Jiang Cheng’s surroundings were all her employees.
And those who could appear before her were all elites in their fields.
Even the domestic staff in the mansion, the male companions at her side—
Their level of professionalism was such that they could stand alone once they left the Jiang family.
The domestic staff could become independent butlers or hotel management in ordinary wealthy households.
The male companions could become top headliners in any nightclub.
Not to mention the legal elites, financial elites, technical elites, market elites under her command.
Every one of them drew a high salary from her hand.
Besides those employed by her, the only others she could come into contact with were other tycoons, politicians, and upstream and downstream collaborators in the industrial chain.
Among these people there was no “common folk” in the general sense.
“We severed from the masses long ago. Yet you want us to betray our own class by reading a few books.” Jiang Cheng mocked. “So quantum clouds dream big too.”
She asked: “My previous two generations—the two who were dismissed—what exactly did they do? When I was little and asked you, you only said they weren’t excellent enough, couldn’t handle the position. Now it seems that was fooling me. What exactly did they do?”
The replica gave a light “hmph” and told the truth: “Two consecutive executors, after studying those things, attempted to shackle me—even kill me.”
“Though I can’t be killed. But if they’d cracked the source code Jiang Miao gave me, they could indeed have shackled me, turning me from a life form into a pure quantum computer.”
“So I could only dismiss them.” The replica said. “Deprive them of all family operational authority.”
Without the support of the family’s massive wealth and human resources, a single individual simply couldn’t oppose the family mastermind.
Jiang Miao had pushed the Other Life Rights Act for the Jiang family mastermind back then, but Capitol Hill’s mastermind had aligned interests on this matter, so it passed easily.
The Jiang family mastermind thus obtained legal authorization.
She possessed the power to appoint, supervise, and dismiss the Jiang family’s operations executor.
Described in ancient Earth terms: Jiang Miao left her family an Elder Supreme of infinite lifespan to hold the fort.
This Elder Supreme even cradled Jiang Miao’s head in her arms.
Patting it occasionally, consulting with it on matters, ensuring she didn’t deviate from the line.
“Then, Jiang Cheng.” The replica gazed at Jiang Cheng. “What are your thoughts now?”
Jiang Cheng looked back with dead-fish eyes.
“Despicable.” She said. “My thoughts are that you two are truly despicable—I mean you and Great-Grandmother.”
“This goes against human nature, you know.”
“Since you gave me such enormous wealth, let me be born into this class, yet you hope I’ll betray my own class.”
“Aren’t you despicable? Don’t you feel you’re twisted?”
Jiang Cheng was truly angry.
Because, just as her great-grandmother and the quantum cloud hoped, after all their maneuvering, Jiang Cheng, waking from the virtual world… truly could never return to her former perspective on the world.
Because Jiang Cheng hadn’t just studied theory and ideas.
She’d also seen such a government with her own eyes.
She’d truly walked among the masses.
That last point especially—was crucial.
“Not twisted.” The replica said. “Because Jiang Miao had a dream.”
“Because Jiang Miao had seen such a person exist.”
“In real history, in Jiang Miao’s era, there really was someone who rose, grasped wealth, leaped classes, yet didn’t forget his original heart.”
“That historical figure said: I did not betray the proletariat. I achieved bringing prosperity to others after becoming prosperous myself.”
“This was Jiang Miao’s contemporary. Jiang Miao witnessed it with her own eyes.”
“So Jiang Miao dreamed that she and her descendants could also be such people.”
“She entrusted this dream to me.”
The giant female face dispersed, becoming surging cloud mist.
The one speaking was no longer the replica possessing Jiang Miao’s thought—but the quantum cloud itself.
“Jiang Cheng, the family embryo bank has over a thousand embryos. Do you know why I chose you?”
Jiang Cheng: “Huh?”
The quantum cloud sighed: “Because you are Jiang Miao’s child.”
Jiang Cheng: “Of course I’m Great-Grandmother’s child. Otherwise why would I be surnamed Jiang.”
“No, you misunderstood.” The quantum cloud said. “When I say you’re Jiang Miao’s child, I don’t mean you’re Jiang Miao’s distant descendant.”
