Chapter 164: Slander

Chapter 164: Slandering

Song Yuqing turned to Pei Huai.

If he hadn't played along with their scheme, dealing with Zheng Kaiji and Zhou Yongnian sooner, perhaps Pei Huai wouldn't have been captured and harmed.

He had foreseen the outcome, yet he still chose a path that would hurt Pei Huai.

Even if given another chance, he would make the same choice.

To end this war, nothing was faster than directly eliminating Su Quan.

Song Yuqing looked at Pei Huai.

Pei Huai, who had been grinning like a fool moments before, now looked momentarily stunned.

Lowering his voice, Pei Huai seemed incredulous. "You knew all along what Su Quan was planning? I was the bait you threw out?"

"Yes," Song Yuqing nodded, meeting Pei Huai’s gaze directly and accepting whatever emotions Pei Huai might feel.

Pei Huai’s current state was partly his responsibility.

If Pei Huai resented him, he had nothing to say in his defense.

As long as Pei Huai could live on safely, he would do everything in his power to make it up to him.

"I’m sorr—" He didn't finish.

Before Song Yuqing could finish, Pei Huai suddenly reached out, pulling Song Yuqing toward him with a swift, almost rough motion.

Pei Huai buried his face deeply into Song Yuqing’s neck, his warm breath warming Song Yuqing’s equally heated skin, leaving a sweet scent.

Pei Huai’s voice was hushed. "Back when you were searching for the serum for secondary differentiation for Qi Ran, you’d already planned it so that no matter which of us faced an accident, the other could still stabilize the situation."

"It’s just that, as the plan progressed, I was the only one who could serve as bait, right?"

Song Yuqing looked away slightly. "Yes."

Pei Huai wasn’t truly a fool; he understood what Song Yuqing had done.

"So you’ve figured out how to escape?"

"You used me as bait—you must have a way, right?" Pei Huai asked again.

Song Yuqing hadn’t expected this reaction from Pei Huai. After a moment of silence, he replied, "I have a way."

Pei Huai held him tighter. "Qingqing, I told you I’m willing to be the blade in your hand."

As long as Song Yuqing could make it out safely, he had nothing to worry about. There was no need to blame himself for being a useless wreck with a ruined gland, unable to protect Song Yuqing’s escape.

"Then there’s nothing to be sorry about." Pei Huai’s voice lightened considerably.

Perhaps this was his fate. Once arrogant and domineering because of his talent, bullying the weak and trying to control Song Yuqing.

Now, his psychic energy had been destroyed.

Perhaps this was karma.

Song Yuqing had considered that Pei Huai might not hate or resent him, but he never expected Pei Huai to harbor no hard feelings at all.

"You don’t have psychic energy either," Pei Huai suddenly said, "yet you’re just as capable as any alpha."

He had watched Song Yuqing, a beta, push himself to the brink during their training sessions. He had seen the robots Song Yuqing designed stand alongside alphas on the battlefield. He had witnessed Song Yuqing rise from nothing to control the fate of Xinzhou.

He had only lost his talent, but Song Yuqing, just a beta, had achieved so much.

He was Song Yuqing’s alpha; he had to be capable too.

Otherwise, he truly wasn't worthy of being Song Yuqing’s alpha and should disappear from Song Yuqing’s life right now.

He didn’t want to disappear from Song Yuqing’s life.

Pei Huai stared intently at Song Yuqing. "I can be just as impressive as any other alpha, like you."

Song Yuqing affirmed, "Yes."

Pei Huai’s eyes lit up. "Is there any alpha now more suited to you than me? You have no pheromones, and I have no pheromones."

"We’re meant for each other. It’s just a pity I won’t be able to pilot the robots you made for me anymore."

The alpha’s tone carried a hint of sadness but also a sense of acceptance.

Song Yuqing remained silent for a moment before softly cursing, "Love-struck fool."

Pei Huai smiled defiantly. "Yes, I am a love-struck fool."

"You can’t abandon me."

"Never in this lifetime."

Song Yuqing clamped his lips shut, his pale face stiff. "I won’t."

Pei Huai had gone to such lengths for him; he wasn’t…

System 88 cut in, "Qingqing, forget it. Once we’re back, you’ll forget."

Song Yuqing looked puzzled. "Forget what?"

System 88 replied matter-of-factly, "Forget where you came from. Once we’re back, just dump Pei Huai."

Song Yuqing fell silent for a few seconds, then reached out as if to tap System 88’s head but stopped, not even looking its way.

System 88 exclaimed, "?"

Giving him the cold shoulder!

Fine, fine! For Pei Huai’s sake, giving him the cold shoulder. See, like skipping one look would bother him, right?

Well, Song Yuqing had…

Truly figured him out.

System 88 pleaded, "Qingqing, fine, don’t get rid of him. Just look at me, please."

Song Yuqing remained silent.

System 88 watched in awe; that dumb mutt Pei Huai was truly blessed.

Is this what they call "fortune favors the fool"?

If Pei Huai had wallowed in self-pity, it would have only eroded their bond. No matter how much guilt Song Yuqing felt toward Pei Huai at this moment, it would eventually fade.

After coming clean, Pei Huai remained doting, taking good care of Song Yuqing even in prison.

He even held Song Yuqing’s hand every day and went on walks with him in the prison. Song Yuqing didn’t refuse Pei Huai.

Su Quan’s face was cold. Song Yuqing really had this magnetism, making every alpha who got close to him make him their focal point.

As long as he stayed composed, these alphas could stay emotionally stable no matter what what happened, shielding him with unwavering focus.

“The items have arrived,” the guard said, his voice trembling slightly. “General Hurst orders that you quickly produce new robots.”

