Global Crossing: Empire of Stars Episode 3

Only with blueprints could engineers process materials into the corresponding products. Otherwise, no matter how many materials they had or how advanced their technology was, they could not manufacture them. That was one kind of limitation.

The price of a blueprint usually accounted for over 50% of the construction cost. A standard frigate cost 100 units of Universal Alloy, so this blueprint was worth more than 200 Energy Coins.

"What a dilemma..." Should he keep it for himself or sell it?

He shook his head and did not make a decision immediately.

It had taken nearly a month to travel from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. He could not possibly retreat after fighting just one battle. It was still too early to decide.

After spending nearly an hour gathering the spoils, the frigate set sail once more. Flames blasted out as the massive vessel moved forward again.

"Captain, there's a Holographic Communication from Earth. Should we connect it?" the Radar Operator asked.

Thanks to the construction of spaceports, the entire Solar System was covered by Quantum Communication. Anywhere in the Federation, as long as one was within range of a Quantum Communicator, real-time calls were possible.

"Can you see the caller ID?" Lin Zhichen asked.

"It says it's your friend, Wei Peng," the communications officer reported.

"Put it through." He sat in the captain's chair, made of soft metal and processed with special technology. Its metal surface was like a sponge cushion, automatically changing to fit the occupant's body and provide the best possible comfort.

"Big Brother!" A life-sized Holographic Projection appeared in the captain's quarters. Wei Peng turned around and seemed to be examining the structure of the Command Cabin. "How does your maiden voyage feel? Is it like the Virtual Classroom?"

Broad-shouldered and fierce-looking, Wei Peng aspired to become the strongest Army Commander in the galaxy—and the Federation's greatest cannon fodder.

"It's nothing alike." Lin Zhichen lounged lazily in his chair and complained, "I thought the Federation's virtual technology was supposed to be incredible, capable of recreating real sensory experiences. Turns out they put it all into zero-distance exchanges. It's completely useless for learning ships!"

"It's not that bad, is it? At least you can experience the atmosphere of a space battle." Another projection appeared.

Wu Tianyi had a calm, mature personality. He commanded starship battles steadily and methodically, excelling at turning small victories into major ones.

"You'll know once you try it. Where's Ake? Still studying in the Virtual Classroom?" Lin Zhichen asked.

"I'm here, Big Brother." Link's tall, slender figure appeared. His expression was gloomy, making him seem unapproachable, but those who knew him understood that he was cold on the outside and warm within.

Lin Zhichen asked, "The exams are coming up soon, right? How did you all prepare?"

"We already finished them. I got a B+ rating, and Ake got a B. Dapeng got an A in his army assessment, enough to rank among the best Army Cadets on Earth," Wu Tianyi replied.

"Good job, Dapeng!" Lin Zhichen praised. "If I remember right, anyone with an A- or above gets recruited by the Federation, right?"

"I turned them down. I'm working with Big Brother!" Wei Peng grinned foolishly. "According to the rules, I'll receive a Small Military Transport Ship and a full regiment of Clone Troopers!"

In the Interstellar Era, the government's control over society had reached unprecedented levels. Given the increasingly harsh living environment, and to foster initiative among the population, the Federation opened recruitment authority for one-star army units to its citizens.

There was no need to worry about weapons becoming widespread like gun ownership in some free country on Earth. Governments in the Interstellar Era exercised control beyond ordinary imagination. Once there was a possibility of war breaking out, control over all Military Power within the Planetary Surface Area would be temporarily reclaimed and placed under the command of the Planetary Defense Force.

If even the Planetary Defense Force found itself struggling, there was still its core Interstellar Fleet.

In this era, rebellion was unimaginably difficult. Anyone capable of successfully rebelling would not care about gaining such a small army force.

"Tianyi, it's a pity. If you kept studying for a while longer, you might have earned an A rating." Lin Zhichen sounded regretful.

"I know my own talent. Without your help, Big Brother, I wouldn't even have gotten a B." Wu Tianyi shook his head. "Continuing to study would be pointless. I'd rather graduate as soon as possible and find you."

