Second Colony Star, late at night.

The night sky was dark with stars, and the lights in the National Information Security Bureau building stayed on all night.

The entire building had the most complex internal design in the Federation, with floors and room numbers constantly changing based on the security settings of the intelligent system.

Anyone without authorization who entered the building would be trapped inside within two minutes.

However, such a situation was extremely unlikely.

After all, the planet was populated solely by the top-level administrators of the Federation’s interstellar system.

The people on Star 2 were often referred to by those on the main planet as the “privileged class.”

This planet had no ordinary residents.

No bustling nightlife.

No wealth disparity or crime.

Its most distinctive feature was its silence.

No one would act recklessly here.

Sometimes, Zhou Hengqing felt like staying in this lifeless place for too long made him live like a bioengineered artificial intelligence.

But his father, grandfather, and his brothers of the same generation had all lived this way.

The people of the Federation weren’t emotionless beings, but this place required them to cut off irrational thoughts associated with human emotions and put the pros and cons of interstellar development above all else.

Zhou Hengqing used to think there was nothing wrong with that.

The government was a powerful institution, and its priority was the development of humanity. They, as part of the power structure, were merely its executors, and personal emotions shouldn’t interfere.

However, his position in the National Information Security Bureau, where he served as the Director of Division Two, specialized in handling and exchanging information on events threatening public safety across six colonial stars.

As he learned about more and more shady deals, Zhou Hengqing became increasingly numb to his role as an “executor.”

He was an executor, not a “judge.” He wasn’t supposed to pass moral judgments on the justice or injustice behind these events.

Not even in his heart. Once he began to judge these matters internally, it would influence his actions.

For this reason, the Federation star rarely interacted with the main planet. Even though interstellar travel was possible, strict control was maintained over trips between the main planet and the Federation.

However, for military officers at Zhou Hengqing’s level, the control was not as strict—there were, after all, ranks even within the privileged class.

There was a time difference between the six Federation colonial stars, with Star 2 being two days ahead of the main planet’s universal time. For the residents of other planets, the Federation was essentially “the future.”

The Federation government had chosen Star 2 as its base, likely as a way to emphasize its elevated status.

Standing in the middle of the information processing room, Zhou Hengqing was surrounded by encrypted blue text projections. The scattered blue light reflected off his face, making his skin appear unnaturally pale and emphasizing the shadows of his eyes and nose.

Recently, he had contacted a lawyer to discuss how he could divorce Xiao Jingchuan without severely affecting the latter’s future.

The lawyer had told him that unless all the fault was pinned on him, his own future would be ruined as well.

Zhou Hengqing hadn’t responded.

He couldn’t think of a way to make himself the sole party at fault, nor did he consult the experienced lawyer any further.

He wasn’t sure what he was hesitating over.

Maybe it was for his own career.

There were benefits to an arranged marriage, a mutually reinforcing relationship. At thirty years old, Zhou Hengqing had already risen to the position of Director, and within two more years, he could expect another promotion. Who would want to ruin their career at the peak of their capabilities?

For some reason, Zhou Hengqing had recently been thinking about the events at Xianyun Mountain Manor.

Xiao Jingchuan and Xiao Zong had very different temperaments, but they were brothers after all, and their facial features were quite similar.

Gu Yin’s eyes lit up whenever he looked at Xiao Zong, while Xiao Zong always seemed indifferent, yet he would occasionally glance over to check if Gu Yin was still within his line of sight.

It was said that Gu Yin’s father had passed away, and both his mother and grandfather seemed like easy-going people.

Suddenly, Zhou Hengqing remembered something.

Back in the day, No. 770 had skipped the awards ceremony for the Federation’s All-Around Combat Training Competition, and his medal had been collected on his behalf by the commander of the Southeast District. It had caused some dissatisfaction among the higher-ups, though it was just a minor incident. It was said that he had rushed back home because of a family emergency.

Later, Zhou Hengqing wondered whether the Federation’s displeasure with this incident had been the reason he hadn’t been recruited to Star 2.

As he thought about it, Zhou Hengqing swiped his access card and pulled up the information on the Southeast Military District of Country H.

Each country district had its own jurisdiction, but as a participant in the Federation’s combat competition, there had to be personal records on No. 770 within the Federation’s system.

The encrypted blue text exploded in front of him, then reformed into the Federation’s six-star emblem. After that, a single line of text appeared in Zhou Hengqing’s pupils: 【null】

Zhou Hengqing tried another search method, but the result was the same.

There was no such participant as No. 770.

If he hadn’t recently mentioned this to Xiao Jingchuan, Zhou Hengqing would have thought he’d remembered wrong.

But Xiao Jingchuan also recalled this matter, meaning there was only one possibility.

…That young man had been expelled from the military?

