South City Street, at the intersection, in a café.

The moment the bullet pierced through the glass, the once-clear and spotless window was shattered by a powerful impact.

Shards of glass exploded everywhere, raining down upon the two people seated by the window!

At the same time, plainclothes police officers, who had been lying in wait, sprang into action, throwing the two people to the ground, rolling onto the carpet.

Ye Yumeng was about to scream, but instead, he got a mouthful of glass shards, the police had to free a hand to grab his jaw and use an elbow strike to his back to prevent him from swallowing.

Once he spit out the shards, by the time he came back to his senses, he was already in a daze, being escorted to a safe house by the police and bodyguards.

Xiao Zong, on the other hand, was calmly opening his laptop?!

Outside, a series of gunshots rang out, the rooftop of an abandoned residential building had turned into a battlefield.

Ye Yumeng was shaking like a leaf, and inside the safe house, the doctors were already standing by.

“You guys…” he looked at the group in disbelief, his peripheral vision catching sight of the 360-degree surveillance. He saw the shattered mahogany table that had been hit by the sniper’s bullet: the snacks and drinks on top were overturned, a complete mess, not even a trace of elegance left.

Just like the beautiful memories he had been immersed in earlier that day.

Ye Yumeng felt a chill run down his spine.

He finally understood the meaning behind that saying, “I can’t wake someone pretending to be asleep, but some people can.”

The one who shattered his illusions was an unknown sniper, but the one who orchestrated it all was Xiao Zong.

A warning and a show of force.

Ye Yumeng was utterly shocked and terrified, unable to believe that Xiao Zong would do something so dangerous.

He wanted to ask but the taste of blood filled his mouth and throat.

Xiao Zong’s actions were a reminder to Ye Yumeng—besides his immense wealth, there was much more that he endured.

The people around him constantly faced such dangers, whether Xiao Zong got into trouble or the Xiao family fell, it would be a disaster for his partner.

Love is a weakness. That’s why Xiao Sinian didn’t love anyone, and neither did Xiao Zong.

Ye Yumeng shook his head, trembling.

Seeing his condition, the doctor quickly gave him a sedative shot to prevent the omega from losing control and making the operation more difficult.

The safe house was connected to the command center, and Henghua had worked with the H Nation military several times, but it was the first time cooperating with the police. The approval process was almost a straight path, and from equipment to personnel, as long as Xiao Yan said the word, even efficiency increased.

As a result, a group of local police officers were dazzled by the military-grade equipment owned by these wealthy elites.

For instance, the room was filled with advanced technology typically used on interstellar battlefields. These were part of H Nation’s secret military reserves, and some were even Old Master Xiao’s personal “toys” — every rich person has their own way of burning money.

Actually… the Xiao family’s primary business might just be arms dealing?

Lu Renjia’s uncle had been Xiao Yan’s personal doctor for thirty years, so he knew a bit about the family—like how Xiao Zong was the most frugal. He ate little, worked hard, and mostly just bought houses and cars while raising an overly pampered cat.

The cat didn’t even like to be petted.

How tragic.

Besides Wei Mian, Henghua’s engineers were already on-site assisting the police.

At this moment, the most tragic and beautiful Xiao family member, Xiao Zong, sat in front of the computer, his face tense as he stared at the screen.

He had the highest authority within Henghua Technology, and activating military equipment required his personal authorization, making him one of the key players in this operation.

He even risked his own safety to “cooperate.”

The police’s network technician quickly explained, “Last time, your assistant explained it very clearly. The killer’s targeting system relies on the ‘Skynet’ system’s aerial view to choose the optimal angle.”

“——To assist the killer in avoiding police pursuit and cleaning up afterward, the amount of data processing required must be huge. It would take a large quantum computer, or even multiple, to generate results quickly. A regular portable computer wouldn’t cut it.”

The data had to be transmitted continuously to maintain accuracy and effectiveness. The plan proposed by the Xiao family’s team was to use interference with the M021 semi-automatic sniper rifle’s built-in computer targeting system for reverse tracking.

The prerequisite was that they had just identified the exact model of the gun using metal element matching. If the sniper rifle model changed, and it didn’t have a computer targeting system, the plan would have to be altered accordingly.

