The banquet was held by the seaside, nearly a two-hour drive from the city centre.

With heavy traffic in Lin City, a twenty-minute drive could stretch to two hours during peak hours. The banquet was set for 8 PM, and despite leaving early, they found themselves stuck in traffic.

Gu Yin had a faint smile on his face while they were stuck in traffic.

Usually serious and cautious, he seemed to be in a good mood, with a slight bend to his eyes that revealed an inner joy he couldn’t hide.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing,” Gu Yin said, pressing his lips together. After a while, he quietly added, “Thank you, boss.”

Xiao Zong, having dealt with businessmen for years, knew all the tricks and nuances of social interactions. Offering a helping hand had become second nature to him. But Gu Yin’s overly innocent reaction left Xiao Zong feeling a bit uncomfortable.

In the car, it was just the two of them. The spacious interior carried the faint scent of snow spruce, Xiao Zong’s pheromones.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xiao Zong leaned his head against the window, watching the endless flow of taillights, flashing red. He thought to himself: Is it really something to be that happy about?

When the road once again became completely congested, Gu Yin calmly parked the car and pulled the handbrake.

As he did so, he noticed something different about the feel.

He was driving Xiao Zong’s car. Xiao Zong’s love for cars was well-known. Rumor had it that over 200 luxury cars were parked in the underground garage of his villa—one of the few labels people associated with him.

The vehicle had a rugged, masculine Alpha aesthetic, an SUV with a boxy shape and a matte black exterior, exuding the aura of a military vehicle.

In fact, the Xiao family did indeed provide smart chips and security technology for H Country’s military vehicles.

As the traffic crawled forward, Xiao Zong, irritated by the jam, noticed Gu Yin’s curiosity and casually commented, “VX25-grade new alloy. The entire car is made from it, and it has 4S-grade security.”

He stopped explaining because he knew Gu Yin wouldn’t understand.

But a flicker of admiration crossed Gu Yin’s eyes.

A 4S-grade security level meant the car could withstand direct hits from a light rocket launcher.

This new alloy hadn’t even been widely adopted by the military yet.

Suppressing his curiosity, Gu Yin watched the flashing taillights ahead and instead asked another question, “Will the air route construction officially begin next year?”

With the widespread use of cars came the inevitable problem of traffic congestion. Songs about “Ring Road 180” had already been written, and traffic jams were one of the biggest headaches for residents of the Federation’s main planet.

“Yes, once the first batch of air routes is laid, at least some of the car traffic will be diverted.”

Xiao Zong tapped the car’s navigation system, and soon a virtual computer projected in front of him, displaying Lin City’s real-time traffic map. The entire road network was red.

“The speed limit for the air route is expected to be three to four times higher. For a trip like today’s, it would take less than half an hour.”

Gu Yin then asked, “Have you considered building interstellar air routes in the future?”

Xiao Zong glanced at him, not answering directly. Instead, he asked, “Why do you ask?”

“The Federation has five other colonized planets besides the main one, and the cost of travel between them is extremely high. New energy sources have already passed testing, and once activated, they can provide stable power under different conditions such as temperature, pressure, and radiation. If this new energy is truly popularized, I think you wouldn’t limit its use to within the atmosphere.”

Xiao Zong was silent for a while before chuckling softly.

“An immature idea.”

Gu Yin blinked.

“The ** tightly controls interstellar transportation. They won’t open it up to the public anytime soon,” Xiao Zong thought for a moment and added, “But I like your idea.”

This was part of his long-term vision, part of the fourth phase of his “Guiding Star” project, which had just entered its second phase. Xiao Zong hadn’t shared it with anyone, not even Wei Mian.

Building interstellar air routes involved too many interests to be explained in a few words. But the fact that Gu Yin had thought of it meant that more people would likely consider it in the future. When that happened, it would only be a matter of time before it was officially put on the agenda.

Despite receiving the compliment, Gu Yin wasn’t overjoyed. Instead, he froze for a moment.

The ** was the highest administrative level in interstellar travel. Due to the difficulties in space transportation, the colonial planets had been experiencing increasing unrest in recent years, with some even hinting at independence.

