Jin Mu still hadn’t removed his hand from the pod door, and Li Po was starting to get impatient. Though the painkiller was still working, all his focus was on that pain in his leg, and even the slightest discomfort felt amplified, tormenting him.

All Li Po wanted now was to find a place to sit. He restrained his irritation and urged Jin Mu again, “I need to start training.”

His tone was cold this time, his face no longer warm like before. His slightly lowered lashes hid his eyes, so all others could see was half of his face. That half-face, now showing a hint of impatience, gave off a distant and cold vibe.

Jin Mu was taken aback. Instinctively, he glanced at the Omega, but when he saw the coldness in his eyes, his heart clenched.

Why was Li Po so gentle with that unimpressive Alpha, yet so indifferent and dismissive toward him? When he accompanied the Omega to get his medicine, Li Po had said he wouldn’t hold a grudge, so why was he being so distant now?

Jin Mu’s mind was a mess, his chest tight with sourness, as if he had just downed a jar of hundred-year-old vinegar. Under Li Po’s frosty gaze, he slowly moved his hand away from the pod door.

The moment Jin Mu moved his hand, Li Po dropped his gaze without expression, opened the machine’s pod, and agilely slipped inside with a slight bend of his waist.

Bang—

As the pod door closed, Li Po’s cold and indifferent profile vanished from Jin Mu’s view. Jin Mu stood there, dazed, clutching his chest without understanding why.

It wasn’t until this moment that a realization hit him, and his expression changed.

Wait a minute, why was he feeling jealous? What was he even doing?

Instead of focusing on training, he had come here to spy on the Omega and some random guy, only to get the cold shoulder and be used in the process…

Was he under some sort of spell?

Realizing this, Jin Mu’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He forced down the emotions he didn’t want to examine and left with a grim expression.

He decided that he needed to avoid the Omega from now on. Every time he interacted with Li Po, it felt like he lost his mind and became someone else.

…

Inside the holographic combat simulation pod.

As soon as Li Po sat down, a sharp pain shot through the inside of his thigh.

He hissed in pain, carefully touching the area through his pants, and the moment his fingers made contact, his face contorted in discomfort.

Damn, he was starting to regret implanting the chip there. The skin in that area was already sensitive, and now, with a chip embedded, it felt like he was just asking for trouble.

But there was no going back now. Sighing, Li Po gritted his teeth through the pain and activated the holographic training mode.

[Please select your training module:]

Remembering why he had come, he immediately chose the [Pollutant Elimination Training].

[Please select your weapon:]

Li Po initially wanted to choose a handgun but, after some hesitation, opted for a simple knife that anyone could use.

[Are you ready?]

[Yes.]

White mist rose, and the scenery around him began to shift. When the mist cleared, Li Po found himself standing in a damp, dark forest.

The air in the forest was thick with humidity and a strong, earthy smell. The moment Li Po smelled it, he instinctively held his breath, unable to bear the stench.

Pushing aside the vines in front of him, he cautiously moved forward, his eyes sweeping over the grass at his feet, wary of any potential pollutants hiding among them.

The soil underfoot was wet and soft, turning muddy with each step. Li Po kicked aside some of the overgrown grass, carefully avoiding any mud pits. Mud splattered onto his combat boots, and he frowned, moving away with some distaste.

As he walked, a faint rustling sound came from ahead.

The noise grew closer, mixed with the scraping of pebbles, like some cold-blooded creature slithering along the ground.

Li Po’s face tightened, his expression becoming sharp and focused as he directed his attention toward the source of the sound.

Within seconds, the noise was right in front of him.

Thick vines snapped under the weight of something heavy, and the tall grass was flattened as a black-brown head emerged, flicking its tongue in the air with a hissing sound.

Its body began to rise, revealing a large, scaly form, slowly slithering toward Li Po. The creature’s body was covered in diamond-shaped patterns, black and yellow, smeared with dirt and mud, giving it a grimy appearance.

It crept closer.

Now that it was near, Li Po could see it clearly. His expression shifted slightly—it was a giant python!

The python was several meters long, its body thicker than Li Po’s waist. He didn’t doubt for a second that it could swallow him whole without even chewing.

This python had been drawn by the scent of a living human. As the smell of prey grew stronger, the python arched its back, its slit-like pupils locking onto Li Po, its tongue flicking out hungrily.

