Chapter 1

Training break day.

The sound of rushing water echoed in the washroom until a lean, powerful hand reached out and shut the valve.

Shen Wei withdrew his hand and tilted his head back, smoothing his damp hair away from his forehead. He stared at his reflection in the mirror.

With his dark hair slicked back and the fluorescent light hitting his sharp, handsome features, his entire face radiated a cold, dangerous aura.

His communicator began to ring. It was a call from a friend.

The moment he answered, an excited voice crackled through the receiver.

“Brother! We found the Omega who cheated on you! I’ve dragged him to the club. Once you’re done having fun, you can deal with him yourself.”

Shen Wei moved the communicator away from his ear, frowning. “You took him to the club?”

The “club” Shen Wei referred to was a bar he owned. It generated significant profit for him, located in the core urban area of the Alliance—a place with massive foot traffic and a chaotic mix of people.

The person on the other end seemed to understand Shen Wei’s concern. After all, Shen Wei was a top-tier Alpha in terms of appearance, strength, influence, and rank. The fact that he had been cuckolded by a completely mediocre Omega—and had unknowingly spent money supporting that Omega and his lover—was a joke that had turned Shen Wei into a fool. The fewer people who knew about this, the better. In a bar under Shen Wei’s name, there were too many eyes and ears. If some blind idiot leaked the news, where would Shen Wei put his face?

He had always been very particular about his image.

The habitually arrogant Shen Wei had not tolerated the Omega’s smug antics. Within three days of the incident, he had obtained full information on the Omega and his affair partner. Shen Wei had asked his friend to help track them down, and they just happened to find them on the school’s training break day.

He had plenty of time to handle this matter.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got him locked up. Absolutely no one else will know.”

With cold eyes, Shen Wei slowly buckled his chilled silver waist chain. It cinched his lean, powerful waist, showcasing his Alpha aggression to the fullest. “Fine,” he said. “I got it. See you later.”

The call ended. Shen Wei methodically adjusted his clothing, his cold eyes betraying no emotion.

In the mirror, his figure was tall and slender. His black shirt was left carelessly open, revealing a hint of muscle. The waist chain glinted under the light, giving him a striking, superior air.

Once he finished grooming himself and stepped out of the room, he saw that the sky had already darkened. He checked the time and realized it was time to depart.

After getting ready, Shen Wei drove out.

Half an hour later, he arrived at his destination. He tossed his car keys to the manager, letting him handle the parking.

The moment he stepped into the bar, the sound waves nearly submerged him. The air was a thick soup of alcohol and pheromones. Yet, Shen Wei moved through it like a fish in water, heading deeper into the club with practiced ease.

With his shirt open, the snow-white skin of his chest peeked through the dim light. His lean waist was tucked into expensive black trousers, which strained against muscles built for explosive power. It was the natural physical advantage of being an Alpha.

A spotlight happened to sweep over him.

Countless gazes, hidden in the dim environment, followed Shen Wei closely.

“That Alpha is both beautiful and handsome. It’s my first time seeing that style.”

“You’d better watch how you talk. He’s got a nasty temper.”

“He’s the boss here. They say he switches Omegas every three days. You Betas shouldn’t even think about it; you’re the wrong gender.”

“He doesn’t even look like an Alpha.”

“I think you’re just jealous.”

The environment was noisy, so Shen Wei naturally didn’t hear them. But with a casual sweep of his gaze, those who were speaking fled in a panic.

Shen Wei indeed did not look like a traditional Alpha. His face lacked harsh, cold lines; instead, his features were exquisite and beautiful, especially his slightly upturned fox-like eyes. He had a habit of looking down on people, giving him a detached air. Because of this, people used to tease him, saying he didn’t look like an Alpha but rather like a “model” that certain other Alphas would enjoy.

In the end, almost everyone who said that suffered for it. Some nearly lost their lives. Over time, no one dared to say it again.

Reaching the VIP room, Shen Wei pushed the door open.

The voices inside dipped for a second before surging back up. Every gaze and all the attention fell on him.

Someone whistled at him. “Brother Wei, long time no see. You’re getting more handsome by the day.”

“Seriously. Look what the Alliance’s Top Academy has done to my Brother Wei. He doesn’t even want an Omega to accompany him today.”

Shen Wei walked straight toward the center of the group. Everyone wisely made way for him. Although they were friends, Shen Wei’s family influence meant they all tacitly looked to him as their leader.

As Shen Wei sat down, someone asked, “Why didn’t Fang Yangxu come with you?”

“He’s running an errand for me,” Shen Wei replied.