"Don't worry. I just fought a battle and got a Frigate Blueprint. Maybe when I return, all of you will have warships too." Lin Zhichen encouraged them.

"What? Big Brother, your first battle is already over?" Link was startled. "Send me the battle footage, Big Brother. I'll study it first."

"Sure." Lin Zhichen agreed casually. "Find a place on Earth and train the NPC Crew. I'll contact you when I get back."

The communication ended quickly. He packaged and sent over the previous Combat Information, then continued directing the warship through the Asteroid Belt.

He discovered that training through near-real combat increased his skills very quickly. He had not even reached Advanced Tier when he graduated, but now he was close to advancing to Expert.

He freely weaved through the starry sky. The Asteroid Belt was like waterweed drifting along a riverbed, while the frigate was like a nimble fish swimming freely through space.

During this monotonous voyage, the Ship Professions of both Captain Lin Zhichen and the other NPC Crew visibly increased.

This aimless search was extremely dull. If the progress on his Skill Bar had not been so obvious, Lin Zhichen would have almost stopped to surf the net.

"My awakening will happen within the next couple of days." After finishing another meditation session, he looked at the progress bar, which was nearly complete, and quietly anticipated it.

Psionicists and ordinary people belonged to entirely different classes. Supernatural Power created a gulf that was nearly impossible to cross.

Leaving everything else aside, none of the Federation's famous Generals or Marshals were ordinary people. Every one of them was an evolver.

Unlike the equality for all proclaimed on Earth, the Federal Government of the Galaxy Era was far more nakedly hierarchical. From commoners to citizens to nobles, the classes were distinct, and so were their powers.

Commoners possessed voting rights, but only citizens had the right to stand for election and become low- or mid-level government officials.

Nobles, meanwhile, stood at the top of Federation society. Only those at this level could become Planetary Governors or even run for Federation President as senators.

NPCs aside, Natural Persons began with commoner status. To gain citizenship, they either had to earn sufficient contributions or evolve into Psionicists, Gene Evolvers, or Synths through Mechanical Modification.

Psionicists relied on talent. It was a gift from heaven, something ordinary people could only envy. There was no place for traditional cultivators in the New Universe, so naturally no one knew that ancient cultivation could actually awaken Psionics.

Gene Evolvers most easily achieved Life Ascension on the battlefield. Unless they were suicidal madmen or warriors unafraid of death, they had to survive countless battles, stimulate their bodies to the limit, and consume huge quantities of Gene Potions before they could succeed.

The place with the most such people was the Federation Army Department. As everyone knew, it was a gathering ground for cannon fodder.

Synths, on the other hand, had abandoned their human identities altogether, leaving only their brains soaking in Nutrient Fluid. Commonly known as being canned, they lost all emotion and could only perceive the world through precision sensors. That was not something ordinary people could accept either.

So despite there being three paths, fewer than twenty percent of the Federation's total population possessed full citizenship. Most of them had obtained it because they excelled at some technical skill, earned wealth through work, and gained citizenship that way.

There was another crucial point: only citizens could order starships from Federation shipyards. Even the captain of the most basic Engineering Ship or Transport Ship had to be a Federation citizen.

People like Lin Zhichen and the others became citizens immediately upon graduating because they had completed professional training. Their starting point was far higher than that of others.

Of course, studying a profession like captain was far more difficult than studying other professions. It could only be said that Lin Zhichen's talent was exceptional.

"Captain, something's happening!" The Radar Operator's voice echoed through the Command Cabin, and the atmosphere aboard the ship immediately grew tense.

"What is it?" Lin Zhichen hurried behind the radar operator and looked at the display.

"It's an Emergency Communication! Our ship has received a distress signal!" the Radar Operator warned.

"Distance. Information on the enemy and ally." His question was brief.

"The target is three Light-seconds away, in the seven o'clock sector." The Radar Operator reported rapidly. "The distress target is one Petrel-class Frigate. The enemy consists of five Pirate Raiders!"

"No wonder they're running. Send a communication request!" Lin Zhichen ordered.

Under normal circumstances, a Petrel-class Frigate could fight three Pirate Raiders head-on at the same time without falling behind. But against five, even escaping would be difficult.

