Chapter 092: Does This Dog Bite Hard?

After leaving the office, Lin Miao originally planned to apply for a lab, but due to the lingering scent of pheromones on him, he had no choice but to visit a pharmacy to buy some neutralizer to deal with it.

The pharmacist informed him that neutralizer could only remove pheromones from the living environment, but the pheromones caused by marking could not be eliminated.

Lin Miao's expression turned slightly grim as he explained, "But I'm a beta, so I shouldn't be marked, right?"

Noticing his good looks, she patiently explained some knowledge that isn't typically taught in schools: "Well, sir, while betas can't be permanently marked, they can receive a temporary imprint by having pheromones injected into their bloodstream. This temporary imprint will disappear once the blood circulates and metabolizes. The complete metabolic cycle takes three to five months. The scent of pheromones on you will diminish over time, and generally, after about a month, the pheromones in your blood won't be noticeably detectable. This depends on the amount of pheromones injected into your body."

At that moment, Lin Miao genuinely felt the urge to drag Yan Jiming out and give him a beating.

Unless he went to the hospital for a blood transfusion, this scent would linger for a month... Damn him, Yan Jiming had bitten him so many times, and as a superior Alpha, it wasn't just a month—it might take three months for the scent to fade!

The more Lin Miao thought about it, the angrier he became. He decided that tonight, he would make Yan Jiming realize: "I know a thing or two about fighting too!"

"Thank you. Is there any way to cover this up?" Lin Miao asked through clenched teeth.

"Well... we don’t carry anything like that," the pharmacist replied tactfully.

In this society, there is a certain reverence for Alphas and omegas. An Alpha's pheromones can mark their claimed partners, and the scent of their partner's pheromones can effectively ward off those with ill intentions, reducing unnecessary trouble. It's somewhat of a protective measure, so no one really thinks about covering it up.

Lin Miao had no choice but to reluctantly use some neutralizer, but since his blood was continuously emitting Yan Jiming's scent, the neutralizer only served to make things more obvious.

Lin Miao clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't beat Yan Jiming today—Alphas in their heat period were off-limits. Once Yan Jiming's heat was over, he would tie him up, hang him from the ceiling, and give him a thorough beating!

As Lin Miao mentally simulated how he would thrash Yan Jiming, his anger subsided a bit. With no other choice, he returned to the administration building and submitted his lab application materials.

Lin Miao had prepared himself for rejection or some kind of trouble, but the staff merely looked him over and, after confirming with his advisor over the phone, quickly approved his application.

Lin Miao could even start working in the lab the next day.

As he left with the materials, Lin Miao couldn't believe it.

Logically, as a beta, he had the least privilege in the school. Even if he followed the proper procedures, he would usually face delays or obstacles.

Their group was already short on time, and Lin Miao had factored in the time wasted by bureaucratic processes, which was why he was in such a hurry. Yet, his application was approved on the same day?

He couldn't figure it out until later when he realized that those reviewing the applications were also judging based on appearances. The strong scent of pheromones on Lin Miao indicated that he had someone powerful backing him—an Alpha.

In this world, Alphas were not to be trifled with. Who knew what kind of background the Alpha who marked Lin Miao had? They might come looking for trouble later, so it was best to give him special treatment wherever possible.

Lin Miao suddenly felt that the beating he had planned might not be avoidable after all.

With Yan Jiming's pheromones on him, Lin Miao found that doors opened for him everywhere. Unlike before, when even borrowing a library book required his advisor's card, things were now incredibly convenient.

Lin Miao's level of forgiveness had already reached 70%.

Aside from the occasional odd glances from people, which didn't really hurt, the tangible benefits were far more appealing to Lin Miao.

Because of this, Lin Miao's attitude toward Yan Jiming improved significantly.

"Such a fancy dinner tonight," Yan Jiming happily leaned over beside Lin Miao, about to sneak a bite, only to have his hand slapped away.

"Did you wash your hands?"

"Yes! They're clean, take a whiff!" Yan Jiming held his hands up to Lin Miao's nose, then picked up a piece of salted chicken from the freshly opened box, removed the bone, peeled off the outer layer of skin, and fed it to Lin Miao.

With a human koala clinging to him, Lin Miao plated the dishes and made Yan Jiming wash his hands again.

Aren’t you too old to be eating with your hands?

Yan Jiming was thrilled that Lin Miao didn’t mind being hand-fed, practically bubbling with joy.