Li Po stared into the python’s vertical pupils, his own pale brown eyes narrowing. If this were real life, he would have turned and run, but this was a simulation, and this python was his training target. He couldn’t back down.

His grip tightened on the knife in his hand, and just as he was about to charge forward to kill the snake, something caught his eye. His movements froze, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

The python’s golden vertical pupils gleamed with an eerie, sticky light, and as its forked tongue flicked out, its body twisted unnaturally, curling up into a tight coil.

Its hissing became sharp and agitated, scratching at Li Po’s eardrums. Suddenly, the forked tongue split apart, extending rapidly like two crimson ribbons, covered in countless tiny barbs.

In an instant, the python’s body turned pitch black, and the elongated tongues whipped toward Li Po, covered in a viscous, unidentified fluid that dripped onto the ground.

Li Po glanced at the grass where the liquid had landed, and his heart sank.

The vibrant green grass withered instantly, turning black and shriveling into ash, blending with the muddy ground.

If that tongue touched him, he’d be done for.

Without hesitation, Li Po closed his eyes and concentrated on his mental power.

He had never tried controlling his mental power before, expecting to struggle or even fail. But the moment he thought about it, he felt a jolt in his mind, as if something awakened instinctively.

Dormant mental power surged to life. In an instant, warmth spread through Li Po’s entire body, wrapping around every nerve cell. He felt an indescribable strength flowing through him.

The python’s crimson tongues lashed toward Li Po, its deadly saliva dripping and killing everything in its path. Just as the tongue was about to graze his face, Li Po snapped his eyes open, locking gazes with the python’s golden vertical pupils.

The python’s eyes were terrifying, each as large as a human fist. Being stared at by those eyes sent a chill down his spine, as if he would be swallowed whole by the beast’s gaping maw at any moment.

But Li Po had already discarded any trace of fear. His adrenaline spiked, and his gaze turned sharp with excitement. Instead of looking away, he stared right into the python’s eyes, while his mental power surged, invading and dominating—

At that moment, the python’s forked tongue froze in mid-air, unable to move any closer. An overwhelming pressure swept down from above, crashing into the python’s brain, halting its attack.

Li Po’s mental power flowed out of him, his face growing pale. A streak of red appeared in his eyes, giving him an eerie and dangerous look. But he didn’t notice, continuing to stare down the python with a wild glint in his eyes.

Unseen forces ripped through the python’s mind, attacking its nervous system and taking control of its body. In mere seconds, Li Po had seized control of the python’s brain, destroying its central nervous system and rendering it completely powerless.

Under Li Po’s gaze, the python’s pupils constricted into needle-thin slits. The forked tongue retracted at lightning speed, slithering back into its mouth.

Li Po didn’t stop there. He seemed almost addicted to the feeling of power as he poured more mental energy into crushing the python’s brain, intending to obliterate it entirely.

The python’s once glossy black body began to dull. Its slick, tightly packed scales turned dry and brittle, slowly peeling away and falling into the mud. Cracks appeared along its skin, and thick, dark blood began to seep out, pooling on the ground.

Li Po wanted to continue, but a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. His throat tasted metallic, and he realized what was happening. He immediately closed his eyes and forcefully reined in his mental power.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again, now clear and focused, though streaked with red veins.

—That was close. He had almost lost control.

Suppressing his thoughts, Li Po glanced at the python.

As he withdrew his mental power, the python was finally released from its invisible bindings. It coiled up in agony, thrashing wildly on the ground, its split tongue hissing sharply.

The python’s massive body stirred up a cloud of dust, crushing the vines beneath it as it rolled. Dark green fluid mixed with its blood, creating a nauseating stench.

Li Po stepped back, frowning in disgust. After a while, the python finally stopped struggling, collapsing onto the muddy ground.

Cautiously, Li Po approached, noticing something hard under his foot.

He lifted his boot to see a large, hard scale.

“…Gross.”

Kicking it aside, he moved closer to the python.

The snake’s brain had been destroyed, leaving it in a mindless frenzy. It continued to rub its body against the ground, trying in vain to alleviate the searing pain that consumed it.

Instead of relief, it only managed to strip away most of its scales, leaving its body a bloody mess.

Blood splattered everywhere, some of it staining Li Po’s combat boots. He stared down coldly, gripped the knife tightly, and plunged it into the snake’s weakest point with a swift motion.

