After walking out of White Tower, Li Po was finally able to shake off that eerie, cold feeling as he bathed in the sunlight. Squinting his eyes, he turned to acknowledge Jin Mu standing beside him. “You’ve been following me. Do you need something?”

Jin Mu stared into the cold, indifferent eyes of the omega, momentarily speechless. His jaw tightened as his lips moved, seemingly unsure of what to say. After a long pause, he finally managed to ask, “This mission is at the human base. Don’t you want to go home for a visit?”

Li Po froze at his words. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, “Does S District allow that?”

“If it’s you, S District should agree.”

After saying that, Jin Mu expected to see a hint of joy in Li Po’s eyes. After all, most omegas were extremely homesick. Since Li Po had been in S District alone for quite some time now, it was logical that he would want to return home.

But to Jin Mu’s surprise, there wasn’t the slightest trace of emotion in the omega’s eyes. Li Po merely lifted his eyelids and said calmly, “Forget it.”

Jin Mu was taken aback. “Why?”

Li Po didn’t answer. He just shook his head and remained silent. Unseen by Jin Mu, Li Po’s fingers twitched slightly as he blinked slowly.

Of course, there was no way he could go home because, in this world, he didn’t have a home at all. As for the past… Li Po forced a smile. He didn’t have a home back then either.

Li Po stayed silent, so Jin Mu didn’t press further and simply observed him quietly. As he stared, Jin Mu suddenly felt that there was an indescribable sense of loneliness around Li Po. It was a type of solitude and isolation that he couldn’t quite comprehend.

Jin Mu couldn’t put it into words, but something about Li Po’s mood didn’t seem right. Just as he was hesitating about whether to ask, Li Po suddenly said, “You should head back. I have something to take care of.”

Jin Mu, being an adult, understood what Li Po meant in this context, so he didn’t press any further. He simply said, “See you tomorrow.”

Li Po nodded lightly. “See you tomorrow.”

After Jin Mu left, Li Po stared blankly at the empty space in front of him, a bit lost in thought. If Jin Mu hadn’t suddenly mentioned the word “home” today, Li Po would have almost forgotten that most people had homes.

Too bad, he wasn’t one of them.

**

The next morning.

Li Po got out of bed after being alerted by the system. After a quick shower and efficiently getting ready, he sat on the bed, contemplating what weapon to bring for the mission.

For the previous E-level mission, he carried a pistol for safety. But this time, the situation didn’t allow for that. Last time, his three teammates weren’t familiar with him, so they wouldn’t pay much attention to his weapons. But Jin Mu and Lan Deng were different. They’d definitely keep an eye on him during the mission.

Thinking about this gave Li Po a headache. However, he trusted Jin Mu and Lan Deng’s skills. Unless something went terribly wrong, he shouldn’t be in any real danger, so he didn’t need to bring a gun.

With that in mind, Li Po quickly headed to the armory and carefully selected a pack of poison and a dagger.

…

At the southeast corner of S District, near the starship’s trajectory.

Li Po was the last to arrive. From a distance, he could see two tall figures standing there. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the atmosphere between the two seemed a little off.

As soon as Lan Deng saw him, he strode forward, blocking Jin Mu behind him. “You’re finally here.”

Behind Lan Deng, Jin Mu gritted his teeth, glaring at the alpha in front of him. If he remembered correctly, the last time they were at Training Ground No. 3, this very alpha had persistently badgered Li Po for his contact information.

How is it that after so long, this guy is still hovering around like a peacock in front of an omega? Doesn’t he realize how annoying he is?

The “peacock” Lan Deng, however, didn’t even notice he was being insulted. He was in a great mood, chatting with the omega. “How do I look today? They said this color matches my hair, but I don’t trust them. There’s no way a bunch of straight Alphas have better fashion sense than you.”

After speaking, Li Po’s gaze naturally fell on him. After seeing the color combination of Lan Deng’s outfit, Li Po couldn’t help but smile. “Not bad.”

The moment Li Po laughed, Jin Mu’s face darkened instantly. He forced his way forward, his expression darker than coal, interrupting the conversation between the two. “It’s getting late. Let’s get on the starship.”

Li Po didn’t object, but a flicker of displeasure passed over Lan Deng’s face.

Ignoring the hostile glare directed at him, Jin Mu followed closely behind the omega as they boarded.

Since Li Po was the first to board, he also got to choose his seat first. After scanning the area, he eventually chose a seat by the window.

Jin Mu wanted to sit with the omega, but just as he was about to sit down, an undeniable force pulled him back.

At the same time, a voice came from behind, “Li Po is an omega. AO dynamics are different. You should sit with me instead.”

Jin Mu’s face darkened immediately, his expression so stormy it seemed like it could rain. Without turning, he reached back and grabbed Lan Deng’s hand with precision, slowly prying it off him one finger at a time.

Lan Deng’s face twisted in pain for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and smiled at the omega. “Li Po, what do you think?”

