Star Ocean: Starting from the Abandoned Mining Space Station

After explaining the usual matters, Chen Ming and Lao Wu talked about business again.

Chen Ming also stated his needs directly: "I currently need about ten escort-level spacecraft to support supplies for about three months, not counting the crew."

"It's not too much. Old Wu, can you do the math?"

"Why don't you just look down on me?"

As Old Wu spoke, he directly listed a series of materials needed by the spacecraft, including weapons and ammunition, logistical supplies, fuel consumption, spacecraft maintenance, and other material requirements for all aspects of the spacecraft.

Chen Ming had a rough estimate in his mind before asking the question. He generally had no objection to the results of Lao Wu's calculations. There was only one small issue that needed to be raised.

"Weapons and ammunition can be slightly modified. If you can directly buy the raw materials for some ammunition, you can save some money."

Old Wu did some calculations, nodded and said: "Okay, I'll remember it. After buying the supplies, what next? Buy a spaceship?"

"Yes, I need the Tachyon Technology's Heavy Rain Level."

After Chen Ming finished speaking, Old Wu waited for a few seconds. Seeing that Chen Ming had no intention of continuing, he asked, "No more?"

"No, I think I can only afford one Heavy Rain."

"My own card now has less than 50 million, and the card the factory director issued for me has more than 40 million, which adds up to 90 million."

"Then I have two mules parked at the space station, right? I plan to sell one."

When Lao Wu heard this, he couldn't help but ask: "Who are you trying to trick?"

"It's not a scam. If we sell it seriously, I will pretend that I don't have this ship from now on. I won't deliberately get the spaceship back. I just don't know if anyone will want this second-hand civilian ship."

Old Wu touched his chin and said while thinking about it: "The mule class is okay, the merchant ship, and the militarized subsystem. The original price is more than 200 million, and half of the depreciation is also good."

"And it's not like you know your abilities as an individual. As long as you don't take the initiative to trick people and expose your abilities, selling it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Well, anyway, after buying the supplies first, paying the rainstorm deposit, and then selling a mule, the money should be about the same."

"The purchased supplies will be piled up in the maintenance factory first. There should be room in the factory, right?"

Lao Wu had obviously passed by the maintenance shop when he went to the sentry just now, and immediately said: "There must be some, the batch of unknown things you took from Lao Wu last time are also piled up in the maintenance shop "

"Anyway, our repair shop doesn't rely on its appearance to make money. If you just pile it up, who can object?"

After receiving a positive answer, Chen Ming continued to ask with satisfaction; "Okay, is there any problem with buying Heavy Rain?"

"It's no problem. Tachyon's Heavy Rain is a commodity. What's the problem with a serious business that pays for it?"

"Is it worth the heavy rain of more than 170 million ships? And this ship is a little short? Are other ships not considered? Didn't you say you want to build a fleet?"

Old Wu's doubts at this time were obviously not unreasonable.

After all, the price of Heavy Rain is indeed relatively expensive among frigates.

But in addition to its own excellent drone control AI, and the same excellent radiation system that can be perfectly adapted to energy weapons as other spaceships produced by Tachyon Technology.

In other respects, some are not worth the price.

And under normal circumstances, the price of an ordinary military frigate is around 3,000 to 50 million, regardless of whether the buyer is qualified to drive the ship.

One Heavy Rain is worth six serious military spaceships, such as the Military Sentinel and Expedition.

A relatively expensive one like the Centurion is worth more than three ships.

The money spent on Heavy Rain was used to buy other frigates, and the prototype of a small-scale fleet could actually be said to have emerged all of a sudden.

And you have to know that when Chen Ming was shopping in the black market before, the Hammerhead he saw only cost 130 million.

At that time, he also saw that it was really outrageous that a heavy rain boat could be sold for 170 million.

Although the spaceships sold on the black market are definitely different from normal products, the price may fluctuate somewhat compared to normal.

For example, if Chen Ming remembers correctly, the Hammerhead on the black market had extra specially modified load-bearing points and mounting points, which must have been leaked from within the Xinda Company to make money.

Then the Heavy Rain seems to have something special about it. It is said to have more advanced drone AI intelligence.

Therefore, the price will naturally be higher than that of ordinary spaceships.

But no matter what, the value of Heavy Rain itself is there, and it will definitely cost 150 million.

However, Chen Ming felt that for him, the heavy rain should be worth the price.

The Terminator UAV wing carried by Heavy Rain, assisted by Chen Ming's abilities, can definitely exert terrifying effects.