Compared to the massive python, Li Po looked like an ant that could easily be crushed.

But the python, instead of crushing the ant, lay dying on the ground, its golden eyes bleeding as it gazed up at the fragile human who had bested it.

The next second, the python’s body convulsed violently before going completely limp, dead.

[Congratulations, your pollutant elimination training is complete. Would you like to continue?]

[No.]

Inside the pod, Li Po slowly opened his eyes as a large holographic screen appeared before him.

[WIN: 4 minutes, 48 seconds.]

Li Po stared at the screen, expressionless. The blood that had stained his combat boots was gone, but the metallic taste in his mouth remained, as real as ever.

Pressing a hand to his throbbing head, Li Po was filled with confusion.

Why had he lost control?

Although controlling his mental power felt exhilarating, he had also felt his mind being drained, inch by inch. It was terrifying, like watching his body slowly fall apart while being powerless to stop it.

He was usually so cautious about his life—why had he gone so wild?

Li Po racked his brain but couldn’t find an answer. He could only blame the novelty of the experience—like how an inexperienced guy might go overboard on his first night.

Li Po felt that comparison was a bit insulting, especially since he hadn’t even had his “first night” yet…

Shaking off those distracting thoughts, Li Po pressed a button and opened the pod door. The instant fresh air hit his face, he felt dizzy.

He grabbed the door for support, barely managing to stay upright. The sensation reminded him of the time when his mental power had been completely drained while using weapons. Realizing that he needed sleep, Li Po didn’t hesitate, heading straight for his dorm.

Back at his dorm, Li Po quickly showered and then buried himself under the blankets, ready to sleep.

It had been an exhausting day. First, he had gone to see Jiang Yu to get his official combatant status, then he had visited White Tower, and finally, he had trained at Training Ground 1. Although the physical exertion wasn’t much, the mental strain had been overwhelming, leaving him utterly drained.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

But even in sleep, he didn’t find peace. He was plagued by bizarre, disturbing dreams that left him even more exhausted.

First, he dreamed of being tied to a bed by a chainsaw-wielding maniac, the sound of the chainsaw whirring in his ears. Just as the maniac was about to saw him in half, the scene changed, and he found himself in a mental asylum.

The asylum was full of lunatics, and he was the only sane person there. But to the insane, the sane are the crazy ones, so they all came after him, cursing and hitting him. Just as he was about to fight back, the scene shifted again, and now he was being chased by pollutants, barely hanging on.

The pollutant, waving its dark tentacles, pursued him relentlessly. Li Po wanted to use his mental power to control the pollutant’s brain, but to his dismay, he realized his mental power had been completely drained in the previous training. All he could do was run for his life.

Just as he was about to escape, he looked down.

What he saw jolted him awake.

—There was a massive hole in his abdomen, and countless tiny tentacles were wriggling out, clawing their way out of his body with suction cups.

“…Damn it!”

Li Po sat up abruptly, pale and gasping for breath.

The first thing he did was pull back the covers and check his abdomen—thankfully, it hadn’t been ripped open.

Realizing this, Li Po let out a sigh of relief. Cold sweat still clung to his forehead, dripping down his temples and onto his chin, where he wiped it away with a trembling hand.

…That was terrifying, truly.

Although he had encountered three people who had been parasitized by pollutants, that didn’t mean Li Po could handle the idea of being parasitized himself. He had always prided himself on his looks and couldn’t bear ugly things, let alone slimy, wriggling tentacles.

Just the thought gave him goosebumps.

He didn’t dare go back to sleep, afraid that the dream would continue. Rubbing his face to clear his head, Li Po sighed softly, feeling mentally drained. He reached under his pillow for his communicator and opened it to check for messages.

There was a new notification.

Li Po clicked on the red dot and saw it was a message from Lan Deng.

Lan Deng: [I heard you went on a mission. How did it go? Exciting?]

Li Po: [You’re well-informed.]

Lan Deng: [Haha, just keeping an eye on you.]

“…” Li Po stared at the message, falling silent.

He didn’t know how to respond to Lan Deng’s straightforwardness.

Sensing that his previous message might have been a bit too forward, Lan Deng quickly followed up with another, changing the subject:

Lan Deng: [By the way, you wouldn’t believe how exhausted I’ve been these past few days. With all the sudden surge of pollutants outside, combatants like me have been going on missions way more frequently. We used to go once a week, but now it’s every three days. It’s killing me.]