All commands were calculated step by step on-site, with no time to waste, and no margin for error.

It’s rumored that under Old Master Xiao’s leadership, Henghua Group ran with military precision. Only their employees could handle such psychological pressure and execute with the discipline of soldiers.

Even the police were quietly shocked: a single misjudgment today, and everyone would have to watch Xiao Zong die in front of them.

But Xiao Zong himself dared to bet.

Courage runs deep in the Xiao family’s bloodline. Not just him—Xiao Yan, Xiao Jingchuan, and even the omega Fang Runjin shared this trait. The Xiao family’s wolfish nature was embedded in their bones. Normally, they kept it hidden, but when it mattered, they could show relentless, all-or-nothing courage.

“They’re all crazy…”

Lu Renjia silently muttered this a hundred times in his head.

The Xiao family engineers actually hacked the government’s ‘Skynet’ system in front of the police, using Henghua’s satellite to intercept the federal satellite signal and send back incorrect coordinates, causing an experienced sniper to miss his shot from several hundred meters away.

“This system of yours is too outdated,” Xiao Zong said, his tone as infuriating as ever. Yet with that ABO-alluring face of his, no one could bring themselves to hit him. “It’s less reliable than the smart housekeeper in my villa.”

Lu Renjia: ……

If I covered my eyes, I could hit him just fine!

The ‘Skynet’ system was launched into space many years ago by the federation, initially offering only sub-meter-level observation and surveillance. Over time, technological improvements like optical remote sensing brought its accuracy down to centimeters, even millimeters for military use.

But as with all government infrastructure, the system had a flaw: cost-cutting through reuse.

Each additional layer of technology added another level of confidentiality to the ‘Skynet’ making it multi-functional.

Eventually, the observation satellite became like a public highway, usable by anyone, and [UNNAMED] had long since cracked its encryption.

But to replace it would be prohibitively expensive, and doing so would mean that the main star would lose many technological conveniences for a period, such as navigation and the police’s beloved facial recognition system.

The consequences could be dire.

Humans’ control over the world stems from technological advancement, yet they often overlook the risks that come with reliance on technology.

Fang Chi once joked during a conversation: the more convenient an interstellar society becomes, the more insignificant an individual’s role in society. Take away the water and electricity from the main star for a month, force everyone into wilderness survival, and the number of people who’d survive wouldn’t be many.

The safe house wasn’t the only tense place; on the other side, at the city police command center.

“——We’ve been studying these computer targeting systems for years,” dozens of engineers remotely controlled hundreds of computers from the command hall, smiling. “Our former boss used to say, ‘Technology is magic,’ but how can magic exist without a time for it to be revealed?”

Everyone in the safe house was working meticulously, but things on the rooftop weren’t going smoothly.

The professional assassin realized the angle was off the moment the bullet flew, and his partner simultaneously reported via earpiece that there was a satellite signal anomaly being investigated.

It didn’t matter anymore. The sudden disruption and the tampering with his computer targeting system parameters turned the assassin’s frustration into pure rage.

——What does an alpha hate the most?

Being controlled.

Especially for an alpha who has forsaken order and morality to become a killer.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell, followed by the sound of armed police kicking in the metal door at the top of the building, shouting, “Don’t move! Or we’ll shoot!”

But they were greeted by a high-powered shock cannon!

——BOOM!!

A rain of rubble fell, dust filling the air. The entire rectangular structure on the rooftop was leveled, and a massive crater appeared on the concrete roof.

Lu Renjia’s expression turned icy. He spoke into his walkie-talkie: “What’s going on on the rooftop?!”

“Reporting, sir! The enemy is carrying heavy firepower! Casualties among the first group of entry personnel are unknown! Requesting instructions! I repeat, the enemy is carrying suspected rocket-launcher-grade weapons, casualties among the first group are unknown! Over!”

The police chief’s face darkened in the command center, his brow deeply furrowed.

As one of the most wanted assassins in the entire federal star system, ‘Yuan’ had a well-documented history, much of which H Nation’s police already knew.

This man was an extreme physical force practitioner and a staunch alpha supremacist.

