Chapter 68 One Step Closer
The planned heavy rain fell, allowing the manic alpha to return to a normal state of sobriety. With the help of the system's breathing, the military cadets no longer had to worry.
The omegas, including Chen Le, had already arranged for someone to pick them up, so they didn't have to worry about being left unattended after they left.
As for Zhong Weizhao, the owner of Xiangwu Villa, someone also went to ambush him. After thinking about it, it seems that nothing was left out.
Lin Guantang sat in the car, his brain still recalling all the arrangements in Xiangwu Villa, but his eyes unconsciously moved back and forth following Huo Shizhen's movements - Huo Shizhen didn't do anything, he was just preparing the medicine for him.
The excessive release of pheromones caused his glands to still ache slightly, and his mind was sometimes clear and sometimes confused, making it difficult for him to tell what situation he was in.
The same rainy night, the same back seat of the car, the same estrus period, even the same emergency suppression...
It was as if time and space overlapped, and I was back to the last rainy night in a trance, and then repeated the previous process.
Do you want to repeat the last process?
Lin Guantang had already anticipated everything that would happen next. He injected a well-proportioned inhibitor, waited for his emotions to calm down, and then was sent back to Hospital O to end the night.
He suddenly felt annoyed by this.
Huo Shizhen sensed his irritability but didn't take it too seriously. The estrus period was always accompanied by the side effect of emotional agitation, which was a very normal thing. Moreover, he had just overdrawn his pheromones, making his emotions even more unstable, but still within a controllable range.
After preparing the medicine, he held the needle and pushed a drop of medicine out to confirm that it was ready for injection. When he was about to turn around, he felt a weight on his arm. Looking back, he saw Lin Guantang leaning towards him, holding the wrist of his hand holding the needle with both hands.
Lin Guantang raised his head, his mist-stained blue eyes met Huo Shizhen's, and he said three words:
"Tag me."
He stared at Huo Shizhen without blinking, but got no response. He thought Huo Shizhen's silence meant he didn't hear him clearly, so he repeated the three words clearly again:
"Tag me."
——That’s not a request, it’s a demand.
Rich pheromones filled the narrow space inside the car, drowning the two people in it like a lake.
Huo Shizhen sensed a strong sense of dominance conveyed in the pheromones. Besides being surprised, he also found it a little funny.
He stretched out his other hand and lifted Lin Guantang's chin, looking at Lin Guantang's increasingly bright eyes and his expression that was clearly immersed in lust but still firm.
It looked like he hadn't gotten over the emotion of dominating the alpha just now and wanted to continue dominating him.
Or perhaps it was the instinct of an S-class omega that prompted Lin Guantang to finally choose the one he was most satisfied with, the one he most desired - or in other words, the one he only wanted - from among a bunch of inferior alphas to be his partner to spend the estrus period with him.
This was a biological instinct dominated by pheromones, rather than a rational choice made by a human being in a conscious state. Huo Shizhen felt bored for a moment. He had no interest in a group of people competing for favors. Whether they were the ones competing for favors or the ones being competed for, they were all slaves to pheromones.
But such words don't seem to be very convincing, like a self-deceiving motto.
If he really didn't care at all, why would he rush from another place to Xiangwu Villa to meet Lin Guantang's expectations?
Why did he take Lin Guantang away from the greedy gazes of those alphas? He personally performed a scene for people to watch and chat about.
After all, he is just an ordinary person. He cannot eliminate the possessiveness of people for all things within their designated area from his nature, and he has no intention of suppressing this bad habit.
In the end, Huo Shizhen decided to meet Lin Guantang's expectations.
He put the injection back and took off his gloves, then reached out and pressed Lin Guantang's back and leaned towards him.
The strong pressure coming towards him made Lin Guantang subconsciously lean back, but he was held down on his back and could not move. He could only watch Huo Shizhen's head lowering closer, his deep eyebrows and eyes were so close, and the cold breath from his nose also penetrated into his sense of smell and flowed into his body along with his blood.
His long silver hair fluttered down and covered Lin Guantang's face in layers, as if thick snow had fallen, covering his eyes, ears, mouth and nose, making it impossible for him to breathe and as if he was suffocating.
"I hope you won't regret it, my—"
A low and gentle voice sounded in my ears, carrying the temptation like a spell:
"fiancée."
