Chapter 131 Awakening

Chapter 131: Awakening

After they finished eating, Yun Huaifeng had a lot to do and left first.

Once Yun Huaifeng was gone, Lu Yan let out a secret sigh of relief. Dealing with Uncle Yun really tested his nerves.

However, three seconds later, Lu Yan was back to his usual, easygoing self, dragging Qi Yanshen back into the chat.

"You and Ji Anzhi are really fated. Even after losing your memories, you still fell for the same person. Tsk tsk tsk, it's like a novel come to life!"

As he spoke, Lu Yan's mood sank again. He still hadn't found an omega who caught his eye.

Although his father and dad wouldn't pressure or interfere, he knew they still hoped he would find a partner soon, so he wouldn't have to get through his ruts by himself each time. Not only was it painful, but it was also shortening his life.

But he just hadn't met the right one. Hmm... he had been interested in two before. One was Jian Fuxu from childhood—needless to say, that was a full-blown childhood trauma.

The other was Chi Yan. Back then, Chi Yan was such a shy and well-behaved omega, but it turned out he was Ji Anzhi's devoted little fanboy. Again, needless to say.

Later, after joining the military... sigh, those omegas were not even worth talking about.

Either they were tougher than alphas, or they approached him with ulterior motives. He was starting to give up on finding a partner.

"When will I ever find an omega I like... Maybe I should try a compatibility-based encounter."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jian Fuxu punched him.

Jian Fuxu said coldly, "Unless under special circumstances, the Federation strictly prohibits pheromone matching. Do you think Uncle Lu wouldn't beat you to death?"

Lu Yan knew he was in the wrong and covered his head, not saying another word.

He must have been beaten silly by these people; otherwise, how could he have failed to become the top cadet?

Qi Yanshen felt the same way as Jian Fuxu. If Lu Yan's words ever reached his father or two older brothers, he'd be lucky to escape without losing a layer of skin.

Qi Yanshen changed the subject: "By the way, how's the defense line handling going?"

At this, Jian Fuxu said seriously. "We're behind schedule. We can only destroy all the insect corpses near the outer perimeter first to clear an isolation buffer zone. However, installing explosives like demolition bombs should be manageable."

That wasn't too big of a problem. Qi Yanshen felt somewhat relieved and then asked which treatment room Ji Anzhi was in.

Jian Fuxu hadn't looked into it, so it was Lu Yan, the gossip expert, who answered: "He's in the marshal's restricted medical room. You can't get in."

Qi Yanshen lowered his gaze. Was he that obvious?

If Lu Yan and Jian Fuxu knew what Qi Yanshen was thinking, they would have nodded earnestly. It really was obvious.

In just the last two minutes of conversation, he had glanced toward the door at least five times. Combined with his question just now, who wouldn't know what he was thinking?

"Focus on recovering now. That aphrodisiac drug isn't ordinary; it affects alphas, omegas, even betas. Right now, we can only suppress it, treating the symptoms but not the root cause. The research institute is still working hard to develop an antidote."

"But as long as you vent it out, it's not a big problem. Like in your case."

Qi Yanshen had initially thought he could control it quickly, but if even the Federation didn't have an antidote, it must indeed be the work of the alpha Conservative Party. Only they would do such a thing, and only they would have the audacity.

Qi Yanshen asked the two: "Have they found the person?"

Lu Yan replied: "We've identified the target, but not captured them yet. The other party was fully prepared and fled before being discovered. The Third Legion is pursuing with full force."

Qi Yanshen nodded in understanding, and then the three of them lapsed into silence for a moment.

After a pause, Jian Fuxu suddenly said: "You could ask the marshal if you can have a photo of Ji Anzhi."

Since the two had already slept together, Qi Yanshen should know what Ji Anzhi looked like.

Qi Yanshen was stunned. He hadn't fully processed it yet, instinctively thinking Ji Anzhi looked like... well, that. But then he remembered Jian Fuxu didn't even recognize "He Zhi," so there must have been a disguise.

Seeing Qi Yanshen nod, Jian Fuxu pulled Lu Yan out, telling Qi Yanshen to focus on recovering and to mentally prepare himself.

"You might be deeply in love with Ji Anzhi, but Ji Anzhi might not love you. He has always maintained an abyssal sense of distance from us."

After saying this, Jian Fuxu closed the door.

