Woden’s disbelief was visible to everyone present, but not a single person defended him — even Ye Bai, who wanted to speak, was held back by Ye Wangxing beside him.

Yet Ye Bai still sat in his seat feeling somewhat incredulous.

How had Woden ended up like this?

In the past, His Majesty had always arranged for him to intern in other departments, even going so far as to have several senior ministers come out of retirement to personally teach him, so he could carefully understand the operations of government departments.

How had it come to this now?

How could Crown Prince Woden become a livestreamer?

Ye Bai’s mind felt a little muddled as he thought this, and he couldn’t help murmuring it aloud, fortunately without many people hearing.

By contrast, Alina, sitting next to him, rolled her eyes and thought in her mind that Woden had brought this upon himself.

At first, Woden had indeed been trained as the Emperor’s heir, with all sorts of teachers instructing him in various areas of knowledge, and he had actually studied diligently in the beginning.

But as the knowledge became increasingly difficult, Woden’s temper grew larger. He did not think it was his fault that he could not learn, but instead blamed the teachers for not trying hard enough.

Later, investigations revealed it was actually the palace staff’s fault. These servants flattered the Crown Prince excessively, and when he failed to learn, they blamed his teachers rather than the prince himself.

Over time, Woden really came to believe that he was exceptionally intelligent, and that he simply had not found the right method.

This belief persisted even after the Emperor sent him to participate in the operations of various departments after graduating from university and to intern there.

The Emperor’s meaning was clear: even if you were the future ruler of the country, you needed to start gradually from the bottom and recruit your own team.

But for the Crown Prince, interning in various departments meant he could become the head of those departments.

Thus, the Crown Prince’s first internship ended in failure. The second time, the Emperor learned from experience and chose to have several senior ministers directly teach him, then assigned him a small department to practice hands-on management. After all, some people could not handle grassroots work well and could only manage others.

—And then Woden took those senior ministers to go bungee-jumping in space.

The third time, the Emperor decided to lower expectations and had him participate in the operation of a royal business company.

—It ended with him being swindled out of 2 million.

The fourth, fifth, sixth…

With each failed task and repeated display of his stupidity, the Empress expectations continued to decline.

The Empress truly could not understand it. Both she and Woden’s grandmother had been wise and capable. Even the indulgent Princess, who loved food and entertainment, had considerable strength, and she had even produced Alina, ranked among the top 10 in mecha engineering.

How could it come to Woden…

“Oh, little sister, don’t think too much about it. Look at those highly educated engineers and doctors online, or think about the finance minister and even Count XX — the ancestral tombs can’t keep smoking forever, right?”

At that time, Alina nodded in agreement when she heard her mother comforting the Emperor.

Later, even the Princess could no longer say anything comforting, as Woden’s degree of anthropomorphism truly exceeded people’s imagination.

Alina even went to consult historical records and found that in several mid-dynasty golden ages, an anthropomorphic Emperor would always appear.

—And their degree of anthropomorphism always exceeded imagination.

Finally, Alina chose to hand those historical records to her mother, letting her talk to His Majesty.

After all, she did not want to live under such an anthropomorphic Emperor.

After reviewing the historical records, His Majesty seemed to finally give up. The tests for Woden gradually became simpler, from tasks even a clever monkey could complete to tasks that required only basic ability to act.

The royal suppliers Woden had approached in the previous few weeks were already the easiest tasks the Empress could assign him.

Unfortunately, he still managed to “surprise” them.

—Or rather, frighten them.

No one understood how he could mess up such a simple task.

Yet His Majesty seemed ready to give up. This time, placing him in front of everyone probably served to demonstrate Woden’s abilities.

‘This is my foolish son. If you all want to support this fool as Emperor and give him real power, then I may start doubting your loyalty.’

The ministers who had dealt with Woden understood the Empress intention from his words and actions.

If Woden had suddenly shown humility and asked for guidance, or even displayed the attitude of a proud yet obedient son taking criticism, the situation might have been reversed.

But…

Alina turned to look at the four men seated at their places, all broad-shouldered, long-legged, tall, and handsome in their own ways.

—How had he managed to offend all four of them at once?

Had he gone after Ye Wangxing?

Alina did not know the exact reason, but she was certain that Woden, who had offended all four of them in one go, had just made his internship career hellishly difficult.

