The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 158

Little Eight couldn’t understand it. Human logic was supposed to be rooted in self-interest. Everything Jiang Momo had done before, like developing more advanced mecha, helping the military grow, and stabilizing public panic, could all be understood as ways to expand her influence or fulfill a sense of accomplishment.

But this? This clearly didn’t fit that framework.

Jiang Momo noticed the fur on Little Eight’s back bristle and something about it seemed off. She cautiously said, “Are we maybe… not quite thinking along the same lines?”

[You’ve chosen to stand against the President for the sake of protecting more people in the Federation. Have you thought about what reward that brings you?]

“Is there even supposed to be a reward?” Jiang Momo thought about it but came up with nothing. “I’m already rich, already well-known. I don’t need more of that. And it’s not like I’m loudly declaring myself against the President.”

Little Eight became even more certain.

[Momo, put aside the grand narrative for a second and think seriously. What do you actually want?]

“I don’t really want anything. I just want the Federation to be safe from alien beast invasions, to keep developing… and for me, Little Eight, and my friends to live a stable, peaceful life together,” Jiang Momo blurted out.

[Right. Always remember that goal. No matter what happens later, don’t forget that your original goal was just to live a stable, peaceful life.]

Don’t end up like its previous pilot. That man had joined the military for the sake of giving his wife and kids a better life, only to die a ‘hero’ chasing after the captain’s lofty ideals.

[Momo, promise me.]

Jiang Momo thought Little Eight was acting a bit strange. It almost never expressed itself so forcefully. She paused, feeling a little worried. After the Alien Beast War, the Federation had stopped producing AIs with self-awareness, which meant there weren’t any proper ways to check or maintain one like Little Eight anymore.

“I promise,” Jiang Momo said seriously after repeated thinking.

The Siamese cat relaxed immediately, its fur smoothing back down, muscles no longer tense, and tail curled by its feet as it sat.

Jiang Momo’s gaze lingered on Little Eight for a while. Once she confirmed it had returned to normal, she pushed the concern aside and leaned back in her seat to keep browsing the news.

***

Soon, the spaceship brought Jiang Momo to the Floating Island 2’s estate, the one where Yan Chang had come to find her earlier.

Once Jiang Momo entered the estate, she found most of the equipment worked just like those in the Yan family’s ancestral residence. Having seen how Yan Chang operated everything, she picked it up quickly.

The spatial transfer device alone was enough for her to reach any part of the estate, making the transportation she’d mentioned earlier to Yan Chang completely unnecessary.

After recording her morning class, Jiang Momo wandered around the estate until she was satisfied, and then she returned to her bedroom to rest.

“So basically, Yan Chang brought me to his family’s ancestral residence just to teach me how to use all this equipment,” she concluded, grabbing the juice that had been automatically delivered from the kitchen via the shelf beside her bed and taking a sip.

[He’s surprisingly considerate,] the Siamese cat murmured, lying on its back with both paws resting on its belly.

“Eh?!” Jiang Momo suddenly sat bolt upright, scooting to the edge of the bed. She pulled the projection screen closer and squinted at the name listed in the corner of the released candidate list. “What’s going on? I’m really on the candidate list for the research institute’s director. Who nominated me?”

[Huh?] Little Eight was taken aback. It stared at the announcement page, confident nothing related to Jiang Momo could have slipped past its scan.

[What kind of site is this? I can’t filter it or scan it? Looks like I need a system update.]

With a whoosh, the Siamese cat vanished.

Jiang Momo stared at her name and the vote button. After hesitating for a while, she clicked it and voted for herself.

There were thirty-two names on the list. After her vote, the total votes for each candidate were displayed, and Jiang Momo was ranked exactly thirtieth.

She’d seen the link shared by a niche online celebrity she followed, with the tagline [Vote for Jiang Momo as director of the research institute.] She’d assumed it was just a crazy fan campaign but when she clicked it, it turned out to be the real official announcement and her name really was there.

