April 18, 2019, 9:00 AM
——
In the Naxi Gan’gonghai Sea, a luxury cruise ship had been anchored for two days.
A black dot appeared in the distance: a helicopter bearing the emblem of the Falcon family gradually approached. As its enormous rotors whirred, it touched down on the deck, sending a blast of wind that made the few nobles gathered there instinctively press down their hats.
Servants brought over a ladder cushioned with tiger skins. Lu Shangjin descended slowly from the helicopter, his tailored black suit visible beneath the draped ink fox coat over his shoulders. He removed his protective sunglasses and casually tossed them to the aide beside him.
His eyes were cold, seeming to hold eternal hatred and indifference toward everything, unfathomable and deep.
The black-clad bodyguards standing below in formation all nodded and called, “Young Master Lu.”
Lu Shangjin did not glance away, walking directly toward a middle-aged alpha seated under a sun umbrella, sipping tea. He bent slightly in greeting. “Uncle.”
The alpha, around fifty years old, leisurely listened to a melodious opera on the radio, pen in hand, marking notes in an English book. He greeted Lu Shangjin warmly: “Xiaojin, I thought you wouldn’t come, haha.” Even while chatting, his hand continued moving across the page, neatly writing a string of English words, bookmarking and closing the book before adding cheerfully, “Come, sit.”
He was a first-tier differentiated spider alpha, J1 differentiation ability: “Distraction Control.”
Yuan Mi had quickly caught Lu Shangjin’s thrown goggles. He had followed Lu Shangjin for three years, summoned or dismissed at will. His skills, honed from years of serving Lu Shangjin in bed, were competent, with high compatibility, and capable of satisfying Lu Shangjin, which is why he had remained by his side for so long.
Just after being discharged from the hospital, Lu Shangjin called him out.
Many old acquaintances of Lu Shangjin knew that he had a longtime omega wife held in his hand like a treasure, so Yuan Mi was genuinely surprised when Lu Shangjin summoned him.
Whether held in hand or cherished orally, over time, even a lawful wife could not compare to a wild butterfly.
Yuan Mi had prepared himself mentally for a scandalous struggle with the official wife to rise as the mistress, yet that wife made no move, leaving him undisturbed as Lu Shangjin’s companion for three years.
It wasn’t until Lu Shangjin exploded, dragging him off the hospital bed and stepping on his stomach, that he truly realized… Yan Yi, that infuriating little rabbit, even after his former wife had been relegated to the cold palace, still retained her position.
It was the first time he had witnessed such a grand scene outside a film set.
The bodyguards occasionally revealed the cold gleam of gun barrels beneath their cuffs. The sheer icy weight made it incomparable to the props he had handled before.
Fear washed over him from head to toe, as if his feet were rooted in ice, though he thought that an omega used to flashing cameras and red carpets should handle this with ease.
Lu Shangjin frowned. When Yan Yi had accompanied him the day before, dressed in a black slim-tailcoat, there was an unspoken cold authority radiating from the omega, a stark contrast to the shy little rabbit hiding behind ears and whispering “I like this, Jin… be gentle…” Yet the omega could hold the scene perfectly.
Lu Jue approached with a beaming smile, hugging Lu Shangjin and patting his back: “One birthday gone, one year fewer—who knows if we’ll see another?”
Lu Shangjin relaxed slightly and embraced the spider alpha, smiling faintly: “Uncle, your health is excellent; may you live long.”
He pursed his lips and whistled. A grey-backed falcon spread its wings from the beast cage in the helicopter, landing on Lu Shangjin’s half-raised arm with a fierce screech.
“My father trained it for years, sending it to you as a birthday gift.” Lu Shangjin stroked the bird’s beak and received a rare sign of trust in return.
Yuan Mi quietly stepped back, wary of the bird.
Lu Jue noticed Lu Shangjin had a new companion, a fragile omega sparkling faintly, and smirked pointedly at him: “Quite pretty, though lacking flavor.”
Yuan Mi dared not respond, waiting for Lu Shangjin to intervene.
But Lu Shangjin, sipping champagne brought by a server, chose not to dignify the remark, clearly unwilling to discuss it.
However, Lu Jue continued, probing: “What happened to that little rabbit you’ve pampered all these years?”
The falcon shrieked, and Lu Shangjin’s lips curved slightly: “Yan Yi isn’t feeling well and is resting at home.”
Yuan Mi sensed Lu Shangjin’s sudden tension, instinctively shrinking closer. Having followed him for three years, he knew that the name “Yan Yi” was forbidden to mention, yet whenever it was, Lu Shangjin’s eyes revealed emotions far beyond mere hatred.
