Chapter 97

The information provided by Xia Qing was indeed firsthand. Three days later, on the day Xu Zhangying was discharged from the hospital, domestic and international investigators held a final meeting.

The meeting was high-level, but no officials were present—only the National Special Criminal Unit led by Mei Mingxuan, the task force operatives including Yan Jianbai, and AGB Officers such as Xu Zhangying.

"A preliminary arrest operation targeting the large-scale criminal syndicate led by Wu Qize, in collaboration with international law enforcement, has concluded. This marks the first case involving the extremist terrorist organization Life uncovered by the international community in nearly 15 years. The human sculpture case in Guangzhou has been confirmed as a ritualistic cult act carried out by the organization for religious purposes, with the intent to profit through underground auctions after completing the macabre crimes.

Those involved in creating the human sculptures include two Chinese nationals, Wu Qize and Miao Haoguang, as well as three criminals from Malaysia and Thailand. Between February and April of this year, these five individuals disfigured the corpses of five victims, including Zhao Lanyue, to produce the horrifying human sculptures.

Furthermore, this criminal activity has exposed an even larger criminal network responsible for a series of murders, victim transportation, cyber espionage, malware deployment, and even terrorist attacks targeting investigators.

We have arrested 18 terrorists spread across five countries and are currently working to extradite them for further interrogation. However, the preliminary arrests are largely complete. All current evidence points to a high-ranking member codenamed 'Octavius'—who, as you may have guessed, holds the rank of 'Emperor' within the organization. There are likely three other members of the same highest rank.

"Unfortunately, due to the timely shutdown of their command system, each operative used codenames during their crimes, and lower-ranking members remain clueless about their superiors’ identities. As such, we have yet to uncover more information regarding the Emperors."

"Nevertheless, significant breakthroughs have been made in the investigations of the 523 Human Sculpture Case and the 831 Hong Kong Pier Explosion Case. On behalf of the National Special Criminal Unit, we extend our full recognition to the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau’s Major Crime Unit, AGB Asia Team 03, and AGB North America Team 04. With this, both cases are officially closed."

In the faraday-shielded meeting room, Mei Mingxuan closed his folder. Everyone stood up simultaneously. The events of the past two months had been like a long, surreal nightmare, redefining their thresholds for depravity. A heavy silence fell over the group.

Until a lone clap broke the quiet.

Mei Mingxuan and the others looked up to see the Beta Commissioner standing at the far end of the table, clapping earnestly. Noticing the stares, he tilted his head in confusion. "This was really tough, but everyone’s hard work paid off. Shouldn’t we be happy? Why the long faces?"

As he spoke, he even winked at Xia Qing beside him.

Before anyone could react, the North American AGB Inspector across from Xu Zhangying also began clapping, his face expressionless.

Before Yu Quan and the criminal unit could process it, Fang Puxin beside him chuckled.

"True, it’s finally over," Yan Jianbai said with a smile, glancing at Fang Puxin.

And so, amid the bewilderment of the criminal unit, applause filled the meeting room. Li Jiali sighed and looked at Xu Zhangying. "Xu, you’re just happy about your vacation, aren’t you?"

Xu Zhangying had deliberately worn a dark blue suit that day, looking every bit the man turning over a new leaf. He’d even styled his hair, and though he couldn’t match Zeiss’s low-key charisma, he came close to the textbook image of an AGB Inspector.

With the meeting concluded, Xu Zhangying draped an arm over Xia Qing’s shoulders, putting on a mock-grumpy act. "What else can I do? I have to babysit this genius. The LSA Summit is next month, and I haven’t taken a proper vacation in years."

Li Jiali looked up and saw the high-tier Alpha quietly watching Xu Zhangying speak. Though she’d been told of Xia Qing’s rewired personality and memories, she hadn’t noticed much—until now. Something didn’t sit right.

"I admire how you make dating sound so noble," Zhao Yang remarked as he approached—or rather, as the entire Major Crime Unit did. Just like their first meeting, they were dressed in starched white summer uniforms, shaking hands one by one with the AGB Team and Xia Qing.

"That’s so unfair. After all my years of dedication, you make it sound like something else entirely," Xu Zhangying complained while shaking Fang Puxin’s hand.

The Major Crime Unit still hadn’t fully accepted the fact that "Officer Xu and Professor Xia used to be lovers," so Tan Song and Yu Mei couldn’t help but fix their gazes on the high-tier Alpha, whose appearance and demeanor remained unchanged.

"Hello, Officer Yu," Xia Qing said politely as he shook her hand.

