Chapter 25

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 25: Hatred Sparks a Reaction

Imperial Capital, Dock District

The bustling dock district, located near the slums, used to be the liveliest area in this city of 500,000 residents. Countless Imperial airships and fishing boats came and went, with the burly Nico slaves laboring under the whip to haul various goods. With meager wages, they would buy the cheapest fish scraps at the fish market, mixed with poor-quality starch, to provide some meager warmth and sustenance to get through the cold nights and the next day’s work.

Those who had some savings, like the dockside prostitutes, clerks residing in the dock district, and artisans, would purchase slightly better preserved salted fish and dried fish. They would fry them with starch blocks in unknown vegetable oil to create a special Imperial Dock meal: fried fish nuggets, eaten with cheap vegetables and hot water. This kind of food provided a bit more energy and protein compared to the cheaper options.

In the area between the lower and middle districts, where the gentlemen with better economic conditions resided, they would buy fresh fish to make fish soup or other dishes. Unlike the clean, tidy, and adorned commercial streets of the middle district, the dock district was a marketplace for all lower-class people. Here, you could buy almost anything, not just items and food affordable to commoners, but sometimes also luxury goods "forgotten" to be taxed by the upper class, obtained from the black market "rats."

The Imperial fishermen relied on such markets to turn their day’s work into Imperial coins, which then became silk and hemp to repair fishing nets, coal to power fishing boats, and to pay high taxes. This system built a regional economic cycle. However, this economic system seemed to have suffered a fatal blow overnight. The once bustling fish market on the dock now saw barely any foot traffic. Except for some local specialty fish and luxury seafood still selling to high-end restaurants, most people no longer visited. The only visitors here were insects and tax officials.

On the tavern street in the dock district, a store with a sign saying "Imported Dried Fish" was crowded with people. There were Imperial dock residents, Nico prostitutes (targeting Nico sailors and laborers), Nico porters, and some ordinary housewives, chatting distinctly and eagerly watching the decreasing goods inside the shop.

The dried fish sold in this store was almost a third cheaper than elsewhere, with generous use of salt, no stinginess in preserving the fish like the stinking salted fish that seemed to have soaked in water, and even cheaper special limited edition canned fish with a sufficient amount of spices. In just two weeks, they almost completely took away the business from the original fish market.

"Manager, we need to restock!" the sweaty salesman waved his money bag and shouted, "Then bring two more shipments, quickly have Larry transport them from the warehouse!" Seeing the booming sales, the manager was also delighted.

At first, he wasn’t very confident about selling this cheap dried fish. The price was already lower than the Empire fishermen’s cost price. If there weren’t any other issues, it wouldn’t be possible to stably provide such a large quantity. So, he started to worry a bit about whether any strange problems would arise. Most likely, he would end up being thrown out of the fish tank.

However, this idea only lasted until he received his new weekly salary. Doubling his income completely threw his worries and conscience into the garbage, replaced by shiny things. There was nothing better than Empire coins. Let those fishermen die, his only concern at the moment was how to get more goods, occupy more market share with lower prices, and push more traditional competitors to a dead-end.

Old Miller clenched his fists tightly, sharp claws piercing into the flesh, as if the indescribable pain could remind himself that the hundred-year-old shop brand and the traditional dock dried fish were no longer his own. It was these countless cheap dried fish that brutally defeated one opponent after another with straightforward and aggressive price wars. He didn’t know how he managed to secure a partnership with a powerful star sector governor, obtaining these fish products to sell as an agent at extremely low prices. With a simple yet brutal approach of offering even lower prices, both the Miller family’s century-old brand and the specialty smoked fish produced by old Tot’s father, who drowned himself yesterday, were easily outmatched.

Lower prices, more salt, more spices. Simple yet effective. Common people didn’t care about tradition or taste. They simply pursued more sensory stimulation and cheaper ways to fill their stomachs. The nobles who boasted about tradition and taste wouldn’t touch these "peasant foods".

"You scoundrel… you’ve destroyed the Empire’s fine traditions. Do you know how many people will go bankrupt because of this? How many will suffer and perish?" Old Miller let out a sharp roar. However, the orange fat man in front of him casually put down a chew of smoking tobacco made from some fancy plant – a recent trend among high society. Wiping the saliva from his mouth with a handkerchief, the orange fat man looked coldly at him and said in a terrifyingly indifferent tone, "Oh~? So what?"

"Even if all those lowly fishermen perish, so what?" The orange fat man stuffed wood chips back into his mouth, chewing on them dreamily. "Alright, old friend, don’t act all self-righteous. What you did to monopolize the fine dry goods market at Dock Street, how is it any better than what I’m doing? That’s just how the world works…" Thick fingers grabbed a handful of coins from the nearby bag, letting them fall and make pleasant clinking sounds.

"…Neither you nor I are the people who used to huddle around the fireplace listening to fairy tales long ago. You think you’re a hero? It’s all an illusion. As long as there’s more of this…" the final coin dropped, forming a small golden mountain at his feet, "that’s the hero."

"With this on the dock, even a dockside harlot becomes an admired socialite, a wealthy widow. Handsome young men would spare no expense to pursue her, even if she was howling like a wild beast under some stinking fisherman’s crotch just a day earlier. That’s how the world is…" The orange fat man waved his hand dismissively. "I can earn more coins, I can give more coins to Governor Tomat, so I win. Now, the dock area is under my control. And the people you speak of? They’ll just stand outside my shop waiting for me to sprinkle a few breadcrumbs."

"Besides, my goods have no cost components. I know all about your signature Miller dried fish. The ones supplied to loyal customers and willing-to-spend ladies are made with true Dusk Bay thornfish and Blue Pond salt, crafted by you and your sons personally. But what about the ones you sell to others? They’re made with similar-looking thornfish and simply filtered local salt, produced by cheap apprentice workers – oh, not to mention how you worked those poor apprentices to death one by one."

"Look, my goods are better, more, and cheaper, so I defeated you, your skills, and your traditions. That’s why I can get more coins and a higher position. You lost, so you have nothing. It’s that simple," the orange chubby guy shook the bell. "Laru, please escort my dear old friend out of here. I need some time alone."

Guided by a tall and muscular Nico bodyguard with a red hammer symbol burnt onto the black chestplate, Old Miller left the estate of his old rival in a daze. He stumbled to the deserted fish market, gazing at the shop that no longer belonged to him. As darkness crept in, he fell into a cold and dark abyss.

"Looks like you’re living the good life, Mr. Garfield," the orange chubby man opened his eyes in annoyance, gazing at the slim figure at the door. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly put on a gentle smile, beckoning the maid to serve sweet tea and snacks. "Dear Alga, what brings you here in person?" Faced with the deputy governor, rumored to be a distant branch of a noble family in the upper city, and most importantly, his sole supplier, the orange chubby man brushed off his displeasure and sank it into the depths of the Ruby Sea.

"I have a deal, a new deal." The newcomer pulled out a piece of soft white fabric. "This fabric is a new commodity discovered by the governor. It has not yet been listed on the empire’s colony tax list, and General Liof of the navy conveniently forgot to report it to the imperial treasury, so…"

Initially puzzled, the orange chubby man soon realized the value of the fabric after touching its incredible softness. "What do I need to give in order to secure its distribution rights?"

"Just a trivial cost, but I require a tenth of the net profit."

"A tenth…" the orange chubby man frowned slightly, but after some thought, he squeezed out a warm smile. "Deal, my dear old friend!"

"Ah, I don’t want banknotes or deeds, just unmarked cash."

"Hmm… alright." Although it was a hassle this time, the thought of the profit made the orange chubby man instantly dismiss the trouble.

Nico Star, Tata Light Textile Factory

The petite female workers swiftly moved between the huge automated textile machines, operating integrated delinting and combing equipment to turn the piled-up raw cotton into equally piled-up cotton yarns, which were then woven into large quantities of undyed cotton fabric. Due to Nico Star’s slower rotation (26 hours a day), abundant sunlight, and significant temperature differences between day and night, the improved cotton grew quite well here. The unique soft and smooth feel of high thread count cotton quickly captivated the empire’s buyers, especially considering how affordable it was compared to the local fabric.

