Chapter 86 – Otherwise, If He Blackened, You’ll Be Scared to Death

“I knew you came for this. My answer’s the same—just give up on it… huh? What did you just say?”

Aiger frowned. “Imperials?” His brows furrowed with seriousness as he turned to look at Ji Laili.

This wasn’t something to joke about. Seeing Ji Laili’s expression—composed and serious, completely different from before—Aiger gave a slight nod and motioned toward a corner with his chin. “Let’s talk over there.”

Once they moved to a more secluded spot, Aiger scrutinized him with a careful gaze. “Alright, tell me. What did you find?”

Ji Laili spoke with gravity. “This is just my suspicion for now, but I can’t rule out the possibility that there are still Imperial spies inside the military academy.”

Aiger’s expression stiffened. His entire demeanor turned sharply serious.

Ji Laili recounted everything strange that had been happening in the dormitory over the past few days, emphasizing the repeated disappearance of items.

Like Ji Laili, Aiger also suspected that the original target had been Shen Yu.

“Originally?”

Ji Laili’s expression darkened. “You think they’ve changed their plans?”

If their actions had been confined to his and Shen Yu’s dorm, it would still be relatively easy to track them down. But if they had expanded their scope, capturing them would become exponentially harder.

Ji Laili was also deeply concerned about the safety of the others.

The intruder had deliberately avoided both his and Shen Yu’s awareness, hiding in the shadows for so long without being discovered. That alone meant they were highly skilled—someone adept at stealth, infiltration, and patience.

“If they’ve shifted their target, the operation to catch them will have to expand, and that increases the risk of exposure.”

Ji Laili didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

So, he had to act fast and uncover this Imperial spy before it was too late.

The young man furrowed his brows, his usual playful demeanor gone, replaced by a composed and unshakable air of righteousness. There wasn’t a trace of panic in his expression.

For someone who usually smiled so innocently—like he’d be easy to deceive—he was unexpectedly reliable at critical moments.

In Aiger’s eyes, Ji Laili even had an air of seasoned experience, as if he already had a complete thought process when it came to handling criminals.

Narrowing his eyes, Aiger asked, “You seem pretty familiar with this. Have you done it before?”

The sudden question made Ji Laili pause. He lifted his gaze and met Aiger’s.

For the first time, he saw this normally short-tempered Alpha display an utterly cold and terrifying expression—one that could see right through everything. The pressure in those eyes was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Strangely enough… it reminded him of Shen Yu.

Though Shen Yu’s eyes were black, while Aiger’s were deep brown…

Still, he liked black more!

His thoughts spiraled off into random tangents—he even had the leisure to wonder if chestnut brown was a nice color.

Not the reaction of someone intimidated by Aiger’s sharp gaze.

Ji Laili’s lips curved into a light, relaxed smile. “With you here, I feel like our chances of winning are pretty high.”

Aiger stared at him. The chilling intensity in his eyes suddenly crumbled, and he reverted back to his usual short-tempered, rough demeanor.

“Tch. Quit sucking up to me.”

Ji Laili: “…I don’t have time for that, alright? I was being serious, Instructor.”

Aiger side-eyed him and smirked. “Thought you’d get pissed off and swing at me first.”

Getting suspected for no reason—most Alphas would have already thrown a punch or started yelling at him.

Ji Laili’s type of Alpha… was rare.

Though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, Aiger was actually pleased—after all, Ji Laili was a real talent, and more importantly, not an enemy. But, of course, Aiger wouldn’t let that show.

These damn brats—give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.

Ji Laili mumbled, “Come on, Instructor. If anything, I’m just relieved my teammate is so reliable. I should be happy, not upset.”

Aiger scoffed. “Teammate, my ass. I’m your instructor.”

Ji Laili: “…Fine, Instructor.”

The puppy surrendered in an instant, but deep inside, he muttered, “So childish.”

On the surface, though, he grinned brightly. “So, how do we handle this? Will I have the right to stay updated on the progress?”

