The Lingti Clan was an ancient and distinguished family that had made a living hiring hunters for generations. Over a century of accumulated wealth had made them a dominant force in the business world and a formidable presence in the underworld. Unfortunately, the patriarch, Xiao Youzhang, had passed away, and the current head of the family, Xiao Changxiu, was now over seventy. The position of the next heir had yet to be decided. The sons of the main branch were all ambitious and scheming; on the surface, they appeared to be respectful brothers and dutiful sons, but in secret, they could hardly wait for the old patriarch to be buried tonight. As long as Xiao Changxiu remained alive, the sons of the Xiao family would continue their open and covert struggles, never finding a moment’s peace.
The car came to a stop at the entrance of a quaint little town. Han Xingqian saw the sign reading “No Outside Vehicles Allowed” and pulled the handbrake before turning off the engine.
He took a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Xiao Xun, who sat in the passenger seat looking deeply worried.
Xiao Xun was jolted back to his senses by the bottle of water. He lowered his eyes to take it, took a big gulp, and let out a soft sigh.
“Don’t be nervous. Remember, we’re just here to treat my sister-in-law.” Han Xingqian gripped his slightly trembling wrist. “Go get my medical kit.”
A warm, dry palm covered his wrist. The warmth traveled from his skin to his pulse, and Xiao Xun felt much calmer. He nodded, got out of the car, went to the trunk, pulled out the heavy medical bag, and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
Han Xingqian leaned against the car door and tested the communicator’s signal: “We’re out of the car.”
Bai Chunian: “Copy that. We’ll be there soon.”
This operation was divided into three teams: A, B, and C. Han Xingqian and Xiao Xun were in the open, making contact with the Lingti Clan, while Bai Chunian, Lan Bo, Lu Yan, and Bi Lanxing were in the shadows, searching the Lingti Clan’s secret factories and warehouses to retrieve the monolenin stored inside.
As they walked into the town, almost everyone they passed was a Lingti Gland, aside from the occasional tourist or temporary resident.
Han Xingqian, dressed in a white work uniform, scanned the crowd and asked, “How far is the Lingti Clan from here?”
“Counting from the moment we entered,” Xiao Xun replied softly. “The main house is still far away—it’d take over two hours on foot. Let’s take a taxi.”
“It’s so big—almost the size of a county-level city. Can I take a picture?”
Xiao Xun merely gave a faint “Mm-hmm” without changing his expression. His hatred for the Lingti Clan had reached the point where he resented anyone who praised it or took flattering photos of it—with the exception of Dr. Han.
Xiao Xun hailed a taxi. The driver, a friendly Lingti Alpha, leaned out the window: “Put your stuff in the trunk.”
Xiao Xun weighed the medical bag in his hand and replied coldly, “No, I’ll carry it.”
Han Xingqian gave a slight nod of thanks and joined Xiao Xun in the back seat. Xiao Xun placed the medical bag on his lap, resting his hand on the metal surface.
This gesture puzzled Han Xingqian a bit. The Lingti clan seemed to have a rather simple, down-to-earth way of life; it didn’t seem necessary to act as if he were guarding his luggage against theft just because they were riding in a taxi.
During the ride, the driver chatted away incessantly: “It’s been ages since I’ve had any passengers. Are you heading to the main family estate? You must be a doctor—you look the part. Are you going to treat the young mistress of the Xiao family for hysteria?”
Han Xingqian chuckled. “Yes, I hear the young mistress has been ill for quite some time. How is this something everyone knows about?”
“Oh, that young mistress has been acting like a madwoman ever since she got married. She caused such a stir that the whole town’s talking about it. Who doesn’t know? The Xiao family’s so rich and powerful they’ve suppressed the news—otherwise, people outside wouldn’t even know about this embarrassment. And that woman herself—she’s had a child now, yet she still won’t behave. She still thinks she’s the young miss of the Song family.”
The driver treated the story as light entertainment, recounting it with great enthusiasm: “I’m getting on in years now. I’ve saved up a bit over half my life. In a couple of days, I’m going to bring home a good, obedient daughter-in-law so I can enjoy my golden years. Just hope I don’t end up with a crazy woman like that—marrying into a wealthy family and still not being happy about it.”
Xiao Xun silently picked at the metal casing of the first-aid kit, his fingernails scraping against the surface with a faint scratching sound.