There were too many soldiers in the Federation to expect every single one to be perfectly obedient to national orders. Especially since Alphas naturally carried a rebellious gene.

For example, there was Shen Yuan, who had become a major headache for the government. After an argument, he had killed and dismembered his comrade. Not long after he had been recruited, he was expelled from the military. Country A viewed him as a disgrace, erasing all his electronic records. The only information available on the main planet was his time at the Naval Air Force Academy.

No. 770’s personal combat skills had far outshone his command abilities. Several of the generals who had watched the competition joked that the Southeast Military District of Country H had produced a “walking human weapon.”

If he had been expelled for committing a crime, the danger he posed to society could be even greater than Shen Yuan’s.

Zhou Hengqing lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then pressed the communication button.

“Sir, what are your orders?” asked the guard outside the information processing room.

“How far has the archive transfer reached?” Zhou Hengqing asked while activating the data access to the headquarters’ archive area. Green lights indicated that his authorization was approved.

“498th floor, sir,” the guard replied after verification. “If you need any materials, I can have the network department send them to you immediately.”

“No,” Zhou Hengqing stared at the room’s location and the countdown and said, “I’m heading to the paper archive room.”

**

A sleek, matte black AM sports car drove straight into the South City University campus, drawing the attention of many curious students.

They didn’t recognize the military-grade alloy used in the car’s construction, but many knew about the AM brand of top-tier sports cars.

This century-old car manufacturer had only produced a handful of supercar models, and their numbers were extremely limited. One model, nicknamed “222,” had been released when the Federation’s main planet population reached 20 billion, limited to 222 units, with a price tag that was astronomical.

Since there were so few models, they were easy to remember, but this modified sports car didn’t match any known model.

Had AM launched a new sports car model?

The car wasn’t driving fast through the campus, and many students took out their phones to take pictures.

“Do well on your exam. Don’t worry about anything else. When you’re done, I’ll take you to eat something good,” Xiao Zong said, pressing down on Gu Yin’s neck and planting a forceful kiss on his lips.

Gu Yin quickly glanced at the driver and assistant in the front seat.

“They saw everything,” Wei Mian teased with a laugh. “Shall we kill them to spice things up for you two?”

The driver, part of the security team, usually acted invisible. He chuckled at the comment.

Blushing, Gu Yin grabbed his bag and quickly opened the car door, escaping in a hurry.

Wei Mian watched his retreating figure, running faster than a rabbit, and clicked his tongue. “I didn’t know Secretary Gu could be so shy.”

Gu Yin hadn’t known much before; he pursued what he liked. But now, everything he needed to know had been taught to him.

Not just once.

With a smirk, Xiao Zong opened the folding worktable in the backseat, preparing to work in the car.

They had arrived early to avoid the morning rush hour.

“Actually, a car like this shouldn’t be driven by a chauffeur,” Wei Mian said, switching to the backseat. “It’s more fun to drive yourself.”

“I haven’t told him that this car is equipped with firepower,” Xiao Zong replied.

“He’ll find out eventually,” Wei Mian said. “Don’t underestimate Omegas—they’re not as delicate as you think.”

Xiao Zong thought of Madam Fang and glanced out the window with a noncommittal smile.

Fang Runjin had faced extreme circumstances back in the day. Her parents had passed away, her brother took charge of the family, her two children were still young, and her late husband’s mistress was causing trouble. Gu Yin had him to rely on, so what did he have to worry about?

The supercar’s windows were one-way visible, allowing Xiao Zong to observe the curious stares of the students outside.

His memories of being a student seemed like they were from a century ago. Ever since joining the company, Xiao Zong hadn’t stepped foot in any school. This was his first time at South City University.

Had Gu Yin not chosen distance learning, maybe they could have dated on campus, showing off their relationship. What a shame…

Xiao Zong, unaware of the commotion his face alone might cause if he wandered around campus, was feeling regretful when Wei Mian’s work phone rang.

“…Mr. Ye, please wait a moment.” After listening for a bit, Wei Mian covered the phone and turned to Xiao Zong. “Boss…”

Ever since Ye Yumeng had lost contact with Xiao Zong’s personal number, he had contacted Assistant Wei several times under the pretense of business matters.

Wei Mian was a professional manager, keeping work and personal feelings separate. The boss’s ex-boyfriend’s antics didn’t bother him, so he dealt with everything politely.

Without turning his head, Xiao Zong said, “Not taking it.”

“…” Wei Mian was speechless for 0.1 seconds, then finally said, “Mr. Ye mentioned that he has information on the young man with golden hair you were looking for.”

As Xiao Zong’s back visibly tensed, Wei Mian added, helping him recall, “From Lavca Casino.”

**

“Gu Yin, what a coincidence! Running into you here!”

