The Real Daughter Just Wants to Pilot Mechas - Chapter 62

Peng Ji’s apology continued.

“Later, due to some coincidences, protests broke out. I swear that wasn’t part of my original plan but then a dark thought crept in. If it could crush her completely, that would be great…”

His pained voice echoed through the cabin. The more Jiang Momo listened, the quieter she became. She picked up the juice on the table and took a sip.

Wu Yue switched hands and sighed.

“What? Do you suddenly realize there are people like that in the world?” Ling Yelin said with a half-smile.

Wu Yue shook her head. “I still think he looks better without the beard.”

Jiang Momo found the atmosphere between the two a bit strange and glanced over again.

Peng Ji’s voice continued.

“I must’ve been possessed. The pressure of being watched by so many people can be overwhelming for a mecha manufacturer. I wanted her to perform poorly in the Mecha Competition, contradicting her reputation, and suffering disgrace. But she pulled through. Luckily, she pulled through.

“I probably won’t appear in the mecha manufacturing industry again, so I must sincerely apologize to her one last time. I’m sorry.”

Yan Chang clapped his hands. “Alright! Villain’s curtain call! Congrats!”

Jiang Momo looked at Yan Chang’s excited expression, then at Wu Yue who seemed lost in thought, and suddenly realized Peng Ji had left something out.

He didn’t mention how he became a teacher at the Central Mecha Academy with a third-place ranking!

Wu Yue sighed. “He’s actually kind of pitiful.”

Yan Chang was incredulous. “Are you crazy? That green tea guy is pitiful?”

Jiang Momo also felt something was off. She looked around, assuming Wu Yue didn’t know the whole story, and said, “When you had that aircraft accident, we discovered Peng Ji had transferred a large sum of money to an account outside the Central Star System. So, the incident might not have been an accident.”

Wu Yue nodded. “It was an accident.

“After the exam that day, he came to me and offered to buy my teaching position for a price I couldn’t refuse. I was short on the down payment for my spaceship, so I agreed,” Wu Yue explained. “Later, when Boss Ling needed my work badge, I gave it to him since I wasn’t using it.”

Jiang Momo turned to Ling Yelin. “Did you guess it from the start when I first told you about it?”

No wonder his reaction was so strange back then.

Ling Yelin shook his head. “I only suspected it.”

Later, it was confirmed.

He glanced at Wu Yue and signaled her to change the topic. He didn’t want Jiang Momo to think he had been deliberately hiding things from her.

Wu Yue discreetly held up three fingers. Ling Yelin nodded.

“Yan Chang knows about this too.” Wu Yue threw him under the bus.

Yan Chang was caught off guard. “Huh?!”

He immediately looked at Jiang Momo. Seeing her staring at him, he quickly said, “I was afraid you’d go soft, so I didn’t tell you. But think about it. Everything he’s done, even without this, is enough for a death sentence!”

Jiang Momo said nothing, so Yan Chang quickly apologized. “Sorry, it won’t happen again!”

Jiang Momo looked away. “Alright.”

Yan Chang glared at Ling Yelin, then saw the mocking smile on his face and complained, “Aren’t you a businessman? How come there’s info your clients can’t buy?”

“This was Wu Yue’s private matter. I won’t sell out my people for profit,” Ling Yelin replied smoothly.

Even though Wu Yue often scammed him for money and just now she’d clearly been plotting again while looking so pensive, he had a duty to protect her since she was under his wing now.

“See? He doesn’t treat you like one of his own!” Yan Chang turned to brainwash Jiang Momo.

Ling Yelin: “?”

Am I livestock?

“If it were Momo’s secret, I’d keep it too,” Ling Yelin said with a polite smile.

“So the reason you said he’s pitiful is because?” Jiang Momo asked.

Wu Yue: …because I needed a topic to scam Boss Ling out of money.

“He really is pitiful. He grew up on a second-tier planet without a father. His mother was in poor health and he has a younger sister still in school. Their planet has a thriving sex industry but he claims he never got involved because a charity covered his mom’s medical expenses,” Wu Yue began.

“Then, after the second round of this year’s exams, he found out his biological father was the president of the Energy Association. All his previous children had died young, so they brought him back to inherit the family business. His father told him he had to prove his abilities to be eligible. If not, his mother’s medical expenses would be cut off.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not an idiot. I had the intel network verify everything. It’s true! The Chaos Star System’s detectives don’t follow the law, they can dig up anything!”

Ling Yelin looked at Jiang Momo and asked Wu Yue, “So now, if he goes back, he’d have to work in the sex industry?”

“Not quite. His mom passed away when he went to prison,” Wu Yue said, though it sounded pretty dark. “Now he only has his sister to care for.”

Yan Chang curled his lips. “No wonder he did the apology livestream.”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Momo was secretly searching online for the things they had just mentioned when she heard that and looked up. “You think this actually increased his influence?”

Yan Chang shook his head. “Negative fame is still fame, that’s from the entertainment world. In politics, they might have dirty hands but their faces stay clean. Normally, the president wouldn’t see him again but now that the other heirs are gone, he might get recognition because ruthless people play politics best. He might not rise again himself but he could pave the way for his sister if she’s also the president’s illegitimate child.”