The “crazy woman” the driver mentioned was Xiao Xun’s older brother’s wife—his sister-in-law, Song Feng. Shortly after Xiao Xun left the Lingti Clan, his older brother, Xiao Zichi, got married to a Bai Lingti omega from his wife’s family. They now have a child, who is reportedly also a little omega.
The taxi dropped them off outside the family’s old house. Xiao Xun stood outside the courtyard, gazing up at the imposing villa complex not far away. A large family lived there; it seemed as though he could hear the clatter of their domestic squabbles even through the greenbelt and the walls.
“Do you know my sister-in-law?” Han Xingqian asked.
“No,” Xiao Xun said. “But she definitely didn’t marry into the family willingly. Several of my cousins were married off before me, and none of them were happy about it. The family rules state that the Lingti clan must maintain pure bloodlines—only Lingti can marry Lingti. Who wants to spend generation after generation stuck in a doghouse? If I hadn’t escaped quickly, I’d have two kids by now.”
“But you’re only twenty.”
“Yes. My mother was married off at sixteen. She finished her Chinese exam that morning, handed in her paper, and by noon, the wedding car had already picked her up. Nothing she said made a difference.”
“My sister-in-law’s name is Song Feng. According to the intelligence report from the Technical Department, she’s the CEO of one of the venture capital firms controlled by the Song family. She’s quite formidable.” Xiao Xun’s voice was cold, but a hint of regret could be detected.
Han Xingqian lowered his head slightly, the thin gold chain on his glasses swaying gently.
“So if you’re with me, does that mean you’re defying the family code?”
Xiao Xun’s gaze was momentarily caught by Dr. Han’s gentle smile, and he silently wagged his tail. “I… don’t care about that bullshit family code.”
“So does that count as ‘yes’?” Han Xingqian’s eyes crinkled.
Xiao Xun froze for a moment, realizing he’d fallen for Dr. Han’s trap. He quickly turned his face away, leaving only his tail to wag furiously behind him.
“Team B is in position. Team A, stop wasting public funds on romance and get some real work done. Over and out.”
Bai Chunian lay among the dense branches of a massive poplar tree, carrying Xiao Xun’s sniper rifle case on his back—it contained an M25 sniper rifle and a high-magnification scope. Speaking into the miniature communicator in his ear, he watched as Lan Bo, coiled around nearby branches, peered through his water-cooled steel binoculars into the distance: “They’ve entered the woods.”
Bi Lanxing and Lu Yan gave them a thumbs-up signal. They were making their way along the greenery outside the perimeter wall toward the villa’s backyard garden, which led to a small path that wound through a stand of white birch trees. Lu Yan teased in a low voice, “Xiao Xiao has a huge crush on Dr. Han. I thought you two were already a couple.”
Bai Chunian picked up on the thread: “Bro Han, this counts as a hardcore meeting with the parents. Make a good impression.”
Han Xingqian chuckled, “I certainly will.”
Bai Chunian’s phone in his pocket vibrated—it was Du Mo calling. The delivery date for the research institute was just two days away.
Du Mo asked, “They’re about to make the delivery. When will the money be transferred?”
Bai Chunian: “Are you sure they’re about to deliver? No delays?”
Du Mo: “I just got back from the pharmaceutical distributor. Their shipment has arrived—60,000 vials of the infection serum are in the warehouse, and they’re counting them right now.”
Bai Chunian: “I’ve got a favor to ask of you next.”
Du Mo had a bad feeling about this.
Bai Chunian: “Tell them we don’t want it anymore.”
……
Du Mo: “Are you fucking out of your mind? Are you messing with me?”
Bai Chunian chuckled: “Seriously. You’re so quick with your tongue—you come up with an excuse. We’ll pay the penalty fee in full; I’ll transfer the money to you right now.”
Du Mo: “…That’s a deposit of over a hundred million. You can’t just say you don’t want it anymore—they won’t refund a single cent. Is this Mr. Lu’s decision? Do you even have the authority to make this call?”
Bai Chunian: “Just do as I say. It’s not coming out of your pocket. Alright, let’s drop this. I’ve got things to do. I’m turning my phone off in a minute. Don’t call me unless it’s urgent.”
Du Mo: “Do you think I want to call you? Nothing good has happened in my life since I met you.”
The phone hung up with a click.
Bai Chunian slipped his phone back into his pocket and zipped it up, then beckoned to Lan Bo: “The deal’s almost done. Rabbit and Lanxing are looking for a warehouse. Let’s head to the villa first to check it out.”
Lan Bo was still scanning the distance through his binoculars, muttering, “Someone’s heading toward them.”