Li Po: [Sounds tough.]

Lan Deng: [It’s not just tough, it’s a curse. I used to envy you, getting to stay in S District with nothing to worry about. But I never expected you’d want to jump into the mess of being a combatant. You’ve really surprised me.]

Li Po: [I was just curious.]

Lan Deng: [Alright then, but I really hope we get the chance to go on a mission together sometime.]

Li Po glanced at the message but didn’t reply.

He tossed the communicator aside, rubbing his temples. Based on Lan Deng’s account, it seemed the frequency of missions for combatants had increased from once a week to once every three or four days.

His last mission was yesterday, so by that schedule, he would be due for another mission soon.

The thought made Li Po a little excited. After all, the outside world was far more interesting than S District.

As his thoughts drifted, Li Po suddenly felt hungry.

He reached for a packet of nutritional fluid on his nightstand.

Just as he was about to check the flavor, his communicator chimed with a “ding—.”

Interrupted, Li Po didn’t bother checking and instead grabbed the packet, placing it on his lap as he twisted off the cap.

While unscrewing the cap, he glanced at the communicator.

The instant he saw the message on the screen, his eyes lit up.

[Mission Assignment Notification]

[C-level Mission]

[Time: 48 hours later]

[Team members: Lan Deng, Jin Mu, Li Po]

[Location: Lower district of the human base, Larer Point]

[Mission details: Eliminate local pollutants]

“…”

Li Po’s vision darkened the moment he saw the team members.

Oh no, was Lan Deng some kind of cursed prophet?

Just as Li Po was about to drink from the packet, his communicator buzzed twice. He unlocked it to find two messages, one from each of his soon-to-be teammates.

Li Po didn’t even need to look to know who they were.

Sure enough, when he opened his inbox, messages from Lan Deng and Jin Mu popped up in rapid succession, practically bombarding his screen:

Lan Deng: [Oh my gosh, I hit the jackpot! I just mentioned it, and the system put us on the same team! You know, there are so many combatants in S District, it’s rare to end up together like this. We must be destined!]

Jin Mu: [Did you see the mission assignment? We’re on the same team in two days. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re safe.]

Lan Deng: [What do you think I should wear for the mission? Which combat suit do you like? I’ll wear whichever one you pick. Don’t worry, I’m pretty strong!]

Jin Mu: [Don’t be scared. C-level missions are easy. I’ve been to Larer Point plenty of times, and I’ll make sure you come back safe.]

Li Po: …

Great.

His communicator kept buzzing, but Li Po ignored it, sipping his nutritional fluid with a blank expression.

The next second, his face twisted, and he lunged for the garbage can by his bed, spitting out the fluid.

Once he had emptied his mouth, he grabbed the packet and checked the flavor.

One glance and his face darkened.

Flavor: Bitter Melon.

…Fantastic. Bitter melon juice was the one thing he hated most in life.

After downing another, more palatable packet of nutritional fluid, Li Po finally picked up his communicator again, checking the messages.

Lan Deng had sent him four messages, and Jin Mu three. They were neck and neck in persistence.

Li Po gave them both a quick glance before replying to Lan Deng with a simple: [Got it.]

Then, he replied to Jin Mu with the same: [Got it.]

Satisfied with his brief responses, he set the communicator down and pulled the blanket over his head, hoping to sleep without any more nightmares.

Maybe this time he’d sleep peacefully, he thought.

…

In the administrative office of S District.

A White Tower medical officer respectfully handed a stack of documents to Jing Lun, addressing him, “Administrator, we are currently researching the third parasitic case. We’ve made preliminary progress on a specialized vaccine targeting the parasite species, with a prevention success rate of about 60%. Please review it and see if we can administer it to all combatants in S District.”

Jing Lun took the documents and flipped through them casually. “Have you identified the source of the parasite species?”

The medical officer hesitated, shaking his head. “We haven’t yet found any evidence linking the second and third parasitic cases. Additionally, the pollution genes in the third case are too rare, and there are no similar records in the interstellar gene database.”

Jing Lun nodded, closing the documents and tossing them onto the table. “The vaccine’s prevention rate is still too low. Improve it.”

The medical officer, despite feeling frustrated, bowed respectfully. “Understood.”

