Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Just a moment, the General is in a phone conference."

After hanging up with Fu Zhi, Lin Ze went back to the alpha's house.

Fu Zhi showed him into the living room.

"Mhm."

After seeing him in, Fu Zhi went to attend to other matters.

The house was vast, cold, and devoid of any human warmth.

It was his second visit, but the fear in Lin Ze's heart hadn't diminished; it had only intensified.

Time dragged on. Lin Ze didn't know how long he had waited before he finally heard footsteps and sensed the other's tall figure standing behind him.

Lin Ze's heart lurched violently.

"Bring over the documents," the alpha said, sitting down opposite him.

The alpha placed a document in front of Lin Ze.

"Open it and have a look," the alpha instructed.

Lin Ze trembled slightly and opened it.

It was a marriage contract.

It detailed in writing that after marriage, he was to live with the alpha and participate in events together as a married couple.

Lin Ze scanned through it, quickly reaching the final clause.

After marriage, the alpha was required to engage in penetrative intercourse, inserting his genitalia into Lin Ze's reproductive tract for insemination, resulting in pregnancy.

Even the formal, written language made Lin Ze feel exceptionally humiliated.

Lin Ze closed the document, his face pale.

"I accept."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the alpha's gaze grow deep and inscrutable.

"But... I have two requests..."

"Speak," the alpha said.

The car pulled away, but Li Xiujin remained standing at the window watching it leave. His jaw was tense, making his expression unreadable.

This time, it was Li Xiujin's driver who took Colonel Lin back, Fu Zhi stayed behind.

"The orphanage that Colonel Lin wanted to fund is the one where his teammate grew up."

"And regarding that plot of land in the northern district, investigations show that the child of Colonel Lin's deceased teacher is currently employed at the Su Group."

The more Fu Zhi looked at the information, the more he wondered: were there really no hidden circumstances surrounding the incident seven years ago?

"Colonel Lin is completely unlike the rumors paint him to be—utterly wicked," Fu Zhi said, observing Li Xiujin's expression. "Based on the information we currently have, after Chen Zhi's death, most of Colonel Lin's salary was used to donate to the orphanage and support the child of his deceased teacher."

"And..." Fu Zhi hesitated, seeing the alpha's deepening frown, and didn't dare continue.

And for their sake, he could even marry an alpha he didn't know at all.

If he were truly a wicked person, how could he possibly feel such a degree of remorse?

Li Xiujin bit down on his cigarette and ordered, "What he requested, handle it as soon as possible."

"Yes, General."

*

At eight o'clock in the morning, an expensive car pulled up to the entrance of the orphanage. Fu Zhi got out, opened the trunk, which was filled to the brim with books and warm clothing.

He told two bodyguards to carry the items inside.

The director, hearing the noise, came out. "Sir, may I ask what this is about?"

Fu Zhi said, "We are concerned members of society here to provide support for the children."

The director still looked at him suspiciously.

So Fu Zhi revealed Li Xiujin's identity.

The director was very surprised. Of course, she had heard of Li Xiujin's name—a young man who had become a General and was also the head of Country A's largest energy conglomerate. It was no exaggeration to say he held immense power and influence. But why would someone as unattainable as Li Xiujin suddenly take an interest in their small orphanage?

"It's because of Colonel Lin. Our General is very fond of Colonel Lin. So, upon hearing from Colonel Lin about the difficult living conditions of the children here, he immediately sent me over."

"Lin Ze?"

Fond?

Was it the appreciation and fondness between friends?

The director found Fu Zhi's choice of words somewhat odd, but she was too distracted to dwell on it because she saw several workers holding blueprints and gesturing towards their dormitory and classrooms. Upon asking, she learned they were planning to build a brand new building for them...

Then, doctors and nurses in white coats arrived to examine the children. Those requiring surgery or rehabilitation were taken to a major hospital for treatment...

The director thanked Fu Zhi gratefully.

Fu Zhi smiled slightly. "You should thank Colonel Lin."

After all, for your sake, he has to bear a child for a truly terrifying alpha.

*

Su Group Corporate Building.

Lin Zhuo reviewed the project proposal he had worked on overnight, confirmed there were no errors, and sent it to his direct superior.

After a while, a female colleague knocked on his desk. "The General Manager wants to see you. He said there's an issue with your project proposal."

Lin Zhuo sneered coldly. Entering the office, he was indeed met with a torrent of criticism.

After coming out, colleagues gathered around him. "It feels like Manager Wang is deliberately targeting you. Last time, that project proposal you submitted was rejected immediately, but when Sister Liu submitted it without any changes, it was approved."

"Do you have some conflict with Manager Wang? Maybe you should have a meal together to ease the tension a bit. Otherwise, working like this every day is quite painful."

Lin Zhuo didn't respond.

