The warm sunlight spread over the suburban morning.

After all, it was not like the congested CBD area. After just twenty minutes of traffic, the roads cleared up again.

Nearby, residential buildings of varying heights were densely packed, and their sunny sides faced the road.

A man dressed as a delivery worker, wearing white construction gloves, carried a cardboard box through the residential buildings and arrived at the base of an abandoned building.

This building blocked the route of a newly planned airway and was designated for demolition by the government. The residents had already relocated six months ago, but the building hadn’t been torn down yet. The AI infrastructure speed of the Federation meant they could complete the demolition just in time before the airway construction started.

Once the airway was built, airships would cruise across three levels, and the view from here would not be as good—at least not for sniping, the man thought.

That would take away a lot of the fun.

The elevator had long since stopped working, so the man entered the stairwell.

Just as he reached the third floor, he encountered a woman carrying a large bundle of bedding down the stairs. Even though technology had advanced to the point where all clothes could be automatically washed and dried, there were still many regular citizens in H-Country who believed that sun-dried blankets had a pleasant, warm scent.

It had rained for more than ten days recently, so when the sun finally came out, the residents of the surrounding buildings all laid their blankets out to dry, blocking each other’s light. As a result, some people had the idea of using the rooftop of this abandoned building.

“Hey, delivery guy, don’t come here. The people here moved out long ago!”

But the next second, her eyes widened, and she collapsed, soft and lifeless, without any further movement.

“Tsk.”

The man withdrew his hand and continued walking upstairs.

Upon reaching the rooftop, he saw colorful sheets fluttering in the wind like flags.

The man set down the cardboard box and opened the lid, revealing the black components of an M021 sniper rifle.

He didn’t pick up the rifle barrel immediately but first pulled out a pair of black-framed analyzers from the box and put them on his nose. This device interfered with facial recognition systems, further confusing police surveillance by altering his appearance.

Click—!

With an expressionless face, the man began assembling the sniper rifle.

He had already missed the best opportunity last time. That fool Shen Yuan had even thought of holding Xiao Zong and his secretary hostage simultaneously to negotiate with “the people above.”

But some mistakes only needed to be made once. The people above no longer trusted him.

The man sneered.

If the Xiao Family were that easy to compromise, Xiao Sinian wouldn’t have died back then.

**

“Report to Brother Lu, an unidentified metal was detected 290 meters southwest, 45 degrees, on the rooftop of an abandoned residential building. Facial recognition failed. Please advise. Over.”

“Maintain surveillance and send the unknown metal data back to headquarters for instructions,” Officer Lu ordered another team, “At the same time, redirect the SkyNet system for behavior comparison analysis of the suspect.”

A series of responses came through the communication channel: “Yes, Sir!”

The data from both SkyNet and the metal detection devices were sent back simultaneously, quickly matching the type of gun used with this metal in the Federation and identifying its primary distribution areas.

The M021 was a 7.75mm semi-automatic sniper rifle, with a magazine holding only three rounds, but it weighed a hefty 7 kilograms and had a range of 1400 yards. Equipped with a computerized aiming system, it was the favored weapon of interstellar mercenaries and professional assassins.

The assistant couldn’t help but mutter, “This method actually works pretty well. It’d be great if the city bureau could use it too.”

Lu Renjia shot him a glance but said nothing.

The metal detection equipment was incredibly sensitive and was a nightmare to use in complex, bustling cities. It wasn’t something that could be compared to the control system of a luxury hotel, and only the Xiao Family had the financial resources to modify a one-time-use device specifically for their boss.

—So after this operation, would they be able to borrow it from the Xiao family again for future cases?

In the command hall, Wei Mian, hearing the report, tightened his jaw. Ding, the group leader of Unit 2, focused intently on the virtual screen projected by SkyNet, her high ponytail swaying slightly.

The tension in the room felt like a taut string. Wei Mian, feeling that he wasn’t much help in this situation, tried to find something to alleviate the pressure. He turned to Ding, who also seemed idle, and asked, “I heard the Southeastern Military District is known for its spies. How did an alpha like you get in?”

Ding replied stiffly, “Military secret, no comment.”

“So, I guess omegas can also get in,” Wei Mian muttered softly, “Looks like pheromones don’t matter that much after all.”

The assistant made the comment casually, but Ding’s face immediately changed, and she raised her voice, “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Ding was both startled and confused: Did the entire Xiao Family know about this?!

Wei Mian raised an eyebrow and smirked, “What, military alphas look down on omegas?”

The assistant silently grumbled: Why hasn’t gender equality reached the military yet? Does this alpha really think I was saying she can’t compete with an omega?

The two alphas were on completely different wavelengths, but the tension between them was palpable.

