The wind began to die down as the cold moon cast a halo through the clouds.

In the forest, visibility was extremely low, and without specialized training, it was impossible to move around here.

The sound of a fist cutting through the air was followed by a dull thud as a figure moved so fast, even the wind couldn’t catch up.

A sweeping kick broke the opponent’s balance, a hook punch struck the face, and a spinning elbow snapped the ribs!

Boom——!

The 200-pound Alpha’s body flew through the air in a beautiful arc before crashing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and dead leaves.

The woods were filled with the scent of pine and cedar, mixed with a faint sweetness.

These Alphas had been retired for more than ten years. While corporate security training was nothing compared to military drills, to be beaten so badly was extremely humiliating.

Especially because their opponent was an Omega.

A special forces soldier’s palm strike could crush a throat with one hand. Gu Yin’s attacks were all aimed at vital spots. Special forces combat training required one-hit kills, disabling the enemy’s ability to retaliate as quickly as possible.

But the real insult wasn’t Gu Yin—it was Commander.

The cat treated the bodyguards lying around like hurdles, happily jumping over them. When it got tired, it sat directly on one of their faces.

Wu Yong leaned against a tree, clutching his wound tightly. His knuckles were frozen and aching. He had lost too much blood, and now he felt dazed—otherwise, how could he be seeing an Omega defeating an Alpha?

Gu Yin, as agile as a leopard, finished off the last opponent and then turned, pulling a bio-healing patch from his pocket and walking over to Wu Yong.

This precious item had been swiped from Xiao Zong. It could only temporarily stop bleeding from large wounds.

“Are you alright? Can you walk back?” Gu Yin asked.

Wu Yong shook his head, staring at him warily, “Who exactly are you?”

Gu Yin’s expression stiffened.

“To be honest…” After a long pause, he finally made up his mind and said seriously, “Actually, I’m Old Master Xiao’s personal bodyguard.”

Wu Yong looked shocked as Gu Yin continued, “After the casino incident, Old Master Xiao wasn’t at ease. But the boss thought it was just a sudden accident and not worth overreacting. You know the boss’s personality, right? Some things don’t need to be explained too much. You’ve been with the Xiao family for so long, and there are some things you should know for yourself. There’s too much at stake, and knowing too much won’t do anyone any good. You see, you were almost silenced just now, weren’t you? So, some things are better left unsaid. Just pretend you don’t know. Understand?”

He rambled on for a while, sounding earnest but actually saying nothing at all.

After finishing, Gu Yin looked sincerely into Wu Yong’s eyes.

Did he believe me? Did he? Because I can’t keep making this up!

Maybe it was because Gu Yin, dressed all in black, looked like a divine figure in the forest. Or maybe Wu Yong really wasn’t the brightest. After a while of processing, he actually nodded:

“Yeah, you’re right.”

No wonder he’s been by Xiao Zong’s side for eight years and still hasn’t figured things out.

Wu Yong asked again, “Were you using military combat moves just now? How do you know military combat techniques?” Gu Yin’s moves looked like he had years of combat experience.

Nope, the brainwashing wasn’t thorough enough yet.

So Gu Yin repeated the “if you know, you know” theory once more.

This time, Wu Yong was completely convinced: “Alright, I get it.”

Gu Yin understood the security layout far better than someone like Xiao Zong, a pampered nobleman. A quick glance revealed all the flaws.

If this had been left to him from the start, Xiao Zong wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Not to mention the dangerous move of using an off-road vehicle like a battleship.

The moment Gu Yin saw Xiao Zong’s bandaged forehead in the quarantine room, he decided to take over control of the security team.

He couldn’t contribute to finance or tech, but what Gu Yin could do was ensure Xiao Zong’s safety as much as possible.

Wu Yong hesitated, “But if Second Young Master finds out…”

“He’ll kick me out,” Gu Yin said, sounding a bit forlorn.

He would… not like me.

Who would like an Omega like this?

In the distance, Commander suddenly let out a sharp cry, so piercing it seemed like every hair on its body had stood on end.

Then, with a loud “pop!” the lights surrounding the forest all turned on at once. Gu Yin faintly heard the whirring of machinery blending into the wind, but the sudden brightness blinded him.

“What are you doing here?”

Xiao Zong’s voice carried suspicion, surprise, and a little… anger.

**

About ten minutes earlier—

“Is bad signal my fault? I’m just an AI. Don’t you have some sense of responsibility for your own equipment?”

“After building me, you just left me here without even a maintenance worker. I had to fix and recalibrate myself by going online! Fine, I can run self-checks, but you guys even cut off my network access! I’m stuck relying on satellite transmission. Does that make sense?! Does it?!”

“I’m a five-year-old system! Five years! Do you even use a phone for five years? If you’d had a baby five years ago, it could be running errands by now!”

Xiao Zong tried to interrupt, “I told you, the network’s been cut because the Federation’s been unstable.”

“That’s no excuse! All cheaters say that!” the AI screamed. “If you’d upgraded my system when things were stable, you wouldn’t have to come out here yourself now!”

Xiao Zong felt the urge to throw his wireless earphones away.

But what was the point of arguing with a weak, helpless, and chatty (cross that out) machine?

“Alright, stop moving forward,” the machine said, interrupting its rant with business. “If you go any farther, you’ll be able to hear the engine.”

Xiao Zong got out of the car. The mountain road was rugged, and visibility was poor. “Is the signal back yet?”

“Almost… almost… huh, why is there an Omega?”

There was only one Omega in the whole villa.

