"It's nothing special," Jiang Ye said, picking up food. "If Liu Jizi gets elected, we're old partners, and we'll cooperate happily. If someone else is elected, let them try for a while. If they do well, they'll serve their term; if they don't, they'll be fired for dereliction of duty and we'll elect again."
"Aren't you going to use underhanded tactics to change the vote count?" Cen Yemeng blinked.
"If I were to do that, why bother with this ceremony?" Jiang Ye smiled. "When I appointed you as the Planet Governor, did it involve a single vote? Did anyone dare to object? Whose objection was effective? Since I've set up a transparent ballot box, I want to try a normal vote. Through the actual vote count and my expectations, I can know if my understanding of the planet aligns with reality."
"If you were to run for Commander yourself, and your vote count was very low, but you could manipulate the results, would you manipulate them?" Cen Yemeng continued to press.
"Your question is invalid; I would not run for Commander," Jiang Ye shook his head. "My position is supported by iron and blood, appointed by an unimaginably vast Galactic Empire. Votes are waste paper in front of me."
Jiang Ye took a sip of soup and looked seriously at his wife, continuing:
"The Planet Governor can be elected by vote, but the Commander cannot. Do you know the consequences of casually handing over military power to others? The entire planet would fall into civil war. When we were in training, wasn't there a planet commander in our class who was fighting a civil war? Their planet lost ten thousand people in one battle, fought over four hundred battles in half a year, and their people suffered immensely! I will never allow such a thing to happen on Jiang Ye Star. Jiang Ye Star must have eternal peace. We will only fight aliens or rebels, never affecting the common people."
Cen Yemeng had just nodded when she suddenly realized something. "Are you educating me?"
"Yes," Jiang Ye smiled. "And answering your question at the same time."
"I'm not as immature as you think," Cen Yemeng smiled. "I understand the necessity of unification."
"I believe you," Jiang Ye nodded and continued picking up food.
"Hey, that's not right. I was asking you questions, how did you slyly turn the tables? You slippery eel!" Cen Yemeng suddenly realized.
"You handed over the initiative yourself. I've subtly taught you a way to shift the focus in negotiations. Shouldn't you thank me?" Jiang Ye showed a sly smile. "Ask whatever you want to ask."
"Suppose, you participated in the Commander election, and your vote count was very low," Cen Yemeng said.
"There's no 'suppose'; I've already told you why," Jiang Ye said.
"It's a 'suppose'!" Cen Yemeng kicked her legs in frustration. "Just suppose! Why are you so rigid? Will it kill you to suppose something?"
"Of course, you can suppose. I was just teasing you earlier, and also teaching you a tactic to suppress the other party's questions," Jiang Ye said. "A qualified slippery eel never answers questions directly; it's easy to fall into a trap, even if the other party's question seems harmless. You must use any question from the other party to convey your views. It's like those shameless canteen aunties; no matter what kind of dumplings you want, they'll stuff you with cheap dumplings. You take your plate to her, and she'll smile innocently and deny everything. Many diplomats are old hands at this tactic; I've suffered many losses before realizing it."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Cen Yemeng kicked him impatiently. "I command you, in the name of your wife, to answer the question directly."
"If I really had a very low vote count, I would try to exit gracefully," Jiang Ye finally said decisively.
"Exit?" Cen Yemeng was stunned. "You'd quit?"
"If it were you, and you became a joke with a low vote count, would you continue?" Jiang Ye countered.
"Don't worry about me, you answer first," Cen Yemeng sensed his slyness.
"Since no one chose me, it means my efforts didn't achieve the expected results, even if I felt good about myself," Jiang Ye said, sounding a little sad. "The harder I try, the more harmful it is to the planet, so of course, I should abdicate. Then I'll be free and can enjoy my wife, children, and a warm hearth. Isn't a soft and lovely wife a thousand times better than hard work? Don't you think so?"
"That's true," Cen Yemeng nodded happily. "Honey, if you get tired of working in the future, just quit and come to me. I'll take care of you. We can stay home, or travel the universe, as long as we have enough money."
After dinner, the couple took a short nap in their room and then headed back to the venue.
Voting time soon arrived.
This time, it was Cen Yemeng's turn to speak.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Cen Yemeng, the former Planet Governor, and I will be presiding over this afternoon's vote."
"This round of voting is to evaluate candidate Shao Wan."
"If you believe Shao Wan's character is up to par and his abilities are sufficient, making him suitable for the position of Planet Governor, please blacken the circle next to 'Agree'. If you believe Shao Wan's character is inferior and his abilities are insufficient, making him unsuitable for the position of Planet Governor, please blacken the circle next to 'Disagree'. If you are unsure, you may choose to blacken the circle next to 'Abstain'."
Cen Yemeng stepped down.
As she stepped down, the cameras of the reporters present flashed in rapid succession, clearly intending to capture this highly symbolic moment for use in the news.
The guards began distributing the ballots.
The delegation members quickly filled out their ballots and placed them in the ballot box.
Then came the on-site vote counting.
The counting this time was noticeably faster. Twenty minutes later, Su Yueming took the stage and turned on the microphone.
"There are a total of 3,400 members in the delegation for this vote. 3,400 were present, so 3,400 votes were cast. The ballot box actually received 3,400 votes."
"Regarding Shao Wan's election as the new Planet Governor of Jiang Ye Star, the delegation's voting results are as follows:"
"Agree, 3,399 votes!"
"Disagree, 1 vote!"
"Abstain, 0 votes!"
"Shao Wan has been elected the new Planet Governor of Jiang Ye Star with a high majority. The inauguration ceremony will be held on a later date."
The moment the vote count was announced, a stir erupted in the hall, but it quickly subsided.
...
Nine o'clock in the evening.
The private car arrived at the Commander's residence. Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng got out of the car, looking tired.
As soon as they entered the house, Cen Yemeng grabbed her husband. "Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"The entire hall had only one dissenting vote, and it was yours?" Cen Yemeng stared at her husband suspiciously. "Didn't you nominate Shao Wan? Why did you oppose him at the last moment? Don't tell me you made a mistake filling out the circle."
"I expected it to pass unanimously," Jiang Ye said. "Because it was going to pass unanimously, I deliberately cast one dissenting vote."
"Why?" Cen Yemeng was utterly bewildered. "Do you have a problem with perfect numbers? Can't stand integers?"
"I had already instructed the person in charge of the ballot box in advance," Jiang Ye said. "If Shao Wan were to investigate who cast the dissenting vote later, I would know immediately. This is a test for him."
"A test?" Cen Yemeng frowned.
"Fame depends on spirit, wealth depends on mindset. If Shao Wan wants to serve for a longer time, he cannot be petty. If he calmly accepts that someone voted against him and doesn't investigate, he'll have a chance in the next election," Jiang Ye said. "If he investigates, his impression in my mind will be greatly reduced. This election ceremony has many purposes for me, and testing him is one of them. I had already guessed the election result, and I decided to cast this dissenting vote a few days ago."
"You're so calculating!" Cen Yemeng exclaimed. "But I don't think your idea is right. If everyone agrees, and only one person clearly opposes, if it were me, I would also want to know who it was. Isn't that human nature?"
"You still need to cultivate," Jiang Ye smiled.
Cen Yemeng froze, then playfully punched him in anger.
Both of their phones suddenly rang at the same time.
After exchanging a glance, Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng simultaneously took out their phones. The caller ID displayed the same name:
"Che Zhen"