Three consecutive days of meetings, from morning till night.
Jiang Ye was exhausted, only managing to sleep three and a half hours daily for the past few days. From dawn till dusk, he was speaking, making decisions, and reading reports, his mind racing like a marathon runner, his physical strength severely depleted.
During the last meeting on the third night, he even needed medication to stay awake, as his mind had started to go blank. Without a stimulant, he feared he might suddenly stop mid-sentence, unsure of what to say next.
The core of all the meetings was simple: accelerate construction and prepare for… to welcome the inspection.
At precisely midnight, Jiang Ye finally concluded his last meeting and was driven home.
…
“Honey, wake up, honey!”
Jiang Ye groggily opened his eyes. The car door was open, and Cen Yemeng, clad in a long nightgown, stood outside, reaching in to shake him.
“Oh, you fell asleep?” Jiang Ye sat up and got out of the car.
“I was dozing in the bedroom when I heard your car land, and saw the headlights. I figured you’d come up to sleep soon. But I waited and waited, and there was no movement. I had to come down and check,” Cen Yemeng took his hand, her face etched with concern. “Don’t work yourself to death. If your wife didn’t insist on waiting for you, you’d probably sleep in the car all night and catch a cold by morning.”
“I won’t catch a cold. The car detected I was asleep and adjusted the temperature,” Jiang Ye yawned. “I have to push myself. The planet inspection is coming up, and this inspection is crucial for Bi Rong Star’s ownership.”
“Oh, speaking of inspections…” Jiang Ye turned to look at his wife. “I heard that once, a planet governor’s girlfriend was an observer sent by the Galactic Empire. She would sneak into his office to rummage through files while the governor slept.”
Cen Yemeng yawned, clearly not listening intently. “Really? That governor must have had a tough time.”
Jiang Ye continued to watch her.
Cen Yemeng finally caught on and blinked at her husband. “What are you trying to say?”
“You’re not an observer, are you?” Jiang Ye blinked back.
“Oh, you big dummy.” Cen Yemeng laughed, exasperated. “If I were an observer, and I’m personally giving birth to your child, I’m really dedicated to my job.”
“Too dedicated,” Jiang Ye put his arm around her as they walked up the stairs. “Esteemed Observer, what have you observed? Are you satisfied with me, your Commander?”
“I observed you’re a big pig. Not satisfied at all. You must have drugged me for me to be so infatuated with you.”
Entering the bedroom, Jiang Ye first checked on Jiang Senlin, who was sleeping soundly in the small bed, then drew the sheer curtain between the two beds. He grabbed Cen Yemeng, who was beside him, and pushed her onto the bed.
“No,” Cen Yemeng placed her hand on the center of his chest. “You need rest now. You’ve lost weight these past three days.”
“Don’t you want another child?” Jiang Ye grabbed her wrist, placing her delicate hand on his shoulder to grip. “Haven’t you heard the saying that to succeed, you must work hard and persevere!”
“Rest!” Cen Yemeng giggled, patting his face. “There’s plenty of time. No need to rush. Sooner or later, you’ll get tired of me, and I hope that day comes later. So, tonight we make an agreement: from now on, at most twice a week. Anniversaries and holidays can be extra.”
Jiang Ye was shocked.
“How could you say such a thing!” Jiang Ye pinched her cheek. “Are you still my wife? Or some imposter?”
“Lie down and sleep properly,” Cen Yemeng smiled. “If you’re good, I can tell you some things about the inspection.”
Jiang Ye froze, his eyes wide. “You…”
“What are you thinking? I’m not an observer, but my father has dealt with planetary inspections. Many major planets do business with my father in arms, and he has direct contact with some army commanders. So, I’ve heard a lot of news over the years. While you were in meetings these past two days, I was on the phone with my dad. I managed to gather a little bit of information.” Cen Yemeng said.
Jiang Ye immediately collapsed onto the bed, pulling the covers over himself and Cen Yemeng, their faces close. Jiang Ye could smell the fragrance of her hair.
“First, every planet has a long-term observer. The standard for a long-term observer is that they arrived when the planet’s population was less than 100,000 and have stayed on the planet for at least two years,” Cen Yemeng said. “After the inspection, the long-term observer will personally meet you and discuss the planet’s overall situation and their observations.”
“Li Nannan mentioned this to me, but not in as much detail as you. Hearing you say it, I’m really looking forward to who the observer will be,” Jiang Ye blinked. “Just don’t have them suddenly tap me late at night and say, ‘Honey, I have to confess, I’m the observer.’”
“Put your mind at ease. I’ve already had a child with you. Even if I were an observer, I’d definitely cover up your flaws,” Cen Yemeng said. “Second, in recent years, inspections have placed more emphasis on humanistic conditions.”
“Humanistic conditions?” Jiang Ye blinked. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. What does that mean?”
“Humanistic conditions are very broad, somewhat like the prevailing atmosphere,” Cen Yemeng mused. “For example, whether people give up their seats for elderly grandmothers, whether merchants are honest or deceitful, whether office workers love their jobs or curse the world every day, whether strangers interact with each other with vigilance or with smiles.”
Jiang Ye frowned.
“Also, the extent to which books published on the planet are allowed, whether street art is permitted, and whether songs can contain vulgar language.”
“And, the values of most people, the atmosphere online, divorce rates, marriage rates, birth rates, and the flow of knowledge.”
“In short, it covers many aspects. Overall, it’s about the spiritual outlook of most people on the planet,” Cen Yemeng said. “I think Jiang Ye Star is okay in this regard, but you can find ways to strengthen it.”
Jiang Ye nodded. “I’ve noted it. Anything else?”
“Inspectors will obtain some core secrets. The specific methods are unclear, but they always manage to get them. Whether it’s documents stored in your office or information in the military’s underground database, nothing escapes the inspectors’ hands,” Cen Yemeng said. “Therefore, they will also inspect whether this planet harbors any dark secrets.”
Jiang Ye frowned and pondered for a moment. “It seems there are no secrets… Jiang Ye Star is fine in this regard.”
“Think carefully, are there really none? Secrets are things that are shameful, things that cannot see the light of day,” Cen Yemeng said.
“There might be in the future, but there really aren’t any now,” Jiang Ye thought for a moment. “My biggest blemish was bombing a group of colonial officers back then, but that wasn’t kept secret. Many people on Jiang Ye Star know about it, and they’re allowed to talk about it.”