Jiang Yu took him into a highly secure tower. The tower soared into the clouds, exuding a strong sense of technology. Its exterior was surrounded by bulletproof glass, with an S-class level of defense.

Li Po, wearing a white shirt corroded with black holes, followed closely behind Jiang Yu, attracting quite a bit of attention along the way.

But this time, things were different from before. In the past, people didn’t bother to hide their gossip, almost chewing him up with their words right in front of him. But now it was different. With Jiang Yu walking ahead, everyone seemed to go mute, not daring to say a word. They didn’t even dare to look up at him, only sneaking glances out of the corner of their eyes, harboring some unknown thoughts.

Li Po coldly observed their behavior, wondering if this was the benefit of power.

After the iris scan, Jiang Yu took him to the top floor of the tower.

From the top-floor glass windows, most of District S was in full view. The misty clouds pressed against the glass, giving the feeling of falling through the clouds. Li Po calmly observed, feeling a strong urge to open the window.

“Sit,” Jiang Yu said succinctly.

Li Po glanced at his dirty white shirt and hesitated. “Sir, do you have any spare clothes? Mine are dirty.”

He tugged at his shirt to prove he wasn’t lying. The thin and short white shirt revealed a faint glimpse of his collarbone, white and glaringly eye-catching.

Jiang Yu shifted his gaze indifferently. He didn’t say anything, merely summoned the star brain, tapping a few times casually. Shortly after, a small machine slid in from outside the door. The machine arm raised and handed Li Po a set of clothes.

Jiang Yu added, “Never worn.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Li Po smiled, his eyes curved, thanking him as he took the clothes and walked into the bathroom to change swiftly.

He glanced at the mirror nearby and raised an eyebrow unconsciously.

This shirt clearly wasn’t his size. The neckline was too wide, and if he didn’t want to reveal any skin, he would have to button it all the way up. Li Po raised his hand but stopped halfway, deciding not to button the rest. Admiring his reflection, he felt it looked just right.

Hearing the door open, Jiang Yu lifted his eyes, only to pause a second later. This shirt was made to his measurements, fitting him perfectly, but it was clearly unsuitable for the Omega in front of him. Compared to an Alpha, Li Po’s frame was too slender, unable to fill the neckline, revealing his blindingly white neck and collarbone.

Jiang Yu’s gaze shifted upward, focusing on the Omega’s eyes. “What’s your name?”

The Omega’s eyes curved again. “Li Po.”

Before Jiang Yu could speak again, Li Po continued, “Sir, are you asking about the matter with the pollutants?”

Jiang Yu paused. “Yes.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything I know.” Li Po nodded obediently.

Then, he explained everything he had seen in great detail, including the scene where he killed the tentacle with tweezers.

He wasn’t afraid of arousing Jiang Yu’s suspicion. After all, in the moment of facing death, any reaction was reasonable.

As he recounted the events, his speech grew faster, and his expression became increasingly tense, as if haunted by a nightmare. His light tea-colored pupils trembled uncontrollably, making him appear fragile.

Jiang Yu handed him a clean handkerchief, his expression unchanged. “Alright, I understand.”

Li Po gripped the handkerchief tightly, sensing he was about to be sent away.

Sure enough, the next sentence confirmed it:

“You can go now. Do you need someone to escort you?”

Li Po shook his head. “No need, I can go by myself.”

After speaking, he stood up and walked toward the door. Just before reaching the door, a sudden dizziness hit him, and he staggered slightly.

What’s happening? Li Po knocked on his head with his hand, then opened the door.

“Wait.”

A voice stopped him the next second.

Li Po paused his action of grabbing the door handle, lowered his hand, and turned slightly to ask, “Is there anything else, sir?”

Jiang Yu uncharacteristically fell silent for a moment. He glanced faintly at the back of the Omega’s neck, and sure enough, it was smooth, with nothing there.

The faint scent of roses lingered at the tip of his nose, the scent of an Omega’s pheromones.

“Remember to put on a pheromone blocker,” he finally reminded in a calm tone.

Li Po was taken aback and reached out to touch the back of his neck, tentatively feeling it. It still had a slight bulge, and the temperature seemed normal.

