After tidying up the office, Luo Ran went with the captain to the research institute.
The headquarters of the Imperial Research Institute was located in the suburbs. Within the enormous compound, the buildings and corridors were intertwined in a maze. They had made an appointment in advance, and only after someone from inside came out to receive them did the two finally reach a Level-One laboratory.
“Secretary Luo.” The designated researcher had been waiting for quite some time. At this moment, upon seeing Luo Ran, he respectfully bowed.
“Hello.” Luo Ran smiled and took the sample from the captain’s hand, giving it a little shake. “The sample is a very important clue. Could you have your director come personally to collect it?”
“Yes.”
The director was actually the designated person in charge of this project. He had only just returned from the laboratory and was still undergoing disinfection. Worried that this might cause a delay or appear negligent, he had sent his assistant to collect it instead.
But since Luo Ran wanted to be a little more cautious, the assistant had no choice but to turn around and go find him.
After seeing him leave, Luo Ran turned to the captain and said, “There’s nothing else now, but I may still need to stay here for a while, so I won’t take up the captain’s time.”
Luo Ran pointed to his briefcase. “I still have some documents. I need to collect the signatures of several people in charge of projects at the research institute.”
After sending the captain away as well, Luo Ran breathed a sigh of relief and quietly observed the surveillance cameras in the laboratory.
Calm and unhurried, Luo Ran quickly and precisely estimated the coverage range of every camera. Only then did he take the sample and stand in a corner.
From that tricky position, the surveillance camera could only capture his back and half of his body.
Something that ordinary people would have found difficult to accomplish took Luo Ran only a moment.
Luo Ran glanced at the stacks of samples on the table, each one mounted between glass slides. Every glass slide had an “X” label attached to it. They were presumably samples that were being prepared for destruction because they were no longer useful.
Without making a sound, Luo Ran transferred one of the “X” labels from a glass slide onto the one in his hand. He then naturally placed the newly labeled sample into that pile, successfully switching them.
He was exactly the kind of person the captain had warned about—a person with ulterior motives.
Luo Ran successfully handed the sample over to the director. He then obtained the necessary signatures, finished dealing with and discussing the documents, and, after holding a meeting with the project leaders at the research institute, it was already night.
It was about time to get off work.
But then he received a terminal message from Lucas’s mother—the Marshal’s wife.
—Ranran, you’re getting off work, right? The Marshal and I are waiting for you in the company’s reception room.
(^_-)
It even came with a somewhat stiff emoticon.
Luo Ran: “…”
It seemed that after work, his work was far from over.
Luo Ran resignedly sighed and turned around, heading back to the company.
“Ranran!”
As soon as Marshal’s wife saw Luo Ran, she warmly pulled him over to sit beside her.
The Marshal, meanwhile, sat to the side with a cold expression, his arms crossed. He made the sofa beneath him feel like a throne, but when he saw Luo Ran, the originally fierce expression on his face—one just as intimidating as Lucas’s—softened considerably.
Lucas had a bad relationship with his parents. Of course, it was Lucas who unilaterally disliked them. Therefore, the Marshal and his wife communicated everything through Luo Ran. Sometimes, even when Marshal’s wife wanted to send Lucas some soup, she had to go through Luo Ran, worried that Lucas would refuse to drink it.
“Ranran, what happened at the hotel the night before last?” the elegant and dignified Marshal’s wife asked directly. “Any clues about that mysterious Omega? Is it possible that…”
“No.” Luo Ran’s tone was gentle but firm as he denied it. “There’s no possibility that the general will end up with this Omega. That night, it was also an enemy hiding in the shadows trying to set Lucas up.”
“Ah…” Marshal’s wife was somewhat disappointed. She sighed. “It’s rare for Lucas to make any progress with another Omega.”
The Marshal and his wife had gradually become a little twisted because of their son’s stubborn attitude toward the opposite sex and marriage. Upon hearing that someone had climbed into his bed, their first reaction surprisingly wasn’t anger, but delight.
