Chapter 70

Guangzhou.

A young boy dashed along the Chinese-style corridor, followed by a girl two or three years his junior. The two laughed and chased each other, small bags clutched in their hands.

The boy turned his head to laugh and speak to the girl, but as he rounded the corner, he collided heavily with someone.

The children’s laughter instantly died. The boy looked up and paled upon recognizing the person before him. Ignoring the pain, he immediately straightened up and bowed his head. "H-Hello, Brother Qing."

Before the person he had bumped into could speak, another voice called from nearby, "Anlan, Anyu, why are you running around so early in the morning?"

Lin Anlan’s face grew even more fearful upon seeing the second person approaching. Already prone to jumbling his words, he now stammered even more. "M-Mom said my sister and I could feed the fish today. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been running. Brother Qing, Brother Hua."

Lin Shuhua walked over, fastening his cufflinks, his brow furrowed. "Skipping breakfast to feed fish? What if your sister falls while you’re running ahead?"

Lin Anlan kept his head bowed, too afraid to speak. Suddenly, a hand gently patted his head. "Let’s go eat first. You can feed the fish afterward."

Hearing that calm voice, Lin Anlan and Lin Anyu immediately relaxed. Kids wear their hearts on their sleeves. Lin Shuhua sighed, glancing at the tall, composed man beside him. "Xia Qing, you’re too soft on them. I bet they’ve already figured out you’re the soft one."

Xia Qing glanced at the two children. "No harm done."

Lin Anlan and Lin Anyu were the children of Lin Shuhua’s third aunt, Lin Yufeng—aged 10 and 7, respectively. They had always lived in the Lin family’s main residence, and the age gap between them and Lin Shuhua’s generation was vast.

Moreover, their grandfather Lin Guangji upheld strict family discipline, making figures like Lin Shuhua and his brothers seem more like stern uncles than playful older siblings—more feared than loved.

The four entered the dining room together and found even Lin Guangji already seated. Two servants stood by the table, arranging the dishes. Lin Shurong, Lin Shuhua’s mother and Lin Guangji’s second daughter, turned at the sound of footsteps. Her elegant face brightened with a smile. "What a coincidence—all of you arriving together."

Lin Yufeng, seated beside Lin Shurong, also turned. As the youngest of the three sisters, she was a decade younger than Lin Shurong and only thirty-five, her features delicate and refined. She gave a soft chuckle. "It’s been so long since I’ve seen A-Qing. Have you lost weight?"

Five people were already gathered around the sandalwood table: Lin Guangji at the head, Lin Shurong, her alpha husband Lin Qizheng, Lin Yufeng, and Lin Shuqing—Lin Shuhua’s younger alpha brother, two years his junior.

Seats were assigned. Xia Qing sat to the left of the head seat, and a servant handed him a warm towel.

Beside him, Lin Guangji folded his newspaper, accepting a warm towel from the butler before addressing Xia Qing. "You returned late last night. Did you rest well enough, thanks?"

Lin Guangji, chairman of Xing'an, was seventy-five but vigorous, appearing no older than sixty. With a background in scientific research, he carried more scholarly refinement than most businessmen, yet his decades of authority gave weight to his every word and gesture.

Xia Qing, in a black shirt and no tie, still carried an air of quiet seriousness. He nodded. "Well enough, thanks. The LSA team called an impromptu meeting last night, so it ran late."

Lin Shuhua wiped his hands and smiled. "A-Qing’s swamped—the whole world’s watching him. I only managed to drag him home last night, or we wouldn’t have seen him for another month."

Anlan and Anyu couldn’t hide their curiosity. Peering at their second uncle (from their eldest aunt’s side), they noted Xia Qing’s pale complexion and faintly colored eyes, his expression unreadable.

Kids weren’t great at reading people, but because Xia Qing rarely smiled, they instinctively found him intimidating. Yet whenever they saw him, he was surprisingly easygoing, which only deepened their fascination.

Lin Shurong spoke gently. "Hasn’t the experiment concluded? Can’t A-Qing take a proper break now?"

Lin Shuqing, who looked just like his mother, replied. "Second Brother juggles multiple roles. He’s still serving as a criminal consultant for the police bureau—his evenings are the only time he can meet with the lab team."