Yu Mei’s eyes welled up instantly. "Good grief, Professor Xia, you remember me?"

Tan Song: "We reintroduced ourselves last time. Of course he remembers you."

Yu Mei: "Oh, right."

Song Yuli snorted nearby.

Fang Puxin gave his subordinates a side-eye before turning back to Xia Qing with a warm smile. "Professor Xia, these two months wore you out. I hope your work and life go smoothly from now on."

"Likewise, Capt. Fang," Xia Qing nodded, his eyes bright.

Fang Puxin smiled, "You haven't changed at all, except for being a bit more cheerful."

Everyone standing nearby nodded in agreement with relief, except for Zhao Yang, who looked utterly confused. "Really? Isn't this a huge change? It’s just not obvious right now—this Xia Qing’s temper isn’t nearly as good."

Hearing this, Xu Changying turned back with an annoyed look. "Hey, at least say something nice. Aren’t we supposed to be good friends?"

Qi Feng chimed in from the side, "If anything, Zhao Yang’s the one whose temper got worse, and now he’s passing the buck."

Yan Jianbai gave her a pointed glance. "You haven’t changed either. That 10,000-word apology essay isn’t going anywhere."

Zhao Yang and Qi Feng’s decision to conceal Xia Qing’s memory loss during the investigation hadn’t been fully addressed yet. Though it hadn’t affected the case, it was still a serious breach of team trust and protocol, so they were still gonna get chewed out.

"Seriously?" Qi Feng whined.

"Even though the case was solved with the help of the 28-year-old Xia Qing," Zhao Yang shook hands with the top-tier alpha, his tone ribbing, "I still think the current you is way more likable. So, good job."

"Dammit, Zhao Yang, are you really trying to pit one version of the same person against the other?" Xu Changying wrapped an arm around Zhao Yang’s neck threateningly. "Careful, or we’ll leave you out of the next drinking session."

Tan Song added disapprovingly, "Exactly. Both versions of Professor Xia are just as good."

As soon as he finished speaking, the top-tier alpha standing across from Zhao Yang tilted his head slightly, staring intently at the two men locked in their mock wrestling.

Zhao Yang noticed the odd gaze and slowly looked up, meeting those amber eyes. "What?"

Xu Changying followed his gaze, glancing between Xia Qing, who seemed to be observing something novel, and Zhao Yang. A second later, he realized what Xia Qing was looking at—

"I never imagined you’d become a policeman," a crisp voice spoke up. Everyone turned to see the top-tier alpha’s eyes crinkle into a smile.

"That uniform looks good on you, Zhao Yang."

"Holy shit." The 29-year-old Zhao Yang, in his crisp police uniform, froze on the spot, his mind going blank.

The MCU and Li Jiali were just as shocked.

"What about me? What about me?" Qi Feng, standing behind the group, eagerly pointed at herself. "Xia Qing, how do I look in uniform?"

Xia Qing, dressed in his perfectly tailored gray suit, regarded her thoughtfully before nodding slightly. "Better-looking than Zhao Yang."

"Told ya! Xia Qing’s got great taste!" Qi Feng bragged triumphantly, punching Zhao Yang’s stiffened shoulder.

Yu Mei touched her cheek, watching as Officer Xu doubled over laughing, Qi Feng slapped Zhao Yang’s back, and Professor Xia stood innocently to the side. She murmured to the silent Tan Song and Song Yuli,

"Okay, maybe Zhao Yang was right. They’re not exactly the same."

And so, for the second and final time, Xu Changying’s AGB Team bid farewell to the MCU.

"Officer Yu, say hi to Qiaoqiao and Officer Miao for me," Xu Changying rested his arm on the car roof, smiling at the officers inside.

Yu Mei flashed a thumbs-up. "Will do. Qiaoqiao’s been worried about you and Professor Xia. Let’s meet again when we can."

Once the two cars from the MCU set off for Guangzhou, Xu Changying turned and walked with Xia Qing toward the other two vehicles.

Under the scorching sun, the AGB Inspector in his gray pinstripe suit leaned against the car door, looking up as they approached. On the other side stood Li Jiali and Benjamin.

Xu Changying extended his hand. "Mission accomplished. First time?"

Zeiss stared at his hand for two seconds before shaking it. "Not a complete success."

"Classic Level Two Inspector talk," Xu Changying said with a sigh. "Your standards are too high. Even though we didn’t nail Corbett this time, your North America Branch team can use this case to push for a bigger breakthrough."