Lu Yan chased after Jian Fuxu, blaming him: "Why did you tell Qi Yanshen that? It's rare for the two of them to be together again, and now you're making Qi Yanshen anxious and insecure?"

Jian Fuxu replied coldly: "But it's the truth, a fact he'll have to face sooner or later."

Lu Yan was speechless.

They could hide it for a while, but not forever. Besides, once Ji Anzhi woke up, Qi Yanshen would find out anyway.

Back in military academy, Lu Yan had keenly noticed that Qi Yanshen cared too much about Ji Anzhi, leading to anxiety and insecurity. He wanted to give Ji Anzhi the best of everything, hoping Ji Anzhi would stay for him.

But the result was obvious: Ji Anzhi was indeed quite heartless.

Beneath the gentleness lay a self-centered, ruthless defense.

Lu Yan sighed. Forget it, let them sort it out themselves. He couldn't control much anyway. The final outcome depended on the people involved.

Meanwhile, Qi Yanshen, still in the medical room, pondered Jian Fuxu's last words.

What did "abyssal sense of distance" mean?

He had guessed that Ji Anzhi might not like him. If Ji Anzhi did, he wouldn't have had to pursue him for half a year.

But wasn't "abyssal sense of distance" a bit of an exaggeration?

He would find out through later contact or after regaining his memory. Qi Yanshen got out of bed, found his personal terminal in the basket for personal belongings, and sent a message to his dad.

"Qi Yanshen: Dad, do you have a photo of Ji Anzhi?"

After a while, the other party replied.

"Dad: Asked the marshal for it. [Image][Image]"

Qi Yanshen opened them. The first was a standard ID photo. The person in the picture wasn't particularly striking in appearance, only somewhat refined, but it was clear that "He Zhi" did bear about a forty percent resemblance to him.

The second image seemed to be a candid shot. Ji Anzhi was sitting among a group of omegas, holding a book and pen, seemingly explaining something. His expression was gentle and warm, making him the immediate focus of attention.

The omegas around him were also listening intently. Those not listening were playing with the fluffy ball beside Ji Anzhi's book.

Judging by the ears, it was probably a cat, just a bit chubby.

After looking at the two pictures, Qi Yanshen pondered.

Based on these two images, Ji Anzhi was very popular among omegas in the military academy. Moreover, this popularity wasn't due to his looks but rather his personal charm and abilities.

No wonder Chi Yan resented him.

Having figured some things out, Qi Yanshen wanted to save the two photos but found he couldn't.

"Qi Yanshen: Why won't it save?"

"Father: Ji Anzhi's file is classified as 5S."

Qi Yanshen: ...

No wonder it wouldn't save. Even the Marshal's photos aren't allowed to circulate, let alone those of someone with a 5S-level file.

With great reluctance, he gave up. Qi Yanshen wanted to go out for a walk but found he couldn't open the door. He was locked in the treatment room, unable to leave.

"Father: By the way, your treatment room is locked down; you can't get out. Rest well."

Qi Yanshen: ...

...

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Drifter Starfield

In a well-lit laboratory, a black-clad alpha sitting in a chair mused.

"Do you think they can escape? It'd be better if they died there—just don't expose us."

A blond, blue-eyed alpha with gold-rimmed glasses was organizing test tubes and reagents. In the corner, several specimens were contained in special glass containers, still quite active.

Handling the glassware, the blond alpha replied casually, "No. The brain chip will eliminate them before they can say anything."

The black-clad alpha's lip twitched. How brutal.

He took out a cigarette case, wanting to light one to relax, but a cold voice from the alpha with the gold-rimmed glasses made him pause.

His hand froze, then he silently put it away. He knew this wasn't a joke; others had been fed to the monsters before.

The black-clad alpha said resentfully, "Got it, got it. I won't light it."

The alpha with the glasses ignored him. After a while, he received a message.

"A: How is the experiment progressing?"

Putting down the glassware, the bespectacled alpha replied.

"Blaikalo: Proceeding relatively smoothly."

"A: Complete it within a month. The Bug Swarm is our best opportunity."

"Blaikalo: Understood."

After replying, Blaikalo put down his smart device and walked to an experimental freezer nearby. He took out a metallic case and opened it.

Inside were three tubes of black liquid, which looked clearly sinister.

