The General's Love Glitch - Chapter 33

Jun Jue answered both voice calls directly at the dining table, without avoiding Ruan Wei or Uncle Zhang.

Uncle Zhang had already devised a preliminary response plan. “General, I’ll go shut the main gate immediately and electrify it. Even if the reporters come, they won’t be able to force their way in.”

“No need,” Jun Jue replied calmly, as if she were about to face an extremely simple interview.

Ruan Wei also stopped eating and stood up in a panic. She had indeed ended up causing trouble for Jun Jue.

“General, maybe I should leave right away?”

Jun Jue walked over to Ruan Wei, gently squeezed her shoulder to reassure her, and pressed her back into her seat. “It’s fine. Ignore them. Keep eating.”

Ruan Wei was both worried and afraid. She didn’t understand why Jun Jue seemed completely unfazed.

Jiang Lan, Jiang Tang, and Jiang Li rushed to the general’s villa courtyard at top speed. They had once served as the personal guards of the previous general, Jun Jue’s father. After the former general’s unfortunate death, they had protected Jun Jue ever since. The Chief Executive had once tried to use Jun Jue’s youth as an excuse to integrate them, along with the other guards, into the Federal Army. The three of them resisted the pressure and refused. Later, Jun Jue quickly matured and became capable of standing on her own, officially taking command over them.

The year she accomplished all this, Jun Jue was still young, only 17 years old, not even an adult. Yet no one raised any objections to her position as the Federal General.

The Federation had always maintained a separation of military and political power. Over the years, Chief Executive Lin Aimin had employed all sorts of tactics to try and centralize military authority into his own hands. Jun Jue had been resisting him all along. Lin Aimin’s attempt to force her into a marriage alliance with his daughter, Lin Qiyue, was a relatively mild method of coercion. The previous incident on Planet G30 had been a ruthless attempt on her life.

As long as Jun Jue died, Lin Aimin could still maintain the facade of the Federation’s separation of powers without centralization, he would only need to find a puppet like Zhuo Hanjun.

The military district was closed to external access. It was obvious who had given the order.

Lin Aimin had now completely torn off all pretenses with her.

“General, maybe I should hide first? At least so the reporters won’t see me,” Ruan Wei said anxiously.

“No need. Weiwei, there’s nothing about you that needs to be hidden.”

“But I’m a vampire.”

Jun Jue took Ruan Wei’s hand and patted it soothingly.

Jiang Lan, Jiang Tang, and Jiang Li barged into the villa just in time to witness this scene. All three were stunned.

Their general didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

“General, Madam,” Jiang Lan was the first to react, saluting along with her two sisters before reporting, “Reporters are expected to arrive outside the villa in approximately one minute and twenty seconds. Awaiting your orders, General.”

“Have you eaten?” Jun Jue asked.

“No,” Jiang Lan answered, her eyes widening in shock after she replied. Why was the general asking this?

“Sit down and eat,” Jun Jue issued an unusual command to her subordinates. Uncle Zhang quickly directed the smart robots to bring three additional sets of bowls and chopsticks.

In such a situation, no one had the appetite to eat, except for Jun Jue.

Ruan Wei bit her lips until they turned pale. Jun Jue picked up a piece of cod and brought it to her lips. With unfamiliar faces at the table, Ruan Wei was too embarrassed to open her mouth.

“You should eat too,” Jun Jue said. Jiang Lan and her two sisters quickly took their seats, picking up their bowls and chopsticks. It had to be said, the food at the general’s house was truly delicious. As they buried themselves in their meals, they occasionally stole glances upward. Their iron-willed general was now gazing tenderly at her wife while feeding her.

The warmth of the scene made them relax involuntarily, except for Ruan Wei, the vampire, who remained tense.

When the cold white light flooded the living room, Ruan Wei’s unease peaked. She imagined whether the person stepping into that beam of light might be holding a gun, ready to execute her on the spot.

“Weiwei, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Jun Jue tightened her grip on Ruan Wei’s hand, feeling the cold sweat in her palm.

The first reporter appeared, a black camera slung over their shoulder as they entered the living room. Several others followed closely behind.

Though these journalists were here on assignment, they still held deep respect for Jun Jue and kept a respectful distance, stopping two or three meters away from the dining table.

Seeing their restraint, Jun Jue glanced at Ruan Wei again, who visibly relaxed.

Jiang Lan, Jiang Tang, and Jiang Li set down their bowls, ready to draw their guns at any moment. Their cheeks were still puffed with unswallowed food, making them look somewhat adorable.

Jun Jue, meanwhile, remained in the middle of feeding Ruan Wei. Slowly, she set down her chopsticks and turned toward the reporters. The softness in her eyes vanished instantly.

When she wasn’t smiling, there was an air of quiet authority about her. The crowd of reporters instinctively fell silent. After a long pause, a female journalist finally mustered the courage to speak.

“General, hello. We sincerely apologize for intruding into your private residence.”

“If apologies were enough, what would we need the Federal Army for?” Jiang Tang, having finally swallowed her food, retorted sharply. Knowing full well their actions were wrong yet proceeding anyway, that was either stupidity or malice.

The female reporter flushed but pressed on. “General, online rumors claim that Madam Weiwei is a vampire. Is this true?”

Ruan Wei gripped Jun Jue’s hand tightly. Jun Jue squeezed back in reassurance before addressing the reporters. “Weiwei has partial vampire heritage. Her father, Zhou Wei, was a vampire and a doctor who saved countless lives. Her mother, Ruan Xue, was a human, a renowned geneticist celebrated across the Federation.”