Apart from selling finished cotton yarns and fabrics, Nico Farm also sold large quantities of delinted raw cotton at low prices. The empire’s nobles could easily modify their looms to produce low thread count cotton fabric. Although this might incur slightly higher costs, factoring in shipping costs, the final landed price would actually be lower than what Nico used to export. This also prevented the noble families from pressuring the governor and customs officials to protect their own interests.

With abundant orders and a large amount of gold coins converted into Nico’s newly issued refined currency for wages, most of the funds were used to purchase goods from China and weaponry. This further expanded the influence of the resistance army. Due to the policy of dealing with external threats before internal ones, the empire’s rulers even felt that public order had improved recently. The tax officials dispatched collected taxes more efficiently.

As the locals benefited significantly from the resistance army compared to before, the embattled local governments turned a blind eye. Since they still received the same amount of taxes and profits they had always gotten, these bureaucratic colonial officials who were in it for personal gain were too lazy to worry about the consequences of this situation. Amassing enough money to buy a noble title and live a comfortable life in the Imperial Capital after their demise was their top priority – they didn’t care about the chaos that might ensue.

"How many yarn spindles have we exported?" Suzy, wearing a helmet, asked as she looked at the nimble female workers carrying heavy cotton yarn spindles swiftly. "We should have exported around 2 million spindles so far, and it seems like we still haven’t fully utilized our production capacity. We need to push our comrades in the empire area to work harder, collaborate with local dyeing and printing monopolies, and also develop some new products."

"I didn’t mean that. I was asking, how much damage can this cause to the empire?" The accompanying human expert remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "A deadly dagger striking straight into the heart!"

Following the fishermen, the next group to go bankrupt in the empire would be the local farmers and wool industry. Engaging directly in the end-stage industry easily raised suspicions, but tampering with the opponent’s raw material supply chain was a different story. Once those farmers went bankrupt and the empire’s textile factories were reliant on the cheap cotton yarns and combed raw cotton from the colonies, their textile industry would essentially be controlled by both humans and Nico people. A slight push could shatter the illusion of prosperity, plunging the entire country into chaos.

This would lead the infuriated empire nobles, factory owners, and fishermen to join the not-too-powerful worker revolutionary groups, forming a more vibrant and resilient labor movement. Eventually, this spark would spread throughout the empire, turning the once great nation into ashes. From those ashes, a new civilization would emerge. It could either experience a rebirth akin to China’s history or fade into obscurity like the Soviet Union. However, this outcome would solely depend on the choices made by the locals.

Whether it is China providing supplies or Russia giving guidance in theory and technology on the front lines, they are simply giving a push to things that were bound to happen. This outcome appeared decades or even centuries earlier in front of the empire’s nobles, which is the reality they will face in the future. It just happened earlier due to the empire’s ignorant expeditions.

Preparedness, Warships, USA

Philadelphia-class Tactical Destroyer:

Ship Specifications:

Length: 332 meters, Deck Width: 39 meters, Vertical Axis Height: 46 meters, Displacement: 26,300 tons, Crew: 285 people, Power: 4XNuclear Ball Reactor/307MW, 2XRolls Gas Turbine Generator, Shaft Four-Rotor Void Displacement Propulsion, Endurance: Unlimited, Speed: 6,900 km/s-50% coolant

Configuration:

Weapon Systems:

AGS-R Advanced Electromagnetic Ship Gun System:

Caliber: 140mm, Mounting: Twin mount, Cooling Method: Alternating air-cooled, Muzzle Velocity: 27.91Km/s, Terminal Velocity: 178.6km/s, Ammunition Type: Secondary boost guided kinetic energy shot, Feeding Mechanism: Electrically-driven automatic feeder, Automatic Magazine Capacity: 240 rounds/box, Ammunition Setting: 3-4 boxes of regular rounds down, Rate of Fire: 260 rounds/minute

A special spaceship gun called AGS was modified from a ship gun system on DDG-XII for space battles. It uses a liquid nitrogen cooling system to shoot very fast. The bullets changed from regular grenades to advanced guided kinetic energy shotgun shells. These bullets have powerful batteries and small Space Displacers for guidance and acceleration. When reaching the target area, they automatically explode and shoot many energy bullets to cover a large area, avoiding enemy laser defenses.