Blaikalo picked up one of the tubes and placed it into an individual medical cold-storage unit.

Turning around, he dismissed the black-clad alpha sitting nearby: "You can leave now. Next time you come, remember to bring test subjects."

The black-clad alpha feigned a sigh and teased, "You really are a heartless machine. After spending so many days together, you treat me like this?"

Blaikalo began a calm countdown, making his meaning clear: if the black-clad man hadn't left by the time he finished counting, he really would use him as lab fodder.

"Five... four... three..."

"Alright, alright! I'm leaving right now. I hope your experiment goes smoothly. I don't want to keep being a rat in the sewers."

With that, the black-clad alpha swiftly slipped out of the laboratory, closing the door behind him.

Walking out, the black-clad alpha slowly ascended.

The laboratory was located 500 meters underground, on sub-level nine of the base—the deepest part.

On the third level, the black-clad alpha walked to a door and knocked.

"Enter."

The black-clad alpha pushed the door open. As soon as he entered, he caught the strong, sweet scent of an omega's pheromones.

A petite, completely naked female omega was prostrate beside a handsome alpha. A collar was around her neck, the other end held in the alpha's hand.

The omega was clearly in distress, rubbing against the handsome alpha's pant leg, seeking relief but not daring to take the initiative.

Like a trained pet.

The handsome alpha admired his "artwork," without looking at the newcomer.

Seeing the omega in her completely submissive posture, the handsome alpha was in a rather good mood and asked with a smile, "What brings you here?"

The black-clad alpha got straight to the point: "What's the plan for the next steps? The Bug Swarm happens once every fifty years; it'd be a shame to miss it."

While toying with the omega, the handsome alpha replied, "You don't need to know the specific plan. You'll be notified when the time comes."

Resigned, the black-clad alpha changed the subject: "Well, since there's nothing to do now anyway, I want an omega."

The handsome alpha said casually, "Go pick one yourself. Anything below B-rank is fine."

"That works too. I'll head out then. Notify me via smart device if there's a mission."

After the black-clad alpha left, the handsome alpha lifted the face of the omega, who was completely lost in desire, and tempted, "Do you want it?"

The omega girl nodded, nuzzling the handsome alpha's hand, murmuring that she wanted it.

The handsome alpha curled his lips into a smile, one that held a hint of gloom.

"I'll take you there right now."

Saying this, he led the crawling omega girl by the leash to a glass room and placed her inside alone.

After closing the door, in the next second, a bug-like creature with tentacles all over its body dropped from above. It had been treated to not cause harm to humans.

However, other things were a different story.

The alpha simply watched quietly as everything unfolded in the glass room, feeling pleased. He picked up a camera and began recording.

...

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Bug Swarm Ruins Zone

On the third day after the incident, Ji Anzhi slowly woke up.

Upon waking, Ji Anzhi's senses were still somewhat dull. He was wearing a small breathing aid—a light blue nasal mask clipped to his nose.

There was no pain, but his whole body felt uncomfortable, and he was somewhat nauseous.

The moment Ji Anzhi came to, an alarm sounded in the treatment room. The young omega on specialized care duty immediately approached, asking Ji Anzhi how he felt and whether he could hear him.

Seeing that Ji Anzhi hadn't responded, the young omega anxiously notified the Marshal and Principal Lin, then began coaxing Ji Anzhi to speak, checking if there was an issue with his vocal organs.

Ji Anzhi hadn't caught up yet, just gazing weakly at the ceiling, feeling his thoughts sluggish, each word a long time to form.

Just as the young omega was on the verge of tears, Ji Anzhi finally understood what he was saying and replied hoarsely, "I'm... cough... cough... not... feeling well."

Every word felt like tearing open a scabbed wound, unbearably painful, so after saying this, Ji Anzhi didn't speak again.

Although Ji Anzhi didn't explicitly state it, the hoarse tone and his discomfort made it easy to guess that his throat was bothering him.

The young omega quickly fetched a cup of warm water, adding some glucose and soothing medicine to effectively relieve the discomfort.

He adjusted Ji Anzhi's bed into a sitting position, carefully feeding him the water little by little. Halfway through, two people entered the treatment room.

One was Levin, the other was Lin Dusheng.

Ji Anzhi was now fully awake, so upon seeing the two, he understood.

He had been discovered.