Although You Maobin wasn’t exactly shouting, the other students were all quiet, and his voice echoed clearly in the metal corridor.

Especially since he had stumbled just now, drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway.

Several eyes turned toward him in an instant, some students, some teachers, and even some janitors, all looking on with interest.

“That kid really deserves a beating,” Tai Shan muttered to himself.

Wearing contact lens-style monitors, everything Tai Shan saw was transmitted in real-time back to the command console in the operations vehicle.

At that moment, Fox was managing fifteen different communication channels, with nine sectors displayed on the surveillance screen in front of him, his brain working at full speed.

This was actually Fox’s first time leading a team. In the past, it was always Gu Yin who arranged these missions. Moreover, Captain Gu didn’t need to stay so conservatively in the command vehicle. Gu Yin could appear on the scene while maintaining complete control of the situation.

—Except for that one “accident” at Lavca.

Back then, Captain Gu had been running a slight fever during the day, but a soldier’s condition doesn’t typically affect the mission. They assumed it was just a combination of jet lag, cold weather, and staying up late to plan the operation, so no one took it seriously. After taking two special medications, he infiltrated the casino.

As the largest casino in the Federation, Lavca’s daily transactions were astronomical, with nearly a million accounts passing through, most of which were encrypted accounts belonging to the wealthy. Reckless tracking would only lead to being reverse-traced by cybersecurity companies.

Even in an interstellar society, people still preferred immersive experiences in person rather than online gambling.

The city of eternal night, bathed in dazzling golden lights, resembled a massive labyrinth. The mechanical sounds of slot machines were like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, luring gamblers to squander their fortunes.

But Captain Gu’s fever worsened by nightfall, and he hid in the VIP changing room, only to be cornered by Xiao Zong.

It was said that Xiao Zong had just gotten wine spilled on his white shirt by an Omega who was hitting on him—an Omega who had taken the opportunity to invite him to their room, but Xiao Zong had detoured straight into the changing room instead.

Then, Xiao Zong’s pheromones became the final trigger for Gu Yin’s secondary gender differentiation. The military doctor who examined Gu Yin later said the differentiation was inevitable, but Alpha pheromones accelerated the process, causing Gu Yin to pass out shortly after boarding the military aircraft and completing his differentiation at ten thousand meters altitude.

When the team first processed the shock, they joked to cope: It was a close call, and this Alpha might really have to take responsibility.

Little did they know, he truly did end up taking responsibility.

Fate worked in mysterious ways.

Shen Yuan was an Alpha, but an extremely cunning one, even better at hiding than Betas. He was vengeful and had killed a comrade over an argument, remaining secretly wanted by Country A for years. He later became an assassin for the “UNNAMED” organization, a figure like an abyss constantly staring back at you from the shadows.

Ever since Gu Yin’s secret retirement, there had been rumors of their special forces team being disbanded. None of the soldiers wanted this, but the military wasn’t about personal desires—special forces units were reshuffled every year, which helped cover up a lot.

For instance, if a Beta disappeared from the military, people would simply assume they had been reassigned to another team or sent on a mission with another military district. No one would suspect they had differentiated into an Omega.

Unexpectedly, right after the holiday, they suddenly received a new mission from higher-ups.

Seeing their captain at the mission site… along with that corporate president, it wasn’t just Tai Shan’s eyes that almost popped out of his head. Even Fox felt that in just a few short months, everything had changed—once a demon instructor, now a housewife.

What’s more, their “maternal” squad members had made a huge contribution to the mission.

“Eyes can’t lie,” Fatty, also in the command vehicle, sighed. “Xiao Zong seems to treat Captain pretty well.”

Fox sighed too. “That’s because he doesn’t know… never mind, forget it. Tai Shan, is there anything unusual at the exam building—besides that foolish Alpha?”

Fox saw on the surveillance screen that Gu Yin had said a few words to the boy, whose expression immediately darkened.

Afterward, Gu Yin turned and walked away, and the boy didn’t dare follow.

At that moment, a voice crackled through the earpiece: “—Report, Captain, the ‘ball’ has bolted. Destination unknown. Over.”

Three black lines appeared on Fox’s forehead, but he ultimately refrained from commenting on the codename: “Group Two, follow and maintain vehicle distance. Over.”

The other team’s vehicle was parked by the back entrance of South City University. Upon hearing this, they immediately started the white sedan, merging into the rush hour traffic.

**

“Name your price,” Xiao Zong said bluntly after sitting down.

The music in the café was soft and gentle, and there weren’t many people there—after all, not many had the leisure to be out so early in the morning.