Officer Lu, the deputy commander of this operation, was in the police headquarters while the overall commander sat in the central police hall. Hearing the commotion, Lu glanced at them and said, “Captain, Mr. Xiao has already received a warning, so please don’t start any disputes right now.”

The temper of alphas was like a powder keg, making things difficult for the police. As a city bureau, they had to report everything step by step to their superiors, while the military was directly under the jurisdiction of the national district. The Xiao Family also had ties to the military.

But now, Wei Mian, as the Xiao Family’s representative, was arguing with Ding.

Betas are so much easier to deal with, Officer Lu thought. Why didn’t we keep that little glasses-wearing guy earlier?

This time, the Xiao Family had provided technology to assist in surveillance by detecting metal elements—equipment originally used for space mining.

Using civilian scientific research metal detectors to catch professional assassins had produced an unexpected surprise.

The organization known as “Unnamed” specialized in challenging government systems across national districts. Its members were highly familiar with security systems like “SkyNet” and “Scepter,” exploiting the competitive and defensive relationships between districts to find loopholes.

Technology companies had wilder ideas. Henghua’s patented technology was unrivaled in the Federation, not to mention that Old Master Xiao was famous for his fortifications and defenses across the galaxy.

When Xiao Zong first proposed using himself as bait, the police were very nervous.

—He was a golden child, pampered and precious.

Unlike Xiao Jingchuan, who had served in the military for many years, Xiao Zong hadn’t started training as a cadet. Even though Xiao Zong had undergone some combat and firearm training at home, he was still only slightly better than an amateur, far from reaching a professional level.

After all, his expertise was in business management.

The café’s staff had all been quietly replaced by police officers.

Xiao Zong wore a hidden earpiece that occasionally relayed important updates.

He knew there was someone in the abandoned building not far away, holding a sniper rifle aimed at the café by the roadside.

He also knew that the police had silently sealed off the area and even surrounded the building.

He had also heard that the military had arrived—though, with Ye Yumeng sitting across from him, it wasn’t convenient to ask which district they were from.

In fact, Xiao Zong trusted the military more than the local police in H-Country. With Wei Mian and the bodyguards outside, and undercover agents sent by Old Master Xiao, there was really nothing to worry about.

The only concern was Gu Yin… If Shen Yuan were here, Gu Yin should be able to focus on his exam.

After today, everything should return to normal.

Xiao Zong thought to himself.

Ye Yumeng had already begun reminiscing about their wonderful school days, while Xiao Zong’s mind wandered back to the one and only school he had entered after so many years of graduation.

Gu Yin should be well-prepared, right? He hadn’t checked in on Gu Yin’s studying recently, but after all, the retake didn’t involve math; it was all professional subjects. There was still an interview in the afternoon, and Fang Chi was acquainted with one of the professors on the interview panel. He had even secretly dropped a hint and then came running to Xiao Zong to boast about it.

Xiao Zong found it amusing. His little secretary was so well-behaved, and Xiao Zong had personally interviewed him before. How could he possibly fail the retake?

Besides, although Xiao Zong hadn’t explicitly mentioned it, the university administration was fully aware of whom the new laboratory building donation was for. As long as Gu Yin didn’t do something outrageous like commit murder or arson, there was no way they wouldn’t admit him.

He just hadn’t told Gu Yin about this.

His little secretary was strong-willed. Xiao Zong worried that Gu Yin might feel humiliated if he knew about it.

As Ye Yumeng continued talking, he noticed Xiao Zong smile slightly.

Ah, yes. Xiao Zong used to smile at him like this often. Most of the time they spent together had been peaceful and calm.

The school days had a tranquility that was impossible to replicate after entering society. The longer Ye Yumeng spent fighting in the outside world, the more he longed for those times.

Of course, Ye Yumeng wasn’t providing that video for free. He wanted to use this opportunity to make Xiao Zong see what kind of omega Gu Yin truly was.

In front of others, Gu Yin was gentle, innocent, and sweet. But when Xiao Zong wasn’t looking, he was cold, violent, and arrogant.

“What are you smiling at?” Ye Yumeng asked softly.

Xiao Zong replied, “I was thinking, do you really believe that offering me a video in exchange for half an hour of my time is a fair deal?”

Ye Yumeng’s heart skipped a beat.

Xiao Zong lifted his eyelids. His eyes, slightly narrow and upturned at the corners, gave him an ambiguous, alluring look.

Some said that men with “peach blossom” eyes were the most heartless, and there was some truth to it—for instance, the famous Xiao Sinian from the Federation.

He always had the charm and grace to captivate anyone at a glance, but it seemed that out of all his numerous lovers, Second Master Xiao had never shown special affection for any one of them.