Now, throughout the entire Empire, especially within Lucas’s family and among the Marshal and his wife, the thing they were most concerned about was naturally Lucas’s marriage.
An Alpha this outstanding still did not have an heir capable of inheriting his excellent bloodline and SSS-level mental power. Everyone was worried. Not to mention the Marshal and his wife—their Aldo family still needed an outstanding heir who could inherit the military rank and the army.
But now, forget about an heir.
He didn’t even have a partner.
Marshal’s wife was desperate.
The Empire was helpless.
Luo Ran comforted her. “The right fate just hasn’t arrived yet. There will always be someone.”
“Then… if you find that person, help us see what they’re like. If they’re not a bad person, try your best to protect them and see if there’s any room for negotiation, okay?” Marshal’s wife patted the back of Luo Ran’s hand. “Lucas is an Alpha. Technically, he has to take responsibility for the Omega. Even if we have to force them together, at least he should have a partner, right? This is a good opportunity!”
Luo Ran felt particularly conflicted.
He lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I may not be able to influence the general’s decisions.”
“Ah, child, how could you not be able to?” Marshal’s wife held Luo Ran’s hand and smiled. “We also need your help with something this time. Give us some advice.”
Marshal’s wife brought up another matter.
“Ranran… you see, it’s already been three months since Lucas and Nina broke off their engagement. We’re thinking of finding him a new political marriage partner. Do you have any ideas?”
Nina Josephine, the daughter of an Imperial Duke, was an Omega with excellent A-level pheromones and was very suitable for creating new, powerful genes with Lucas.
She was also Lucas’s third former political marriage partner.
The first was Zhou Yunyun, the younger daughter of an Imperial Round Table councilor. But after the two were engaged, Lucas paid no attention to her at all and simply treated his marriage partner as if she didn’t exist.
At that time, an officer who particularly hated Lucas came along and tried to steal her away. After successfully pursuing Zhou Yunyun, he took her to Lucas to break off the engagement.
That officer even arrogantly flaunted himself, saying to Lucas, “Zhou Yunyun is my Omega now! She loves me.”
Then Lucas was silent for a moment before looking up and seriously asking, “Who is Zhou Yunyun…?”
“…”
The Marshal and his wife thought someone introverted and elegant would be a good choice, so for the second one, they found the younger son of a major general’s family, an outgoing male Omega.
As a result, the two remained engaged for two years, during which they never even met. That Omega had even gone to the company to make a scene, crying, throwing a tantrum, and threatening suicide. Finally, in the third year, the male Omega declared that he couldn’t take it anymore. He was done. He broke off the engagement and ran away with the person he liked.
The third one…
In any case, that engagement had also been terminated three months ago.
It really was rather miserable.
Marshal’s wife had no idea what else to do at this point, so she could only come to Luo Ran for help.
“Ranran, you know Lucas best. What kind of person do you think he likes?”
Luo Ran paused, looking somewhat troubled.
“Just say whatever comes to mind. We’ll only listen and use it as a reference.”
Luo Ran thought for quite a while, trying his best to imagine it.
“I think… first of all, they shouldn’t be too noisy or troublesome. They can’t be too clingy or too good at acting spoiled. Someone delicate and coquettish or overly cute won’t do. The general finds that kind of person annoying.”
“Good!”
Marshal’s wife took out her terminal and began taking notes.
Luo Ran: “…”
Luo Ran continued reluctantly, “Let me think… Although they can’t be too noisy, they also can’t be too quiet or reserved. They have to take the initiative to find topics and chat with the general. The general doesn’t like dull people. After all, he himself isn’t good at socializing. But they can’t say things that are annoying or meaningless, and they have to know how to praise the general.”
Marshal’s wife’s fingers flew across the screen as she took notes.
Luo Ran thought seriously. “It would be best if they were independent and outstanding, someone who can take good care of themselves and the general’s daily life and work. The general likes people whose thoughts and abilities can keep up with his.”