Zeiss, however, raised his eyes and stared fixedly at the Beta Commissioner's face, expressionless as he said, "You really chose to take a vacation at such a critical juncture?"

"What's the matter?" Xu Zhangying tilted his head slightly in confusion. He glanced at Li Jiali beside him and couldn’t help but chuckle. "What else? You wouldn’t actually want me meddling in your team’s high-profile case, would you?"

Hearing the beta’s careless laughter, Zeiss said nothing, only keeping his gaze locked on Xu Zhangying’s eyes before nodding faintly. "It’s about time. I’ll take my leave first."

Li Jiali and Benjamin opened the car door. Li Jiali smiled at Xu Zhangying and said, "Enjoy your vacation, workaholic."

Xu Zhangying waved back, but as the car’s engine started, he seemed to remember something and knocked on the window again. "Zeiss."

Zeiss rolled down the window. "What is it?"

Xu Zhangying looked at his bare chest—no badge or insignia—and shrugged. "Nothing much. Just thought, after all these years as colleagues, I should remind you not to obsess over everything or shoulder all the responsibility alone."

At these words, Zeiss’s gaze flickered slightly. He lifted his eyes to look at the smiling beta.

The next second, Xu Zhangying cheerfully added, "There’s no such thing as a clean slate in this world. You’re so nitpicky, always tilting at windmills—it’ll age you fast. Lucky for you, I’m generous enough to warn—Hey!"

"Zip." The window shot back up, nearly clipping the nose of the lecturing Beta Commissioner, who straightened up just in time. Through the glass, he saw Zeiss say something expressionlessly to Benjamin in the driver’s seat—probably an order to drive. Li Jiali also gave him an exasperated look before waving goodbye.

Xu Zhangying sighed helplessly and waved at the departing car. "Bye."

Propping his hands on his hips, he watched the car head toward the airport before shaking his head. Turning back, he slung an arm around Xia Qing’s neck. Since Xia Qing was now taller, he had to bend slightly to accommodate him. Xu Zhangying walked while clinging to him. "Ah, after all these years without a break, I don’t even know what to do now—if I cling to you constantly, won’t the Lin family want to kill me?"

"Why would they be involved?" Xia Qing looked down at him.

Xu Zhangying burst into laughter. "You don’t know? Lin Shuhua loves you more than I do now."

Xia Qing fell silent for two seconds before asking, "Why didn’t you take vacations before?"

"Xia Qing, your topic-changing skills are way too blunt," Xu Zhangying said, spotting Yao Anping and Zhang Ke waiting on the other side of the parking lot. He instinctively tried to pull his arm back from Xia Qing’s shoulders.

But the next moment, Xia Qing pressed his hand down, keeping it in place. He looked into Xu Zhangying’s eyes and repeated, "Why didn’t you rest?"

Xu Zhangying froze, then quickly recovered. With his other hand, he gently touched Xia Qing’s cheek and shook his head with a smile.

"Because I was lonely, of course."

By mid-September, Xu Zhangying and Xia Qing had returned to Guangzhou.

As Xu Zhangying had predicted, the Lin family immediately began scheming restlessly the moment they arrived. But Xia Qing ignored all their invitations and concerns.

No one knew where the 28-year-old Xia Qing—who had lived a life of ease—had gotten the foresight, but he had deliberately assembled his own "task force" long before. This included 10 members, such as Yao Anping, his private secretary, all handpicked by Xia Qing after observation and evaluation from various positions. They had cut off direct ties with the Xing’an Lin family, making them trustworthy aides for the 16-year-old Xia Qing after his awakening.

After rising to prominence in academia at 23, Xia Qing’s reputation had only grown. His research projects multiplied, and many of Xing’an’s commercial ventures were associated with his name. Yet, Xia Qing’s personal wealth—derived from patents and research investments—was already vast, managed by offshore trusts and his task force.

After the 16-year-old Xia Qing awoke, the security division overseeing the gene team immediately began assessing and guiding his recovery of practical memory. The Lin family naturally offered assistance, but Xia Qing avoided them, only cooperating with systematic clinical and psychological treatments.

Due to the unique nature of his dissociative identity disorder, the treatment was highly effective. Within a week, Xia Qing could participate in the gene team’s replication trials, recovering faster and even vaguely recalling the names of lab colleagues he had worked closely with.

Colonel Ling, in charge of the gene team, was highly satisfied with the results. Xia Qing also cooperated fully with the treatments, having quickly familiarized himself with modern society after awakening. He understood the monumental and meaningful task the other Xia Qing had undertaken.

Privately, however, Xu Zhangying gradually noticed something unusual in Xia Qing’s condition.