He believed that human physical abilities could be infinitely pushed to their limits, and just as mankind evolved to adapt to the environment and changing lifestyles, in the future, humans could adapt to life in outer space, and that alpha was the most suitable gender for survival.

Although, in truth, the Federation widely acknowledged that betas were actually the most suitable for survival.

But the killer on the rooftop had an assassination style completely different from ‘Yuan.’

This wasn’t about deliberately misleading the police. A professional assassin’s style was like a company logo—they wanted everyone to remember it and feel a chill down their spine at the mere thought.

[UNNAMED] was an organisation that recruited desperados and anarchists, people who enjoyed stepping on the government and national districts, and took pleasure in toying with state authority.

Whenever they showed up, it always caused headaches for governments around the world, and the losses were significant.

The siege was urgent, and the second wave of armed police stormed the rooftop, prepared for the worst, only to find the assassin standing on the rooftop’s edge.

“Don’t move!” a police officer shouted, but no one dared to shoot.

A shot here would cause the assassin to fall to his death from the rooftop. They had to try to capture him alive—only a living captive could provide more information.

Information about [UNNAMED] the organisation lurking beneath the surface, and its ties to the federal government on a distant planet.

This was the main reason why the police had reached a cooperation agreement with the Xiao family and made so many procedural concessions.

Mutual cooperation meant mutual benefit. Xiao Zong was looking for someone else entirely.

That night at the Fuhua Hotel, the mysterious figure who hacked into the system and expressed interest in “doing business” with the Xiao family.

This mysterious figure wasn’t like a killer with a code name, a history, or a distinct personal style.

During a recent investigation, Lu Renjia had mentioned to Xiao Zong that all of the mysterious figure’s details were fake, including the electronic voice—he had gathered recordings from over a hundred people, piecing together their voices based on conversation content, and then converted it into a mechanical electronic voice.

Each pronunciation might combine two or three people’s voices, making it impossible to reverse-engineer. Henghua’s tech department had held several meetings about it, but they couldn’t come up with a solution.

This was the first time Xiao Zong had encountered something like this.

His sharp mind suddenly recalled something Gu Xiao Yin had once said, “Only magic can defeat magic, ba.”

The other party’s expertise in technology wasn’t inferior to Xiao Zong’s, and in terms of background and financial resources, while it might be difficult to surpass Henghua, the Federation’s largest tech company, it wasn’t far behind.

This was the level of a worthy opponent.

Not a handful of professional assassins that would waste Xiao Zong’s time and energy.

Xiao Zong’s fingers danced across the keyboard, breaking through layer after layer of the opponent’s network defenses. Meanwhile, Officer Lu spoke into the radio: “There’s no way he’s trying to kill himself… Take him out on the spot!”

A volley of bullets was fired, flames erupting as the assassin performed a series of rolls along the 30-centimeter-wide concrete ledge, leaving countless bullet holes in the wall.

“Airborne.”

Xiao Zong’s eyes were fixed on the screen before him as his fingers flew across the keyboard. To his right was Henghua’s computer, specifically designed for his identity verification.

Wei Mian was also glued to several computers, juggling communications, texts, and system emails that never seemed to stop. From afar, he looked like his CPU was about to overheat.

But he was excited.

Being a corporate drone was just a necessity, people had to survive, but working in sync with Xiao Zong brought him more than just a high salary. It was also the creativity and thrill that his boss brought to the table.

From a same-gender perspective, Xiao Zong’s most attractive trait was the madness he kept hidden away.

“What?”

The question came out of nowhere, and Lu Renjia wasn’t even sure if Xiao Zong was reciting authorization codes.

Despite the situation, Xiao Zong could still multitask. He said, “You didn’t deploy aerial defenses, did you?”

Dude, even in the suburbs, this is a densely populated area. If you deploy a police helicopter, the commotion would be huge! Unless you use a military stealth plane… Oh crap, a stealth plane!

Officer Lu’s hands and feet went cold, like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.

“Get the operational vehicle ready for aerial defense—!” he shouted into the radio.

The police couldn’t use stealth planes, but [UNNAMED] might have one!

The sky was weighed down by layers of dark clouds, casting a gloomy atmosphere. Just as Officer Lu finished speaking in the safe house, something suddenly pierced through the thick clouds from above!

When the stealth plane appeared, everyone’s faces changed.

It was a military aircraft!

“What’s going on with air traffic control?! Why is it a military aircraft?”

“Which military district is it from?”

“Unknown for now, it’s a Tianji-J-476 model, immediately report to the military!”

Ding’s face turned grim. A military aircraft showing up at a siege site and rescuing a professional assassin from [UNNAMED]—this was no longer something that could be solved by writing a report.

All the special forces present in the southeastern district would be subjected to strict interrogation.

“Goodbye, friends.”

The assassin finally smiled and said a single sentence. Despite his face having undergone biological alterations, the look in his eyes and his expression resembled a nightmare’s sinister gaze.

After speaking, he spread his arms and leaned back, as the stealth plane suddenly swooped down in a sharp dive, opening its docking bay and pulling him into the cabin.

The pupils of everyone in the police station shrank sharply. A stern voice shouted, “That’s not Shen Yuan! That’s [UNNAMED]’s number two assassin!”

——‘Yan,’ no one knows his real name. Unlike Shen Yuan, who has a recorded history, ‘Yan’ is a ghost, adept at using technological disguises, calling himself a high-tech criminal.

Rumour has it that he idolises the “Federation’s Magician,” and only joined [UNNAMED] after Xiao Sinian’s death. His behaviour, speech, and mannerisms all bear a strong resemblance to Second Master Xiao.

Governments had once treated this as a key investigative lead, but the problem was that too many people in the Federation imitated Second Master Xiao, making it impossible to trace.

The police communication channel erupted into chaos—

“Can we use drones?”

“No! Drones won’t be effective against a stealth fighter, and if we provoke them, what if they open fire on the city from high above?!”

“Damn it! If we had known it was ‘Yan,’ we should have called in the military from the start!”

“You think if we don’t provoke him, he won’t go crazy? This lunatic is practically a war criminal! He’s already staged air raids on crowded areas in C Country before!”

The voice coming through the radio made Xiao Zong’s long, elegant eyebrows furrow.

It’s not Yuan?
Then where’s Gu Yin?

His heart suddenly raced.

The name ‘Gu Yin’ was like an invisible thread, stretching far into the distance, toward a school about two kilometers away, yet tugging at Xiao Zong’s heart.

It had been a long, long time since he had felt this kind of yearning.

It was as if everything he was doing now was just to ensure that, later, he could meet that person safely, ruffle his hair, and say, “Finished your exam? Then let’s go eat something yummy, darling.”

Love was Xiao Zong’s armor.

And Gu Xiaoyin was the treasure hidden beneath that armor.

What followed left everyone in the safe house understanding the true meaning of “goodbye.”

‘Yan’ had no intention of fleeing. The military aircraft swooped low along the edge of the residential building, then changed direction. A cannon barrel protruded from the top of the wings, and in a flash of white light—

Whoosh—Boom!!

The entire temporary, concealed safe house was rocked by the explosion, white dust cascading down, pouring like a waterfall over the precision equipment!

Zzzz—zzzz—

Although the safe house had shock-absorbing and blast-resistant facilities, the first wave of explosions hadn’t completely held. The shockwave from the blast tore away chunks of the building’s outer walls.

The precision cosmic metal detectors were destroyed on the spot, but no one had the time or energy to mourn the loss.

The police hadn’t even finished debating whether or not to open fire on ‘Yan,’ and here the assassin showed no regard for the fact that there was a residential area nearby.

After entering the aircraft cabin, the first thing ‘Yan’ did was stride into the cockpit, grab the pilot by the collar, and toss him aside. “Move!”

The pilot, trembling with fear, stammered, “S-sir, you need to return quickly. ‘Yuan’ has already been taken down.”

‘Yan’ glanced at him, his expression playful and mocking. “Do you think Xiao Zong is hiding in there for no reason? The organization’s signal is being tracked and hacked by them, and now you want to retreat? Do you want H Nation’s military to roll warships right up to your doorstep?!”

He sharply veered the aircraft, almost flinging the pilot out of the cockpit.

“Before I leave, let me give them a parting gift.”