When he was in the military, Gu Yin had been sent to both the third and fourth colonized planets. The colonies weren’t as technologically advanced as the main planet, and their economies lagged behind. Transporting people and materials there was always a significant challenge, often requiring military resources.

Previously, Gu Yin had heard that the Xiao Group was monopolizing new energy sources, which had stalled the interstellar air route proposal.

But today, Xiao Zong’s attitude seemed to suggest otherwise.

Gu Yin didn’t press further.

Xiao Zong didn’t think much of it. The little secretary seemed incapable of hiding his emotions, with his tension and unease written all over his face.

Xiao Zong caught every expression and, feeling in a good mood, asked, “Have you thought about going back to school?”

“I’m preparing for the spring entrance exams.”

Xiao Zong was just making casual conversation. After a “mm” of acknowledgement, he returned to his work.

Most of the Omegas Xiao Zong had encountered were introduced by his family. Gu Yin wasn’t his first matchmaking candidate.

Xiao Jingchuan had married young, drawing attention to the second son of the Xiao family. Yet, despite the expectations, Xiao Zong had avoided the spotlight, spending years at a space station, rarely seen.

A few years ago, Fang Runjin had been lenient about Xiao Zong’s reluctance to settle down. But as he grew older, he had run out of excuses, and even Fang Runjin had lost patience.

Without his mother as a shield, Xiao Zong’s control over his own marriage prospects was rapidly dwindling.

Although the old master acknowledged Fang Runjin’s place in the family, he didn’t particularly like her flamboyance.

The matchmakers he arranged for Xiao Zong were all discreet. If rejected, they would simply disappear without a fuss. Those who clung persistently had already been weeded out by the sharp-eyed old master.

Even Miss Li, the most troublesome of the bunch, had caused a stir by walking home alone in the rain—something considered a big deal.

That Gu Yin could settle into his role as a secretary didn’t surprise Xiao Zong at all.

His personality was rather likable. In less than half a month at the company, he had received positive feedback from everyone, from the general assistants to the receptionists.

When Xiao Zong was a child, his brother often teased him, and he had always hoped Fang Runjin would give him a younger brother to bully. But after the chaos in the Xiao family, Xiao Zong had matured and never brought it up again.

The two families could be considered close acquaintances. Treating Gu Yin as a younger brother wouldn’t be out of the question.

Having figured this out, Xiao Zong found Gu Yin even more pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, completely unaware that he had been labeled the “younger brother,” Gu Yin focused on driving, though his thoughts wandered to the call he’d had with Fox earlier that afternoon—

“The banquet is your chance! What are you waiting for? If you don’t make your move now, do you really think you’ll win Employee of the Year?”

The bespectacled man’s voice squeezed through the phone from afar. “A virtuous Omega can’t hold his liquor. You have to get drunk when the time is right!”

“Do you understand ‘pretending to be drunk’? The key is to collapse into his arms in a graceful, delicate manner. Later, Fatty and I will record a demo video for you—we’ve been researching this for ages—”

“Oh, cut it out! The two of you are more like a boulder falling than a delicate flower…”

Gu Yin: …

He snuck a glance at Xiao Zong, who was focused on his work.

A delicate flower, huh.

–

Fuhua Hotel was nestled between the mountains and the sea, boasting breathtaking views.

A large infinity pool stretched toward the ocean and the dazzling lights made the stars in the sky seem dim in comparison.

The banquet tonight was mainly attended by senior management from various companies, with a focus on year-end industry exchanges. The chamber of commerce’s chairman had just finished his speech when Xiao Zong made his fashionably late entrance.

He instantly drew all eyes despite his late arrival.

At the beginning of last month, during the Federation’s Financial Technology Summit, the Xiao Group had abruptly announced a new CEO. Shortly after, a casino shooting had taken place and overnight, the entire Federation had become familiar with Xiao Zong, the second son of Xiao Sinian.

Since Xiao Sinian’s death, the Xiao family had remained quiet for a long time, and the company had fallen under the shadow of Fang Runjin’s scandals.

Now, both of Xiao Sinian’s sons had grown into elegant young men.