Even in a one-on-one battle, it will be stronger than a destroyer's Hammerhead.

"This thing is worth the price to me."

And besides this reason, there is another reason.

Chen Ming continued: "I want you to help me ask the company."

"During the previous fight with the military, there should have been two surviving destroyers in the company's fleet, both of which have been controlled by me."

"I would like to ask how the company plans to deal with it."

Chen Ming's ability has already determined that any spacecraft he touches will be an unstable time bomb for others, and it is absolutely impossible to continue to use it as before.

So if the company wants to deal with spaceships, Chen Ming might be able to get these ships at a relatively low price.

Then the problem of buying a heavy rain grade can be solved here.

Anyway, it is impossible for the company to take the initiative to have a conflict with Chen Ming now, so Chen Ming might as well just go there and take it for granted.

After listening to Chen Ming's words, Old Wu said as if he suddenly remembered: "That's your plan, that's fine. The company mentioned it when they approached me."

"As long as you can go back, all the ships you have controlled, even if they are destroyed, as long as they are still worth repairing, they will repair them and give them all to you at once, including the armor-piercing ship."

Chen Ming frowned slightly, repeated Lao Wu's words and asked, "As long as I can go back?"

"Well, they said that no matter how you go back, as long as you go back, go back to the company, and have personal contact with Lao Lu or the webmaster and other people who can count in the company to a certain extent, then you are considered to have gone back."

"It's not that easy. In the end, it depends on their efficiency."

Chen Ming said casually, and suddenly seemed to realize something was wrong.

What the company people said seemed to mean that someone else wanted to get him back?

"Lao Wu, tell me later, besides companies and the military, how many other forces know about me now?"

Lao Wu did not answer, but asked with some surprise: "Why do you ask me this?"

"Because I feel like you know."

Chen Ming said it was a feeling, but the actual reason was.

It was the last time he went to Glasses, who sold information, and saw how old Wu and Glasses exchanged pirate information. The level of familiarity between the two was definitely not something that could be achieved by drinking frequently.

Old Wu blinked his glasses and said, "Why are you so smart?"

"Then let me get it straight. Apart from the company and the sector military, there are currently only three major ones that know about your psykers: the Fourteenth Legion, the local sector government and Tachyon Technology."

"You don't have to worry about the small ones. They are basically well-informed but have little combat effectiveness."

"But there is one thing to note. The Illumination Research Institute seems to be a pure scientific research company funded by Ludzuo Path. They have been targeting you since the last incident."

"They will definitely not let go of the opportunity to kill you, a psyker who is simply blaspheming their doctrine of 'high technology is harmful' all the time."

"It can be said that the Fourteenth Army Corps and the star region government clearly want you. The attitude of the star region military is not clear yet. There is a certain division within them."

"It seems to be because they are basically under the direct jurisdiction of the higher-level war zone. Some people in the war zone want to kill you, but there are also people who want to protect you. It can only be said that your psychic abilities have really become popular."

Chen Ming knew that it would definitely happen if his ability was exposed, but Chen Ming did not expect that other forces would have thoughts about him so quickly.

There are ideas, and their reaction is definitely or probably slower than the company's.

But be slow, once there are more people, Yuhui's star field may not be completely chaotic.

It's really not certain whether Chen Ming found a way to go back on his own in the end, or whether he was taken back by a certain force, or even killed directly here.

But Chen Ming has nothing to worry about. There are still a few people who want to kill him, and other forces that want him will protect him to a certain extent.

And if the arrangements he is making now can be carried out step by step, then he is not afraid of anyone who wants to kill him.

Chen Ming remembered everything Old Wu said and continued to think about the topic in his mind.

Although Chen Ming feels that if the company's ships can really go back to the company, they should be able to get it.

But returning to the company itself is the biggest trouble.

After thinking about it, Chen Ming decided to forget it. It didn't matter if he couldn't get the company's spaceship. At worst, he could just continue to save money to buy the spaceship.

In his current situation, making money is not difficult.

Moreover, Chen Ming now plans to find pirates.

Pirate ships with bounties always have at least the military subsystem installed.

Chen Ming collected some and sold them. It shouldn't be a problem to sell three or four of them and exchange them for a serious military ship.

As long as Chen Ming has the ability at hand to ensure that the ships in the fleet are not destroyed and only need to consume part of the materials for repairs, sooner or later he can support the fleet through war.

Chen Ming paused thinking about the fleet ships and said to Old Wu: "Thank you, Old Wu."