“The parasite species concerns the survival of S District. If necessary, you may grant access to the lower levels of White Tower’s second basement floor.”

“Yes, sir!”

…

The day before the mission, Li Po made a trip to White Tower.

After all, as long as Bian Lu hadn’t fired him, he was still Bian Lu’s assistant. He had to show up whenever he was free.

Unfortunately, it seemed he had come at a bad time. The consultation room was empty. Li Po was going to sit on the couch and wait for Bian Lu, but he quickly got bored, and his eyes wandered to the bookshelf behind Bian Lu’s desk.

The bookshelf was a mess, crammed with all sorts of things. Li Po didn’t care much about books, but he couldn’t stand the clutter and figured he’d tidy it up.

Surely Bian Lu wouldn’t mind. After all, the consultation room was accessible to everyone. If there were any confidential files, they wouldn’t be left out here.

Li Po had always been a man of action, so without hesitation, he stood up and walked over to the bookshelf.

As expected, the shelf held all sorts of things—medical records, pharmaceutical supply lists, and a small stack of documents Li Po didn’t understand, labeled [White Tower Second Basement Floor Experiment Permission Forms].

White Tower’s second basement floor?

Li Po had never been to the second basement floor of White Tower and had no idea what was down there. He only knew that the third basement floor held a group of mentally ill prisoners, all of whom were completely out of their minds.

As Li Po debated whether or not to take a peek, the door to the consultation room suddenly opened.

“What are you doing?”

Li Po quickly shoved the documents back onto the shelf and turned to face the newcomer as if nothing had happened. “Dr. Bian, I was just tidying up your bookshelf.”

“No need.” Bian Lu strode over, his eyes scanning the bookshelf.

Seeing that the permission forms were still in their original place, he let out a silent sigh of relief, his expression softening. “You didn’t move anything, did you?”

Li Po shook his head. “No, I hadn’t started before you came back.”

Li Po had always been good at masking his emotions, and now his eyes held only innocence and sincerity, nothing else.

Bian Lu seemed convinced. He pulled the permission forms from the shelf, holding them in his hand, before addressing Li Po again. “Don’t touch my bookshelf in the future. There are a lot of confidential documents here that you’re not allowed to see.”

Li Po nodded. “Got it. I’ll remember.”

Seeing the Omega’s obedient and understanding demeanor, Bian Lu softened. After all, it was his fault for not telling Li Po what he could and couldn’t touch, so it wouldn’t be fair to blame him.

With that in mind, Bian Lu waved him off. “If you don’t have anything else to do, you can go. I have work to get back to.”

“Okay.”

After leaving the consultation room, Li Po walked down the third-floor corridor of White Tower, deep in thought.

What could possibly be on the second basement floor of White Tower?

If the third basement floor held mentally ill criminals, then the second basement floor must be equally extraordinary.

The more Li Po thought about it, the more curious he became. He wasn’t easily scared, and for him, as long as the consequences weren’t too severe, the risks were worth taking.

Besides, last time he had bumped into Jiang Yu on the third basement floor, and nothing had happened. Even if someone caught him down here again, it shouldn’t be a big deal.

With that resolve, Li Po made up his mind to visit the second basement floor of White Tower.

…

The elevator descended to the second basement floor of White Tower.

Li Po stepped out and walked calmly down the corridor.

For some reason, this place felt particularly oppressive. Not just oppressive—it was cold, with an eerie, unsettling vibe.

The further Li Po walked, the more uncomfortable he felt. His footsteps, already light, became hesitant. Should he keep going…?

Uncertain, he approached a corner and peeked around.

Just as he suspected, the place was empty.

Logically, an empty area should make things easier. No one would be around to catch him. But for some reason, Li Po had no desire to go further, as if there was something unclean ahead.

Still, he shook off the strange feeling. Pollutants didn’t scare him, so why should this? He had already made it this far, and turning back now just wasn’t his style.

Steeling himself, Li Po forced his legs to carry him down the corridor, one step at a time.

Surprisingly, he hadn’t walked far before he came across several rooms. Strangely enough, none of the rooms had doors, allowing him to enter freely.

“…Should I go in?” Li Po asked himself.

The corridor stretched on in a straight line, so the only way to find out more was to enter one of these rooms. Although the rooms had no doors, he couldn’t see inside from the hallway. He would have to walk another two meters past a corner to get a proper look.