**

The loss of a military aircraft couldn’t be concealed. As reports flew up the chain of command, Lin City entered a first-level special lockdown, with all citizens required to take shelter in nearby air-raid bunkers.

The North China Military District responded to the alarm, with tanks and fighter jets simultaneously deployed—tanks securing the ground, and jets patrolling the skies.

But no matter how fast the military moved, the safe house wouldn’t survive the Tianji fighter’s second bombing run.

Their equipment had originally been prepared for Shen Yuan, and even the second team sent by the Fox was primarily skilled in close combat.

As for ‘Yan,’ he was so disobedient that even the leaders of [UNNAMED] found him a headache, so they rarely sent him out on missions.

Among the special forces unit, the one most skilled in ground-to-air defense was Fatty, and he was already on his way.

Two kilometers was neither far nor close—it would still take ten minutes by car.

Ding glanced at Xiao Zong, who sat still as a statue in front of the computer, wondering whether this pale-skinned alpha was paralysed with fear or just… something else. She silently hoped they could hold out for just a few more minutes until Fatty and Fox arrived to extract them.

The team captain had only just found a partner—there was no way they could let him become a widower so soon.

It seemed like ‘Yan’ was fully intent on playing out some twisted “family feud” today. Yet Xiao Zong, still focused on the progress bar for breaking the program, suddenly flashed a strange, unreadable smile.

The people in the safe house were stuck in an impossible dilemma. Leaving would turn them into sitting ducks on the street, but staying in the safe house was like being meat in an oven.

And then there was the cracking program, H Nation’s chance to finally get their hands on [UNNAMED]’s classified intel—of course they hesitated.

It was in moments of crisis that true professionalism showed itself. A good subordinate always noticed their boss’s emotional shifts immediately.

Wei Mian’s gaze snapped to Xiao Zong, and he cautiously asked, “…Boss?”

“I’ve had bad luck with cars lately,” Xiao Zong lifted his gaze and smiled at his assistant, “Guess I’ll have to send a replacement one for Yin Yin later.”

Ding: …?

**

“This is a warning from the military: the aircraft you are piloting is an H Nation Southeastern Military District Tianji-J-476 fighter jet. You do not have control authorisation. Immediately locate a landing site, or the military will initiate the self-destruct sequence.”

“Repeat, this is a…”

Bang! The alpha swung a fist and smashed the communications console, finally restoring some peace in the cabin.

The Tianji-J-476 fighter was also equipped with Henghua’s technology. The engine thrusters were naturally top-of-the-line, and the barrel tracks were made by the Xiao family. Even the system chips had been bought and modified.

The military had locked down some of the functions remotely, but most of the connection had already been cut when the jet was stolen.

It was the strongest model of fighter jet in active service, more than enough to destroy a temporary safe house.

‘Yan’ pulled down the control lever.

This time, he didn’t use the computer targeting system. Instead, he activated the panoramic display to enjoy the view of the people below, screaming and running in terror.

So what if he was Xiao Sinian’s son? These two were nothing like him. What was the point of keeping them alive?

He sneered.

On the screen, the manual crosshair locked onto the safe house, and ‘Yan’ gleefully pressed the red button before him. The electromagnetic pulse cannon fired!

But just then, a black shadow suddenly flashed across his vision, moving so fast even the assassin couldn’t see it clearly.

He quickly realized what it was—a matte black sports car?!

Xiao Zong’s “parting gift” was this extravagant. Inside the battered safe house, Wei Mian explained with a deadpan expression, “…Please inform the traffic police and the Road Traffic Safety Administration that our company’s autonomous driving system strictly adheres to traffic laws under normal circumstances. This doesn’t count as a system flaw.”

It’s simply because the boss has too much money to burn.

Lu Renjia’s face was blank as he replied, “Understood.” He added, “…But according to the ‘AI Autonomous Driving Accident Liability and Management Regulations,’ this counts as dangerous autonomous driving, so you’ll still need to pay the fine.”

Wei Mian smiled in satisfaction. “Fair enough.”

The AM sports car had a top speed of 450 kilometers per hour, and after being upgraded into a flying car, it could reach speeds of up to 680 kilometers per hour, with an acceleration time of just 1.2 seconds.