Fang Yangxu had grown up with him. Handling the cheating Omega was the task Shen Wei had assigned him, so he wasn’t free to come out and play tonight.

Shen Wei planned to show his face to his friends for a moment and then head to the bar’s back kitchen to properly deal with that Omega. He wanted the Omega to understand the price of provoking him; he had never been a good-tempered man.

After opening a few bottles of fine wine for his friends, Shen Wei used the excuse of checking the books in the office to leave the VIP room.

Once out, Shen Wei headed straight for the back kitchen.

The bar under his name was large, and so was its demand for food. Consequently, the back kitchen was sprawling with many rooms. Fang Yangxu had found an empty room to temporarily detain the Omega while waiting for Shen Wei’s arrival.

As it was a busy time, many people were moving back and forth in the kitchen. The staff all knew Shen Wei’s face and greeted him as he passed.

As Shen Wei lowered his head to check the room details on his communicator, his shoulder was suddenly bumped hard. He nearly dropped the device.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Before he even saw the other person’s face, he was hit by a wave of pheromones.

Shen Wei’s temple throbbed. Perhaps it was an instinctive Alpha reaction—a primal rejection and loathing of another of his kind.

A faint scent of damp rainwater floated in the air.

It smelled terrible. It was that Alpha’s pheromones.

Shen Wei looked up and saw a face that was upright and well-defined, with deep features and a lack of overt aggression. It gave off the illusion that they had crossed paths in some political arena it was very familiar.

However, that Alpha’s eyes were dark and bottomless. When he looked directly at Shen Wei, his gaze felt like a fine needle suddenly piercing Shen Wei’s nerves.

Shen Wei’s eyes followed him. As they brushed past each other, the Alpha tilted his head slightly. The movement was so small it made one wonder if such a proper-looking person would actually glance back at someone else. His gaze landed on Shen Wei’s neck for a split second before instantly shifting away.

In that moment, Shen Wei felt a wave of discomfort, as if a poisonous snake in the shadows were flicking its tongue, monitoring every move of someone in the light.

It was deeply unpleasant. Shen Wei shook his arm, feeling that the gaze had a sticky quality he couldn’t quite describe.

He watched the Alpha’s retreating back. This Alpha was completely out of place in a bar environment, and his rank couldn’t possibly be lower than Shen Wei’s own. Why would he appear in the back kitchen? Shen Wei had no memory of such an employee.

A sense of oddness welled up in his heart.

But Shen Wei didn’t have time to dwell on the man’s rudeness. He immediately ordered the manager to send him the list of Alpha staff members.

The manager promised to handle the list within half an hour. Shen Wei stowed his communicator and walked toward the room.

Fang Yangxu was already waiting at the door. “He’s inside. Go talk to him.”

Shen Wei followed his gaze toward the door and nodded.

As the room door opened, the commotion inside intensified instantly.

The Omega’s voice rose in a frantic plea: “Shen Wei, I was wrong! I was really wrong, I’ll never do it again! I… I didn’t think it would cause you so much harm. I’m sorry! I’ll find a way to give you whatever compensation you want. Truly, I’m sorry, I was wrong!”

Shen Wei closed the door and casually pulled a chair to sit in front of the Omega.

The Omega looked terrified, his half-kneeling posture making him look pathetic. Even so, he still tried to reach out and grab the hem of Shen Wei’s trousers to curry favor.

Shen Wei crossed his long legs and looked down at the Omega. “Was I not good to you?” he asked softly. “The bags, the car, the status you wanted—I gave them all to you.”

His voice was cold. Every word that fell from his lips made the Omega’s scalp tingle with fear. Had he known it would come to this, he never would have provoked Shen Wei!

The Omega trembled as he asked, “I really know I was wrong. What do you want? I’ll do anything!”

Shen Wei thought for a moment, then leaned forward, as if he had changed his mind about something. He moved close to the Omega’s face and reached out to unbutton the Omega’s shirt, one button at a time.

Shen Wei answered him with action.

The Omega’s face turned from pale to flushed. He thought Shen Wei wanted to have a quick round with him. This would mean he had been forgiven and wouldn’t be pursued further. Almost ecstatic, the Omega said, “I… I can do it myself!”

Shen Wei folded his arms and leaned back against the chair, nodding to permit the Omega’s actions.

The Omega stripped off his clothes with extreme efficiency, leaving only his underwear.

Shen Wei called a halt. “That’s enough.”

“What?”

Before the Omega could react, Shen Wei had him dragged out and thrown into the bar’s main hall.

