shackles

The smell of hospital disinfectant was particularly pungent at three in the morning. Shao Wei sat in a chair beside Si Qi's bed, his fingertips gently tracing his beloved's sleeping face. Three days had passed, and Si Qi's glandular wound had begun to heal, but the doctor still wouldn't allow him to get out of bed. Though the chip had been deactivated, it remained inside his body, like a dud that might explode at any moment.

Outside, raindrops pattered against the glass, like a code. Shao Wei rubbed his temples, where a vein had been aching since morning. Ever since his pheromone fusion with Shao Lin's, this headache had been recurring, like another consciousness gently knocking on the door of his skull.

Si Qi suddenly stirred in the bed, his brow furrowed. Shao Wei immediately leaned over and asked, "Are you having a nightmare?"

Siqi's eyes opened in the darkness, his pupils reflecting the dim light of the corridor: "I feel... someone is coming."

As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the ward suddenly went out. The moment the emergency lights came on, Shao Wei had already stood up, instinctively blocking Si Qi. A dull sound of someone falling to the ground could be heard in the corridor, followed by the distinctive "puff puff" of a silenced pistol.

"Hide." Shao Wei whispered the order and quickly took out the electric shock device that Li Wei left for him from the drawer of the bedside table.

The door opened silently. Six heavily armed men in black swarmed the room, their helmets' infrared aiming points dancing on Si Qi and Shao Wei's chests. Their movements were as precise as machines, without a single unnecessary movement.

"Don't move," the leader ordered, his voice processed through a voice changer. "We only want number 7."

Si Qi struggled to sit up, pheromones bursting out uncontrollably, but he was too weak to pose a threat. "Who sent you here?"

The men in black didn't answer. Two men stepped forward to pin down Shao Wei, while the other four pinned Si Qi to the bed and quickly injected him with a shot of medicine. In his last moment before losing consciousness, Si Qi glanced at Shao Wei, his lips moving silently: "Run!"

Then he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Shao Wei burst out with astonishing strength, breaking free from the grip and lunging at Si Qi, only to be knocked down by a precise electric shock. He knelt on the ground, watching the man in black place Si Qi into a special container, carefully transporting him like a valuable item.

"Leave a message." The leader-like man in black dropped a small projector. "Mr. Wei, I look forward to your reply."

They disappeared as quietly as they had come, leaving behind only the pungent smell of sedatives and an empty syringe on the ground. Shao Wei crawled over to pick up the projector, his fingers trembling with anger and fear.

The projection illuminated, revealing a spacious study. A man in his fifties sat in a high-backed leather chair, his fingers folded on the carved tabletop. He wore a sophisticated dark gray suit, his silver hair meticulously combed back, and his face, the majestic expression of an ancient emperor. The most striking feature was the tattoo on his right wrist—a snake encircling the number 7, identical to Li Wei and Shao Lin's, but more elaborate.

"Mr. Shao Wei," the man said, his voice as deep as a cello. "I'm Wei Lin. I'm sorry to meet you this way."

Shao Wei's nails dug into his palms, the pain keeping him awake: "Let him go."

Wei Lin smiled slightly, a smile that reminded Shao Wei of a snake staring at its prey. "Of course. As long as you are willing to become my 'wife'."

The word exploded in the air. In the ABO world, "Madam" was an honorific title used by Omegas to address their Alpha partners. For an Alpha to be called "Madam" was the ultimate humiliation.

"You're crazy." Shao Wei gritted his teeth.

"On the contrary, I'm very clear-headed." Wei Lin leaned forward. "Your value is far beyond imagination, No. 8. Your connection with No. 9, your emotional entanglement with No. 7, and that... special pheromone mutation ability." A greedy glint flashed in his eyes. "My organization needs these qualities."

"What organization?"

"Ouroboros." Wei Lin revealed the tattoo on his wrist. "We inherited and perfected Dr. Chen's work. Imagine an army composed of Alphas, controlled uniformly through neural links, and you are the control hub."

Shao Wei's blood froze. This madman wanted to turn him into some kind of living controller.

