Chapter 1393: Retreat to Advance
Ultimately, it was decided to use the 'Water Dragon Gate Star Gate Type' permanent cosmic star gate technology provided by the Holy Elf Empire.
At that time, apart from the low- and mid-range production parts, which will be produced and assembled by industrial plants in various locations of both sides, the core components will be directly provided by the Holy Elf Empire.
Regarding the construction costs, the Holy Elf Empire originally intended to charge some of them.
However, Zhao Chen stated that his company's stargate technology would waive this fee.
The Elf Kings were told to stop talking, which was considered an implicit acceptance of the construction costs of the core module.
According to the agreement signed, both parties must complete this cosmic stargate in the shortest possible time.
According to the Emerald Elf King's assessment, it is estimated that it will take three months to complete a small-scale 'Water Dragon Gate/Star Gate Type'.
Apart from a reduction in the number of interstellar warships that can pass through, there are no other major differences.
Because if a large-scale cosmic stargate were to be built directly, it would take at least a year.
This year is a precious time that neither the Dragon Empire nor the Holy Elf Empire can afford to wait.
At present, this small cosmic stargate is the best choice.
As for why the Elf Kings all chose not to discuss the use of the Stargate technology of the Dragon Empire.
In fact, Zhao Chen had anticipated this beforehand. The so-called 'Cosmic Star Gate' of the Dragon Empire that he handed over to the Emerald Elf King was just a framework, and the core technology was not perfect at all.
For Zhao Chen, the theoretical knowledge he has accumulated so far is more than enough to build a prototype of a cosmic stargate framework.
By using the excuse that core technologies cannot be disclosed, they can easily get away with it.
Zhao Chen was certain that even if he offered to use the Stargate technology of the Dragon Empire, the other party would not accept it.
The reason is simple.
The Holy Elf Empire is a rather arrogant entity, and their cooperation with the Wraith Dragon Empire is solely due to the threat posed by the Devouring Civilization.
Otherwise, they would not agree to many of the terms of the alliance.
A cosmic stargate that can connect two universes is crucial for both sides, whether from a political or military perspective.
For the Holy Elf Empire, there is another layer of meaning.
That is, they have tolerated the Dragon Empire's deployment of troops in their universe.
But what if even this cosmic stargate uses the stargate technology of the Dragon Empire?
Doesn't that mean we're being held hostage by the enemy?
Although we are now allies, who can guarantee what will happen next?
Zhao Chen wasn't the only one who thought of this; these Elf Kings weren't idiots either.
Using the Holy Elf Empire's Water Dragon Gate and Star Gate technology also demonstrates the Holy Elf Empire's 'dominant position' in this alliance.
This is used to cover up the concessions made in other alliance agreements.
Zhao Chen saw through all of this, which is why he made these arrangements.
As for the cosmic stargate, Zhao Chen was naturally aware of its importance.
But alas, even the most skillful cook cannot make a meal without rice.
Even if Zhao Chen was unwilling to use the Holy Elf Empire's cosmic stargate technology, his Dragon Empire simply couldn't currently produce such a permanent inter-universe star alliance technology.
Therefore, this is the only option we have right now!
Moreover, during this period, although the core technology module of this stargate was built by the Holy Elf Empire and then transported over for assembly.
However, even the other components alone can greatly benefit the Dragon Empire, significantly accelerating the growth of its own cosmic stargate technology.
From then on.
The alliance negotiations between the two sides have now come to a complete end.
The next day
The Holy Elf Empire held a grand ceremony, in which the five Elf Kings and all members of the High Council were present.
Of course, this is only in the image; in reality, many people still use holographic images.
But at least from the outside, it looks like a very large operation.
This also increased the influence of the Dragon Empire within the Holy Elf Empire.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhao Chen and the Radiant Elf King, who was representing them, signed their names on the alliance agreement.
This signifies the formation of an alliance between the Dragon Empire and the Holy Elf Empire.
The two sides formed an alliance.
In the final segment, the two sides took a group photo, which served as a historical record.
The related images were also recorded and preserved as a testament to history.
The alliance ceremony was followed by a grand banquet and celebrations.
But none of this mattered to Zhao Chen; he left all these matters to the Imperial Foreign Ministry.
There are diplomatic staff members who specialize in handling such social occasions and will use this banquet to build connections with high-ranking figures in the Holy Elf Empire.
This is also a task for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Furthermore, it will be necessary to establish the first overseas embassy of the Dragon Empire in the Holy Elf Empire, which will naturally require more interaction with the people there.
Meanwhile, outside the banquet, on an open-air platform.
Zhao Chen stood in front of the vegetation-formed railing, looking down at the thousands of meters above this special planet.
"Now, finally we have a chance to talk," an excited voice rang out beside Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen smiled slightly and looked at the Flame Elf King beside him: "Indeed, I would also like to have a long chat with the Flame Elf King."
"I've heard that there's another mechanical race in your universe that suddenly disappeared before?" the Flame Elf King asked bluntly.
Zhao Chen nodded: "Yes."
"Where did they go? Were they defeated and driven out of your universe?" the Flame Elf King asked.
Zhao Chen smiled and shook his head: "No, we're friends, I guess."
However, for the sake of the survival of our cosmic home, they went to another battlefield, a distant battlefield.
There, we fight to protect our cosmic home.
And one day, I will go and take them back.
The Flame Elf King looked like he only had a vague understanding.
"Have you fought against many of the Order's subordinate military forces before?" The Flame Elf King blinked and looked at Zhao Chen.
"Haven't you ever done that?" Zhao Chen asked.
The Flame Elf Queen shook her head and held up two fingers, saying, "We have only fought against the Dark Legion fleet of Order and the armed forces they cultivated under the Devouring Civilization."
As for the Order Zerg and Order Undead that have appeared in your universe, I have never heard of them.
I had heard of the Zerg, but it seemed they weren't aligned with the Order at the time.
They are beings that are completely incapable of communication, and once they appear, they launch aimless invasions of the surrounding planets.
Interstellar insectoids have appeared in our universe before, and we've tried to make contact with them, but to no avail.
They reproduce very quickly, and in order to reproduce, they will even devour all the plant ecosystems we cultivate.
Since then, our High Council has established a rule that once the Zerg appear in our universe, they will be completely wiped out.
After all, an interstellar race that cannot communicate and only knows how to fight is simply incapable of peaceful coexisting with us.
Zhao Chen looked at the Flame Elf King: "I think you mentioned the Interstellar Zerg because you know that there is also an Interstellar Zerg in our Xiaolong Empire."
The existence of the JF-17 Zerg fleet was mentioned in the agreement between the two countries.
However, Zhao Chen claimed that this was a military force of the Xiaolong Empire, and was one of the technological secrets, so it was inconvenient to disclose it publicly.
They used this as an excuse to brush it off.
The Flame Elf King immediately nodded: "Yes."
I know you've always been reluctant to talk about this Zerg faction within your empire.
However, my current identity is that of the supreme commander in charge of military cooperation between the Holy Elf Empire and the Wraith Dragon Empire. In the future, I will personally visit your Wraith Dragon Empire.
At that time, the Devouring Civilization will launch an invasion.
I think that by then I will inevitably encounter your Zerg force, so I still hope to learn as much information as possible.
"If it were any of the other Elf Kings asking this here, I probably wouldn't pay them any attention," Zhao Chen said casually.
"Do you dislike the arrogance of our elven race?"
"Before this, when we made contact with other interstellar races, some people said the same thing about us," said the Flame Elf King.
She paused for a moment, then continued, "Actually, this might be in the nature of our race."
I, too, have this 'arrogance' mentality.
But in my heart, my pride is directed towards the weak, while I admire the strong.
As he spoke, the Flame Elf King stared intently at Zhao Chen with eyes as sharp as torches.
"In your eyes, I am a strong person." Zhao Chen couldn't help but chuckle.
The Flame Elf King raised his hand, and a huge electronic window appeared, displaying numerous records, all concerning the Dragon Empire.
Some of the enlarged sections are about the JF-17 Dragon Legion fleet!