The eldest had officially taken up a position in the military, meaning that the vast family fortune would eventually pass to the second son. But until recently, there hadn’t been much news about Xiao Zong.

Rumors painted him as rebellious and carefree, much like his father, and not particularly favoured by the old master.

But no one could deny Xiao Zong’s natural charisma. This “magician” of the Federation’s tech industry was the center of attention wherever he went. It was said that those who disliked him were just as numerous as his admirers.

Besides his exceptional looks, he had two defining traits. Medium-length hair and a pair of frameless glasses he often wore.

Xiao Sinian wasn’t nearsighted, and legend had it that his glasses allowed him to “see through people’s hearts.” Even decades after his death, people in both politics and business continued to imitate his style.

With a father like that, how could the son not be extraordinary?

At an age when others were still racing cars and dating Omegas, Xiao Zong had already taken over a business empire.

The moment Xiao Zong appeared, all eyes at the banquet were on him.

If looks could kill, Xiao Zong figured he’d be cooked medium-well by now.

Although his position was high, he was still relatively junior in terms of seniority. Most of the people present were older and deserved to be addressed as uncles or elders.

Gu Yin watched from a distance as Xiao Zong handled the crowd with ease, but he didn’t feel comfortable mingling in these upper-class social settings. In the military, interactions were straightforward—orders were given and followed, without any hidden agendas.

To an outsider, Xiao Zong seemed like a pampered young master. Gu Yin worried that being too direct might startle him.

Suddenly, a serious question popped into Gu Yin’s mind.

Fox only told me to pretend to be drunk, but what am I supposed to do after I get drunk?

Should he make a move?

And after the kiss… what next?

Gu Yin’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and before he knew it, he’d downed his glass of champagne.

The champagne was like water. How much would he need to drink to actually get tipsy?

Gu Yin swapped his champagne for a glass of red wine.

After the red wine, he moved on to whiskey.

After whiskey, he tried some white wine.

From a distance, Xiao Zong noticed that his little secretary’s drink kept changing colors, one after another.

What is he doing? Doesn’t he know that him getting drunk will be a huge problem for me?!

The venue was filled with well-dressed men and women, glasses clinking, and conversations flowing. One by one, people came over to toast Xiao Zong, leaving him unable to pull himself away. All he could do was watch Gu Yin drink as if he were drowning his sorrows, one glass after another.

Then, Xiao Zong noticed someone approaching Gu Yin.

It was Ye Yumeng, the chief designer from CVR, who was also attending the banquet.

Xiao Zong: ?!

–

Alpha men were most attractive when they were working, and Xiao Zong exuded that charm at all times.

Standing in a corner, Gu Yin recalled the first time they had met—

He had pushed open the door and seen a man more handsome than any magazine model. The young man had been shirtless, the muscles on his back smoothly defined. His expression had been guarded, and he had been holding a freshly discarded shirt in his hand.

Training as a special forces soldier was gruelling, with his comrades, tough and sunburnt, sweating profusely every day, their skin tanned to a shiny bronze like it had been waxed.

Xiao Zong was unlike anything Gu Yin had ever seen, and seeing him up close was far more impactful than any other experience.

At the time, Gu Yin had been running a fever, and when he smelled the warning release of Xiao Zong’s Alpha pheromones, his body had been flooded with a strange, unfamiliar sensation, as if a pool of water was about to overflow.

He later learned this was called a heat cycle.

In the middle of a mission, his maturing body had been catalysed by a 100% compatibility with Alpha pheromones, leading him to undergo a second differentiation right there on the scene.

Whether it was the effect of the mixed drinks or the recollection of certain inappropriate thoughts, Gu Yin’s cheeks finally started to burn.

It was still early, and he decided to find something to take his mind off things.

Gu Yin had asked Liu Jian to send him the security evaluation report. Liu Jian had delayed it until late, and after driving for several hours, Gu Yin hadn’t had a chance to finish reading it.

Just as his fingers brushed his phone in his suit pocket, he heard a voice beside him, “Are you Xiao Zong’s new secretary?”

Gu Yin looked up in the direction of the voice.