Just looking at the silent officials present made it obvious.

Those who had managed to reach their current positions either relied on powerful backers or their own brains.

Woden was already the most well-connected person in the entire galaxy, so naturally, the others all had brains.

If Woden were someone else, or if he had performed better, perhaps someone might have spoken up for him.

But…

The people present stared at the sky or at the holographic screen, as if today’s PPT had been crafted like a work of art.

Only when Woden, in disbelief, repeated his words and asked the deputy minister of finance for an explanation did the deputy, seeing that everyone else around him was of lower rank or roughly the same rank and had bowed their heads, speak sincerely after cursing silently in his heart: “Your Highness, being a livestreamer is a position close to the people. Especially with your creativity, I believe that when the public hears these ideas, they will form a different impression of you. It is entirely possible to showcase your talent.”

The deputy minister spoke with a smile.

“But that’s a sales livestreamer! People in the entertainment industry! Entertaining the public!”

Woden wanted to say things like “commoner” or “clown,” but considering the people sitting here, he swallowed his words, merely emphasizing his status.

However…

At just twenty-four years old, and with an interstellar lifespan of two hundred years, Woden was still a child in the eyes of the experienced officials, who could read his thoughts at a glance. Yet no one corrected him. On the contrary, they all thought about pushing Woden toward the position of a livestreamer as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Ye Bai felt even Ye Wangxing had trouble restraining himself. He wanted to step forward to save Woden. Luckily, Alina lent a hand, and when she saw the grateful look the handsome youth gave her, she found it quite pleasant.

‘No wonder he can have four boyfriends,’ Alina thought, though her hand remained firmly on Ye Bai’s arm — her top-10 mecha engineering achievement was no joke. If she had not needed to return home to inherit the family business, she would have gone to the front lines long ago.

Ye Bai, however, did not know what Alina was thinking. He quietly pleaded with Ye Wangxing.

“Brother, Woden is the Crown Prince. He cannot take a livestreamer position. Doing so will lower his public support. The people will surely wonder what mistake he committed under His Majesty to be assigned this role.”

Ye Bai spoke logically and sincerely, but seeing such heartfelt emotion made Ye Wangxing feel a pang in his stomach.

It was as if someone had stuck a wedge under his ribs.

“…Why did it go back again?!”

Ye Wangxing screamed in his mind at the number 19, but quietly spoke aloud in reality.

“Little brother, look carefully at the app. If the Crown Prince looks closely, he will see that the two words before ‘livestreamer’ indicate it is a poverty-alleviation role. This type of livestreaming is actually the most suitable for Woden.”

Ye Bai stopped struggling. He opened the PPT and indeed saw the two words. But…

“Still… it’s a livestreamer.”

Ye Bai was not looking down on poverty-alleviation livestreaming, he knew it was a highly sought-after opportunity. The problem was that Woden should hold the power to decide who gets this opportunity, not compete for it himself.

The roles were completely reversed!

Hearing Ye Bai, Ye Wangxing sighed and quietly said: “Yes, his status should not be here. But Ye Bai, ask yourself honestly: with Woden’s abilities, is there any other position in this project suitable for him?”

Ye Bai recalled all the project assignments.

Positions too high were beyond Woden’s capability, positions too low insulted his ability. Positions neither too high nor too low, Woden would not accept.

For the first time, Ye Bai thought Woden was genuinely hard to manage.

But, as the Crown Prince, being hard to manage seemed somewhat normal.

“Besides, with Woden’s current ability, it is useless for him to accomplish anything in this role. It is better to push him in front of the public. When the public support rises, even if the officials object, they will reluctantly accept him as Crown Prince.”

The young man added: “Of course, the premise is that Woden can win the public’s favor.”

Ye Bai did not worry much about this. In his eyes, Woden had always been very charismatic. He even looked at Woden encouragingly.

Seeing Ye Bai’s gaze, Woden became even more desperate. Even Ye Bai had betrayed him? No, he could not become a livestreamer, a clown stared at by the public. He must resist!

Woden’s expression turned somewhat ferocious, as if ready to overturn the table. This made the deputy minister slightly uneasy. The most experienced official present immediately adopted a sincere, pleading expression toward Woden.

“Your Highness, this position is truly made for you!”