After returning to Guangzhou, Xia Qing’s movements were once again under the surveillance and protection of the confidentiality team. They lived in a villa in Xinhepu. At first, Xu Zhangying followed Xia Qing everywhere during the day, accompanying him to treatments or the research institute to prepare for the upcoming LSA conference—conducting replication trials and collating data.

But less than a week later, Xia Qing told him not to just idle around waiting. Instead, he urged Xu Zhangying to enjoy his vacation, accompanied by Zhang Ke and a Female Alpha named Min Peibai.

Zhang Ke was the 11th member of the "task force," having cleared Yao Anping’s vetting and terminated his contract with Xing’an to join.

In his late teens, Xu Zhangying found this city full of excitement and anticipation, but by his late twenties, he no longer knew what to do for fun. The cinemas were flooded with trashy movies that barely qualified as commercial flicks, shopping and dining options seemed limited to the same few malls, and camping or hiking weren’t exactly activities for someone who’s seen combat—plus, doing them alone was just plain boring.

Only when passing by pet cafés would Xu Zhangying linger outside the glass for a long time. Artemisia, assuming he wanted to go inside, would invite him in, suggesting he could buy a pet if he liked. But Xu Zhangying would shake his head, simply standing outside to watch for a while before leaving—only to stop and watch again the next time he passed by.

After three days, Xu Zhangying almost completely gave up on going out, preferring to laze around at home—the Beta Commissioner, unused to taking vacations, nearly convinced himself he was getting old. Fortunately, Zhang Ke reassured him that even younger people these days were just as happy being homebodies, which put Xu Zhangying at ease.

His outdoor activities soon boiled down to grocery shopping, sparked by his newfound obsession with cooking clips on short-form platforms. Back in high school, it had always been Xia Qing who cooked at home—Xu Zhangying’s only culinary skill was microwaving instant noodles. Later, when renting off-campus in college, he picked up a few viral recipes online—like when Sichuan cuisine first swept the national dining scene around 2013, he learned to make boiled fish and mapo tofu.

But in the oversaturated world of 2022’s social media, the viral recipes were more refined, bougie, Instagram-worthy dishes. After firing up the stove and following along on his phone a few times, Xu Zhangying became convinced he was a culinary genius. Every day, he’d bang around the kitchen, then photograph his creations, send them off, and pack the leftovers into the fridge.

This was because once Xia Qing resumed work at the institute, he became swamped, still returning home past midnight when Xu Zhangying was already sprawled out asleep.

Before the car explosion, Xu Zhangying and the 28-year-old Xia Qing had slept in separate rooms. A month later, they effortlessly slipped back into sharing the master bedroom’s bed, just like in the "old days."

At night, Xu Zhangying, deep in sleep due to sleep aids, would only stir when the mattress dipped beside him. In the darkness, as a beta, all he could smell was the scent of the other’s shower gel and lingering dampness.

Though Xu Zhangying no longer followed Xia Qing during the day, he still knew exactly which therapy sessions were scheduled. So he’d wake briefly, asking how the day had been when Xia Qing pulled him close.

"Fine," Xia Qing would murmur, wrapping an arm around Xu Zhangying’s back. Unlike his teenage soul, his body was now fully grown—so much so that the Beta Commissioner sometimes sulked, feeling like he’d turned into an omega or a woman. Before, up until age 20, he and Xia Qing had been built exactly alike, even with a period where Xu Zhangying looked bulkier.

Joke’s on him—back in college, even sporting the classic art-student hobo mane, he’d been universally acknowledged as a manly man.

Then, at 2:12 a.m. one night, Xu Zhangying sharply sensed something off about the high-tier alpha lying beside him. He opened his eyes, groping under the covers until his hand found Xia Qing’s shoulder. "Xia Qing."

He pulled the still-damp Xia Qing into his arms, fingers brushing the younger man’s cheek. "What’s wrong today?"

"Nothing," Xia Qing murmured, his long lashes fluttering against Xu Zhangying’s palm.

"I’m an adult now," Xu Zhangying chuckled, pulling Xia Qing close like an older brother would, ruffling his hair. "Kids can’t lie to me. Did you eat supper already?"

"Yeah," Xia Qing said softly.

"Then what’s got you down—memory block in the lab?" Xu Zhangying leaned in, whispering by Xia Qing’s ear.

"No, the opposite," Xia Qing replied quietly. "I remembered a colleague’s name today."

Xu Zhangying smiled. "That’s great, isn’t it? Means you’re settling into your routine now."

