"Don't listen to his nonsense. Come on in." Chu Xuan shot Zhao Chen a glare and pulled Zhao Wan'er into the room.
Zhao Chen followed behind with a smile.
The room was spacious, with a large living room of about two to three hundred square meters immediately visible upon entry.
On one side of the living room was a massive floor-to-ceiling glass window, offering a view of an artistically designed, enormous open-air exhibition hall below.
Dozens of holographic projections of starships could be seen, with many people admiring them and discussing something.
"Wow..." Zhao Wan'er was taken aback by the sight.
"Isn't this the Imperial Military Procurement? Why are there so many people?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Chu Xuan explained, "Although this event is nominally for Imperial Military Procurement, it's also an excellent opportunity for starship manufacturers to showcase their interstellar warships.
Even those starships not favored by the Imperial Military might receive several starship orders here.
That's why so many starships are docked outside the starport.
After all, if it were solely for Imperial Military Procurement, only about a dozen related factions would be involved. How many people could that bring?"
Hearing Chu Xuan's explanation, Zhao Chen understood the reasoning.
He looked down at the entire exhibition hall. Most of the displays were T2 starships, with only a small number of T1 and T3 interstellar warships.
By observing the crowds around each display, one could tell which starship was the most popular.
"In this round of Imperial Military Procurement, the two most popular starships are actually from two different manufacturers.
The first is the T1 Wolf Louse-class Medium Starship Destroyer from the North Goose Starship Technology Group. Although the Imperial Military has no intention of procuring it, this starship is highly regarded by various stellar territories.
It's likely to secure many starship orders during this event.
The other is the T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, which has consistently topped the T2 interstellar destroyer bestseller list. It's said that the Hurricane Consortium has specially developed a new model for this military procurement order, and they are determined to win it.
Moreover, the members of the Military Procurement Committee are very optimistic about this T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer. It's highly probable that this T2 starship will be selected." Chu Xuan explained.
Zhao Chen's lips curled slightly as he thought to himself, "That's not necessarily true."
"What is the military procurement process like?" Zhao Chen asked.
Chu Xuan replied, "It's simply a matter of starship manufacturers showcasing the starships they intend to bid on before the deadline, presenting their advantages, disadvantages, pricing, and so on.
Finally, the members of the Military Procurement Committee vote to select the winning starship.
Then, the relevant military procurement order contract is signed."
"Is the entire process fully transparent?"
Chu Xuan thought for a moment. "Except for some confidential clauses in the later stages of signing the agreement.
Most of it is public. This has been a tradition since the establishment of the Stellar Glory Empire, except for certain top-tier starships that are negotiated directly with manufacturers in private, as there aren't many alternatives for such interstellar warships.
However, information about some T3 interstellar warships and all T2 and T1 starships is made public."
"This rule was established by the founding emperor of the Stellar Glory Empire to prevent corruption and malpractice, which could disrupt the starship research and manufacturing industry and deprive outstanding starship manufacturers without connections or resources of the opportunities they deserve."
Hearing this, Zhao Chen couldn't help but admire the foresight of the emperor who founded the Stellar Glory Empire, who had planned meticulously and remained vigilant even in times of peace.
No wonder the Stellar Glory Empire had become one of the three major political entities in the Galactic Alliance.
"When will the final decisions be made?" Zhao Chen asked.
"The timeline for finalizing each military procurement order varies. So far, there are twenty-seven different procurement projects in this round of military purchases. The entire process could take anywhere from a week to half a month," Chu Xuan explained.
"When will the T2 interstellar destroyer order be confirmed?" Zhao Chen asked about the topic that interested him most.
Chu Xuan raised her hand and opened an electronic document containing detailed information about the military procurement exhibition.
"The T2 interstellar destroyer procurement order will be finalized on October 5th. Due to the large scale of the order, it is a key focus of this procurement round. Although it's widely assumed that the Hurricane Consortium's T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer will win the bid, the formal procedures still need to be followed," Chu Xuan said.
October 5th—that wasn't far off, only about a week away.
"You seem very interested in the Hurricane Consortium?" Chu Xuan asked curiously.
"Well, they were quite hospitable to me before. I never forget my 'old friends,'" Zhao Chen replied with a faint smile.
Chu Xuan continued, "You and Wan'er can stay here for the next few days. There are plenty of rooms, so feel free to choose any. During this time, I'll accompany you to the starship exhibitions. You can also see if there are any starship technologies that interest you. If you find anything helpful for your... project, let me know, and our Chu Family will do our best to assist you."
The Chu Family placed great importance on T4 interstellar warship technology.
Zhao Chen nodded and shrugged. "I'm treating this as a vacation. My sister-in-law and I will follow your lead."
"Will you ever stop?" Zhao Wan'er grabbed a pillow from the nearby sofa and threw it at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen caught it effortlessly.
Chu Xuan had grown accustomed to Zhao Chen's teasing by now. She rolled her eyes and continued, "There's also an important event in three days—a banquet. Many dignitaries and major consortiums from the Stellar Glory Empire will attend, and the Little Princess will also be present."
The Little Princess!
Zhao Chen and Zhao Wan'er's eyes lit up.
Zhao Wan'er exclaimed excitedly, "Will my sister be there too?"
"I remember your Eldest Sister serves in the Little Princess's Royal Guard Fleet, right? I'm not sure about the specifics, though. You can try your luck and see if she's there," Chu Xuan said.
Eldest Sister...
The thought of seeing his Eldest Sister filled Zhao Chen with anticipation. The memory of her figure in his mind had grown somewhat hazy, only a faint silhouette remaining.
"You two should rest for now. If you need anything, just ask the room's Intelligent Assistant," Chu Xuan said.
"Thank you, Sister Chu," Zhao Wan'er said sweetly.
This woman really puts on one face in public and another in private. When I mentioned Chu Xuan earlier, she was inexplicably angry, and now she's calling her "Sister Chu"?
Zhao Chen glanced at Zhao Wan'er, who happened to catch her brother's gaze. Perhaps guessing what Zhao Chen was thinking, she stuck out her tongue at him.
This girl.
Zhao Chen ignored Zhao Wan'er and looked toward the open-air exhibition hall outside the floor-to-ceiling window. There, he saw the familiar starship and that graceful figure.
The stage is set for you. Now let me see just how high you can climb.
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