As the words fell, a cool breath passed around the neck and finally reached the gland at the back of the neck. A gentle kiss fell on the gland, causing Lin Guantang to straighten his back immediately.
The next moment, I felt a fierce and deep bite that was completely different from a kiss.
Even though he was mentally prepared, the intense pain when the gland was actually bitten still made Lin Guantang tremble all over, and his brain went blank, with all thoughts driven away.
Perhaps what made his heart and soul tremble was the icy breath and the fear of suffocation. Lin Guantang wanted to escape, but the embrace became tighter and tighter, forcing him into an unprecedented state.
Frost, carrying a bitter and spicy scent, rushed in, making Lin Guantang feel as if he was in a wasteland covered with ice and snow. The mountains and rivers were all frozen, and only the dead bones of grass, trees, birds and beasts remained. Even the biting wind stopped and the air was frozen. Only the monotonous cold penetrated his skin, flesh, bones and blood, leaving marks from pain to spiciness from the inside out.
Huge and pale dragon and snake bones coiled up from his feet, circling between heaven and earth. The skull snake head reached deep into the clouds and then looked down. The empty bone eye sockets lowered their eyes to stare at him. Although the open snake mouth was devoid of flesh and blood, its fangs were still sharp, as if it wanted to devour him completely and fall into death together.
The pheromones surrounding him could not be described by any fresh smell in the world, because they were a cold, condensed air composed of nothingness and death.
Is he really dead?
Slowly, I opened my eyes from the chaos of nothingness, and hazy blocks of color gradually emerged in the pure white world. Then they began to change, take shape, and finally became clear, forming a snow-white ceiling and a ceiling lamp with silver patterns in my eyes.
Lin Guantang blinked and lay quietly for a moment before suddenly sitting up. He stretched out his hands and placed them on the snow-white quilt. His eyes moved back and forth, and more vivid things came into view.
Several landscape paintings hung on the gray-blue walls, black and white tables, chairs, and cabinets were arranged in a staggered pattern. White curtains slowly rose and fell in the wind, letting in bright sunlight.
This is a bedroom that can be called a model house.
At least when Lin Guantang looked around, he found that apart from the clothes hanging on the hangers, there was nothing else that could be classified as personal belongings - the clothes were also brand new.
The landscape paintings and the ornaments on the desk look more like decorations put together by the designer rather than the hobbies of the room owner.
Owner of the room—thinking of these words made Lin Guantang's whole body stiffen, then he wailed, stretched out his hands weakly and leaned forward, burying his instantly red face in the quilt.
Memories before going to bed came flooding back. My thoughts were clearly in a mess at the time, but now they are extremely clear when I think back on them.
He clearly remembered how he had unreasonably insisted on Huo Shizhen marking him, and how he firmly refused to go back to the academy alone, and was finally taken to an empty house.
Someone brought some clean clothes, and Huo Shizhen asked him to go wash up - fortunately, he did not lose the ability to take a shower on his own, but the process was very long, so long that when he came out after changing his clothes, he was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes and almost fell asleep - but strangely, he still remembered being carried into the bedroom and lying down.
Lin Guantang slowly turned his head to look to the side. There was no sign of another person lying there, nor was there a second quilt. It was obvious that he was the only one sleeping here.
Perhaps she should be thankful that Huo Shizhen had such high moral character that even when he was thrown into his arms, she could remain calm and composed like Liu Xiahui? Or perhaps it was because she believed deep down that he would not do anything inappropriate to her, so she completely let down her guard and acted recklessly.
Thinking about this now, it seems a little too late.
After burying his head in silence under the quilt for a few minutes, Lin Guantang decided to face the bleak reality.
After washing up and changing clothes, Lin Guantang took a deep breath, opened the door and walked out.
The heavy curtains blocked out all the sunlight, and the living room was as dim as if it was still night. The only source of light was a projection as wide as a wall.
Huo Shizhen was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, sitting on the sofa with his back to him. Before Lin Guantang could figure out how to greet him, he was shocked by the content of the projection.
***
"Why did you suddenly use your system permissions to not only forcibly take over public intelligence but also invade private areas without authorization? Even if the other party is suspected of a serious crime, you still don't have this right before a trial. This mission is fully prepared, and there seems to be no reason for you to do this."
