I Will Teach You How to Hunt Gods

Chapter 568 147: Ten Minutes to Kill (4,100 Words) _2

In other words, as long as I don't give myself away, even if Mokaka and that white-haired maid are extremely vigilant, they won't notice Silver Needle.

Time passed, second by second.

Every inch the clock hand moved forward, the heavy stone in Yang Qian's heart lifted slightly.

...

"Seven minutes left."

Yang Qian glanced at his watch, silently calculating in his mind.

He could feel Mokaka had already noticed him; her gaze occasionally flicked toward him.

"If I don't say something soon, it might arouse this little girl's suspicion..."

Yang Qian gritted his teeth, knowing he should make a decision early.

But the problem was, how should he start speaking without appearing abrupt?

"You..."

But just as Yang Qian hesitated, Mokaka spoke first.

She curiously examined Yang Qian from head to toe before asking, puzzled, "Are you also a guest who received an invitation from the Starlight Welfare Institute? Are you a soldier? A civilian representative? Or a Lower City business owner?"

"But I don't seem to remember having a guest like you..."

As soon as the words fell, Yang Qian felt his scalp tingle, and cold sweat instantly climbed up his back.

Damn it... How could he have forgotten this...?!

The Starlight Welfare Institute can usually be freely entered, but today is, after all, the mayor's inauguration ceremony, and for safety considerations, invitations were sent out to guests.

These guests include social celebrities, Lower City civilians, and even many soldiers and entrepreneurs.

But Yang Qian is not among them.

Because the list was drafted by Aurora, she would only invite people who could aid Mokaka's future political career, certainly not Yang Qian, the general manager of a rival company.

Yang Qian sneaked in through connections, naturally wouldn't have an invitation.

But he didn't care then.

Socialites invited by Aurora numbered in the thousands; how could Mokaka possibly remember every face?

Yet Yang Qian underestimated Mokaka.

She remembered everyone and did her homework before the banquet, knowing every guest's identity, political intentions, and interests.

However, Yang Qian's information was absent from her extensive database.

"Gulp..."

Yang Qian swallowed hard, feeling the temperature around him drop by over ten degrees.

The evening breeze was gentle, but on his body, it felt like piercing ice needles.

He knew he had to do something, or the watchful maid beside him would tear him to pieces.

Fear, despair, pain, regret...

But just as all hope seemed lost, a somewhat novel idea suddenly emerged in his mind.

"Oh well, a dying horse becomes a live one in a cure!"

Yang Qian gritted his teeth and simply half-kneeled at Mokaka's feet, his face tense and filled with admiration.

"Lord Mokaka... I'm sorry, I truly didn't receive an invitation; I sneaked in myself..."

Upon hearing this, Mokaka immediately widened her eyes, and the maid Tian En beside her raised her eyebrows, placing her hand on the dagger at her waist, ready to act.

But Yang Qian's next words made both of them drop most of their guard.

"I'm your earliest fan! Lord Mokaka, I even sent you quite a few gifts!"

Yang Qian cautiously explained.

He wasn't just making things up because, when Mokaka originally "debuted," she used a virtual avatar, accumulating popularity through "live-streaming" to gather votes for herself.

Her popularity was very high, not only remaining the champion of Nest City No. 3's virtual streamer popularity list for several consecutive years but also having fans in other cities and even other planet colonies.

Now revealing her true appearance before the world, she has accumulated unprecedented popularity.

Not exaggerating, at least thirty percent of the attendees at this banquet were followers she accumulated during her streaming period.

Given this context, the identity Yang Qian gave himself couldn't be more fitting...

"I've always wanted to admire you up close, but unfortunately... I'm just a civilian who enjoys gaming at home, without the qualifications for an invitation."

"But I was unwilling to accept that. This banquet might be the closest I'll ever get to you in my lifetime. If I give up on this opportunity, I may never have a chance to meet you again!"

Yang Qian explained with a look of helplessness, whispering: "So, I had to come up with this lousy idea, sneaking in when the guards weren't paying attention, hiding in the welfare institute three days early, and then pretending to be a guest when the banquet started..."

"But I was terrified the guards would throw me out, so I could only watch you from afar, until just now when you finished your speech and toast; I dared to approach..."

This explanation was indeed reasonable and couldn't be faulted.

Moreover, Mokaka and Tian En used the Information Reconnaissance Chip to investigate Yang Qian and found no issues, so they gradually lowered their guard.

Seeing this, Yang Qian breathed a long sigh of relief.

The hardest first hurdle, he made it through.

But this was far from enough.

The fan identity is excellent, instantly drawing him closer to Mokaka, but there remains a problem—how to open a conversation and stay by Mokaka's side reasonably.

Yang Qian lowered his head and glanced at his pocket watch stealthily.

Six minutes remain.

He thought for a while, then simply went along with it and asked, "That... Lord Mokaka, I want to understand your governing policies in detail, particularly regarding building social insurance..."

"As you know, our Nest City's political ecology is very complex, with numerous factions, virtually monopolizing all resources. Discussing reform here is undoubtedly exceedingly difficult."

"I want to know how you intend to govern and what approach you plan to take to perfect the social insurance you mentioned."

Yang Qian had done his homework; he knew Mokaka, though young, was a theory master, and when she spoke of some theories, she was thorough and continuous, almost detailing the theory from birth to change without missing a word.

Describing it like this, those mere six minutes could pass in the blink of an eye.

"Hmm..."

Mokaka thought briefly, then lightly nodded her head.

"Good question."

"I originally intended to post all the governmental measures online after the inauguration, allowing you to freely browse."

"But since you want to know, let me explain."

"I divide my social insurance into three aspects: food, medical care, and education."

"In terms of food, the Lower City Government will forcibly requisition abandoned industrial areas and require Lower City food-related companies to build and contract vertical agricultural towers on the land, employing Lower City civilians as employees to produce massive amounts of genetically edited crops that mature quickly."

"Subsequently, the government will purchase these inexpensive grain crops and establish a network of 3D food printing stations in each lower district, supplying basic nutrition blocks daily to ensure survival. If you want better food, you'll need to exchange 'work hours' for it."

"But there's no need to worry; 'work hours' is an entirely separate data point, not conflicting with wages itself, merely a reward mechanism with limits to stimulate reasonable and legal labor."

"In terms of medical care, special practice licenses will be issued to talented underground doctors, encouraging them to operate legally without being squeezed by the police and gangs. At the same time, all doctors with practice licenses need to complete a quota of 'free consultations' annually, providing medical treatment to low-level civilians."

"Simultaneously, the Lower City Government controls basic medical supplies, setting unified prices to prevent monopolies by any party."

"Lastly, regarding education..."

Mokaka paused slightly, speaking softly: "I have thought of the concept of 'compulsory education,' but... for now, resistance seems considerable, so this matter will be discussed at length."

"But I promise."

"As long as I sit in the mayor's position, then Lower City's children will certainly receive free education in the future and have the right to learn."

"I will never break my word."