Suppressing the doubts in his heart, he smiled at Jiang Yu. “Alright, sir.”

Even his smile was as bold as a blooming rose.

– 

Third floor of the White Building, Bian Lu’s consultation room.

“Doctor Bian, I’m back again,” Li Po smiled sheepishly, sitting familiarly on the sofa in the consultation room.

Bian Lu: “…”

He didn’t quite understand why this Omega kept coming here every few days, but he still forced a gentle smile, one meant for patients. “Is something wrong?”

Li Po’s eyes showed a confused expression. “Doctor, can you smell my pheromones?”

Bian Lu’s heart skipped a beat. This was an extremely private question for an Omega. Pheromones, to some extent, were akin to a signal for mating. Asking someone if they could smell your pheromones was essentially asking if they were willing to mark you.

He discreetly observed the Omega’s eyes, but found nothing inappropriate in them, only clear confusion. Bian Lu let out a sigh of relief, realizing he was overthinking.

He sniffed the air but didn’t smell any pheromones. “I can’t smell anything. Why are you asking?”

Can’t smell anything? Li Po was even more confused. If no one could smell it, then why did they keep reminding him to wear a blocker?

“Doctor Bian, do Omegas have to wear pheromone blockers?” After thinking for a moment, Li Po changed his question.

This time, Bian Lu nodded seriously, “Yes, just in case. Omega pheromones can often trigger an Alpha’s heat. If you don’t wear a blocker and a poorly controlled Alpha smells it, it could cause some problems.”

He emphasized the words “some problems” hoping to impress upon Li Po the importance of this matter.

Li Po understood his concern and nodded obediently. “Alright, please prescribe me some blockers, Doctor Bian.”

Bian Lu finally smiled in satisfaction.

After receiving the blockers, Li Po immediately peeled one off and stuck it firmly on the back of his neck. He hated those Alphas who only thought with their lower bodies. The mere thought of being involved with them made him want to vomit.

According to the instructions, the blocker needed to be replaced every three days; otherwise, it would lose its effectiveness. Li Po memorized this after reading it several times.

It wasn’t that he had a bad memory, but the blocker was so thin that it didn’t feel like anything was on his neck. If he didn’t deliberately think about it, it was easy to forget. But it was still quite amazing that such a thin film could completely block the scent of pheromones.

Thinking of this, Li Po pocketed the rest of the blockers. Suddenly, his hand brushed against a piece of soft, dry fabric in his pocket.

After hesitating for a second, he pulled out the handkerchief and tossed it into the nearby trash bin before walking out of the White Building.

As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted a familiar figure.

“Jin Mu? What’s he doing here?”

Jin Mu’s head jerked up, and his eyes lit up as he walked straight toward Li Po, circling him a few times to make sure he had no injuries before finally calming down.

“What are you doing?” Li Po was baffled by his actions.

“Nothing.” Jin Mu coughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject. “I just heard some news. They say an Alpha at the White Building’s north gate suddenly developed mental problems and started attacking people indiscriminately.”

He finished, intending to scare Li Po, but noticed that Li Po’s expression didn’t change. There wasn’t even a hint of surprise.

“Aren’t you afraid? I thought Omegas were usually pretty timid?”

Li Po lowered his gaze, hiding his emotions. “So, are you worried about me?”

Jin Mu’s face flushed red. Thankfully, his skin was dark, and the color wasn’t noticeable in the sunlight, so Li Po didn’t see it. “As if! I just remembered I had mentioned the north gate to you earlier, and I was worried you might have gone there and gotten hurt by that maniac. If that happened, wouldn’t I be the guilty one?”

“…” Li Po fell silent for a moment, realizing that it did seem to make sense.

He shook his head lightly and said calmly, “I’m fine.”

Jin Mu finally relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Omegas are physically weak. You’d better stop putting yourself in danger before you get yourself killed.”

Li Po glanced at him, finding it amusing. “So you really aren’t worried about me?”

“…” This time, Jin Mu, who should have denied it again, unexpectedly fell silent.

Even he couldn’t deny that he had been paying a bit too much attention to this Omega lately. If it was to make up for the guilt he felt for bullying him in the past, he should have repaid that debt back at the armory incident. Not like now, where he was running around, constantly checking on him.