The reporters hadn’t expected General Jun Jue to answer such a sensitive question so frankly. Even more astonishing were the identities of Ruan Wei’s parents, both figures of immense significance. One, though not widely known by name, was a noble healer; the other, a geneticist whose breakthroughs in curing congenital genetic diseases, conditions even medical pods couldn’t fix had earned her a place in middle school textbooks.

The pre-prepared questions targeting vampires suddenly felt inappropriate. A male reporter took over. “Madam General, was your father’s profession as a doctor the reason you chose to work at Second Citizen Hospital?”

Ruan Wei looked to Jun Jue, who gave her an encouraging nod.

To lie or tell the truth? After a deep breath, Ruan Wei made her choice.

“My father being a doctor did greatly influence my decision to pursue medicine. But there was a more direct reason I initially chose to work at Second Citizen Hospital…” Her voice faltered, courage slipping away before she could finish.

“What’s the more direct reason? Please continue,” the reporters urged, setting up their cameras with curiosity.

Ruan Wei glanced at Jun Jue again, who gave her a reassuring look. It was as if Ruan Wei drew an endless stream of courage from that gaze.

“The more direct reason is that I need blood to survive. I thought the hospital’s refrigeration room would surely have blood bags. I don’t harm people, so I wanted to find a way to get blood this way.”

As Ruan Wei spoke the truth, many reporters paled at the mention of “drinking blood,” some even stepping back as if afraid she might lunge at them to drink their blood.

Seeing this, Ruan Wei lowered her head. Jun Jue comfortingly patted her head and whispered in her ear, “Weiwei, you haven’t finished yet.”

Ruan Wei lifted her head again and, encouraged by Jun Jue, continued, “It’s true I’m not as great as my father. My initial reason for working at the hospital was simple, to find blood to drink. But after I started working there, I gradually grew to love my job. I loved seeing the sick children smile under my care, watching them become more positive, believing there was still hope in their lives.”

“I am indeed a vampire, but I promise that apart from the vampire genes I can’t control, I’ve never done any evil. No matter how you treat me, please don’t direct your dissatisfaction toward General Jun Jue. She truly dedicates her life to protecting the entire Federation.”

As Ruan Wei finished speaking, someone began to clap, and soon the living room erupted in increasingly enthusiastic applause.

The reporters fell into deep thought at Ruan Wei’s words.

Indeed, General Jun Jue had done so much for the Federation, shedding blood and sweat for its peace since her teens. And her wife, aside from the genes she couldn’t control, was also wholeheartedly devoted to the Federation, nurturing its future.

Add to that the contributions of Ruan Wei’s parents, apart from the genes she couldn’t choose, Ruan Wei bore no other guilt. Didn’t she deserve leniency from Federation law?

Yet some still saw vampires as a threat. “But the General’s wife is a vampire, that’s an indisputable fact!”

Another asked, “During the General’s wife’s time in the Federation, have there been any abnormal violent attacks?”

“None!” shouted a reporter specializing in that field.

The voices of doubt gradually quieted, and more reporters began discussing their own thoughts. Some were already brainstorming solutions for Ruan Wei.

“Why don’t we initiate a public vote? Federation laws should evolve with the times. The first clause of Federation law states that all citizens are masters of the Federation, with the right to self-governance. We’re fully entitled to hold such a vote.”

“I think that’s a great idea!”

As more people agreed, the reporter who first proposed the idea turned to Jun Jue and Ruan Wei. “General, Madam, what do you think?”

Ruan Wei hadn’t expected anyone to speak up for her, let alone advocate for changing Federation law. Tears welled in her eyes as she sincerely thanked them. “Thank you, everyone.”

Jun Jue wrapped an arm around Ruan Wei’s shoulders, gently patting her in comfort, then addressed the reporters. “I’d like to add something. Amending Federation law is a significant matter. It shouldn’t just open a path for Weiwei, all unreasonable or outdated legal provisions should be reviewed. Every Federation citizen should have the opportunity to participate and voice their valuable opinions.”

“The General has a more comprehensive view!” the reporter chimed in.

Many journalists began discussing laws that impacted their daily lives.

“The current labor laws aren’t enforced strictly enough. Forced overtime and delayed wage payments happen frequently, while companies backed by the Federation face almost no consequences.”

The discussion grew increasingly heated. Some cameras were livestreaming the event directly online, allowing every citizen of the Federation to tune in and watch the proceedings in real time.

…

Meanwhile, Zhuo Hanjun was in the Chief Executive’s private office, watching the livestream together. Their expressions grew increasingly grim.

“Jun Jue was just some brute who only knew how to fight, wasn’t she? Yet she’s playing the public opinion game so skillfully.” Zhuo Hanjun’s eyes burned red with fury, as if they might pop out of their sockets.

Chief Executive Lin Aimin stared solemnly at the screen, where Jun Jue, who had barely spoken, had effortlessly taken control of the situation. His feelings toward her were a mix of admiration and resentment. He was someone who valued talent, but unfortunately, Jun Jue was too principled and would never allow herself to be his puppet.

This maneuver of redirecting public scrutiny and shifting blame was executed masterfully.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether the child he had watched grow up had been deliberately hiding her political acumen, only showcasing her military prowess, or if someone else was advising her behind the scenes.

Either way, he could no longer afford to underestimate Jun Jue.

…

Author’s Note:

Weiwei: starstruck I think I like the General even more now.