“Chapter 7”

"Chapter 7"

"'Hey! You over there! Don’t move!'"

"'I’m the street chief of Duo Cao Street, who authorized your entry into the Gobi!'"

"The sun of the Dark Star was unusually scorching, making the Gobi desert sizzle as if it were a red-hot iron pan over a roaring fire, with the smell of burning ever-present."

"The unceremonious speaker stood in backlight, his features indistinct from a distance. Only when he approached did Qiuqiu see that he was a middle-aged man in his early forties, carrying a cowboy bag half his height."

"He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, a tall and upright figure, his clothes and cowboy bag faded and patched, suggesting a life of modest means. Yet, he was neatly groomed, standing straight, his demeanor and gaze not that of a wrongdoer."

"Qiuqiu’s inner radar detected no threat, sensing no malice from the man, so he relaxed, calling off his prepared attack and standing obediently with Mao Mao."

"The man approached briskly, his steps whipping up a storm of sand, almost engulfing him."

"As he came closer, before Qiuqiu could speak, the man questioned in disbelief: '...Omega?'"

"Seemingly unsure, he kept a distance, scrutinizing Qiuqiu from head to toe, disbelief filling his dark eyes."

"'So young and pretty...' Each of Qiuqiu’s traits fit the stereotype of an Omega, but he hesitated to conclude."

"After all, Omegas should be heavily protected, so how could one appear on the Dark Star?"

"And on the Dark Star, of all places, why in the barren, perilous Gobi desert?"

"'Are you really an Omega?'"

"Qiuqiu nodded slightly, acknowledging his identity in this world: 'Mm…'"

"The man’s eyes widened in shock at Qiuqiu’s confirmation. He looked from Qiuqiu to the sun above, astonishment and disbelief evident in his raised voice: 'This is the slums of the Dark Star, how could an Omega suddenly appear here?!'"

"Now it was Qiuqiu who was puzzled. Were there no Omegas in the slums?"

"As a newcomer, he was unaware that it wasn’t just the slums devoid of Omegas, but even the main city areas of the Dark Star had few."

"Moreover, this self-proclaimed street chief of Duo Cao Street had never seen such a young and beautiful Omega. His initial shock was evident, taking him a while to regain some composure, his speech still somewhat stuttered, a far cry from his earlier intimidating manner."

"His first reaction was one of concern, muttering to himself: 'Omegas shouldn’t be exposed to the sun like this in the Gobi, whoever brought you here deserves to be shot.'"

"He rummaged through his bag, mumbling to himself, and finally found a somewhat tattered black umbrella."

"He intended to hand it to Qiuqiu, but upon seeing the young Omega's fair, delicate skin, then looking at his own rough, cracked hands and humble belongings, he suddenly felt ashamed."

"Thus, the umbrella, which should have been promptly handed over, remained awkwardly suspended mid-air due to his hesitation."

"Qiuqiu immediately noticed the man’s dilemma and unhesitatingly took the black umbrella from him, opening it to cover all three of them."

"Mao Mao, newly born and a bit timid, clung fearfully to Qiuqiu's clothes, half-hiding behind him."

"Driven by a child's curiosity, however, he mustered the courage to look up with his pale gray eyes, curiously sizing up the strange, unfamiliar uncle."

"The man, caught off guard by Qiuqiu's action, stood stunned for a long while before a bashful smile appeared on his sunburnt, rough face."

"'Ahem, well, don’t laugh at me, I...I just don’t often see Omegas, so I was, uh, a bit...'"

"'Anyway, as long as you don’t mind. The umbrella, though discarded from the main city, can still offer some protection against radiation. A delicate Omega like you shouldn’t be exposed to the sun without any protection.'"

"It wasn’t until the man mentioned it that Qiuqiu belatedly realized the sun of this planet was indeed different from Earth's."

"Hotter and fiercer, like a huge, scalding fireball in the sky, drying up all moisture, leaving no doubt that any plant left under this sun for half an afternoon would be completely withered."