Old Wu waved his hand, as if because Chen Ming saw through what he was doing, he leaned back in the chair with some dejection and half slumped in the chair.

"Then what happens after you buy the boat? What else do you want to do?"

"Drive out and fight the pirates."

Old Wu was stunned for a moment, then straightened up again and asked in disbelief: "You don't want me to go, do you?"

"No, it's me."

"That's good, but later, your ability can control the spacecraft remotely? I mean controlling the new spacecraft."

"No, but I can do it indirectly through other means."

If the AI ​​core that Chen Ming just discovered and controlled by him changes the spaceship, he can directly control the new spaceship, which can be used quite well.

After Gamma B was told to let it move freely, it took on some tasks issued internally by Afterglow and was busy upgrading to the beta level.

By the time the heavy rain level arrives, it should be almost at the beta level and can be idle.

When the time comes, Chen Ming can ask Gamma B to come back and install it on Chen Ming's spacecraft to achieve indirect control of the spacecraft.

Of course, after controlling Gamma B, you still have to go back to Afterglow. It has more important things to do after that.

So when Gamma B returned to the pirate space station alone.

"I just need your help, Old Wu."

"That's all. Just don't let me actually fight."

"Well, no, I just need you to help me collect the bounty after finishing the fight. I will reimburse you for the business trip expenses."

After hearing this, Old Wu became a little suspicious and asked, "You really don't want me to fight?"

"Really not."

"real?"

"real."

Chen Ming promised Lao Wu several times that he would not let him do dangerous things before he got Lao Wu's consent.

After ending this topic, Chen Ming brought up a new topic: "In addition, there is a test of the effect of my ability. I plan to try it now. I need your help."

"oh?"

Lao Wu suddenly cheered up and said: "Are there new functions? It feels like you have made greater progress by going to Yuhui than on the space station. You usually don't use your abilities very much. "

Chen Ming was stunned for a moment and found that it seemed to be what Old Wu said.

The opportunities and times he had to show off his abilities in the space station seemed to be inferior to the two days he came to Yuhui.

It seems that when he is in a safe place, he will unconsciously be lazy, or relax? decadent?

But when it comes to dangerous places, if you don't make progress and find ways to improve and expand your abilities, it's no different than waiting to die.

Just like before on Ruimu Planet.

At that time, Chen Ming would think hard about the limits of his newly awakened spiritual power under various conditions.

But after arriving at the space station, he subconsciously relaxed a little without being forced by the intuitively dangerous external environment.

Chen Ming realized this, but he had nothing to say. Only he knew this situation, and only he could change it.

Chen Ming said as if sighing or explaining: "A harsh environment will force people to move forward."

Then he changed the topic and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I want to see if I can really get this thing back."

Lao Wu stood up from his chair and asked, "What should we do?

"Hold on."

Chen Ming spent some time here and moved the antimatter shock wave to the Iron Ore.

Then he opened the sentry's panel and started changing weapons.

The antimatter shock wave gradually melted like the materials used in Chen Ming's previous experiments and disappeared in the palm of his hand.

Then, it appeared on the load-bearing point of the Sentinel-class that was staying at the pirate space station repair shop.

"It's done."

Chen Ming immediately disassembled the antimatter intermediate wave, and a ball of metallic liquid quickly condensed into its original appearance in front of Old Wu.

Lao Wu squatted on the ground, looked at the thick anti-matter shock wave in front of him and asked, "What is this?"

"Antimatter shock wave, Afterglow's technology."

"Antimatter?"

"Yes, antimatter."

"I can't understand, but I'm big..."

"Stop, stop talking nonsense, give this thing to the factory director, he should be able to help me take care of it."

Old Wu stretched out his hand and gestured. His somewhat thin figure seemed unable to bear the thick anti-matter shock wave.

And based on the current situation of Chen Ming, there should be many people besides the company paying attention here.

Old Wu just carried it there, fearing that something was going to go wrong.

So after a brief discussion, in order to prevent the information on what Chen Ming brought back from being eavesdropped, Old Wu went directly to the administration building in person.

Under tighter security than before, I quickly ran to the factory director's office with a familiar face and ID card.

He just barged in without knocking on the door.

The chairman is in contact with other people at this time.

When he saw Lao Wu coming in, he just waved his hand and motioned for him to go aside and wait for a while.

At the same time, he continued to say to the person on the other end of the call: "What are you doing?"

Old Wu sat down on the sofa next to him. Although he couldn't hear the voice on the other end, looking at Old Lu's attitude, he could probably guess who it was.

