The northern temperate zone of the habitable planet in the Blue Federation had entered deep autumn, and the temperature had suddenly dropped. However, online discussions were ablaze due to a sudden incident.

The #11.3 Casino Shooting Incident quickly became the top trending topic, dominating major online platforms and traditional media headlines.

A group of criminals had suddenly opened fire in the casino lobby, creating a bloody scene.

The fact that this particular casino in Country A operates on an annual membership system with astronomical fees meant that only the rich and powerful were present. News quickly surfaced that several wealthy individuals had been injured.

But what really caught everyone’s attention was that the second young master of the Xiao family, Xiao Zong, was also at the scene.

Rumor had it that he had been arguing with a blonde, blue-eyed model, which caused a commotion. Shortly afterward, the shooting occurred.

For a time, the Xiao family in Country H was once again thrust into the spotlight.

The Xiao family’s headquarters were located in the H District, with countless subsidiary companies under its conglomerate. Their empire spanned finance, real estate, internet technology, and even the mysterious military industry.

The founding elder, Xiao Yan, was a military officer with a decorated history of killing enemies on the interstellar battlefield. His eldest son had even died heroically in battle.

After retiring from the military, the elder founded Henghua Group and managed the company with military-like discipline. Known for his strict and upright manner, he became an industry role model.

After the death of his eldest son, Xiao and his wife, perhaps out of compensation, overly pampered their second son, Xiao Sinian, who grew up with a style completely opposite to his father—often indulging in flirtations and scandals.

Over twenty years ago, Xiao Sinian died in a serious car accident during a late-night street race, leaving behind a massive fortune and a string of mistresses who came knocking.

The elder, heartbroken from burying his son, reportedly became extremely strict with his two legitimate grandsons.

Xiao Zong was supposed to attend the Federal Financial Technology Summit in Country C, but he mysteriously appeared at the casino in Country A, walking out of a changing room in disarray. It was said that he didn’t look too pleased at the time.

As for the young blonde model, despite being surrounded by bodyguards, she managed to escape, and no one knew where she ended up. It was speculated that she might have died in the chaos.

When this sensational news broke, online discussions quickly spiraled off in all sorts of wild directions.

“Check out these headlines: [Like Father, Like Son: Xiao Family Heir’s Heated Encounter with Blonde Model in Casino Changing Room] or this one: [Insatiable Desires: The CEO’s Escaped Canary.]

Anyone who didn’t know better would think this was some kind of forced love story from a domineering CEO romance.”

Henghua’s headquarters were located in the central CBD district of Li City. The top floor was dedicated entirely to the general manager’s office, equipped with full facilities.

Aside from the assistant’s workstation, there was a reception room, a break area, a small conference room, and even a resting lounge for naps.

At the moment, the assistant was eagerly reading out the article headlines. The handsome young man sitting on the sofa appeared to be deep in thought.

On the coffee table, a laptop displayed a photo secretly taken before the incident at the casino—

Xiao Zong’s face was dark, one hand fastening his shirt buttons, while a tie dangled loosely in his other hand.

A small, blurry image next to the headline showed a figure with blonde hair, the fast snap making it hard to distinguish the person clearly.

“Who’d have thought changing clothes could lead to something like this?” Assistant Wei mused.
“Boss, you weren’t really hiding in the changing room to lure in your money boy, were you?”

“I don’t know,” Xiao Zong replied, his voice devoid of emotion. “Probably not.”

As a retired military officer, Xiao Zong’s father, Xiao Jingchuan, was the commander of the Northwest Military District. The Xiao family also had close military ties through their defense contracting projects. Xiao Zong, as a result, had learned a bit about special forces operations.

The person had disguised their voice, hair color, and eye color—it was obvious they were on a mission.

After a long pause, Xiao Zong finally cleared his mind and asked, “How’s Liu Ye doing?”

Wei Mian sighed. “Luckily, the medical rescue team arrived in time, or he might have been crippled if it had dragged on any longer.”

In the chaos of the shooting, Xiao Zong himself was uninjured.

The gunfire had erupted suddenly, and as people screamed and scattered, a giant chandelier came crashing down. Liu Ye, the bodyguard, pushed Xiao Zong out of the way but ended up having his leg crushed by the chandelier.

Xiao Zong, on the other hand, had been knocked to the ground by someone else. Reflexively, he tried to push the person away, but they quickly kicked over a gambling table, shielding both of them underneath.

“Don’t move!”

Through the fabric, Xiao Zong could feel something hard and stiff against his body—it was a bulletproof vest.

The two of them were breathing in sync, the person’s breath noticeably hot.

He seemed to be running a fever.

The person hiding in the changing room cubicle had been discovered because of their heavy breathing.

Without saying a word, the person suddenly dashed out, and Xiao Zong’s bodyguards quickly gave chase, leading to the pursuit in the casino lobby.

Just as Xiao Zong was about to speak, a stray bullet struck the gambling table, its immense force causing the table to shake violently.

The chaos of the gunfire, screams, and screeching tires outside formed a cacophony of sound, sending Xiao Zong’s mind into overdrive—a wave of childhood memories surged forward, nearly overwhelming him.

The table had multiple holes shot through it, and the emergency lighting cast a dim glow into their cramped hiding space.

Outside, the footsteps grew more frantic, and more people began to crowd the area.

Xiao Zong, heart pounding, suddenly snapped back to reality, not even realizing he was gripping the other person tightly.

Mistaking Xiao Zong’s reaction for fear, the person hesitated before finally speaking in a low voice to comfort him: “Don’t worry, our people will be here soon.”

