Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Suddenly, the testing room fell into an eerie silence.

The staff members looked at each other, choosing to focus inwardly, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

The atmosphere felt as heavy as cement, pressing down on everyone present.

Queqiu, though he had asked the question, appeared in no hurry, leisurely observing the varied expressions around him.

Only the quiet hum of the machinery broke the silence, accompanied by the heavy breathing of the staff.

The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

Based on past experiences, if the display showed no numerical fluctuations or color changes after completing its operation, it meant the tested Omega/Alpha was physiologically defective (excluding Betas, as most Betas inherently lack special abilities; no energy fluctuation is normal for them).

Such individuals were commonly referred to as 'defective.'

Lacking any healing or combat capabilities, not even detectable pheromones, they were considered even less significant than the most ordinary Beta.

He Jieming's fingers trembled as he extracted the test report, closing his eyes, unwilling to accept the results.

An S-level...

An S-level healing Omega...

His excitement had barely subsided when reality doused him with cold water, as if mocking him: Keep dreaming, how could you have discovered an S-level Omega!

Clearly, the others in the testing room thought the same. They looked at Queqiu with mixed emotions, swinging from elation to disappointment, unsure how to treat this entirely innocent Omega.

Normally, a disheartened Omega failing to achieve a high grade would be comforted. Yet with Queqiu, not only did they fail to realize this, but they also irrationally directed their frustration at him, though it wasn't his fault.

Despite anticipating the outcome, He Jieming still had to mentally prepare himself before tremblingly opening the freshly printed, still warm test report.

Before seeing the stark black and white of the report, He Jieming harbored a sliver of hope.

He thought the anomaly caused by Queqiu wasn't false; perhaps he wasn't the nearly impossible S-level, but he might be A-level?

An A-level was already beyond their reach!

Even... even a B-level wouldn't be unacceptable.

But the stark, unambiguous result, a glaring red line stating "Genetic Level Test Failed," utterly shattered all of He Jieming's illusions.

Queqiu was neither the mythic S-level nor the rare A-level; he didn't even qualify for the lowest F-level.

He was just an unqualified, defective Omega who failed the genetic level test.

Underneath immense disappointment was frustration born from shattered expectations. He Jieming couldn't bring himself to express anything more, sternly ordering, "You failed the genetic level test. According to Imperial regulations, you must be immediately sent to Sikuxing."

Sikuxing, commonly referred to as the Dark Star.

The room briefly buzzed with surprise, but no uproar ensued. To them, a purposeless, wandering Omega branded as defective seemed a foregone conclusion, regardless of the outcome.

Queqiu, the person involved, remained as calm as ever, as if this rollercoaster of emotions wasn't happening to him. Like a silent plant, indifferent to the noisy winds, he steadfastly rooted in his own soil, oblivious to the world's affairs.

Queqiu's understanding of the world so far was limited to this military ship. Unclear about what the Dark Star was, he turned his questioning gaze to Jinli.

As an outsider, he might not know, but for any citizen of the Empire, the very name Dark Star evokes a clear image.

It's a place of exile, a haven for countless fugitives and outlaws.

Dark, chaotic, bloody, filthy, utterly lawless...

No amount of negative adjectives could truly capture its essence, a place far worse than the capital star's maximum-security prison housing the worst death row inmates.

Jinli couldn't fathom what would become of Queqiu, a beautiful Omega with no means of self-defense, if exiled to the Dark Star. Even an Alpha like Felix with a promising future couldn't hope to emerge unscathed from there, and might even disappear without a trace.

Would Queqiu, driven to Dark Star by He Jieming, end up as mere compost nourishing a soil of sin?

He dared not think further.

This outcome was the last thing Jinli wanted to see when he predicted Queqiu's genetic level test.

Biting his lip, Jinli bravely addressed He Jieming, "Captain, we all saw during the genetic level analysis that Queqiu was identified as S-level, but then something unexpected happened. Could there be a malfunction in the analyzer leading to the current result?"

He Jieming's piercing gaze, accompanied by an overwhelming aura of authority, fell on Jinli, his snake-like scales shimmering coldly in the silvery light of the cabin.

"I think, to be cautious, perhaps, maybe..."

Under such pressure, Jinli couldn't help trembling, but glancing at Queqiu standing alone in the center of the testing room, he mustered the courage to suggest, "Maybe we should retest subject 2237?"

Everyone gasped at Jinli's suggestion.

Felix frowned.

He admired Queqiu's clean, comfortable beauty, devoid of vulgarity, and had considered requesting Queqiu's transfer to his side, regardless of the genetic level outcome.

But Queqiu, an undisputed defective product, a stray Omega found on an abandoned planet, failed even the most basic test. By regulation, such an Omega should be sent to fend for themselves on Dark Star, and no one else had the right to interfere with their fate.

Felix indeed liked Queqiu very much, but no one had ever challenged the Empire's centuries-old regulations, and he wasn't about to start over a mere fondness.

Thus, he chose to remain silent.

Though he did feel it was a pity.

Jinli's lone voice seemed particularly isolated at this moment.

He Jieming merely glanced at him coldly, icily saying, "Why waste precious time and resources retesting a defective Omega?"

"But..."

"Gene analyzers never err; I only trust the final result," He Jieming interrupted Jinli impatiently.