This gun is not good for hitting ships but better for bombing ground troops. The liquid nitrogen cooling head helps avoid most heat sensors and can cause significant damage to ground facilities, troops, and buildings.

MK-78 Electromagnetic Launcher + BGM-264 "Salami":

Launcher: 3X24, Mode: cool electromagnetic launch, Propulsion: self-oxygen turbo + void displacement accelerator, Head: 1150kg, Total weight: 2274kg, Head type: fusion core beam, Damage range: 0.05 degrees X 1000km fan, Head equivalent: 5 billion tons, Propulsion system: single-axis dual-blade turbo-driven Space Displacer, Fuel: 880kg aviation kerosene + 25kg oxygen cotton fiber, Nuclear irradiation efficiency: 5%.

A heavy anti-ship missile for space, using a nuclear long spearhead. Its radiation intensity can destroy almost all human-made ships and defense systems with a powerful 800 million K high-temperature ion beam, capable of piercing through any armor or protection. To defend against this, it’s best to disrupt or intercept it rather than increasing armor thickness.

These large nuclear long spearhead missiles are mass-produced on assembly lines and named "Salami".

Defense System:

MK-78 Electromagnetic Launcher + BIM-017 "Hummingbird":

Launcher: 3X24, Mode: cool electromagnetic launch, Propulsion: high-energy superconductive battery + void displacement accelerator, Head: 265kg, Total weight: 489kg,

Warhead type: Cluster nuclear warhead with multiple warheads, damage range: 24X30km-85km (24 warheads, 30km destruction radius, 85km maximum warhead dispersal radius), warhead yield: 15 million tons X 24 warheads, propulsion system: Dual-axis dual blade electric-driven Space Displacer, fuel: Superconducting batteries X2 (120kg).

Space medium-range interception missile for space use, can release multiple small nuclear warheads directionally, explode after flying a distance, create interception screens, intercept multiple targets and long-distance targets at once, but due to uneven distribution of interception screens, some missiles may penetrate the mid-range defense zone during saturation attacks.

With two sets of Space Displacers, high maneuverability, hence called "Hummingbird", can also be used as a weapon for air-to-ground bombing missiles. The effect of ground bombing… can only be described as extremely devastating.

CIWS "Light Cascade":

Launcher: 24X60, launch mode: Pulse laser, excitation type: Free electron laser, capacitors: 24GJ·S superconducting batteries X4, heat dissipation: Forced air-cooling heat dissipation group, pulse frequency: 1600 beams/second, single pulse irradiance: 0.83MJ, effective range: 2800km.

Space proximity defense system, a type of laser interception system, different from China’s use of high-explosive rounds in CIWS system, it uses pulse laser interception, more suitable for semi-armor-piercing anti-ship missiles against China, evaporating the missile warhead by focusing on one side of the warhead, producing diversion force, pushing it out into an inescapable cone, making the missile unable to hit itself, similar to China using projectile systems directly to deform the "Salami" targeting focused system to prevent the missile from being effectively activated.

MK-63 Rapid Missile Hive + BIM-029 "Birdcatcher Spider"

Launcher: 24X24, launch mode: Vertical launch, propulsion mode: Multi-vector attitude jetting + low specific impulse rocket engine, warhead: 86kg, total weight: 162kg, warhead type: Electromagnetic pulse, kill radius: 1.5km, warhead yield: 1000kg, fuel: 65kg composite fuel.

Space medium-range interception missile, using electromagnetic pulse warhead to directly destroy the opponent’s missile guidance system in close range, only suitable for dealing with China’s semi-armor-piercing anti-ship missiles, ineffective against "Salami" missiles that are directly activated outside the close defense zone, but China also has its own "Sun Umbrella" interceptor missiles to counter "Salami".

