The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 147

6:30 PM that evening, at the research institute’s conference room.

“I want a thorough investigation! This must be thoroughly investigated! Who leaked that video?! And our technical department must make sure every copy of it is taken down from the entire Star Network before midnight! What are you even getting paid for?! The public opinion is already boiling, how can the video still be up?! Huh??? What about the credibility of our official institutions—”

The director of the research institute slammed the table furiously from the head of the conference table. Everyone below had their heads down, pens spinning in their hands, pretending to be busy.

Qin Chu was crammed onto a bench near the door with a bunch of colleagues, eyes blank as a novel auto-scrolled across a hidden screen only she could see.

If not for the system she’d developed recently that brought in revenue for the research institute, she wouldn’t even qualify to sit in on the meeting, let alone be stuck there listening to the director’s impotent rage during overtime.

Qin Chu sighed silently in her heart.

The next moment, the conference room fell abruptly silent.

Qin Chu quickly looked up, wondering if she had accidentally sighed out loud.

Then she saw the director answering a call with a flattering expression and hurrying out.

Meanwhile, Jiang Momo was having dinner with E Mingjun when she received a message from Li Yu. It had no text, just a single fist-clasping emoji.

Jiang Momo was confused and looked up at E Mingjun across from her, who remained silent no matter how she questioned him.

E Mingjun cut his meat without looking up. “Don’t look at me. I don’t know more than you do.”

He really didn’t. After handing the video to the President, what followed was out of his control.

Jiang Momo didn’t press further and was about to message Li Yu to ask, but before she could move, a plate of neatly cut meat was placed in front of her. She looked up to see E Mingjun calmly wiping his hands.

“Eat first. It’s getting cold.”

“Alright.” Jiang Momo popped a piece into her mouth, then glanced at her light brain, and noticed Qin Chu had changed her status message. She had a feeling it was related to the video and sent her a message.

Qin Chu responded quickly.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: Our leader just said the director contacted him and is demanding a full investigation into that video on the hot search. If things go wrong, he might lose his job. Now he’s flipping out and making everyone work overtime. No one’s allowed to leave until things calm down. I’m so tired I want to quit.

Qin Chu walked through the corridor looking miserable, only realizing after sending it that she had typed her honest thoughts. She quickly tried to delete it.

[Jiang Momo]: If you want to quit, then quit.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: [Sigh…] I can’t quit. No money.

[Jiang Momo]: Didn’t our combat simulation system make a lot of money? I got a decent payout.

Jiang Momo tapped the table in thought. She remembered the system had been developed under both their names and the profits were supposed to go to them equally.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: That was the plan but once it started making money, the research institute reclaimed the copyrights. I kind of saw it coming. Our leaders talk like their words mean nothing.

Qin Chu got angrier the more she typed, venting for a couple of minutes before realizing who she was talking to. She stopped immediately.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: Sorry, Teacher Momo. I got a little carried away. I still have to try taking down the video. Let’s talk later.

[Jiang Momo]: Wait, let me ask you something first. How is the research institute handling this situation?

Jiang Momo tapped her fingers lightly.

Could Li Yu have been detained right after sending that fist-clasping emoji? His profile picture had gone gray and he wasn’t responding to messages.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: Just making everyone work overtime. They haven’t found who leaked the video yet. And the footage was blurred, so you can’t tell when it was recorded.

“Blurred?” Jiang Momo abruptly looked up and asked E Mingjun, “Was the video you saw blurred?”

“No.” E Mingjun shook his head.

Jiang Momo seemed to grasp something but before she could sort her thoughts, Qin Chu sent another message.

[Draft Animal Goes Back To Work]: The research institute plans to brush it off for now, claiming the video contains no identifiable information and was probably AI-generated. It doesn’t have many comments, yet it shot to number one, so they think someone must be manipulating the hot search.

Jiang Momo stared at the tens of thousands of comments on the hot search and took a deep breath.

At midnight, the Star Network exploded in outrage following the research institute’s official statement.

[Military Research Institute: Regarding today’s incident spreading across Star Network, allegedly involving our personnel committing fatal violence, our initial investigation has found no such situation. We will strengthen supervision moving forward and welcome public oversight.]

After several hours of buildup, many victim families had already come forward with evidence and even the person in the video had been identified. But now, the research institute denied everything without offering any explanation.

People quickly noticed that all related terms suddenly became sensitive words and were blocked right after midnight. Much of the previous content began to vanish, clearly scrubbed from the network. Public outrage exploded instantly.

What followed was the usual mass protest.

Ten minutes after the protest began, the President launched a full-network live broadcast. He offered a sincere apology, promised a thorough investigation, temporarily removed the director of the research institute from office, and vetoed Congress’s proposal to expand the mecha manufacturing monopoly.

Jiang Momo leaned on one hand, staring at the livestream chat in the corner of the screen, her brows deeply furrowed. “Why is this happening?”

In the comments, the audience initially responded well to the President’s apology. But as he announced the veto of the proposal, the tone shifted drastically.

[If the research institute messed up, fix the research institute. Don’t drag the proposal into this.]

[These two things are unrelated. Why mention them together?]

[Isn’t the proposal a good thing? If all mecha manufacturers were conscripted, our military strength would skyrocket. Why let the market have so many mecha?]

[Don’t let a single setback ruin the plan. We mecha manufacturers are confident in contributing to the Federation!]

For a moment, Jiang Momo thought she was seeing things. She checked again and again and sure enough, more people supported the proposal than opposed it. After some thought, she formed a guess.

“The President responded too quickly. This timing… it’s still not right.”

E/N: Can I just say the President is really… Lacking? He’s so anxious, jumping in and out of the fire, like bruh. Chill a bit. You’re the president!