As Ye Yumeng looked at Xiao Zong’s increasingly stunning features, her heartbeat gradually quickened, out of control.

She didn’t know if it was because she was moved or because she was nervous.

“I can’t wake up someone who’s pretending to sleep,” Xiao Zong said in a calm, casual tone, “but some people can.”

Before his words finished, it was as if an invisible switch had been flipped. In an instant, everything changed—

On the rooftop of the abandoned residential building, the assassin’s expression remained cold as he looked through his analyzer, seeing the view through the scope: a young alpha and omega sitting by the window in the café, looking like a perfect couple from a distance.

Standing behind the mounted gun, the assassin calmly, as if he were doing something as routine as eating, pulled the trigger.

The bullet shot out from the black barrel, traversing hundreds of meters, and smashed through the café’s ordinary glass!

Bang—!

**

—Bang!

The mirror above the sink shattered with a punch, the glass shards exploding and scattering everywhere, slicing the figures of the two combatants into countless fragmented reflections.

“Yu Maobin” withdrew his arm, his fist covered in white plaster dust from the wall.

Judging by the deep hole in the wall, he hadn’t held back at all with that punch. If Gu Yin had taken the hit, he would’ve been sent straight to his grave—and it would’ve been a gruesome death at that.

But the seemingly frail omega effortlessly tilted his head, smoothly dodging the punch. At the same time that the mirror shattered, he grabbed a large shard of glass and slashed it directly at his opponent’s throat!

Shen Yuan was caught off guard, and before he could react, the cold gleam of the glass was already upon him. He quickly leaned back, narrowly avoiding a fatal slash to the throat, but his neck was still grazed by the sharp glass, leaving a two-inch-long gash!

Blood splattered out.

The omega’s wrist was slender compared to that of an alpha, but in the next instant, it twisted at an impossible angle, and the glass blade was once again aimed at his throat!

Professional assassins were always the ones ambushing others, but now an omega had suddenly seized the initiative. Shen Yuan grabbed Gu Yin’s wrist and viciously twisted it downward. Gu Yin’s hand, already bleeding from the broken glass, was forced to release the shard, which clattered to the ground.

When it came to raw strength, alphas had an absolute advantage. The force was enough to break a person’s bones. Gu Yin, his face pale, lowered his body and delivered a sweeping kick to Shen Yuan’s legs, trying to unbalance him. Shen Yuan, unlike those useless bodyguards, took the hit head-on and sneered coldly, “Secretary Gu, how did you figure me out?”

Gu Yin certainly wasn’t going to tell him that a military training move used to humble new recruits left a bruise on the inside of the arm. Because alphas couldn’t be marked, this mark symbolized “Remember who’s on top,” and the bruise was mockingly called “the mark of love” in the military, used specifically to humiliate unruly soldiers.

Yu Maobin was a spoiled rich kid, pampered by his family, and these types of bruises showed up more obviously on him.

H-Country’s unique feature—this dumb guy from A-Country had never seen it.

Shen Yuan could see the sarcasm in Gu Yin’s expression. He was all too familiar with that look. The high-ranking officers in the military often gave him that same dismissive gaze.

Infuriated, Shen Yuan suddenly lunged at him, releasing a cloud of alpha pheromones that smelled of tobacco. Omega’s natural weakness was pheromones, but Gu Yin didn’t flinch at all. Instead, he delivered a heavy kick straight to Shen Yuan’s chest.

Shen Yuan’s arms bulged with veins as he barely managed to block the powerful attack. But in the next moment, Gu Yin leaped into the air, delivering a spinning sidekick directly to his head!

Time seemed to freeze. As Shen Yuan’s ears rang and his vision darkened, Gu Yin’s eerie figure moved without pause. His slender waist bent, and his entire body, like a fully drawn bow, coiled for another attack, knocking Shen Yuan off balance again!

Shen Yuan staggered backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground.

Every one of this person’s moves was textbook perfect, unlike the bodyguards around Xiao Zong or even the annoying military alphas.

Looking at Gu Yin’s slender, seemingly weak body, it was hard to imagine the immense strength hidden within.

“Damn…” Shen Yuan barely regained his footing, never imagining he’d be pushed to this extent. Shaking his head, his eyes went bloodshot with anger as he growled:

“What on earth are you?!”

The shattered mirror reflected the standoff between the two of them. The bathroom was a little far from the classroom, so no one had discovered the commotion yet.

There were no security cameras here either.

A thin cut on Gu Yin’s pale, water-dampened cheek from the glass had begun to bleed, and a small trickle of blood slid down the shallow wound.

Gu Yin stared coldly at him and said, “Just an omega.”