Chapter 97.1
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
The internet was full of the citizen’s fears that the Chu family really left the Federation, and the atmosphere was getting worse by the minute. At this time, the higher-ups held an official broadcast again.
The livestream was broadcasted from the Presidential Palace, where officials from various levels of government and the military, led by the Xiang and Wei families, gathered in the conference room. Xiang Lingyun spoke as their representative, stating that the Federation couldn’t continue in such chaos. With the Zerg threat largely dealt with, traitors needed to face due process, and the Federation needed to embark on a new chapter. The position of the president couldn’t remain vacant indefinitely. Therefore, after deliberation among officials at all levels, it was decided to reopen the presidential election.
As soon as this decision was announced, all the people watching the live broadcast were stunned.
Reopening the presidential election? The official livestream’s purpose this time wasn’t to explain the specific details of the war or why the Chu family hadn’t returned to the Federation, but to announce this? It seems like the officials’ focus might be a bit misplaced.
Then the next second, their eyes lit up – because the presidential candidate projected by Xiang Lingyun had Chu Huai’s name!
What does this mean? It means that Chu Huai was not leaving the Federation! The Chu family did not give up the Federation! They will continue to stay here, protect the Federation, protect the citizens, and fight those who have hurt the Chu family!
Sentimental people couldn’t help shedding tears when looking at the pictures of Chu Huai on the candidate list, but their eyes were full of joy.
Great, the Chu family didn’t have to leave! They still had the opportunity to express their guilt and heartfelt gratitude towards the Chu family!
‘—We must keep the Chu family here! The members of the Chu family, who have endured so much for the Federation, deserve a presidential seat!’
After shedding tears, the people were uplifted, almost simultaneously forming a thought – they clenched the communicators on their wrists, representing their rights to vote, and in their hearts, they had already cast their votes for the Chu family, for Chu Huai!
After the livestream ended, Xiang Lingyun and the officials exchanged pleasantries before leaving the now empty Presidential Palace accompanied by the staff.
Waiting inside the hover car, Xiang Hui called out to his father in a low voice. Then he kept his head down and remained silent, appearing rather subdued in mood.
Xiang Lingyun closed the door, glanced at his expression, and asked gently, “Do you know why I brought you here today?”
“To make me witness how far the Xiang family has fallen,” Xiang Hui replied through gritted teeth, his tone strained with a fragile calmness that seemed ready to shatter at any moment.
“I want you to see what kind of path the Xiang family should take in the future!”
Xiang Lingyun suddenly erupted, his voice deep and stern. He said, “Xiang Hui, don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to. You actually intended to tamper with the batch of new weapons that Xiao Kun sent to Chu Yan. That’s the war frontline! Are you trying to get Chu Yan killed? I’ve told you before, in the face of a major crisis, there must be no internal strife! And we must not harm the lives of the younger generation! All disputes should revolve around interests, not with the aim of suppressing a particular family. Have you completely disregarded what I’ve told you?”
As a father, Xiang Lingyun had always been gentle and accommodating. Although he might occasionally be a bit stern, he had never erupted in anger like this before. He usually offered advice and guidance with gravitas, and even if he spoke harshly, he would quickly soften his tone and offer explanations to soothe the situation. Therefore, Xiang Hui was completely taken aback by his father’s sudden shift from aloofness to outburst.
Seeing him like this, Xiang Lingyun felt both angry and anxious. He said, “Xiang Hui, let me be frank with you. I deeply regret it now! I regret not actively seeking cooperation with the Chu family when I first discovered signs of treason from the Ning family! At that time, I was also blinded by petty interests. I thought that with the internal strife between the Ning and Chu families, perhaps the Wei family and us could come out unscathed, reaping the benefits! But as you’ve seen, the result speaks for itself. The Xiang and Wei families’ armies have been forced to the frontline to face death! This is the outcome of shortsightedness! This is the outcome of only caring about immediate gains! Chu Rong saved countless soldiers from our family and the Wei family in this war. Based on this alone, what right do you have to blame the Chu family for you, Xiang Hui, tasting the bitterness of failure today? If it weren’t for him, perhaps the Xiang family wouldn’t even exist now! And you wouldn’t be a young master anymore! With your current means, cunning, and narrow-mindedness, without the Xiang family backing you, you might even be inferior to Chu Yan! At least he knows to personally go to the frontline to defend the family and the nation in times of crisis! And you… it’s better not to mention!”
Xiang Hui trembled, his hands on his knees clenched fists, raised his eyes and looked at Xiang Lingyun, who was getting even angrier.
