Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Only after all the residents of Duocao Street had said their goodbyes to Angie did Queqiu approach him.

The towering black bear Alpha was tightly bound with chains as thick as an adult's wrist, looking the same as when Queqiu saw him ten days ago. His worn clothes bore conspicuous marks from the chains, but the skin exposed beneath remained unscathed.

It was Dr. Wil who had carefully padded Angie with soft cotton to prevent the harsh chains from breaking his skin.

Angie remained asleep, unaware of the fate soon to befall him. He might pass away quietly in his sleep, which for most Alphas suffering a genetic disease outbreak, would be a merciful end, far beyond their reach.

According to Article 20 of Imperial Law, anyone has the right to execute an Alpha in the throes of a genetic disease outbreak, at any place, any time, by any means, without facing any punishment.

Queqiu moved closer, and at that moment, Street Chief Yang, seeing him, widened his eyes in surprise and blurted out, "Why are you here? Get back, Angie could wake up at any moment."

Yang looked more haggard than ten days ago, with deep dark circles under his eyes and red veins marring his eyeballs, appearing unrested.

In fact, Yang had spent many sleepless nights over Angie’s situation, having not properly rested for a long time. But in the end, he couldn’t save the unfortunate Alpha, only to watch his life ebb away bit by bit and eventually having to deal with the very child he had watched grow up.

For Street Chief Yang, who only wished for a better life for every resident of Duocao Street, this was undoubtedly a massive blow.

"I wanted to see Angie. He's dying and won’t pose a threat to anyone anymore."

Queqiu spoke the truth. He was unafraid of Angie even in his frenzied state, and now that Angie had been comatose for ten days and lost all his strength, there was even less reason to fear any danger.

Yang understood this, but his constant worry for the Omega made him overly cautious. Any slight disturbance was a cause for concern, so he often reminded Queqiu to be careful, almost like a mantra.

He looked at the unconscious Angie, turning his head away at the sight of the Alpha's fully beast-transformed upper body, unable to bear the sight any longer.

Yang sighed, "Take one last look at him. In a few minutes, we'll have to take him to the center of the Gobi."

Queqiu nodded, approaching Angie and, while no one was paying attention, slipped a packet of seeds into his loosely held bear paw.

"These are canary seeds," he whispered close to Angie's ear, "I can't give you a rose, but I hope you can leave with a beautiful dream."

It seemed Angie's eyelids twitched slightly, as if in his groggy consciousness, he felt someone speaking gently to him.

The sensation was familiar, reminiscent of the healing energy infused into his body not long ago.

Angie strained to open his eyes to see and remember the person, but his body felt sealed, his soul heavily trapped within, unable to move despite his struggles.

He knew that since that power entered his body, his consciousness had been getting clearer day by day. But the process was both torturous and prolonged, and he had yet to break free from his body's imprisonment.

Now, after briefly feeling that familiar presence, Angie lost it again.

His consciousness raged within his rigid body, desperately trying to break free, but even as he neared tears of frustration, it was futile.

The person had left, but before leaving, had left something behind for him.

Using all his strength to move his body, Angie finally clenched his fist, tightly grasping the tiny object in his palm, smaller than a sesame seed.

It was...

A rose.

The seeds of a rose, softly whispered into his ear.

Time was up. Despite their reluctance and heartache, Yang led Dodd and a few other young patrol members, preparing to take the comatose Angie to a deep cliff in the center of the Gobi.

Just as they lifted Angie, Dodd suddenly saw something and blurted out, "Angie's hand just moved."

At this, everyone, especially Yang, was startled. But as they came to their senses, they instinctively dismissed it: "What nonsense are you talking about, Dodd? You must have seen it wrong."

Yang didn't rush to deny it but looked intently at Angie. However, as time passed and no further movement was seen, the glimmer of hope in his heart gradually shattered.

He shook his head, saying nothing, simply walking ahead to lead the way for the team behind him.

The usually strong and optimistic street chief's back, always straight, now seemed slightly bent. He occasionally coughed, as if part of his spirit had left with Angie.

Dodd trailed behind, staring at Angie's hand, transformed to resemble that of a black bear, and murmured, "But I really saw it..."

This time, no one responded to him, dismissing it as a hallucination from excessive grief. Even Yang just walked silently ahead, step by step.

Ahead lay an impenetrable darkness, like a wall that could never be breached, trapping them within, insurmountable.

Their steps created deep pits in the Gobi, surrounded by swirling sand that relentlessly lashed at each person’s face, carving one furrow after another.

No one knew when this all-consuming eternal night would dissipate like fog; they could only keep moving forward, endlessly.

Late at night, the group finally returned, worn and weary.

Yang followed Dodd to his home and, upon finding Queqiu, said, “I have something to tell you.”

His face bore the same exhaustion as Dodd's, magnified by his responsibilities as the street chief.

Queqiu asked, “Do you need to rest first?”