“Do not jeopardize the war effort.”

Su Quan dosed the water with more drugs. “I understand.”

He pointed at the water on the table and said coldly, “Drink it.”

The guard trembled even more. The last dose left him craving but unsatisfied, only to fall into an abyss of torment.

Su Quan watched coldly as the guard drank the medication, then trembled and convulsed violently. He hadn't broken Pei Huai; he absolutely couldn't afford any mistakes with Xiao Jinshi.

If they were loyal to Song Yuqing, he would force them to confront Song Yuqing while stripped of reason.

Behind the mask, Su Quan’s face twisted darkly.

He wanted to prove to Song Yuqing that the hounds he'd raised with his own hands would abandon him—betray him.

Only by destroying everything Song Yuqing had now, leaving him stranded and vulnerable, would Song Yuqing realize that he alone would remain loyal.

Su Quan pointed at the black boxes. “Move these away and seal them.”

He issued an order: “Bring Song Yuqing out. Do not allow Pei Huai and Song Yuqing to meet.”

The other guards: “…”

Look, he’s having another meltdown.

It wasn’t him who locked Song Yuqing and Pei Huai together; it wasn’t him who denied Song Yuqing his meds. Now, seeing that Pei Huai hadn’t gone mad at Song Yuqing and the two were all clingy, he wasn’t happy.

Su Quan was a psychopath.

Su Quan wanted Pei Huai to suffer humiliation. The place where Pei Huai was held was the most high-traffic area.

Every alpha passing through Sri Lan could sneer “worthless trash” at Pei Huai.

After being imprisoned for a long time, Pei Huai had gotten a rough count of the alphas here, and recently, their numbers had increased.

He guessed something must be happening—either someone important had arrived, or something major was shipped in.

Pei Huai: “Qingqing, have you noticed…”

Before he could finish sharing his insight, the guards dragged him away.

Pei Huai initially wanted to throw hands at those grabbing him, but seeing Song Yuqing’s look, he stopped himself.

Pei Huai was once again strung up, iron hooks gouging through his shoulder blades.

Pei Huai taunted, “Is this all you’ve got? *This* hurts? Doesn’t hurt at all.”

Song Yuqing: “…”

Another alpha came up to Song Yuqing. “Mr. Song, please return.”

Song Yuqing didn’t resist and left the area where Pei Huai was held. He lowered his gaze, realizing that what Pei Huai wanted to tell him, he had also noticed.

There were many new-faced alphas—likely Ye Siling and Zheng Kaiji had “colluded.”

The black boxes had likely arrived too.

Now, all that was left was to find where the black boxes were stored.

——Song Yuqing’s miscalculation led to Pei Huai’s capture, affecting the war situation.

——Song Yuqing duped the alpha community; his research failed, resulting in the death of alphas involved in the experiment…

——The New Continent is on the brink, yet Song Yuqing is off chasing romance and disappears without a trace.

Article after article targeting Song Yuqing was blocked before they could run.

Zheng Kaiji frowned. Shouldn’t Qi Zhengqing have taken the medication and entered hibernation? Why were these reports still being blocked?

Had Qi Zhengqing not taken the medication?

Zheng Kaiji’s typically mild eyes darkened. He had thought that after Song Yuqing left, seizing power would go smoothly.

But Qi Zhengqing, in the Central Special Zone, managed the entire area like an iron fortress—Zheng Kaiji couldn’t interfere.

His only opportunity was during Qi Zhengqing’s hibernation after taking the medication.

That period would be enough to spread the news of Song Yuqing’s departure from the Central Special Zone far and wide.

Enough to topple Song Yuqing from his throne. Even if Song Yuqing managed to survive, Zheng Kaiji could ensure he had no foothold left in the New Continent.

He hadn’t expected that Qi Zhengqing would value protecting Song Yuqing’s reputation even more than his own life.

He wanted to see how long Qi Zhengqing could hold out like this.

He wouldn’t mind needling Qi Zhengqing a bit, making him die sooner, so he could no longer protect Song Yuqing.

“Mr. Qi, someone wishes to see Mr. Song.”

Qi Zhengqing lifted his long eyes slightly, his expression cold and stern. “Mr. Song is recuperating and not receiving visitors.”

The butler relayed the message to the visitors who requested to see Mr. Song.

But unlike before, when Mr. Song was present, they weren’t being deferential.

“If he’s recuperating, why can’t he see anyone? Could it be, as the rumors say, that he left the New Continent for an alpha?”

“I’ve always said betas are incompetent. What else is in his mind besides love and romance?”

“Since Mr. Song has left, he should hand over the Prometheus technology and military robot technology to the council.”

The butler’s face chilled as he reiterated, “Mr. Song is only recuperating. Please leave.”

The butler's attempts to stop them did not deter these people but instead made them more certain that Song Yuqing was not at the Qi residence, not in Xinzhou.

They brought their personally trained Alpha bodyguards, preparing to force their way into the Qi family home.

Almost the moment these people drew their guns, Qi Zhengqing appeared.

The overwhelming mental power of an S+ level Alpha washed over them, forceful and domineering. The troublemakers were forced nearly to their knees under the pressure of the S+ level mental energy.

As he slowly lifted his head, he met the cold, heavy gaze of the Alpha.

Step by step, the Alpha approached, the pressure growing increasingly intense, suffocating everyone present.

Qi Zhengqing's voice was cold and deep, "I said, Qingqing is sick, and he needs rest."

"Leave this place."

Author's note:

Da Qi: Already in a bad mood with my wife not around.

Song Qingqing: Congratulations on walking right into the line of fire, fools.