Chapter 338
"I see..."
Samuel looked at He Muzhi with obvious surprise. He thought that given He Muzhi's personality, he already knew that based on Qin Su's attitude towards Class 6) for so long, there was a high probability that he wouldn't appear. Moreover, they had seriously discussed this issue a long time ago and unanimously agreed that no matter what happened, Qin Su had a 99% chance of refusing to be seen with them. He naturally assumed that He Muzhi had already accepted this fact and would no longer harbor any illusions. He never expected...
"Cough cough... I'm begging you, Lailisi, have you forgotten what's most important to our (Class 6?" Facing Samuel's gaze, He Muzhi gave an awkward but polite smile, feeling completely numb.
"OK, OK, I understand, dignity." Lailisi nodded. "There's no way around it this time, but we'll definitely do it next time. However, apart from Samuel, who stubbornly insists on being rational and believes the Class Monitor can't possibly come, the three of us won't give up until the very last moment. As for outside... most people are probably in the same boat as us, so there's nothing to be ashamed of in admitting it. After all, we're all the same, so let's not make fun of each other."
"... Thank you, I'm convinced. I feel much better now." Distracted like this, He Muzhi couldn't dwell on his emo feelings of knowing it was impossible, and his mood actually lightened considerably.
[A-Mu: Family, does anyone understand? My face landed!]
[Translation of Lailisi's meaning: As long as enough people embarrass themselves, it doesn't count as embarrassment (doge)]
[Well, He Muzhi's status is different from everyone else's now. This is his inauguration ceremony, he's the main character. Doesn't anyone think that He Muzhi would be even more embarrassed if Qin Su didn't show up? (scratching head)]
[What's so shameful about it? Maki is just revealing his inner expectations in private. Only Lailisi and the other two know, and they won't share this secret with anyone else. Maki hasn't publicly expressed his expectations, so even if the God Su doesn't come, Maki isn't ashamed.]
[But they're always eager for a good show and ask a lot of questions, you'll see.]
[What's all the fuss about! Exposed! Completely exposed! Who's embarrassed? It doesn't really matter! The responsibility lies with the Atopulai Palace! We must demand an explanation from the Federation!]
"It's almost time." Lin Yin closed the video call with Lailisi, patted Samuel on the shoulder to help him up, and said to He Muzhi, "Let's go over first."
"Okay." He Muzhi nodded and watched the two leave.
He was in a different place from Lin Yin and the others, and he hadn't finished the oath-taking process at the inauguration ceremony yet, so it wasn't appropriate for him to show any signs of forming cliques in front of everyone. More importantly, according to the usual procedure, he would be filmed all the way from here.
Lin Yin and Samuel came out together and saw that there was no one else outside except Temple. They nodded in greeting and quickly left through the secret Passageway. Temple watched their figures disappear from sight before letting the others in.
Before long, surrounded by a crowd and filmed by countless cameras, He Muzhi headed to his destination.
The area open to the public at the Atopulai Palace was packed with people.
Under the watchful eyes of He Muzhi steadied himself and stepped onto a higher platform than the others around him. Once on the platform, He Muzhi, waving and greeting the crowd and the drone cameras surrounding him.
Amidst countless Federation flags fluttering in the wind and loud cheers, He Muzhi finished greeting everyone, lowered his hand, and the noise at the scene ceased.
In the utter silence, He Muzhi's smile vanished, his expression turning serious. His right hand hung naturally at his side, while his left hand rose to head level, palm facing forward. "I, He Muzhi, solemnly swear that I will devote all my strength to faithfully fulfilling my duties as President of the Planetary United Federation, and defend it to the death..."
After a brief ten-second oath, He Muzhi lowered his hands and began his inaugural speech. "Dear citizens of the Federation, I am He Muzhi, the President of the Planetary United Federation chosen by you. Today we gather here not to celebrate my inauguration, but to welcome..."
[I'm getting goosebumps, why am I getting inexplicably excited!]
Is it possible that it wasn't excitement, but rather embarrassment?
[No wonder he's gotten this far; he knows how to speak well.]
