Chapter 167: Victory and Spoils of War Are Not Always the Same Thing
Wang Jiarong felt a lingering sense of survival as she traveled to the *Quintet* on a spaceship.
When the Greenskin fleet emerged from the warp point, she genuinely thought it was all over, with less than a one percent chance of survival.
The appearance of the *Quintet* was truly a lifeline.
Reflecting on it calmly, it certainly wasn’t just a coincidence.
In such a vast universe, for the *Quintet* to randomly jump out of the star tunnel from Fury Owl Galaxy to Koroga, just in time to intercept their beautiful maiden convoy escaping the star tunnel and being chased by Greenskins… the odds of that were astronomically low.
It had to be that the *Quintet* had received intelligence and was intentionally waiting here.
They must have known about the Greenskin fleet’s presence, which also explained why the *Quintet* was in a silent state, only launching a surprise attack with full bombardment at the start of the battle, instantly destroying an enemy destroyer.
She did not mean to blame the Imperial Navy.
When in the star tunnel, communications become exceedingly difficult, which is normal.
Upon boarding the ship and meeting Navy Commodore Alicia, Wang Jiarong quickly stepped forward to give the female captain a quick hug.
“Alicia, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I’d be done for this time.”
Her gratitude was genuine.
There was a reason she called her “sister.”
The two had known each other from their younger years, both moving in the upper circles of the Pegasus Sector capital, Wing Star, and had shared some acquaintances.
As they grew older, each encountered different life paths.
Alicia followed the Fofana family tradition by entering the Naval Academy, using her direct lineage and outstanding grades to become the youngest captain of her generation.
As for Wang Jiarong, she did not come from a particularly powerful family but had a highly influential aunt who married into the Gu family.
The Gu family of Pegasus, a clan rooted in the Pegasus Sector whose reputation had spread widely in recent years, gained prestige as a significant member of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, with multiple large interstellar fleets and over a dozen smaller convoys, granting them substantial financial strength.
Leveraging her aunt’s connections and her family’s financial backing, she used the Gu family fleet banner to establish her own small convoy, thriving over the years.
Thus, after each had grown up and had their respective paths, it had indeed been many years since they last saw or contacted each other.
Unexpectedly, circumstances had brought them together here, with each holding positions that perfectly matched: an Imperial convoy attacked by alien pirates and the Imperial Navy coming to the rescue.
After a brief embrace and calling her “sister” to rekindle their connection, Wang Jiarong waved her hand.
Her attendants, who had accompanied her, brought forward three chests.
“A small token, just a bit of respect.” Wang Jiarong said with a faint smile, “Once back on Wing Star, there’ll be a more substantial gift to express my thanks.”
She knew how to handle things properly.
Although fighting pirates and aliens was the Imperial Navy’s duty, the fact remained she had been saved, and recognition was warranted.
It was also a way to strengthen their bond.
“This is what we soldiers are meant to do,” Alicia said, accepting the gifts without any pretense.
Of course, she didn’t open the chests right there.
There was no need; it would look petty.
She also trusted that Wang Jiarong wouldn’t do anything inappropriate.
After chatting a bit, Wang Jiarong’s gaze naturally shifted to Gu Hang, who was standing nearby.
“Cousin.”
“Mm.” Gu Hang merely nodded.
The interaction between the two was somewhat lukewarm.
This really shouldn’t have been the case.
In Gu Hang’s memory, he had known this cousin well.
The aunt who married into the Gu family was Gu Hang’s own mother.
When he was younger, after his father passed away early, he spent little time with those of his generation within the Gu family. Instead, he spent more time with his uncle’s daughter, Wang Jiarong, and the two were quite close.
Originally, Wang Jiarong’s trade route didn’t include Fury Owl Planet.
The reason she came here was because Gu Hang had contacted her through the *Quintet*’s communication system, requesting that she bring a batch of goods he specifically needed, along with some common bulk goods for a trip to the remote Fury Owl Galaxy.
She had already resigned herself to not making a profit this time, treating it as a favor for her cousin.
Were it not for their strong relationship and the familial bond of his mother, who would do such a thing?