The café where Ye Yumeng had arranged the meeting wasn’t far from South City University—appearing near here at this hour indicated that Ye Yumeng had already looked into Xiao Zong’s schedule in advance.

This irked Xiao Zong greatly.

Driving out in a custom-made supercar made of special alloys was already eye-catching, but being stalked was a different matter altogether.

He had no idea how Ye Yumeng had managed to track his movements.

Ye Yumeng smiled. “Have you had breakfast? You’ve been staying up late, and it’s bad for your stomach. How about ordering something to eat first?”

He was still dressed impeccably, without any of the flashy little tricks, greeting Xiao Zong as if they were old friends catching up over a meal.

If he hadn’t pulled so many stunts in the past, Xiao Zong might have actually gone through the usual business-like social routine with him, negotiating terms and exchanging goods as part of the deal.

But at this moment, Xiao Zong remained as graceful, warm, and relaxed as ever, yet anyone familiar with him would know that this was when his guard was at its highest.

But Ye Yumeng didn’t know him well.

He hadn’t missed just eight days or eight months, but a full eight years.

During these eight years, the only things Ye Yumeng had paid attention to were the tabloid news about the Xiao family on social media—some true, some false.

This information gave him some leverage, even helping him quickly get on Fang Runjin’s good side. But when it came to Xiao Zong himself, the media didn’t know much.

The most common evaluation he saw was that Xiao Zong had “inherited his father’s demeanor,” but that was of little use. After all, Ye Yumeng wasn’t familiar with Xiao Sinian either.

Trying to face a corporate heir with memories from eight years ago as a student was clearly outdated.

Xiao Zong didn’t speak, and Ye Yumeng took the liberty of ordering him a dish of French toast and a glass of lemon tea—both sweet foods.

The second operations team had three people: two male Betas and a female Alpha.

The Alpha’s codename was “Ding,” and she wore her hair in a high ponytail, looking spirited and attractive. The two Betas seemed like her suitors or sidekicks, all dressed like college students.

Ding stirred the sugar cube into her milk tea and said, “Target ‘Ball’ has been located, 1.2 kilometers east of South City University, in a café. Coordinates have been sent. Over.”

A tiny metal spider, no larger than half a fingernail, crawled along the carpet and nestled quietly under the sofa near Xiao Zong.

“Listening device is in place. Over.”

One of the Betas, playing on his phone, commented, “I feel like we’re catching a cheater.”

The other Beta, clutching his chest, added, “No, I refuse to believe our sister-in-law would cheat.”

Ding’s forehead twitched as she resisted the urge to scold them.

The food and drinks were served quickly, but Xiao Zong didn’t move, not even sparing a glance: “Can we talk business now?”

Seeing that Xiao Zong wasn’t interested in small talk, Ye Yumeng initiated, “I wanted to find a chance to talk to you, but recently…” He paused before continuing, “There have been a lot of distractions.”

Xiao Zong chuckled softly. “Indeed, very busy. I haven’t had the chance to thank you, Mr. Ye, for clearing up those rumors about me online. Otherwise, I’d have had a hard time explaining things to Yin Yin.”

In reality, when those rumors were circulating online, Xiao Zong and Gu Yin hadn’t even begun their relationship. But saying this now, Ye Yumeng’s smile froze slightly.

It was as if he had already lost, and he said, “…Do you really think those were just rumors?”

Xiao Zong replied indifferently, “Mr. Ye has maintained a well-known clean reputation in the industry, which is quite commendable.”

“I knew you still care about what happened back then,” Ye Yumeng suddenly interjected.

Xiao Zong: …

You can never wake up someone who’s pretending to sleep.

Ye Yumeng had always been like this. If Xiao Zong said something he didn’t want to hear, he wouldn’t argue or offer his opinion; he would simply pretend not to have heard it. The next time Xiao Zong brought it up, Ye Yumeng would be the same.

Back when they were students, neither of them was particularly mature. Even though Xiao Zong had to earn a living while studying, it was still less exhausting than running a company, so he often indulged him.

Ye Yumeng was used to receiving love and attention. Even after all these years, what he remembered most was how Xiao Zong had repeatedly tolerated him.

But after so many times, even the most patient person gets tired.

Especially now that Gu Xiaoyin was still in the middle of his exam, Xiao Zong had no obligation to entertain this kind of entanglement with patience.

“Ye Yumeng,” Xiao Zong propped one hand on his forehead while tapping lightly on the table with the other, his tone serious, “Gu Yin is now my boyfriend. You heard last time that I’ll be getting married soon. If these past eight years have led you to such a miserable life, I can help you with that.”