The factory director obviously didn't have a good attitude towards the person on the other end of the call. He said very simply: "I don't know. Ask Lao Wu, don't ask me."

He immediately hung up the call, looked at Lao Wu and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Xiao Mu brought something back."

"Xiao Mu is back?"

"No, he brought it back with his ability. He said it was something against..."

"Stop, stop talking, just take me there."

"okay."

The factory director immediately brought two more guards from his office who didn't know when, and followed Lao Wu to the maintenance plant.

After feeling a few eyes on him on the road, he successfully entered Chen Ming's sentinel.

The factory director unplugged the terminal battery at Lao Wu's reminder and saw the anti-matter shock wave in the captain's cabin.

The factory director said tentatively: "Xiao Ming?"

Chen Ming once again displayed a sentence on the control panel: "I am here."

"This thing is the antimatter shock wave I got from Yuhui."

"Although my knowledge is not at this level, I can say that I am sure that it is an antimatter shock wave, and it does have antimatter as a material, and antimatter does play a role in it."

"The only problem is that this is a type of weapon used in the Afterglow experiment, and this experimental weapon itself has certain problems and is considered a failure."

"But at least its name is Antimatter Shockwave."

"I see."

The factory director took a deep breath, frowned and dialed back the previous communication.

"There is something I need to bring back to you. It should be of use to the research institute that the company recently established."

after one day.

Afterglow Colony Factory.

Chen Ming successfully sent the antimatter shock wave to the space station.

Huihuang didn't care about this, after all, it couldn't detect the situation inside the Iron Mine without being discovered by Chen Ming.

And today, when Chen Ming woke up and walked into the factory.

It was discovered that when he was resting last night, Yuhui had taken away all the repaired weapons.

And some new stuff was delivered.

There are three in total, one large live ammunition weapon.

A pile of materials, including the lost materials reported by Chen Ming yesterday.

Although Yuhui seemed to be able to see how much Chen Ming had used in the warehouse, they were still delivered at 1.5 times what Chen Ming said.

and one, which removed the Gamma A, the unmanned one, and also loaded the refractors of the first two.

Brilliant correspondence also arrived duly.

"Mr. Chen, Gamma A has chosen to leave, and we have decided to leave the refraction ship he controls to you."

"You mean I can use it at will? Even if I drive it to other places?"

"Yes, but please note that this Diopter does not have an Afterglow entity installed at this time. There is no mark of our Afterglow outside the planet, and it may be destroyed at any time."

This can be considered a threat from Afterglow.

But it still surprised Chen Ming.

He thought that the Diopter would be demolished, and he planned to try to take the boat away when the Diopter was demolished, but he couldn't just let it go.

Anyway, this is not a head-on confrontation with Yu Hui. It is best to give it a try, but if it fails, the worst case scenario is that he will just dismantle it and take away all the materials.

As a result, Yu Hui was so generous, which surprised Chen Ming.

But take it when it’s time to take it.

As long as the boat is in hand, Chen Ming will always find an opportunity to take Diopt away.

Moreover, in Chen Ming's future fleet composition, he still happens to have a position for diopter.

To capture the pirates' valuable spaceships, you have to rely on Diopto's electromagnetic capture device. Otherwise, the success rate and efficiency of destroying the engine alone would be a bit low.

Chen Ming accepted the items given by Yu Hui.

And unlike yesterday when the task was issued through the task list, today Huihuang personally said to Chen Ming: "Today's task is to repair this weapon."

Chen Ming waited for a while, but did not get any follow-up words from Hui Hui.

"that's it?"

"Yes."

"All right."

Chen Ming was too lazy to move at this time.

Directly through the refractive panel, I selected this large live ammunition weapon called the Purgatory Cannon.

Chen Ming briefly looked at the panel.

In other words, he can know what this thing is without looking at the panel.

Because the Infernal Cannon is a product of human technology and a very early product in the development process of mankind.

And in Chen Ming's impression, the shells of the Inferno Cannon should be...

Chen Ming looked at the panel.

He found that just as he thought, all the ammunition for the Inferno Cannon was empty.

Because all its cannonballs are cannonballs loaded with plasma-charged warheads.

A plasma-charged warhead that can evaporate the target location with one shot and rely on high-temperature liquid metal jets to penetrate armor and structures is not something easy to produce.

Chen Ming immediately understood what Yu Hui meant.

Yu Hui wanted to use this special weapon that was difficult to manufacture in batches to test the effectiveness of Chen Ming's repair ability in replenishing ammunition.

Simply put, it is to test the upper limit of Chen Ming's ability.