*
With one minute left, Chaoge had nothing to do and didn't want to strike up a conversation with Yan Zihe, so she turned to Yan Chen and casually started a conversation to ease the tension.
"Where did Zhou Jue go? I didn't see her when I got home yesterday."
Yan Chen didn't give her an answer for a long time.
Chaoge: ...Even more awkward.
Just as she was trying to pretend she hadn't asked the question, Yan Zihe on her right suddenly laughed, and everyone at the table turned to look at her.
The volume was loud enough for everyone to hear, which meant that everyone knew about the scene where Yan Chen ignored her.
Yan Zihe answered her question: "That woman ran away and is now on the military's wanted list. Didn't you notice?"
No, she's been focused on slowing down her return to the Empire these past two days. After returning yesterday, she spent the whole day at the Yan family head's residence. This morning, she came to attend a military meeting with Yan Chen, and she's still feeling very uneasy. Yan family head, didn't you notice?
In just a short while, the entire conference hall fell silent, and Chaoge immediately felt a gaze fixed on her.
Following that gaze, the woman in the neat, snow-white military uniform raised her hand to remove her military cap, casually walked to her seat, pulled her chair back, glanced around at the people around her, as if the glance she had given Chaoge earlier was just a passing fancy, and said indifferently, "Let's begin."
Min Kaiyang announced in his eternally cold voice: "Today's topic is the transfer of the Yan family head to Yan Chaoge."
Instantly, the smart screens in front of everyone lit up, displaying information about Yan Chen's application and Yan Chaoge's data.
Chaoge looked at the photos and military achievements on the screen: ...How do I deal with this level of embarrassment? _(:з」∠)_
Qin Muge tapped the table lightly with her right index finger, her face expressionless, and no one could glean any information from her expression.
Chaoge also secretly glanced at it, and... well, that expression meant: it doesn't matter.
It's as if they don't care about the outcome at all.
This issue requires a double vote: first, it needs the approval of two-thirds of the military officers, and then it needs the votes of two-thirds of the generals, with the current heads of the Yan, Yan, and Ling families having to give unanimous approval.
The general has the power to veto the final result.
There were nearly 30,000 officers present, including 15,500 officers of the rank of major or above, who were eligible to vote.
Actually, if Qin Muge hadn't been at this meeting, Chaoge wouldn't have been nervous at all, because her mind wasn't on whether she could inherit the Yan family, but rather on how to get back to the wasteland as soon as the meeting was over.
If the AI hadn't locked this page at the moment, she would definitely have secretly opened it to see how to run it faster.
【Yaochen, prepare some good food and drinks to welcome me. I'm going back tonight to celebrate my promotion with everyone.】 When Chaoge scrolled to the bottom of the page and discovered that she also had the right to vote, her expression was complicated.
If she accidentally clicks "disagree," wouldn't she be asking for a beating?
After thinking for a long time, she decided that she couldn't cause trouble at the first meeting, so she suppressed her inner rage and chose to abstain.
"I don't think you'll be coming back today. Just look at General Qin's eyes. Didn't you feel her icy gaze?" Yao Chen said sarcastically without any politeness.
"I feel it, I'm trembling with fear, and I'm thinking of a hundred ways to get the Queen's forgiveness." Chao Ge replied with a grin, while glancing at Qin Muge a few more times. This guy looked very calm now, ignoring her gaze.
The result surprised Chaoge greatly: 500 votes abstained, she received 10,100 votes in support, and the rest were against.
...Holy crap, how come I never realized I was so popular in the Imperial Army?
The second step involves the nine generals voting, without the AI's statistical analysis.
Ling Tianchu looked intently at Chaoge through his glasses, and after a long pause, he was the first to speak: "Agreed."
Yan Chen on the left was the second to agree.
Ling Tianquan had been slightly alert since Qin Muge appeared, and now, when he looked at Chaoge, his eyes were much sharper than Ling Tianshu's, giving the other a heavy sense of pressure. Chaoge met his gaze calmly, not knowing what he wanted to say.