What exactly did he want? He didn’t even know himself.

All he knew was that when he heard about the incident at the north gate of the White Building, his heart clenched, and the first thing he thought of was checking to see if Li Po was injured.

It was ridiculous—utterly ridiculous.

With that thought, Jin Mu’s mood soured. He lowered his eyes, staring at Li Po for a long time without saying a word, then turned and walked away.

Li Po watched the Alpha’s retreating figure, deep in thought.

To be honest, he wasn’t oblivious to Jin Mu’s feelings. Before he transmigrated, the people chasing after him could form a line that stretched halfway around the school track, so he had become particularly sensitive to these kinds of things. He could tell someone’s feelings with just a glance, knowing what they were thinking the moment they locked eyes.

Back at the armory, he had already had a faint suspicion, but it hadn’t been confirmed. This time, however, he had found solid evidence.

As for Jin Mu’s sudden, inexplicable affection? Li Po didn’t feel much about it. Love was never equal, and just because someone liked you didn’t mean you had to reciprocate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have enough of himself to go around. Most importantly, Li Po wasn’t just someone who loved appearances; he admired strength. In his eyes, Jin Mu simply wasn’t strong enough.

As for who was strong enough… an image of a dark-golden gun and the cold, indifferent eyes of the person holding it flashed in his mind.

Maybe it’s him? He wasn’t sure. He’d need to observe more.

Suddenly, his stomach let out a loud growl.

Li Po clutched his stomach, which had almost been parasitized by pollutants, and discreetly looked around. Seeing no one was watching, he let go.

Yup, he was hungry.

The incident at the north gate had been mentally exhausting, and combined with the physical toll, it was only natural that he was starving.

After comforting himself, Li Po headed toward his dorm to grab some more nutrient solution.

He had been surviving on nutrient solution for the past few days. As for how it tasted… it was hard to describe.

Li Po mentally tallied the flavors: cucumber, mushroom, cabbage, celery… none of them normal. Not even strawberry-flavored nutrient solution. Li Po was deeply saddened by this.

He suddenly missed his life before he transmigrated. Though those days weren’t happy, at least there had been delicious food to comfort him. Now, not only was there no good food, but he also had to worry about losing his life at any moment.

Sigh, how tragic.

– 

The next day, almost all of District S had heard about the incident at the north gate of the White Building. However, hardly anyone reacted. It was as if they had heard a bland piece of gossip, something that went in one ear and out the other, not even making it into post-dinner conversations.

It wasn’t that they were cold-hearted; incidents like this were too common in District S, happening almost every month. Every Alpha selected from the military academy was required to participate in missions, with a certain number of missions required each month. Those who didn’t meet the quota were immediately discharged.

To be selected into District S was an immense honor in the entire galaxy. Being expelled from District S, however, was a tremendous disgrace. Many Alphas, unable to bear this pressure, went insane, and cases of mental illness were countless. Among these patients, those with mild conditions were allowed to remain in District S for treatment, like those locked in the underground levels. Those with severe cases were escorted out of the military district by starships, sent back to where they belonged.

Another group of mentally ill patients were those driven mad by pollutants during missions. Missions were classified into six levels: S, A, B, C, D, and E. The higher the level, the more dangerous the pollutants, with S-level pollutants being the most lethal. It wasn’t easy to face these pollutants with a strong mental state, and not everyone could find their weaknesses and eliminate them.

Many people, teetering on the edge of death, experienced hallucinations. In severe cases, their nerves were directly stimulated, and even if they were saved, they often became mentally unstable and useless. So, for most Alphas, the incident at the north gate was nothing out of the ordinary.

It wasn’t that they were indifferent, but they knew that they might one day become “him.” They were already mentally prepared for that eventuality.

To sacrifice themselves for the galaxy.

This was one of the reasons why Li Po was so disliked.

Why should someone like him, who didn’t have to sacrifice anything, be allowed into District S? They risked their lives for the opportunity to enter, knowing they could die at any moment. But Li Po was different. He could easily find a safe haven and never had to fear for his life.

Why? Just because he had connections, because he had a powerful father?

Because of this, the Alphas were even more resentful of Li Po.