With only the two of them in the room, Xiao Zong’s words were direct, and Ye Yumeng’s face visibly paled. “What do you even like about him?”

Xiao Zong smiled. “You already know what I like about him. After all, weren’t you pretending in front of my mother recently?”

Ye Yumeng’s breathing grew a little uneven. “But what if he’s not what you think? I saw him with my own eyes—he hit someone and kicked a 1.8-meter-tall Alpha!”

“You mean Ma Weiming?” Xiao Zong frowned. “So what? I told him to. Is that a problem?”

The petty thoughts of Omegas were really strange. What exactly was Ye Yumeng trying to prove?

—That Gu Xiaoyin was a Barbie with super strength? Crying “no more” in bed, but able to tear apart a mech after getting out of bed?

And Ma Weiming, the vice-chairman of the chamber of commerce, always looking pale and drinking himself silly?

If Gu Yin had a bit more backbone, Xiao Zong wouldn’t constantly worry about him getting bullied outside.

—Take Shen Yuan, for example. If Xiao Zong wasn’t now responsible for a family and a company, would he have holed himself up at home for more than half a month for the sake of a fugitive assassin? Did he no longer have a company to run?

“Stop with the nonsense,” Xiao Zong lost his patience and once again cut straight to the point. “How did you know I was looking for someone, Mr. Ye?”

Ye Yumeng looked out the window. The buildings near the university weren’t very tall, giving the area an open, spacious feel. Even the roads didn’t seem as crowded.

This time, he didn’t beat around the bush and said, “I overheard your phone call with President Fang. I was in the next meeting room.”

Fang Runjin was heading to Star 2, so Xiao Zong had called her to explain. At that time, how many blonde young men had been involved with Xiao Zong? Not many.

Ye Yumeng didn’t know why Xiao Zong was looking for that person, but he didn’t believe Xiao Zong would have some shady involvement with a model at a casino, as rumors suggested.

“I’ve spent eight years in Country A, so I have some connections,” Ye Yumeng said.

The Xiao family had military connections, and in recent years, Country H had been developing rapidly in the fields of economics and technology. The A District, which focused on online finance, guarded against them like they were some kind of threat, fearing the Xiao family would use technology to infiltrate the police and military of Country A.

But Ye Yumeng was different. He had long since obtained citizenship in Country A and, as a chief designer for a luxury brand, frequently mingled with the wealthy. His social network was naturally unique.

Fearing Xiao Zong might not believe him, he added, “I pulled a lot of strings to get this surveillance footage.”

He pushed an oval-shaped storage card directly toward Xiao Zong.

Xiao Zong’s expression shifted slightly, finally softening a bit.

“Don’t worry, I’m not asking for any favors,” Ye Yumeng said with a bitter smile, noticing the change in Xiao Zong’s demeanor. “I just wanted this opportunity to sit down and have a proper conversation with you. After all, you’ve been avoiding me for so long.”

“Mr. Ye, what are you saying?” Xiao Zong replied lazily. “You even followed me to South City University. You must have learned my schedule pretty thoroughly by now. It’s not a matter of avoiding it.”

After listening for a long time, Ding finally said, expressionless, “…What are they even talking about?”

How could every word make sense, but when put together, the conversation was impossible to follow?

Glasses guy explained, “You, as a straight Alpha, won’t understand. It’s something like, ‘Once I loved you, but now you love me, and I no longer love you.’”

Ding: ???

Seeing the bewildered expressions of his teammates, the glasses guy raised his phone, showing them an interview where Ye Yumeng had clarified the rumors, tagged under #FilthyRich.

The glasses guy said, “When dealing with Omegas who don’t speak plainly, you need to do some preliminary research to understand what they’re really saying.”

Ding grumbled, “Don’t bring that up. You were the traitor who leaked our study materials to the Captain last time.”

Those were cherished treasures, carefully collected over years of watching videos!

“What study materials?” A new voice suddenly came from above them.

Assistant Wei poked his head over the booth, propping his chin up with one hand, smiling at them as he said:

“Why don’t we discuss it together?”

Crap.

At that moment, glasses guy thought back to when Captain had repeatedly emphasized that they shouldn’t mess around during missions.

—Even during a bait mission.

**

“I thought only the police were involved. Why is the military stepping in, and even wiretapping my boss?” In the temporarily commandeered command room, which was monitoring the nearby streets, Wei Mian spoke amid the clatter of activity. “There was no prior consultation with us. If we were to sue the military for wiretapping under the grounds of business confidentiality, I wonder what the chances of winning the case would be.”