“Don’t blame me for being ruthless today, because I’m worried that if you continue down this stubborn path, the Xiang family will eventually be dragged down by you! Think about Long Xuyang now, think about the You family. With only one person’s mistake – Long Ruifeng;s — it’s enough to bring these two families to complete ruin. When you become the leader of the Xiang family in the future, as long as you are not clear-headed for just one or two seconds, Xiao Kun will be the second Long Xuyang! And now, all the Xiang family members who pamper you, hold you up, and trust you will be the second coming of You family members! Think about it carefully! Is this the result you want?”
After Xiang Lingyun finished shouting this long string of words and saw Xiang Hui looking bewildered and lost, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said no more. He called for the hover car to stop and got off, boarding another empty car that was following behind, leaving the space in the first car for Xiang Hui.
Inside the car, it was complete silence. Xiang Lingyun’s words seemed to be still ringing in his ears, the confusion in Xiang Hui’s eyes slowly faded, and he looked down at his palm with a tense expression.
Thinking about the current situations of Long Xuyang, the You family, Xiao Kun, and his family… Xiang Hui suddenly remembered the day when ke suddenly approached Xiang Kun and silently observed him for a long time. He was startled. Could it be that at that time, Xiao Kun had already discovered his tampering with the weapons?
He froze once again, his tense shoulders slowly slumping down. Since when had the carefree – even at times, brainless — Xiao Kun become so calm and collected?
Was he really in the wrong?
Due to the exceptional circumstances, the presidential election, which should have taken a long time, was streamlined by the joint efforts of officials from the political and military sectors of the Federation, omitting most of the procedures.
The preliminary election ended long ago, and the candidate list announced by Xiang Lingyun in the live broadcast was the result of the preliminary election.
With the major families dominating the Federation, the National Congress, which followed the preliminary elections, ended hastily as well. Moreover, with Chu Huai absent from the Capital Planet after the war, the Federation had little energy to organize events like candidate speeches. As a result, the entire presidential election skipped the time-consuming initial steps and jumped directly to the final stage of national voter polling with rocket-like speed.
Almost 80% of the population, who had long awaited this day, didn’t hesitate to cast their votes for Chu Huai. Even some families that had traditionally supported the Xiang and Wei families generously voted for Chu Huai.
Chu Huai’s superiority can be said to be expected.
In the Xiang family, Xiang Kun was sitting in a small living room. He casted his choice in his communicator, voting for Chu Huai.
“Why not vote for people supported by the Xiang family?”
Xiang Hui’s voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling Xiang Kun. He turned around to see Xiang Hui standing behind him, looking at his communicator with a curious expression, his gaze somewhat strange.
Xiang Kun fell silent for a moment, choosing not to answer the question. Instead, he reached out and took Xiang Hui’s hand, retrieving a space button from his pocket and placing it in his hand. “Dage, you once wanted to learn about mecha manufacturing, but later you chose to enroll in the command department at the military academy because of the burden of being the heir of the Xiang family. Inside here are some materials for mecha manufacturing. There are tools in my lab. Go and try making a mecha to relax.”
Xiang Hui’s hand shook, and then he squeezed the space button firmly. He gave Xiang Kun one final deep look, then turned to leave the living room.
Xiang Kun watched him leave, propping himself up on the back of the sofa. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it quickly faded. He then slowly slid down onto the sofa, lifting his hand to cover his overly long bangs.
About a week later, the voting results from various planets in the Federation were announced. Chu Huai won the next presidency with a significant majority of votes. However, he still hadn’t come down from the flagship, and others were unable to contact him.
——The Chu family’s flagship blocked external communication.
With a heavy heart, Xiang Lingyun mustered up his courage and first sought out Yuan Lie. Then, he went to find people from the Gu family, hoping that they could pass on a message to the Chu family flagship, urging Chu Huai to come down and complete the inauguration procedures as soon as possible.
The situation waited for no one, and matters couldn’t be delayed indefinitely. Moreover, the specifics of the situation with the Empire were still unclear. The state of being headless cannot continue indefinitely.
The Gu family received him politely, saying they would try to contact Chu Huai as far as possible, and then sent him out politely.
Xiang Lingyun felt helpless, as if he was facing retribution for his past actions. He could only try to handle what he could while closely monitoring the situation on the Chu family flagship. He considered whether he should personally go to the flagship to pick up Chu Huai in person.
In fact, Chu Huai on the flagship was not ignorant of the recent news. Although Chu Rong broke the external communication of the flagship, he still had a channel to understand what happened in the Federation.
