Stardust Remembrance

Chapter 21: The Choice (2)

Vote of the Seven Dukes

"Gosh! I can't believe I'm not willing to reject you." Feng Lin struggled for a long time and said viciously, "Remember, don't make me regret today's decision! Otherwise ...... I will never let you go!"

"Never let you regret it!" Loran raised his hand and swore.

Feng Lin pondered for a while and said, "There's only one method that has a chance of succeeding, I have the right to call an internal meeting once a year and have everyone vote on it. With one vote of my own, I should be able to convince Chu Mo to get his vote, and I'll beg Chu Mo to help lobby Zi Yan and Baili Cang again, but there's no guarantee it'll work. However, if you can convince Chen Sha, we'll have three votes. It's only one vote away from success, and there's still a good chance."

She glanced at the time and winded her way out the door, "In two hours, we'll meet you in Conference Room 1 of the Spyder Palace."

In the empty corridor, Loran sat cross-legged on the floor outside the conference room, staring blankly at the opposite wall.

After tossing and turning and thinking for a long time, she buried her head and crackled the words, sending a message to Chisuk.

"I like the relaxation that comes with cooking, and even more so, I like the pleasure that comes with enjoying a good meal, but I won't be a chef, I want to be a gene repairer who can cure genetic diseases."

"I came to Alicata alone, with no parents or family, no connections, no wealth or status, only my profession, which is my future ability to be of value to those around me and to find a place in this society. I'm not saying that there is no value in being a chef, but I need that value to be more powerful, after all, without a chef everyone eats as usual, but without a doctor, people just can't stand it."

"For reasons known to all, a good gene repairer means a lot to the Odin Federation. Even if one day, I leave Odin, I'll still be a welcome talent in any star nation, without having to worry about starving."

"Wealth, status, respect, security, and relationships ...... come from the crowd and act on the crowd. For me, who has nothing, having abilities that are indispensable to others is the only way to get everything I want in this society made up of crowds!"

"You encouraged me to learn about myself, discover my preferences, and choose a career to pursue, but unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that this decision is a very realistic and utilitarian one that has nothing to do with personal preferences."

Loran sent five messages to Qian Xu in one breath, paling, her hands clasped tightly together.

Compared to Feng Lin and the rest of them, who had compassionate hearts and loved scientific research, Luo Lan felt abhorrent.

Qian Xu didn't see how he could accept such a realistic and utilitarian friend, especially when he was also a patient with a genetic disease, perhaps, this was the last time they would contact each other.

She could choose not to tell Qian Xu, not to give him an explanation, but, this is her real face, she is not willing to cheat to gain his friendship.

Loran waited for a while but didn't wait for Qian Xu's reply.

She smiled bitterly, her heart ached with a twitch, every choice in life is to gain some and lose some.

In front of reality, she chose what she needed the most.

Loran picked herself up, thought about the wording, and sent a message to Tatsusa, "I want to work at the institute, please help me for the sake of our legal relationship. In the future, if there is something I can return, I will certainly do so."

Someone like Tatsusa could not be impressed by pleading or lobbying, there was only so much she could do.

Feng Lin, Cinnabar, Zi Yan, Chu Mo, Zuo Qubai, Baili Cang, and Brown Li appeared at the end of the corridor and walked toward the conference room.

Loran stood up.

Tatsusa ignored her and walked straight into the conference room.

Everyone else followed Tatsusa as he walked in.

Zi Yan stopped in front of her and looked her over from head to toe as if she didn't recognize her.

Loran dropped her eyes to look at the ground and said nothing in silence.

Zi Yan said with a smirk, "You can always ......" always what, but he said no more.

"Come in."

Loran followed behind Zi Yan and was the last to walk into the conference room, the doors slowly closing behind her.

After the meeting started, everyone's terminals would be blocked, Loran glanced at her terminal, Qian Xu still hadn't replied to her, and Tatsuya hadn't given her any answers either.

In the wide conference room, Loran sat alone in the center.

A huge fan-shaped long table with seven dukes sitting on seats displaying the flags of the various autonomous regions, representing that they had a vote in favor or veto in the name of the seven autonomous regions.

Duke Tatsusa of the first zone, the general commander of the federal army.

Duke Feng Lin of the Second Region, Director of the Scientific Research and Education Administration.

Duke Zuo Qubai of the third zone, official of the Federal Supreme Court.

Duke Chu Mo of the Fourth District, Director of the Medical and Health Administration.

Duke Baili Cang of the Fifth District, Director of Energy and Transportation.

Duke Zi Yan of the Sixth District, Minister of Information Security.

Duke Brown Li of the seventh district, Minister of Public Security.

Feng Lin pressed the screen in front of him and began to elaborate on the reason for convening the meeting, "Duke Cinnabar's wife, Ying Xian Loran, has applied to the Alicata Life Research Institute for inclusion in the research of mutant genetic variation, and I, as the Duke of the Second District and the Director of the Alicata Life Research Institute, am convening you all to vote on the decision. The relevant documents have been sent to your workstations, please review them."

Brown Li's gloomy and icy voice rang out, "How can an outsider be allowed to join such an important research?"

Feng Lin faintly asked, "Officer, may I ask if the applicant is a citizen of the Odin Federation?"

Zuo Qubai said, "The applicant is a citizen of the Odin Federation."