“Good, good.” Lu Jue nodded, leading Lu Shangjin down the steps while reminiscing about his late biological father.
“He would be so pleased to see you successful,” he said.
At the mention of his father, Lu Shangjin clenched his fists subtly, knuckles whitening. His father, a chameleon omega, had passed away when Lu Shangjin was ten.
Today, Lu Shangjin had come for only one thing.
——
Hidden within the cruise ship was a grand domed casino. Its gold-and-amber hall was filled with elegant gentlemen and ladies, stacks of money piled at the tables. The scent of cigars mingled with burning wax, occasionally pierced by the sharp tang of marijuana. Seeing Lu Jue, everyone nodded in greeting.
Lu Jue sat across the table, fingers intertwined beneath his chin, squinting at Lu Shangjin across the hands of a dealer wearing a dark red bow tie.
“A, start with twenty thousand.” He tossed two stacks of cash from the briefcase delivered by his bodyguards onto the table.
“Jin-ge.” Yuan Mi, sitting on Lu Shangjin’s lap, lit a cigar with a match.
Lu Shangjin, holding the cigarette, lowered his brows with a cold, alluring expression, loosening his tie and flipping a card: “Call.”
Yuan Mi hurriedly opened the cashbox and placed two stacks on the table.
Lu Shangjin exhaled white smoke, resting one hand on Yuan Mi’s waist, the other brushing ashes from the table: “Uncle, I’ve come to fetch someone. Playing a couple rounds is just a courtesy.”
Lu Jue’s face remained triumphant: “Since you’re here, stay and play for a while, no rush.”
Everyone present knew the Lu family was fractured: first, the spider-type differentiation of Lu Jue left the Falcon family to expand individually; second, Lu Shangjin had spent years systematically undermining and devouring his father’s power. His ambition for the Lu family was evident.
By now, Lu Shangjin was no longer the delicate young master once kept in layers of protection, hands stained with blood, heart hardened beyond recognition.
Even the omega he once cherished had been replaced; his heart had long forgotten how to love fervently.
Lu Shangjin had tracked down a beta former confidant of his father, exiled abroad to avoid knowledge of family secrets. Only Lu Jue could bring him back; otherwise, Lu Shangjin would not bother.
After several rounds, piles of cash on the table had reached five million, with several million-dollar checks added.
Lu Shangjin was a master gambler, equipped with J1 differentiation ability “Extreme Vision,” though he chose not to use it.
Lu Jue, unconcerned with wins or losses, smiled and mentioned: “Recently, there was word on the dark web—Yan Yi’s glands are valued at 2.5 billion USD. I’ve captured him. Hand him over to me, and he’s yours.”
With this beta, Lu Shangjin could extract crucial information to completely topple Lu Lin, ending his control over the Lu family.
Lu Shangjin’s fingers stiffened; even ash falling onto his hand felt nothing.
Lu Jue gave him time to consider, smiling at his nephew.
Lu Shangjin had no reason to refuse. He had arranged Yan Yi’s gland transplant; the floppy-eared rabbit’s A3 glands were now of no use to him.
Anyone aware of Yan Yi’s A3 glands had been eyeing him for years. Should he leave Lu Shangjin’s sphere of influence, countless gland hunters would tear Yan Yi apart—fortunately, his status as Lu’s daughter-in-law protected him. Though Lu Shangjin was powerful, he could not fight a thousand enemies alone; eventually, resources would dwindle.
“Apologies.” Lu Shangjin crushed the cigarette, gently stroking Yuan Mi’s slender waist as he lifted his eyes: “Do not make mistakes with what shouldn’t be touched.”
Suddenly, he pushed Yuan Mi aside, drew a Desert Eagle from Yuan Mi’s belt, chambered it, aimed, and with a single fluid motion, fired. Lu Jue’s head exploded, blood splattering.
The heavy gun and recoil did not make Lu Shangjin’s wrist falter in the slightest.
The hall fell silent; the atmosphere plummeted to freezing.
Yuan Mi, stunned, remained seated, blood warming his cheek. His legs could not support him, only staring helplessly at Lu Shangjin, hands trembling as he touched the Desert Eagle in front of him.
When their eyes met, Lu Shangjin’s expression momentarily dimmed, tinged with confusion.
At that instant, a voice inside told him: “This is not the face he wants to see.”
Yet some dormant cells stirred, attempting to reignite.
Countless beautiful, gentle, understanding omegas existed, but only one could be entrusted with his back.
The Desert Eagle in his hands held a familiar warmth.
Some long-sleeping instincts were waking.