The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 37

Jiang Momo waved at the students who were still taking pictures, with the same smile she had when she arrived. She looked completely harmless.

After enduring a whole class under inexplicable pressure, the students weren’t quite brave enough to act up again. Seeing her wave, they waved back.

“Goodbye, Teacher Momo!”

“Let’s go,” Jiang Momo said, pulling the astonished Yan Chang out of the classroom.

Yan Chang looked shocked. “Unbelievable, they assigned you all goody-two-shoes students?!”

He had rushed into the room right after class started because he was worried Jiang Momo would be swarmed by fans. But to his surprise, she had totally taken control on her own.

Jiang Momo thought for a moment. “Not bad. At least there weren’t any troublemakers.”

“That’s good. Now you can rest for a bit. I remember you only have one more class this afternoon, right?” Yan Chang had seen her schedule before and roughly remembered the layout.

Jiang Momo nodded. “There’s one more Mecha Manufacturing Practical class in the afternoon.”

“Alright, I’ll come get you then,” Yan Chang patted her arm and subtly led her away from the crowd of students still watching her. “I’ve got a class coming up. It’s Mecha Combat. I’m really interested in that one.”

Jiang Momo got the message and nodded. “Go ahead.”

Once Yan Chang headed back into the building, Jiang Momo looked around and then opened the chat with Ling Yelin.

[Jiang Momo]: Where are we meeting?

[010]: Cloud Top Restaurant, the floor above the trading center.

***

On the school forum, under the learning exchange section, one post quietly went viral.

[Everyone, I just uploaded the latest recording of Teacher Momo’s class. Let’s study hard together. [Video]]

1F: Ahh, I’m so jealous of everyone who got a seat in Teacher Momo’s class. I really want to attend! The official school video was amazing. She looked so cool!

2F: You guys better stay away! I’m in her class and I couldn’t even get in today! Too many outsiders!

3F: I ran into Teacher Momo today. She looked soft and sweet, she seemed really nice. It’s totally different from the video, super cute.

4L: The guy above, are you seriously talking about the soft and cute Teacher Momo, who’s nearly 1.8 meters tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, and looks like she could knock out two of me with one punch?! Did any of you even watch the video in the original post?! Just watch it, okay?!

8L: 4th floor, are you a hater?! It’s not that exaggerated, right? I also happened to run into Teacher Momo on the street today. She’s just super cute, okay? That outfit just made her look a little buff, that’s all. I’m going to watch the video now! I’ll come back and argue with you after!

…

221L: Comrades, I’ve finished watching… So, how do I put this? Teacher Momo seems to have some kind of on-camera badass effect. She looks like a fierce leopard every time she’s on video. That look in her eyes, whew, she’s so cool. But when you see her in real life, she’s totally just a little kitten.

256L: I’m doomed, comrades. I originally watched the video because of Teacher Momo’s charm but I think I actually learned something. That feeling when useless knowledge suddenly enters your brain… it’s so strange. I’m definitely going to attend her class in person next time! Does anyone have Teacher Momo’s schedule? I’ll pay.

333L: As a student who sat through her entire class today, I have to say, don’t go. It’s high pressure. It’s way scarier than watching the video. I’m about to graduate and today was the first time I listened to the entire Introduction lecture with full concentration. Do you know what that means?

334L: That’s way too dramatic. No one’s pointing a gun at your head to learn. Wait, don’t tell me you’re trying to scare us off, so fewer people fight for your spot? How sneaky! Strongly condemn this!

***

When Jiang Momo arrived at the Cloud Top Restaurant, it was completely empty and there was no one else in sight. Two rows of service robots stood on either side. As she walked in, they greeted her in unison with a mechanical voice reciting a welcome message.

[Miss Jiang Momo? Please follow me.] A small robot rolled over on two wheels, showing a smiley face on the screen above its head, then turned to lead her inside.

Jiang Momo looked around, drawn in by the luxurious decor. “No one else is eating at this hour?”

[Mr. Ling Yelin reserved the entire place. Today, the restaurant is serving only you,] the robot replied emotionlessly.

Jiang Momo looked at the robot’s round head and continued asking out of curiosity, “Are robots always the servers here?”

Yan Chang had told her that the more upscale the restaurant, the more likely they were to hire human servers. That place looked pretty high-end too.

[Mr. Ling Yelin gave all the staff a paid day off. Today, it’s just us.] The robot led Jiang Momo through the lavish hall and opened the black crystal doors at the very end.

A massive rotating round table appeared before her. Ling Yelin was sitting at the far side, calmly washing his hands with tea brought over by a robot. When he saw her enter, he turned off the floating screen in front of him.

Jiang Momo had sharp eyes and saw her own face on that screen. She raised her eyebrows. “What were you watching?”

“Your class recording on the academy forum.” Ling Yelin dried his hands with a handkerchief, his gaze passing over the bag slung over Jiang Momo’s shoulder, and his smile became even more sincere.

