Chapter 16 2/2

The laboratory is the dean’s exclusive laboratory, containing many highly confidential materials that students are absolutely not qualified to access.

Jiang Li murmured, “This doesn’t seem appropriate…”

The old demon king earnestly advised, “Why isn’t it appropriate? Don’t go looking for some random laboratory outside. None outside the school is as good. For now, I’m busy here; the formal notice will be issued later.”

Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Jiang Li pondered. What does “random laboratory outside” mean? How did the dean know he was planning to find a laboratory outside?

…

On the planet where the old demon king resides, the day dawns later than on Earth.

The research location is confidential, and few people can contact him to prevent long-distance eavesdropping on signal waves by enemies.

To his surprise, early one morning, he received a mocking call from the Space Force.

“…If the military academy is too small, I don’t mind inviting Mr. Jiang to the Cen family’s laboratory.”

Old Demon King: “Do you lack information experts recruited by the Cen family? Not willing to let go of a good talent? Despite being in the space force, why are you always thinking of poaching military personnel? Call Wang Xuning now; it’s inconvenient for me to call him.”

…

Outside the Federal Household Registration Management Bureau, in a coffee shop.

Some people, missing a few screws, are still so arrogant.

Cen Lang did not show up, but from a distance, he watched as two bodyguards called out Jiang Lu, knocked him out, and stuffed him into a car.

The car drove all the way to the underground city, throwing Jiang Lu inside.

Cen Lang himself wasn’t in the underground city, but he left two doses of pheromones not far from the exit.

Jiang Lu almost woke up as soon as he entered. His head felt densely painful, surrounded by darkness. He crawled inside, deeper and deeper, the pain making him vaguely aware, prompting him to change direction after tumbling and crawling, howling like a ghost.

When he finally pushed open the door and fell to the ground, fingers clutching the steps, he feared that he would slip back in with a momentary lapse.

Several bodyguards surrounded him. “Isn’t it something? Mr. Cen is hanging by a thread, and you still hold a grudge, wanting to go in and kill him?”

“So malicious.”

“Since it’s like this, why bother covering for you?”

“In the first major battle when Mr. Cen became the commander, everyone must know.”

Jiang Lu could faintly hear them talking about that time.

“No, no…”

He screamed in his mind, but no one heard.

On the star network, responding to the intense curiosity about the underground city figure, the space force released the complete process of the first battle he commanded.

After being surrounded and the situation reaching a stalemate, with a general piloting a warship and exposing the location, Commander Cen, relying on excellent military skills and familiarity with interstellar routes, forcibly broke through the encirclement, achieving a complete victory.

[Our side lost an S-class warship, with casualties limited to one injured general.]

After reading it, netizens commented, “Damn, the warship bought with taxpayers’ money was just given away like that???”

Then someone revealed that the injured general was Jiang Lu. Due to the injury’s embarrassing location and the Jiang family’s activities, the matter was suppressed.

“Feel a little sympathy, but not much.”

“Just thinking about his suffocating operation makes me want to laugh.”

In one day, the Jiang family received dozens of condolence calls, verbally expressing sympathy but revealing their true faces while enjoying the spectacle.

“Jiang Lu can only rely on himself to get over it.”

“Mr. Jiang and Miss Lu have been married for five years, right? Why haven’t they had children yet? Is there a problem too?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m just guessing. But you should go to the hospital for a checkup sooner rather than later.”

The Jiang patriarch lost face and stayed indoors, not allowing Jiang Lu to go out.

Jiang Lu was banned from going out, and Jiang Ji was taken to the hospital for infertility testing. The result showed extremely low sperm vitality, and his wife immediately demanded a divorce.

…

While the online world was changing, reality remained lively.

Jiang Li, on the way to get the key from the deputy dean, passed by the Human Studies Institute.

While the gates of other institutes were grand, the entrance of the Human Studies Institute had three long billboards, each representing a different perspective and school of thought, covered in posters arguing.

“No Beta, AO will disappear!”

“Revealing why tribal leaders are all Alphas.”

“Ancient Omegas change to Alphas every two years!”

“The latest discovery: Ancient Omega pheromones during pregnancy have strong aggression!”

Jiang Li was shocked by the titles, especially the last one, which was in red, as if painted.

The deputy dean was in a meeting in the school’s main administrative building, and Jiang Li arrived early.

Today, the sun was shining, and it was warmer. Jiang Li took out an alcohol cotton pad, wiped the stone bench, and sat down after it dried.

Placing the backpack on his lap, he took out his phone to modify his experimental plan.

Cen Lang finished discussing matters with the principal and happened to see Jiang Li downstairs.

Running his hand over a sharp corner of the wall, Cen Lang looked at the swollen and bleeding skin, then walked up to Jiang Li.

“Dr. Xiao Jiang, could you help with this?”

Jiang Li raised his head, saw Cen Lang’s injured hand, and stood up. “Sure, have a seat.”

Cen Lang sat down without ceremony, his wrist resting on his knee and his palm facing up for Jiang Li to treat.

Jiang Li crouched down, opened the backpack, and searched for the needed supplies: disinfectant cotton and adhesive bandages.

Cen Lang’s gaze, looking down from above, casually delved into Jiang Ping’s unguarded backpack.

Suppressants, alcohol pads, iodine, syringes, distilled water… like a small medicine cabinet. Did he carry this everywhere?

There were syringes matching the blood draw point on his neck after waking up.

The suppressant was of the same type used by underground city nurses.

The backpack lid covered a bit, and Cen Lang squinted. Was that potassium permanganate effervescent tablet?

Jiang Li crouched down, using tweezers to carefully wipe the broken skin with iodine cotton. Some red strands of blood seeped out.

He paused. Why was there still no scent of pheromones in Cen Lang’s blood?

Both hands simultaneously pressed on the backpack.

Jiang Li lifted his gaze, meeting Cen Lang’s eyes against the light.