In recent days, the reason Chu Huai stayed on the flagship without descending was threefold: Firstly, with Yuan Lie and He Hongjun present, he didn’t have to worry about the Federation’s situation for the time being. Secondly, he wanted to spend more time with his family, particularly with Qiao Zhiya and his two brothers, out of personal desire. Thirdly, knowing that Chu Rong was a prudent person, and considering the internal situation of the Federation could be gradually sorted out, their main concern was the Empire. Staying on the flagship made it easier for him to gather information about the Empire’s situation.
However, he did not expect that Xiang Lingyun would take the initiative to do this sort of maneuver. He suddenly reopened the presidential election and pushed him up very generously.
With the message from the Gu family now in hand, Chu Huai lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, then looked at Fan Xiangnan opposite him and asked, “What’s the situation with the Empire?”
“There hasn’t been any major movement for now. The Imperial Royal flagship still hasn’t returned to the Empire. Currently, the Imperial Royal Family hasn’t officially announced the disappearance of the new Emperor. They’ve only announced the victory over the Zerg Queen. Right now, Prince An Xei is in charge, but his intentions are unclear.”
Fan Xiangnan reported with a slight furrow of his brow, adding, “I suspect he’s waiting for our reaction. At that time, when Marshal Chu arrived at the battlefield, he immediately cut off external communication. An Xei is located in the rear and doesn’t know the specifics of what happened on the battlefield. With the Imperial Royal flagship still not returning, he must be feeling uncertain.”
Moreover, even the announcement of the victory in the war was made by the Empire shortly after the official announcement was made here in the Federation. At that time, Chu Rong directly pointed out the Imperial involvement with the fake Zerg in public. An Xei, without understanding how much truth Chu Rong actually knew, wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.
The Empire’s citizens, completely unaware that their new Emperor is missing, were celebrating the victory in the war joyously, eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of the Imperial Royal flagship.
“That means even An Xei himself doesn’t know where exactly the Imperial flagship has been sent by that black hole…” Chu Huai pondered for a moment, swiftly assessing the network of relationships around An Xei, then asked, “Has Ning Tianxing been captured? Is Long Ruifeng still in a coma, along with the Patriarch of the You family?”
Speaking of which, Fan Xiangnan’s brow furrowed even tighter. He nodded and replied, “Ning Tianxing was captured by the Yun family when he attempted to flee to the border. He’s currently being escorted back to the Capital Planet. Long Ruifeng and Elder You are still unconscious, with their spiritual power disturbed by a mental blocker in their brain. Additionally, there are signs that other members of the You and Long family have been controlled by medicines provided by the Ning family, including Long Xuyang. The only one who remains clear-headed is Long Ruizhang. He was manipulated by Long Ruifeng the whole time and has no idea that he’s been aiding Long Ruifeng and the Ning family in their treason.”
Chu Huai furrowed his brow as well and said, “It seems we need to awaken those who have been controlled by the medicines provided by the Ning family first. Otherwise, the trial can’t proceed. In that case, I’ll make time to go down there. But first—”
“Dage,” Chu Yan burst in suddenly and recklessly, and said quickly, “Qiao Zhiya is awake, but the situation is not right.”
Upon hearing Chu Huai’s words, both Chu Huai and Fan Xiangnan stood up without a word and headed towards the isolation room downstairs.
Qiao Zhiya did wake up, he was completely muddle-headed. In addition, a green vine pattern appeared on the wrist somehow.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The internet was full of the citizen’s fears that the Chu family really left the Federation, and the atmosphere was getting worse by the minute. At this time, the higher-ups held an official broadcast again.
The livestream was broadcasted from the Presidential Palace, where officials from various levels of government and the military, led by the Xiang and Wei families, gathered in the conference room. Xiang Lingyun spoke as their representative, stating that the Federation couldn’t continue in such chaos. With the Zerg threat largely dealt with, traitors needed to face due process, and the Federation needed to embark on a new chapter. The position of the president couldn’t remain vacant indefinitely. Therefore, after deliberation among officials at all levels, it was decided to reopen the presidential election.
As soon as this decision was announced, all the people watching the live broadcast were stunned.
Reopening the presidential election? The official livestream’s purpose this time wasn’t to explain the specific details of the war or why the Chu family hadn’t returned to the Federation, but to announce this? It seems like the officials’ focus might be a bit misplaced.
Then the next second, their eyes lit up – because the presidential candidate projected by Xiang Lingyun had Chu Huai’s name!
What does this mean? It means that Chu Huai was not leaving the Federation! The Chu family did not give up the Federation! They will continue to stay here, protect the Federation, protect the citizens, and fight those who have hurt the Chu family!
Sentimental people couldn’t help shedding tears when looking at the pictures of Chu Huai on the candidate list, but their eyes were full of joy.
