Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A man wearing sunglasses leaned against the porch, the scorching sunlight spilling over him, making him and the street behind appear slightly out of focus. Suddenly, the man waved forward under the sun, the golden leaf brooch on his chest glinting brightly.

"Go home, kid."

Xu Zhangying stood behind the window, gripping his backpack straps, staring fixedly at him.

The man wore a bored expression before suddenly breaking into an inexplicable laugh. Then Xu Zhangying heard him tease:

"You just got an extra life wish."

Xu Zhangying opened his eyes to the beeping of his phone alarm, his smartwatch buzzing nonstop. He immediately sat up and checked the time—only 6:30 a.m. Just as he was about to relax, the watch continued buzzing relentlessly.

The red alerts for abnormal vitals on the watch face were glaringly conspicuous.

Xu Zhangying dismissed the alerts, ruffled his hair, and jumped out of bed.

The typhoon had veered eastward toward the sea in the latter half of the night, leaving the city with a crystal-clear sky and streets strewn with debris. After leaving the international office, Xu Zhangying stood on the high steps and watched sanitation workers hauling away a broken tree trunk.

"Only in China—three locations in one morning. This is way too strict. My head is spinning," Benjamin grumbled, dressed in a silver-gray casual suit, arms akimbo as he looked up at the sky.

Li Jiali, wearing a formal dress that accentuated her unique casual elegance, with a gray-white notched-lapel jacket and an olive leaf silver brooch denoting their shared affiliation, checked her wristwatch. "You should be grateful. We got all our firearms registered and stored in just one morning. Four years ago in Fujian, they didn’t return my gun even a month after the case ended."

"Yikes," Benjamin chuckled awkwardly, subtly guarding his sidearm.

"Boss, are we heading to the local Public Security now?" Li Jiali patted Xu Zhangying’s shoulder. "You’re from Guangdong, right? What’s wrong? Feeling nostalgic? You’ve been quiet all morning."

Xu Zhangying turned around. "Not really. I was just observing the city. It seems more livable these days. Anyway, it’s almost noon. Let’s grab a quick bite nearby. The Public Security Bureau called—someone’s coming to pick us up in about half an hour."

The three soon settled into a roadside café. Li Jiali ordered a salad, Benjamin his usual sandwich, while Xu Zhangying had only an iced coffee in front of him.

Li Jiali said, "During the briefing, the clerk mentioned the local Public Security was holding an internal meeting on Case 523 this morning. They were supposed to reveal more insider details. Too bad we missed it."

Xu Zhangying leaned back in his chair, tossing back two mints into his mouth. He grinned. "Don’t worry. If Chinese Public Security were that exclusionary, they wouldn’t have agreed to work with AGB in the first place. Their detective chops are solid. Besides, some of those ‘insider details’ might’ve come from us—didn’t we identify the Thai and Cambodian victims?"

Li Jiali propped her chin on her hand, flashing a charming smile. "We’re old friends, so I’ll be blunt. This is a major collaboration, and your rank as a third-level Asia-Pacific police supervisor was hard-earned at AGB. We respect that. But within China’s massive Public Security system, even as a local, your outsider beta designation might limit your influence."

Xu Zhangying chuckled. "What’s gotten into you, Ali? This isn’t like you. Though I’m touched you think so highly of me—are you doubting my competence?"

Benjamin looked up and cut straight to the point. "Ali’s worried because she heard the crime expert Guangzhou Public Security invited is that top-tier alpha. She won’t say it, but she’s been staring at the assignment dossier since our layover in France."

Li Jiali’s fork let out a sharp crack as she clenched it. Even without scenting it, Xu Zhangying knew her scent had flared. Benjamin coughed and waved his hands. "Ali, I’m sorry! This is bad—even outdoors, if others catch a whiff, it’ll be trouble. Reel it in."

Xu Zhangying chewed ice noisily, utterly unfazed. "I know. No need to worry. That lead scientist from the genome sequencing project—his notoriety in biosciences far outweighs anything in criminology. With his status and reputation, he has no reason to throw his weight around. I doubt he’ll interfere with our work."

Benjamin, still covering his nose, cautiously glanced at Li Jiali. "Plus, that top-tier alpha is practically guaranteed to become LSA’s chief scientist by year-end. This would be the first time a Chinese national holds such a high position in an international gender organization. I think his involvement here is just checking a procedural box. No need to stress."

Like AGB, LSA (Life Scientists Association) falls under the International Gender Organization (IGO). Unlike AGB, however, LSA was founded in the 1960s by scientists worldwide, dedicated to exploring and decoding human life while advancing gender equality. Over six decades, LSA has become the gold standard in life sciences, with scholars globally aspiring to join its ranks.

Li Jili sighed and set down her fork. "Let’s hope so. Didn’t he say at yesterday’s conference that his team’s gene sequencing aims to prove second genders are just genetic mutations? This morning, extremists on YouTube posted bloody videos threatening him and his team by name. Maybe, despite being a top-tier alpha, he’s genuinely an egalitarian at heart."

The genetic mutation theory, proposed by Soviet scientists last century, diverges from the dominance hierarchy theory. It posits that alphas and omegas emerged from a mutation in human sex chromosomes, rather than representing a "higher evolution" where they outclass betas cognitively and physically.

Yet, research on second genders inevitably tangles with politics and religion. The mutation theory directly challenges the authority and interests of secondary gender supremacists. It has fueled the growing gender equality movement, with more betas rejecting the notion of being "evolutionary failures" and some radicals even branding second genders as mutational anomalies.