These words interrupted Woden’s anger, leaving him confused as he looked at the deputy minister.

The deputy minister, with a look like asking for votes, earnestly said: “Your Highness has seen His Majesty’s efforts in the poverty-alleviation project over the years. His Majesty values this project the most, so we must also maximize its results.”

“And in the current situation, serving as a poverty-alleviation livestream host carried tremendous importance and extraordinary significance. If this position were held by anyone else, there would be concerns about whether it might adversely affect the country—but not you! You were the Crown Prince! How could the Crown Prince ever harm his own country?”

As soon as these words came out, Woden immediately felt flattered by the praise. However, his expression still carried a perfunctory anger, as if urging the deputy minister to continue speaking.

The deputy minister, true to form, indeed said several more sentences.

“On one hand, poverty alleviation work is a major national strategic task, concerning the welfare of the people and the stable development of the empire. By dedicating yourself to the role of a livestream host as the Crown Prince, you could serve as a powerful example and leader, demonstrating care and responsibility for the citizens.”

“This action would greatly encourage the public to actively participate in poverty-alleviation efforts, uniting all forces to work together to eliminate poverty.”

Ye Bai watched Woden’s mouth curl into a smile. The previous expression of disdain and anger had completely disappeared from his face.

The deputy minister seized the moment and continued: “On the other hand, the poverty-alleviation livestream host role bore the responsibility of spreading hope and promoting the unique products and resources of impoverished regions—something only your influence could achieve.”

“Through your influence, more people could understand the difficulties and needs of poor areas, bringing them funding, technology, and market opportunities, helping residents increase their income, and achieving sustainable development.”

The deputy minister’s expression suggested that without the Crown Prince, the project could not function, which pleased Woden immensely. The final stroke that completely eased Woden’s discomfort, however, was when the deputy minister directly linked this act to historical merit.

“…Being a livestream host was originally just an ordinary position, but with your participation, it not only became a responsibility, it became a great contribution for the empire and its people, one that would leave a lasting mark in history.”

When the deputy minister finished, everyone present gazed at him with admiration.

No wonder he had reached the position of deputy minister. His skill in writing formal reports had reached its peak. Even after many years in leadership, he had not lost his fundamental abilities.

Even Ye Bai showed a look of admiration for the deputy minister. He had never expected that the uncle he had known for so many years was so capable.

“Since that is the case, this livestream host position naturally belonged to me. I also thought about the future of the people—but make sure your selections are good, don’t pollute my influence with substandard products.”

Woden lifted his chin and finally signed the contract.

On the side, Alina felt that the matter had been resolved far too simply. After all, Woden, even for matters beneficial to him, would go to great lengths to make others beg him to act. That was how he gained a sense of superiority.

This was a royal secret. How did the deputy minister even know? He had barely seen Woden before. He had not even attended the space bungee team-building activity.

Only after Woden walked out of the conference room with his head held high did Alina learn the truth from Ye Wangxing.

“…I’m just guessing. After all, he really acted a bit like a Chihuahua kept by the neighbors. But it’s only the personality, nothing else.”

Alina sighed again.

—Truly, a man who had dated four boyfriends.

His understanding of men’s psychology was precise!

This news quickly spread among the higher-ups. Once they figured out how to handle the Crown Prince, the project progressed quickly. Within a few days, Woden was about to face the audience as a livestream host for the first time.

However, the promotional budget for this livestream was quite limited. The official explanation was that project funds were originally intended for poverty alleviation, and now the budget had been slightly exceeded, so they needed to economize.

There was no need to hype the Crown Prince’s livestream. After all, His Highness naturally drew attention, and a brief notification to the officials would suffice. After that, it depended on the Crown Prince himself.

In reality, they were afraid that Woden might cause some mishap during the livestream that would be hard to handle on site.

It was better to have fewer people at first, easier to control.

Although Woden only needed to nod to the other host, greet them, and read out the product specifications from the prepared script, considering Woden’s previous strange ideas and history of botched projects, everyone present still intended to provide a safety net.

After all, it was the holographic era, and all the scripts would appear in the livestream room anyway.

Woden only needed to play the role of a mascot.

Ye Bai also served as the central control coordinator, worried something might go wrong during Woden’s livestream.

Woden himself, however, was confident. Looking at the script, he said that since he could handle the royal speeches each year, live broadcasting would be a piece of cake.

Under Woden’s confidence, the live broadcast went surprisingly well.

Although the specifications were reported in a dry manner, the audience had received interstellar compulsory education and had access to data from their light brains.

They knew which specifications were good and which were bad and could purchase accordingly. Moreover…

This was the livestream where the Crown Prince personally read the specifications. Sometimes, they even saw the Crown Prince munching snacks, which piqued their curiosity.

After all, it was the Crown Prince. Could the Crown Prince really eat ordinary snacks?

Although someone asked this question in the chat, and the Crown Prince never ate snacks again, the small snacks he ate—part of the poverty-alleviation project—quickly sold out.

The livestream received an immediate flood of positive reviews. Everyone praised it.

After all, this was poverty alleviation led by the royal family, and the Crown Prince himself was selling the products. It was literally using the royal family’s prestige to help impoverished people.

How could this not excite netizens?

Meanwhile, in the livestream, Woden began to change slightly.

Zhang Qi, an ordinary worker in the interstellar era with well-protected labor laws and sufficient income, often bought snacks online.

The Crown Prince-led livestream was a favorite of hers. Eating the products while helping impoverished locals was certainly a good thing.

However, Zhang Qi felt that the normally high-and-mighty Crown Prince appeared… irritable in the livestream.

It wasn’t just her imagination. People in the chat noticed as well.

The Crown Prince certainly wouldn’t see the chat. The staff controlled the stream, leaving him only to read the data.

After noticing this, Zhang Qi thought she would be irritable too if she were in the Crown Prince’s position, feeling like an animal on display in a cage.

Consequently, conspiracy theories began circulating online, even involving the royal family.

Zhang Qi didn’t participate, she only observed. However, she found it strange that the supportive comments were so organized, all instructing the Crown Prince what to say and asking him to read the chat.

For her, it didn’t matter. She wanted to see what the Crown Prince would say and how he would react to the messages.

Interestingly, another group online cautioned not to let the Crown Prince speak or access the chat.

This group got heavily criticized, even triggering cyberbullying protections.

The officials, however, truly spoiled the fans. On the second day, they allowed the Crown Prince to access the chat and comment on the products.

—Then Zhang Qi understood that the warnings not to let the Crown Prince speak or access the chat were actually to protect them.

“This product is not bad, but the marketing plan isn’t ideal. I have a better idea…”

“What is this chat? They silenced me? How could they insult the royal family like this without fearing summons?”

“What’s happening with central control? Why did the next product appear so quickly? I haven’t even tested them on the previous product yet.”

Authoritative, arrogant, violent.

This Crown Prince completely overturned Zhang Qi’s previous idealized image of him.

The chat was incredulous. Lines of impossible messages appeared before the Crown Prince.

The team did not stop streaming. They continued filming his reactions, gradually widening the camera to include staff, allowing Zhang Qi to see the Crown Prince push a staff member and storm out of the livestream room without looking at the chat.

This violent act made the audience cautious about criticizing him verbally. Though his identity forbade insults, there were plenty of polite sarcastic comments.

Even when a netizen mocked the Crown Prince’s “wild marketing schemes” as if he read too many exaggerated commercial novels, more sarcastic remarks followed.

The extravagant marketing plans seemed bizarre and utterly impractical in reality.

Fortunately, by this time, the Crown Prince could no longer see the chat. He only muttered curses as he walked through the back garden behind the office building.

Since it was afternoon and few people were around, the livestream audience heard him clearly—because the holographic broadcast orb floated behind him, forgotten due to invisibility.

After venting his anger, the audience wondered why the stream hadn’t ended. Did no one notice this was a livestream accident? Did they really not care about the royal image?

Soon, the viewers stopped worrying.

They heard a familiar male voice questioning: “—Prince Janus, I need to ask you something.”

The voice was elegant, mature, like fine red wine. Before the audience could recall where they had heard it, the voice dropped a thunderous question: “Why did you encourage my boyfriend to break up with me before we had clearly parted, and then successfully become his next partner?”

Zhang Qi immediately sat upright in the holographic space and turned on recording, completely forgetting about the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince could be crazy under the Empress watch, she only needed to vote.

—This was nothing like the thrilling drama of Prince Janus acting out for love!

 

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