Since the lab approval went smoothly, Lin Miao had been using the lab as a storage room lately, moving all the materials inside.

He was the only one running the experiment, but luckily, as a beta, he wasn’t as fragile as an omega and was strong enough for physical labor, so the prep work didn’t faze him.

However, the upcoming experiments were likely to be grueling for a while. With Yan Jiming out of his sensitive period, Lin Miao could now focus on diving into the lab.

Yan Jiming wasn’t happy about Lin Miao likely living in the lab, suspecting he’d skip meals and pull all-nighters again.

"Back then, I was in a rush, doing the experiment solo and managing things my way. I didn’t neglect myself."

Yan Jiming looked completely skeptical: "No way. I’m supervising—daily check-ins for meals and sleep."

"Fine," Lin Miao agreed easily, pulling out a thick stack of papers. "Your exes are out. Make time to meet all these people. I’ll supervise—no cutting corners."

After all, every time Yan Jiming met someone, Lin Miao’s points would go up, so he didn’t actually need to put much effort into supervising.

Yan Jiming’s eyes went wide: "Even my mom isn’t this obsessed with my love life!"

Lin Miao shot him a cold look: "Your choice."

Yan Jiming looked like he was on the verge of tears, ready to argue, but in the end, whether out of fear or lack of a good excuse, he took the documents without a word.

"You’re meeting all of them," Lin Miao said sternly.

This was about his points, after all!

"Fine, I’ll meet them!" Yan Jiming slammed the stack of papers on the table, chewing loudly just to make a point.

What a child.

After securing his points—no, after making sure Yan Jiming went on proper dates—Lin Miao wrapped up his final prep before heading into the lab.

He did have lunch at home with his parents, who were fully supportive of his studies. They reinstated his allowances and told him to spend his own money if anyone gave him trouble—the family could handle it.

Lin Miao was genuinely touched. After so many worlds, he’d finally found parents who doted on him.

Unfortunately, the money would be pretty much useless once he was in the lab.

Lin Miao had given himself plenty of time. He knew health was everything, so aside from three meals a day, Lin Miao had a workout routine: an hour of running for cardio and half an hour of boxing to build strength.

He spent almost two months in the lab, occasionally heading home to check in with his family or going out with Yan Jiming to unwind.

By the time the September semester rolled around, other groups’ experiments were wrapping up one by one.

In the sweltering summer heat, Lin Miao’s group members looked like they’d been sucked dry—disheveled and sporting dark circles.

In contrast, Lin Miao looked leaner but more energetic. He’d actually gained weight, but it was all muscle. If not for his height, he might’ve been mistaken for an Alpha out in public.

On top of that, his daily health-preserving boxing routine left him not just energetic but glowing, hardly looking like someone who’d been through the wringer with experiments.

Had this guy been sneaking some kind of miracle potion in the lab?!

Everyone couldn’t help but secretly glance at this only beta, wondering how he seemed like a different person after a few months.

But soon, they didn’t have the leisure to study the changes that had occurred in Lin Miao.

The experimental results from the three groups were underwhelming. One group failed completely midway through and had to start over, while another control group made it to the end but only achieved less than half of the expected results.

The experiment led solely by the senior, however, yielded decent results, though still falling significantly short of expectations.

If this were the final stage of the experiment, some tweaks might make it presentable, and investors might still bite. But this is a critical phase of the experiment, where even the tiniest misstep can lead to a huge gap. Being this far off now means the final result will probably be a disaster!

Everyone in the meeting room wore worried expressions. A broken funding chain is nothing compared to the real kicker—spending so much time only to end up with nothing.

Lin Miao sat at the far end of the table, practically invisible. His experiment wasn’t finished yet, so it didn’t feel right for him to chime in. He quietly nibbled on the snacks in front of him.

Since he had polished the entire plan and secured the lab, the other group members cut him some slack. They didn’t even ask him to fetch tea.

Though Alphas tend to look down on betas, they don’t go out of their way to make things hard for them. They wouldn’t hassle someone who managed to secure a lab on their own.

But isn’t Lin Miao pushing it?!

Sure, he polished the plan and got the lab approved, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not like he’s made any groundbreaking progress yet.

Besides, they had already dismissed the direction of Lin Miao’s experiment. What kind of results could he possibly pull off?

Someone couldn’t stand seeing Lin Miao so chill amidst the gloom and finally spoke up, “Lin Miao, aren’t you working on an experiment? How’s it coming along?”

Lin Miao was nibbling on a small biscuit. It was quite tasty, though the packaging didn’t have any branding, so he had no idea what brand it was.

