It was one in the morning.
Space City knew no sunrise or sunset. Outside the window, there was always the dark expanse of the universe and the bright luminescence of the city. Lights indoors meant day, and darkness meant night.
Jiang Ye emerged from the bathroom, water droplets clinging to his muscular back like a mighty tiger fresh from a swim. A towel, fashioned into a skirt around his waist, was his only attire. He sat by the window to dry naturally. The distant lights of Space City cast a glow upon his well-defined physique, transforming him into a sculpted figure of perfect health.
Cen Yemeng, wrapped in a quilt, sat at the head of the bed. She adjusted her glasses and, with a gesture, manipulated the augmented reality projections before her, attending to official duties.
"Why don't you dry yourself with the dryer? Or at least use a towel," Cen Yemeng said, pulling her glasses down her nose. She looked at her husband and then chuckled, "You remind me of the dog we had when I was little."
Jiang Ye looked at her, puzzled.
"When the dog got rained on in the yard, it would go under the eaves, shake its head, and sit quietly, waiting for itself to dry," Cen Yemeng explained. She secretly switched her glasses to camera mode and, with a snatching motion in the air, took two photos of Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye shook his head quickly, sending a spray of water droplets onto the glass.
A soft green circle immediately appeared on the glass surface, followed by a compositional analysis:
"Primary Component: Water"
"Trace Elements: Laureth Sulfate Amine, Lauryl Sulfate Amine, Cetyl Alcohol, Grape Seed Oil, etc."
"Harmless, suspected shampoo residue."
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow, his expression one of surprise. It was the first time he'd realized the bedroom glass had such a function.
"Ptooey!" Jiang Ye immediately spat.
A blue circle appeared, followed by a compositional analysis:
"Suspected trace human male saliva."
"No dangerous bacteria, no abnormal indicators, very healthy."
Jiang Ye stood up, picked up a tissue from the side, and wiped the glass clean.
Cen Yemeng took off her glasses and placed them on the bedside table. She rubbed her eyes and said, "Honey, I have something to discuss with you. Come here."
"Turn around first, I need to put on my underwear," Jiang Ye said, reaching for the towel around his waist.
"We're married, what haven't I seen?" Cen Yemeng smiled.
"Stop being a pervert, turn around and close your eyes!" Jiang Ye pointed at her. "If you keep this up, I'll call the police and have you arrested, believe it or not!"
Cen Yemeng giggled, lowered her head, and covered her face with her hands.
Jiang Ye turned around and quickly changed into his pajamas.
As he turned back, he saw Cen Yemeng parting her hands, blinking her eyes and peeking.
"I saw it all, you're not pure anymore," Cen Yemeng continued to laugh.
"I'm done fooling around with you, tell me, what is it you wanted to discuss?" Jiang Ye got into bed and snuggled under the covers.
"As you've seen these past few days, I've been extremely busy. The situation on the refugee planet is complicated, with so many troop movements, I'm so busy I could spit blood," Cen Yemeng nestled into his embrace.
"Have the chefs make you some red bean and peanut soup to replenish your blood, or steep some ginseng water to boost your energy," Jiang Ye said, reaching out to stroke her head. "Comrade Cen Yemeng has worked hard, and I truly admire your work ethic. Honestly, I've been waiting for the day you'd call me, crying that you couldn't handle it anymore, and I'd step in as the firefighter to take over your work. I never expected you to complete everything so successfully, and even to be more professional than I am in many areas."
"What I mean is," Cen Yemeng said hesitantly, "I'm carrying too much of a burden, and I want to shed one of my positions to lighten the load. To put it in crude ancient terms, you can't occupy the bathroom without doing your business, right?"
"That's called 'occupying the latrine without defecating'!" Jiang Ye exclaimed. "What bathroom? It's neither here nor there."
"Crude!" Cen Yemeng playfully smacked him with her forehead.
"Which position do you want to resign from?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Jiang Ye Planet Governor," Cen Yemeng said. "You can find someone else reliable to take over for me, and that person can also share some of your work pressure."
"Do you want to resign as Jiang Ye Planet Governor, or Bi Rong Planet Governor?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Jiang Ye Star," Cen Yemeng said. "You're most familiar with Jiang Ye Star, so you can choose a suitable person. I'll continue as Bi Rong Star Governor for another two years. I think I can manage one planet governorship, but two is just too much."
"Alright," Jiang Ye said. "Then I'll fire you. We'll issue an announcement saying that after deliberation by the high command of Jiang Ye Star, Comrade Cen Yemeng is too busy with official duties and is not suitable to continue serving as Jiang Ye Planet Governor. Comrade Cen Yemeng is hereby removed from her position as Jiang Ye Planet Governor. The next governor will be elected separately."
"Don't," Cen Yemeng said. "Remove the part about 'insufficient capability.' If I'm leaving, I might as well leave with a good reputation."
"No way," Jiang Ye said, pinching her cheek. It felt wonderfully springy and delicate. "Not only will I not remove it, but I'll expand on it, saying your recent work has been ineffective, your handling of matters is sloppy and hasty, and you must be dismissed, otherwise, it will endanger the planet."
Cen Yemeng looked up and glared at him.
Jiang Ye glared back.
Like goldfish in a bowl, the couple stared fiercely at each other, and soon the lights went out, and they began to tussle.
...
Two days later.
Jiang Ye's spaceship returned to Jiang Ye Star.
As soon as he disembarked, he instructed his waiting secretary, Su Yueming, "Ask Shao Wan when he's free and tell him to come to my office."
"Yes!" Su Yueming immediately made a call.
Jiang Ye took a few steps and boarded his private car. Su Yueming followed closely, slipping into the car and closing the door as it smoothly took off towards the Marshal's office.
Just as they left the spaceport, Su Yueming put down her phone. "Shao Wan said he's currently in the monthly police meeting. There are several new major cases that need to be resolved, so he might not be able to see you until tonight. If you're in a hurry, he can interrupt the meeting and come immediately."
"No need, we'll meet tonight," Jiang Ye said. "Also, draft an announcement saying that Cen Yemeng is too busy with official duties and is not suitable to continue serving as Planet Governor, and her position is hereby removed."
Su Yueming's mouth formed an 'o' shape, her face filled with shock.
"Are you sure, Commander?" Su Yueming asked cautiously. "Don't make such a significant decision over a... temporary argument."
Jiang Ye chuckled wryly. "It's a normal appointment and removal. She's about to take over the refugee planet and is concurrently the highest authority of three planets. Wouldn't that exhaust her to death?"
"Oh, oh, I'll draft it right away," Su Yueming said quickly.
Soon, the private car hovered outside the Marshal's office. The car door and the window opened simultaneously, and Jiang Ye stepped in.
He began to deal with the backlog of official duties.
Recently, there hadn't been any major incidents on Jiang Ye Star, but there were constant minor social issues, with sensational news frequently breaking out. For example, health clubs secretly operating as brothels, with many female corporate executives photographed entering and exiting frequently; "electric rats" appearing in parking lots in remote areas, with a group of students using modified remote-controlled robots to steal floating vehicles' silicon batteries; someone secretly hacking into the TV station's hidden channel signal, broadcasting explicit adult programs 24 hours a day, and so on.
Jiang Ye was busy until evening when the office door was finally knocked.
"Report!" Shao Wan's voice sounded from outside the door.
Jiang Ye immediately stood up, walked over, and opened the door. "Let's go, let's go to the underground cafeteria for a meal. We can chat while we eat."