This time, Li Po didn’t hesitate. He stepped toward the nearest room.

For some reason, the closer he got to the room’s entrance, the colder it became, as if the air conditioning inside was blasting cold air out into the hallway.

Shivering from the chill, Li Po wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing them as he continued forward.

Finally, he reached the entrance.

At the doorway was a sharp corner. Li Po peeked around, realizing he would need to walk two more meters and then turn left to reach the main part of the room.

He wasn’t sure why the room was designed so oddly, but he didn’t think much of it. He quietly stepped inside, moving as lightly as possible.

Two meters, one meter, half a meter…

Li Po stopped in his tracks and turned—

The next second, his eyes widened in shock, and he stumbled back several steps.

From his vantage point, he could see a wide, pristine white space. The room was cold and brightly lit, the glaring white lights shining directly onto Li Po’s pale face.

And illuminating row upon row of corpses, each covered with a white sheet on a morgue stretcher.

The morgue stretchers stood coldly in place, their coverings concealing the bodies beneath. One of the sheets wasn’t draped properly, and Li Po caught a glimpse of what lay beneath.

Even though he immediately looked away, he hadn’t escaped in time. A flash of stiff, blue-black human skin entered his peripheral vision, sending chills through his body.

…This was a morgue!

In that instant, every hair on Li Po’s body stood on end.

He struggled to steady his breathing and turned to run.

“Finally scared?” A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

The voice was as icy as the morgue itself. Already on edge, Li Po thought he had seen a ghost, and he instinctively bolted.

Jiang Yu, thinking Li Po was about to scream, swiftly restrained him and clamped a hand over his mouth, preventing any sound from escaping.

It wasn’t until Li Po felt the warmth of Jiang Yu’s hand and recognized his familiar scent that the tension in his body finally relaxed.

A moment later, as if completely terrified, Li Po spun around, grabbed Jiang Yu’s hand, and hugged him tightly, burying his face in his chest, muttering a soft “Mmm.”

Li Po was genuinely scared. He had never imagined that White Tower’s second basement floor housed not living people but so many corpses. There had to be at least a hundred bodies here, stacked on dozens of morgue stretchers.

He wasn’t usually easily frightened, but this was too much. How was he supposed to handle seeing so many dead bodies…?

And to make matters worse, Jiang Yu had deliberately scared him, almost giving him a heart attack.

Li Po felt wronged. He had never encountered anything like this in his entire life, so how could he have been prepared for such a sight? It was like going to the hospital for medicine and accidentally stumbling into the morgue. And considering how much he feared death, that moment had made him think his own time had come.

Clinging to Jiang Yu, Li Po leaned in closer. The Alpha’s scent was calming, soothing his nerves. At that moment, he needed that reassurance.

Jiang Yu could still feel the warmth of the Omega’s lips against his palm. In the frigid room, that warmth stood out even more.

Li Po’s sudden embrace left Jiang Yu stiff and unsure of how to react. He instinctively wanted to push him away, but when he caught sight of the Omega’s pale face, clearly frightened, he hesitated and remained silent.

The morgue was freezing, and Li Po’s hands and feet were ice-cold. He pressed his cold hands against Jiang Yu’s clothes, seeking the warmth of his body. Jiang Yu, having just come from outside, was perfectly warm compared to the chilly room.

Li Po clung to him for a long time, so long that Jiang Yu began to wonder if the Omega had been scared to the point of tears.

Just as Jiang Yu was about to ask, Li Po’s low voice broke the silence: “Why did you scare me? I was really frightened.”

“If you’re so scared, why did you come?”

Li Po sounded aggrieved. “How was I supposed to know this was here?”

“I’ve never been down here before. I was just curious. But when I finally worked up the courage to take a look, I…”

He stopped abruptly, refusing to say more. He tightened his grip around Jiang Yu’s waist, burying his face deeper into his chest, finding a sense of security there.

Jiang Yu was at a loss, unsure what to say. In the end, he simply murmured, “It’s okay now.”

After a while, Li Po finally lifted his head and released his grip on Jiang Yu’s waist. “Sir, how did you know I was here?”

“I had some business to attend to. I heard a noise.”

“Oh,” Li Po lowered his gaze, “I thought I was being quiet…”

Jiang Yu glanced at him but said nothing.