"It was merely an emergency measure, taken in a desperate situation, to save my fiancée. The Empire created me to protect it. If I can't even protect my fiancée, how can I even think of protecting the entire empire? Similarly, if you believe the empire is at the mercy of others, I can choose to remain an indifferent observer. I wouldn't mind dying there."
[This is sophistry. How can an omega be compared with an entire empire?]
"There is no difference between loved ones and loyalties in my eyes."
[The Empire created you to serve the Empire, not to pursue personal gain! By forcing permissions for personal gain, your behavior is out of control.]
"Doesn't this further demonstrate that I have normal human emotions? I think you should be happy about this. Displaying normal human signs will further reduce my danger. Isn't this the important and controllable standard you have set?"
I understand your feelings, but you can't act so arbitrarily. If you submit an application before taking action, it won't be rejected.
"there is no time."
[Don't be ridiculous. Where does the term "beloved" come from? I've never heard that you have a fiancée.]
"It's not too late to hear about it now."
[You have never had any interactions that could be called intimate before, so it wouldn't be a rude guess to accuse you of pretending.]
"I had already marked his name on the O Institute system. I thought it was a well-known, unspoken secret."
[But you never chose to make your relationship public. Perhaps you don't really care about him? You just need to use him as a shield at certain times, like now.]
"Why, are you all looking forward to attending my engagement party?"
【……】
[In short, for the next three months, you will not be allowed to use any system permissions above B level, nor participate in any military academy missions. If you commit this offense again, regardless of the reason, you will be re-evaluated to confirm whether your condition is under control. Given that you claim to have a loved one, this evaluation will include a new assessment item.]
"I sincerely hope that nothing happens to the Empire in the next three months."
…
As daylight was about to break, the boring and lengthy interrogation finally ended. Huo Shizhen closed the interface without any reluctance, just feeling a little bored.
Maybe a little regret?
After all, a comprehensive assessment is quite troublesome, like catching a mosquito. It is not painful or difficult to complete, but the process is too tedious and boring. The expressions of those researchers who are facing a great enemy are interesting to see once, but it is the same every time, and there is no desire to appreciate it.
The mission plan for Xiangwu Villa had already been formulated quite comprehensively, and Lin Guantang had also made an accurate judgment. Whether he went or not would not play any key role in the completion of the mission. As for letting Hexi take over the authority, it was unnecessary and would at most speed up the efficiency of completing the mission.
Thinking about it this way, this fuss that caused a new round of attention was completely self-inflicted trouble.
But things have already happened, and the feeling of regret is nothing more than a momentary boring self-mockery. As soon as it emerged, Huo Shizhen completely eliminated it from his mind and began to think about what to do next.
No matter how you look at it, a three-month vacation is still quite long - although based on past experience, Huo Shizhen would have to say he admires the fact that he could hold on for a month without going back on his word and allow him to support the mission.
But that is a matter for the future. Now, perhaps he can consider how to make full use of this free time to create a shining star that the entire empire will admire.
***
Three different sections of content were projected on the huge screen.
The section on the left looks like the structure of a forum, scrolling through lines of discussion content.
[Please be advised: [Midnight] has surpassed freshman S4 and become the first student in this freshman class to gain access to the system's second-level permissions.]
[I cried. Who said that there is no future for the general A-share market?]
[I really have to suspect that Ling Chen has some unspeakable background. He actually dared to plot against the devil's fiancée. How cruel! I like it.]
Witnessing the rise of the new generation of Long Aotian, he's quite decisive in giving orders. Wan La, this time he's really going to use the Great Devil as a springboard.
[Although, in fact, the key role in this Xiangwu Villa mission was played by the Great Demon King's fiancée. If it weren't for him, the military academy would have been a disgrace to the entire empire and should have been disbanded.]
[Big brother and sister-in-law are happily married. Can I ask big brother to let sister-in-law lead the next mission? [Looking forward to it] It makes me feel safe.]
So, when did the sister-in-law appear? With such secrecy, it's a mystery that will never fade away unless the great demon Huo joins the Intelligence Department.
[Speaking of which, someone with Tian Ye's level of combat power isn't even in the Executive Department? So the strongest combat power is in the Equipment Department, and the highest level of confidentiality is in the Executive Department. Oh, now it's the Discipline Department.]