[I've seen it in their eyes, there's no God Su here (heartbroken)]
[Was I chosen? (scratching head) I seem to remember voting for someone else. Oh well, he thanked me anyway, let's set off an electronic firework! (firework)]
[How come I never realized He Muzhi was such a good talker? I'm so full of empty promises.]
[They started by spreading rumors that our He Muzhi just making empty promises. What if he actually delivers? Would that be considered defamation then?]
Am I the only one who feels so uncomfortable seeing this scene, like bugs are crawling all over my body?
[Good heavens, those media outlets, out of respect for He Muzhi's inauguration ceremony, tacitly refrained from mentioning anything related to the God Su, He Muzhi himself brought it up. Is He Muzhi using the God Su's prestige to give everyone more hope for him? What about all that media's previous restraint? Did they think they could hold back?]
[The reduction and control of the vast majority of the highly dangerous Zerg within safe limits, the implementation of laws related to Body Modification, the collapse of the Ossotalia Empire, and the scramble of planets to join the Federation... Which president before you has achieved this? Patrick's multiple re-elections couldn't shake the Zerg's chain of interests. Let alone the Federation, the God Su holds an unparalleled and unique significance for other planets not belonging to the Federation. If it were me, I would not only mention it, but also find various ways to bring it up whenever possible. He Muzhi is still too reserved and conservative.]
[Without saying anything else, we all call Qin Su the God Su. Since he's already a 'god,' the answer is right there in the riddle itself. If you don't take advantage of this, I'll laugh at He Muzhi for the rest of my life.]
[So here's the question: I've looked at the scene from every angle, following the cameras of different media outlets, and I still haven't found the God Su. Will the God Su appear?]
Do you rewatch games after you've finished them? I certainly won't.
In the Real World, Qin Su, who was also following the manga, silently thought, "..."
It's impossible for him to go at this time. It's He Muzhi's home turf, and he can't 'sing and dance' and steal the show. He has to wait until everything is over before going. According to the itinerary of He Muzhi he saw from Temple, if nothing unexpected happens, he will meet with the students of Class 6) again in more than two days.
Besides, he had already read He Muzhi's speech in advance, and there were many references to him, and in a positive way. Even if He Muzhi didn't appear, it wouldn't affect his popularity in the Comic World. In this case, if He Muzhi did appear, it would be redundant and ruin the sense of observation. It would be better to honestly maintain the mysterious and strong aura and keep everyone wondering about him.
The inauguration ceremony concluded, He Muzhi left the scene.
He Muzhi, along with Vice President Ateliya, the Federation Governor, the Executive of various Federation planets, planetary Governors, and other invited guests, began their usual three-hour inaugural dinner.
The two-day celebration parade began at 8:00 a. m. the following day.
Two days later, at the moment the celebration parade ended, the media, who had been holding back for a long time, surrounded He Muzhi through the security guards, bombarding He Muzhi with questions one after another.
"Does the plan targeting planets like Kamila Planet inadvertently harm the interests of other planets?"
"Could you answer why that person didn't come? Was it because they didn't want to, or because they didn't care? Or is there some other reason they didn't want to?"
"Which planet will become your primary development target in the future? Will you choose Saint Parknia Planet where the Fourth Military Academy is located, because the Fourth Military Academy holds special significance for you and the entire Class 6)?"
"If Qin Su were to make a choice outside the Federation in the future, what would you, as the Federation President, think?"
"So you actually support the idea that Body Modification projects are inevitable, right?"
Are the relationships within your Class 6) still the same as before?
"Does the Zerg protection law you want to promote contradict the original purpose of hunting Zerg?"
Will Qin Su celebrate for you privately?
Will the preferential treatment given to Leichakan by the former president due to Qin Su change in the future?
"Does Qin Su know about the introduction of new Zerg species from planets outside the Federation?"
[A private celebration? No way! It has to be public! What is it that we, the esteemed citizens of the Federation, cannot see?]
[Leichakan: Why are we always the ones who get hurt?!]
[Why do they keep asking Qin Su? The person standing in front of them is He Muzhi. Let's bet that He Muzhi is enjoying the benefits Qin Su brings now, but in the future, when he sees his own brilliance constantly overshadowed by Qin Su, he'll hate him sooner or later.]