“Sir, are you going to punish me?” Suddenly, Li Po seemed uneasy. He hadn’t expected to get caught down here, much less by Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu stared at him expressionlessly. “No.”

That was a relief. Li Po had been dreading punishment. The penalties in S District were harsh—he still vividly remembered how Hong Mao had been beaten so badly he could barely stand. Even though Hong Mao had brought it on himself, sneaking into White Tower’s second basement floor was entirely Li Po’s idea. He certainly didn’t want to end up like Hong Mao.

Noticing the subtle sigh of relief from the Omega, Jiang Yu’s face remained unreadable as he said:

“You can go now.”

“Wait…” Li Po hesitated.

He glanced toward the morgue. The moment he did, his heart clenched, and he quickly looked away.

“Sir, can you escort me out? I’m still scared…”

Though he didn’t usually fear ghosts or spirits, the sight of all those corpses unnerved him. A few dead bodies were one thing, but dozens of morgue stretchers and hundreds of corpses? Who could handle that…?

Jiang Yu remained silent, staring at him.

Li Po knew Jiang Yu was reluctant, so he softened his tone. “Just this once,” he pleaded. After a moment, he added, “My thigh still hurts, you know. And if you hadn’t lied to me back then…”

“Fine.” Jiang Yu cut him off, his expression cold.

Li Po, always quick to seize an opportunity, smiled and grabbed the sleeve of Jiang Yu’s uniform. “Then, sir, you lead the way.”

They quickly made their way to the elevator. White Tower’s second basement floor rarely had any visitors, and today was no exception. It was just the two of them, with no one else in sight.

Li Po stood beside Jiang Yu, stealing a glance at the Alpha dressed in his all-black combat uniform. The scene felt strangely familiar.

The first time they had met, it had also been in an elevator, with Jiang Yu dressed just like this. The difference was that their first meeting had been by chance, and this time, it wasn’t.

As for what they had in common… Li Po thought dryly, maybe it was that he was still an idiot.

The last time, he had been scared by the lunatics on the third basement floor. Now, he had been frightened by the corpses on the second basement floor. It seemed like he was some sort of coward.

Li Po mentally added another descriptor— a coward who gets tricked easily.

The truth was, he wasn’t in pain anymore. The chip embedded in his inner thigh was sitting there securely, without even leaving a scar, just a barely noticeable bump.

The only reason he had asked Jiang Yu to escort him, besides his fear, was because he had hoped to get more information. But after thinking it over, he decided to drop it.

If Bian Lu had been so protective of the [White Tower Second Basement Floor Experiment Permission Forms], guarding them as if they were top secret, then Jiang Yu certainly wouldn’t share anything. There was no way he’d tell Li Po anything.

With that in mind, Li Po gave up. He stood quietly next to Jiang Yu, waiting for the elevator to reach the first floor of White Tower.

Soon enough, the elevator reached the first floor.

Li Po stepped out first, then turned to glance at Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu had been planning to return to the second basement floor, but when he saw Li Po looking back at him, he paused for a moment before stepping out of the elevator.

Li Po had only wanted to say goodbye.

There weren’t many people on the first floor, but Li Po worried that if anyone saw him and Jiang Yu together, it might spark rumors, which could hurt Jiang Yu’s reputation. So, before they reached the corridor, Li Po made sure to stop.

“Thank you, sir. Sorry to trouble you. I’ll head back now, and you can get back to work.”

“Mm.”

After receiving Jiang Yu’s response, Li Po smiled at him, his eyes curving in amusement. Then, without hesitation, he turned and walked down the corridor.

The elevator was close to the exit of White Tower, so Li Po only had to walk a short distance to reach the door.

Just as he was about to step out, someone called out his name.

Li Po frowned slightly, glancing over his shoulder—it was Jin Mu.

“What are you doing here?”

Jin Mu replied stiffly, “We’re going on a mission tomorrow. Don’t you want to ask me anything? I know a lot.”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Li Po said coldly, his disinterest obvious.

“…” Jin Mu was left standing there, awkward and embarrassed, but still unwilling to give up. Reluctantly, he hurried after Li Po.

Behind them, a figure stood silently at the corner between the corridor and the elevator. The bright lights cast a faint, cold glow on the person’s face, blurring their features.

After a moment, the figure turned away, stepping back into the elevator and descending to the second basement floor.