Stars, Players and Immortals

Chapter 90 Honey, how about Skydrive loans?

Gu Yuanzhou glanced at the pounds for a few seconds, his smile fading slightly as he traced a short approval chain on the data panel with his finger.

"The policy does exist. It was personally approved by the Commander-in-Chief. The first batch of SkyDrivers who have completed formal registration and participated in public commissions can apply for a settlement support and vehicle parking subsidy."

The pound's eyes lit up.

The next moment, a task notification popped up on his personal terminal.

[Government Commission: Emergency Transfer of Personnel for Olympus Ring Infrastructure (Job Transfer Mission)]

[Task Type: Administrative Collaboration & Logistics Transportation]

[Task Difficulty: D]

[Mission Objective: Proceed to the Mariner Valley building materials base, receive three batches of structural reinforcement components, and escort them to the Olympus Ring infrastructure construction site.]

[Mission Rewards: Skyward Faction Reputation +200, Civilization Contribution +150, Skywarder Official Registration Priority Review Certificate ×1, First Job Advancement Qualification Pre-approval Certificate ×1]

As he glanced at the rewards section, his heart instantly settled.

If this kind of task were placed on the first day of the server launch, its actual value would be more than ten times higher than the apparent rewards. What's truly valuable isn't the reputation and contribution points, but the two certificates that come with them.

Sure enough, having connections at higher levels makes things easier!

Gu Yuanzhou sent another electronic letter of introduction to Lai.

"Take this and go to the asset allocation window on the east side of Sky Drive Plaza. Find Deputy Section Chief Lin Zhibai of the Asset and Vehicle Management Bureau."

He paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"Deputy Section Chief Lin is in charge of supporting the first batch of Skydrivers to settle down, reviewing spaceship berths and light vehicle procurement. All the things you want to ask are under his jurisdiction."

Pound nodded quickly, his tone impeccably formal, like a government employee: "Director Gu, rest assured, I guarantee I will complete the task assigned to me by the organization!"

After hanging up the call, Pound didn't even bother to head towards the crowded job transfer hall. Instead, he followed the directional lights on the ground, circled around, and headed straight for the east side of the square.

The number of people here is nowhere near that of the central core area. There are only a dozen or so players scattered around in front of the window, most of them just there to watch the excitement. Few realize the value of this window during the early stages of development.

In most people's eyes, this is just a casual way to play, like buying houses and spaceships, which is far less practical than changing jobs and fighting monsters.

Of course, the main reason is that Stellaris has not yet opened up the farming gameplay, so most players still maintain the concept of "combat is fun".

Within half a minute of him handing over the letter of introduction, a staff member led him into a temporary reception room inside.

Sitting inside was a man in his thirties, wearing a silver-gray uniform buttoned up meticulously, with his name tag clearly printed as [Deputy Section Chief of Skydrive Assets and Vehicle Management Bureau: Lin Zhibai].

When he looked up and saw him come in, Lin Zhibai immediately broke into a standard, almost template-like professional smile.

That smile stirred something in Pound Sterling's heart, inexplicably reminding him of those real estate agents in real life who addressed him as "brother" all the time.

Once the other party opened their mouth, the feeling intensified.

"Mr. Ying, is that right? Director Gu has already given instructions."

Lin Zhibai pushed an electronic support list in front of him, speaking steadily and clearly, clearly having memorized this pitch.

"According to the 'Detailed Rules for the Settlement and Deep Space Service Support of the First Batch of SkyDrivers,' SkyDrivers like you, who have a history of political contributions and have taken the initiative to undertake public commissions, meet the application criteria for the three categories of basic support."

"First, a single-occupancy cabin in the core area of ​​Tianqu Plaza is available for free for the first month, and half price for the following three months; second, priority allocation of dedicated parking spaces for light vehicles, without the need for queuing; third, special subsidies for the purchase or rental of small spacecraft, which can cover up to 30% of the initial cost."

Before the pound could react, Section Chief Lin lightly tapped the table with his fingertip, and a sharply sculpted gray-black hull projection slowly rose to the surface.

"Considering that you will be completing the transfer commission from Mariner Valley to Mount Olympus, and you also have subsequent deep space service intentions, I personally suggest that you give priority to this model."

The small combat boat in the projection was grayish-black, with a long and narrow hull, a low bow, short wing-shaped propulsion pods on both sides, a small cargo hold interface in the belly, and weapon modules stored under the bow and side armor.

"The Peregrine-class light combat boat has a standard length of 22 meters and a crew of one or two. It supports single-person piloting and co-pilot fire control coordination."

"It is equipped with twin lightweight pulse cannons and a set of miniature missile pods, enabling it to deal with lightly armored drones, smuggling boats, modified shuttles, and small-scale ground firing positions."

"The shields used are lightweight combat shields, which are not strong enough to meet the standards of military patrol boats, but are sufficient to handle low-intensity conflicts and waterway patrols."

"The advantages are clear: high maneuverability, fast takeoff, and strong firepower response, making it suitable for short-range deep-space cruises, escort missions, and sudden combat. The disadvantages are also there: the cargo hold is relatively small, the long-range endurance is average, and it needs to rely on supply stations and fixed routes."

Lin Zhibai tapped the table lightly as he finished speaking.

Lin Zhibai tapped his finger again, and a list of details immediately popped up next to the projector, clearly listing the deposit, monthly rent, subsidy ratio, and deduction rules.

