Chapter 68 – Everyone come and vote
Jian Luo said to his little brother, “I’ll go out for a moment.”
Jian Sheng thought he needed to go to the lavatory and quickly asked, “Brother, should I accompany you outside?”
“No.” Jian Luo didn’t let him follow and said directly, “I’ll go out for some fresh air on my own, take a breather.”
Jian Sheng nodded only.
Jian Luo stretched lazily and walked out. The architecture of the Dark Star School was rather antique, with uniform milky-white walls and intricately carved glass windows. It had a classical vibe. The corridor was straight, and something similar to wisteria leaves adorning the walls. When you got closer, you could even smell the fragrance of flowers. It was a warm afternoon, and the sunlight was pleasant.
Jian Luo found a secluded spot and sat down.
He thought for a moment. If he tried to find someone individually to vote, it didn’t seem right. The High Priest had taught him about something called “circle of friends” and it was a sort of messaging app with a status sharing feature. So, he decided to post the voting link in his circle of friends’ accounts. Maybe if someone saw it, they would help with the vote. If no one voted, he could then message them one by one. This way, it seemed perfect.
“Where;s the circle of friends app?” Jian Luo muttered to himself.
He opened his information terminal. As an outdated person in terms of technology, using the Obsidian Information Terminal felt like an old lady using a smartphone. After searching for a while, he finally found the place to post in the circle of friends, feeling quite pleased.
After copying and pasting the link, Jian Luo started typing: “Please kindly vote for my little brother~!”
After typing, he checked the text. Jian Luo thought for a moment and added: “[Help to vote and you could win a free meal!]”
This time, Jian Luo was satisfied. He clicked send and sent the message.
After sending, he waited for a while, but no one voted. Feeling a bit lonely, Jian Luo refreshed the page, but still, there were no votes.
Jian Luo pursed his lips. “Is it possible…?”
There was no activity in his circle of friends. He could only console himself and wait patiently. He put away the information terminal and was about to get up and leave when his phone received a call from Lu Shifeng.
Jian Luo unconsciously curved his lips, a smile building up in his eyes, and he answered, “Hello?”
Lu Shifeng’s voice came from the other end, “Need more votes?”
“Huh?” Jian Luo didn’t expect to be asked this. He stammered, “What’s up with that? I just casually posted a vote request. You don’t have to take it too seriously.”
Lu Shifeng said, “I saw it in your circle of friends.”
Jian Luo nodded and said, “Yeah, just wanted to see if anyone would vote for my little brother. Their school is having this voting activity, and kids need votes to participate in the sports festival. Did you have this kind of activity back in school?”
Thinking that the Marshal probably went to school too, he should be familiar with such activities. However, Lu Shifeng said, “No.”
Jian Luo was stunned, “Huh?”
“When I was in school, they came to invite me to participate,” Lu Shifeng said in a calm tone. “I’ve never heard of voting.”
“…”
Hardcore.
Talking to you big shots always leads to dead-end conversations.
Jian Luo cleared his throat, suppressing the disappointment in his heart and muttered, “Anyway, that’s how it is. Since you saw it…”
As they say, when you have no shame, you can take on the world.
Jian Luo, with a thick skin, said, “Then, can you help vote too?”
Whether he was mistaken or not, it seemed like Lu Shifeng chuckled and replied, “Sure, I’ve voted.”
Jian Luo was satisfied and felt a bit happier. “Thank you. When I get back, I’ll treat you to a meal.”
Lu Shifeng paused for a moment, and the Marshal, dominated by familiarity and fear, unconsciously furrowed his brows. “You’re not coming back tonight?”
Jian Luo nodded, “Yeah, my little brother’s school has a parent-teacher meeting today, and he’ll have a break afterward. I’m going home for a couple of days.”
…
Marshal Lu narrowed his eyes, tapped his fingertips on the table, and pondered for a while. He finally made up his mind and nodded, “Alright, I understand.”
Jian Luo inexplicably had a bad premonition. It was the kind of premonition that small animals sometimes had, but he had been out for quite a while, and it was time to go back. So, he just nodded and hung up the phone.
On the other side.
Secretary Jin came in with a pile of documents and asked Lu Shifeng to sign, “Sir, the test reports for the new recruits are out. The first team is applying for field training starting tomorrow. Please give your approval.”
Lu Shifeng nodded and took the documents. Secretary Jin stood nearby, waiting obediently. While he was at it, he also organized the daily schedule and reported on the upcoming work.
After signing the documents, Lu Shifeng asked, “Did you check Jian Luo’s circle of friends?”
Jin Secretary, “Huh?”
Lu Shifeng sat elegantly in his chair, idly twirling his pen with one hand and raising his eyelids as he looked at Secretary Jin. His crimson eyes exuded a palpable pressure.
Secretary Jin finally realized what he meant and quickly opened Jian Luo’s circle of friends. She saw Jian Luo’s latest update and promptly said, “I’ve voted!”
Lu Shifeng raised an eyebrow without confirming or denying, “How many votes?”