He was wearing an all-white formal suit, which made him look particularly sharp. His golden hair was slicked back and tied neatly, revealing a smooth forehead. He looked both elegant and dignified.

“Isn’t that a violation of image rights? I thought the Federation had strict rules about that?” Jiang Momo sat down at the farthest seat from Ling Yelin.

“Exceptions are made for educational purposes,” Ling Yelin said. “I wasn’t sure what you like to eat, so I ordered a bit of everything.”

Jiang Momo looked at the table, which was filled with dishes, most of them were things she liked and a few she’d never seen before.

“Judging by the menu, you don’t look unsure,” Jiang Momo joked a little and then corrected herself, “I mean, I really like most of these.”

“As long as you like it.” Ling Yelin rested his chin on the back of his hand, his lake-green eyes gazing at her with deep affection. “About what happened before, I’m sorry. I thought it over carefully and I was in the wrong. So I want to formally apologize to you this time.”

He’d figured it out. Since Jiang Momo was close to someone like the hypocritical Yan Chang, then he could do the same.

Jiang Momo narrowed her eyes. ‘Did this guy change personas again? Is he not playing the domineering CEO this time?’

“No need to apologize, Mr. Ling. I really appreciate you giving me the Capital Star Residency. If there’s anything you want, just say it,” Jiang Momo got straight to the point.

At her words, Ling Yelin’s eyes instinctively fell on her bag again. The little keychain hanging like a decoration swung back and forth.

He smiled. “You misunderstood. I just want to be friends.”

His goal was the same as before, to establish a long-term interest-based relationship with her.

Jiang Momo clicked her tongue. “Just say what you want. I don’t have much on me. What you see is what you get.”

Ling Yelin was momentarily speechless.

Business tactics and negotiation strategies ran through his head a few times but he gave up in the end.

“I really do want to be friends,” he tried again. But seeing the look on Jiang Momo’s face, clearly not believing him, he tried probing, “Okay then, how about that keychain on your bag? Are you selling it?”

“Sure,” Jiang Momo agreed without hesitation.

“Really?” Ling Yelin was stunned.

That keychain wasn’t just a trinket. It contained a rare natural substance from the Chaos Star System that had a unique calming effect on alien beasts. It also had mild restorative effects on mental damage in humans. Mental damage was considered irreversible in medical science.

The last time that material appeared was ten years ago and was sold at an auction for 298 million star coins to a private buyer. It miraculously healed a mentally damaged patient and caused a sensation in the Federation. After that, it vanished from the public eye.

“Really,” Jiang Momo casually pulled out a handful from her bag. “You should’ve said so earlier, this stuff—”

[Momo, stop! If there’s too much, it’ll lose its value!] Little Eight stopped her just in time before she pulled out even more.

Jiang Momo put them back and carefully removed the keychain from her bag. When she looked up, Ling Yelin was already standing beside her, staring intently at the item in her hand.

“I only have this one,” Jiang Momo said with wide eyes, lying without hesitation, a twinge of guilt creeping in.

Especially because the person in front of her was officially labeled ‘upright’ by Little Eight.

While Ling Yelin was admiring the keychain, Jiang Momo scratched her face and silently complained to Little Eight, “I think your evaluation of him is off. An honest person wouldn’t try to stir up drama like he did.”

[That was a data-driven result, not my personal opinion.]

[Right now, you should think carefully about what you want in return.]

“Can I just ask for money?” Jiang Momo asked silently. “I want money.”

[That would trigger a Federation audit. I recommend bartering.]

Jiang Momo frowned, face all scrunched up.

She thought her life was already good enough and she didn’t really lack anything. For a moment, she couldn’t think of what to ask for.

Ling Yelin hadn’t expected it to be so easy to obtain such a valuable item from her and he thought it would require a lot more effort.

After recovering from the excitement, he looked up and saw her troubled expression. He couldn’t help but laugh lightly.

“This keychain doesn’t currently have a market price and auction history can’t be used to determine its value.” Ling Yelin crouched beside her, looking up. “Besides, if you do a cash transaction, you’ll be taxed heavily and may be subject to a Federation asset audit.”

“What? So you’re not buying it after all?” Jiang Momo immediately yanked the keychain back.

Ling Yelin blinked and suddenly it was gone from his hands.

He glanced at Jiang Momo, then at the red mark the chain had left on his palm, and smiled helplessly. “I just wanted to ask, do you have anything you want?”

“I haven’t thought of anything yet.” Jiang Momo held the keychain. “What do you have to offer? Give me a reference.”

“Ownership of a mining star, land on the Capital Star, floating island real estate…” Ling Yelin thought for a moment. Since he wanted to maintain a long-term benefit-based connection, he figured he should show some sincerity in the first deal, so he listed high-value items. Seeing that Jiang Momo remained unmoved, he suddenly had an idea. “Or… noble status.”

Ling Yelin looked at her. “Perhaps you want to become a noble?”