loudly:
"Mo, I've got something to discuss with you, and you must agree."
Feng Mo was curious. What was so important that he had to agree to it? Jokingly, he thought, "Is it 'Mo, do you want a wife?' Maybe I'm overthinking things." He asked, "What's up? Just say it."
"I discussed it with Moxue and checked with Xiaomeng, and we all agreed that while splitting our previous military merits and credits equally was fair, we can't keep doing that for the escort mission and future gains," Old Wang said, glancing at Feng Mo to gauge his reaction. Seeing Feng Mo wasn't upset, he cleared his throat and continued, "From now on, we'll divide everything into five shares. You'll take two, and the rest of us will each take one. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to you."
Feng Mo chuckled, "That's it?"
Old Wang nodded earnestly. Feng Mo continued, "Alright, I agree. I desperately need those merits and credits, so I won't be polite. Just remember this agreement."
Over the next eight days, Feng Mo, with the help of ten junior starship engineers and hundreds of shipbuilders and mechanics lent by the military, began constructing the two T2 Black Bear-class frigates.
It was a bit excessive, but necessary. Initially, when Feng Mo had asked Yu Minghao for assistance, Yu had pretended to decline. However, once Feng Mo explained to Director Lui that he had independently designed and built a T3 warship, things escalated. Yu Minghao eagerly reported this, and the military quickly sent people to observe and learn.
Thus, Feng Mo hardly needed to worry about the construction process. In just two days, the frigates' keels were completed. The interstellar era had long done away with traditional welding, relying instead on high-strength alloy adhesives, which sped up the construction significantly. Some large-scale shipyards could produce a batch of over a thousand T3 ships in just seven days, though they still struggled to meet demand.
The junior engineers enthusiastically rolled up their sleeves and took over the construction platforms, even pushing aside the professional shipbuilders to get hands-on experience. Feng Mo couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
When they arrived, Feng Mo had generously shared the T2 Black Bear-class frigate blueprints (except for the engine specs), which had been officially registered with the Human Federation's copyright office. Even this amazed the engineers. The Black Bear was incredibly durable and robust, especially with the addition of claw-like structures on the bow, designed specifically for ramming attacks, and made from the best T3-grade materials.
In just seven days, ahead of schedule, the two T2 Black Bear-class frigates were completed. Feng Mo spent half a day conducting thorough inspections. Once everything was confirmed to be in order, he dismissed the hundreds of helpers, making sure to exchange contact information with many of them for future use.
"Elpan, select two of the most promising trainee captains to command the new Black Bears and transfer forty crew members from the reserve pool," Feng Mo instructed.
"Yes, Sir!" Elpan replied, heading off to fulfill the order. Earlier, Feng Mo had purchased 150 slaves from the academy's internal market, training them as his crew. The Storm, as an intelligent warship, only needed around 100 crew members, so the extra 50 served as reserves, rotating with the main crew as needed.
Feng Mo had also established a captain training program, identifying five talented individuals to groom as future leaders. Now it was time to give two of them a chance to prove themselves in action.
On October 12th, the mission reviewer arrived on Planet Z139. Feng Mo led the reviewer to the starport, showcasing his fleet's impressive array of combat-ready ships, which passed the inspection smoothly.
On October 13th, the six-ship fleet departed from Planet Z139, heading for Base 4. Located in the Bass Star System, the base lay to the northwest of the Human Federation's territory, bordering both the Western and Northern fronts. To get there, Feng Mo's fleet had to traverse three star gates.
The Bass Star System was best known for the infamous Chaos Planet, which was a hub for both the slave trade and refueling operations. Its strategic location made it a crucial junction for transporting slaves from the Western front to the North and for refueling ships headed to and from the Bass System.
The Western War Zone bordered the chaotic Starsea, home to countless interstellar pirates and exploration fleets. These forces frequently attacked inhabited planets, capturing various species to sell into slavery across the Federation. This trade had become an integral, albeit controversial, part of the economy. Elpan herself had been captured from Starsea's chaos and sold here, a reminder of the region's dangerous reputation.
The fleet's journey to Base 4 required a stop at Chaos Planet for refueling. Despite the dangers of the wider universe, the interior of the Federation remained relatively secure. After seven hours of warp travel, the fleet finally reached Chaos Planet.
As the ships docked at the starport, Feng Mo witnessed a sight he would never forget: a true interstellar battleship.
The colossal warship measured 4.7 kilometers in length, with a majestic lion head emblazoned on its bow. It boasted over 300 massive guns, each turret larger than the Storm's main laser cannon.
This was the T5 Lion King-class interstellar battleship, one of the three great pillars of the Yunshan Empire, and the flagship of the Lion King Fleet. The ancient T5 warship had been in service for 322 years, earning countless honors and solidifying the Yunshan Empire's status as one of the four Northern empires of the Federation. Finally seeing it in person, Feng Mo understood why it was said that anything below T5 was mere
child's play. This was the true might of the Empire!