Along with him was his affair partner.

An Omega and an Alpha were essentially streaking through the bar. The crowd cheered and jeered, and the two instantly became the center of attention.

Shen Wei stood on the second floor, looking down at the fleeing pair. He seemed to be in an excellent mood.

After watching for a few minutes, Shen Wei received the list of Alpha staff from the manager. That high-ranking Alpha from earlier wouldn’t be a permanent employee; he was likely a part-timer.

Shen Wei opened the part-timer information and checked them one by one. The numbers were few, so it was easy to confirm.

Shen Wei opened a file named “Jiang Yuan.”

As he looked through the man’s information, he saw that the school was also the Alliance’s Top Academy. He felt the man was familiar but simply couldn’t remember from where.

Just then, Fang Yangxu appeared behind him. “Did you see that? The way those two looked was fantastic. I recorded it all; I’ll play it on a loop for you later.”

Shen Wei didn’t speak. He turned his gaze back to the first floor, watching the two people scurrying like rats. They were in a state of total panic until some kind-hearted people tossed their coats to the Alpha and Omega, allowing them to barely cover themselves.

Fang Yangxu shrugged. “It’ll be hard for them to show their faces in the core urban area from now on, right?”

Shen Wei remained silent, which was a tacit agreement. Fang Yangxu didn’t say more; he knew Shen Wei never took a loss.

He happened to catch a glimpse of Jiang Yuan’s information on Shen Wei’s communicator. “Do you know him?” Fang Yangxu asked.

Shen Wei looked down at the screen. “He’s a part-timer here. You know him?”

“Of course I do! He was the ‘favored son’ of our school. You didn’t know?”

Shen Wei shook his head. He had never heard of this person.

So, Fang Yangxu gave Shen Wei an incredibly detailed introduction to Jiang Yuan—his background, ranking, and grade. In short, the man was very powerful, but his high-ranking official father had fallen from power two months ago, and Jiang Yuan had tumbled from his pedestal along with him.

Fang Yangxu went over Jiang Yuan’s story several times. A favored son, a “high-altitude flower,” a top-tier pheromone strength—someone who had been framed and fallen from grace. A man who was once as brilliant as the moon was now reduced to working part-time to support himself.

After listening, Shen Wei felt it was quite dull. He wasn’t interested in Alphas. That brief encounter earlier had piqued his curiosity, but once the information was laid bare, the joy of exploration vanished.

Shen Wei thought he would soon forget this man.

However, it wasn’t until the manager said that the police were at the door that Shen Wei realized—from this day forward, he would not let this man off easily.

Ten minutes ago, the Alliance’s Core Urban Area General Bureau received a call saying that an Omega and an Alpha had been stripped of their clothes and were streaking in public in a bar. The police immediately arrived to investigate, and the facts were indeed true.

Recently, the core urban area was preparing for the Chief Executive election. The entire city was under strict security, and management of entertainment venues was exceptionally tight. Any misstep could lead to a shutdown and liquidation. At this critical juncture, no one would dare challenge the authority of the General Bureau.

Shen Wei had clearly instructed his staff to report everything they did. He didn’t know which suicidal idiot decided to show off at a time like this.

Even though Shen Wei’s father was a strong candidate for Chief Executive, he still had to be investigated according to the law. Since someone had reported a crime, the police had to act impartially. The bar wasn’t entirely “clean” to begin with, and the General Bureau had long been eyeing the bars under Shen Wei’s name. They had been waiting for a legitimate reason to issue a fine. Now that someone had reported a crime, they had their excuse. Combined with the background of the election crackdown, they could shut down the bar and issue a fine in one fell swoop.

Within an hour, the customers in the bar were dispersed. The police gave Shen Wei some face by only taking statements on-site instead of dragging everyone back to the station, but they still issued a two-month closure penalty.

After seeing the police off, Shen Wei stretched his body, his expression turning vicious.

His tone, however, was exceptionally calm as he asked Fang Yangxu, “You just said you found out that the Alpha who reported it was named Jiang Yuan?”

Fang Yangxu nodded, quite indignant. “His father is already in prison, so what is he acting all noble for? Meddling in other people’s business… he’s a total psychopath.”

Suddenly, Shen Wei laughed. He saw Jiang Yuan’s figure Jiang Yuan was preparing to leave the bar along with the other staff members.

Shen Wei lit a cigarette. The smoke drifted, blurring his handsome features.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke and said to Fang Yangxu beside him, “Since the shop is closed because of him and there’s nothing left to play with then tonight”

“We play him.”