[They've already started spreading shady loan rumors right from the start (rolls eyes)]
[Actually, I don't understand why we would protect insects that we've managed to eradicate to the point where human life is no longer threatened and we can live normally? And then we bring them back in? He Muzhi gone mad?]
[It's obvious you didn't read the document carefully. It clearly states that the purpose is to preserve samples for continuous understanding, so that some planet won't go crazy like the Ossotalia Empire and release privately bred insects everywhere.]
He Muzhi: "..."
That's a good question. Maybe we should ask a different question next time. He perked up whenever he heard anything about Qin Su, but the questions from the media had quietly broken down his defenses. Emotionally, he wanted to just laugh it off, but reason told him he couldn't. He could only give a seemingly nonchalant but inwardly humiliating answer.
"Every planet will be a key focus for the Federation's future development, and every Federation planet is of great significance to me."
"We welcome your continued attention and oversight regarding the progress of the Body Modification project. I firmly believe that all changes are for the purpose of building a better Federation together."
"No matter what happens, my heart remains with the Federation and with Federation citizens."
He Muzhi and his team had discussed most of the questions he heard privately, so their answers were naturally correct. This included questions related to Qin Su and Class 6), but he didn't need to answer all of them. He only needed to symbolically pick out a few representative questions to answer. He skipped over questions that were not suitable for answering or that were too controversial without hesitation. Without exception, he skipped all the questions related to Qin Su and Class 6), which were of a personal nature. He handled the whole process with ease.
[Whenever the name of He Muzhi, who is from Class 6, Boss 1 mentioned, shouldn't his DNA immediately react and receive the signal, and his little mouth start to chatter away, "How dare you show off, He Muzhi, do you know that you're secretly blocking He Boss 1 behind his back?" (scratching head)]
[If you don't understand, just ask. Is the president deaf or deliberately deaf? (shrugs) Can you keep it simple? Yes or no, why all that nonsense and empty platitudes? You've got a whole bunch of fancy words.]
That's how politicians are; their words are carefully considered and refined countless times by their teams.
[Let's call the new president a master of avoiding pitfalls. This answer is so flawless, it's as if he's rehearsed it countless times in private. At first, I thought this president was young and easy to fool, but now I realize, wow, we're the ones who've been fooled! (slams table in anger. jpg)]
[Seriously? We were supposed to be respected and beloved Federation citizens! What's wrong with you, President? It's only been a short time, and you're already treating us like Kanasen Mellon?]
[I get it now, politicians are all liars, no matter who comes to power, they're all the same (spits)]
[Hey, that's enough, this is the new president's home turf. What's with answering other people's questions? It's one thing for those media outlets to ask inappropriate and ignorant questions, but are you all just following suit?]
[Tsk tsk tsk, why didn't the new president complain when he was using the God Su for his own benefit?]
[If you keep arguing, I'll bombard your contacts and expose everything!]
He Muzhi managed to extricate himself from the media attention by 5 p. m.
Temple accompanied He Muzhi reporting the upcoming arrangements. When He Muzhi reached the top-floor office area that Patrick had previously used, Temple deliberately timed his report to end, stopped at the right moment, watched He Muzhi's figure disappear from sight, and then turned and left.
Hearing the faint sound of the door closing behind him, confirming that he was alone in the entire space, He Muzhi's tense body relaxed. He let the robot help him take off his suit jacket, strode towards the empty desk, and, still in high spirits, felt that he did not need to rest. He turned on his Optical Brain, connected it to the president's office, set restrictions, and entered the exclusive permissions and instructions for his term of office.
Half an hour passed. During the wait, He Muzhi finally had a moment to look away from the countless screens loading and running at varying speeds. He carefully surveyed the entire office environment. Patrick had cleared out all his belongings, including the various office assistant robots Temple Patrick replaced the office with a batch of brand-new machines, they were now either embedded in all directions, perfectly integrated with the walls, ceiling, and floor, or silently maintaining their daily tool status. The entire office still seemed exceptionally empty compared to the last time he saw it, as if he had felt a constant emptiness throughout his tenure because he hadn't seen Qin Su...
'Wait a minute, how did he end up here again!'
"..."
