The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 106

“Alright, whatever you’re planning, I support you. If you need anything from me, just say it.” Yan Chang lowered his head to think for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

Jiang Momo understood the subtext and patted his shoulder. “Relax, I’m not going to actually play along with them. I’m perfectly clearheaded.”

Yan Chang looked up. “I’m worried they’ll hurt you again.”

“They won’t.” Jiang Momo waved dismissively. “Last time, I didn’t have much value. But things are different now.”

Just the noble status alone was enough to keep the Jiang family in check.

“Besides, don’t I have you to back me up?” Jiang Momo raised her left hand, showing the light brain device Yan Chang had given her. “If you notice anything wrong, you can come find me anytime.”

Yan Chang’s heart skipped a beat at Jiang Momo’s gesture. Then he suddenly remembered that he’d told her the light brain was equipped with a tracker the moment he gave it to her.

“No problem.” Yan Chang nodded. “Then go ahead.”

“Go where?” Jiang Momo stepped onto the ship’s ramp, turning to look at the unmoving Yan Chang. “Aren’t we going to eat?”

Yan Chang was surprised and hurried after her. “I thought you were heading to the Jiang family now.”

“No rush. They’ll invite me again soon.” Jiang Momo kept walking. “The Alien Beast War Victory Memorial Day is coming up.”

Yan Chang instantly understood. “You’re afraid going to them now would look suspicious!”

Jiang Momo sat down on the sofa in the middle of the ship and naturally took two bottles of juice from the cabinet, tossing one to Yan Chang.

Yan Chang caught it. “That brand you usually like is out of stock. Try this one and see if you like the flavor.”

Jiang Momo took a sip and couldn’t tell much difference, so she nodded. “I like it.”

Yan Chang sat across from her. “Good to hear.”

Then he looked at her expectantly.

Jiang Momo glanced at him. “I asked for you and she said no.”

Yan Chang looked a little disappointed as he averted his gaze.

He knew that with Jiang Momo’s reliable nature, even though he had impulsively said he wanted to have a meal with the Mecha Queen, she would still try to ask.

“What? Did you lose your appetite just because you couldn’t get a date?” Jiang Momo teased, watching his expression.

Yan Chang quickly wiped the downcast look off his face and smiled. “What are you saying? Dining with our Master here is an honor!”

“Oh right. Here.” Jiang Momo pulled out a space button containing the finished A-grade mecha and handed it to Yan Chang.

“Thank you, Master! You’re amazing!” Yan Chang’s eyes sparkled as he accepted it. “Once Tutor E comes back, I’ll challenge him again! I don’t believe I can’t beat him with an A-grade mecha!”

Jiang Momo almost said something but held back, swallowing the words on the tip of her tongue.

“Let him borrow your old B-grade mecha for the match. Maybe you can trap him,” she said.

“Good idea!” Yan Chang clapped his hands. “That’s why you’re the master! Reversing the mecha grade might even the odds.”

Jiang Momo smiled and didn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

If E Mingjun could pilot a B-grade mecha normally, the odds were more like 1:9. Yan Chang’s only chance was that E Mingjun, just like Jiang Momo, couldn’t operate lower-grade mechas properly.

Sitting in front of her, Yan Chang was already lost in the fantasy of defeating E Mingjun. Jiang Momo leaned back and started browsing her light brain.

There was nothing fresh on the trending topics lately, while the simulation battles and the Mecha Queen were still dominating the top ten.

Then, Jiang Momo caught sight of a low-profile entry in the ‘Latest’ section.

[Employee from a Major Corporation Factory Posts Real-Name Complaint].

She clicked it immediately when Little Eight said it might relate to the Jiang family.

Inside, the content was empty.

Puzzled, she backed out and the entry had already vanished.

“Are you sure it’s about the Jiang family?” Jiang Momo asked silently.

[Positive. The person said their entire family worked at a factory owned by the Jiang family. Three of the four family members died suddenly one after another and the poster themselves feel increasingly unwell. They could not muster energy, suffered chest tightness and shortness of breath, and their memory was declining. They went for a check-up but the hospital found nothing.]

Little Eight briefly recapped the video it had just seen.

Jiang Momo frowned. “If that’s the case, there must be more victims. Why hasn’t it come out before?”

[It probably got suppressed like this one. That post was only up for 1 minute and 32 seconds in the Star Network,] Little Eight replied.

“Did you save the video?” Jiang Momo asked.

[It’s saved,] Little Eight replied.

Jiang Momo nodded slightly and continued browsing aimlessly on the StarNet.

***

On the day of the Alien Beast War Victory Memorial, Jiang Momo indeed received an invitation from the Jiang family for a family banquet.

Her eldest brother, Jiang Zhang, personally came to pick her up at the school gate.

Or rather, she had been ‘pestered’ by Jiang Yingying to the academy’s main entrance, where Jiang Zhang blocked her path and, after much coaxing, managed to get her onto the spaceship.

On the spaceship, Jiang Momo sat opposite Jiang Zhang with her head slightly lowered, saying nothing.

Jiang Zhang gave Jiang Yingying a look.

