CHAPTER 422: CHAPTER 422: AMBITIONS AFOOT

After a while, Shen Changqing didn’t comment on Chu Jiaojiao’s statement; instead, he said, "I’m going to prepare for the next match."

Hearing this, Yue Qiyuan quickly asked, "Aqing, are you still going to use that antique mech?"

Shen Changqing was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Yes."

Yue Qiyuan: "..."

Is this an addiction? So deep that it can’t be saved anymore?

Yue Qiguang said in a loud and careless voice, "Why are you still using that piece of junk mech? Want to lose even faster and get eliminated more thoroughly?"

Shen Changqing didn’t make a sound.

Compared to the speechlessness of the Yue brothers, Chu Jiaojiao was quite laid back about it, bluntly saying, "Shen Changqing, do whatever you want to do. People are happiest when they stand by their own choices."

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing nodded, "Mhmm."

After that, Shen Changqing said, "I’m off to fight the next battle."

Chu Jiaojiao waved her hand and said, "Go ahead! I’ll be waiting for you at the final seats."

Currently, Chu Jiaojiao’s East District ranking is firmly in third place, and there is a very large gap between her and the tenth place, so, barring any accidents, she is definitely going to advance to the finals.

Shen Changqing and Yue Qiyuan’s rankings are a bit worse; they still need to work hard.

After Shen Changqing left, Yue Qiyuan followed suit, "I’m also going off to fight the next match."

Chu Jiaojiao said, "Go on! I’ll be waiting for both of you to enter the finals together."

As Yue Qiyuan took a step to leave, he suddenly turned to Chu Jiaojiao and asked, "Jiaojiao, what’s with you today? The things you’re saying are kind of odd, huh?"

Chu Jiaojiao was straightforward in her personality, and it wouldn’t be too much to say she had the heart of a man in a girl’s body, but today she was inexplicably emotional and had been pouring a lot of inspiration into everyone, which was not like her character at all...

Had...

Something happened?

As Yue Qiyuan asked this, Yue Qiguang also furrowed his brows, looking towards Chu Jiaojiao.

Chu Jiaojiao waved her hand, laughing, "It’s nothing! Hurry to your own matches."

Since Chu Jiaojiao didn’t want to talk, the two did not insist on digging deeper and left.

Chu Jiaojiao stood alone for a while, and when she was about to log off to sleep, she suddenly received a message from Sheng Qingyan:

Little Cutie: [Jiaojiao! Hurry up! I’ll take you to see a huge treasure! Quick quick quick!]

Chu Jiaojiao: [Not interested, going to sleep.]

Little Cutie: [Why sleep... Isn’t it just that your Grandma has gone to the frontline again? What’s there to be unhappy about? Hurry up and come over...]

Chu Jiaojiao went silent.

A few seconds later, she retracted the log-off button and flew over to the coordinates sent by Sheng Qingyan—

As soon as she teleported next to Sheng Qingyan, Chu Jiaojiao immediately stretched out her paw and lifted Sheng Qingyan up, asking fiercely, "How did you know my grandma went to the frontline?"

Sheng Qingyan struggled a bit, but couldn’t break free, so he simply gave up and just showed a pitiful expression, saying, "What’s so hard to understand? My old man said your Grandma secretly bought a bunch of Starships from him – what’s not clear about that?"

Chu Jiaojiao: "..."

Sheng Qingyan with a woeful face: "Jiaojiao... can you put me down before we talk nicely?"

Chu Jiaojiao let go—

Then—

Bang—

Sheng Qingyan fell hard, raised his hand, and rubbed his delicate buttocks, feeling like his buttocks were split into several parts. With an even more pitiful tone, he said, "Jiaojiao, you violence maniac... can’t you be gentler... Little Cutie is going to die of pain."

Chu Jiaojiao gritted her teeth: "Shut up!"

Sheng Qingyan muttered, wanting to say something, but not daring to complain anymore, he could only lift his eyelids and sneak a glance at Chu Jiaojiao’s expression...

Chu Jiaojiao cursed: "Spicy Eye!"

Indeed, Ji You’s choice of adjective couldn’t be more fitting; nothing else would be as suitable as "Spicy Eye" to describe Sheng Qingyan.

Sigh!

After cursing, Chu Jiaojiao let out a deep breath.

second.

seconds.

seconds.

...

Sheng Qingyan cautiously observed Chu Jiaojiao’s expression and timidly asked, "Jiaojiao, can I speak now?"

Chu Jiaojiao raised a hand: "If you’ve got something to say, spit it out; if not, shut it!"

Sheng Qingyan instantly squeezed out a smile and said, "I’m gonna say it then... I protest against what you just said! I am not ’Spicy Eye’ at all!"

Chu Jiaojiao: "..."

Forget it.

After knowing her for more than a decade, how could she not know what Sheng Qingyan is like?

Hopeless case!

Chu Jiaojiao decided to ignore that and asked, "How did you find out that my grandma secretly bought quite a few starships from your grandpa?"

Grandma Chu, having already retired as an Admiral of the Alliance, only resigned due to old age and numerous injuries. An old lady like her had no military power left and naturally lost her right to purchase large quantities of starships through the Alliance Government...

So—

Grandma Chu could only buy them out of her own pocket, privately.

Then, the question arises!

Why would an old lady, who spends her days dancing in the square and occasionally teasing handsome old men, buy starships?

Starships are an important strategic resource, after all.

There’s only one answer:

To fight!

But fight whom? Interstellar pirates? Star Beasts? Enemy forces of neighboring countries? Or...

There are too many questions, far too many.

This was also one of the reasons why Chu Jiaojiao was so vexed up to now.

Upon hearing Chu Jiaojiao’s query, Sheng Qingyan narrowed her pretty eyes and said, "What’s so hard about knowing that? The second after your granny bought those starships, my old man came running to brag about making another 50 billion... That damned old man just wanted to provoke me... Does he think by provoking me, I’ll run back and inherit his fortune and skills? Dream on!"

Chu Jiaojiao: "..."

After listening to all that nonsense, only one thing was of value. Chu Jiaojiao asked, "Aside from telling you that my grandma spent 50 billion to buy 10 starships, did your grandpa tell you anything else? Did he mention where my grandma has gone with the starships? What she’s planning to do?"

Sheng Qingyan shook her head, "You know... I have always been uninterested in these matters."

Chu Jiaojiao cursed, "Then what use are you!"

Sheng Qingyan touched her nose and whispered, "But I do know that the Empire’s Emperor is not doing well lately, and there might be a change in the imperial succession soon... I’ve heard that some folks in the Blue Light United States have ideas... People here in the Alliance have their own ideas too... And the biggest factions among the interstellar pirates also have their thoughts... It’s just unknown if your granny has any ideas..."

Chu Jiaojiao frowned deeply, cursing, "She doesn’t have any damned ideas! She just likes to cause trouble! Can’t she give us some peace of mind?"

Sheng Qingyan remained silent; it wasn’t his place to comment on that.

Chu Jiaojiao was clearly not pleased and said, "You’d better keep this to yourself. I’ll try to get in touch with that troublesome old lady from my family."

Really—

What business does an old hag have meddling in these matters?

Isn’t it good enough to just stick to square dancing?