First, pirates gained an advantage in special terrain like the Asteroid Belt. Second, pirate ships generally sacrificed armor for speed; they were equipped specifically for raiding.

The communication was connected quickly, and a handsome blond man appeared on the communicator.

"Hello, I'm Kadir Rockefeller from the North American Sector." The blond man smiled brightly, as though he were not asking for help at all, but merely preparing to attend an ordinary dinner party.

"East Asian Sector, Lin Zhichen." Lin Zhichen frowned slightly. He saw the shadow of certain young noblemen in this man. Considering the Rockefeller Family's reputation, the man's background was obvious.

As hidden aristocrats of the Old Era, their excellent noble education gave them foresight and boldness lacking in ordinary people.

As early as their first contact with the Federation, these old nobles had begun planning for the future. They sent vast quantities of antiques originally from Earth to auction houses in exchange for considerable resources, trained their family descendants, purchased starships, and actively transitioned into the Interstellar Era.

If that had been all, they could at most have been considered pioneers who eagerly embraced the New Era. But after cultivating enough captains to form family fleets, they revealed the greedy nature of the Old Era.

Taking advantage of the protection period following their incorporation into the Federation, they aggressively purchased advanced industrial equipment in an attempt to monopolize critical sectors such as energy and heavy manufacturing.

Within the Solar System, they had also begun interfering with premium "Spawn Points" where lone pirates were easily found. Rumors of people "stealing mobs" had emerged one after another.

Some of those accusations were surely false, but expecting tigers to eat grass was clearly unrealistic.

The New Era also brought new opportunities. No matter how large the pie was, it would never be enough to share. For giants like the Rockefellers, every extra share they swallowed now would become ten shares in the future. Naturally, this drew the vigilance of those with interests at stake.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need your help!" Kadir Rockefeller said sincerely. "Five Pirate Raiders are pursuing me from behind. I'm afraid I can't hold out for two more hours!"

"That sounds serious. How are we calculating the reward for this rescue?" Lin Zhichen asked.

"All spoils go to you, and I'll additionally give you 100 Energy Coins!" Kadir Rockefeller directly played his trump card. "My only request is that you ensure the safety of both me and my ship!"

"That sounds sincere enough. Then can you tell me how you ran into this group of pirates? Don't tell me it was a chance encounter. A frigate's onboard radar range far exceeds that of pirate boats." Lin Zhichen pressed.

"So it's some great secret?" Lin Zhichen narrowed his eyes. "I can sit here and wait for your ending. There are only a little over three hundred captains on Earth right now. I don't believe you'll be lucky enough to encounter a second one!"

"Are you threatening me?" Kadir Rockefeller's expression immediately turned cold. "Friend, curiosity killed the cat! Energy Coins—just help me stop those five pirate boats!"

"Your ten years of Lifespan are worth only 200 Energy Coins? Three months of intelligence logs, plus 500 Energy Coins!" Lin Zhichen said without the slightest courtesy.

Natural Persons in the New Universe had one advantage: after death, their maximum Lifespan would be reduced by ten years, then they would resurrect at the nearest friendly faction outpost to where they died, until their Lifespan was completely exhausted.

Kadir Rockefeller's face darkened as he stared coldly at Lin Zhichen through the holographic projector.

Lin Zhichen did not care in the slightest. He quietly waited for the other man's answer, completely unhurried.

The silence lasted several minutes before Kadir Rockefeller finally lost patience and gritted his teeth. "Deal!"

Soon, after they signed an electronic contract, a video file was sent over, and Lin Zhichen was pleased to see an additional 500 Energy Coins in his Federation Bank account.

It was a huge sum. Combined with the Frigate Blueprint, it was enough to build a new ship.

"We've got work. Let's move!" Lin Zhichen happily directed the crew as they sped toward the signal source.

An hour later, signals from the frigate and the Pirate Raiders appeared at the edge of the radar range.

Having absolutely no intention of risking himself to save anyone, Lin Zhichen stopped the frigate at the edge of its radar detection range, a full Light-second away. Its three Electromagnetic Cannons turned and began charging.