Great, the Chu family didn’t have to leave! They still had the opportunity to express their guilt and heartfelt gratitude towards the Chu family!
‘—We must keep the Chu family here! The members of the Chu family, who have endured so much for the Federation, deserve a presidential seat!’
After shedding tears, the people were uplifted, almost simultaneously forming a thought – they clenched the communicators on their wrists, representing their rights to vote, and in their hearts, they had already cast their votes for the Chu family, for Chu Huai!
After the livestream ended, Xiang Lingyun and the officials exchanged pleasantries before leaving the now empty Presidential Palace accompanied by the staff.
Waiting inside the hover car, Xiang Hui called out to his father in a low voice. Then he kept his head down and remained silent, appearing rather subdued in mood.
Xiang Lingyun closed the door, glanced at his expression, and asked gently, “Do you know why I brought you here today?”
“To make me witness how far the Xiang family has fallen,” Xiang Hui replied through gritted teeth, his tone strained with a fragile calmness that seemed ready to shatter at any moment.
“I want you to see what kind of path the Xiang family should take in the future!”
Xiang Lingyun suddenly erupted, his voice deep and stern. He said, “Xiang Hui, don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to. You actually intended to tamper with the batch of new weapons that Xiao Kun sent to Chu Yan. That’s the war frontline! Are you trying to get Chu Yan killed? I’ve told you before, in the face of a major crisis, there must be no internal strife! And we must not harm the lives of the younger generation! All disputes should revolve around interests, not with the aim of suppressing a particular family. Have you completely disregarded what I’ve told you?”
As a father, Xiang Lingyun had always been gentle and accommodating. Although he might occasionally be a bit stern, he had never erupted in anger like this before. He usually offered advice and guidance with gravitas, and even if he spoke harshly, he would quickly soften his tone and offer explanations to soothe the situation. Therefore, Xiang Hui was completely taken aback by his father’s sudden shift from aloofness to outburst.
Seeing him like this, Xiang Lingyun felt both angry and anxious. He said, “Xiang Hui, let me be frank with you. I deeply regret it now! I regret not actively seeking cooperation with the Chu family when I first discovered signs of treason from the Ning family! At that time, I was also blinded by petty interests. I thought that with the internal strife between the Ning and Chu families, perhaps the Wei family and us could come out unscathed, reaping the benefits! But as you’ve seen, the result speaks for itself. The Xiang and Wei families’ armies have been forced to the frontline to face death! This is the outcome of shortsightedness! This is the outcome of only caring about immediate gains! Chu Rong saved countless soldiers from our family and the Wei family in this war. Based on this alone, what right do you have to blame the Chu family for you, Xiang Hui, tasting the bitterness of failure today? If it weren’t for him, perhaps the Xiang family wouldn’t even exist now! And you wouldn’t be a young master anymore! With your current means, cunning, and narrow-mindedness, without the Xiang family backing you, you might even be inferior to Chu Yan! At least he knows to personally go to the frontline to defend the family and the nation in times of crisis! And you… it’s better not to mention!”
Xiang Hui trembled, his hands on his knees clenched fists, raised his eyes and looked at Xiang Lingyun, who was getting even angrier.
“Don’t blame me for being ruthless today, because I’m worried that if you continue down this stubborn path, the Xiang family will eventually be dragged down by you! Think about Long Xuyang now, think about the You family. With only one person’s mistake – Long Ruifeng;s — it’s enough to bring these two families to complete ruin. When you become the leader of the Xiang family in the future, as long as you are not clear-headed for just one or two seconds, Xiao Kun will be the second Long Xuyang! And now, all the Xiang family members who pamper you, hold you up, and trust you will be the second coming of You family members! Think about it carefully! Is this the result you want?”
After Xiang Lingyun finished shouting this long string of words and saw Xiang Hui looking bewildered and lost, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said no more. He called for the hover car to stop and got off, boarding another empty car that was following behind, leaving the space in the first car for Xiang Hui.
Inside the car, it was complete silence. Xiang Lingyun’s words seemed to be still ringing in his ears, the confusion in Xiang Hui’s eyes slowly faded, and he looked down at his palm with a tense expression.
Thinking about the current situations of Long Xuyang, the You family, Xiao Kun, and his family… Xiang Hui suddenly remembered the day when ke suddenly approached Xiang Kun and silently observed him for a long time. He was startled. Could it be that at that time, Xiao Kun had already discovered his tampering with the weapons?
He froze once again, his tense shoulders slowly slumping down. Since when had the carefree – even at times, brainless — Xiao Kun become so calm and collected?
Was he really in the wrong?
Due to the exceptional circumstances, the presidential election, which should have taken a long time, was streamlined by the joint efforts of officials from the political and military sectors of the Federation, omitting most of the procedures.