Yet unexpectedly, not only did she not make a profit, but she had also suffered a huge loss.
She lost two escort ships, and the two remaining ships, including the *Beautiful Maiden*, were all damaged, requiring substantial repair costs.
This loss was more than just a failed trip or a minor business deal.
To recover this amount, she would likely need to run her business for many years.
Given this, Gu Hang could understand why Wang Jiarong wasn’t in the best of moods toward him.
Although they were close, she had lost too much coming to the Fury Owl Galaxy this time.
Gu Hang felt some guilt.
But not much.
Thinking carefully, he couldn’t entirely blame himself.
He hadn’t intended to put his cousin through trouble.
When he sent the invitation, he had no idea there would be a Greenskin fleet approaching.
It was like calling a friend for a ride only for an unexpected car accident to happen—you couldn’t place all the blame on the passenger.
Plus, he had done everything possible to save those on board.
It wasn’t as if he was a prophet who could foresee the Greenskin fleet tracking a convoy in the star tunnel.
If it had been ordinary pirates, that would have been different.
For the average pirate, a few rundown ships would be the extent.
With three escort ships and the firepower of the *Beautiful Maiden*, her convoy could easily fend off small pirates.
However, the Greenskin fleet that appeared was massive by pirate standards.
It took the worst luck to run into such trouble.
Furthermore, once he got the intelligence, Gu Hang immediately began looking for a solution.
It was to save his planet, but also to save his cousin’s convoy.
In that light, Gu Hang’s guilt mostly dissipated.
Still, offering some compensation for his cousin’s losses was only fair.
After Wang Jiarong boarded the ship and exchanged greetings with Alicia and Gu Hang, they moved to a reception room to continue their discussion on handling the aftermath.
The reception room had a table and three chairs for the three of them to sit around.
There was no formal hierarchy in the seating arrangement.
Gu Hang was the first to speak: “The war may be over, but the post-war matters are just as critical. Victory doesn’t erase losses; we need to pursue the benefits of our win instead of letting it become a scar.”
He opened with this statement.
The two women beside him found sense in his words.
Victory was one thing; the spoils of war were another.
One couldn’t assume a win meant profit. There were plenty of examples where winning ended up costing more than losing.
Especially in this battle.
Against the Greenskins, there was no chance of capturing their warships.
All twelve of their ships were now space debris, leaving virtually nothing in terms of spoils.
In terms of losses, the *Beautiful Maiden*’s convoy lost two ships, and the *Quintet* would need costly repairs.
Even Gu Hang, who suffered the least, lost over four thousand soldiers and at least forty Walker vehicles—a month’s production for his arms factory.
If they couldn’t find additional gains, they would’ve won at a significant loss.
And beyond that, there was an implicit message: they had to seek out those gains, and they needed to decide how they would share them.
Gu Hang’s reasoning resonated with Wang Jiarong.
But she was puzzled as to why her cousin seemed to be taking the lead in this meeting.
What’s more, Alicia seemed unbothered by it and listened intently.
“This wasn’t a mere accident,” Gu Hang continued. “It was a premeditated, organized invasion of the Pegasus Sector by the Ironjaw Clan. It involved spore deployment on Fury Owl Planet in an attempt to infect and convert the entire planet as a staging ground for an invasion of the Pegasus Sector. I thwarted their planetary operation and, with the Navy’s help, eliminated the Ironjaw Clan’s advanced tribe established during the previous governor’s term…”
“The Ironjaw Clan wasn’t content with that failure and dispatched a main fleet—four destroyers and twelve escort ships, heavily armed with ground forces—to forcibly assault Fury Owl Planet. I intercepted the intelligence, and the *Quintet* coordinated with the nearby *Beautiful Maiden* convoy, enacting a wartime directive to conscript convoy vessels, luring the Greenskin fleet into a pre-set ambush. Near Warp Point One in the Fury Owl Galaxy, we executed a decisive ambush and obliterated the Greenskin fleet. Their warlord is no more.”
Gu Hang was telling a story.
And as he spoke, the two women listened with growing seriousness.
What they discussed now would soon be reported to the Sector
Government and the Imperial Department of Military Affairs.
Lying wasn’t an option.