That day, as Li Po stepped out of his dorm, a group of Alphas blocked his way.

“You’re freeloading off District S every day. Don’t you feel ashamed?” The Alpha who spoke had curly brown-yellow hair, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, with eyebrows shaped like upside-down “V”s, giving him a fierce appearance.

“Yeah, aren’t you embarrassed?” Another red-haired Alpha chimed in.

The curly-haired one glanced up and down at the Omega, then suddenly smirked at his red-haired companion. “Hey, guess what I just realized?”

The red-haired Alpha played along. “What?”

“If you eat too many free meals, you’ll turn into a pretty boy!”

“Hahahahahaha!” With that, the two burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

Li Po coldly watched them. “So, what do you want?”

The curly-haired Alpha sneered, “I want to see you go on a mission.”

“How do I go on a mission?” Li Po asked calmly.

“Look at this pretty boy. He doesn’t even know how to go on a mission.” The red-haired one looked at him with disdain, his eyes almost dripping with resentment.

“Yeah, unlike us. We knew what missions were on our first day in District S.” The curly-haired one sneered sarcastically.

“How about this,” the curly-haired Alpha thought for a moment, then said, “Let each of us take a bite of your neck, and we’ll let this go. Afterward, when you see us, we’ll pretend we don’t know each other. Deal?”

Li Po didn’t understand. Why were these people so obsessed with biting his neck? Was biting it really that addictive?

Thinking this, he asked directly, “Why are you all so keen on biting my neck?”

The curly-haired Alpha and the red-haired one exchanged glances, then snorted coldly. “Oh, look at this, seems like you’re quite experienced, huh? Already been bitten so many times you’ve turned into trash. Damn, you’re filthy.”

“So, should we still bite him…?” The red-haired Alpha looked conflicted, wrinkling his face in indecision.

“You’ve got a meal handed to you, and you’re not gonna eat it?” The curly-haired one snapped at him.

“But…” The red-haired Alpha hesitated. “But we’ve never bitten anyone’s neck before. Isn’t it a waste for our first time to go to this guy?”

The curly-haired one rolled his eyes so hard they almost turned to the back of his head. “Alphas don’t have a ‘first time’ or ‘second time.’ You brush your teeth, and it’s good as new.”

The red-haired one nodded, convinced. “I guess that’s true.”

Li Po almost burst out laughing.

These two idiots.

How did morons like these even end up in District S?!

After their little debate, the two turned their gaze back to Li Po. “So, what’s it gonna be? Mission or neck bite?”

Li Po smiled innocently. “Mission.”

The red-haired Alpha, unable to control his emotions, immediately panicked upon hearing this. “Are you kidding me? You, go on a mission? With that twig of a waist, you’d snap in half just by squeezing, and you think you can handle a mission?”

Li Po shook his head, still smiling. “As long as you can get me the chance to go on a mission, I’ll go.”

The red-haired Alpha raised his fist. “You little—”

Li Po raised an eyebrow. “What? Can’t handle it?”

“You’re the one who can’t handle it!”

“Then it’s up to you now.” Li Po waved his hand and walked away, his steps light and carefree.

The red-haired and curly-haired Alphas were left standing there. “…”

The curly-haired Alpha smacked the red-haired one on the head. “Are you an idiot? You just let him go?”

The red-haired Alpha looked aggrieved. “But he chose the mission…”

The curly-haired Alpha laughed in exasperation and kicked the red-haired one, scolding him as he did so. “He’s not going on any mission! Look at his delicate, tender skin. A single tree branch could scratch him. Do you really think he can handle a mission?”

The red-haired Alpha’s eyes shifted as if he had just thought of something. “Actually, it’s not impossible…”

The curly-haired Alpha calmed down. “Don’t mess around. He’s got connections. A little neck bite is one thing, but if you actually get him killed and they come down on us, we won’t be able to handle it!”

“No!” The red-haired Alpha shook his head, a sly look flashing in his eyes. “Remember that one test from our military academy?”

The curly-haired one froze. “You mean…?”

“Isn’t it possible?” The red-haired one smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“You sneaky devil! Didn’t know you had it in you.” The curly-haired Alpha punched him lightly, clearly approving.

“He’s asking for it.”