Jiang Momo nodded, feeling like she understood everything, and shelved the matter. “Is there anything to eat? I’m hungry.”

***

Based on their departure time, they’d arrive at the Capital Star around 6 AM Monday. Jiang Momo was eating breakfast while watching a horror movie with the others on the couch when her light brain vibrated.

Ling Yelin glanced over.

The moment Jiang Momo saw the message, her expression flipped from anxiety to excitement. She turned to meet Ling Yelin’s eyes.

“You got it?” Ling Yelin mouthed silently across three people.

Jiang Momo nodded hard.

Got it! It was 4:56 AM Monday and she received her noble status authorization! Ling Yelin really delivered right at the start of the new week.

[010]: Your noble status will be publicly listed on the Federal Government’s official website. You might not find it easily, so here’s the link. [Link]

[010]: Regarding your household registration, go to the Civil Affairs Bureau on the Capital Star to get a new booklet.

[Jiang Momo]: Thank you!!!

She couldn’t stop smiling and really wanted to share the news but worried Yan Chang would ask where it came from, so she held it in.

After arriving at the Capital Star, Jiang Momo got off the spaceship early at the Civil Affairs Bureau to get her new household registration and then returned to the academy on her own.

She didn’t go straight to her dorm but to the office.

Sure enough, Ge Qing was there, still painting.

When the door opened, Ge Qing didn’t look up. “You’re awfully cheerful today. What’s the good news?”

“Nothing important. Professor Ge, my students say they’ve already started building their mecha. You’re amazing!”

Jiang Momo happily blew a string of rainbow compliments.

Ge Qing clearly enjoyed it, the corners of his eyes crinkling with his smile. “I didn’t do much. It’s because you laid a solid foundation to begin with.”

“So how did those students who couldn’t see the multiple pathways eventually manage to see them?” Jiang Momo asked.

Ge Qing drew a line on the paper and explained briefly, “From point to line.”

Jiang Momo thought for a moment and suddenly understood.

She hadn’t looked closely at the internal structure of the material after half of it had been carved but she figured it must be as obvious as a port.

Jiang Momo glanced around the office and noticed the paintings and calligraphy on the walls had been replaced with something more festive and harmonious. Curious, she asked, “Professor Ge, did you change the calligraphy and paintings? They don’t look newly written.”

“Yes, these are old ones. I thought they fit the current mood better. I originally wanted to surprise you but it seems like you already found out,” Ge Qing said, chuckling as he set down his pen.

Jiang Momo had a bad feeling.

“Yesterday, your family contacted me and told me about your background. They said that after bringing you back, they were all too busy, so they hadn’t officially announced your identity to the public. They felt guilty and wanted to give you a formal ceremony today,” Ge Qing continued.

The bad feeling came true!

Jiang Momo felt numb. She thought back and realized that Professor Ge really didn’t know about her tense relationship with the Jiang family.

Seeing Jiang Momo’s smile vanish in an instant, Ge Qing realized something was wrong. “You’re not on good terms with your family?”

Jiang Momo shook her head. “It’s not that.”

Before Ge Qing could breathe a sigh of relief, Jiang Momo continued, “I have no relationship with the Jiang family anymore.”

“I’ll tell the security guards not to let them in,” Ge Qing said, quickly opening his light brain.

But the next second, there was a dull knock on the door and it was pushed open.

Jiang He, Jiang Zhang, and Jiang Xian entered with a large group of reporters, quickly filling the office.

“Momo, your father and I are so sorry. Because of work, we didn’t have time to officially announce your identity to the Federation. We hope this belated announcement won’t make you upset.” Jiang Xian, with the air of a virtuous mother, walked over and held Jiang Momo’s hand, then casually draped an arm over her shoulder.

Warmth spreads from the point of contact between their skin. Jiang Momo had never felt that kind of warmth before and for a moment, she forgot to step away.

Seeing their rebellious daughter temporarily subdued, Jiang He quickly stepped forward to stand on Jiang Momo’s other side.

“This is a live broadcast across the Federation. Everyone, please be our witnesses. From today on, Jiang Momo is our youngest daughter.”

The recent policy changes made it obvious whose work it was. The quickest solution now was to pull Jiang Momo into their camp.

Jiang He glanced at her. She’s just a kid. Pamper her for a few days and she’ll come around.

Jiang Zhang stood to the side, expressionless as he released a bunch of colorful streamers.

As the ribbons fluttered down, a reporter tried to ask a question, only to be cut off by Jiang Momo’s cold voice.

“Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang, have you mistaken me for someone else? I have no relationship with you.”

Jiang He let out a hearty laugh. “How could we be mistaken? You love to joke around. We were the ones who brought you back, remember?”

“You say I’m your child, then am I on your household registration?” Jiang Momo asked.

She bet they hadn’t gone to get a new household registration book.

Sure enough, they both froze for a second.

Jiang Momo pulled a brand-new registration book from her pocket and flipped it open for everyone to see.

“Sorry, I’m the only one listed here. Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang, you might be the richest people in the Federation but that doesn’t mean you can just claim any talented person surnamed Jiang as your child, does it?”