The preliminary election ended long ago, and the candidate list announced by Xiang Lingyun in the live broadcast was the result of the preliminary election.
With the major families dominating the Federation, the National Congress, which followed the preliminary elections, ended hastily as well. Moreover, with Chu Huai absent from the Capital Planet after the war, the Federation had little energy to organize events like candidate speeches. As a result, the entire presidential election skipped the time-consuming initial steps and jumped directly to the final stage of national voter polling with rocket-like speed.
Almost 80% of the population, who had long awaited this day, didn’t hesitate to cast their votes for Chu Huai. Even some families that had traditionally supported the Xiang and Wei families generously voted for Chu Huai.
Chu Huai’s superiority can be said to be expected.
In the Xiang family, Xiang Kun was sitting in a small living room. He casted his choice in his communicator, voting for Chu Huai.
“Why not vote for people supported by the Xiang family?”
Xiang Hui’s voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling Xiang Kun. He turned around to see Xiang Hui standing behind him, looking at his communicator with a curious expression, his gaze somewhat strange.
Xiang Kun fell silent for a moment, choosing not to answer the question. Instead, he reached out and took Xiang Hui’s hand, retrieving a space button from his pocket and placing it in his hand. “Dage, you once wanted to learn about mecha manufacturing, but later you chose to enroll in the command department at the military academy because of the burden of being the heir of the Xiang family. Inside here are some materials for mecha manufacturing. There are tools in my lab. Go and try making a mecha to relax.”
Xiang Hui’s hand shook, and then he squeezed the space button firmly. He gave Xiang Kun one final deep look, then turned to leave the living room.
Xiang Kun watched him leave, propping himself up on the back of the sofa. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it quickly faded. He then slowly slid down onto the sofa, lifting his hand to cover his overly long bangs.
About a week later, the voting results from various planets in the Federation were announced. Chu Huai won the next presidency with a significant majority of votes. However, he still hadn’t come down from the flagship, and others were unable to contact him.
——The Chu family’s flagship blocked external communication.
With a heavy heart, Xiang Lingyun mustered up his courage and first sought out Yuan Lie. Then, he went to find people from the Gu family, hoping that they could pass on a message to the Chu family flagship, urging Chu Huai to come down and complete the inauguration procedures as soon as possible.
The situation waited for no one, and matters couldn’t be delayed indefinitely. Moreover, the specifics of the situation with the Empire were still unclear. The state of being headless cannot continue indefinitely.
The Gu family received him politely, saying they would try to contact Chu Huai as far as possible, and then sent him out politely.
Xiang Lingyun felt helpless, as if he was facing retribution for his past actions. He could only try to handle what he could while closely monitoring the situation on the Chu family flagship. He considered whether he should personally go to the flagship to pick up Chu Huai in person.
In fact, Chu Huai on the flagship was not ignorant of the recent news. Although Chu Rong broke the external communication of the flagship, he still had a channel to understand what happened in the Federation.
In recent days, the reason Chu Huai stayed on the flagship without descending was threefold: Firstly, with Yuan Lie and He Hongjun present, he didn’t have to worry about the Federation’s situation for the time being. Secondly, he wanted to spend more time with his family, particularly with Qiao Zhiya and his two brothers, out of personal desire. Thirdly, knowing that Chu Rong was a prudent person, and considering the internal situation of the Federation could be gradually sorted out, their main concern was the Empire. Staying on the flagship made it easier for him to gather information about the Empire’s situation.
However, he did not expect that Xiang Lingyun would take the initiative to do this sort of maneuver. He suddenly reopened the presidential election and pushed him up very generously.
With the message from the Gu family now in hand, Chu Huai lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, then looked at Fan Xiangnan opposite him and asked, “What’s the situation with the Empire?”
“There hasn’t been any major movement for now. The Imperial Royal flagship still hasn’t returned to the Empire. Currently, the Imperial Royal Family hasn’t officially announced the disappearance of the new Emperor. They’ve only announced the victory over the Zerg Queen. Right now, Prince An Xei is in charge, but his intentions are unclear.”
Fan Xiangnan reported with a slight furrow of his brow, adding, “I suspect he’s waiting for our reaction. At that time, when Marshal Chu arrived at the battlefield, he immediately cut off external communication. An Xei is located in the rear and doesn’t know the specifics of what happened on the battlefield. With the Imperial Royal flagship still not returning, he must be feeling uncertain.”
Moreover, even the announcement of the victory in the war was made by the Empire shortly after the official announcement was made here in the Federation. At that time, Chu Rong directly pointed out the Imperial involvement with the fake Zerg in public. An Xei, without understanding how much truth Chu Rong actually knew, wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.