This is why the Chinese team’s sequencing work faces such fierce opposition. Their findings will definitively reveal whether alphas and omegas are truly advanced humans or merely betas with a chromosomal mutation. Every gender group worldwide awaits—and fears—their results.

Despite her words, Li Jiali’s expression made it clear she doubted the top-tier alpha scientist had any real commitment to equality.

Xu Zhangying had always been an extremist advocating beta superiority. He smiled and shrugged: "Ali, but my investigative philosophy has never changed—betas are the most suitable gender for detective work. The marginalized gender and an absolutely rational personality unbound by the pheromone hierarchy are what best perceive the underlying motives of victims and perpetrators."

As he spoke, Xu Zhangying blinked again: "As a privileged minority, alphas and Omegas are actually severely limited in their criminal insight. The higher the rank, the lower the investigative talent—this is a fact, though it's never been acknowledged."

Li Jiali shrugged. "That's enough to warrant a moderate disciplinary review for gender discrimination. But hearing you say this makes me feel much better. I hope you stay as arrogant as ever."

Xu Zhangying: "I’ll do my best."

Benjamin put down his coffee and glanced at the peppermints beside Xu Zhangying. He made a lightning-fast grab, but Xu Zhangying, who was checking his phone, intercepted him first. Xu Zhangying flipped the peppermints playfully before pocketing them.

Benjamin slumped in defeat. "Failed again. Not in this lifetime will I get to eat the boss’s peppermints."

"Probably not," Xu Zhangying laughed arrogantly when his phone suddenly rang. He put it to his ear.

Xu Zhangying spoke: "Hello."

On the other end was a very young male voice. "Hello, is this AGB’s Detective Edmund? This is the Guangzhou Major Crime Unit. We’re about to pick you up. Is now a good time?"

"Yes, this is Edmund," Xu Zhangying replied instinctively, but a strange feeling flickered in his mind—this voice rang a bell somehow.

Li Jiali, sipping her coffee, suddenly noticed something and looked at Xu Zhangying. She saw his digital watch, which had been intermittently flashing red dots all day, light up again.

"Could you share your current address with us? We have two people in one car, and you have three, correct?" The voice on the phone was strictly professional.

Xu Zhangying immediately abandoned trying to recall the voice. He said, "Yes, thank you," and provided their current location.

After hanging up, he turned to Benjamin. "They’ll be here soon. Benjamin, go bring the car around."

Benjamin gave an OK sign and headed toward the building.

"Xu, do you have any acquaintances left in the country?" Li Jiali leaned against the railing, looking at him.

Xu Zhangying instinctively shook his head. "No."

Li Jiali gave a noncommittal 'Hmm' and turned her gaze back to the street.

In the police car, the young alpha Zhao Yang hung up the phone and turned the steering wheel. "Detective Edmund, how posh. Our bureau is finally getting on the international track."

Qi Feng, sitting in the passenger seat, chuckled. "His Chinese is pretty good. For a second, I thought I’d called the wrong person." Both she and Zhao Yang wore light-blue summer uniforms, though as a female alpha, she was stuck wearing a skirt, her long legs awkwardly folded in the cramped space.

Zhao Yang, with his sharp, handsome features, exuded a rebellious edge even in uniform. He tilted his head and teased unkindly: "That’s what you get for snapping at Xia Qing in front of Captain Fang earlier."

Qi Feng glared. "Like you were any better. You were way too obvious. Now we’ve been stuck in meetings all morning, and after picking up Xia Qing, we have to fetch this damn AGB crew—no lunch for us."

Zhao Yang scoffed. "Pot calling the kettle black. Besides, Professor Xia doesn’t even remember us. We should just steer clear of him from now on. So annoying—why couldn’t he just stay a high-profile scientist instead of playing crime consultant? Now we’ll be bumping into him constantly."

Qi Feng crossed her arms and leaned back. Out of nowhere, she said, "Lin Shuhua mentioned his cousin has retrograde amnesia, right? His intelligence wasn’t affected. Back in school, he never showed any interest in solving cases. What’s with the sudden change?"

Zhao Yang clicked his tongue. "We agreed not to bring this up. One wrong word, and the Lin family will drag it out forever."

Qi Feng fell silent for a moment before nodding. She looked up at the road. "Yeah, that’s the intersection. Turn here. Should you call Edmund and let him know?"

Zhao Yang flicked on the turn signal without looking back. "Use my phone."

Qi Feng took Zhao Yang’s phone, unlocked it with practiced ease, and dialed the most recent contact.

Zhao Yang stared ahead at the road and suddenly said, "Summer again. Don’t forget the incense ritual this year."

Qi Feng nodded just as the call connected. She spoke into the phone: "Hello, Mr. Edmund? We’re almost there. Are you at the intersection?"

"Yes, we're by the coffee shop parking lot. We're the two in white and gray suits. Appreciate it." Xu Zhangying raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, looking toward the intersection.

Qi Feng's hand holding the phone suddenly froze. She whipped her head around to stare at Zhao Yang, who asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Listening to the male voice on the phone, Qi Feng's hand trembled slightly. Her gaze locked onto the two figures standing by the roadside in the distance. "I think I see you."

On the roadside, Xu Zhangying lifted his suit jacket with one hand while holding the phone with the other. He nodded at Li Jiali in acknowledgment before replying into the phone, "Got it. Just pull over to the side where we are."

"Xu Zhangying?"

"What?" Xu Zhangying froze abruptly, turning his head in bewilderment.

The female alpha officer who had stepped out of the Toyota was still holding up her phone. Across the bike lane, she gaped at him like she’d seen a ghost.