"Why do you call me 'Madam'?" he asked, trying hard to suppress his nausea.

Wei Lin's smile widened. "It's just tradition. Each generation of controllers is addressed as 'Mr.', and their spouses as 'Mrs.', regardless of gender." He stood up and walked towards the camera. "I'll give you 48 hours to consider. If you agree, come to Warehouse 19 in the dock area alone. If you refuse..." He made an explosion gesture. "Number 7's chip will execute the final agreement, turning him into a mindless killing machine."

The projection went out, leaving Shao Wei gasping for breath in the darkness. His phone suddenly vibrated with an encrypted message:

"They blocked the hospital surveillance, but I captured an unlicensed ambulance on the intersection camera. The tracking signal pointed to the North Suburbs Industrial Park. - Li Wei"

This was followed by a second message from an unknown number:

"Don't go. It's a trap. —Number 9"

Shao Wei knew this was Shao Lin's warning. But something was wrong—how did Shao Lin know so quickly? Unless...

He stood up abruptly, his headache suddenly intensifying. In a trance, he saw an unfamiliar scene: Shao Lin sitting in a dark room, facing a dozen surveillance screens, one of which was displaying this ward. Even stranger, Shao Wei could sense Shao Lin's emotional fluctuations—worry, anger, and a hint of...jealousy?

This feeling was stronger than ever before. Shao Wei tried to call out in his mind: "Can you hear me?"

There was no verbal response, but the headache suddenly eased, replaced by a strange sense of confirmation. Then more images flooded in: Wei Lin's study, a document labeled "Domination Protocol," a safe filled with blue liquid...

The scene suddenly cut off, and Shao Wei fell to his knees in pain. When he looked up again, he found Li Wei standing at the door with fresh scratches on her face.

"Are you okay?" She stepped forward quickly. "I hacked into the transportation system. The ambulance—"

"Building 7, Area B, Northern Suburbs Industrial Park," Shao Wei interrupted her. "There are facilities underground."

Li Wei's eyes widened. "How did you... Never mind, it's not important." She pulled a tablet from her backpack. "Here's the information I found on Wei Lin. A former military scientist and the current leader of Ouroboros, he specializes in neural control technology. Most importantly..." She pulled up an old photo. "He was a student of Dr. Chen's and the chief medical examiner in the investigation of Si Qi's mother's death."

In the photo, Wei Lin looked much younger, standing beside the body of Si Qi's mother, holding a strange metal needle. Shao Wei's blood boiled—this was the man who had killed Si Qi's mother, and now he wanted to separate them.

"We have to save him." Shao Wei's voice was low and firm.

Li Wei bit her lip. "The problem is the method. The industrial park is heavily guarded, and..." She hesitated. "Have you considered Wei Lin's request?"

Shao Wei's eyes became sharp: "Are you spying on me?"

"I just eavesdropped on the audio in the ward." Li Wei admitted frankly, "Listen, I don't recommend you surrender. But if you decide to go, at least let me help you make a plan."

She pulled up a 3D map of the industrial park on her tablet. "Building 7, Area B, has four entrances, all of which are armed and guarded. But according to the architectural drawings, this..." She pointed to a ventilation shaft, "leads to the basement, possibly their laboratory. Si Qi is most likely being held there."

Shao Wei studied the map, a plan gradually taking shape: "I need you to prepare two things."

"explain."

"First, all of Siqi's mother's research data, especially the part about Alpha Link." Shao Wei pointed to the ventilation shaft on the map. "Second, a potion that can temporarily increase pheromone concentration."

Li Wei raised an eyebrow: "You want to replicate what happened in the hospital that day? The fusion of the pheromones of three Alphas?"

"Not exactly." Shao Wei's eyes flashed with determination, "I want to make sure that no matter what happens, Si Qi can find me."

Li Wei looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded: "24 hours. Then what?"

"Then I'll go to the appointment." Shao Wei turned to the rainy night outside the window, "but not as a prisoner."

The next evening, the rain stopped. Shao Wei stood in front of Warehouse 19 at the docks, carrying only the miniature communicator Li Wei had given him. As agreed, he had come alone, wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers—the "appropriate attire" Wei Lin had requested.