Power Configuration:

Reactor

Nuclear Ball Reactor:

A small hybrid nuclear reactor for ships, using thorium fuel rods, equipped with an ion fluid power system and thermoelectric utilization system, which can greatly reduce waste heat generation, reduce the probability of spacecraft failure due to overheating during long-distance flights when effective heat dissipation is not possible, with a power output of approximately 0.3 GW, mainly supplying power to railguns and missile ejection systems, as well as integrated electronic warfare systems and CIWS "light waterfall" use.

Generator:

Rolls Gas Turbine:

A 93 MW gas turbine power generator and matching power system, usually operated using the reactor’s cooling steam and waste heat along with its high-calorific value fuel, not having a very high power output, but because it can directly exhaust high-temperature waste gas from the spacecraft, the pressure on the spacecraft’s heat dissipation system is not high, generally used as a backup generator for when the reactor overheats and as part of the reactor’s waste heat recovery mechanism during normal operation.

Radiator:

Nitrogen Air-Cooled Radiator Compressor:

A device that stores a lot of solid nitrogen gas for cooling purposes can cool down the ship’s components normally or forcefully using polymer capillaries and direct injection. It is equipped with an external compression heat tank. If too much nitrogen gas is consumed and emergency cooling is needed, the nitrogen gas inside the ship will be recovered, recompressed into ultra-low temperature solid nitrogen, and the heat generated during compression will be absorbed by the compression heat tank until the component is completely melted and scrapped, allowing about 15% of the coolant reserves to be restored.

In normal cooling mode, when the coolant is almost depleted, a resupply is done at the destination or departure port. If not in combat, compressed gas can be released at high altitude inside any planet with atmosphere to dissipate heat. Note that this behavior may cause local temperature rise, affecting the climate on the ground.

[Basically, it’s like a giant air conditioner. Compress nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to release heat, and the heat is carried away by convection. In space, release compressed solid nitrogen (-270 degrees) into the radiator pipes for cooling until it runs out. If the coolant runs out and the heat tank resupply is used up, the only option is to slowly dissipate heat through thermal radiation. You can’t expect any weapon or equipment to operate endlessly like in a game without worrying about ammunition, cooling, or repairs, it’s just not possible.]

Propulsion:

Coupling Shaft Quadruple Rotor Space Displacer:

It has two inner and outer shafts, driving a total of four sets of rotors for acceleration, deceleration, and redirection with a large electric mechanical assembly. While it’s essentially the same as running a wheel with animal power, just like a nuclear reactor and a kettle both essentially boil water, the technology involved is quite advanced. With half of the coolant consumed, it can accelerate one-way to a maximum speed of 6800-6900 km per second, providing the spaceship with high maneuverability through different shafts, directions, speeds, and modes.

Overview:

The Philadelphia-class destroyer produced in the United States is classified as a type of arsenal ship. It does not have very strong electronic warfare systems or guidance systems, and the guidance modules are handled by friendly forces for long-range guidance. It can deploy a large number of attack units at once, with some ground attack capability. However, due to its destructive power, it usually employs the AGS-R system for ground attack support rather than missile systems.

Designed as a warship to counter the Chinese Type 075-2 frigate, it carries the "Salami" system, effective against the Type 075-2’s air defense and interception capabilities. It also partly counters the range and interception advantages of the "North Beijing-class" drone aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, the Chinese quickly developed the "Sunshade" interception unit, which can efficiently identify and deploy high-speed drones against nuclear harpoons, forming a multi-faced polymer shield to deflect and disperse the power of nuclear harpoon shots along their path.

Later on, they developed a "bell chime" system that used kinetic energy interceptor missiles to destroy nuclear long guns. These guns lacked heavy armor-piercing warheads and protective shells, so the kinetic energy interceptor missiles could easily damage their delicate reflectors and guidance systems, turning the nuclear long guns into ordinary nuclear bombs that explode outside their kill radius.

Generally speaking, in the human civil war, this unit wasn’t considered a powerful combat force. Its role was simply as expendable units and supporters, like a production line that could replenish hundreds in just a few years, similar to the Fletcher Destroyer from that era. But for extraterrestrial races, it’s a different story…