The speaker bore a striking resemblance to his mother, Lin Shurong. His sharp, phoenix-like eyes gleamed, contrasting with Lin Shuhua’s refined handsomeness. He was also a researcher at an LSA-affiliated lab, though not part of Xia Qing’s team.

Lin Shurong’s eyes widened. "I thought you’d stopped that? A-Qing, with your status now, it’s not just inappropriate—it’s dangerous."

Lin Guangji’s sharp glance silenced Lin Shurong.

Lin Shuhua smiled faintly. "Mom, you know A-Qing never leaves things half-done."

"A-Qing," Lin Qizheng also turned to Xia Qing. "Which house are you staying at lately?"

Xia Qing replied calmly, "In the Ersha Island district."

Lin Qizheng nodded. "The area's pretty safe. He still has round-the-clock protection when going out?"

Lin Shuhua answered for Xia Qing again, "He's got round-the-clock protection, personally assigned by the old commander."

"Xia Qing has his own plans," Lin Guangji said, looking at his son-in-law Lin Qizheng. "Don't involve him in corporate affairs recently."

"Yes, I understand, Dad."

Typically, the Lin family meals were silent affairs, but Xia Qing's rare return seemed to be the only exception, allowing light conversation between the elders and children.

Lin Shurong suddenly thought of something and turned to Lin Shuhua. "Your Aunt Hanshan hasn’t been coming back for meals lately. Call her when you have time to see how she's doing."

Lin Shuhua nodded, glancing at Xia Qing. "I will. But Aunt Hanshan is likely still upset. She’s been calling me often recently, asking about Xia Qing’s health."

Lin Shurong frowned. "It’s still because of that Li family boy, isn’t it? The Li family is absolutely shameful, raising such a vicious piece of work. They were supposed to be brothers, yet he almost harmed Xia Qing in the industrial park."

Lin Guangji remained silent, so Lin Qizheng spoke up. "Xing'an has pulled out of all joint ventures with Qingyuan. Big Sis didn’t object either."

Lin Guangji said coldly, "As a mother, she has the duty to raise her child properly. She shares responsibility for Li Xuyang’s actions. What else is there to say?"

The atmosphere at the table instantly froze. Even the two children dared not lift their heads. After a long pause, Lin Shurong, being a gentle and cheerful omega, broke the tension with a smile and changed the subject, addressing her younger sister Lin Yufeng. "Yufeng, is Aze returning next week?"

Aze referred to Lin Yufeng’s alpha husband, Gu Mingze, who worked at Xing'an’s overseas branch. Lin Yufeng replied, "Yes, next week is Anlan’s differentiation day (when children undergo gender differentiation). He wants to be there for the child."

Generally, children’s secondary genders differentiate around the age of 10. To better manage and support them, schools and relevant authorities administer differentiation catalysts to 10-year-olds on a fixed date.

Of course, some alpha and omega children differentiate before the induction. For others, the induction day is like a life-changing moment, determining whether they’ll be a secondary gender or an ordinary beta.

Genetically, even children born to alphas and omegas aren’t guaranteed a secondary gender. Thus, despite the Lin family's status, Lin Yufeng couldn’t help but feel nervous.

The clever Anlan realized they were talking about him. His forced calm cracked, his face stiffening as he gripped his chopsticks, unable to eat a bite.

The usually stern eldest brother, Lin Shuhua, noticed the child’s tension and joked, "Don’t worry. Brother Xia Qing didn’t differentiate until he was 12. High-grade alphas tend to differentiate later."

Lin Guangji also looked at his youngest grandson and said calmly, "Whatever happens, he's still our kin. Don’t pressure him."

Lin Anlan secretly glanced at Xia Qing across the table and found the other already looking at him. Their eyes met, startling him momentarily, but he soon saw the clear depth in Xia Qing’s eyes, as if seeing something beyond him.

The next moment, Xia Qing gave him a faint smile and said softly, "There's nothing wrong with being a beta."

The table fell silent. Xia Qing set down his chopsticks, stood up, and said, "Excuse me."

Only after his figure disappeared beyond the door did Lin Shurong turn to Lin Guangji somewhat alarmed.

Lin Guangji said nothing, only placing his teacup on the table.