Xiao Zong’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately commanded, “What’s going on?” He ordered the forest lights to turn on. A flock of startled birds flew into the sky, accompanied by the cat’s cry. The searchlights all pointed towards the heat sources in the forest.

Second Young Master Xiao strode forward.

The first thing he saw was the cat, Commander who was startled and leapt into the air, obscuring the stunned Gu Yin crouched by a tree.

Amazing how a cat with 4cm legs could jump that high.

Commander darted into Gu Yin’s arms, and poor Gu Xiao Yin was so shocked he didn’t even think to calm it down.

When did he arrive?

How did someone get close to me without me noticing?!

Did he see?

Did he hear?

Is it too late to pledge allegiance to socialism now?

Gu Yin’s lips trembled for a while before he finally stammered, “I-I was chasing the cat.”

For someone your height, you couldn’t catch a cat with 4cm legs?

The black hoodie made Gu Yin’s pale skin look even whiter, like a startled little deer discovered in the forest. As Xiao Zong was mentally ridiculing him, his eyes fell unintentionally on Gu Yin’s legs.

In this crouched position, his pants tightened over his long legs, highlighting his curves and…

Xiao Zong recalled the words he’d heard earlier—the “Yin” in “Gu Yin” means temptation.

You’ve got the guts to have bad intentions, so how come you lack the courage?

He snorted almost inaudibly.

“Uh…” Wu Yong broke the tense silence, “Actually, I think I could use some help.”

Stop staring. The healing patch won’t last forever!

Only then did Xiao Zong notice the bodyguard hidden behind Gu Yin. “What’s your name?”

Wu Yong was crushed again. Of course the boss wouldn’t know who I am, even after all this time, QAQ.

Gu Yin had a sudden idea, “He was already like this when I got here. I was just trying to figure out how to tell you. Look, my phone even froze in this cold.”

The AI butted in, “See? Even phones freeze in this cold. How can you blame me for having a weak signal?”

Xiao Zong: …

I suspect you’re all lying to me, but I have no proof.

He ordered the AI to use the car’s comm system to contact the villa, his sharp gaze sweeping over the unconscious men on the ground before settling on the two in front of him.

Wu Yong, excited, said, “Young Master, Seventh Young Master and the others have defected to Leng Haiyun! I-I have a recording!”

With the incident at the Fu Hua Hotel, a power reshuffle was imminent. The security team was on edge. Although things seemed calm on Old Master Xiao’s side, the quieter it was, the more it felt like a storm was coming.

Wang Qi and the others had held out for a few days, but they couldn’t resist making the first move.

Gu Yin swayed slightly in the cold wind, his skinny body trembling.

It’s over. This blockhead is going to get me in trouble.

Xiao Zong glanced at Wu Yong’s bleeding wound and said softly, “There’s no rush. Save your strength first.”

He took off his coat and draped it over Wu Yong.

Xiao Zong’s coat was made from new materials, incredibly warm without needing multiple layers. The only downside was its price, but that wasn’t Xiao Zong’s problem.

Wu Yong’s numb hands finally regained some feeling.

After experiencing betrayal, despair, hope, and warmth all in one night, this 6-foot-3 Alpha was on the verge of tears.

Wu Yong wasn’t a clever man. He had joined the Xiao family with the simple hope of making a name for himself. For eight years, he watched others get promoted and make money, while he stayed in the background as what? Cannon fodder.

Yes, cannon fodder.

Many people wanted to take over the security team, not just the Leng family. But Wu Yong believed in doing things with a clear conscience. The Xiao family paid him well, and the benefits were decent. Compared to other veterans, his job was pretty worry-free.

It was just a bit dangerous.

But if the danger came from outside, that was one thing. Getting stabbed in the back by your own comrades—that was something Wu Yong couldn’t understand.

President Xiao is such a good person, and Secretary Gu is such a good person too. They should both live long lives.

The only one having a good time tonight was the carefree cat. Seeing Wu Yong tear up, Commander let out a soft “meow” as if comforting the Alpha.

Hearing this, Xiao Zong began to snap at Gu Yin again, “Why are you running around at night? Chasing a cat into the forest?”

Gu Yin, already used to being scolded, replied softly, “I got lost…”

He stood up with the cat in his arms. He had been crouching for too long, and the cold wind combined with the bright lights made him dizzy. As he staggered back, his heel caught on a tree root, and he stumbled—right into Xiao Zong’s chest.

Gu Yin: …

Xiao Zong: Outrageous. Is this really the time to start acting bold?!

Wu Yong’s tears dried up instantly.

Please, someone come carry me away.

The rescue helicopter soon hovered over the forest. Wu Yong shakily pulled out his recorder.

Gu Yin instantly snapped back to attention.

No way. I can’t let that last part of the recording get into Xiao Zong’s hands.

Wu Yong, a man who believed in repaying kindness, admired Secretary Gu deeply. Gu Yin was kind and resilient, working as both a secretary and a bodyguard, yet only drawing one salary—an intern’s salary, no less.

Compared to those who betrayed the Xiao family for profit, people like Gu Yin seemed downright virtuous.

Even later, when Xiao Zong and Gu Yin got married, Wu Yong—who had been promoted to the new head of security—still firmly believed that Gu Yin’s rise to power was due to his hard work and the fact that he happened to have the right secondary gender.

That must be the pinnacle of the working man’s philosophy.

So Wu Yong deleted the last part of the recording before handing it over.

“Secretary Gu, thank you so much for tonight,” he said, pointing to the healing patch on his wound. Trying to ease Gu Yin’s mind, he added solemnly, “Those who know, know.”

Xiao Zong: ????

Gu Yin: …