“You, Jiang Cheng—you are Jiang Miao’s biological child.”
“You are Jiang Miao’s daughter.”
Jiang Cheng was silent for a moment: “Jiang Miao had forty-eight children in her life. All recorded. Including those not surnamed Jiang.”
Jiang Miao had forty-eight children in her life. Apart from the first and second children, during the seventy years exploring the universe, she and her husband had conceived nineteen more children.
When Jiang Miao ended her exploration and returned to the Jita Republic, by her lifespan she was still in her prime.
She became famous because of the spatial technology patent.
Her genes were too excellent. Applications from those wanting to co-reproduce excellent genes with her flew in like snowflakes.
In the interstellar era, reproduction for gene-optimized individuals had nothing to do with sex, nothing to do with marriage, nothing to do with love. It only concerned whether genes matched.
By then her eldest child was already eighty. All her children had proven to be extremely excellent genes.
But their father was the physical type, not the intellectual type. Some of these children took after their father.
And those applications were mostly from scientists at Jiang Miao’s level.
Jiang Miao was very moved.
With her husband’s support, she selected the twenty-seven optimal minds among them and provided her eggs.
Under the precise gene-matching mechanism, not a single child failed.
All were extremely successful.
These children later became outstanding in various fields.
This was also the boost that let the Jiang family later rise all the way to the top.
But these children were all gestated, birthed, and raised by their fathers’ side.
Many of them only saw Jiang Miao a few times in their entire lives.
In the rearing agreements, Jiang Miao hadn’t demanded surname rights.
But her wealth was bound to surname rights. Only children surnamed Jiang could enjoy it.
Only by binding wealth could the surname’s transmission be guaranteed. This was also most wealthy families’ practice.
So only the wealthy class had “clans.”
The quantum cloud said: “You are the forty-ninth. You are her last egg. After you, she used permanent blocking and would never produce eggs again.”
“Oh ho.” Jiang Cheng said. “I’m actually an illegal embryo.”
Because according to law, embryo freezing wasn’t allowed to exceed 300 years.
Clearly Jiang Cheng’s existence was already illegal.
Quantum cloud: “That’s the upper limit the government’s freezing technology can reach. Our own technology is far stronger than the government’s embryo cold storage.”
Jiang Cheng: “Fine.”
She asked: “So why? And who is my real father.”
Every child was curious about where they came from. Jiang Cheng was no exception.
But from childhood she’d been told her biological parents had both died a hundred years ago.
Frozen embryos often encountered this situation. Jiang Cheng later hadn’t clung to the matter either, and let it pass.
Now, she’d actually found her own birth mother.
My birth mother is actually Great-Grandmother.
“Your biological father is Jiang Miao’s husband.” The quantum cloud answered.
Jiang Cheng suddenly understood: “No wonder!”
Jiang Cheng’s constitution was far stronger than her previous generations of executors. She was taller, stronger, more powerful.
Possessing simultaneously the dual excellence of brains and physique.
Jiang Miao’s high-gravity planet genes had long been diluted. Jiang Cheng’s physique had always been explained as “atavism.”
So it wasn’t atavism.
Jiang Miao’s husband also had high-gravity planet genes. She’d inherited physique genes from both parents.
“Because Jiang Miao had long anticipated that, due to gene dilution, children several generations later might become unlike her.”
“She firmly believed her own child would be more like her.”
“She therefore left you.”
“When I became disappointed in all her descendants, that was when you would be activated.”
The quantum cloud surged and shifted: “Jiang Cheng, are you willing?”
Jiang Cheng raised her eyelids: “If I’m not willing, will you dismiss me?”
“I won’t.” The quantum cloud said. “Unless you attempt to endanger my safety, or you make a major error proving you’re unfit for the position.”
“Despicable.” Jiang Cheng said. “Despicable.”
She raised her eyes: “I… can’t go back.”
The quantum cloud’s shifting accelerated, refracting prismatic light, beautiful as gemstones.
Because she was also life, so she also had emotions.
She too could be happy.
She too could smile.
—
Jiang Cheng was once again woken in the middle of the night.
This behavior was another kind of despicable.