The alpha didn’t answer, instead tightening his grip around Xu Zhangying’s waist and burying his face in his neck.

After a long silence, Xia Qing’s voice, tinged with confusion, finally broke the quiet:

"If I disappear again… would you come looking for me?"

Xu Zhangying’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly understood what was happening to Xia Qing—despite being recovered memories, they didn’t belong to *this* version of Xia Qing. To "16-year-old Xia Qing," these were essentially a stranger’s recollections. Or rather, he was beginning to blur the lines between himself and the original Xia Qing.

In the past eight years, the Xia Qing he now held had only appeared for 45 minutes. Xu Zhangying had been so overjoyed he’d forgotten the possibility—that this Xia Qing might vanish again. Would it take another eight years, or even longer, to see him once more?

Xu Zhangying didn’t dare dwell on it. He hugged the alpha tighter, forcing a steady tone as he whispered, "I won’t leave this time. The 28-year-old you is still *you*. When you come back, I’ll be right here the moment you open your eyes."

"I don’t understand," Xia Qing finally confessed. "Why did I forget you?"

"I only remember you holding Artemisia, saying you wanted to go on a graduation trip. But when I woke up again, you were 29-year-old Xu Zhangying." The alpha’s voice trembled against Xu Zhangying’s ear.

"The more familiar those memories from the other person feel, the more I realize how much time we’ve lost as strangers. What if I wake up again another decade later?"

Xu Zhangying pressed his forehead to Xia Qing’s. "None of this is your fault. It’s mine. We’ll find a way—functional memory recovery is just a stopgap. You’re different from others. The other Xia Qing and you *will* coexist peacefully."

"Coexist peacefully"—meaning merging their split selves into one whole personality. Either the 16-year-old Xia Qing acknowledging the 28-year-old’s existence, or vice versa, until they became one complete person again.

"And," Xu Zhangying chuckled softly, whispering, "though I feel bad for the 28-year-old Xia Qing, I favor you the most. If you were to fall asleep, I’d do my damnedest to wake you."

The room fell silent.

A minute later, Xia Qing asked, "You don’t like him?"

"How could I not like him?" Xu Zhangying, tripped up by all this "you," "him," and "me" nonsense, started rambling nonsense:

"I like him so much—it’s still you, after all. That Xia Qing might not have been a beta, but his character and soul are top-notch, and his temper is fun too, like some prim-and-proper type—so fun to mess with. Like, if he woke up now and saw you hugging me like this, he’d lose his damn mind—hah—mmph!"

Before Xu Zhangying could finish, the young man—or rather, the teenager—clamped a hand over his mouth, then said through gritted teeth, "You clearly like him a lot, don’t you?"

"Mmph—damn it, isn’t that just you? How could I not like you?" Xu Zhangying thrashed under the covers. "Quit making yourself the cuckold, alright?"

As he spoke, Xu Zhangying suddenly felt himself being pinned down. In the dim light, he saw a pair of eyes glowing like embers in the dark, fixed intently on him. "You said you prefer me. He forgot about you."

"Then how could I not like you?" Xu Zhangying, spinning and just word-vomiting, blurted, "If I’m gonna cheat, at least it’s with another you, right?"

"So if I disappeared, you’d still be with him." The kid’s glow flickered, his voice lowering as his grip on Xu Zhangying’s collar loosened.

"You wouldn’t even remember me."

"Bullshit! That’s not how this works!" Xu Zhangying felt like he was losing his mind. He grabbed the front of Xia Qing’s shirt and snapped, "Since neither of us can sleep, let’s just fuck!"

Xia Qing froze for a second before retorting angrily, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Suddenly?! Back then, I begged you daily not to fuck me, and you never listened! It’s not like we haven’t done it before—why play shy now? And the 28-year-old Xia Qing hasn’t fucked me either. If you just do it once, all these problems will disappear. Trust me, works like a charm—"

The sheer presence of an adult Xia Qing’s body was incomparable to his younger self. The moment Xu Zhangying’s face was grabbed mid-rant, he fell silent. Then came a kiss that was both familiar and unfamiliar—but Xu Zhangying quickly ran out of breath and shoved Xia Qing away, coughing violently before suddenly turning cowardly:

"Hell no, this is rigged! You’re bigger, stronger—who knows if *that* is too—ow! You hit me again! I’m literally getting laid here! Since when does getting fucked also mean getting beaten up? And I’m just a weak little beta now..."

"Shut up, you idiot."

On that late summer night in 2022, Xia Qing once again said through gritted teeth.