Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After spending the whole day as a companion, Jin Wang did not go back to rest.

He still had additional work to do that night. He changed into a black outfit with a special coating that made him invisible to cameras.

His target: a supply warehouse in Sector 4.

It mostly held everyday consumables, office supplies, and spare parts, and had relatively low security.

Earlier that day, a batch of crates labeled "electronic components" had been delivered to the warehouse by transport aircraft. Hidden among them were the things he needed.

The warehouse's electronic lock blinked red. Jin Wang didn't use his own access card to open it—that would leave a trail.

He crouched, pulled a device from his pocket, and gently pressed it against the electronic lock. The device's screen glowed faintly as lines of code streamed across it at lightning speed.

Ten seconds later, with a soft beep, the lock's light turned green.

Jin Wang slipped inside, and the heavy door closed behind him. He headed straight for a specific spot and found the unmarked crate on the shelves.

Inside were electronic components of all shapes.

Jin Wang began assembling them in the dim light. It was a specially made signal transmitter designed to bypass Aegis's security systems entirely.

Just as the transmitter was almost complete—

The sensor Jin Wang had placed outside the warehouse flashed a red warning light.

He froze instantly, body tensing, and silently slipped into the shadow of a nearby shelf, holding his breath as he watched the sensor feed.

"We already checked this warehouse earlier—the security system shows nothing abnormal."

Another voice replied, "The supervisor said to step up patrols across all sectors recently. Let's open the door and check again."

Jin Wang's heart sank. His night gear could fool cameras, but not the human eye. If the door opened and the two guards came in, he'd have nowhere to hide.

At that critical moment, rapid footsteps approached from the other end of the corridor.

"Wu Gai, Qi Fei," he called out.

"Captain Zhao? What are you doing here?" One of the guards at the door sounded surprised.

"Just got a temporary notice from the command center. A sensor on the southeastern edge of Sector 2's waters detected a moving heat source—could be a large animal or someone sneaking in. They need backup right away."

Zhao Feng's voice carried just the right mix of urgency and impatience. "I'll take over patrol here. You two get over there fast—the command center is pushing!"

"Huh? Okay, we're on it!" The two guards were clearly distracted by the info. They didn't ask any more questions, and the hurried footsteps and the gliding sound of robots quickly faded into the distance.

Outside the warehouse door, only Zhao Feng was left for now. He didn't open the door right away but spoke quietly into his communicator, continuing to redirect the patrols in the area.

"Hurry up." Zhao Feng's hushed voice came through the sensor.

Jin Wang didn't hesitate. He stepped out of the shadows and finished assembling the transmitter as fast as he could.

He didn't take the transmitter out of the warehouse—sending the signal from here was actually less risky.

Jin Wang quickly wiped away all traces of his presence, silently retreated to the door, and carefully checked the sensor in his hand.

Zhao Feng's voice came again: "Coast is clear. Come out."

Jin Wang took a deep breath, opened the warehouse door, and melted into the darkness in the opposite direction from Zhao Feng, as if he'd never been there.

Back in that warehouse, the signal would first be picked up by a disguised research vessel. Then, through a "mutual understanding" and exchange of favors with a certain faction, those coordinates would eventually be passed to the Rustfire mercenary group.

————

Wen Jueqian lay in bed, still replaying the conversation he'd had with Wen Yanxu before going to sleep.

The topic had come from his question that afternoon—why would Jueying Island, a classified research center, let a bunch of people with complicated backgrounds come in and film a variety show?

Wen Yanxu had set down the documents he was checking at the time and explained patiently.

"There are two things to consider."

"First, it really helps promote the 7th-Gen Inhibitor. New products need hype when they launch. Celebrity experience ambassadors plus a slice-of-life variety show is the fastest way to create buzz and market to the target audience."

"Second, Aegis's position in the biotech field is too special. Inhibitors, gene therapy, assisted reproduction, brain neuroscience—in all these areas, we're unavoidable."

"This monopoly makes the public view us with mixed feelings. On one hand, they depend on our products; on the other, they're suspicious."

——————

——————

Wen Jueqian could hear the gravity in Wen Yanxu's words.

"They worry we're researching something unethical, worried that 'technological hegemony' might become some kind of forced control over civilians."

"This kind of everyday variety show can show off the research center."

"Through this, we let them know this isn't some secret restricted zone—just a group of technical staff doing research for their ideals and Aegis's vision."

Wen Jueqian had asked at the time: "Can a variety show alone really get rid of the public's negative impression of Aegis?"

"Of course not." Wen Yanxu answered directly. "That's just a small part. The PR department has a long-term plan to gradually shift public perception of Aegis toward 'a responsible industry leader.'"

He added: "This variety show was a proposal from Liu Wei, deputy supervisor of the artist relations department under marketing. After reviewing it, I felt it fit our long-term strategy, so I approved it."

Liu Wei.

That name was familiar.

Wen Jueqian quickly searched his memory.

He was a character who had appeared in the storyline, a longtime friend of Qiao Yuexun's manager, Zhou Lin.

Qiao Yuexun's opportunity to become a celebrity experience ambassador, and later the endorsement deal for the 7th-Gen Inhibitor—Liu Wei had played a significant role in both.

Wen Yanxu's reasoning was perfectly logical, every point making sense.

But Wen Jueqian didn't believe things could be this coincidental.

His instincts told him something was off, and Liu Wei was the key. But he couldn't yet piece together how Liu Wei could wield such influence.

Wen Jueqian lay on his side, facing away from Wen Yanxu, eyes open, still mulling over those matters.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.

In the darkness, Wen Yanxu looked at Wen Jueqian's back and said, "Qianqian, before this, I had no idea there was an Omega with a 90% compatibility match with me, and that they were among this batch of celebrity experience ambassadors."

Wen Jueqian froze for a moment.

Wen Yanxu paused briefly, as if choosing his words carefully.

"I know what you're worried about," he said. "You might think that even though I wasn't aware of it, faced with an omega with a 90% match rate, wouldn't I really waver?"

The higher the pheromone match rate between an alpha and an omega, the stronger their mutual attraction—that's just biology.

"But I'm telling you, I wouldn't." Wen Yanxu's voice was low and resolute. "For me, the match rate has never mattered."

Wen Jueqian rolled over to face him.

In the darkness, he couldn't make out his expression, only his silhouette. But he knew Wen Yanxu was looking at him too.

"I know," Wen Jueqian said.

He scooted closer, slipping an arm around Wen Yanxu's waist, pressing himself fully into his arms. Wen Yanxu's arms came around him, holding him close.

"I know you don't care about the match rate." Wen Jueqian's voice was muffled against his chest. "I've always known that."

It's me who cares about the match rate—I'm the one scared that your love won't hold up against biology, Wen Jueqian knew this all too well.

Wen Yanxu said nothing, only tightening his arms around Wen Jueqian.

Wen Jueqian didn't voice those worries out loud, just burrowing deeper into his arms.

==========Author's Note:==========

Forgot to set the scheduled posting time.