[Serious discussion: What is the relationship between the great demon Huo, Lingchen, and his fiancée? It's so confusing.]
…
After watching for a few minutes, Lin Guantang realized that it should be something like the Central Military Academy Forum. As the subject of discussion, Lin Guantang felt a little embarrassed, especially when he saw all kinds of exaggerated compliments or outrageous speculations. He was so embarrassed that he even forgot the difficult question of "how to face Huo Shizhen calmly."
But the content of these discussions reminded him of one thing——
Lin Guantang walked to the other corner of the sofa and sat down, scratching his temples and explaining:
"About my fiancée..."
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't continue. Whether I said, "I'm sorry for pretending to be your fiancée without informing you in advance," or "I heard that you don't have a boyfriend, so it shouldn't be a big deal," it felt a little weird.
Fortunately, his meaning was not difficult to guess. At least Huo Shizhen was able to understand his unfinished meaning, so he took the initiative to speak:
"It's nothing to worry about. It's common to use various interpersonal relationships during missions."
Well, then he felt relieved.
——But why do I feel relieved but also unhappy?
As if something was stuck in his throat, Lin Guantang was silent for a moment, then blurted out a question:
"In the past, many people also played the role of your fiancée...or something like that?"
What I actually wanted to say was, in the past, many people also played the roles of your fiancée, spouse, or wife, and other intimate relationships, but - it really seems strange to ask this question, as the relationship between the two of them is at most a temporary one.
Although under normal circumstances, a relationship that can be temporarily labeled should be relatively close, the relationship between the two of them seems to be completely unable to be summarized by general circumstances.
Lin Guantang felt that his thoughts on this matter were like a tangled mess. Huo Shizhen shook the ice in the glass and answered quite calmly:
“Others don’t have such courage.”
Lin Guantang: ...
Haha, are you the emperor? You dare not do this.
Lin Guantang complained in his heart and couldn't help but say:
"Should I feel honored then?"
Hearing this, Huo Shizhen raised the corner of his mouth:
"No, you should feel bad."
Lin Guantang:?
Under Lin Guantang's puzzled gaze, Huo Shizhen drank the ice water in the cup, then stood up, walked to Lin Guantang's side, and suddenly leaned over, putting one hand on the back of the sofa behind him, almost nose to nose. Lin Guantang was a little afraid to move, for fear that if he moved a little, he would really bump noses with him, or encounter something even more difficult to explain.
Then he heard Huo Shizhen say:
"Those who don't dare to seek revenge on me will most likely seek revenge on you, so just wish you the best. From the moment you claim to be my fiancée—regardless of whether it's true or not—you could be kidnapped or even killed at any time."
Lin Guantang: ...
Wait, so “I don’t have such courage” actually means “I don’t have the courage to seek death”?
Lin Guantang blinked rapidly several times and said without hesitation:
"Then you, shouldn't you take on the responsibility of being my fiancé and be responsible for my safety?"
Huo Shizhen hummed and said:
"I will do that."
Then he withdrew his arm, walked towards the open kitchen, and asked Lin Guantang what he wanted to eat and drink.
Lin Guantang replied that anything was fine, and then he realized belatedly - didn't he originally want to clarify the matter about his fiancée? Why did it seem like he was going to make it more and more true? Could he please not respond so seriously? He would take it seriously.
However, something seems to be wrong?
Lin Guantang suddenly looked towards the kitchen, then put on his slippers and walked over. He stood outside the counter and watched Huo Shizhen process the ingredients smoothly. Although he was just cutting tomatoes, it was still a little incredible, as if he saw an alien performing Tai Chi on Earth.
"Can you cook?"
“Simple food preparation and equipment usage are enough for a meal.”
The meal combination of sandwich and milk is indeed quite convenient.
Lin Guantang thanked him, then took the finished product and placed it on the low glass table in front of the sofa. The room was not big and there was no dedicated dining table. Fortunately, there was a furry carpet under the glass table, so Lin Guantang sat cross-legged on the floor. Before eating, he saw Huo Shizhen bring back a glass of ice water, and nothing else, which really puzzled him.
"You don't want to eat?"
"Not hungry."
As he spoke, Huo Shizhen had returned to his original sitting position and enlarged the screen in the center of the projection.
It is the hot news on social software.