He lazily raised his hand and said in a clear, articulate voice, "I object."
Chaoge was surprised for a moment, but after thinking about his personality, she didn't think much of it. So she turned to look at Ling Tianji. This handsome man had been silent since he came in, but now, noticing Chaoge's gaze, he slowly raised the corners of his lips, revealing a very handsome smile. His peach blossom eyes sparkled, and his pleasant voice rang out in the hall: "Objection."
In an instant, Chaoge received two dissenting votes, and what was originally a sure thing suddenly became full of variables.
After thinking for a moment, Chaoge turned to look at Yan Zihe, her face saying: I know you will object too.
As if knowing what Chaoge was thinking, the head of the Yan family scoffed lightly and said unhurriedly, "Agreed."
Chaoge couldn't quite understand the situation.
Ling Tianxuan was the most confused person on the field. She looked at her eldest brother and second brother, wondering whose opinion to take. Just as she was about to say she would abstain, she suddenly felt General Qin's gaze. The general seemed to suddenly be interested in the result, and looked at her with a smile in his red eyes.
She felt a chill run down her spine.
Swallowing hard, Ling Tianxuan obediently raised her hand and answered, "Agreed."
Then Qin Muge's gaze fell on Yang Yuheng and Su Yaoguang behind him. The moment Su Yaoguang received the general's look, she solemnly agreed.
Yang Yuheng licked his lips in surprise, a silver lip ring flashing across them. He looked at the people present with considerable astonishment. "Oh my, I've actually become a key figure in deciding matters one day?"
Qin Muge chuckled and replied, "Yuheng, your counting skills need improvement." To be specific, Min Kaiyang's votes were the decisive factor.
Yang Yuheng instantly slumped back in his chair as if he had no bones, and said listlessly, "Then I'll abstain. It won't make a difference if I don't vote."
Qin Muge withdrew his gaze, looked at the smart screen in front of him, and chuckled softly.
Yang Yuheng: ...Did I accidentally say something wrong just now? How about giving me another chance, General?
That laughter sent chills down her spine.
The current situation is: five votes in favor, two votes against, and one abstention.
Therefore, the key lies with Min Kaiyang.
Min Kaiyang glanced at Chaoge, as if trying to guess her thoughts, but Chaoge met his gaze calmly.
Yao Chen, who was watching the scene, muttered something under his breath, and lines of data code flashed through his eyes, seemingly doing something.
Ying was a little nervous: "What do you mean? It's possible that the eldest brother won't be able to become the head of the family?"
Mo Nian scoffed and said disdainfully, "If you can't get the job, so be it. Wouldn't it be better to come back here and work with us?"
Ningtao raised her hand to make a stop gesture, shook her head, and said seriously, "No."
Spall nervously tugged at Rhett's sleeve: "What should we do? She's not really not going to get the job, is she?"
Rhett smiled and gestured with his chin to look at the Nevernight Plaza next to him. Luo Qinghe was sitting in the center staring at the screen, her expression revealing nothing. She replied in a low voice, "What's the rush? Some people are hoping she can't get the position. General Qin won't let that happen."
Sikong Yufu poked Ouyang Haoze in surprise, "Really? I thought Qin Muge was the one-man show in the Imperial Army. This news doesn't seem accurate at all."
Ouyang Haoze didn't rush to conclusions, gently reminding her, "What's the rush? Just keep watching and you'll find out."
Min Kaiyang seemed to remain silent for a long time until he raised his hand. All eyes were on him because his attitude was directly equivalent to the general's attitude. They all wanted to see the general's choice from him.
He looked at Qin Muge with icy eyes and answered coldly:
"agree."
So, what's next?
Seeing that everyone's eyes had turned to him, Qin Muge smiled slightly and announced in a very calm voice, "The proposal is passed."
A barren area.
Ying jumped up happily and reached out to Yao Chen for a high-five. Yao Chen, unusually, smiled at her and raised his hand for her to pat him on the back.
