Zhongli Feiyu, clad in a military uniform, his bright yellow epaulets gleaming with battle achievements, stared intently at Lu Wanqing. With solemnity, he declared, "My work is very demanding. If you choose to marry me, I will have very little time to accompany you. If you are willing to forgo my proposal, I can offer you a substantial sum of money as compensation!"
The film emperor Wei Xingzhou's eyes lit up at the words. Yes, this was the solution! They could make her give up on her own, and then they wouldn't have to take responsibility!
Wei Xingzhou thought, and quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right. I'm busy with acting every day, I truly don't have time for romance. About the children, we didn't do it on purpose. Back then, none of us knew you would come back to life, right?"
As Wei Xingzhou spoke, he looked into Lu Wanqing's eyes anxiously. "Miss Lu, if you are willing to give up on marrying me, I can also give you a large sum of money. Whatever I can afford, you can name it, and I will do my utmost to satisfy your request!"
A resurrected ancient person? He didn't want to marry her. What if she had nightmares in the middle of the night? Who knew if she was an ancient corpse before!
Lu Wanqing looked at them. One by one, they didn't seem to like her very much. To be precise, none of them wanted to marry her.
"I can also give you a large sum of money if you are willing to give up on marrying me!" Yu Nong, his black hair cascading to his waist, looked like a handsome man stepped out of a novel illustration from afar. He spoke after Wei Xingzhou, his gaze towards Lu Wanqing as calm as a stagnant pool, undisturbed.
"If you give up on marrying me, I can specially customize a mecha for you." Mecha master Mu Sijie also stared at Lu Wanqing and said. His eyes were like clear pools, his aura extraordinary. Even when speaking words of rejection, he exuded an air of refinement, gentleness, and politeness.
Everyone appreciates beauty. All four men were outstanding, and it was impossible for Lu Wanqing not to be moved. However, after hearing their words, any nascent romantic feelings she had instantly vanished.
Lu Wanqing secretly rolled her eyes and replied, "It just so happens that I don't want to get married so haphazardly either. If you're willing to give money, that would be great. Shall we swipe our cards or pay in cash? Or can we settle this right now?"
Swipe?
Cash?
The four men in the hall were stunned. They looked at each other, confusion in their eyes. What was swiping? What was paying with cash?
A staff member from the Academy of Sciences quickly stepped forward to explain, "It's money. In Earth's 21st century, people usually use card payments or cash for transactions."
After hearing the explanation, the four men finally understood. One by one, they all stood up. Each of them was decisive and said to Lu Wanqing, "If you only want compensation, you can discuss it directly with my butler/assistant. No matter how much you want, I can satisfy you to the best of my ability."
The four men left, and along with them, the four children were also taken away. Lu Wanqing remained in the hall. The Academy of Sciences staff looked at her with regret and pity in their eyes. Such a good opportunity, and she actually missed it.
Lu Wanqing didn't feel any regret. These four men clearly didn't want to marry her. If she forced herself upon them, it would be uninteresting. It was better to straightforwardly ask for a large sum of money and live a comfortable and free life afterwards.
Lu Wanqing thought, and became happy again. The identities of these four men were no simple matter. The wealth they would give her should also be considerable, right?
With money, she could find a clean, sunny, and handsome young man and have a sweet romance. It shouldn't be difficult, right?
And she wouldn't have to look at anyone's face. Perfect!
"Ms. Lu?"
Just as Lu Wanqing was lost in her own thoughts, a staff member's voice suddenly rang out in her ear.
Lu Wanqing snapped back to attention and quickly looked at the staff member, asking with a smile, "What is it? Is there anything else?"
The staff member looked at her and said seriously, "Ms. Lu, you have already reached an agreement with the fathers of the children regarding their birth. Therefore, the matter of them cultivating children using your genes without your consent is now concluded."
"We will now proceed to discuss the next matter," the staff member said.
"What matter?" Lu Wanqing asked curiously.
The staff member looked at her and said seriously, "Those children were all cultivated using your genes. From a biological perspective, you are the mother of those children."
"As a mother, you have the obligation to accompany and raise the children until they reach adulthood, otherwise you will be subject to the Star System Child Protection Law."
Lu Wanqing: "???"
Lu Wanqing was confused. However, the staff member then explained to her for a full four hours, and she finally understood.
In the star era, children were very precious, especially healthy and intelligent children. From the moment a child was born, the Star System Child Protection Law served as their protective umbrella, constantly monitoring whether their parents were fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations. If parents were negligent and did not take good care of their children, they would face severe penalties, such as hefty fines and imprisonment!
"Why do I feel like you're tricking me?" Lu Wanqing endured, but couldn't help saying it. The hefty fines were already frightening enough, and now there was imprisonment. The parenting philosophy in the star era was too advanced!
The staff member ignored Lu Wanqing's complaint and continued, "Ms. Lu, your situation is somewhat special. You were unable to be with the children for the past five years, so you are exempted from your obligations of nurturing and care during that period. However, starting from today, you must take on the responsibility of a mother and take good care of the five children."
"But the children are all with their fathers. How can I take care of them?" Lu Wanqing frowned, her expression troubled.
"This is a matter you can discuss with the children's fathers," the staff member replied rationally.
Lu Wanqing recalled the four men she had just met. None of them were simple. With their family backgrounds, would they allow her to take care of the children?
The staff member took her to get her Star System Federation Citizen ID card and also bought her a Star System datapad. The datapad looked like a watch but functioned like a modern mobile phone; it was the communication tool of the star era and could be worn on the wrist.
After registering her identity on the datapad, she had a unique Star System Citizen ID, similar to a personal account. Each Star System Citizen could only have one, and once registered, it could not be changed arbitrarily. Everyone's assets were usually stored in their personal ID's account. If they wanted to buy something, they could simply transfer money from the datapad.
After all these matters were handled, the staff member generously gave her the contact information of the four influential figures. Lu Wanqing manipulated the datapad and, bracing herself, added the four powerful men as friends.