"Zhao Chen was once just a baron in the Starry Empire."
But then, it suddenly soared into the sky.
Through its continuously demonstrated technological prowess, it has built a powerful JF-17 fleet.
In less than ten years.
Not only did he bring the JF-17 fleet to its current level, but he also established the JF-17 Empire.
It also caused the level of civilization in a universe to climb from the initial T4 level to the current T6 level.
I don't know how you managed to achieve such results.
But regardless, this is enough to prove your ability.
Moreover, you have fought against the order many times, and no matter what the situation or what war you face, you and your Falcon Legion fleet have always been victorious.
I have read through the battle records of your JF-17 Legion fleet in detail over the past few days.
You and your JF-17 fleet are a powerful force worthy of my respect!
"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Dragon King." Zhao Chen felt a burning heat in the eyes of the Flame Elf King.
If Zhao Chen hadn't known the Elf King's personality, he would have mistaken it for his own personal charisma, which was so powerful that it seemed to have reached a certain level.
Zhao Chen smiled slightly as he looked at the distant scenery: "The Zerg in my empire."
I call it the Wyvern Zerg Fleet, a Zerg force completely under my control and an enemy of the Order.
As for how I obtained them and how I nurtured them, I cannot explain that.
But what I can tell you is this:
In any future battles where you fight alongside our Dragon Empire, they will be absolutely reliable partners.
You can confidently entrust your backs to them.
I know that no matter what I say now, I probably can't change your preconceived notions about the Zerg.
But I believe that on the battlefield, once you've fought side-by-side, you'll know how powerful and reliable they are.
The Flame Elf King didn't ask any further questions, but said expectantly, "Very well, I look forward to the day when I have the opportunity to fight alongside your country's Wyvern Zerg fleet!"
"That concerns your country's most powerful interstellar warship."
Your T6 Rakshasa Hades-class interstellar dreadnoughts...
"And the T6 Dragon Emperor Starship..." The Flame Elf King, like a curious child with a million questions, kept asking questions.
This applies not only to the current interstellar warships of the Xiaolong Empire, but also to the adversaries that the Xiaolong Empire has faced in the past.
The Dark Legion's near-T7 Dark Starships, and the Order Undead's undead army, etc.
She even started taking notes right in front of Zhao Chen, and occasionally asked questions.
She even offered her thoughts on the battle deployment of the JF-17 Dragon Fleet in a previous campaign.
If Zhao Chen hadn't undergone brain modification, and hadn't spent so much time with military commanders like Charlotte, he would have been quite a capable commander himself.
I might not be able to answer the Flame Elf King's questions.
Zhao Chen did not let go of this empire that knew about the Holy Elf Empire.
The two sides often take turns asking each other questions.
Furthermore, the questions were all asked at just the right time. If the other party intentionally ignored the question, both parties would very tactfully change the subject and ask other questions.
"I've heard that your Holy Elf Empire's most advanced T6 interstellar warships are all made using raw materials from the World Tree."
Will I have the opportunity to witness this firsthand before I return to the Dragon Empire?
To be honest, Your Excellency Flame Elf King, the reason I used the space exploration instrument before was because I encountered a bottleneck in T7 technology.
"We want to search for a solution in other universes," Zhao Chen asked sincerely.
The Flame Elf Queen hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "You want to see the raw materials of the World Tree? That's no problem."
But there's something I need to tell you beforehand.
If you seek opportunities in T7 technology, then there is absolutely no hope for you in our Holy Elf Empire.
The World Tree can only meet the needs of T6 technology.
Therefore, don't have too high expectations for the World Tree.
Zhao Chen asked with slight doubt: "Are you so sure that the World Tree has no possibility of breaking through to T7 technology?"
I find the existence of that World Tree quite magical.
Such a wondrous creation must possess even more wondrous powers.
"I can't explain that to you right now."
All I can say is, don't have too high expectations for the World Tree." A hint of helplessness flickered in the Flame Elf King's eyes.
This made Zhao Chen feel that the Holy Elf Empire was actually hiding some unknown secrets.