The warehouse door slowly opened, and four armed men walked out, their movements as uniform as robots. They scanned Shao Wei's body, confiscated his communicator, and then blindfolded him with a black cloth.

"Mr. Wei has been waiting for you for a long time." One of them whispered with a strange awe in his voice.

After being led through a series of curves, the black veil covering Shao Wei's eyes was lifted. He stood in the center of a spacious circular hall, surrounded by two rows of men in black. On a raised platform in front of him, Wei Lin sat in a throne-like chair, and beside him stood... Shao Lin.

Shao Wei's breath hitched. Shao Lin wore the same black uniform as the others, his blond hair tied back, his expression as cold as ice. Only the slight trembling of his fingers betrayed his true emotions.

"On time, very good." Wei Lin stood up and walked down the stairs. "Your Alpha is very tenacious and almost destroyed three control units. But don't worry, he's still alive... for now."

He snapped his fingers, and a wall transformed into a transparent display, showing Si Qi strapped down in some kind of medical cabin. His eyes were closed, dozens of tubes and wires connected to his body, and the wound on the back of his neck had been reopened, revealing the chip inside.

Shao Wei's alpha instincts erupted instantly, and his pheromones swept through the hall like a storm. Several guards instinctively retreated, but Wei Lin simply smiled and took a deep breath. "Wonderful. Such powerful pheromones, yet willing to yield for love."

"Let him go." Shao Wei said word by word, "I agree to your terms."

Wei Lin applauded. "Get straight to the point. I like that." He walked up to Shao Wei and suddenly grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up. "But first, prove your sincerity. Kneel."

The word cracked the air like a whip. For an Alpha, kneeling before another Alpha was the greatest humiliation, second only to being marked as a sign of submission. The guards in the hall held their breath, waiting for this spectacle.

Shao Wei looked past Wei Lin and towards Shao Lin. Those blue eyes, identical to his own, were filled with a complex mix of emotions – anger, pain, and a hint of pleading.

"Don't do this." Shao Lin's voice suddenly rang out in Shao Wei's mind, as clear as a whisper. "He has a conspiracy."

Shao Wei shook his head imperceptibly, then slowly knelt. Not in complete submission, but with one knee touching the ground in a chivalric salute, his eyes fixed on Wei Lin.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked coldly.

A hint of displeasure flashed across Wei Lin's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by satisfaction: "Just barely qualified." He turned to Shao Lin, "Take him to prepare. The ceremony will begin in an hour."

Shao Lin walked over expressionlessly and grabbed Shao Wei's arm. The moment they touched, another picture flooded into Shao Wei's mind - the location of the underground laboratory, the guard change time, and a small bottle of blue liquid hidden in Shao Lin's pocket.

"This is a drug that can temporarily block chip control." Shao Lin's voice explained in his mind, "Find No. 7 and inject him. Then..." The screen switched to a diagram of the ventilation system, "Take this route."

Shao Wei almost blurted out to ask why he helped him, but Shao Lin's eyes warned him to remain silent. They walked through a long corridor and came to a richly decorated suite.

"Shower and change." Shao Lin said businesslike, pointing to the clothes piled on the bed - a silver-white robe, a style between a lab coat and a formal dress. "I'll wait outside the door."

When the door closed, Shao Wei quickly checked the room. As expected, every corner was monitored. Pretending to adjust his collar, he whispered into the nanocommunicator hidden beneath it, "Location confirmed. Area B, second floor underground. Shao Lin will help."

Li Wei's response was weak but clear: "Going according to plan. The drug has been injected into your glands and will be automatically released when you are emotionally excited."

Shao Wei undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water washed over him, masking his tense muscles and racing heartbeat. Everything was ready; he just had to wait for the right moment.

An hour later, Shao Wei, dressed in a silver-white robe, was led to the hall. The hall had been decorated as a ceremonial setting, with a giant Ouroboros pattern painted on the floor and twelve men in black robes standing around him.

Wei Lin stood at the head of the snake, holding a crystal box in his hand, which contained a chip flashing with blue light.

