Chapter 448: The Departure

The “Senators-Only Library” at the Senatorial Apartment Complex Service Center.

Zhang Yunmi sat at a reading table. On the glossy black lacquer tabletop lay a freshly sealed letter. The white, Senators-only stationery was faintly watermarked with a gray sunrise over the Holy Ship, both elegant and exquisite.

The red sealing wax over the seam bore her seal—a seal-script character for “Zhang,” artistically stylized into the shape of a flying phoenix.

At this moment, Zhang Yunmi’s face had lost all its usual youthful vibrancy, replaced by a leaden pallor. She didn’t know how long she had been staring blankly when suddenly, a glint of light flashed in her dull eyes. She glanced towards the shelves to her left front, all filled with “Senators-Only” books. Finally, her wandering gaze settled on the spot I210.1/1:3—she remembered it so clearly only because she had just returned the Complete Works of Lu Xun to its place before writing the letter.

Human blood buns…

Zhang Yunmi pressed one hand on the envelope as countless noisy voices echoed in her mind again.

“Yunmi! I’ll support you no matter what! Your business is my business! Whoever makes you unhappy for a moment, I’ll make them unhappy for a lifetime!”

My self-appointed champion, do we even have 3,000 characters’ worth of conversation on topics other than dance practice? Don’t you think you’re overstepping? And you even came to the school to declare your loyalty—just because you like me doesn’t mean you’re already my boyfriend, okay!

“Young Zhang, you’re the ACE of the idol group our Tartan Skirt Club worked so hard to create! We can’t tolerate this! We must get justice for you!”

Heh! Zhang Yunmi reflexively deployed a goddess’s professional skill. You leg-fetishists! Foot-fetishists! Stocking-fetishists! Safety-shorts-fetishists! You otaku who buy 80-yuan standing tickets, crane your necks to watch the performance, and wait for Mr. Floor to do you a favor!

“In today’s politics class, we will discuss the dialectic between procedural justice and consequential justice…”

“In this history class, we will discuss how the powerful nobles of Europe handled their issues of face…”

As Zhang Yunmi recalled these things, she couldn’t even muster a “heh.”

“Young Zhang, let Auntie Du tell you! This is not a simple problem!”

“Little sister Zhang, as a modern woman, let me, your big sister Cheng, tell you…”

“Young Zhang, based on your Uncle Shan’s experience in struggle…”

“Senator Zhang, if we don’t pursue this matter, how can the dignity and authority of the Senators be maintained? This is a matter of principle; you can’t be muddle-headed!”

Not a single one of them is any good!

For the image of a self-proclaimed boyfriend, for the face of a certain group, for your so-called ideals, for striking at your opponents… you’ve all been buzzing around me for long enough!

Zhang Yunmi’s delicate palm caressed the wax seal. The artistic design of the seal-script “Zhang” had been designed by her father, Old Zhang, who had stayed up all night for her when she had a primary school craft assignment to carve a radish stamp, years before the transmigration.

But none of you understand me!

No matter what, he is, and always will be, my dad!

Abusing a Senator’s child, slandering a Senator—two crimes worthy of the most heinous punishments. According to the opinion of the Law Society, it was enough to warrant a death sentence. Right now, the people from the Law Society were busy discussing how this court should operate, what laws to apply, and who should be the judges.

As for the other factions, they all had their own agendas and were actively maneuvering. Although this incident hadn’t resulted in a death like the maid’s suicide case, it touched upon several sensitive issues at different levels, leading the Senators into a fierce debate—even a major military and political event like the expedition to Guangzhou couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of some.

Zhang Yunmi was at the center of the storm, battered by it every day. Different people, different interests, different proposals, yet all of them, without exception, wanted Zhang Yunmi to do something to add weight to their side. As for Old Zhang? His public image was already fixed as “the guy who kneels at home on every possible surface for the maid who bore him a son and a daughter.” Apart from being a “negative example,” no one in any public discourse had any expectations of Old Zhang.

I’m young! But I’m not stupid!

I have to stand by my dad, even though his position in the Senate is finished. He’ll never be given an important role again. From now until he dies, he’ll just be a ‘meal-ticket chief’. No matter how much I detest that maid, that’s her own affair. After my ‘ambitious’ mother left me with my ‘unambitious’ father, it was this man who, with his meager but not insignificant income, painstakingly maintained this broken family. And at a fateful crossroads, he had a rare moment of奮起拼搏, joining this miraculous transmigration group.

“Girl, Dad is going to charge with them now, not to find a wife for myself. You’re grown up, and it’s hard for me to take good care of you anymore. Dad is doing this for you.” She vaguely remembered her father saying that on the night of the “maid revolution,” a wrench tucked into his belt. When he spoke, his gaze was sincere.

Dad, your daughter only wishes for your happiness.