Last time, it was merely a land-based warship. This time, it was practically an interstellar missile.

Thus, the first time the Federation’s flying car hit the roads, it immediately activated flight mode to collide head-on with the electromagnetic cannon and then flew straight into the fighter jet!

The massive jet tried to bank right, attempting to evade the flying car, but it couldn’t outrun the full-throttle black sports car. The flying car was like a sharp blade, piercing through the smoke and plunging directly into the belly of the aircraft!

Fatty, who had just arrived in the operational vehicle, exclaimed, “…Holy crap?!”

Wasn’t that his sister-in-law’s car?!

And right after, the flying car exploded mid-air.

Debris from the aircraft rained down like a storm, and following the orders, every police vehicle along the roadside activated anti-gravity interference systems simultaneously!

Fatty scrambled to extinguish the burning wreckage falling from the sky to prevent it from igniting a fire.

For a brief moment, a deathly silence fell over the safe house.

Officer Lu slowly closed his eyes and said,

“Installing military-grade equipment in a sports car… Traffic police can’t handle this anymore. You should probably get a lawyer to clean up this mess.”

Wei Mian chuckled awkwardly, glancing at the culprit.

Xiao Zong, however, was frowning, staring down at his phone.

The new head of his security team, Wu Yong, had sent several messages.

[President Xiao, Secretary Gu is missing. We’ll definitely find him!]

[President Xiao, no news is the best news.]

[President Xiao, Shen Yuan and his mole have both been taken down, but Secretary Gu still hasn’t been found. He must be okay.]

[Xiao Zong, the police are handling a few things. There were no deaths at the school, but Secretary Gu is still missing. His phone was left in the exam room. Did he come to find you?]

Wu Yong, the honest alpha, sent a bunch of reassuring messages while providing updates, but Xiao Zong’s handsome face was growing darker with each word.

Where is Gu Xiaoyin? I was just hugging and kissing him this morning. Where is my Gu Xiaoyin, who was so big and warm?!

**

The sky remained overcast, but no rain fell. The hospital near South Tech was packed with people.

Gu Yin felt his body growing more and more fatigued, his legs heavy as if filled with lead. He walked slower and slower.

Tai Shan who was communicating with the Fox in the operations command vehicle, kept updating him on the situation.

“Ding’s team ran into another assassin, but it’s been dealt with. Don’t worry.”

Tai Shan’s method of summarizing everything into a few words wouldn’t normally fool Gu Yin, but now Gu Yin had no strength left and only whispered softly, “That’s good.”

His voice was so weak it seemed he might pass out at any moment.

Every time Gu Yin’s heat came, it hit like a storm. He could barely believe how his body could be bleeding on one end while feeling like it was about to overflow on the other, his legs trembling and turning to jelly.

But he didn’t even have the strength to feel embarrassed. He just felt his consciousness slipping away from his body.

This is too humiliating, Gu Yin thought.

I can’t let Xiao Zong see me like this.

He was glad he still had some rationality left, enough to know what to do next:

Get to the hospital for some radiation treatment, then apply bio-healing gel. Within two hours, the injuries would look a lot less frightening.

But he wouldn’t be able to avoid a scolding from Xiao Zong. That didn’t matter though; the chaos in the school district was already being handled by Team Seven. In an hour—no, it should already be settled by now.

As the department specialized in cleaning up messes for the Southeast Military District, Gu Yin had confidence in them.

What he really needed to think about was how to deal with Xiao Zong.

Xiao Zong wasn’t someone you could brush off easily, and there was no way Gu Yin could make all his injuries disappear.

Should he call Wei Mian from the hospital first?

See if he could help cover this up.

Gu Yin really wanted to see Xiao Zong right now, but his rational mind told him he couldn’t.

If Xiao Zong found out… he’d leave me, Gu Yin thought.

I’ve only done this one bad thing… I shouldn’t be punished for it, right?

Besides, if I stay, I still have so much to offer…

The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt, and the less confident he became.

“Captain,” Tai Shan suddenly turned to him with a serious expression, “I have to go back, there’s an urgent matter in the team.”

