章節 6: Chapter 6: The Shakedown Cruise
The Storm was now pushing its engines to maximum speed, a true test for a newly built battleship. High-speed travel could easily expose any structural weaknesses or system malfunctions, and if anything went wrong, Feng Mo's ship would have to be sent back for major repairs—a possibility that had been his greatest worry.
Ten minutes later…
"Report! The engine system is stable, the hull structure integrity field is holding, energy reserves are sufficient, and the ship is sailing smoothly with no anomalies detected!"
"The integrity field around the hull is particularly robust, on par with T4-class interstellar battleships," came the updates from the various compartments.
Feng Mo let out a deep sigh of relief. It seemed everything was in order.
"Commander, shall we proceed with testing the Starshield and weapons systems?" Vice-Captain Elplan asked.
Three hours later, Elplan stood, saluting Feng Mo.
"Commander, the Storm has completed all shakedown tests. There are no issues. Among all T3-class battleships I've seen, this one stands unrivaled in its class!"
"Especially the weapons system. Who would have thought you'd use T4-class battleship secondary cannons as the main guns for the Storm?" she added, impressed.
"Let's head back," Feng Mo said, grinning. His anticipation for the upcoming starship duel was growing; he couldn't wait to give his opponents a beating.
In the following days, Feng Mo and the crew stayed aboard the Storm, familiarizing themselves with the ship's operations and overseeing the loading of supplies. Over three days, he spent over 400,000 Cloud Mountain Credits, and though it pained him, it was necessary.
Feng Mo's financial situation wasn't looking great. He had started with just over eight million Credits, then borrowed ten million. Building the Storm had cost over eight million, buying Elplan and the crew had taken another three million, and various supplies and equipment had cost more than 400,000. Altogether, he had spent over twelve million Credits, leaving only six million in his account. It was clear he needed to find a way to make more money soon.
September 1st, the first day of the new semester, Feng Mo arrived early at the classroom. Wang Chongsheng was already there, craning his neck to watch for his friend. When he saw Feng Mo, he waved eagerly.
"Mo, how's the starship? If it's not ready, you can still use mine," Wang Chongsheng offered.
Feng Mo walked over and playfully punched his shoulder.
"Don't worry, it's all set. By the way, Old Wang, I need a favor."
"Sure thing, but I'll need some payment. Remember that secret network we stumbled upon? You owe me the address so I can go and 'critique' it," Wang Chongsheng joked, grinning.
"You really love to learn, huh? Fine, I'll copy it for you," Feng Mo replied with a chuckle, then grew serious.
"Here's the deal. Your aunt deals in starship weapons trade, right? I've designed a T2-class starship, and I want to meet with her to discuss selling the blueprint. I'm running short on funds. But don't worry, it's not urgent. Let's handle it after the duel on the 3rd. I've got a big surprise for you then."
Wang Chongsheng knew Feng Mo had passed the exam to become a junior starship engineer but was still skeptical about him designing a T2-class ship. Yet he didn't question his friend and nodded seriously.
"So you just want me to set up a meeting? No need for any extra help?"
"Exactly, just set up the meeting. No need to smooth things over," Feng Mo replied. He knew that if he asked, Wang Chongsheng would pull strings to sell the blueprint, but Feng Mo was confident in his design.
This blueprint, which Feng Mo had exchanged for 100 points from the Xinhuo Points Shop, had come to mind just before the semester started. He had almost forgotten about his mission reward, and the Points Shop had opened right before the semester began, giving him access to various blueprints and resources. With limited funds, selling the T2 starship design was his best option to make money.
Wang Chongsheng visibly relaxed. "No problem. After the duel, I'll bring my aunt to the academy so you two can meet in person."
September 3rd, 1 PM.
The interstellar dock of Cloud Mountain Military Academy was bustling. The area for Feng Mo and Jiang Wei's duel had been designated in the asteroid field where Feng Mo had conducted his shakedown cruise. This area, under academy jurisdiction, was reserved for starship tests and combat exercises.
The duel was also being broadcast live, a standard practice for academy starship duels.
In the senior class of the Command Department, the teacher had suspended the lesson, instead streaming the duel and encouraging the entire class to watch. The duel served as both a show of support for Feng Mo and an opportunity to teach practical starship combat tactics.
"When does Feng Mo's duel with Jiang Wei start?"
"The academy announcement says it starts at 1 PM, so it should be soon. According to the rules, both ships should have already left the dock."
"Look, that's Jiang Wei's ship! A T3 Peregrine-class interstellar destroyer! It's one of the flagship T3 ships of our Cloud Mountain Empire, with a top speed 20% higher than comparable ships."
"I heard the official price is 42 million Credits, and only companies under imperial control can sell it. Regular people have to wait three years just to get in line."
"This doesn't look good for Feng Mo. Can he hold his own?"
The cadets whispered among themselves, some cheering for Feng Mo, while others were skeptical.
The camera feed shifted to Feng Mo's ship, and the class erupted in shock. They had never seen this battleship before, and it wasn't listed in the imperial database. Judging by its length and the caliber of its main guns, they could deduce that it was an unfamiliar T3-class interstellar battleship.
"Is this the surprise you were talking about?" Wang Chongsheng thought, watching the broadcast in disbelief. The unfamiliar ship made his heart race with anticipation.
The broadcast then cut to the duel organizers, who established contact with both ship captains. Two video feeds appeared on the live stream.
On one side was Jiang Wei, lounging in the luxurious bridge of his T3 Peregrine-class destroyer. He wore extravagant noble attire, a glass of red wine in hand, and had one leg crossed over the other.
"What a show-off," Wang Chongsheng muttered, rolling his eyes. Jiang Wei's theatrics annoyed him, but it was clear that some people found the act impressive.
Standing beside Jiang Wei was a middle-aged man in a military uniform, a recently retired officer judging by his demeanor.
On the other side was Feng Mo, dressed in his academy uniform, sitting confidently in the captain's chair. Behind him stood Elplan, clad in a sleek black combat suit, looking elegant yet imposing.
"A succubus? My friend's got some luck!" Wang Chongsheng whispered, chuckling. Little did he know of Elplan's past; otherwise, he might not have been so amused.
"Senior Command Cadet Feng Mo, Senior Command Cadet Jiang Wei, the rules of the duel will now be read," the official announced.
"Both ships must remain within the designated asteroid field. Other than that, there are no rules."
"The duel ends when one side surrenders or loses combat capability."
"Once the judges declare the result, both sid
es must cease all attacks immediately."
"Are both parties clear on the rules?"
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