All the students attending the spring recruitment retest were gathered in the same building. Gu Yin had just passed the first hidden security check when a voice called out to him.

Turning around, Gu Yin saw it was the guy from the same exam hall during the unified exams.

Unlike last time, the boy had shaved his hair short, his scalp showing prickly bristles. With the weather just warming up, he was already in a short-sleeved T-shirt, his jacket slung over his backpack. He was at that age where he was transitioning from a teenager to a young man, exuding youthful energy.

Like a newly enlisted recruit, the kind that made you want to… test their limits.

Gu Yin quickly brushed away the wicked thoughts from his mind, realizing that he had spent too much time around Young Master Xiao recently, constantly watching Xiao Zong tease Commander Xiao.

—But he was a gentle, adorable Omega! How could he mess with people like that?

In the past, no one had pampered Gu Yin, so he had relied on himself to handle everything meticulously. But now, with someone constantly calling him “spoiled” while thinking of everything for him, Gu Yin responded to it wholeheartedly.

Xiao Zong had holed himself up at home for several days, waiting to capture Shen Yuan and completely remove the threat he posed. Afterward, he’d promised to take Gu Yin on a short trip nearby.

When they had entered the campus in the morning, Gu Yin noticed the early cherry blossoms blooming. By the time the cherry blossoms started falling like snow, they’d be getting engaged.

As he thought about it, Gu Yin’s face broke into a sweet smile.

A janitor not far away shivered, pulling down his baseball cap and speaking into a high-tech hidden earpiece. “Damn, my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Is that clingy guy 12 meters away at 30 degrees southwest my team leader? Over.”

As the squad leader of the combat unit, “Fox” calmly corrected him, “Ex-team leader. Don’t blow your cover, just keep sweeping. Over.”

“It’s the interstellar era. Why do we still need janitors? Over.”

“How else would you sneak in? Over.”

Despite the distance, the special forces soldier code-named “Taishan,” disguised as a janitor, fell silent when Gu Yin glanced in his direction, seemingly by accident.

Taishan’s back went cold, and he lowered his head, thinking to himself: Your team leader will always be your team leader. Instructor Gu forever remains a legend!

Gu Yin had a pleasant appearance, the kind that made people feel comfortable rather than leaving an immediate stunning impression. He wasn’t the type to be aggressive, but the longer you looked, the more you wanted to get closer to him.

Especially with the faint hint of aloofness he carried. To a rebellious Alpha, it was an enticing game of push and pull.

The boy didn’t realize that the alluring charm this Omega exuded came from being deeply immersed in the sweetness of love. He only felt that this Omega was particularly enticing.

However, as soon as he got closer, he noticed—this Omega’s scent had become more woody!

The unmistakable presence of a powerful same-gender Alpha was a blatant threat, causing the boy’s frustration to surge. He grabbed Gu Yin’s arm and demanded, “Did the person who picked you up last time mark you? Your boss?!”

The Alpha boy’s name was You Maobin. His family in South City was quite well-off, considered a small wealthy family. His grades were decent too. After missing the fall exams due to his recent secondary gender awakening, he had rested at home for several months before taking the spring entrance exams.

The moment You Maobin touched Gu Yin, without understanding the situation, he stumbled and nearly face-planted.

At 1.8 meters tall, he could barely stay upright, and the other students nearby were all surprised.

Not too far away, Wu Yong and the other bodyguards followed at a reasonable distance. Seeing this, Wu Yong signaled to the others, his expression seeming to say: See? I told you the boss’s wife was something else.

The others nodded seriously.

This “throw-hand” technique had caused countless new recruits to suffer in silence, with no idea what had just happened to them.

Back when they first enlisted, they had all been tricked by their seniors. And when they finally bonded with each other, the first thing they learned was this move, so they could torment the next batch of newbies.

Indeed, Old Master Xiao’s subordinates were full of hidden talents!

Betraying the Xiao family had no good outcome!

Gu Yin actually had a micro-communication device implanted behind his ear, used to stay in contact with Henghua Security. Even though the Southeast Military District had dispatched Alpha special forces to assist the police in capturing Shen Yuan, Gu Yin still couldn’t feel at ease without knowing the outside situation.

Sometimes, even when he knew the situation, he still couldn’t feel at peace, because he overheard the following exchange on the communication channel:

“Captain, President Xiao’s schedule has changed.”

Wu Yong asked, “What’s going on?”

“Old Zhang just sent a message, saying some Mr. Ye wants to meet.”

Gu Yin: …

By this point, You Maobin had steadied himself, still unsure why he’d stumbled. Embarrassed by making a fool of himself in front of an Omega, and with so many people watching, he angrily said:

“Are you being kept by someone? How much is he paying? I’ll offer twice—no, three times as much!”

Author’s Note: Life~ It’s full of battlefields~

(Devil’s whisper)