Offshore Island.

The rhythmic beeping of monitors filled the sterile room. Outside the window lay a clear blue sky and manicured lawns. A pale young man lay quietly amidst the equipment, a green breathing mask covering most of his face. Nurses and doctors moved in and out, meticulously checking every vital sign.

Outside the transparent sterile curtain, the high-grade alpha remained seated in the corner. No matter how many medical staff passed by, his gaze stayed fixed on the hospital bed—yet his eyes seemed to look beyond it.

When the nurse closed the door again, a young man suddenly appeared as quietly as a shadow.

"He still hasn’t woken up today? I thought he had a strong constitution," the young man remarked, leaning against the wall as he observed the motionless figure on the bed.

"He needs time to rest," Tang Youning said, his white attire blending into the hospital's sterile environment.

"I really don’t get it. You want Professor Xia to track us down, yet you also order me to keep him updated on the patient's condition regularly. Shaking his IP trail is seriously tough for us." The young man tossed a green apple that had appeared as if by magic in his hand, sounding displeased.

"Just follow orders," Tang Youning said indifferently, his dark eyes fixed on the young man.

"OK," the young man leaned against the wall, dressed in a no-frills motorcycle jacket with the zipper casually pulled down to his chest, revealing a white T-shirt and a silver pendant. "You're the boss, so I'll do as you say."

He took a bite of the apple and tilted his head, studying the young man behind the transparent curtain for a long moment before muttering, "I really thought he was a beta."

"He is a beta," Tang Youning said coldly.

"Don’t take it so personally. You know what I mean," the young man replied with a hint of exasperation before straightening up. "Just dropping my report. Later."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Xu Zhangying's face for half a second before he snapped out of it, quickly looking away and gripping the half-eaten apple as he strode toward the door.

Just then, the doorknob turned before he could reach it. A nurse pushed a cart into the room, pausing briefly in surprise at the sight of the biker-clad young man wordlessly moving out of the way—had he been there earlier?

Before the door fully closed, the young man was already outside. Through the gap, he saw the nurse removing the protective curtain—another update to pass along.

After a brief glance, he turned and left. As he passed the corridor corner, he flicked his wrist lightly, and with a hollow thunk, the apple landed squarely in the trash bin.

---

Police HQ.

Xia Qing entered the room to find the team not buried in work as usual. Instead, they were scattered around, some standing, some sitting. Yu Mei and Shao Qiaoqiao had also left their usual spots, clustering around Qi Feng instead.

Fang Puxin looked up and greeted politely, "Professor Xia, you're here. Please, have a seat."

Xia Qing nodded and asked what was going on. Fang Puxin sighed helplessly. "Zhao Yang found out about Officer Xu. He’s been demanding to leave the hospital all morning and chewed Qi Feng out earlier."

Xia Qing turned to see Qi Feng, her eyes rimmed red, though it was unclear whether from anger or sorrow. He paused briefly before walking toward the window.

Qi Feng noticed someone approaching and looked up, startled to see Xia Qing. Before she could speak, he handed her his phone.

She took it numbly and glanced at the screen—an email. Xia Qing said, "Xu Zhangying’s treatment update today. His internal hemorrhaging has stopped, but he hasn’t woken up yet. It might take another four or five days."

The email was brief: a series of medical jargon (possibly blood pressure readings) followed by a simple line: "Hemostasis achieved. Moved out of sterile isolation."

Qi Feng looked up. "Still from Tang Youning? Why won’t he tell us which private clinic it is?"

Xia Qing replied, "Yes. His motives are unclear to me too. Yesterday, I traced his IP to Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Reconfirmed today—likely a private facility."

Li Jiali interjected, "A private clinic—can their facilities even handle this level of treatment?"

Xia Qing said, "Uncertain of the scale, but Tang Youning’s care outperforms standard protocols. The original medical team couldn’t achieve these results."

Li Jiali closed her eyes in frustration. "This is too strange. Lately, I feel like Xu is becoming more of an enigma down to his DNA."

Then, as if struck by a realization, she turned to Xia Qing. "Is that why you agreed to let the Tang family take him?"

Xia Qing answered, "Xu Zhangying didn’t want me knowing his secrets. I’ll respect that."