"My final gift." He smiled and showed it to Shao Wei. "With this implant, you'll become the perfect control hub. Of course, the process will be... painful."

Shao Wei glanced at the monitor in the corner. Si Qi was still unconscious, but his brow was furrowed, as if he were having a nightmare. He had to buy time.

"Before we begin, I have a question." Shao Wei raised his voice, "Why choose me?"

Wei Lin seemed to enjoy the question. "Because you're special, No. 8. The only individual capable of establishing stable connections with multiple Alphas." He walked to the wall and pulled up a set of data charts. "Look at this. An emotional connection with No. 7, a blood connection with No. 9, and even a faint resonance with that Omega assistant. You are the key that can unlock the next door to human evolution."

Shao Wei secretly observed the layout of the hall. Twelve black-robed men, four armed guards, plus Wei Lin and Shao Lin. That was too many people. A head-on confrontation would be unsuccessful.

"Begin the ceremony!" Wei Lin announced.

The black-robed figure began to chant something like an incantation. Wei Lin opened the crystal box, took out the glowing chip, and walked toward Shao Wei. At this moment, an alarm suddenly rang out throughout the building.

"B-Zone Invasion!" a hurried voice came from the loudspeaker. "Someone has destroyed the ventilation system!"

Wei Lin's face changed drastically: "Number 9! It's you——"

Shao Lin suddenly pulled out his gun, but not at Wei Lin, but at the ceiling. He fired three times, knocking out the main lighting. The hall fell into chaos.

"Now!" Shao Lin's voice exploded in Shao Wei's mind.

Shao Wei rushed to the nearest exit, sprinting down the corridors using the memories shared by Shao Lin. Alarms, gunfire, and shouting crisscrossed behind him, but he had only one goal: to find Si Qi.

The second underground floor was even gloomier than expected. Shao Wei overpowered the two guards, snatched the access card, and finally reached the main laboratory. Through the glass, he saw Si Qi restrained in the medical cabin, his chest heaving faintly.

The door lock recognized the access card and slid open with a slight hiss. Shao Wei rushed to the front of the medical bay, looking for the release mechanism.

"Siqi! Wake up!" He slapped the glass cover.

Si Qi's eyelids fluttered, but he didn't wake up. Shao Wei noticed that the chip on the back of his neck was connected to an external device, and the screen displayed "Program Uploading: 87%." Whatever program this was, it was almost finished.

Shao Wei frantically searched for the abort button on the console, but all operations required biometric identification. With little time left, he made a crazy decision—he grabbed a nearby metal chair and smashed it against the console.

Lightning flashed, and the alarm sounded even more piercing. The glass cover of the medical cabin slowly opened, but Si Qi was still unconscious. Shao Wei gently stroked his cheek, then noticed the IV tube in his arm—probably the drug to maintain chip control.

He pulled out the tube without hesitation, and instead took out the blue potion Shao Lin had given him from his pocket and injected it into Siqi's vein.

"Please, wake up..." He pleaded in a low voice, resting his forehead on Siqi's shoulder.

As if in response to his prayer, Siqi's fingers suddenly moved. Then his eyes slowly opened, his pupils shrinking in the light.

"Shao...Wei...?" His voice was hoarse. "Where...is this..."

Before Shao Wei could reply, the door to the lab flew open. Wei Lin stood in the doorway, clutching a strangely shaped pistol. The muzzle wasn't a round one, but rather a snake's head.

"A touching reunion." He sneered. "It's too late. The program has been uploaded, Number 7." He held up a small device similar to a cell phone. "Just press this, and your Alpha will become my puppet."

Si Qi struggled to sit up and pulled Shao Wei behind him: "Don't touch him."

Wei Lin laughed. "Your courage is commendable. But don't you understand? This is all part of the plan." He pressed a button on the device, "including reuniting you."

Si Qi's body suddenly straightened, his eyes swallowed by darkness again. He slowly turned to Shao Wei, his expression becoming strange and cold.

"Kill him." Wei Lin ordered softly.

Si Qi raised his hand and grabbed Shao Wei's throat.