Bai Chunian nimbly leaped over to Lan Bo’s side and crouched down. The branches didn’t stir a single bit. He lay down on top of Lan Bo’s head, using the back of Lan Bo’s head as a rest, and peered through the water-cooled steel binoculars toward Dr. Han and Xiao Xun.
Several people emerged from the villa. Two of them looked familiar—they were teammates of Xiao Xun’s from the ATWL exams: Xiao Ziyao and Xiao Zizhe. He guessed they must be Xiao Xun’s cousins, also descendants of a prominent family.
Xiao Ziyao led the way, chatting and laughing with Xiao Zizhe behind him as they discussed going to a nightclub in the city.
Little did they know they’d run into a bad omen the moment they stepped out the door.
Xiao Ziyao spotted the familiar figure standing outside the fence from a distance. He immediately narrowed his eyes and gave the man a thorough once-over, then beckoned to his cousin behind him, pointing at the nearby omega: “Damn, isn’t that Xiao Xun? Wasn’t he dead? Man, how did you guys even pull this off!”
Xiao Zizhe glared at him and told his younger cousin to shut up. He looked over to size up Xiao Xun himself. Seeing Xiao Xun sent a chill down his spine; he knew the plan he and his older brother had devised had fallen through. Back then, they’d clearly handed Xiao Xun over to a group of gland hunters, paid them a sum of money, and instructed them to dispose of the body properly, but it seemed those mercenary gland traffickers hadn’t done their job properly. With the Decennial Selection Ceremony just around the corner, his appearance at the Lingti Clan was definitely not a good sign. Under no circumstances could he be allowed to step foot inside the Xiao family compound.
With this in mind, Xiao Zizhe strode forward and leaned against the wrought-iron railing outside the courtyard, scanning Xiao Xun up and down with a forced smile.
Xiao Xun, carrying his medical kit, met his second older brother’s gaze with neither subservience nor arrogance.
Xiao Zizhe folded his arms and sneered, “Back already? Your engagement has fallen through, and you’ve seriously offended the Song family. By daring to refuse the marriage and run away, haven’t you effectively severed ties with our family? Coming back now is just asking for trouble. I advise you to go back where you came from. If the security guards throw you out later, you’ll have even less face.”
Xiao Xun stared at him coldly. “Ever since you and Xiao Zichi put me in that organ trafficker’s car, I’ve had nothing to do with either of you. I’m here to see my sister-in-law. Please step aside.”
Xiao Zizhe noticed the Alpha in a white lab coat standing beside Xiao Xun. He looked like a gentle, refined doctor—not a Lingti Alpha—yet he stood at an ambiguous distance from Xiao Xun. This seemed to instantly enrage Xiao Zizhe, who sneered: “ “I thought you were so pure. You’ve been missing for nearly two years, and now you come back with a stranger. Are you going to bring a bastard back next year?”
Xiao Xun’s brows knitted tightly together. He was used to his brothers’ scorn and teasing, but Xiao Zizhe’s barbs had already begun to target Dr. Han. He silently clenched the handle of the medical kit, his knuckles turning white.
Lu Yan, who had been listening to their conversation over the communicator, spoke up first: “Who’s that, Xiao Xiao? His mouth is so foul—how can you stand it? Beat him up!”
Bai Chunian chuckled over the communicator: “That’s hilarious. So ordinary, yet so full of himself. If they dare lay a finger on you today, your brother Han will take my surname.”
Lan Bo wagged the tip of his tail idly: “You can’t beat him. I’ll go down.”
Han Xingqian leaned down and whispered softly into Xiao Xun’s ear: “It’s okay. If he gets hurt, I’ll treat him.”
Xiao Xun raised his hand and swung the medical case. The heavy case slammed into Xiao Zizhe’s face. Xiao Zizhe had never expected him to fight back; he was knocked to the ground by the blow, and half his face swelled up. Although he was an omega, Xiao Xun’s strength—honed from handling a sniper rifle—was not to be underestimated.
He got up to fight back, but Xiao Tun was a step faster, slamming the base of the medical case hard into his stomach. Xiao Zizhe was knocked back to the ground and vomited a mouthful of bile.
Xiao Ziyao, watching all this unfold from a short distance away, froze in shock, as did the several servants following behind him.
Xiao Xun picked up the medical kit again, smoothed out the hem of his shirt, and said to the servant, “Please inform the old master that Xiao Xun has returned.”