"But as a Canary, almost the hardiest among roses, capable of adapting to even the most extreme conditions, Qiuqiu didn’t feel too uncomfortable."

"He wasn’t a true Omega, naturally not as frail as the street chief imagined, unable to withstand the sun’s radiation."

"As noon approached, the street chief, worried Qiuqiu couldn’t endure such harsh conditions, summoned the courage to invite: 'It’s too sandy and unsafe here, why don’t you come with me to Duo Cao Street first?'"

"He was nervous, almost guiltily avoiding Qiuqiu's gaze, yet tried to stand up straighter, attempting to appear more confident, fearful of being seen as a cowardly bad guy."

"Everyone desires the favor and affection of an Omega, but for discerning Omegas, such favor isn't easily granted."

"The street chief had thought his offer would be declined, but to his surprise, the young and beautiful Omega readily agreed."

"Qiuqiu nodded, seeing no issue in leaving with the middle-aged man: 'Then, please lead the way.'"

"Yang Shu was momentarily stunned, taking a while to process Qiuqiu's response. Once he realized the Omega was willing to follow him, his spirits lifted noticeably. Even his steps on the coarse, sandy terrain became lighter, the man in his forties almost behaving like an excited child."

"He eagerly took the lead, half a step ahead of Qiuqiu and Mao Mao, unconcerned about exposing himself to the harsh sun."

"Every now and then, he looked back at Qiuqiu, guarding him as if he were a priceless treasure."

"Qiuqiu keenly noticed the shift in attitude, from initially perceiving him as an intruder to becoming overly cautious after realizing he was an Omega, even more cautious than the crew on the Aelisbizz."

"Mao Mao nervously tugged at Qiuqiu's clothes, not speaking, but looking up at him with his large, grey eyes."

"Qiuqiu paused, then comfortingly rubbed the little one's head with his free hand."

"Only then did the street chief notice Qiuqiu holding the umbrella and immediately scolded himself, rushing to take over and hold it for the Omega."

"'I was so careless to let you hold the umbrella.'"

"Qiuqiu hesitated, intending to take the umbrella back, but thinking it might upset the street chief even more, he decided against it."

"On their way back, Qiuqiu learned the street chief’s name was Yang Shu. Born in the slums, he had struggled for over forty years in the Gobi of the Dark Star and was elected by the residents as the street chief, responsible for maintaining order in the area. His initial harsh attitude was due to recent suspicious activities near the Gobi, fearing Qiuqiu was one of those troublemakers."

"After introducing himself, Yang Shu pointed to a small town not far away: 'That’s Duo Cao Street up ahead, just a few more minutes. Surrounded by the Gobi, it faces the main city. The main city discards many items every month that they don’t need, and one of our jobs is to collect what’s still usable and bring it back to our street.'"

"As he spoke, Yang Shu twirled the black umbrella in his hand: 'Like this one, it was discarded by them. Don’t be fooled by its ordinary appearance; it's a bit cumbersome, but its protection against cosmic radiation is strong.'"

"The radiation in this world wasn’t just ultraviolet radiation as Qiuqiu initially thought, but actual pollution radiation that could cause genetic diseases, even death."

"Yang Shu sighed deeply, lamenting, 'Alas, the Dark Star is not like the capital star; it lacks self-defense barriers against cosmic radiation and super suns, so we have to endure it ourselves.'"

"According to Yang Shu, cosmic radiation seemed a terrifying threat, explaining his aversion to the sun of the Dark Star. But Qiuqiu remembered that when he first saw Yang Shu, he wasn’t using an umbrella either."

"Addressing Qiuqiu’s curiosity, Yang Shu explained, 'I am a Beta. The cosmic radiation brought by the sun, moon, or cosmic storms is not as lethal to Betas and Alphas. But for delicate Omegas like you, it’s a deadly hazard.'"

"Delicate?"

"Qiuqiu inwardly scoffed, wondering where he appeared delicate."

"Yang Shu thought so, the Hyena brothers thought so, and even earlier, Jin Li and Felix treated him as something fragile."