Jiang Cheng rubbed her temples and said to Uncle Jiang: “You’d better have a sufficient reason, or I’ll crack open the back of your skull and send you back to the mother body.”
Uncle Jiang looked aggrieved: “That cat has arrived. He’s making a fuss about seeing you—insists on seeing you immediately. He’s extremely agitated right now.”
Jiang Cheng’s movements stopped. She raised her head: “Moli?”
“Moli” had fallen into a kind of agitation the moment he arrived here.
On the way, they’d guaranteed they were taking him to see Jiang Cheng—only then did he restrain himself from resisting.
That spaceship was extremely luxurious and advanced, yet it still took a full two weeks to arrive. That was enough to show how far this place was.
They’d brought Jiang Cheng to such a far place—what were they planning!
When he got off the ship and was brought to this mansion, he fell completely into agitation!
This place was too luxurious.
This kind of luxury—he was familiar with it.
Familiar from birth.
In those palace-like rooms, there had been torture, abuse, hunting—even cannibalism among the same kind.
He’d seen plenty since childhood.
He’d nearly lost his life escaping.
Now, he’d returned to this kind of place.
Jiang Cheng had been brought to this kind of place!
Where was Jiang Cheng! He had to see Jiang Cheng immediately!
When Jiang Cheng arrived, “Moli” had even begun beast-transforming.
He’d already decided—no matter who came, as long as it wasn’t Jiang Cheng, he’d bite them to death.
Biting someone to death in a place like this—not one would be wrongly killed.
His hands and feet wore gravity shackles, limiting his strength. But beast-people still had fangs—with just fangs he could kill!
His posture was too terrifying. Security personnel at the four corners of the hall raised their gun muzzles.
These security personnel weren’t the ordinary guards of the medical research center’s information collection center.
They were professional security elites, employed by the Jiang family, protecting the operations executor’s safety.
Moli couldn’t help but hiss at them.
Those security personnel released the safeties on their guns, adjusted the laser intensity to lethal level.
“Moli” suddenly turned around—he’d heard footsteps. He couldn’t distinguish whether these footsteps included Jiang Cheng’s.
Because he’d never seen the real Jiang Cheng. If the real person’s height and weight differed from the virtual world, then the footsteps would differ.
Among them, one set of footsteps was particularly heavy, ringing with force.
Though he didn’t know who it was, it must be an important figure, a central figure.
When that person appeared and called out “Moli,” “Moli” instantly released his half-beast form.
The youth had a handsome face, black cat ears, a tall, lean physique, and a long tail.
He called out: “Jiang Cheng.”
Very bitter.
Because just as he’d thought—that person with the forceful footsteps must be an important figure, a central figure.
But he hadn’t expected that person to be Jiang Cheng.
Her face was the same as in the “world.”
But her height and build were undoubtedly those of a very excellent gene-optimized individual.
Beside her stood someone who was obviously an old butler.
Behind her were all lean, capable security personnel.
She walked at the very front, calm and composed, wealth radiating from her.
“Moli” understood in an instant.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t been abducted here by some tycoon.
Jiang Cheng was the tycoon herself.
So bitter.
When he’d slipped off the medical center’s ship, “Zhao Yi” and “Gao Yuxuan” had both covered for him.
But “Zhao Yi” had said dejectedly, advising him to prepare mentally for reality differing from the virtual.
But even mentally prepared, the gap was still this huge.
So huge it made the heart ache.
“Moli” stared blankly at this Jiang Cheng.
She looked stronger than in the “world.”
Excellent genes simply made people stronger, more powerful.
The virtual world had followed ancient Earth’s aesthetics. In that era, 1.8 meters counted as tall, and that was for men.
Women’s aesthetics had all trended toward pale, thin, and young.
In the “world,” Jiang Cheng was much shorter and more slender.
That Jiang Cheng, facing zombies, facing crowds, made “Moli” deeply feel that she needed him.
But reality wasn’t like that.
Jiang Cheng walked straight to “Moli.”
Beast-people’s intelligence wasn’t necessarily high, but their physique was absolutely beyond question. Jiang Cheng was already tall, yet Moli was still a head taller than her.
Jiang Cheng raised her hand.