Since that was the case, even if Qian Duoduo hadn’t come to hint at it, Zhang Yunmi had already figured out a plan. Since the vast majority believed that wretched woman deserved to die, and the Executive Committee thought this “major incident” could be dismissed as a mere “household affair,” then you can all play your games and pass your judgments as you wish! But, following the principles of “aristocratic politics” that you’ve taught us junior Senators, since Dad has already made it clear he forgives her, I will also give you a writ of pardon.

However, I don’t want to stay here anymore. A chill spread through Zhang Yunmi’s heart, a cold that even the tropical sun couldn’t seem to dispel.

I want to leave. Anywhere but Hainan Island is fine.

For a moment, she even thought about leaving this messy Senate for good, disappearing without a trace. To hell with all your ideologies and ambitions.

But she knew that was impossible. She was destined never to disappear like a character in a novel.

---

“Uncle Xiao, this is the writ of pardon I’ve signed myself, or a statement, or whatever you want to call it.” Facing the Senate’s general manager, the iciness in Zhang Yunmi’s tone had lessened considerably.

Still throwing a tantrum, I see! Xiao Zishan thought to himself, not taking offense at the young Senator’s impolite tone.

“Uncle Xiao, I’ve already spoken with Uncle Hu and Headmaster Zhang. I want to apply for an administrative internship.”

“Ah!?” Xiao Zishan, holding the wax-sealed pardon, was momentarily taken aback.

“As you know, there’s been a lot of talk recently, and it’s been very disruptive to my studies—” Zhang Yunmi repeated the explanation she had given to Hu Qingbai and Zhang Zhixiang to Xiao Zishan. For some reason, she had a gut feeling that Xiao Zishan would be the one to make the final decision on this matter.

“Our systematic studies are already over. What’s left is specialized training. For me, that’s just reading, writing, and translating more foreign materials, which I can do anywhere. So I want to apply for an administrative internship, to go somewhere outside Hainan Island and hide for a while.” As she said this, Zhang Yunmi’s face took on a wronged expression, looking so pitiful and lovely that the old idiom “a sight to inspire pity even in me” seemed to have been coined just for her.

Sigh! This girl hasn’t had it easy! To be stuck with such a situation, and such a father.

“But Uncle Hu and Headmaster Zhang both said they could grant their approval, but since there’s no precedent for a minor Senator applying for an administrative internship outside Hainan Island, they suggested I ask you, Uncle Xiao, how to handle the process when I came to deliver the pardon.”

There’s indeed no precedent. But if this matter comes to me and I have to go through the proper channels of holding meetings to create a new procedure, I have a feeling you can forget about getting away for a break. Xiao Zishan silently complained to himself about the Senators’ abysmal decision-making efficiency on these “major policies,” then scratched his head in frustration. How am I supposed to get this done for her?

“How about going to Qiongshan? Or Sanya. Sanya is developing nicely now, a good place for a vacation.”

“I don’t want a vacation. I want to go somewhere far away, preferably off Hainan Island,” Zhang Yunmi said.

Off Hainan Island… Jeju and Shandong are a bit far, and the conditions are rather harsh. Besides, it’s a question whether young Zhang can handle the long sea voyage. Taiwan had that assassination attempt, and malaria is rampant. There was that machine-smashing incident in Hangzhou recently; sending her there would immediately make me the focus of public opinion! Where else… Hongji, they’re about to start a war there. Guangzhou?!

“Alright, there’s going to be an operation in Guangzhou. Senator Liu Xiang—you know him, right?” He paused, and seeing Zhang Yunmi nod, Xiao Zishan remembered that Liu Xiang had apparently taught the junior Senators at Fangcaodi before.

“Yes, he’s taking a team there in the next few days to take over the Guangzhou government, and he’s been authorized to invite other Senators to join his team. If you really want to leave Hainan Island for a while to do an administrative internship, you can ask him for help. Hmm, I’ll put in a good word for you too.”

Recalling Liu Xiang’s gaze that had swept over her three times when they had just met on the Feiyun, Zhang Yunmi felt that persuading this Teacher Liu shouldn’t be a big problem.

“Then I’ll go pack my bags right now. I’ll leave in a few days!”

“No rush,” Xiao Zishan said. “Although you’ve issued a writ of pardon, the Honor Court’s trial process still has to proceed. After all, this is a ‘vicious case’.” He chose his words carefully. “Anyway, the trial will be held in the next few days, so just wait a bit.”

“Can we not have a trial?”

“This matter is actually quite complicated,” Xiao Zishan said. “If you think about the details of the case, you’ll see. Strictly speaking, this is already a public prosecution case. Although ‘the power of a Senator is above all else,’ according to legal principles, this kind of understanding can only serve to mitigate the punishment, not grant complete immunity…”