Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Song Jinning appeared obviously relieved as she looked sincerely at Speaker Long with eyes that sparkled like stars. She stated solemnly, “Speaker Long, I’ll remember what you said. If funding for our Institute of High Energy Physics is blocked by people in the future, I’ll have to ask you for help.”
Speaker Long nodded, agreeing immediately. “No problem. Matters related to the Institute of High Energy Physics are also national matters, and Prime Minister Tan is not someone who doesn’t understand the order of importance.”
Song Jinning laughed quietly. “Hopefully, Prime Minister Tan doesn’t disappoint your expectations and has the true backbone of a large nation’s Prime Minister.”
At the same time, Tan Dongbang and Cai Songyin were making final preparations in the VIP room of the National Center for the Performing Arts. They were about to walk out of the room and onto the platform to begin the inauguration ceremony. “Little Li, go check on Little Darling. We’re about to start right away. She needs to hurry.” Cai Songyin discreetly sent Tan Dongbang’s personal assistant outside.
Cai Songyin and Tan Dongbang were the only ones left in the VIP room. Cai Songyin made sure that there was no one around before quietly telling Tan Dongbang about her fight with Song Jinning in the private room earlier. She finished with an aggrieved expression. “What should we do? Little Darling finally likes someone, and we approve of him, too. But this future mother-in-law is too awful.”
The relationship between a daughter and her mother-in-law had been an insurmountable obstacle throughout history. Cai Songyin personally never went through this problem because she grew up with Tan Dongbang. Their families matched in status and knew each other’s backgrounds well, so Tan Dongbang’s mother always treated Cai Songyin well. His mother had passed away a few years after Cai Songyin married Tan Dongbang, so she never personally experienced a hostile relationship with her mother-in-law. However, she had heard enough horror stories about it from close friends. After witnessing Song Jinning’s impeccable beauty, aggressiveness, and words that cut like a knife to the heart today, how could Cai Songyin’s little lamb of a daughter win against such a witch?? In that moment, Cai Songyin almost wanted to convince Tan Guiren to give up.
However, Tan Dongbang mused after hearing her account, “I met with Director Song a few times before. She needed to apply for grants to fund the Institute of High Energy Physics, so she’s also close with people from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education. I never heard that she was unreasonable before.”
“What do you mean by that?! You think I’m lying?!” Cai Songyin instantly lost her temper. Glaring at Tan Dongbang, she thought about how Song Jinning had stunned countless people with her beauty today, and now her typically obedient husband was actually defending her, too. She couldn’t help overthinking. “Tan Dongbang, don’t tell me you’re being soft towards Song Jinning because you saw how beautiful she is?” Cai Songyin raised her arched brows as she sneered at him. “She must’ve had plastic surgery, and her entire body must’ve gone under the knife, too. Otherwise, how could she have that kind of face and body? Don’t forget, she’s almost 50. She’s even two years older than me. Are you lusting after that?”
“Don’t make it sound so horrible! Am I that kind of person?” Tan Dongbang patted her shoulder softly. “I’m speaking about business. Think about today’s occasion. Is this something worth getting jealous about?”
“It’s best you know that. We’ve been a couple and worked hard for so many years to get to this day. I treasure this time just as much as you.” Cai Songyin hugged Tan Dongbang’s waist and rested her head in his embrace. “Dongbang, we’ve been married for so many years and always got along. We’re much better than Song Jinning and Huo Guanchen. They were like enemies in the private room today. It was uncomfortable to see them fight.”
Tan Songbang patted her back. “I’m glad you know that. Don’t worry, Song Jinning won’t dare be too rude to Little Darling as long as she is the Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics.”
Who would be bold enough to be rude while under someone else’s roof? “Yeah.” Cai Songyin agreed. If Song Jinning was a housewife, then Cai Songyin really wouldn’t know how to deal with her. It wasn’t like she could barge into her house and teach her how to run her household. But Song Jinning was the Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics, and although it was an academic institution, it was a subordinate of the Ministry of Education. Technically, it also meant it was ruled by the Cabinet, and the head of the Cabinet was now her husband, Tan Dongbang. How hard would it be for a boss to make things difficult for an employee?! Cai Songyin broke into a smile. The couple stood there in a quiet embrace in the middle of the VIP room as they calmed their excitement.
They quickly moved apart when Tan Guiren opened the door. Seeing her parents act so lovingly, Tan Guiren was certainly very happy. Covering her eyes and turning away, she said playfully, “Continue! Continue! Don’t mind me.”
“You silly child, don’t be naughty.” Cai Songyin’s pale face was flushed from finally feeling a bit better. Taking out her phone, she called her assistant in. “You don’t need me to tell you how important tonight is. I think you guys know what to do.”
The two assistants were her confidantes, so they quickly replied, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Tan, we understand.” After walking out of the VIP room, the first assistant said to the second one with a playful wink, “Well, what do you think madam wants?”