Aiger clicked his tongue. This kid knew exactly what to ask.

After a brief pause, he decided to share a few key discoveries with Ji Laili.

For example—the Federation’s military academy did, in fact, still have Imperial spies lurking within.

Ji Laili’s suspicions were now completely confirmed.

So, someone really had infiltrated his and Shen Yu’s dorm!

“Considering the incident with the syringes during the assessment, I suspect these people are after high-quality Alpha genes.”

As for their true purpose…

It was most likely related to that serum—the one that could induce a second differentiation.

But Ji Laili didn’t say this out loud.

He didn’t want to expose Shen Yu’s situation.

He could only hope that Aiger and his team would figure it out themselves.

Suppressing his guilt, Ji Laili knew he had to keep Shen Yu’s secret. He had promised, and he would never break that promise.

However, as he met Aiger’s unreadable gaze, Ji Laili’s brow twitched slightly.

Still, he put on his usual grin. “Something wrong, Instructor?”

Aiger clicked his tongue and suddenly smirked. The short-tempered Alpha raised an eyebrow.

“Not bad. You actually managed to piece all that together. Looks like I really underestimated you.”

“Your analysis is correct. We managed to extract some useful intel, but it hasn’t been reported yet. You’re the third person to know about this.”

“Those Imperial bastards are conducting a secret experiment, which is why they infiltrated the assessment.”

“The Imperial agent who targeted Zhai Yifei was after his genes.”

Aiger continued, “As for the specifics of the experiment, the ones we caught weren’t high enough in rank to know. But if I had to guess, it’s probably another drug targeting Alphas. These idiots—why can’t they mess with their own people instead? What, are all their Alphas dead or something?”

His face was filled with frustration. “Looks like it’s related to gland research again. No wonder they aren’t using their own people.”

Hearing that Aiger had pieced together most of the truth, Ji Laili finally felt a bit relieved.

Having reliable people on your side really does give you a sense of security.

“You better watch yourself.”

“Huh?” Why was Aiger suddenly talking about him?

“What do you think I meant earlier?” Aiger shot him a side glance, crossing his arms and letting out a short laugh.

“Ji Laili, you’re also considered one of the top Alphas now.”

Seeing Ji Laili’s confused expression—clearly not expecting himself to be included—Aiger’s playful smirk faltered for a moment.

His face gradually became serious.

That cold, unreadable expression suddenly reminded Ji Laili of the fierce captain of the criminal police unit from his past life.

“You think I’m joking?”

Then, in a burst of frustration, Aiger roared, “Ji Laili! If you ever fall into their hands, I might as well kill you here and now!”

His voice thundered with anger. These reckless little brats!

Moments like this made Aiger seriously consider quitting his job.

Especially when Ji Laili, after his initial stunned reaction, suddenly curved his lips into a grin—his sharp little canine teeth showing as he beamed happily.

Aiger felt an even stronger urge to punch this kid.

This was absolutely outrageous!

Ji Laili’s eyes curved into crescents as he grinned. “Instructor, thank you~”

“Thank my ass, you little—”

“It’s just… I suddenly felt how much you care. No matter where I end up, my luck doesn’t seem too bad.”

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth lifted, his bright eyes shimmering like a little crescent moon, full of warmth and sincerity.

Aiger’s burning rage was abruptly extinguished.

The Alpha almost lost control of his expression.

In the end, he could only tug at the corner of his lips and, in what he thought was a threatening tone, muttered coldly, “You sneaky little brat.”

Fine. If Aiger wanted to insult him, he’d let him have this one.

Ji Laili just pretended not to hear it, smiling to himself.

But…

His expression turned serious. “There’s something else. I’ve been holding it in for days—I have to tell you, Instructor.”

Aiger frowned slightly. “What is it?”

“Shen Yu doesn’t like being pressured. Next time, don’t do that to him.”

Then Ji Laili added, “Oh, and… it’s best if you don’t yell at him either.”

Otherwise, if he goes dark, you’ll be scared to death.

Aiger: “…?”