Realizing what he was thinking, He Muzhi was speechless with himself. But then he saw that there was no one else there, meaning that even if he didn't try to control his expression, no one could read his mind from it. In other words, no one would see through or laugh at him for his seemingly honest and composed exterior while secretly plotting against Qin Su. Did he really need to be sober and restrained even when no one was around?
In addition, it would take some time before many permissions were fully accessed... He Muzhi immediately decided to let his thoughts wander for the time being. On one hand, he carefully recalled the entire details of the inauguration ceremony, and on the other hand, he openly opened several pages to carefully search for the footage of the inauguration ceremony that he had captured.
An hour later, the notification sounded that all permissions had been successfully granted. He Muzhi had to turn his attention away from the various videos, ending this childish behavior that was filled with secret anticipation and would be ridiculed by others if they knew about it. He returned to the main course and began to familiarize himself with the entire presidential office.
Although he hadn't watched all the inauguration ceremony videos, in the past hour he had repeatedly confirmed from several videos that Qin Su was indeed... at least there was a 70% or higher chance that his physical condition hadn't manifested. But... even so, why was that feeling he'd had before... no, even now, that feeling of being right under Qin Su's nose so strong? Was it his imagination? Or was Qin Su really...?
His thoughts wandered to this point, and the thought that Qin Su was watching him from a place he couldn't see suddenly roused He Muzhi. He immediately stopped thinking and focused all his attention on the matter at hand, trying to salvage as much of the face he had recently lost under Qin Su's nose.
Besides, he had to have dinner with his classmates from Class 6 at 9 p. m., so the probability of Qin Su appearing was very low, but that didn't mean it wouldn't happen. He had to finish what he was doing as soon as possible, and then freshen up so that he could meet Qin... no, everyone in a presentable manner.
Qin Su: "..."
'As expected of the protagonist, his perception is terrifying; he could even sense it outside the Comic World!'
After finishing his heartfelt reflections, Qin Su temporarily shut down the tablet and returned to the Comic World. Temple, following He Muzhi's instructions, extended a sincere invitation on behalf of He Muzhi to everyone still alive in Class 6), including himself.
According to the arrangement he saw, Temple, without understanding but respecting He Muzhi's wishes, placed him at the head of the long dining table. He Muzhi's seat was to the left of the head of the table, which was the left-hand side of the seat He Muzhi had arranged for him.
Normally, the person sitting in the first seat should be He Muzhi.
As expected, he has always been thick-skinned and likes to stand out in comics because his character design must be unique. The position that He Muzhi arranged perfectly matches his strong character design and status.
But... today, when he thought that if nothing went wrong, this might be the last time he would meet his classmates from Class 6 face-to-face as a group, he decided to be a little shameless for a moment and immediately added a seat at the end of the table where He Muzhi was sitting, behind the door.
According to Temple's arrangement and common sense, no seat was originally arranged at the head of the table facing the direction directly, to avoid the person sitting opposite him being face-to-face with him.
With this arrangement, he neither snatched the first seat from He Muzhi, but because he was facing the main seat, he was practically one of the 'double first seats'. Moreover, He Muzhi himself voluntarily did not sit in the first seat, so the blame could not be placed on him. Even if He Muzhi saw that he did not appear and then sat in the first seat, he would not expose to the other people in Class 6) the fact that he planned to wait for him but did not see him and had to sit by himself. He Muzhi's dignity was also preserved.
Based on his verifiable past record, he was always treated specially by the students of Class 6. When he reappeared at the last minute, he unexpectedly occupied the first seat opposite the main table, turning a place that could not possibly be the first seat into the first seat. This also fits his unique and strong persona. In the future, whether the people of Class 6 think about it or talk about it, he will stand up to the test of time, both morally and in terms of his reputation. No, it is the repeated crickets of the original inhabitants of the Comic World and the Viewers in the Real World.
To prevent Temple from discovering his secret addition of seats and then informing He Muzhi of this strange situation, thus making He Muzhi guess that he would appear, Qin Su finished giving himself special treatment and didn't forget to distract Temple with other things, so that he wouldn't have time to personally attend to matters like banquet hall seating that weren't particularly important. As long as Temple didn't have time to manage it, the people in charge of operations would naturally not know that their arrangements had been slightly modified by him.