Initially indifferent to Queqiu, He Jieming's anger, fueled by the recent roller coaster of emotions, was inevitably directed at the innocent Omega.

Jinli dared not say more, guiltily glancing at Queqiu.

Meeting Jinli's brown eyes, Queqiu gently shook his head, signaling him not to offend his superior on his behalf.

He Jieming's gaze hardened upon Queqiu, devoid of the earlier reverence, even colder than before, now filled with extreme annoyance, as if facing an arch-enemy.

Indifferently, he decided Queqiu's fate without a hint of hesitation: "Les, take him to Dark Star with your brothers."

Then, turning to another Omega who had entered during Queqiu's test, his demeanor softened noticeably, speaking tenderly as if not to startle them.

"Dongkui, it's your turn for the level test."

Queqiu noticed He Jieming's abrupt change, turning to look.

His gaze paused momentarily, fixating on a pale yellow flower atop the other Omega's head.

Queqiu's pupils contracted slightly, followed by a flush only he could perceive.

How could he wear a flower on his head for everyone to see!

Isn’t this blatant hooliganism?!

Little Rose, considering the act highly inappropriate, quickly averted her gaze, awkwardly staring at her toes, no longer daring to look at Dongkui's boldly displayed little yellow flower on his head.

After marveling at the openness of his kind, Qiuqiu composed himself, looked around, and found all the Alphas gazing at Dongkui with an indescribable joy, not even blinking.

Qiuqiu was even more puzzled; by his standards, the flower on his kind’s head was dry, lacking in color and beauty, clearly underdeveloped, so why was it so popular?

Could it be that humans in this world appreciate “small” and “malnourished” beauty?

Qiuqiu choked up, experiencing a rare surge of emotion.

Distracted, he found himself sandwiched between two hyena-type Alphas, about to be escorted out of the testing room, while Dongkui was walking in from the door.

As they brushed past each other, shielded by the Alpha's large frame, Qiuqiu discreetly infused a golden glow into Dongkui's body.

Nourished by the spiritual energy, the little yellow flower on Dongkui's head, parched for so long, finally bloomed as if quenched by a long-awaited rain.

Dongkui paused, turned back, and thoughtfully glanced at the slender figure.

Just then, he felt a warmth enveloping him, as if basking in gentle sunlight.

He looked up in the high-tech chamber of steel and iron – where could the sun be coming from?

Was it an illusion?

The moment he passed by the Omega destined for the Dark Star, Dongkui felt an unprecedented comfort, even his soul seemed nourished. He felt like soaking in a warm spring, returning to the security of his mother's womb, gently caressed and lulled to sleep with tender whispers of “darling”.

It was an indescribable bliss, as if a weary soul adrift finally found its safe harbor, the storms and tumult outside fading into a serene and peaceful haven.

When he snapped back to reality, Dongkui was already seated in the testing chamber, waiting for the test to begin.

He looked wistfully in the direction Qiuqiu had left, those mere seconds of brushing past the Omega branded as defective had left a profound impression on him.

He Jieming patiently observed Dongkui, and once she was ready, he pressed the silver button again.

By then, Queqiu had already left the testing room, but soon after, he heard a burst of joyous cheers from the testing room behind him.

"A-level!"

"It's an A-level healing Omega!"

"My goodness, this is like finding a treasure among wandering Omegas!"

An Alpha brother beside him said enviously, "That Omega named Dongkui must have been detected as A-level."

His younger brother added, "I've never interacted with an Omega above B-level in my life, sigh."

"Why are we so unlucky to be sent to Dark Star at such a time?"

"Tsk, no matter how good-looking, still just a defective Omega."

The two openly complained in Queqiu's presence, scoffing at his test results.

Queqiu, however, didn't take their words to heart at all.

He lowered his head, quietly observing his fingertips where he had just condensed spiritual energy.

They were trembling slightly, warm to the touch, as if overwhelmed.

But fortunately, his spiritual power was still usable in this world.

With this realization, Queqiu suddenly smiled, a momentary thaw of early snow, reviving all things, but just as quickly, he withdrew it like a dragonfly skimming water.

As long as he could confirm this one thing, that was enough. Whether he was labeled as a defective Omega or sent immediately to Dark Star, Queqiu didn't care.

During the genetic level test, he had felt that if he continued to resist, the analyzer would soon break under the strain of his spiritual power.

Therefore, just before the analyzer was about to break, Queqiu voluntarily terminated the program to prevent the situation from getting out of his control. It was because of his action that He Jieming and the crew of the Aelisabeth were misled into believing Queqiu was just a vase-like waste, failing even the most basic genetic level test.

As for why he deliberately concealed his real situation...

Queqiu clearly knew that he was facing a completely unfamiliar world, vastly different from his time on Earth. For the moment, he couldn't determine whether revealing his identity would be beneficial or detrimental.

Therefore, he had to be extra cautious and keep a low profile.

The author has a comment:

He Jieming's Work Diary:

Day1：

Sent defective Omega to Dark Star √

Detected an A-level healing Omega √

Returning to the Capital Star for promotion and raise √

……

Day2：

That defective Omega is actually a super S-level healing Omega TT

The Imperial Grand Prince and Admiral is his husband TT

I'm doomed, going to prison now TT