On the other side of the communication channel, Lawyer Wang and his team were arguing amongst themselves.

Ding, feeling indignant, said, “Assistant Wei, using Xiao Zong as bait, changing the plan last minute caused us significant inconvenience. The person he’s meeting wasn’t even searched by the military or the police.”

“The other party is an Omega,” Wei Mian responded firmly during negotiations. “Someone my boss is familiar with. He’s meeting him for a valid reason.”

“And it’s all over a video from Country A? One that couldn’t be obtained through legitimate means?” Officer Lu Renjia chimed in, clearly disapproving. “Mr. Wei, I think after today, we’ll need to have a conversation with Mr. Xiao about this video.” Before Wei Mian could object, he added, “But rest assured, Henghua Group operates in over 200 districts. If it’s related to your company’s business secrets, we won’t forcefully obtain it.”

“—Although, to my knowledge, Mr. Ye is a famous designer from Country A, not an employee of Henghua Group, is he?”

There’s an old saying: A scholar meeting a soldier is futile, but in this case, it was the highly intelligent Assistant Wei negotiating with two military and police teams. With a professional, courteous smile, Wei Mian said, “If necessary, we will cooperate with the authorities.”

That was the polite thing to say, but the moment Wei Mian turned around, he sent several urgent messages to Old Master Xiao’s secretary.

Xiao Yan’s secretary, surnamed Zhao, had been with Henghua since he graduated over thirty years ago, working with the old man. This was the first time he’d encountered a situation like this—with Xiao Jingchuan, Zhou Hengqing, and now Wei Mian.

Secretary Zhao muttered to himself, “Strange, these young ones usually fear being watched. Why are they all suddenly turning to the Chairman recently?”

It seemed that when real issues arose, the elders had to step in.

Secretary Zhao sighed, shook his head, and hurried into the study to report.

**

Gu Yin didn’t know why, but he felt anxious all day.

He had a bad feeling.

The exam questions kept popping up on the computer screen in front of him. He quickly filled in the answers to the objective questions, not even double-checking, as he moved on to the next one.

The timer in the corner was ticking, but all Gu Yin could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat.

-What reason did Mr. Ye use to get him to agree?

-Why today? Was it a coincidence or intentional?

-Once Xiao Zong leaves the school, how will the police handle the situation?

-Have Fox and the others followed?

The Southeast Military District had dispatched his former teammates to assist, and although Gu Yin couldn’t personally intervene in the special forces’ mission, the truth was that South City University was the safest place right now.

But with one move, Ye Yumeng had disrupted all of Gu Yin’s plans.

The timing was too coincidental. Even with Gu Yin’s good nature, he was starting to feel frustrated.

The hidden communicator had been silent ever since the exam started. Xiao Zong had ordered the bodyguards not to disturb him during the test.

Although Gu Yin had emphasized that he needed to be informed if anything happened, the bodyguards weren’t his men. On one side was their boss, and on the other was the newly appointed secretary for the security department. Who would they listen to?

It wasn’t like it was his Alpha team. Gu Yin could immediately tell what Fox was thinking, his setup, and even the quirks and habits of the team members.

Gu Yin had known since his teens that you couldn’t let emotions affect you during a mission. Everything had to be done according to the commander’s orders, or it could cost you your life—and the lives of your teammates.

Despite his best efforts to shut out the distractions, Gu Yin still felt irritable. Xiao Zong’s marked Omega pheromones were clashing violently inside him.

Gu Yin felt that his own temper was starting to resemble the Xiao family’s. Finally, he abruptly stood up from his seat.

All the students in the exam room raised their heads and stared at him.

The invigilator: ?

“…” Gu Yin was momentarily stunned himself.

He looked down at the question on the screen, then finally raised his head and said, “I need to go to the restroom.”

The corridor outside the exam room was eerily quiet. The patrolling teacher had just walked by, and in the distance, Gu Yin could see students playfully roughhousing on the school path. That was a carefree youth he had never experienced.

And likely never would.

Gu Yin’s phone was in his backpack, but he didn’t check it. He went straight to the sinks outside the restroom and splashed cold water on his face.

The cool water trickled down his cheeks, and when he looked up, Gu Yin saw an Alpha emerging from the restroom behind him.

That spiky hair and short sleeves—it was You Maobin.

The Alpha boy froze when he saw Gu Yin, then smiled nervously. “Gu Yin, I wanted to apologize for my behavior this morning.”

To be honest, it was pretty similar.

Gu Yin remained silent for a moment before suddenly smiling. “I was wondering whether you’d come looking for me or him.”

“Now I’m relieved.”