“You still don’t know what she means?” The second assistant raised his chin in the direction of where Song Jinning was sitting in the hall. “That person hit a nerve today. We certainly have to wipe her out…”
…
Five minutes later, all the lights in the National Center for the Performing Arts extinguished, and countless pinpoints of light in the four corners of the hall slowly lit up. It looked like candlelight but obviously wasn’t the real thing. Afterwards, top tier sound equipment in the hall rang out with a sweet female voice counting down, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Let us applaud our new Prime Minister Tan Dongbang, his wife Mrs. Cai Songyin, and the Prime Minister’s only daughter, Tan Guiren!”
At the same moment, all the lights in the National Center for the Performing Arts slowly lit up. It was so dazzling that the chandeliers on the ceiling appeared like huge lotus flowers blooming. On the platform set up in the middle of the hall, two rows of LCD lights suddenly turned on to illuminate a long, straight ramp. Reflective tape ran along the ramp and glittered under the cool toned LCD lighting, resembling lotus flowers blooming on the ramp.
The three Tans walked out from the end of the ramp as they graciously waved to the guests in the National Center for the Performing Arts, a lotus blooming under each step they took. The most eye-catching one was Tan Guiren. She was dressed up like a little princess. Her long, straight black hair was shoulder length, and a small diamond tiara rested atop her head. This was a piece of jewelry passed down from the Cai’s ancestors, and because Cai Songyin had married the most successfully out of all the Cai’s, that meant Tan Dongbang was the most impressive groom. Because of this, the diamond tiara was gifted to Tan Guiren as a congratulatory gift. They were her closest family, and the tiara was gifted to Tan Guiren by her grandmother, so although it was precious and nearly priceless, it didn’t constitute bribery at all.
A major reason why Tan Dongbang had attained his current success was because he had always been cautious about his reputation. He wasn’t lecherous or greedy, but instead worked hard for a good reputation and power. He also loved his daughter very much and was a model father, so the position of Prime Minister was perfect for him. Today was the day his long cherished wish and ambitions of many years had finally been realized, so he was very excited, and his pale and elegant face flushed pink as she walked up the platform with confidence and eagerness.
At the same time, all the Hua Xia Imperial TV networks, social media websites, newspapers, magazines, and media all focused their attention on the Prime Minister’s inauguration. The event was being broadcast live on TV and online. The internet water armies were in position on Weibo to begin giving hits, likes, and reposts to photos of the Prime Minister’s family during the inauguration.
Cai Songyin had two assistants who were experts in this field, as they were professionals she had hired from a small website for an exorbitant salary. They were the best at creating public online opinion, swaying public opinion, and were of course adept at picking fights, starting drama, turning fans into antis, turning antis into fans, as well as pretending to be hostile and friendly passerbys. They possessed a full repertoire of skills.
Cai Songyin had also planned the entire Prime Minister’s inauguration ahead to make it an excellent opportunity to create a persona for her and her daughter. Cai Songyin shaped herself as a rich lady who was born to an academically distinguished family, possessed a broad education, was beautiful, alluring, and a successful businesswoman. Her daughter was born into a famous family, was a musical prodigy from childhood, and a beautiful, rich socialite who had studied abroad for many years. Their family was truly good looking, and although they were not as shockingly beautiful as Song Jinning, they definitely stood out among all the other rich ladies.
As a result, all the internet water armies posing as “passerbys” began to use the same hashtags when the Tans uploaded their carefully selected photos on Weibo:
#Oh my God! This is the most beautiful First Lady ever!
#Delicate looking Prime Minister’s little princess, want to go on a date?
#Prime Minister Tan is so handsome!
#Look at the family that is better looking and smarter than you!
Soon after, all the topics began spreading on Weibo in a rapid and brainwashing manner. Song Jinning was also discreetly deleted from most of the TV replays and internet live streams so as to only highlight the Prime Minister’s family. There was no other solution as Song Jinning’s outfit was too eye-catching. The worst part was her dress was very similar to the First Lady’s, so Cai Songyin would instantly be compared against her if both women appeared on camera at the same time. However, for some reason, the largest national TV network in the Hua Xia Empire somehow shot a live comparison photo during the live stream of the Prime Minister being sworn in. On one side was the First Lady in a red, shoulder-baring mermaid gown, and on the other was Song Jinning in a modest coral mermaid gown.
When people looked at Cai Songyin by herself, everyone thought she was really a beautiful lady, but comparisons were always harsh as soon as they were made. When the two were put against each other, everyone instantly thought Cai Songyin’s evening gown was too tight, constricting the flab on her waist. Her arms were also too thick, revealing her pale looking skin and making a sore sight for the eyes. Her face was also too chunky, so it looked huge when she smiled and made her appear fierce. And although Song Jinning didn’t appear on TV very much at all, her brief appearance was a surprising delight and utterly unforgettable.
Cai Songyin’s assistant immediately noticed that the national TV network had actually broadcast Song Jinning, and to make it worse, there was a comparison against Cai Songyin. Their faces fell when they immediately called the national TV network and asked them to “mind their influence.” As a result, Song Jinning was wiped from the TVs once again.
…
Huo Shaoheng took his phone to the room. For him, his mission for the day had been accomplished, so he didn’t really care about what happened next. Weibo data and creating online public attention were trivial matters to him, so he didn’t think about it at all. However, Gu Nianzhi happened to see it as she was browsing on Weibo, so her fingers began to itch as she nudged Ma Qiqi. “Qiqi, wanna start something?”
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