Gu Yin’s brain took a few extra beats to catch up, and he instinctively wanted to ask why. But when he saw Tai Shan’s face, the words stuck in his throat.

It was definitely a military secret.

The hospital entrance was just ahead, and several injured people were being brought in, most of them omegas who had lost control.

In truth, out-of-control omegas weren’t that scary. They just collapsed to the ground, limp and weak, and uncontrollably released large amounts of pheromones.

——Well, on second thought, that does sound a bit scary.

Gu Yin nodded. “Oh, you go ahead then.”

He couldn’t get involved in military matters now. What he should be thinking about was how to calm down that impatient big cat.

Things seemed serious though. Tai Shan said a few things into his earpiece, then waved goodbye to Gu Yin and jogged off.

The rain began to fall in light drops, wetting the asphalt road.

Gu Yin dragged his heavy body through the hospital entrance, completely unaware of the person standing in the distance, watching him with a piercing gaze.

**

Raindrops tapped against the hospital’s clear, polished windows, blurring the sharp and cold beauty of the figure’s face.

Xiao Zong’s displeasure was written all over his face.

He wanted to go find Gu Yin, but everyone, including Wei Mian, was against it.

“It’s too chaotic outside right now. Your car’s wrecked, so don’t go running around like a headless chicken.”

“There are special forces maintaining order at the school. The police have confirmed multiple times that there were no deaths.”

“The only alpha student who was injured in the attack has been treated, and the people in the car hit by the electromagnetic cannon have all been identified. Gu Yin wasn’t one of them.”

“If, and I’m taking the extreme here, if Secretary Gu had any issues, the nearby hospitals are the easiest places to find him. If you run around, the police will have to follow you everywhere.”

“You see that female military alpha over there? If you run around, she’ll knock you out.”

Xiao Zong: ……

They half-coaxed, half-threatened him into the hospital. There was no joy in having taken down a “fake father” but rather a sense of someone stoking a fire beneath his heart, burning it until it itched unbearably.

When he found Gu Xiaoyin, he’d better have a good explanation. Otherwise, Xiao Zong wasn’t so easy to placate.

Xiao Zong stood by the second-floor corridor window, staring at the hospital entrance, watching as the staff calmly handled the incoming injured, while the soft rain drizzled outside.

The sound of spring thunder rumbled, heavy and muted.

Xiao Zong stood by the window for a long time, not even sure what he was waiting for.

There were several hospitals nearby, so there was no guarantee Gu Yin would come here.

He frowned, looking like the lovesick commander he had been a few days ago, ready to turn into a stone statue waiting for his lover.

Even Wei Mian, who usually had a good relationship with his boss and loved to make snarky remarks, felt a pang of sympathy.

Gu Yin had always been reliable, but with this kind of chaos at South Tech, how could he be missing at a time like this?

If anything happened to him, the boss would probably send all the members of ‘UNNAMED’ into a new energy reactor.

Wei Mian shuddered.

Gu Xiaoyin, please come out soon.

And as if Wei Mian’s words had some magical power, the moment he finished muttering, the elegant alpha by the window suddenly perked up.

If Wei Mian had to describe that scene, the word that came to mind would be nothing less than jubilation.

He didn’t even need to ask to know that Gu Yin was fine.

However, in the next moment, Xiao Zong saw a familiar figure suddenly rush toward Gu Yin from behind.

Xiao Zong: !!!

Wei Mian had been standing behind Xiao Zong and saw his expression change dramatically. He hurried to the window to look.

——There’s a reflexive action known as a conditioned response.

And as Liu Jiangang rushed toward Gu Yin, he may not have even made contact. Just the breeze from his approach might have brushed against Gu Yin.

But in an instant, that seemingly frail figure, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, bent down, elbowed Liu Jiangang’s ribs, then spun around and delivered a heavy punch to his temple, following through with a low sweeping kick!

Liu Jiangang crashed onto the asphalt road, unable to get up.

The medical staff rushing over didn’t know whether to help the one standing or the one lying on the ground.

Xiao Zong: ???

His lips parted, and he finally muttered a single sentence:

“I think I’m seeing things.”

Wei Mian: “Me too.”

Author’s note: They were too far away to see that Gu Xiaoyin was injured.