The Empire’s citizens, completely unaware that their new Emperor is missing, were celebrating the victory in the war joyously, eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of the Imperial Royal flagship.
“That means even An Xei himself doesn’t know where exactly the Imperial flagship has been sent by that black hole…” Chu Huai pondered for a moment, swiftly assessing the network of relationships around An Xei, then asked, “Has Ning Tianxing been captured? Is Long Ruifeng still in a coma, along with the Patriarch of the You family?”
Speaking of which, Fan Xiangnan’s brow furrowed even tighter. He nodded and replied, “Ning Tianxing was captured by the Yun family when he attempted to flee to the border. He’s currently being escorted back to the Capital Planet. Long Ruifeng and Elder You are still unconscious, with their spiritual power disturbed by a mental blocker in their brain. Additionally, there are signs that other members of the You and Long family have been controlled by medicines provided by the Ning family, including Long Xuyang. The only one who remains clear-headed is Long Ruizhang. He was manipulated by Long Ruifeng the whole time and has no idea that he’s been aiding Long Ruifeng and the Ning family in their treason.”
Chu Huai furrowed his brow as well and said, “It seems we need to awaken those who have been controlled by the medicines provided by the Ning family first. Otherwise, the trial can’t proceed. In that case, I’ll make time to go down there. But first—”
“Dage,” Chu Yan burst in suddenly and recklessly, and said quickly, “Qiao Zhiya is awake, but the situation is not right.”
Upon hearing Chu Huai’s words, both Chu Huai and Fan Xiangnan stood up without a word and headed towards the isolation room downstairs.
Qiao Zhiya did wake up, he was completely muddle-headed. In addition, a green vine pattern appeared on the wrist somehow.
The internet was full of the citizen's fears that the Chu family really left the Federation, and the atmosphere was getting worse by the minute. At this time, the higher-ups held an official broadcast again.The livestream was broadcasted from the Presidential Palace, where officials from various levels of government and the military, led by the Xiang and Wei families, gathered in the conference room. Xiang Lingyun spoke as their representative, stating that the Federation couldn't continue in such chaos. With the Zerg threat largely dealt with, traitors needed to face due process, and the Federation needed to embark on a new chapter. The position of the president couldn't remain vacant indefinitely. Therefore, after deliberation among officials at all levels, it was decided to reopen the presidential election.As soon as this decision was announced, all the people watching the live broadcast were stunned.Reopening the presidential election? The official livestream's purpose this time wasn't to explain the specific details of the war or why the Chu family hadn't returned to the Federation, but to announce this? It seems like the officials' focus might be a bit misplaced.Then the next second, their eyes lit up because the presidential candidate projected by Xiang Lingyun had Chu Huai's name!What does this mean? It means that Chu Huai was not leaving the Federation! The Chu family did not give up the Federation! They will continue to stay here, protect the Federation, protect the citizens, and fight those who have hurt the Chu family!Sentimental people couldn't help shedding tears when looking at the pictures of Chu Huai on the candidate list, but their eyes were full of joy.Great, the Chu family didn't have to leave! They still had the opportunity to express their guilt and heartfelt gratitude towards the Chu family!We must keep the Chu family here! The members of the Chu family, who have endured so much for the Federation, deserve a presidential seat!'After shedding tears, the people were uplifted, almost simultaneously forming a thought they clenched the communicators on their wrists, representing their rights to vote, and in their hearts, they had already cast their votes for the Chu family, for Chu Huai!After the livestream ended, Xiang Lingyun and the officials exchanged pleasantries before leaving the now empty Presidential Palace accompanied by the staff.Waiting inside the hover car, Xiang Hui called out to his father in a low voice. Then he kept his head down and remained silent, appearing rather subdued in mood.Xiang Lingyun closed the door, glanced at his expression, and asked gently, Do you know why I brought you here today?To make me witness how far the Xiang family has fallen, Xiang Hui replied through gritted teeth, his tone strained with a fragile calmness that seemed ready to shatter at any moment.I want you to see what kind of path the Xiang family should take in the future!Xiang Lingyun suddenly erupted, his voice deep and stern. He said, Xiang Hui, don't think I don't know what you've been up to. You actually intended to tamper with the batch of new weapons that Xiao Kun sent to Chu Yan. That's the war frontline! Are you trying to get Chu Yan killed? I've told you before, in the face of a major crisis, there must be no internal strife! And we must not harm the lives of the younger generation! All disputes should revolve around interests, not with the aim of suppressing a particular family. Have you completely disregarded what I've told you?As a father, Xiang Lingyun had always been gentle and accommodating. Although he might occasionally be a bit stern, he had never erupted in anger like this before. He usually offered advice and guidance