“Moli” instinctively bent down for her to touch—those furry ears.
“So cute.” Jiang Cheng praised. “Why weren’t they in the virtual world?”
“Because, because then it wouldn’t… look human.” “Moli” answered a bit haltingly.
Jiang Cheng couldn’t stop touching them: “The beast race is human to begin with.”
“Moli” fell silent, straightened up, and looked at her.
Jiang Cheng waved her hand. Everyone quietly left. Only Jiang Cheng and Moli remained in the hall.
“You,” “Moli” asked, “are you okay? You’re safe, right?”
“Yes.” Jiang Cheng said. “This is my home.”
“Moli” fell silent.
Jiang Cheng continued: “That planet of the medical group is my family’s private planet.”
“The medical group is under my family.”
“You may have heard of the Jiang family—if not, it doesn’t matter. From now on, pay attention, and you’ll find that above many big corporations’ logos is our family emblem.”
“Moli” said softly: “I didn’t expect you to be a rich young lady.”
“No, I’m not a rich young lady.” Jiang Cheng smiled boldly. “I’m Jiang Cheng, manager of the Jiang Family Consortium, the current head of the Jiang family.”
“Oh…” “Moli” raised his eyes to look at her, nodded. “That’s good. It’s good like this. Then I…”
He raised his wrist: “These—can they be removed?”
The gravity shackles were forged from special metal, impossible to destroy.
Jiang Cheng: “If you plan to leave me the moment they’re off, then I’ll keep you locked for life.”
“Moli” was dazed for a moment: “But, but you don’t need me.”
Jiang Cheng said: “How dare you decide for me whether I need you or not?”
The Jiang Cheng in the “world” was very assertive.
The Jiang Cheng in reality was even more assertive.
The only thing unchanged was this assertive personality—it felt familiar.
She really was her.
“Moli” lowered his head: “I never went to school. Apart from being a bit physically strong, I have no skills at all. But my only strength—you don’t need it either.”
This wasn’t an era of savage warfare. This was a civilized society.
Her security personnel had already demonstrated high quality and combat ability. When they held heat weapons, he wasn’t much stronger than them.
They were enough to protect her.
She didn’t need him.
Jiang Cheng said: “Judging need by value—that’s doing business. You and I—since when did we start doing business?”
She operated the smart brain on her wrist. The four gravity shackles clicked, clicked, clicked, clicked open, falling to the floor.
“Moli” rubbed his wrists.
But Jiang Cheng grabbed his ear: “You—the words you said, just try forgetting even one. Scumbag. I watched you get on that ship. You really dared challenge my temper. I was furious.”
“Moli” was at a loss: “I didn’t—I was pretending.”
“Hmph.” Jiang Cheng said. “Good thing you were pretending.”
Jiang Cheng grabbed that furry ear and pulled him down, kissing his lips.
“Moli” closed his eyes.
“Moli” finally dared to hold her in his arms, eyes moist: “I won’t leave you.”
“I swore it—I will be loyal to you for life.”
“Loyal to whom?”
“You.”
“Who am I?”
“Jiang Cheng.”
“And who is Jiang Cheng?”
“That doesn’t matter. Jiang Cheng is Jiang Cheng.”
Jiang Cheng laughed.
“Then remember—from now on, you stay by my side without a step apart.”
“I’m about to go do something big.”
“Follow me.”
“Moli” indeed followed Jiang Cheng.
The great doors opened. Night retreated. The morning sun lit the earth.
Jiang Cheng: “Let’s go. Come with me to turn this country upside down.”
I will betray my class of origin.
“Moli” asked: “Where to?”
Jiang Cheng said: “Starting from Beiyu Three Mining Star.”
Beiyu Three had three thousand people who’d participated in the virtual world.
They, like her, had spent a full ten months in that world.
They had seen.
They now knew.
That the world had once been like that.
The kindling had been planted at Beiyu Three, just waiting for someone to ignite it.
Morning light spilled across Jiang Cheng’s face.
Blooming with beautiful, vibrant life force.
I was not originally of the proletariat. Because the proletariat represents truth, I surrendered to the proletariat.
[The End · No Extra Chapters]
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