"Based on your level of government contribution, you will be eligible for the first batch of government collaborators through the special rental channel, with your deposit reduced by half and the government subsidizing 40% of the first month's rent."

He paused for a moment, then offered the most tempting terms.

"Once you complete this building materials transfer and pass the formal registration and review, you can apply for a lease-to-purchase conversion," meaning the previously paid rent can be directly deducted from the purchase price.

All of Section Chief Lin's rhetoric boils down to one thing: "Hey, how about Skydrive Loans?"

The British pound strongly suspects that Section Chief Lin has certain performance indicators.

He stared at the string of numbers, his mind already racing with calculations.

The first month's rent for a single-occupancy cabin is free, and the following three months are half price. Exclusive berths are prioritized for booking; the Peregrine-class cabins also have access to a special lane for government collaborators; the deposit is halved; and the first month's rent is refunded by 40%.

On the surface, it seems like a benefit for players who are exploring new areas, but if you look deeper, the Sky Chaser government is the one who is guaranteed to profit.

Once players have acquired houses, parking spaces, spaceships, and fast-track job advancements, they will naturally be willing to dedicate all their online time to official commissions, with people eager to do even the dirtiest and hardest jobs.

A sum of support funds was invested, and in return, a group of top-notch workers who were not afraid of death or hard work, and who could even be resurrected on the spot after death.

Overall, this is a win-win situation.

However, still hoping to gain some more benefits, he smiled and said to Section Chief Lin, "Section Chief Lin, I'm quite interested in this policy."

"However—I also have a regular team. They are veteran Skydriveers who participated in the Martian revolution, and they are very reliable."

"If I register this group together and apply for VIP cabins and berths as a unified group, can the discount be increased to a higher tier?"

As soon as he said that, Lin Zhibai's eyes lit up.

His eyes were so bright they were practically burning, making even the pounds wonder if a golden pop-up window saying "Performance +10%" was about to appear above his head.

"sure!"

Lin Zhibai's fingers flew across the data panel, quickly bringing up the team support clauses hidden deep within the details, his speech even a beat faster.

"According to the first batch of Skydrive fixed squad support policies, five or more people can apply for a squad public storage space, eight or more people can apply for a dedicated squad residence, and twelve or more people can bind a small spaceship to share a berth."

"If you register as a unified government collaboration team, I will directly process your application through the team-specific review channel: accommodation cabin rental."

The subsidy for the Peregrine-class combat boats has been increased again, and the deposit for leasing them has been further reduced. The asset management bureau will cover half of the first month's ship insurance costs.

Without saying a word, Pound Sterling immediately decided, "Section Chief Lin, please wait a moment, I'll call someone."

He raised his hand to open the communication channel and directly pulled all his old acquaintances from the Ruby Class into the temporary group.

[Pound Sterling: Stop waiting in the long queues at the job change hall, head straight to the asset allocation window on the east side of Skyward Plaza for the latest version answer.]

[Don't eat beef: ? I'm live streaming, what version of the answer is this?]

[British Pound: House, berth, spaceship, preliminary review, official commission—all packaged together.]

[I don't eat beef: Oh my god! Wait ten minutes! I'll be right there!]

[Pressing on the ice without moving: What you're saying sounds like a scam.]

[Pound Sterling: I've figured out the job-change qualifications; I'll also arrange houses, cars, and spaceships for you while I'm at it.]

[Large Meal: What do you mean by "casually arranging houses, cars, and spaceships"? Did you secretly click into some pay-to-win shop behind our backs?]

[Pound Sterling: Tianqu officially supports us, and Lao Zhang is giving us gold bars! Don't blame me if you're late!]

Ten minutes later, the Ruby Class members pushed their way through the crowd and rushed from the other end of the square to the asset allocation window.

Once everyone was gathered, Lin Zhibai couldn't suppress his smile any longer; it almost stretched to his ears.

His fingers flew across the data panel, so fast they left afterimages, and he finished the loan agreement in the blink of an eye. Finally, with a wave of his hand, he raised the subsidy rate by an additional level.

After swiping through the last page of terms and conditions, confirming that the interest, deposit, and default rules were all within expectations and there were no hidden pitfalls, I immediately pressed the electronic signature button.

The next moment, the personal terminals of several people in the Ruby Class vibrated simultaneously.

[You have joined the first batch of Skydrive squads in the base program.]

You have obtained temporary access to the Skyward Plaza Squad Base.

You have been granted eligibility to apply for a light spacecraft berth.

You have been granted exclusive leasing rights for the Peregrine-class light combat boat.

[You have unlocked: Squad Civilization Contribution Account.]

An Bing stared at the long list of loan agreements and monthly repayment plans on the terminal, then turned to glare at the British pound, saying viciously, "You're really shameless, aren't you? You dragged the rest of us into taking on interstellar mortgages and car loans just to get a little team discount. Your skin is practically as thick as a warship's main armor!"

British Pound: "Hey, this isn't called piggybacking, it's called maximizing resource utilization."

Large lunch: "Life's finally getting better; we've all taken on mortgages and car loans together in the game."

With his arms around the two men's shoulders, Pound chuckled slyly, "What's the rush, brothers?"

"Once I get the hang of driving the Peregrine Falcon and start commissioning rides, this monthly payment won't even be a fraction of what I'm making!"

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