He tucked the biscuit back into the bag to avoid crumbs and replied slowly, “The experiment isn’t finished yet.”

Everyone mentally rolled their eyes.

No kidding! Did you think you could pull off the entire experiment by yourself? Just getting started is a win! Look at how cushy he’s got it. He’s probably goofing off in the lab.

When the time comes, he’ll just say it failed, and no one will bother to check if he actually tried, since it’s pretty much doomed to fail...

“But the current data has already hit the minimum expected threshold. I’m not sure what the final results will be after wrapping up.”

Lin Miao spoke slowly, and the meeting room fell silent.

Did he just speak in a language from Earth?

The people in the room looked as if they’d seen a ghost, first doubting whether they had heard correctly, then wondering if Lin Miao was lying.

Others struggled to reach even half of the minimum standard, and you’re already surpassing the threshold before finishing? That’s not how you brag!

The group leader, experienced and composed, was the first to steady himself and asked seriously, “Did you bring your experimental data?”

They were all researchers themselves and knew how damaging skepticism could be to a scholar. So, even though Lin Miao’s words sounded like boasting, the Alphas didn’t rush to deny or accuse him of lying. Instead, they asked him to provide evidence.

Lin Miao was somewhat surprised. These high-and-mighty Alphas, probably due to their decent family backgrounds, actually had good manners.

Feeling in a good mood, he didn’t beat around the bush, “The experimental progress can’t be taken out of the lab before completion—that’s the rule. But I have the proposal here.”

The Alphas, though skeptical, knew the rules and didn’t press further.

“Then project your proposal on the screen, and let’s take a look.”

Lin Miao nodded, got up to upload the documents on the computer, and then, holding an unfamiliar laser pointer, began to explain his thought process step by step.

At first, some Alphas showed disdain, but by the end, everyone was fully engaged, seriously considering and analyzing his ideas.

“I heard you came up with this proposal in less than two weeks?” The group leader, well-informed, asked.

"Kind of. Mainly because I had to wait for the lab approval, and there wasn't much time, so I stayed up late to finish it. Otherwise, it might have taken a month," Lin Miao said modestly.

The Alphas were thoroughly impressed.

For ordinary people who can't get their hands on that money, there's no difference between one hundred million and two hundred million, right?

The head of the experimental team urgently had Lin Miao's proposal printed out, distributing a copy to each person. Everyone discussed the feasibility of the plan, even forgetting to have lunch.

Lin Miao had just picked up his snack when he was pulled into explaining. By the end, his stomach was growling with hunger, but the Alphas only gave him their share of snacks and didn't let him go to eat.

You Alphas really shouldn't be so bossy!

Yan Jiming was initially a little annoyed that Lin Miao wasn't eating on time again, but after learning the reason, he was so pleased that he said he would take Lin Miao out for a celebratory meal after the meeting.

"I don't think I can leave now; they want to go to my lab right away."

Yan Jiming: "Now? It's almost seven o'clock, and you haven't even had lunch yet. Those tough guys can endure hunger, but they shouldn't torture you like this!"

"No choice, really, I have to keep an eye on my lab..." Lin Miao was a bit listless. These overexcited newbies were like they had a second wind. They were like refugees before the morning meeting, but now in the middle of the night, their eyes were gleaming with excitement, and they just wouldn't stop.

In the end, Yan Jiming brought food delivery for Lin Miao. Yan Jiming couldn't enter the lab, and Lin Miao couldn't leave, so Lin Miao ate his meal from a box while watching a group of Alphas with eyes gleaming with excitement.

Honestly, these Alphas really can endure hunger. Lin Miao was eating so heartily beside them, yet it didn't shake their interest in the experiment.

Everyone surrounded Lin Miao's experiment, discussing and researching what could be improved.

After all, Lin Miao was alone, and many things had to be adjusted due to limited conditions. With the help of these people and his guidance to start over, they could likely achieve the best results.

Of course, this result was already completely different from the original plan.

The Alphas were so excited they could hardly wait to start the experiment on the spot, until they turned around and saw Lin Miao, who was so sleepy he was slumped in his chair, yawning, and realized it was already late at night.

"Rushing through these few minutes won't help. The experimental plan still needs revisions. If you want the most perfect results, my suggestion is to go back now, rest and recharge, and start over with a complete plan. Meanwhile, I'll finish this set of plans to deal with the upcoming report..."