Xiao Zong was still relatively calm. Hearing the screams outside, he urgently muttered, “Liu Ye…”

The person froze for a moment, then said in a serious tone, “I’ll do my best.”

In the end, Liu Ye was rescued in time. Though he hadn’t been hit by any stray bullets, his legs were riddled with glass shards. The surgery to remove them lasted over ten hours, and it would take at least a year and a half for him to fully recover.

Fortunately, his wounds were treated properly, and after a year, he’d be back on his feet.

Xiao Zong suddenly recalled the words spoken in the dark: “I’ll do my best.”

At the time, the narrow, enclosed space had been filled with the scent of gunpowder, but Xiao Zong had also detected a faint sweetness in the air.

It must have been a hallucination. How could that be possible? Special forces only recruit Betas, and even Alphas have to undergo rigorous pheromone resistance training to pass the selection process.

Assistant Wei was still rambling: “But now we’re short a head of security. Although the deputy captain has stepped up, I’ve noticed he’s been under a lot of pressure lately—smoking several packs of cigarettes a day…”

The bloody scene at the casino had left a deep psychological impact on many, including the deputy captain.

Xiao Zong walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed down at the bustling city below.

It must have been an Omega who lost control of their pheromones due to the shock, he thought to himself.

A month later, Xiao Zong’s mother’s birthday party was held on a private island.

The island only had one building, called Jinyuan.

With a pleasant subtropical island climate, the view from the lighthouse offered a stunning panorama of the blue sea and sky, with waves crashing onto the white, sandy shore.

On the southeast side of the island was a private helipad, while the north had a yacht dock. The garden was intricately designed, and the building itself covered an area of 2,000 square meters, capable of hosting thousands of guests.

This had been a wedding gift from Xiao Sinian to his wife.

Most people had once believed that Xiao Sinian’s wife was a traditional Omega.

A graduate of a finishing school, well-versed in the rules of high society, skilled in art and etiquette, and both gentle and nurturing. She was considered the perfect spouse, excelling in flower arrangement, tea ceremonies, and art appreciation.

However, the following year after her husband’s death, she shocked everyone by being romantically linked with a popular male celebrity thirteen years her junior.

With the relentless digging of paparazzi, the truth about Madam Xiao’s background finally came to light.

People learned that she was actually the eldest daughter of a wealthy southern family, named Fang Runjin, and had married Xiao Sinian while still in university.

It was a classic case of a marriage of convenience. Before marriage, they each got what they wanted, after marriage, they led separate lives.

Afterward, Fang Runjin officially entered the business world.

With support from both her family and in-laws, Fang Runjin’s company quickly became the leading enterprise in the jewelry industry. She frequently participated in charity events and was named the Federation’s Outstanding Omega Representative last year.

Over the years, Fang Runjin’s name became even more prominent than her title of Madam Xiao.

“No wonder Old Master Xiao personally took care of his two grandsons. Neither his son nor daughter-in-law were easy to handle.”

At the outdoor banquet, glasses clinked as several guests stood around the dining table, quietly gossiping with champagne in hand.

One of them remarked, “The mistresses brought disgrace to the Xiao family. I heard it took Old Master Xiao a lot of effort to convince Fang Runjin to delay her remarriage, at least until the children became adults.”

Another guest scoffed, “Wasn’t that just a threat using the inheritance to get her to agree?”

“Still, the old man is getting on in years. If something happens, what will become of the children…”

“Well, she changed boyfriends as fast as Xiao Sinian did back then, yet she hasn’t remarried. What’s up with that?”

“She’s probably worried about the two brothers. Haven’t you heard? Lately, Xiao Jingchuan has been getting closer to that illegitimate son from the Leng family, while he’s practically at war with his own brother.”

“Ugh, that’s just how it is with wealthy families.” The first person subtly nodded in a certain direction. “The eldest son joined the military early on—he can’t really not care about this huge family empire, can he? Leng Haiyun is just a pawn in the fight for the inheritance.”

The other two guests followed the direction of the nod.

Fang Runjin looked remarkably young, wearing an elegant silver fishtail gown, her well-maintained appearance exuding a regal air. The ruby jewelry set she wore only enhanced her noble aura.

Behind her, about half a meter away, stood two tall and striking young men both with expressions darker than the night.

Even from several tables away, one could feel the icy tension radiating from them.

“Bypassing the board to acquire a casino, playing games with your own employees, starting with a million-dollar wager—you’ve really made something of yourself, little brother.” Xiao Jingchuan’s military-perfect posture made him stand out in the crowd, and he spat out the last two words with particular emphasis.

Xiao Zong wore a faint smile. “Did Leng Haiyun come crying to you?”

His eyes, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Xiao Sinian’s, were half-smiling and roguish. The tailored suit he wore made him look every bit the charming gentleman.

“You’ve only been in charge for a short time. Have you heard the rumors going around outside? Don’t bring father’s behavior back into the company!” Xiao Jingchuan ground his teeth in frustration.

Xiao Zong politely nodded at some distinguished guests not far away before finally responding, “You don’t need to worry about me. Just take care of your own dog.”

“Leng Haiyun is laundering money through the casino. When things go wrong, I suppose you’ll want me to take the fall.”

Xiao Jingchuan’s expression darkened further. Just as he was about to reply, he was interrupted.

Fang Runjin turned around with a displeased look. “This is my birthday party. I didn’t invite the two of you here to argue.”

“Your grandfather has arrived. Go greet him together.” Her gaze swept over her two sons, the warning in her tone clear:

“Don’t cause trouble for me.”