Chapter 41: Battle Preparations

"Feng Mo, I'm going to kill you! Expecting dividends in half a year after giving me this ridiculous list? You must be joking!"

Sure enough, after seeing the list Feng Mo had sent, Chu Yun Jian's face turned blue with rage. She attempted to call Feng Mo on video, but it didn't go through. Feng Mo had disconnected from the network early, completely unaware of her frustration.

Chu Yun Jian had every right to be furious. Feng Mo's list included materials to build fifty T3 interstellar mechs and components for thirty-six T3 starships. What made it worse was that the "atmosphere dome" he mentioned was not just any dome but a highly advanced artificial intelligent atmosphere layer, which cost ten times more.

The total value of everything on Feng Mo's list exceeded ten billion Cloudy Mountain coins, equivalent to one million star coins, even at internal trade prices. It was a figure that could easily bankrupt a lesser imperial noble family.

Chu Yun Jian gritted her teeth in anger. If Feng Mo had been present, she might have bitten him. He was treating her like a bottomless money pit. Still, she couldn't back out now, as she had already agreed.

Just as she was fuming, her terminal beeped with an incoming message. Chu Yun Jian opened it to find a note from Feng Mo, and her anger softened into a smile.

"To the esteemed President Chu: I've included three starship design blueprints for our new company. I'll be relying on you to manage everything. And don't forget to name the company—Feng Mo."

---

Meanwhile, after exiting the Star Network, Feng Mo sent a message to Yue Xiaomeng, asking her to purchase a T3-grade planetary defense system. With limited funds, he could only provide 300,000 star coins, promising to pay the rest later.

After dealing with that, Feng Mo opened a holographic star map, which displayed a red-marked resource planet. This was the Flame Raiders' hideout. He called Ai Er over, and the two of them began strategizing.

Ai Er studied the map and commented, "This planet is on the edge of the Storm System, surrounded by a dense asteroid belt. The spatial magnetic fields are highly unstable, causing radar malfunctions. Even with star charts, navigating that area could lead to getting lost."

Feng Mo nodded. It was indeed a difficult terrain to assault, and the Flame Raiders' leader had chosen wisely. It was easy to defend and hard to attack.

"But we have to strike," Feng Mo insisted. "Eliminating them is crucial. The old saying 'a thief is hard to guard against' comes to mind. As long as their leader lives, I won't sleep well at night."

Ai Er, familiar with her commander's meticulous nature, couldn't help but roll her eyes. Feng Mo was known for being petty—so petty it hurt.

"If we must attack, I suggest purchasing magnetic stabilizing materials to coat the ships. This will mitigate the effects of the magnetic field fluctuations," Ai Er advised.

It was a solid recommendation, but the fleet still lacked someone familiar with the asteroid belt's layout. An ambush from the Flame Raiders was a real threat. However, Feng Mo had little choice. His system had already issued a new mission:

Mission: Annihilate the Flame Raiders and eliminate their leader. Reward: 1000 points, T3 Boxer-Class Interstellar Missile Ship

The reward was too tempting for Feng Mo to ignore. A missile ship was essentially a mobile weapons platform. Unlike most starships that relied on lasers, missile ships used guided missiles, which could be even deadlier.

Combining missile and laser attacks would be devastating. The downside? Missile ships were essentially floating powder kegs. With massive amounts of ammunition and energy on board, one good hit could spell disaster.

Nevertheless, a well-protected missile ship was no joke. Its firepower could rival that of an entire small fleet, capable of launching a barrage that obliterated enemy lines. It was a potent weapon but came at a high price. One full missile salvo could cost as much as a T2 destroyer, making it a weapon for the wealthy.

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Three Days Later

Storm Star lifted its state of emergency. Civilians returned to work, and life resumed as usual, except that the burial grounds on the eastern outskirts had grown with tens of thousands of new bodies. Ai Er had gathered all the former slaves, officially declaring their freedom and enlisting them as laborers to help build new cities.

During those three days, Ai Er had visited each city with the fleet captains, evaluating potential city administrators and selecting suitable candidates from among them. Drawing inspiration from Immortal Cloud's main star, Feng Mo established eight main departments: the Military, Finance, Civil Affairs, Security, Industry, Education, Science and Technology, and the Bureau of Construction.

Feng Mo took the title of Planetary Governor, while Ai Er became the Minister of the Military. Feng Tianyi was appointed Minister of Security, Alisa took charge of Science and Technology, Laika managed Finance, and Laixi handled Civil Affairs. The remaining positions were filled through local recruitment, though Feng Mo planned to groom Laika and Laixi into competent leaders like Ai Er.

That morning, Feng Mo and Ai Er waited at the starport for Chu Yun Jian's arrival. She brought good news—and three T3 Reindeer-Class Interstellar Transport Ships loaded with the materials he had requested.

When Chu Yun Jian stepped out of the transport beam, Feng Mo's eyes lit up. People in the interstellar era were rarely unattractive, but Chu Yun Jian had a unique allure. Her regal features, red combat uniform, tall, well-proportioned figure, and cold demeanor signaled her status as someone unattainable.

Perhaps still irked about Feng Mo's demands, Chu Yun Jian ignored him and greeted Ai Er warmly. Meanwhile, Alisa and the merchants from the Cloudy Chamber began unloading the supplies from the transport ships, and Feng Mo led everyone back to the base.

"Welcome, Lady Chu, to my humble abode," Feng Mo joked once they reached his office. For the first time since her arrival, Chu Yun Jian's lips curled into a smile.

"I didn't realize the Viscount had such an unusual sense of aesthetics," she teased, her eyes taking in the room's gold decor. "Maybe I'll gift you a golden bed next time, so you can literally sleep on gold."

Feng Mo glanced around the office, which had once been the Flame Raiders' headquarters. The former leader had a penchant for gold, covering the walls in gold paint and decorating everything with gold embellishments. The room was almost blinding.

"If you're willing to give it, I'm happy to accept," Feng Mo replied cheekily. "Anything to save a little money. You have no idea how poor Storm Star is right now. We owe the new company over ten million star coins. We're practically starving!"

"Alright, alright, stop crying about money," Chu Yun Jian said, cutting him off. "I'm not here to hold you accountable for extorting me. I have more int

el to share, and I want to discuss something important with you."