Secretary Jin opened the page and honestly replied, “8 votes.”
This couldn’t really be blamed on anyone. If she had to analyze it, it was probably because Jian Luo’s social circle was quite barren! To the point of being extreme. Normally, an average person’s circle of friends would have a couple hundred people, but not Jian Luo. According to Secretary Jin’s knowledge, Jian Luo’s circle of friends probably consisted of just a dozen or so people, and most of them were busy individuals who didn’t have much time to check their friend’s updates.
Of course, it was possible that Marshal Lu had a keen interest in Jian Luo and was the first to notice the latest updates in his circle of friends.
Lu Shifeng said, “Only 8 votes?”
Secretary Jin nodded, agreeing, “Yes, there are 8 votes…”
As they spoke, their gazes met. Secretary Jin choked up a bit, under the meaningful gaze of Marshal Lu. Within that gaze, she gradually understood.
Secretary Jin had some abilities to reach this point. If she were truly foolish, she would have been laid off already. She just hesitated for a few seconds and immediately said, “I understand!”
Lu Shifeng raised an eyebrow without confirming or denying, “Go ahead.”
On the other side.
Jian Fengtai was having afternoon tea with the young emperor.
The information terminal made a “ding” sound. The High Priest set down his tea cup, glanced at his friend’s circle, and raised an eyebrow before casting a glance at the emperor. Quietly, he clicked on the link and cast a vote.
The young emperor had been talking incessantly before but suddenly noticed that the High Priest beside him seemed to be busy with something. He asked curiously, “Minister, are you looking at something?”
Jian Wentai said, “Just taking a look.”
The young emperor felt there was something unusual about it. Minister Jian never just “took a look.” If it was official business, there was no need to hide it. If it was a personal matter, the old Phoenix wouldn’t have such expressions. The thing he was most concerned about now was that young student, wasn’t it?
The emperor keenly sensed something different. He opened his information terminal, found no messages, and then opened his friend’s circle. Sure enough, the latest update was from Jian Luo’s circle.
The young emperor clicked on the link, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Why are there so few votes?”
Jian Wentai had cast his vote and closed the terminal. “Your Majesty also noticed it?”
“Yes!” The young emperor’s competitive spirit was aroused. “Only 20-something votes, and it seems like the Dragon Clan is dominating below. No, if this goes on, the prize of a meal might be taken by my imperial uncle. I still want to eat stinky tofu!”
Jian Wentai silently watched him.
The young emperor turned to his aide and said, “I just posted a link in the group. Pass the order to all the palace staff to vote!”
The aide’s mouth twitched but nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
…
The High Priest moved his finger slightly.
Winning a meal in a lottery was not something he particularly cared about, but the customized meal that Jian Luo was offering had piqued his interest. With so many people in the palace, the probability of him winning was relatively low unless…
Jian Wentai remained silent for a moment, moved his hand, and reopened his information terminal. He sent the link to a few trusted subordinates with a concise message: “Vote.”
The members of the Phoenix Clan were quite curious lately, especially when it came to gossip. The main topics of discussion revolved around:
“Did the Lord’s little wife come today?”
“It seems not. Is the Lord playing hide and seek today?”
“He seems to have taken a leave.”
“Maybe their relationship isn’t what it seems?”
The Phoenix Clan, by nature, had an innate curiosity for the unknown, and this desire for knowledge extended to the realm of gossip. Just when everyone was discussing fervently, a link suddenly appeared in the work group. The link’s message was concise: “Vote.”
On the other side.
Jian Luo returned to the classroom where the head teacher was briefing all the parents and children about recent events. He had just come back, and when he opened his mouth to speak, “Next week, we’re planning to hold a flea market. On one hand, everyone can bring their unused items for exchange, and on the other hand, those who are good at crafts can showcase their skills. Outstanding performances can earn extra points, and with more points, you can participate in the sports festival.”
The children below began discussing.
One child spoke up, “Teacher, even if we earn more points, we still can’t compete with the D-ranked classes. Do we still need to participate?”
The head teacher felt a bit awkward and adjusted his glasses, “Everyone should strive.”
But once one child spoke up, others followed suit:
“We participated before and still couldn’t win.”
“They have a higher household registration level than us.”
“The class leader worked really hard, but he was still overtaken.”
Jian Sheng, caught off guard, became the center of attention due to the words of a child. Even if it wasn’t intentional, the collective gazes converged on Jian Sheng, and having so many eyes on him was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
Jian Sheng felt a moment of awkwardness, and his hand unconsciously clenched. The child who had spoken hesitated, “I think we should still give it a try. How can we know if we can succeed if we don’t try?”
The head teacher nodded and decided to use Jian Sheng as an example, “Take a look, everyone. Jian Sheng is an example worth emulating. Although his vote count is… not high, he has been working very hard. As long as you put in the effort, there is always hope.”
As the head teacher spoke, he turned and opened the voting website, saying, “For example, right now he only has a meager… “
The page refreshed, and the head teacher choked on his words.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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