"Machine Dog, don't go into the corners, avoid the trees and walls. Remember that Jiang Senlin is still a child, and his body is like an old man," Jiang Ye warned with a worried expression.
"Don't worry, Master. I'll run on flat ground. Besides, don't you know? The grass in the manor is very thick, and I've cleared all the stones. It's fine if I fall," Machine Dog replied, lying by the door to listen to instructions, with a black kite shaped like a fighter jet on its back.
"I'll watch you both," Jiang Ye said, sitting on the white marble steps.
"Little Master, I'll take you to fly a kite. Be careful," Machine Dog said. "Follow me."
Jiang Senlin, holding his little cane, his overalls waddling, chased after Machine Dog towards the lush green lawn.
Soon, both Machine Dog and Jiang Senlin became two small black dots in the distance.
Jiang Senlin stopped, leaning on his cane, panting.
Machine Dog skillfully tossed the kite into the air, then sprinted, plowing a circular arc on the grass. It quickly let out the line, and the kite immediately soared into the sky.
Jiang Senlin shielded his eyes from the sun, looking up at the kite, and jumped. However, he lacked the lightness of a child's jump, showing a certain stiffness of an elderly person. Still, one could tell he was genuinely happy, as it was his first time flying a kite in his life.
Jiang Ye watched for over twenty minutes, a look of relief on his face. Machine Dog and Jiang Senlin were playing very well. Jiang Senlin fell a few times but didn't cry, getting up by himself to continue chasing the kite.
After returning from the alien expedition, they moved into their new home that same day. Jiang Ye felt it wasn't good for his son to always play with his mother, and he himself didn't have much time to accompany him. After much thought, he decided to assign the task to Machine Dog. Machine Dog, as a pet, was more suitable for childcare than a traditional puppy, being communicative and intelligent. The results now seemed to be excellent.
"Honey, you have a phone call," Cen Yemeng suddenly pushed the door open and handed him his phone.
She seemed to have been woken by the call, still wearing her pink pajamas, her slender legs bare, and her beautiful hair disheveled. Her face was bare, but her skin was still more supple than that of most young girls.
"Thank you," Jiang Ye took the phone.
There was one missed call from Tang Hanliu.
There was also a new message from three seconds ago.
Tang Hanliu: "Commander, I tried calling you earlier but couldn't get through. I'll briefly explain the situation. The public opinion poll you commissioned has yielded results. Your current approval rating is 72%. The detailed report is being analyzed and processed, and I will send it to you immediately."
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. Only 72%?
It felt very low!
I am so wise and mighty, a sage ruler, yet I only have seventy percent support. These planetary citizens are not good enough!
A soft feeling entered his embrace. Cen Yemeng sat beside him, naturally hugging Jiang Ye and peeking at the message on the screen. She sometimes checked Jiang Ye's phone, either openly or sneakily. Jiang Ye didn't stop her; he had no secrets anyway, so he let her look. This kind of "checking the phone" represented love and possessiveness, a safeguard against her husband chatting intimately with other women.
"Seventy-two percent," Cen Yemeng said. "Why don't they survey me? My support rating for you is one hundred percent, which would instantly boost the data."
Jiang Ye laughed heartily, reaching out to stroke her hair, tidying the messy strands.
"What are the approval ratings for the Node Planet Governor and the Commander?" Jiang Ye asked.
"The Node Planet Governor's approval rating is 94%, and the Commander's is 33%. The Planet Governor is the Commander's husband, and the Commander is the Planet Governor's wife," Cen Yemeng replied.
"A couple? Then why is their reputation so different?" Jiang Ye was stunned.
"The Commander is an old, ugly woman who always wears heavy makeup, has an unpleasant voice, likes to pick her nose, and often makes outrageous statements in public or posts foolish and malicious comments on social media. She said the electricity price is too low and should be raised to twenty yuan per kilowatt-hour. She said giving money to the poor is like throwing it into a bottomless pit. She also calls young people 'little brats who haven't grown their fur yet' and old people 'a bunch of pedantic old fogeys.' In short, she says whatever is most annoying," Cen Yemeng said. "But the Planet Governor is different. He is handsome and dignified, wise, cares for the people, and often enacts beneficial policies, even canceling the foolish orders issued by the Commander. In comparison, who wouldn't love such a Planet Governor?"
"One plays the good cop, the other plays the bad cop?" Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes. "They're a couple, so how can their views be so different? Aren't they getting a divorce? It's probably an act, with the wife willingly making herself look bad to highlight her husband's glorious image. Is it all deliberate? Did they plan it in private?"
"There are rumors about that, and I've wondered about it too," Cen Yemeng said. "Before she married the Planet Governor, the Commander's makeup was very light, and she wasn't particularly beautiful, but at least not ugly. She also had two master's degrees and was an educated woman. There are some early videos of her from her university club activities, where her conversation was elegant and refined, completely embodying the image of a lady from a good family."
"It's really an act!" Jiang Ye was surprised.
"Or perhaps it's not an act. Some say that the Commander's true nature was revealed after she married the Planet Governor, and her power and wealth rapidly expanded. This kind of thing happens often; people who were originally decent become beasts after suddenly becoming rich," Cen Yemeng said. "And you guessed it, they did get divorced."
"She's still the Commander after divorcing?"
"That's right."
"A fake divorce," Jiang Ye immediately concluded.
"There are rumors that it's a fake divorce. They are openly hostile to each other, exchanging sharp words. But at night, they secretly return home, whisper sweet nothings, snuggle together, and plan the next day's script," Cen Yemeng said. "There are also rumors that the reason the old woman can continue to serve as Commander and is tolerated indefinitely by the Planet Governor has another hidden reason."
"What hidden reason?"
"There are many theories. The most widespread is that as husband and wife, the Planet Governor husband has some unsavory secrets that cannot see the light of day, which the Commander wife holds as leverage. If he dismisses her, she will make them public, ruining her ex-husband's reputation and even leading to imprisonment," Cen Yemeng said. "The secondary theory is that the Commander's wife actually has the backing of a powerful alien force, and her Planet Governor husband dares not touch her, even needing her assistance."
"I heard they are both dead now," Jiang Ye said.
"That's right," Cen Yemeng nodded. "When the Mil people attacked, they could have fled but didn't, and they've been missing ever since. After so long without being found, it's almost certain they are dead. The truth behind it may forever be buried in history."
Jiang Ye pondered for a long time.
"Wife, I think it's time for you to appear in public," Jiang Ye turned to look at her. "You be the Planet Governor of Jiang Ye Star. In a few days, I plan to do a television broadcast, and you'll accompany me."