There's also He Muzhi. Although based on his long-term observation of He Muzhi, there's a high probability that He Muzhi will arrive right on time to make himself appear busy and "the grand finale," judgment is one thing, but until the very last moment, Qin Su doesn't dare to rely solely on his own judgment to clash with the fickle magic of human hearts. He can only monitor He Muzhi's every move in the presidential office at all times, ready to "escort" He Muzhi to arrive on time.
--
He Muzhi arrived at the banquet at exactly one minute before 9 p. m., timing it perfectly.
In the past, when they were classmates, he wouldn't have done something like this. Now that he has just taken office as the Federation President, in order to easily become the focus of attention and make it seem like he hasn't been neglecting his duties and has been busy... well, he really is busy. In any case, he has to arrive on time.
Upon arrival, facing the gazes of his classmates from all directions, He Muzhi's subconscious reaction was to look towards the head of the main table in front of him.
Besides Temple, only Lailisi, Lin Yin, and Samuel knew that the head seat at the main table was reserved for Qin Su. Therefore, when they saw He Muzhi's gaze, the three of them immediately guessed He Muzhi's disappointment at this moment.
However, the other students in Class 6 were unaware of this. Following He Muzhi's gaze, they naturally assumed that He Muzhi was just looking at the seat he would be sitting in later. They didn't think much of it. Qin Su hadn't even appeared at He Muzhi's inauguration ceremony, which was very important to him, so there was no reason for him to appear at this time.
But... who should take the seat to the left of He Muzhi? Could it be Temple, who somehow managed to become one of He Muzhi's right-hand men through some back Temple?! It's quite possible, since Temple has been handling He Muzhi's daily affairs lately.
Seeing that the place was empty, a moment of disappointment flashed in He Muzhi's lowered eyes.
"..."
' Qin Su didn't come.'
These words flashed through his mind, He Muzhi quickly composed himself. He paused for only a moment before gesturing for the classmates who had stood up and were about to approach him to sit down. "We're all classmates, no need for formalities."
He Muzhi spoke, he strode quickly toward the spot that originally belonged to Qin Su.
'At least, nobody knows his little scheme, and nobody laughs at him. Anyway, even if the left seat remains empty, everyone will assume that seat is probably for Temple... By the way, where is Temple?'
[Even on his home turf, he doesn't forget Qin Su. He Muzhi, I'm truly impressed.]
[How does Mu manage to appear so serious on the surface while secretly rambling on and on?]
[Watching helplessly as Mu Bao becomes increasingly adept at salvaging his reputation, surpassing even his teacher in skill --]
[I get it now, Temple is just He Muzhi's fig leaf!]
[That's not how you use a fig leaf, you know!]
[Doesn't anyone think it's a bit odd that Temple isn't here at this time? And... I remember Temple's arrangement was that there shouldn't be a chair opposite He Muzhi, could I be remembering wrong?]
[I went back and checked, you remember correctly, but what's strange is that the person in charge of arranging the banquet didn't make a mistake either; that's the arrangement he received. It's a paranormal event.]
[Well, if anything doesn't make sense, just apply it to Qin Su, and it'll make sense, right?]
[Holy crap, could it be what I'm thinking?!]
[I'm really looking forward to it! I'm a primary school student, so you can't lie to me!]
[Don't even think about it. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Never heard of that. (picks nose)]
Although He Muzhi said that, the other students in Class 6 followed him with their eyes the whole time he He Muzhi walking around. No one sat down before He Muzhi to sit down first.
Although he was puzzled about Temple's whereabouts, He Muzhi thought of Temple's past reliability and was not too worried. Under everyone's gaze, he calmly sat down at the head of the table and then glanced around at the classmates who were waiting for him to sit down first.
Seeing He Muzhi sit down, the other students in Class 6 who came into He Muzhi's sight gradually sat down with smiles.
He Muzhi withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and, while waiting for the students to finish, secretly glanced at the time. There were still ten seconds left until nine o'clock.
'He's still young when it comes to scouting locations.'
After thinking it over, He Muzhi caught a glimpse of all his classmates falling down out of the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth, ready to say what he had prepared, but before he could utter a sound, the tightly closed banquet hall doors opened without any warning.
Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to look, and they saw a figure standing in the center of the open door, a figure that was extremely familiar to everyone in Class 6.