Yang slowly shook his head, his voice betraying deep fatigue. He looked at Queqiu earnestly, “I’ve been thinking a lot these days, hesitating between asking you to stay in Duocao Street and go to the Dark Star Military Academy. But regardless of my final thoughts, I believe that your choice is what matters most.”

Queqiu and Dodd exclaimed in unison, “The Dark Star Military Academy?”

After speaking, Queqiu remembered Mao Mao was asleep and lowered his voice, "Mao Mao is sleeping, let's keep our voices down so we don't wake him."

Yang nodded, leading them to the door, "Let's talk here."

Queqiu asked, "What is the Dark Star Military Academy?"

Instead of answering, Yang asked, "Do you know about the Empire's First Military Academy?"

Queqiu nodded, "Yes, I know of it."

Not only was he aware of it, but he had also interacted with students from the academy. Felix's frivolity had left him with a very negative impression.

"The full name of the Dark Star Military Academy is the Skuku Star Military Academy. Like the Empire's First Military Academy, it's a place for training military talents. Each planet has one or more of these types of military academies, which only admit Alphas, Omegas, or Betas who have passed the genetic level test. The students from these schools have made significant contributions to the security of the empire."

Queqiu said, "But I haven't passed the genetic level test; I'm just a defective Omega."

This was the label given to him by the Aelbiz, a term he had become accustomed to using.

Yang replied, "However, the Dark Star Military Academy doesn't restrict the genetic level of Omegas. As long as you're within their required age range, you can directly enroll."

This was something Queqiu hadn't anticipated, but after a moment's thought, he understood the reasoning.

Ultimately, it was because the population of the Dark Star was too diverse and mixed. As an extremely harsh border planet known in the empire as a place of exile, besides wandering Omegas like himself who were driven here, how many Omegas could there be on the entire planet?

If they couldn't even ensure a sufficient number of Omegas, it was even less likely they'd be concerned about the quality.

Yang continued, "I came specifically to talk to you about this because the Dark Star Military Academy is about to enroll new students. As an Omega, even without passing the genetic level test, you can directly enter this school."

Before Queqiu could respond, Dodd burst out excitedly, "Chief! What are you implying? Are you trying to drive Queqiu away?!"

Yang glanced at him, and without a word, Dodd lowered his voice, still indignant, "Chief, you can't treat Queqiu like this. He's not at all high-maintenance like other Omegas. He's great, and it's an honor for Duocao Street to have him."

"But on the Dark Star, only the Dark Star Military Academy can offer better treatment to an Omega!" Yang's voice was low, but his words hit Dodd hard, leaving him feeling suffocated.

Without looking at him, Yang continued, "They provide stone fruits to Omegas daily, there's no worry about insufficient nutrient solution, nor about stellar radiation, and no fear of outsiders invading! It's safer there, with more resources! That's where an Omega should be!"

"And what about our Duocao Street?"

Yang laughed bitterly, "Duocao Street can't give Queqiu anything, not even a sufficient supply of nutrient solution, let alone solve the problem of stellar radiation or provide the vast resources an Omega needs for growth. Staying here long-term will only drag him down!"

Dodd had never seen the chief like this before, so stern that he hardly recognized him, momentarily stunned into silence.

But as he regained his composure, he couldn't deny that Yang was right.

Duocao Street was nothing but barren land, unable to support even cacti, let alone a delicate and fragile Omega like a rose.

Rationally, Dodd acknowledged that leaving Duocao Street to join the Dark Star Military Academy was the best choice for Queqiu; but emotionally, he really didn't want Queqiu to leave.

Struggling with his feelings, Dodd avoided the chief's experienced and sharp gaze, turning to Queqiu with a complex heart, but shamedly lowering his head just before their eyes met.

Dodd's eyes moistened, and his nose tingled with sorrow. He couldn't help but question himself, how could he be so selfish?

Everyone knew that Omegas needed meticulous and thorough care.

The three fell into a silent pause, Yang observing Dodd for a long while before finally sighing and looking away.

How could he not understand what Dodd was thinking? If he were honest, he too, like Dodd, wished Queqiu would stay in Duocao Street.

Nobody wanted to lose a precious Omega, but compared to keeping Queqiu here, sending him to the Dark Star Military Academy was the most guilt-free choice.

Yang and Dodd didn’t need to verbally express their thoughts; a glance at each other was enough to know what the other was thinking.

They unanimously believed that Queqiu wouldn’t like a place as poor and backward as Duocao Street and would choose the Dark Star Military Academy without a second thought. And indeed, that was the clear choice.

However, what they didn't expect was Queqiu's response: "I really like Duocao Street. You've given me the most important thing, more valuable than any amount of resources."

Unconditional trust, accommodation, and kindness are always the most precious, no matter the world.

No matter how far he traveled in this world, Queqiu would never forget Yang, Dodd, Dr. Wil, and the residents of Duocao Street for their kindness.

Author’s note: