Spring weather is unpredictable.

In the early morning, the sky was clear and blue, but by the time the exam started, a large dark cloud appeared from nowhere, covering the bright sky.

It looked like it was going to rain heavily again.

The air was humid, stuffily heavy, but not hot.

As technology develops, human’s desire for control has grown stronger and more things can now be controlled. But when it comes to the weather, the residents of the Federation’s main star still can’t agree, so after a public vote, everyone decided to let nature run its course.

Some people dislike rain, but some love it, and even someone as wealthy as Xiao Er wouldn’t interfere with the interstellar meteorological bureau’s work to make a city have a few more sunny days.

This is humanity’s respect for nature and life.

Tai Shan was the only special forces soldier stationed near the exam building, as the area was guarded by the school, the Xiao family, and the police. It was so secure that not even a sparrow could slip by… wait, was that noise coming from the sixth floor?!

There was noise-canceling equipment installed around the exam area, so unless there was a fire or earthquake alarm, ordinary sounds shouldn’t disturb the students taking the test.

The sound earlier seemed like something breaking, carried by the cool, damp breeze, faint and unclear.

Tai Shan had been observing outside for a while: after the test started, the principal came with some teachers for a quick inspection and then left.

A few students had come out to use the restroom, including Gu Yin and that kid, You Maobin.

That troublemaker alpha wasn’t taking the test on the same floor as Captain Gu Yin—Gu Yin was on the sixth floor. The boy glanced around sneakily and pressed the button for the twelfth-floor elevator.

It should be fine, Tai Shan thought, and the kid didn’t seem trained at all, his stance was unstable—Gu Yin could probably take out two hundred of them without breaking a sweat.

Tai Shan had already scouted out the layout of this building: a traditional horseshoe-shaped structure with 25 floors,

three sides consisting of classrooms, and the fourth side holding the restrooms, elevators, and stairs.

It was a plain, functional academic building, the kind that could be built in five days given the construction speed of H Nation.

But as time passed, Tai Shan grew more uneasy.

Captain Gu Yin had been inside for too long.

The military’s usual style was quick and efficient. Gu Yin had only retired two or three months ago, and there was no reason for him to take this long.

Or… did omegas have extra procedures to follow?

Tai Shan didn’t go straight to the sixth floor but instead walked toward the floating elevator with a semi-automatic vacuum cleaner in tow.

Despite the tough-sounding codename, he was actually a beta, neither tall nor imposing in appearance. On missions, he could adapt quickly to various roles and was responsible for infiltration and support within the alpha combat squads.

In terms of brute strength, Group Two’s trio was definitely the strongest—don’t be fooled by Glasse’s nerdy appearance with a few pimples. Once he took off his glasses, no one stood a chance—his combat skills were personally taught by Captain Gu Yin.

As for “Ding,” there’s no need to say much. Female alpha’s pheromones are generally milder than male alpha’s, but they have the same muscle strength and even greater self-control. This made female alphas excel in the special ops entrance exams, usually placed in explosive breach teams.

But oh, those alpha tempers—explosive, regardless of gender.

Another trait of female alphas is their tall, curvy figures, with ample chests and slim waists—a perfect femme fatale image. Some niche literature in the Federation even imagines a world where only two genders exist: men as “1” and women as “0.”

Tai Shan chuckled to himself.

Someone like Ding… being a “0”? She’d probably flatten anyone trying that for a week straight!

The special forces evaluation was diverse, and Ding had always assumed she’d quickly rise to be a squad leader, given her military academy background and outstanding grades. But instead, they appointed Gu Yin as captain.

Ding was displeased and challenged Gu Yin many times, but he never said much.

Then during the King of Soldiers competition, something happened midway, and after that, Ding began to follow Gu Yin’s orders without question.

As for Zhi Yin, that’s another story.

He was weak and sickly as a child, sent to the military for training by his family. Though he excelled in theory, his performance in practical combat was abysmal, constantly dragging the team down and earning ridicule from his classmates. When squad assignments came, no one wanted him—except Gu Yin, who requested him, citing the need for someone with tactical theory expertise.

Under Gu Yin’s personal mentorship, Zhi Yin became one of the top three in the Southeast Military District’s combat friendship matches.

His nickname “Zhi Yin” came from the way he could always offer a motivational speech after being teased, always ready for a psychological intervention—even during missions: “Life’s all about following the law first, happiness second… If you don’t feel like fighting, I can cook you some noodles.”