Li Po, who hadn’t noticed their silent struggle at all, was resting his chin in his hand, admiring the view outside the window. Hearing Lan Deng call his name, he casually replied, “Whatever you arrange.”

Lan Deng’s mood instantly lifted, and he sat down next to Li Po with a broad grin, happily patting the seat beside him. “Jin Mu, come sit here.”

Jin Mu’s gaze, in that moment, was sharp enough to kill.

But he had no choice but to swallow his frustration, biting back his urge to knock Lan Deng out. He reluctantly sat beside him, his face filled with gloom as he averted his gaze.

Lan Deng, on the other hand, was in high spirits. His smile widened as he glanced at the omega sitting not too far away.

Li Po was getting bored. He withdrew his gaze from the window and lowered his eyes, turning his thoughts back to the mission.

A C-level mission would certainly be more challenging than an E-level one—this was an undeniable fact. Moreover, the mission would take place in the Lower City’s garbage dump… Li Po suddenly remembered his experience during the holographic combat simulation. Back then, the training location had also been the garbage dump.

Li Po wasn’t naive. He knew the real Lower City and the one in the holographic simulation were bound to be different, and the mission difficulty wouldn’t be the same either. After all, simulations weren’t real—there were no live people, no NPCs. But the real Lower City was definitely inhabited, which added to the complexity of the mission.

Just as Li Po was lost in thought, they arrived at the human base.

The three of them disembarked together.

Jin Mu and Lan Deng were clearly familiar with the place. Li Po followed them, and soon they reached the entrance to the underground city.

“Stop for inspection!”

Suddenly, a voice rang out, halting them at the city gates.

Li Po was a bit puzzled. Seeing the confusion on his face, Lan Deng quietly explained, “This is just to check if you’re carrying any pollutants. Don’t worry.”

Li Po raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by pollutants?”

“You know, some people get fed up with life and decide to take others down with them.”

Li Po understood. Indeed, with pollution running rampant and resources scarce, many people couldn’t even meet the basic need of survival. If everyone was in the same boat, it wouldn’t be as bad. But the human base was divided into Upper City and Lower City. People in the Upper City lived a life of luxury, enjoying most of the wealth and resources, never worrying about starving.

Meanwhile, the Lower City was desolate and impoverished. People born there were genuinely “lower class.” They ate scraps, couldn’t even get their hands on rotten food, and, no matter how hard they worked, they could barely earn a few star coins.

This gap between rich and poor bred resentment and dissatisfaction, so some people, driven to despair, took extreme measures, choosing to end their own lives and destroy the human base in the process.

After understanding the situation, Li Po lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable. Soon, Jin Mu and Lan Deng finished their inspections, and it was his turn.

The inspector, holding a scanning device, lazily looked up and waved it in front of Li Po. But when he unintentionally locked eyes with Li Po, he froze, his expression one of disbelief.

In a low voice, he asked, “How much for one night?”

Li Po frowned. “What?”

Thinking Li Po was just playing hard to get, the inspector got straight to the point. “I’ve got money. Name your price. I want a good time tonight.”

Upon realizing his meaning, Li Po felt disgusted. He took a step back and coldly replied, “…Are you sick?”

The inspector’s face changed. Coming to the Lower City and still pretending to be high and mighty? Any omega with real looks would’ve already found their way into Upper City by now. The fact that this one was still in the Lower City meant he was nothing more than second-hand goods.

He was willing to pay, yet this omega had the nerve to reject him? The inspector’s face turned dark. But he kept his composure, raising the scanner as if he were going to complete the inspection.

Li Po, however, could easily see through his intentions. The inspector’s lecherous eyes were practically glued to him. If Li Po let him continue, there was no doubt he’d take advantage.

Just as Li Po was debating whether to break his arm or leg, the inspector suddenly cried out in pain, and the scanner fell to the ground with a clang, flashing yellow and green lights.

“Who gave you permission to touch him?” Jin Mu’s face was as dark as soot. He threw down the inspector’s now-dislocated arm and turned to Li Po, his voice hard. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Li Po shook his head.

Hearing the commotion, the other inspectors immediately surrounded them. “Attacking a defense officer? Arrest them!”

As they pulled out their electric batons and handcuffs, ready to make an arrest, Lan Deng casually pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to the lead inspector.

Upon seeing it, the inspector’s face changed drastically. His attitude made a complete 180-degree turn, becoming respectful and eager. “Ah, you’re officers from S District! We didn’t recognize you earlier. Please forgive our mistake.”

As if realizing something, he also bowed slightly to Li Po. “We deeply apologize for the offense. We’ll be sending this man to the interstellar prison. He’ll be punished accordingly. Please don’t be upset.”

Li Po was a bit surprised, but he didn’t say much, only nodding. Then, he glanced at Jin Mu and Lan Deng.

Lan Deng understood immediately. “Let’s go inside.”

The inspector, eager for them to leave quickly, warmly and politely ushered them in, completely abandoning his earlier arrogance.

At last, Li Po entered the real human base—the Lower City.