Over the past few days, beyond routine investigations, the task force had nearly finished combing through Xu Zhangying’s case history. The deeper they dug, the more certain they became that he had no ties to Life.

Xu Zhangying’s life seemed to revolve solely around work. Every case’s timeline interlocked perfectly. He excelled at tackling organized crime—like the epidemic of trafficking syndicates in Southeast Asia—and adeptly applied criminal profiling to solve heinous individual cases, such as a U.S. senator’s son’s omega serial murders. He also devoted significant effort to combating issues like child marriage in impoverished regions.

In five years, Xu Zhangying handled three top-priority cases. Two of those intersected with Zeiss. Due to classified clearance, Benjamin could only access redacted dossiers, but even those revealed the heavy-handed tactics of North America’s Unit 04.

In one cross-continental operation against the Glory cartel, Xu Zhangying, deep cover within the drug ring, had secured evidence. But before he could extract himself, Zeiss and his team launched the raid. The file ended with mutual accusations: Xu Zhangying reamed Zeiss out for acting rashly. Though they nabbed the cartel in the act, the premature strike allowed a top-tier mole in the local security forces to escape.

Zeiss, on the other hand, accused Xu Zhangying of wanting to be a lone hero. As the operation commander, he had ordered the action after Xu exceeded the stipulated time without contact, resulting not only in the capture of the drug lord but also ensuring the safety of every Beta Commissioner involved—completely justified.

The case details in the file were barely two pages long, all under pseudonyms, but the exchange of accusations between Zeiss and Xu Zhangying spanned seven or eight pages, a jumble of Chinese and English. In the end, both the Asia Branch and North America Branch jointly stamped a ruling, splitting the blame equally between both sides.

After struggling through the document, everyone exhaled deeply, giving everyone a headache. But beyond the headache, the thought of that unconventional, justice-seeking Beta Commissioner now lying unconscious in a hospital bed filled their hearts with sorrow.

“That’s weird,” Tan Song remarked. “Officer Xu, who never took a day off, has every case documented. During his time at AGB, there doesn’t seem to be any intersection with Life.”

Li Jiali looked up, her expression serious. “Actually, that should be expected. AGB’s last run-in with Life was back in 2007 in Tokyo.”

Song Yuli tapped his cigarette box, puzzled. “Then could it have been before joining AGB? Aside from his time overseas for treatment, Officer Xu was just a regular student in the country—his graduation certificates are all verifiable.”

Benjamin raised his head. “Though we don’t know what illness the boss had at 21, AGB conducts rigorous background checks before hiring. It clearly didn’t affect his employment.”

Yu Mei rested her chin on her hand, glancing at Xia Qing, who was deep in thought. “Officer Xu’s family background isn’t any different from ours. If he had contact with Life during his student days, that’d be way too far-fetched.”

Just as everyone fell silent, someone knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” Shao Qiaoqiao said.

A young officer pushed the door open and was startled by the crowd of people inside. “Captain Yan, sorry—are you in a meeting?”

Captain Yan replied, “It’s fine, Xiao Zhang. Go ahead.”

Forensics officer Xiao Zhang entered, holding a plastic bag. “Captain Yan, this is the evidence from the previous 730 explosion case. The DNA tests are complete. Since these are the personal belongings of the individuals involved, the director asked me to show them to you. Should we leave them here for safekeeping?”

Captain Yan nodded. “Sure, leave them here. Any issues with the tests?”

Xiao Zhang shook his head. “None. The only DNA traces belong to Xu Zhangying and Zhang Jingzhi.”

After Xiao Zhang left, the task force examined the evidence for the first time. Fang Puxin instinctively said, “Qi Feng, Zhao Yang—ah, no—Tan Song, you two check them. If everything’s fine, store them in the cabinet.”

Qi Feng and Tan Song put on gloves and opened the bag. Immediately, Qi Feng spotted Xu Zhangying’s phone, still stained with blood and dirt. Just looking at the evidence painted a vivid picture of the scene’s brutality.

Qi Feng sadly set the phone aside, but accidentally pressed a button, causing the cracked screen to suddenly light up. She jumped. “Whoa—how’s this thing still on?”

