Midnight.
1701 arrived at the elevator equipment room.
418 had already finished work. His body sat on a small stool by the door, his arm having just removed his head and placed it in a basin, lathering shampoo into his hair. The posture was akin to washing a basketball or soccer ball, but the image of a headless body washing a head was somewhat eerie. Fortunately, 1701 was accustomed to it.
As a robot, 418 did not grow hair himself; it was merely a wig. However, it still needed to be washed regularly to remove dust, as the establishment had strict requirements for employee appearance.
"Darling, I have some news for you... Lord Jiang gave me three million!" 1701 sat opposite, took a deep breath, and said softly.
"What?!" 418's head exclaimed, forgetting it was still in the basin, and immediately choked on several mouthfuls of water.
"Here it is." 1701 took out a wallet from his embrace, then carefully took out the check from the wallet, his movements as delicate as handling the fuse of a timed bomb.
418's arm swiftly lifted the head, wrapped it in a towel, and then reattached it to his neck.
"Oh my god! Damn! It's real!" 418 leaned in to look at the check, his expression shocked, and shouted, "Why would he give you so much money!"
"He said it was a wedding gift. I was chatting with him and mentioned we were saving up to buy a marital home. He said he'd give me three million for the house." 1701's tone also became excited. "Later, he asked me to do something for him, to introduce some of the students who would be attending the classes to him. He also added me as a friend, saying I could reach out to him if I had any problems in life."
418 clutched his chest and took a deep breath. "Husband, you must seize this opportunity. We've truly struck gold! To have such a significant figure notice us! What are we, really? Nothing! Lord Jiang's appreciation for you is purely because you happen to be at this school; otherwise, he would never have given you a second glance! But no matter the reason, we've latched onto his coattails, and we must hold on tight!"
"I understand. Don't worry. Such an opportunity might not come once in several lifetimes. I'd hold onto it even if it cost me my life. Lord Jiang is actually very kind. I think if I work hard, he might bestow more upon us later." 1701 nodded emphatically.
"Of course! Even a single drop of money from his hands would be enough to drown us!" 418's face flushed with excitement. "Wait a moment, let me wipe the water off my hands. I'll find a photo frame to seal this check, and tomorrow we'll go to the bank to cash it!"
1701 nodded heavily, carefully cradling the check. He felt a burning illusion, as if the banknote in his hand were a ball of fire, the flames repeatedly licking his palm.
...
The next morning.
Jiang Ye strode into the classroom of Class 1, Section 1.
The classroom was already filled with students. The moment Jiang Ye stepped onto the podium, a sharp female voice rang out—
"Class, attention! Stand up!"
With a rumbling sound, a neat row of students stood up in the classroom. Their posture was as straight as a javelin, and they all shouted in unison with clear voices:
"Good morning, Teacher!"
The sound was so loud that it even made the windows tremble slightly. It was estimated that it could be heard clearly in the corridor.
Jiang Ye was startled. What was with this grand display?
However, Jiang Ye was also a man who had seen his fair share of grand occasions. His inner surprise did not show on his face. He nodded and smiled faintly, "Good morning, students. Please be seated."
"Sit!" The same sharp female voice commanded.
The entire class sat down with a rumbling sound.
"The attendance is sufficient, so I won't be taking roll call. We'll start the lecture directly. You are all from the military, with strong discipline, which is excellent. However, my class can be relaxed. Feel free to raise your hands and ask questions anytime; don't be reserved." Jiang Ye scanned the room. "There are those who attain knowledge earlier and those who attain it later; there are specializations in different fields. I have only been a planetary leader for a few years longer than you, and I am fortunate to be standing here lecturing. This does not signify anything. My relationship with you is both teacher and friend."
The students in the class quietly looked at Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye's gaze suddenly fixed on a girl by the window, his expression momentarily stunned.
Huh?
Wife??
A girl by the window looked genuinely similar to Cen Yemeng, so much so that Jiang Ye experienced a moment of disorientation. However, upon closer inspection, there were still many subtle differences. That girl's nose was more upturned, her cheeks were chubbier, and her demeanor was different.
Jiang Ye was secretly surprised but did not make a fuss. There were only so many facial types in humans, and the number of people in the universe far exceeded the grains of sand in the desert. It was normal to occasionally encounter someone with a similar appearance.
Jiang Ye steadied himself and continued his lecture.
The content of this class was "Post-War Economic Recovery and Urban Construction." The primary consideration was that the students in Class 1 were all battle-hardened. Most of their home planets had just emerged from the abyss of war and were in urgent need of peaceful reconstruction.
Coincidentally, Jiang Ye had experience in post-war reconstruction of refugee planets and experience in large-scale new city construction on various planets. He could easily impart a lesson's worth of practical knowledge.
Although immersed in his earnest lecture.
Jiang Ye's gaze, however, was uncontrollably drawn to the girl by the window, the one who looked so much like Cen Yemeng.
To be honest, she was indeed beautiful.
Her skin was very fair. She was sitting by the window, and as the sunlight fell on her delicate face, she had a tender aura, like a lily.
Jiang Ye suspected that he might genuinely be attracted to this type of appearance, or perhaps, after living with Cen Yemeng for so long, he felt a sense of familiarity towards people who resembled her.
There were similar plotlines in palace dramas on television, where the emperor's beloved empress died of illness. Many years later, when selecting concubines, he found a young woman who looked very much like the former empress, and the emperor could not control himself, transferring his affections.
Jiang Ye shifted his stance, turning his back to the window as he lectured, so his gaze would not easily wander to the side.
During the first class, the classroom was very quiet. All the students listened attentively without blinking. Some had placed recording pens on their desks, some were secretly recording with their phones, and others were furiously taking notes, appearing to be model students.
When the class ended, Jiang Ye proposed a ten-minute break for everyone.
However, the students refused and requested Jiang Ye to continue lecturing.
Jiang Ye was not tired, so he did not end the class and continued lecturing fluently, completing two short connected sessions. The first major session was considered finished.
"That's all for today's class. I still have to rush to Class 2. I won't be staying long. You've all added my contact information, so feel free to send me messages anytime if you have any questions. I will post my dormitory location in the group chat at noon, and students are welcome to come find me in person with their questions. However, I have a lot of work, so please send me a message before coming. If I don't reply, it means I'm busy."
"Class dismissed!" The sharp female voice rang out again.
A group of students stood up with a rumbling sound and bowed, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher!"
Jiang Ye turned and left the classroom, strolling towards the Class 2 classroom.
The students in Class 2 did not stand up in unison, but upon seeing Jiang Ye enter, they still offered him a warm round of applause.