He didn't know if it was out of jealousy or a sense of threat, but to avoid this pain, either he had to resign or climb to a position higher than the other's.

He chose the latter.

It was while he was giving up his lunch break to revise the proposal that he received the call.

The caller claimed to be Li Xiujin's assistant. Lin Zhuo's first reaction was that it was a scam, until the person sent him an email on behalf of Beihua Energy Group, which finally convinced him.

That afternoon, he met the man who introduced himself as Li Xiujin's assistant.

"Hello, Mr. Lin."

The man was extremely polite to him, treating him as if he were a distinguished guest. After reviewing the project, he signed the contract very readily—so readily that Lin Zhuo felt it was almost like a scam. He kept verifying the other party's identity.

A week after securing the land in the northern district, Secretary Su summoned him to the office. When he returned, he saw Manager Wang's face turn ashen.

Another week later, he was promoted, becoming Manager Wang's direct superior.

Finally getting some proper rest, he called Lin Ze.

Besides wanting to invite him for a meal, he also wanted to grill him about how he had gotten to know Li Xiujin.

Having grown up with Lin Ze, he knew him well. Lin Ze was a person with a rather dull and stiff personality, living a simple life. After his father died, Lin Ze spent every day training with his team. After his father's accident, Lin Ze's focus shifted entirely to the welfare home and to him. He had never seen Lin Ze be close to anyone, nor had he seen Lin Ze go out socially...

When he learned from the news that Li Xiujin had hired a lawyer to defend Lin Ze and had bailed him out, he was shocked. Now, Li Xiujin's assistant—someone he would never have had the chance to meet—personally met with him just a few days after he had asked Lin Ze for help, and signed the contract so readily...

No matter how he looked at it, the relationship between Lin Ze and Li Xiujin was not simply "having some past connection."

However, the call never went through, so Lin Zhuo sent Lin Ze a text message. After a long time, he finally received Lin Ze's reply.

- Sorry, brother, I'm busy with something today.

Looking at the question about what he was busy with, Lin Ze's eyelashes fluttered, unsure how to reply.

He had received a call from the director of the welfare home, saying that the children were already undergoing surgery at the hospital, and a new building for their living and dining needs was being constructed at the home. He also learned that Lin Zhuo had been promoted.

So, he was now fulfilling his promise, on his way to the Imperial Marriage Registration Center with the alpha to apply for a marriage certificate.

The obliging assistant was driving in front, while Lin Ze and... the alpha sat in the back.

An S-class alpha exuded an aura and authority that could not be ignored, making Lin Ze too tense to move, his eyes downcast and his face slightly pale.

The car traveled for a long time before arriving, but it wasn't the registration center—it was a five-star restaurant.

The alpha said, "Let's eat first."

It seemed like a place for couples on dates, with most customers being alphas and omegas.

The alpha ordered two steaks and pushed the larger one toward Lin Ze, commanding, "Eat."

Lin Ze trembled slightly, picked up the knife and fork, and began to eat slowly.

The alpha, however, did not touch his food. He put a cigarette in his mouth, leaned back in his chair, and watched him eat.

The gaze was so intense that it was impossible to ignore. Lin Ze felt a bit embarrassed and soon put down his knife and fork. "I'm full."

The alpha's gaze fell on his rosy lips, his Adam's apple bobbing, then shifted to the plate that was still more than half full. "Finish it."

"I don't like the feel of someone too skinny in bed."

Lin Ze trembled lightly. "I understand."

Lin Ze continued eating.

Li Xiujin, cigarette in his mouth, continued to stare at him with his deep, dark eyes.

After the meal, the two went to the registration center.

During the registration process, an enthusiastic staff member, too afraid to speak to Li Xiujin, kept chatting with Lin Ze instead.

"How did you two meet?"

"At a gathering."

"How long have you known each other?"

"A month."

"Getting married in such a short time—you must really like each other, then."

Lin Ze tightened his grip on the pen.

Like?

The other party just wanted a child...

And he was the one who needed something from the other party...

Lin Ze brushed it off vaguely. After signing the documents and handing them to the staff, Lin Ze noticed that the alpha's face was colder than before.

Lin Ze wondered if it was because he had talked too much about irrelevant things with the staff.

After submitting the documents, they followed the staff to take a photo together.

The photographer took several shots but wasn't satisfied. Finally, he mustered the courage to say, "Could the two of you move a little closer?"

Seeing the photographer's difficulty and fear, Lin Ze cooperatively moved closer to the alpha.

"Hold hands, please," the photographer added.

Lin Ze wasn't sure if the alpha liked physical contact. While he hesitated, the hand resting on his lap was suddenly grasped tightly.

It was a large, warm hand, holding his entire hand firmly with a strength that did not allow him to break free...

The moment Lin Ze looked up, the flash went off.

He and the alpha had taken the most successful wedding photo.