Zhi Yin was even praised as a model soldier in the Southeast Military District after several missions where he both fought and managed to reform criminals mid-battle.

So, even though Gu Yin’s background was a world away from the wealthy Second Young Master Xiao, and it was well-known how deep the waters of high society ran, to his teammates, Gu Yin was really not lacking in any way.

Tai Shan stepped out of the elevator, the wind on the rooftop was a bit strong.

Gu Yin had differentiated into an omega, someone who deserved to be cherished. If anyone bullied him…

There were a few people dressed as students on the rooftop, and Tai Shan blinked when he saw them.

Facial recognition data was immediately transmitted to the operations command vehicle.

“Hey, cleaner, no need to clean up here, what are you doing up here?”

One of the students flicked a cigarette butt and walked toward him. Tai Shan’s contact lenses displayed a message from Fox.

[Match confirmed. Neutralize the targets.]

“Sorry, you’ll all probably have to reschedule your exams.”

Tai Shan disassembled the cleaning tool in his hands, revealing a military-grade special alloy gun hidden inside. He muttered to himself:

“You guys might have to take a makeup exam.”

With one shot, he blasted the lead “student” in the leg, sending him tumbling to the ground. The others were startled and rushed at him.

—But Tai Shan’s alpha squad wouldn’t let him off that easily.

**

Shen Yuan’s iron fist slammed into the tiles, sending cracks spreading across the floor!

A killer never leaves his gun, but how hard could it be to kill an omega?!

He knew Xiao Zong must have heightened school security, so he’d allocated all his firepower to the operation to assassinate Xiao Zong.

As for Gu Yin, he figured he could strangle him with one hand.

—That was Shen Yuan’s thought half an hour ago.

Half an hour later, Shen Yuan was locked in a deadly scissor hold, the air squeezed from his chest, his throat about to snap, his lungs ready to explode. In a desperate survival instinct, he grabbed a shard of broken glass from the floor and stabbed it into the back of Gu Yin’s neck!

—Omega bodies were full of weak points.

There was no way, absolutely no way I’m going to lose!

Gu Yin wasn’t in good shape either. The bleeding had exposed his omega pheromones into the air, mixing with the scent of Xiao Zong’s mark. Either one was enough to agitate another alpha.

And now it was double the agitation.

Shen Yuan was reckless, but Gu Yin wanted to live. This wasn’t a military mission—he had to resolve this, then go home and live a peaceful life with Xiao Zong.

He remembered that Xiao Zong would pick him up after the exam.

An omega’s body was full of vulnerabilities, but Gu Yin’s only true vulnerability was Xiao Zong.

That prideful CEO who swallowed his words of dismissal, ate his food but pretended to order takeout through Assistant Wei, the one who rubbed his head and said he would protect him, that big softie of an alpha who looked cold and distant but was actually so gentle.

They were going to get engaged soon, maybe even married by the end of the year.

Gu Yin wouldn’t let any danger stand between him and Xiao Zong!

The sharp pain in his glands made cold sweat pour from Gu Yin’s body. Every bone creaked, and his blood felt like boiling water, every movement bringing intense pain.

Gritting his teeth, Gu Yin dislocated Shen Yuan’s wrist. But in that brief moment of distraction, the strength in his legs weakened, and Shen Yuan took the chance to break free, rolling on the glass-covered floor and standing again, towering over him.

“I didn’t expect there’d still be people who can fight in close combat,” Shen Yuan spat out a mouthful of blood. “I thought all they practiced now was video games.”

After the end of the interstellar war, there had been a long debate in the Federation’s military about whether 80% of training time should still be spent on physical conditioning—after all, interstellar combat revolved around mecha operation.

The result was a division within the military: those who emphasized physical conditioning and those who prioritized practical operations. Neither side could fully convince the other, but no one dared abandon traditional ground, air, and naval forces completely.

This debate persisted, creating a clear divide within the army between the physical fighters and the mecha specialists.

The former valued raw human power, focusing on muscles and explosive strength, while the latter advocated for mecha and advanced technology, believing that in the era of AI, mechanical operation would be the most practical.

Shen Yuan was a staunch supporter of the physical fighters. After joining the army, he had clashed with a classmate from the mecha camp and was mocked as a “primitive ape,” prompting him to kill the person in a fit of rage.

Gu Yin had read this in the internal report and hadn’t known what to think.