with gravitas, and even if he spoke harshly, he would quickly soften his tone and offer explanations to soothe the situation. Therefore, Xiang Hui was completely taken aback by his father's sudden shift from aloofness to outburst.Seeing him like this, Xiang Lingyun felt both angry and anxious. He said, Xiang Hui, let me be frank with you. I deeply regret it now! I regret not actively seeking cooperation with the Chu family when I first discovered signs of treason from the Ning family! At that time, I was also blinded by petty interests. I thought that with the internal strife between the Ning and Chu families, perhaps the Wei family and us could come out unscathed, reaping the benefits! But as you've seen, the result speaks for itself. The Xiang and Wei families' armies have been forced to the frontline to face death! This is the outcome of shortsightedness! This is the outcome of only caring about immediate gains! Chu Rong saved countless soldiers from our family and the Wei family in this war. Based on this alone, what right do you have to blame the Chu family for you, Xiang Hui, tasting the bitterness of failure today? If it weren't for him, perhaps the Xiang family wouldn't even exist now! And you wouldn't be a young master anymore! With your current means, cunning, and narrow-mindedness, without the Xiang family backing you, you might even be inferior to Chu Yan! At least he knows to personally go to the frontline to defend the family and the nation in times of crisis! And you it's better not to mention!Xiang Hui trembled, his hands on his knees clenched fists, raised his eyes and looked at Xiang Lingyun, who was getting even angrier.Don't blame me for being ruthless today, because I'm worried that if you continue down this stubborn path, the Xiang family will eventually be dragged down by you! Think about Long Xuyang now, think about the You family. With only one person's mistake Long Ruifeng;s it's enough to bring these two families to complete ruin. When you become the leader of the Xiang family in the future, as long as you are not clear-headed for just one or two seconds, Xiao Kun will be the second Long Xuyang! And now, all the Xiang family members who pamper you, hold you up, and trust you will be the second coming of You family members! Think about it carefully! Is this the result you want?After Xiang Lingyun finished shouting this long string of words and saw Xiang Hui looking bewildered and lost, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said no more. He called for the hover car to stop and got off, boarding another empty car that was following behind, leaving the space in the first car for Xiang Hui.Inside the car, it was complete silence. Xiang Lingyun's words seemed to be still ringing in his ears, the confusion in Xiang Hui's eyes slowly faded, and he looked down at his palm with a tense expression.Thinking about the current situations of Long Xuyang, the You family, Xiao Kun, and his family Xiang Hui suddenly remembered the day when ke suddenly approached Xiang Kun and silently observed him for a long time. He was startled. Could it be that at that time, Xiao Kun had already discovered his tampering with the weapons?He froze once again, his tense shoulders slowly slumping down. Since when had the carefree even at times, brainless Xiao Kun become so calm and collected?Was he really in the wrong?Due to the exceptional circumstances, the presidential election, which should have taken a long time, was streamlined by the joint efforts of officials from the political and military sectors of the Federation, omitting most of the procedures.The preliminary election ended long ago, and the candidate list announced by Xiang Lingyun in the live broadcast was the result of the preliminary election.With the major families dominating the Federation, the National Congress, which followed the preliminary elections, ended hastily as well. Moreover, with Chu Huai absent from the Capital Planet after the war, the Federation had little energy to organize events like candidate speeches. As a result, the entire presidential election skipped the time-consuming initial steps and jumped directly to the final stage of national voter polling with rocket-like speed.Almost 80% of the population, who had long awaited this day, didn't hesitate to cast their votes for Chu Huai. Even some families that had traditionally supported the Xiang and Wei families generously voted for Chu Huai.Chu Huai's superiority can be said to be expected.In the Xiang family, Xiang Kun was sitting in a small living room. He casted his choice in his communicator, voting for Chu Huai.Why not vote for people supported by the Xiang family?Xiang Hui's voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling Xiang Kun. He turned around to see Xiang Hui standing behind him, looking at his communicator with a curious expression, his gaze somewhat strange.Xiang Kun fell silent for a moment, choosing not to answer the question. Instead, he reached out and took Xiang Hui's hand, retrieving a space button from his pocket and placing it in his hand. Dage, you once wanted to learn about mecha manufacturing, but later you chose to enroll in the command department at the military academy because of the burden of being the heir of the Xiang family. Inside here are some materials for mecha manufacturing. There are tools in my lab. Go and try making a mecha to relax.Xiang Hui's hand shook, and then he squeezed the space button firmly. He gave Xiang Kun one final deep look, then turned to leave the living room.Xiang Kun watched him leave, propping himself up on the back of the sofa. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it quickly faded. He then slowly slid down onto the sofa, lifting his hand to cover his overly long bangs.About a week later, the voting results from various planets in the Federation were announced. Chu Huai won the next presidency with a significant majority of votes. However, he still hadn't come down from the flagship, and others were unable to contact him.The Chu family's flagship blocked external communication.With a heavy heart, Xiang Lingyun mustered up his courage and first sought out Yuan Lie. Then, he went to find people from the Gu family, hoping that they could pass on a message to the Chu family flagship, urging Chu Huai to come down and complete the inauguration procedures as soon as possible.The situation waited for no one, and matters couldn't be delayed indefinitely. Moreover, the specifics of the situation with the Empire were still unclear. The state of being headless cannot continue indefinitely.The Gu family received him politely, saying they would try to contact Chu Huai as far as possible, and then sent him out politely.Xiang Lingyun felt helpless, as if he was facing retribution for his past actions. He could only try to handle what he could while closely monitoring the situation on the Chu family flagship. He considered whether he should personally go to the flagship to pick up Chu Huai in person.In fact, Chu Huai on the flagship was not ignorant of the recent news. Although Chu Rong broke the external communication of the flagship, he still had a channel to understand what happened in the Federation.In recent days, the reason Chu Huai stayed on the flagship without descending was threefold: Firstly, with Yuan Lie and He Hongjun present, he didn't have to worry about the Federation's situation for the time being. Secondly, he wanted to spend more time with his family, particularly with Qiao Zhiya and his two brothers, out of personal desire. Thirdly, knowing that Chu Rong was a prudent person, and considering the internal situation of the Federation could be gradually sorted out, their main concern was the Empire. Staying on the flagship made it easier for him to gather information about the Empire's situation.However, he did not expect that Xiang Lingyun would take the initiative to do this sort of maneuver. He suddenly reopened the presidential election and pushed him up very generously.With the message from the Gu family now in hand, Chu Huai lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, then looked at Fan Xiangnan opposite him and asked, What's the situation with the Empire?There hasn't been any major movement for now. The Imperial Royal flagship still hasn't returned to the Empire. Currently, the Imperial Royal Family hasn't officially announced the disappearance of the new Emperor. They've only announced the victory over the Zerg Queen. Right now, Prince An Xei is in charge, but his intentions are unclear.Fan Xiangnan reported with a slight furrow of his brow, adding, I suspect he's waiting for our reaction. At that time, when Marshal Chu arrived at the battlefield, he immediately cut off external communication. An Xei is located in the rear and doesn't know the specifics of what happened on the battlefield. With the Imperial Royal flagship still not returning, he must be feeling uncertain.Moreover, even the announcement of the victory in the war was made by the Empire shortly after the official announcement was made here in the Federation. At that time, Chu Rong directly pointed out the Imperial involvement with the fake Zerg in public. An Xei, without understanding how much truth Chu Rong actually knew, wouldn't dare to act recklessly.The Empire's citizens, completely unaware that their new Emperor is missing, were celebrating the victory in the war joyously, eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of the Imperial Royal flagship.That means even An Xei himself doesn't know where exactly the Imperial flagship has been sent by that black hole Chu Huai pondered for a moment, swiftly assessing the network of relationships around An Xei, then asked, Has Ning Tianxing been captured? Is Long Ruifeng still in a coma, along with the Patriarch of the You family?Speaking of which, Fan Xiangnan's brow furrowed even tighter. He nodded and replied, Ning Tianxing was captured by the Yun family when he attempted to flee to the border. He's currently being escorted back to the Capital Planet. Long Ruifeng and Elder You are still unconscious, with their spiritual power disturbed by a mental blocker in their brain. Additionally, there are signs that other members of the You and Long family have been controlled by medicines provided by the Ning family, including Long Xuyang. The only one who remains clear-headed is Long Ruizhang. He was manipulated by Long Ruifeng the whole time and has no idea that he's been aiding Long Ruifeng and the Ning family in their treason.Chu Huai furrowed his brow as well and said, It seems we need to awaken those who have been controlled by the medicines provided by the Ning family first. Otherwise, the trial can't proceed. In that case, I'll make time to go down there. But firstDage, Chu Yan burst in suddenly and recklessly, and said quickly, Qiao Zhiya is awake, but the situation is not right.Upon hearing Chu Huai's words, both Chu Huai and Fan Xiangnan stood up without a word and headed towards the isolation room downstairs.Qiao Zhiya did wake up, he was completely muddle-headed. In addition, a green vine pattern appeared on the wrist somehow.