Li Jiali sighed. “It’s that AGM phone Xu bought before. He even wanted to get one for me and Benjamin, but I refused because it was too ugly. Turns out it really is blast-proof.”

Tan Song took the phone, gazing at the shattered screen with newfound reverence before carefully placing it aside. “I thought only Nokia had that kind of durability. Officer Xu really was always ready for the worst.”

Tan Song and Qi Feng continued inspecting the items, finding Xu Zhangying’s watch, notebook, and a small broken necklace—a thin metal plate.

Sunlight glinted off the necklace, reflecting onto Xia Qing’s face. Tan Song frowned. “Whose necklace is this?”

Qi Feng’s expression changed the moment she saw it. She quickly picked it up and cradled it in her palm. “Oh, this must not be lost! I can’t believe A Ying was still wearing it. Thank goodness the evidence collectors were thorough.”

Yu Mei asked, puzzled, “Qi Feng, how do you know about Officer Xu’s necklace?”

Qi Feng carefully held the necklace, lowering her head. “This is Uncle Xu’s war correspondent’s ID tag. You don’t see these much anymore. It’s stamped with an ID number for identification.”

As she spoke, she extended her hand, and Xia Qing saw the small metal plate engraved with a string of letters and numbers.

“So Officer Xu’s father was a war correspondent? The files didn’t mention that,” Tan Song said, surprised.

Qi Feng placed the necklace into a small plastic bag. “When I was little, Uncle Xu was a reporter at our TV station before he left. But he was amazing—a top student, could write and broadcast, and was incredibly good-looking. Though I can barely remember his face now.”

Then, she handed the necklace to Xia Qing.

Xia Qing looked up as Qi Feng said matter-of-factly, “Here, take it. Give it to A Ying when he wakes up. He’ll freak out if it’s not there when he wakes up.”

"Got it."

"Whoa, what’s this?" Tan Song suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone turned around to see Tan Song holding a photo.

"What’s going on? Where did the photo come from?" Fang Puxin asked, looking at Tan Song.

Tan Song picked up a dirty-looking leather wallet—everyone recognized it as an AGB officer's ID—and said, "It was tucked inside Officer Zhang's ID. I just happened to pull it out."

Yu Mei and Song Yuli exchanged glances before blurting out simultaneously, "Is it his girlfriend?"

Tan Song's expression turned odd. He glanced at Xia Qing before looking back at Yu Mei. "Doesn’t look like it. Hard to say."

Yu Mei said, "You don’t even know Officer Zhang’s friends—how would you recognize—"

Before she could finish, Tan Song placed the photo in front of everyone. Yu Mei and the others took a closer look and realized it wasn’t a solo photo at all—it was a photo of two young officers together.

The photo was old, but because it had been tucked inside the ID, it had escaped damage from the explosion and remained clear.

In the photo, the two stood in front of a weathered concrete building. Only half of the English sign was visible, making it impossible to identify the name, but the dusty road and the intense sunlight suggested they were in a tropical, developing country.

The two stood side by side, dressed in nearly identical signature AGB black suits. The man on the left was instantly recognizable—it was a young Zeiss.

Though Zeiss was still considered young now, the Zeiss in the photo had an unmistakable air of youthful naivety. His fair complexion, high nose bridge, and slightly pursed lips gave him a unique sense of detachment. His suit was immaculate, and despite the glaring sunlight, he stared steadily at the camera, waiting for the shutter to click.

The officer standing beside him, though wearing the same suit, carried himself in a completely different manner. He was much thinner than Zeiss, his suit jacket unbuttoned, his body seemingly drowning in the white shirt underneath. His tie was crooked, blown askew by the wind to the right. Even in the middle of being photographed, his right hand, resting at his side, held a cigarette, lazily lowered, barely hiding it.

But what was most startling was his gaze. Unlike Zeiss, who was looking directly at the camera, he seemed to be staring at someone outside the frame. His pale, gaunt face bore hollow, sunken eyes that showed nothing—only profound impatience, as if the very world around him filled him with sheer disdain.

This wasn’t the look of a 23-year-old.

Even Qi Feng needed a moment to process—the pale, brooding, and intimidating man standing beside the young Zeiss was Xu Zhangying—just as young, but worlds apart.