"He didn’t consider himself weak, but in human form, he was just a newly matured youth."

"Moreover, his appearance was utterly non-threatening, innocent, and beautiful. Even among his peers, he seemed younger and more childlike."

"He might appear a bit reserved and distant, but for the people of the Empire, that wasn’t an issue."

"After all, Omegas are famously known for being delicate and proud. Even Qiuqiu's preference for keeping to himself and being distant was already quite amiable for an Omega."

"Perhaps it was his pure, clear golden hair and eyes that made Qiuqiu seem even more fragile than a typical Omega, like an expensive glass doll displayed in a shop window. People instinctively became extra cautious around him, moving gingerly as if even breathing too heavily might startle him."

"Yang Shu was like that, exceptionally careful in his dealings with Qiuqiu, aside from the initial misunderstanding."

"He shifted again, trying to ensure Qiuqiu was fully under the umbrella, even if it meant half of his own body was scorched red by the harsh sun."

"Yang Shu complained, 'The cosmic radiation seems to be worse this year.'"

"'What exactly is cosmic radiation?' Qiuqiu inquired."

"Yang Shu answered reflexively, without hesitation: 'Over a thousand years ago, a star system closest to the Empire exploded, releasing enormous energy akin to a black hole, affecting all the planets in the Empire. For decades, the Empire was shrouded in a dark radiation crisis, facing an unprecedented catastrophe. It was then that human genes were polluted and forced to change, giving rise to the genetic diseases that still plague many.'"

"Qiuqiu suddenly realized why he felt the sun's spiritual energy here was so scarce, barely a tenth of what it was on Earth."

"He glanced at Mao Mao, whose silver antennae seemed to sense his gaze from above, cheerfully wiggling in response."

"Without Mao Mao's eggshell replenishing lost energy, relying solely on the sun's spiritual energy of the Dark Star, Qiuqiu wondered how long it would take to regain his former strength."

"Yang Shu added, 'However, while the radiation brought terrifying destruction and disaster, it also granted humans supernatural abilities and longer lifespans. It's hard to say whether it was a blessing or a curse.'"

"'Regardless of whether it's the Dark Star or the Empire, Betas are the majority, and our genetic diseases aren’t too severe. How to rescue the powerful Alphas and some Omegas from the abyss of genetic diseases is a concern for the higher-ups. We, the people of Duo Cao Street, just hope to live each day peacefully.'"

"Like most, Yang Shu was just an ordinary Beta, unaffected by the healing abilities of Omegas or the strength of Alphas."

"As he said, it was hard to say whether it was good or bad."

"After explaining, Yang Shu casually asked, 'Huh? How come you seem to know nothing about all this?'"

"He was puzzled, as these were common knowledge even three-year-olds would know."

"Qiuqiu vaguely replied, 'I come from a very distant planet and have never received any information from the Empire.'"

"This kind of excuse would easily be seen through, at least on the Aelisbizz, so there he remained silent unless necessary."

"But Yang Shu, confined to this small expanse of the Gobi since birth and as one of the lowest tiers on the Dark Star, was oblivious to the outside world. Coupled with a blind trust in Omegas, he didn’t ponder much and believed Qiuqiu’s explanation."

"'I see. Then your homeland might be fortunate, perhaps unaffected by cosmic radiation,' the kind-hearted street chief said, looking at Qiuqiu with pity and a touch of envy, never doubting the truth of his words."

"Without further ado, Yang Shu had concluded that Qiuqiu must be an undocumented resident, forced to hide on the Dark Star without an Empire registration."

"'Poor little Omega,' he thought, looking at Qiuqiu with eyes full of pity and kindness."

"Qiuqiu: '…'"

"Feeling helpless, he softly hummed in affirmation."

"Author's note:"

"Street Chief Yang Shu: 'Omegas are indeed such delicate creatures that need protection (paternal smile).'"

"Admiral: '...Yes, my fragile, helpless little Omega.'"

"Qiuqiu: '…'"

"Qiuqiu: '.'"