“The general has a short temper, so we should find someone with a good temperament, someone gentler.”
The Marshal frowned, realizing that something was wrong.
Marshal’s wife’s fingers also stopped.
Wasn’t this describing Luo Ran himself?
The two silently glanced at Luo Ran, but Luo Ran genuinely hadn’t thought of himself in this regard at all.
The Marshal and his wife knew that Luo Ran had no feelings for Lucas. They had hinted at it several times before, desperately trying to bring the two together. Although the combination of a Beta and an Alpha might not be as effective as one with a high-quality pheromone Omega, their standards had already been lowered to simply wanting Lucas to have anyone at all, let alone someone as exceptional as Luo Ran.
Unfortunately, Luo Ran had rejected them outright, leaving no room whatsoever.
“What’s wrong…?” Luo Ran stopped.
“Nothing. Keep going.”
Marshal’s wife smiled brightly as she deleted all her notes, leaving behind just one line.
—Just find someone like Secretary Luo.
“I…”
Luo Ran was about to say something when the door to the reception room was suddenly and roughly pushed open with a loud bang.
The newly returned Lucas stood by the door, carrying the chill from outside with him, his expression frightening.
“Ah…” Marshal’s wife smiled and said, “You’re back. We…”
“Trying to stuff another partner on me again?” Lucas said coldly. “And forcing my secretary?”
“No, no, how could we hurt Ranran?” Marshal’s wife hurriedly said. “Lucas, you misunderstood. We’re just worried about you, so we came to ask Ranran what happened the night before last.”
“If you have this much energy to worry about me, you might as well worry about my older brother.”
Lucas’s words were sharp. He stepped forward and directly grabbed Luo Ran firmly by the wrist, pulling him to his feet.
“You…” The smile on Marshal’s wife’s face stiffened.
The Marshal’s expression turned cold again. He sat to the side without saying anything.
Lucas said nothing more and simply pulled Luo Ran away.
The wrist being held hurt a little, but Luo Ran said nothing.
Only after they returned to Lucas’s office did Lucas release his grip on Luo Ran.
Lucas stood in front of Luo Ran, casting a shadow over him, and frowned. “Did they make things difficult for you?”
“No.” Luo Ran smiled. “Just as Marshal’s wife said, they only came to ask about the situation.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Luo Ran.
A strong tobacco scent enveloped Luo Ran. He closed his eyes and tried his best to remain rational as he said, “Marshal’s wife was indeed choosing a political marriage partner for you and came to ask what kind of person I thought would be suitable. She didn’t make things difficult for me. It was just ordinary conversation.”
“Mm.”
Lucas headed toward the inner room of the office to rest, apparently planning to sleep at the company again tonight.
With some distance between them, Luo Ran breathed a little easier.
Lucas took off his shoes and coat and said, “If anyone bullies you, tell me.”
“Okay.” Luo Ran smiled.
Lucas glanced at the time and casually said, “It’s very late. Just sleep at the company tonight.”
In the past, when the two of them worked overtime on official business, Luo Ran would also stay overnight at the company. There was a huge sofa in Lucas’s office, and it was very comfortable to sleep on.
Luo Ran hadn’t thought much of it before. Lucas also slept together with his comrades in the military camp, though Lucas was rather arrogant and maintained a certain distance from others, just like the current arrangement between the inner room and the sofa.
But now…
Luo Ran glanced at Lucas, who was changing clothes in the inner room. Lucas had taken off his shirt, revealing a sturdy back covered in old scars.
Luo Ran: “…”
The smile hanging on Luo Ran’s lips froze.
Oh no.
Luo Ran realized that he seemed unable to look directly at Lucas anymore. He could no longer interact with Lucas as a superior and subordinate under the core socialist values without any distracting thoughts.
Let alone being in the same room with Lucas.
But refusing now would seem even stranger and more abrupt.
Luo Ran once again felt that…
Being a secretary really was a job that was absolutely inhuman.