She looked at her vote count and then compared it to the number of comments under the original post. Doing some rough math, it seemed that although the comments section was lively, barely half of those people had actually voted.

“Well, I guess that makes sense. It’s a serious position and people tend to be more cautious, even when they’re joking around,” she muttered.

Just then, the homepage of the online celeb refreshed again and a new comment popped up.

[Something’s wrong with the vote count. My family’s huge and I got all my relatives to vote, but some of their votes didn’t show up. We watched them vote together via projection and I swear I’m not lying. A few of their votes didn’t register. If it’s happening in our group of hundreds, then what about everyone else? [Video]]

Jiang Momo tapped the link. The video showed a crowded courtyard full of people just about to vote, but before she could keep watching, it was taken down.

“What the hell?” Jiang Momo exited the screen.

The next moment, a friend request popped up.

[33539981]: Jiang Momo, hello. I am the president of the Federation. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you. Please arrive at the Presidential Palace before 2:00 PM.

She checked the time. Only seven minutes left. Clearly, there was no way she’d make it.

So she didn’t move.

Ten minutes later, another friend request popped up.

[33539981]: If you can’t make it here, I’ll send someone to pick you up.

Jiang Momo thought for a moment and then sent a message to E Mingjun.

[Jiang Momo]: [Image] Is this the President’s real ID?

[E Mingjun]: Yes. Did he say what he wanted to talk to you about?

[Jiang Momo]: No.

[E Mingjun]: Then it’s probably about the research institute’s director position. He wants to nominate you.

[Jiang Momo]: Huh?

[E Mingjun]: Yeah. He mentioned it the other day.

[Jiang Momo]: So this time he’s trying to ask my opinion? Like, whether I want to be the director?

[E Mingjun]: More like asking if you’re willing to work for him.

Jiang Momo thought about it for a moment but still didn’t accept the friend request. She simply replied to the unfamiliar account.

[Jiang Momo]: No need. I don’t want to be the director of the research institute.

Elsewhere, the President, who had been confidently waiting, froze mid-expression. He was currently sitting cross-legged on his office desk. When he saw Jiang Momo’s reply, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“She doesn’t want the position? That’s impossible. Could she think I’m a scammer?” He thought it over. “No, this vote suppression issue is about to blow up. I need to trick Jiang Momo into coming over before the vote counts normalize.”

[33539981]: I really am the President. If you don’t believe me, let’s video chat.

Jiang Momo stared at the message for a while, frowning, and then reluctantly accepted the request.

The projection appeared in front of her. The President wore a sharply tailored suit, his hair slicked back and perfectly in place. Sitting up straight with a stern expression, he nodded at her solemnly.

“It’s good for young people to be cautious, but you should also learn to distinguish truth from deception. Otherwise, you might miss key opportunities.”

Jiang Momo’s gaze drifted downward, pausing briefly on the President’s neatly tucked-in trouser legs, stuffed into socks, and the pair of slippers on his feet. She decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed the error in his projection setup.

“Mr. President, I truly believe I’m not suited for this job. I’m not even officially on the government roster. I’m not qualified to take on such an administrative role,” she said directly, without evasion.

“As long as you’re chosen, you’re qualified,” the President replied with an air of mystery. “After several interactions with you, I’ve realized you’re incredibly talented. And I’m someone who values talent deeply. That’s why I want you to be my right-hand person. If you agree, I’ll help you become a director.”

The President had already anticipated that Jiang Momo, given her current popularity, was almost guaranteed to be selected once her name was on the list, even if he snuck it in without formal nomination. Still, he chose to release the announcement first and wait for her to come to him.

Words were cheap; he wanted her to see the list herself and genuinely desire the position, so she’d be willing to work for it.

Which was why he couldn’t understand; she had just voted for herself and now she was able to sit there with a straight face and claim she wasn’t interested or capable.

He clicked his tongue in disbelief. Young people these days really have a much better poker face than they did back in his time.

E/N:

Jiang Momo: I need to vote to see the vote count? Vote.
The President: She wants the position!!!!