The food was fresh.
Delicious—or at least, as close as artificial nutrition could get.
One hundred half-orcs sat cross-legged on the ground, lunch boxes held in their hands, eating silently but ravenously. Even tasteless nutrient paste disappeared quickly.
They were slaves.
In the past, eating until full had been a luxury.
"After they're done," Zhao Chen said, eating beside Charlotte, "have them bathe, change into clean uniforms, and board the ship. I want them familiar with their stations as soon as possible."
Charlotte nodded slightly. Compared to the others, her movements were restrained and disciplined—every bite measured. Years of command habits had not faded.
She glanced at the identical meal in Zhao Chen's hands. "You eat this as well?"
"What else would I eat?" Zhao Chen replied lightly. "I won't hide it from you—your captain is poor.
"The supplies I have now will last half a month at most. Whether we eat well after that depends on how you perform."
Charlotte studied him for a moment.
His lack of pretense softened her expression slightly.
Then her gaze sharpened. "Why only female orcs?"
She stared straight at him. "In combat, most would choose men.
"Listen carefully—if you touch them, if you humiliate them, our agreement is void. I will not allow them to trade their bodies for freedom."
Zhao Chen waved his hands helplessly. "Relax. I have no such intentions.
"There are… reasons I can't explain right now. But it has nothing to do with desire."
Charlotte snorted. "I won't ask. But if I find out otherwise—"
She let the threat hang.
The fierce glare paired strangely with her white hair and wounded ears—almost cute, if not for the scars crisscrossing her body.
"You did those yourself," Zhao Chen said quietly, gesturing at the scars.
Charlotte nodded without hesitation. "After the betrayal.
"If I hadn't destroyed my own appearance, I wouldn't be sitting here. I'd be dead."
Zhao Chen understood.
If she had been recognized, mercy would never have followed.
"Still," Charlotte said slowly, "I'm surprised you recognized me."
"I studied your campaigns at the academy," Zhao Chen replied. "Records, battle footage.
"When I saw you on the slave list, I wasn't certain. You're… very different now.
"You used to look like dawn."
Only after testing her had he confirmed her identity.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "So I exposed myself."
"With current medical tech, your scars could be repaired," Zhao Chen added. "Completely."
"No need," Charlotte said coldly. "A soldier doesn't value skin."
Zhao Chen didn't push the issue. He couldn't afford that technology anyway.
"Come," he said. "I'll show you your future workplace."
He led her aboard Blizzard Zero.
The internal corridors were old and worn, metal plates bearing marks of previous battles.
"This is the ship you assembled?" Charlotte asked, running a hand along the wall.
"Yes. Hyena modules. Gray Wolf performance units. Devil Crocodile hull.
"Blizzard Zero."
Charlotte shook her head. "Old systems. Aged structures. The combat ceiling shouldn't be high."
"You'll change your mind," Zhao Chen said with a faint smile. "Soon."
She didn't argue. Choice had long since left her.
They reached the bridge.
It was Charlotte's first time there.
Conventional layout. No extravagance. Everything practical.
"I need you to assign positions," Zhao Chen said. "I want combat readiness as fast as possible."
Charlotte frowned. "Then I need full access to the ship's parameters."
Before she could finish, Zhao Chen handed her a handheld terminal.
Her eyes widened.
"Your credentials are already registered," Zhao Chen said. "Second only to mine.
"From now on, you're the deputy captain of Blizzard Zero."
Charlotte stared at him. "You trust me that much?
"You're not afraid I'll betray you?"
Zhao Chen smiled and leaned back into the captain's chair, posture relaxed.
He had already activated Eye of Insight the moment Charlotte stepped aboard.
No hostility.
No killing intent.
Loyalty was uncertain—but willingness was enough.
"I trust my judgment," Zhao Chen said calmly. "And the people I choose.
"Go to work, Deputy Captain."