Everyone surprisingly had complete trust in Lin Miao's words and quickly left the lab.

They were too excited, only thinking about the perfect results and totally forgetting about the mid-term report after the semester started.

The Alphas crowded around Lin Miao as they left the lab, each wanting to walk him home, but they were intercepted by an Alpha waiting outside.

"He lives with me, so no need to trouble yourselves," Yan Jiming just took Lin Miao with him.

The remaining Alphas exchanged glances.

"Don't you think that man looks familiar?"

"Familiar or not, his pheromones..."

They were all Alphas, and Lin Miao's pheromones were so strong that it was hard to ignore.

"Could it be..." Someone still doubted whether Lin Miao had the ability to produce such a perfect plan.

"Could it be nothing," the person was sternly interrupted by another, "That's Yan Jiming, the crown prince of the Yan family! He's not even in our major. Is it so hard to admit someone else's excellence?"

"I didn't say anything," the scolded person sounded a bit aggrieved, only to find himself despised by everyone present.

With Lin Miao's smooth responses, whether precise in detail or broad in scope, he answered everything clearly. To say his plan was ghostwritten would be pure slander!

Lin Miao followed Yan Jiming back home. After taking a shower, he found a message in the group tagging him, asking when they would gather tomorrow.

These folks used to be a bit full of themselves, but they still have a lot of respect for people with talent, so they’ve started treating Lin Miao with a lot more respect.

"It’s getting kind of late now. I’ll probably get to the lab around ten tomorrow. I’ll use any free time I have to polish up the plan. If we have to redo the experiments, we’ll need to prepare the equipment and materials again. Everyone can go ahead and start prepping, and we’ll kick things off officially after the mid-term report."

Lin Miao sent a long message to make sure no one missed it and just caught a sentence or two.

However, his plan seemed a little too relaxed. These researchers were itching to start the experiment right away, but since Lin Miao, the main planner, had spoken, they couldn’t push him to get started.

Yan Jiming watched Lin Miao reply to the messages with a goofy smile, happier than if he’d accomplished something himself.

Lin Miao was already used to Yan Jiming being as clingy as a big dog. As long as they were at home, this guy would stick to him like glue, impossible to shake off.

After replying to the messages, he turned off silent mode; nothing could wake him, even if the sky fell.

Lin Miao was about to sleep when the big dog next to him sniffed at his neck.

Over time, Lin Miao had almost forgotten what it felt like to be bitten and injured on the neck, but he still carefully pinched the dog’s ear and pulled it in front of him.

"Is your rut coming up again?"

Yan Jiming, being tugged, fell into Lin Miao’s lap.

"No! I just noticed there’s no scent left..."

Lin Miao had been spending so much time in the lab recently that he didn’t react immediately. He lifted his arm to take a whiff; there shouldn’t be any sweat odor, right?

Wait, he had just taken a shower, what smell could there be?

It finally dawned on him that Yan Jiming was talking about his pheromones.

Lin Miao had never smelled pheromones before, but in novels, they were often described as... a collection of boreal coniferous forest scents?

Lin Miao had smelled fresh cedar before; it was just a regular wood scent, not particularly fragrant. Maybe the name of this plant gave off a cold impression? Or because it often appears in perfumes, it sounds more sophisticated.

He didn’t quite understand, but if he could smell it, it could save him some cash on perfume.

But turning into an omega just to save on perfume wasn’t worth it.

Wait, why did he assume he had to be an omega? Couldn’t he be an Alpha?! He had been the bottom for so long that he almost got confused.

"If there's no scent, then there's no scent. I'm a beta, why would I need pheromones?"

"But my pheromones are quite useful, aren't they?" Yan Jiming, being a native of this world, naturally knew the benefits of Alpha pheromones.

Admittedly, that was true.

Before, as an ordinary beta, Lin Miao had no priority anywhere.

Now, at least when dealing with Alphas or omegas, it was indeed much easier.

Even though he was a beta, no one would gamble on how much help the Alpha behind Lin Miao could provide, or how powerful that Alpha was.

Therefore, most people would give those with Alpha partners some convenience.

But being bitten still hurt quite a bit...

Lin Miao lifted a corner of those red, thin lips and saw the sharper-than-average canine teeth, suddenly feeling that he didn't want to suffer that either.

The white teeth slightly parted, suddenly gently holding Lin Miao's fingertip, the soft tongue brushing against his fingertip.

Lin Miao looked into those sparkling eyes blinking at him.

This dog... biting probably wouldn't hurt that much, right?