With a snap, Shen Yuan reset his dislocated wrist, tore off his ripped T-shirt, and lunged at Gu Yin once again with his muscular body exposed.

Only someone like You Maobin, with his hulking frame, could have allowed Shen Yuan to disguise himself. Before Gu Yin had arrived, he had the bodyguards at the school restrain all the alphas.

But why hadn’t the bodyguards responded yet?

Gu Yin, lying on the floor, suddenly arched his back, using his waist to forcefully kick Shen Yuan away, then performed a flawless kip-up to stand.

The blood on the floor—he didn’t even know whose it was.

Gu Yin didn’t pay attention to the injury on the back of his neck. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, not noticing that he smeared more blood from his hands onto his face. Over the past few months, Xiao Zong had spoiled him carefully,

He nodded toward the crumpled T-shirt on the floor. “Where’s that student?”

Shen Yuan sneered coldly, “What, you worried about your lover?”

Before he could finish the sentence, Gu Yin vanished like a hunting leopard and punched him so hard that he flew backward!

With a loud crash, Shen Yuan’s body slammed through the restroom door, crashing into the hallway!

The commotion was too loud to ignore, and several proctors stepped out of the exam rooms to check.

But all they saw was the shattered, barely-hanging door, with no one in sight. They looked at each other in confusion, “What happened?”

Shen Yuan tried to get up twice but failed, blood pouring from his mouth. He looked at Gu Yin, but his expression was still one of delight. “You must be from the military, I guessed right, didn’t I?”

“——With skills like yours and your age, you shouldn’t be retired yet. Why are you working for the Xiao family?”

Gu Yin’s face was pale as snow, drained of all color. Blood trickled from the wounds on his hands, staining the floor around him.

The air seemed to freeze.

“Because the military doesn’t want you. No matter how much you did for them, they only follow their own rules,” Shen Yuan paused, taking a breath, his face twisted with malice. “And you, you’re just an omega.”

Someone who couldn’t break the rules.

Even though Gu Yin had undergone intense mental training, his hand couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Sensing this weakness, Shen Yuan continued to gather his strength, taunting, “The Xiao family took you in, so now you’re like a…”

Before he could finish saying “dog,” his voice suddenly stopped, and his pupils dilated.

In his bloodshot eyes, he saw the reflection of the person standing behind Gu Yin.

Tai Shan had descended from above, standing behind Gu Yin, holding a pitch-black gun. “Tsk, looks like I’m a bit late.”

The difference between having a gun and not having one was huge. Tai Shan glanced around the chaotic scene and commented, “Wow, what a fierce fight. The little sister-in-law’s probably going to be jealous if she sees this.”

Gu Yin’s body swayed visibly.

Tai Shan quickly sensed that something was wrong. “Captain?”

“Don’t call me Captain.” Gu Yin’s voice was as cold as ice.

Tai Shan frowned, but before he could say anything more, he suddenly shouted, “No!”

But Shen Yuan suddenly sprang to his feet and leaped straight off the corridor!

“Damn it!” This was the sixth floor!

Tai Shan’s first reaction was that Shen Yuan had committed suicide, and he sprinted toward the corridor’s edge, gun in hand.

However, when he looked down, he saw the professional killer had tumbled and rolled all the way down to the first floor!

Tai Shan immediately opened fire, sending a barrage of silent bullets toward Shen Yuan!

Shell casings flew, kicking up dirt and debris in the courtyard flower beds. The complex, narrow building structure, combined with a fast-moving target, made Shen Yuan a difficult mark. The bullets grazed his body, but none struck him as he darted behind a decorative rock.

Tai Shan raised his gun, and with the last bullet, he shot the alarm. The blaring alarm echoed, and the Xiao family’s bodyguards, along with the police, rushed out from the building!

The teachers, having received prior instructions, quickly returned to their classrooms to calm the students taking the exam.

But “Yuan” wouldn’t have only stationed a few assistants on the rooftop. A killer’s profession was one of licking blood off a knife’s edge, and they had more escape routes and methods than the police could track.

They understood one crucial rule: in times of emergency, it takes time for the police to coordinate a response. If they could slip into the crowd before that, even a net cast over the entire sky wouldn’t catch them.

Tai Shan was about to jump down when Fox’s voice came through the military comms, “I’ve sent Team Three to chase him. Check on the Captain first!”

In his panic, Fox had forgotten that he was now the captain.

Tai Shan spun around.

Gu Yin was still standing where he was, those round eyes, clear and focused.