[The richest man in Yitai District, Zhong Weizhao, turned out to be a shameful pervert. His home, Xiangwu Villa, is a disgrace to the eyes, and hundreds of omegas have been persecuted...]
[Not an internet celebrity, but a savior! To save one person, he turned an entire den of demons upside down. Kobayashi is kind-hearted and capable, a true O-level figure.]
[Recreate the scene! How difficult was it to rescue over a hundred people alone? We'll show you how to retrace the rescue route.]
[The correct way to open an S-class omega is actually like this...]
…
"What is this?"
Lin Guantang couldn't help but twitch his lips as he looked at the content above. He had thought the military academy forum page was already exaggerated enough, but he didn't expect there would be an even more exaggerated description, as if he was omnipotent and powerful:
"It's not just my work, this is just too much nonsense."
Huo Shizhen was not surprised at all and even teased him in a good mood:
"Writing this way will attract attention. Now you are truly the All-O Light, Kobayashi-kun, known throughout the Empire."
"That's not necessary. Don't say any more."
Lin Guantang couldn't accept such a big hat with peace of mind. He didn't even dare to look up again because he felt very guilty.
After all, he didn't even play an important role in this mission - this was Lin Guantang's idea. The plan was not fully formulated by him, and he was not originally involved in the personnel implementing the plan. As a result, all the credit for pushing Zhong Weizhao to the end was put on him personally. He really couldn't bear it and wanted to register an account immediately to clarify everything.
But when he heard him talk about this idea, Huo Shizhen expressed a different opinion:
"To those omegas, you have indeed saved them from further harm. There is no need to deny it. The more you deny it, the more counterproductive it will be."
This is a fairly objective evaluation. Lin Guantang said "oh" and then thought of asking about the follow-up arrangements - whether it was Chen Le's, those omegas', or Zhong Weizhao's.
It is one thing to provide appropriate response measures in the plan, but the actual result is another. Now that the dust has settled, Lin Guantang cannot help but ask about it - especially since he originally participated in this mission because he wanted to find Chen Le.
"Those omegas have been sent to a designated hospital for treatment, including the person you're looking for. They're not in immediate danger of death. You can visit them anytime you want. As for Zhong Weizhao, he was shot in the head by his companion and died instantly."
"What?!"
The latter news surprised Lin Guantang greatly. According to the planned plan, firstly, he thought that the mission of the military academy was to capture people alive. Secondly, being shot in the head, and being killed by his companions personally, was too cruel. Moreover—
Zhong Weizhao is already so old. Could the person he can call a companion be another pervert who has also killed many innocent omegas?
Lin Guantang couldn't help but ask:
"What companions does he have? Can't we just follow the line and uproot them all?"
"That's impossible."
Huo Shizhen denied Lin Guantang's delusion without even thinking, and then said slowly:
"We're only going to eradicate the forces of the Final Omen. As for his companions, remember what I told you before? When you open the box of disaster, you'll find that disaster is everywhere and cannot be eradicated. When you erase one, a new one will be born to replace it."
Lin Guantang was stunned for a while and murmured:
"So I wasn't wrong. He's related to those two people at the racetrack—but they don't seem to have any connection. And since they're all companions, there's always a connection. Even if we can't completely eradicate them, can't we get information about them and then deal a fatal blow?"
If it was feasible, it would have been effective long ago. It was not something difficult to associate with, and it was even the most basic connecting of thoughts. However, Huo Shizhen said with certainty that "that is impossible", so the truth of the matter might be quite complicated, and not as simple as he guessed.
"The relationship between them is more like—"
Huo Shizhen tapped his fingers back and forth on the glass table, then slowly said:
“People who share the same ideals and embark on the same path are companions. However, once they leave the path, whether actively or passively, their relationship will be quickly severed and they will be eliminated from the ranks of companions.”
"Nameless and faceless lower-level personnel may still have a chance to survive, but members with code names will soon meet their end if they cannot find shelter in time. Even some members who possess key information will not be able to escape the fate of being hunted down, even if they are arrested and imprisoned."
It's so cruel...
Lin Guantang sat up straight, and after a moment of silence, he softly asked a crucial question:
“What philosophies do they believe in?”
Being able to bring together a group of people with different backgrounds, could it be some kind of church that believes in an evil god?
Apart from this, Lin Guantang couldn't think of anything more.
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