Jiang Yingying immediately understood and poured a cup of tea, handing it to Jiang Momo.

Jiang Momo didn’t take it.

Jiang Yingying bent forward slightly and held the cup steadily without putting it down.

“Momo, we know we weren’t very kind before.” Jiang Zhang adjusted his tie and said slowly, “This banquet is meant to make up for that. It’s just our own family, no one else.”

“Oh,” Jiang Momo replied indifferently.

“Have some tea first to soothe your throat,” Jiang Zhang tried to persuade her.

Jiang Momo glanced at Jiang Yingying’s fingertips, which were covered with a thin layer of calluses. “I don’t like tea.”

Jiang Yingying still didn’t move.

Seeing Jiang Zhang remain silent, Jiang Momo reached out, took the cup from Jiang Yingying, and placed it on the table.

As soon as she touched it, Jiang Momo raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Not bad, at least it’s hot water.”

Jiang Zhang smiled. “Our parents already investigated and scolded Jiang Yingying for withholding your bank card and allowance. Don’t take it to heart.”

Jiang Momo crossed her legs and leaned back into the chair, arms resting along the armrests.
“What made them suddenly look into that? I almost forgot about it myself.”

If Jiang Momo had made such an improper gesture when she had just arrived at the Capital Star, Jiang Zhang would have definitely criticized her. But now, he just coughed lightly and looked away. “They felt that, no matter what, blood is thicker than water. You must’ve been wronged to keep avoiding us like this.”

Jiang Momo chuckled softly. “They’re quite perceptive.”

“Mom and Dad really miss you,” Jiang Zhang continued to play the emotional card.

Jiang Momo raised her hand. “Enough. No need to say those kinds of things. Let me be clear, I came this time because you people dragged me here. I never had any intention of having a meal with you.”

A hint of disdain flashed through Jiang Zhang’s eyes. “I understand.”

He understood and in his mind, Jiang Momo was just a child who longed for affection but was too proud to admit it.

Seeing he had ‘understood’ her meaning, Jiang Momo didn’t bother with him anymore. She turned her head to glance at Jiang Yingying standing next to her.

“You’ve been training, haven’t you?” Jiang Momo remarked lightly as she eyed her noticeably more muscular figure.

The words nearly shattered Jiang Yingying. She clenched her back teeth hard to stop herself from losing her composure on the spot.

She had thought it felt good to be stronger but recently her figure had become ‘out of shape’ and Jiang Xian had grown very critical of her. It was almost like when Jiang Momo had been targeted in the beginning. She had never been treated like that before and the psychological contrast was massive.

Last night, passing by Jiang Xian and Jiang He’s bedroom, she even overheard them talking about transferring her shares to Jiang Momo!

Jiang Momo clearly caught the changes in her expression. She smiled and picked up the tea again, held it to her lips, and then set it back down without drinking.

Soon, the spaceship landed in the front courtyard of the Jiang family’s villa.

Jiang Momo was surrounded front and back by Jiang Zhang and Jiang Yingying as they disembarked. The villa door was open and through the window, one could see Jiang He and Jiang Xian sitting properly at the head seats.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Zhang grabbed Jiang Momo’s arm with one hand and led her inside.

“Momo, you’re back?” Jiang Xian smiled and waved at her, as if she had forgotten all previous conflicts. She pointed to the seat beside her. “Sit here, okay? You seem to have lost some weight lately.”

Jiang Momo: “?”

Had she really lost muscle from not exercising enough recently?

Jiang Xian had meant it as a fake compliment but seeing Jiang Momo’s expression, she immediately remembered the root of their original friction and tried to rephrase.

But Jiang Momo didn’t give her the chance. She shoved past Jiang Zhang behind her and strode out. “I’ve got something to do. I’m leaving.”

Jiang He shot a glare at Jiang Xian and told Jiang Zhang, “Go after her.”

Jiang Zhang sighed and walked out but there was no sign of her anymore. He didn’t notice that overhead, a military ship was quickly flying away.

Jiang Momo really did have something to do. Otherwise, she might have continued wasting time with the Jiang family.

She sprawled lazily against the back of a chair, looking at Lu Feng seated upright across from her. “What’s so urgent? You didn’t even give me a heads-up.”

Her plan hadn’t even started yet and it had been thrown off. Originally, she had been planning to bring up the matter of shares with the Jiang family that day.

“Emergency mission. I just got the notice too,” Lu Feng said. “The top brass dragged over a hundred alien beasts from the Border Star System to the outer ring planets of the Central Star System for a live combat drill and it will broadcast federation-wide.”

Jiang Momo frowned. “I’m involved in such a big event?”

“No,” Lu Feng answered directly. “Because both the Central Star System and the Chaos Star System will broadcast it simultaneously, and the Central Star System has too few presentable generals, I have to be in it.”

“What about me?” Jiang Momo had a feeling.

“You’re the commander, same as before,” Lu Feng added. “Anonymous. Only the real-time tactical interface will be shown. Your face won’t appear.”

“Alright.” Jiang Momo stretched her wrists. “I won’t let the Central Star System lose face.”