“Instructor…” Tai Shan muttered softly.

Before they had gone on their first mission as an alpha special ops squad, that’s what they used to call him.

Gu Yin wasn’t just their commander—he was the one who had taught them everything.

Gu Yin’s eyes finally moved slightly, and in a cold voice, he said, “What did I teach you? Is that the best aim you’ve got?!”

Though he was being scolded, Tai Shan noticeably relaxed.

In the command vehicle, Fox also let out a sigh of relief.

Good, good. He hasn’t turned dark yet.

Gu Yin’s neck was injured, and omega pheromones were uncontrollably leaking out, making it feel as if there was a fire burning inside him.

But he wasn’t sure if he was numb to the pain or not. He turned toward the floating elevator, saying, “Fox, don’t tell me the squad only brought one gun.”

**

“Damn it! That bastard!! He’s using me as his punching bag again!”

Fox was in the command vehicle, clutching his short-cropped hair, banging his head against the table.

“——I’m finished, I’m dead, I’m definitely going to have to write a report when we get back!!”

The chubby guy next to him looked at him sympathetically, saying, “Being captain isn’t easy.”

Then he added, “But if you keep pulling your hair, it might not grow back.”

Fox immediately let go.

Writing reports wasn’t as important as going bald.

A drone from the support team carried a half-person-sized “box” to the rooftop of the teaching building. The special ops team had sealed off the top floor, and the police, following orders, didn’t interfere with them—it was just after class, and the school had twenty or so “UNNAMED” members hidden among the crowd. They were known for creating chaos as a distraction and targeting omegas specifically.

Because omegas are the easiest to scare.

The students had never seen this kind of ruthless resolve before, and their screams were louder than the alarms.

The Xiao family’s bodyguards contacted the proctors and learned that Gu Yin had left the exam room and hadn’t returned, prompting them to begin searching the panicked crowd.

The little secretary was missing, and the newly appointed head of the bodyguards, Wu Yong, was frantic. But he quickly calmed down, giving orders to his subordinates, “You, go contact the school and pull up the surveillance. You three, search the exam building. The rest, come with me and help the police catch them. No way in hell is Secretary Gu just going to vanish into thin air in this school!”

“Brother Yong!” A bodyguard with a miserable expression asked, “Should we tell Boss Xiao?”

Wu Yong glanced at the exam building, where military drones were hovering in the sky.

“I’ll go tell him.”

**

The wind on the rooftop blew through Gu Yin’s hair, the blood on his face and body had already dried.

Tai Shan looked at this slender young man, suddenly feeling as if their captain had never left their side.

“Captain,” he called again.

Gu Yin lowered the binoculars and said, “Don’t call me that.”

His tone was calm now.

“The Seventh Division will take care of this.”

The Southeast Military District’s Special Intelligence Office, also known as the Southeast Seventh Division, was responsible for handling the aftermath of special operations like this, including police statements and records, ensuring that the soldiers completing the mission could return to their units without exposing their identities.

The drone delivered the box, and Gu Yin pried it open, revealing an electromagnetic cannon inside.

In the distance, an inconspicuous black car was driving out of the school’s side gate.

Without effort, Gu Yin grabbed the handle and hoisted the hundred-pound electromagnetic cannon onto his shoulders, using his body as a support. If it had been before, Gu Yin’s body wouldn’t have wavered at all, but now he took a small step back.

Gu Yin activated the cannon’s side system, entering the command sequence with practiced precision:

[Target acquired]

[Distance calibrated]

[Moving target confirmed: Yes]

The vehicle was getting closer to the main road, and the police, realizing they had missed someone, were starting their engines, sirens wailing as they chased after it.

In just five seconds, a high-speed chase would begin in the suburbs. No one could predict what desperate measures the professional killer might take when cornered.

“Boom——!”

A deafening explosion echoed from the rooftop of the teaching building, making the entire structure tremble!

In that instant, it was as if even the wind stood still.

A streak of fire cut through the sky, blazing with electric blue light, piercing through the heavy air as it shot toward the black car!

In the next second, the car that had been aiding Shen Yuan exploded into a plume of thick smoke!

The police cars in pursuit screeched to a halt, fishtailing to the side.

The glass of Fox’s command vehicle rattled from the shockwave. He closed his eyes and muttered under his breath, “I’m done for, I’m done for, no promotion for me this year.”

At the same time, two kilometers away, in the café where Xiao Zong was sitting, an explosion went off.