Brown Li said coldly, "She is a princess of the Ying Xian royal family with the Al Empire written in her genes."

Feng Lin snorted coldly, "I don't want to engage in a meaningless debate with you, you have the right to vote veto."

Brown Li said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I won't forget!"

Chu Mo pressed the screen in front of him, "The applicant has no relevant knowledge or any research experience, how can he conduct research work?"

Feng Lin looked at Luo Lan encouragingly, signaling her to answer.

Luo Lan stood up, "I'll start from the bottom as an assistant, learning and working at the same time."

Chu Mo said, "Doing scientific research requires a high degree of concentration and dedication, are you sure this is the kind of work you like?"

"Sure."

"Thank you for your answer, I have no more questions."

Loran bowed to Chu Mo before sitting back down.

Feng Lin asked, "Any more questions?"

No one spoke.

Feng Lin said, "Then it's time for a secret ballot, and the Intelligence Brain will tally the results."

Loran crossed his arms and looked down at the personal terminal on his wrist.

Perhaps, when she walked out of the door of this conference room later, she would realize that she had neither gained her job nor lost her only friend.

Two minutes later, the brain monitoring the meeting asked, "The results of the vote are out, would you like to announce them?"

Feng Lin said, "Announce it."

"Three votes in favor."

Loran looked up sadly, Feng Lin was filled with disappointment, and Brown Li sneered and stood up to leave.

"Three votes against."

Loran froze.

"One abstention."

Brown Li frowned and sat back down.

Feng Lin tentatively suggested, "Another vote?"

Brown Li said coldly, "Officer, may I ask if there is a practice of voting again?"

Zuo Qubai said, "In this situation, the application can only be nullified, and if there are no significant changes within three years, it cannot be reapplied."

Brown Li stood up and walked outside. Baili Cang got up and followed behind Brown Li. Chu Mo smiled apologetically at Feng Lin and stood up as well.

Chen Sha suddenly said, "There is still one person who hasn't voted."

Everyone looked at Tatsusa.

"The consul still has one vote."

Baili Cang let out a laugh, "Let's hope there's no electromagnetic wave interference where his old man is right now."

Feng Lin immediately instructed the Thinkbrain, "Contact the Consul."

The empty conference room resounded with the dial tone of the Thinkbrain, "Tick, tick, tick ......"

Loran waited with bated breath, feeling as if each sound struck his heart.

After a long wait, the beeping sound disappeared.

The virtual screen was pitch black without any image or sound, and everyone thought it wasn't connected when the clicking sound came.

Feng Lin hurriedly said, "Consul, the signal is poor, where are you?"

"...... Beast ...... belly, terminal ...... corrosion ...... and other ......"

Came the beast's mournful cries and all sorts of odd noises, and after a while, the signal cleared up a bit.

"I am now leaning on a dagger, hanging on its stomach wall, it is storming, have something to say."

Feng Lin immediately said, "Tatsusa's wife has applied to join my institute to participate in the research of sudden mutations. We now have three votes in favor, three against, and one abstention, and we need Your Excellency to vote."

"Tatsusa, are you in favor, or against?"

Loran raised her eyes to look at Tatsusa, she didn't expect Tatsusa to look at her as well, and with her four eyes facing each other, Loran was apprehensive.

"Consul, it's an anonymous vote!" Feng Lin was practically stomping his feet in anger.

Tatsusa retracted her gaze and said to the black screen, "I'm in favor."

The Consul said, "In favor."

The signal cut off.

Everyone was silent and speechless.

After ten seconds or so, the voice of the Thinking Brain rang out, "Acknowledging the receipt of a new vote, may I have the results announced?"

"Announcing!"

"Four votes in favor, three against, and one abstention."

Feng Lin smiled triumphantly, "Officer, can the application take effect?"

"Effective."

The Thinking Brain announced, "Approval is granted for the applicant, Ying Xian Loran, to join the Alikata Life Research Institute, effective immediately."

The door to the conference room opened.

Everyone walked out of the conference room one after another.

Feng Lin winked as he passed by Loran and said ambiguously, "Treat Tatsuha well."

Tatsuha fell last, stopping in his tracks as he walked beside Loran.

Loran said, "Thanks."

"No, I'm just respecting Feng Lin's choice, she's the commander of the program, and since she picked you, she must have her reasons. But ......," Tatsuya paused, his eyes falling on Loran's face like knives, "If one day you do something that betrays the Odin Federation, I'll kill you with my own hands."

"I won't let you have that chance."

Tatsuya averted his gaze and walked out of the conference room with large strides.

Loran was alone, standing quietly in the empty conference room.

It had been months since the day she set foot in the Odin Federation before her first step was finally taken.

From the banquet where not a single person was willing to talk to her to today's vote, it was considered a success, but there was not the slightest sense of excitement and joy.

Loran lifted her wrist, no longer having any expectations, but she found a new message on her terminal, two in a row from Qian Xu.

"When I say that it takes a while to get to know yourself, this knowing is not just about what you like, but also what you need and want. People who can do what they want and be spontaneous are worthy of envy and appreciation, but there's nothing wrong with realistically and utilitarianly choosing who you need."

"Happy for you, knowing what you need; even more proud of you, going for what you need."

Loran smiled with tears in his eyes.