Sikong Yufu pulled Ouyang Haoze away, saying, "There's no suspense at all, I don't want to watch anymore, it's boring." Ouyang Haoze let her pull him along, his eyes filled with doting affection as he looked at her.
Lan Ke glanced at Luo Qinghe's retreating figure, sighed softly, and turned to leave.
The people from Yin Yang Gathering also left, chatting and laughing, leaving Luo Qinghe alone in her seat.
After a long while, looking at the empty military meeting room, he chuckled to himself and said, "They really didn't leave me any chance at all."
A fleeting look of melancholy crossed his eyes.
After the meeting, Chaoge stood up from his seat and followed the generals around him out of the conference room.
As she was leaving the conference hall, lagging behind, an arm suddenly wrapped around her from behind, pulling her back into the aisle. A woman's voice, mixed with warm breath, whispered in her ear:
"I haven't even had a chance to congratulate you on becoming the head of the family yet, where are you thinking of running off to again? Hmm?"
On February 1, 4019 of the Hongli era, the military decided that Yan Chaoge, the head of the Yan family, would be promoted to the rank of general and concurrently serve as the Minister of the Imperial Technology Research and Development Department.
On February 10th, 4019 of the Hongli era, General Qin of the Empire held a grand wedding. His bride was the new head of the Yan family. The wedding was unprecedented in its scale, causing countless single people in the Hongyun Star System to lament.
Many years later, people still marvel at the scene, saying it was the most extravagant wedding they had ever seen in their lives.
--over--
Author's Note: Ahhh, I've finished it!!! Next up is the promised 5,000 words and an extra chapter!! I'm so happy I could lift myself up and spin around!
Thank you so much to Huafei and Aowu for the landmines!
I've been working on this chapter for a long time, hmph.
☆、Chapter 110 Extra
Since Chaoge became the head of the Yan family—or rather, since she married Qin Muge—her quality of life has plummeted, manifested in endless meetings and a constant stream of tasks.
Simply put, she felt that she had lost her freedom in life.
A week later, after the military meeting on the comprehensive upgrade of the mechs concluded, Chaoge returned to the palace and collapsed onto the sofa in the hall, unwilling to move. Incidentally, since returning to Tianzixing last time, she had basically not stayed at the Yan family's residence. Every day, the magnificent decoration of the palace made her feel like a bird-person trapped in a cage.
When Qin Muge returned home that evening, he saw Chaoge lying on the sofa, too lazy to even take off her military uniform jacket, with the top button undone, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Smiling, Qin Muge walked to the sofa, leaned down to look at her, and rested one hand on the back of the sofa: "What's wrong?"
"I'm going to die..." Chaoge glanced at her listlessly, then sullenly rolled over like a salted fish and lay sprawled on the sofa.
"A meeting made you so unhappy, huh? You haven't had dinner yet, have you? What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you." Qin Muge smiled and reached out to turn her back over. Chaoge raised her arm and hugged her waist, so she simply sat on the edge of the sofa and let her rest her head on her lap.
Chaoge had made up her mind to go out and have some fun soon, and when she heard Qin Muge's question, she just sighed:
"The thought of having to live like this all the time makes me lose my appetite. Sigh..."
Qin Muge's own hair was good, but not as soft as Chaoge's. She loved to comb Chaoge's hair with her fingers, and she did the same now, pulling off the hairband on Chaoge's head and casually smoothing her hair.
Hearing her words, Qin Muge lowered his eyes to look at her, his red eyes filled with unreadable emotions, and the corners of his lips curled up: "Tired of it?"
Chaoge felt a chill run down her spine for no apparent reason.
She sat up, turned around and leaned closer to Qin Muge, smiling as she kissed the corner of her lips: "How about we go out and have some fun for a few days? I'll show you around my territory~"
Well, not only is he going on strike himself, but he's also dragging her into it?
Qin Muge chuckled, raised her hand and cupped Chaoge's head in her hair, giving her a firm kiss. Chaoge wrapped her arms around her waist and reciprocated the kiss, but didn't forget to remind her, "Hey, I've let you kiss me... so you have to... promise me..."