Chapter 2

This was the second time Shen Wei had seen Jiang Yuan, and the man’s aura hadn’t changed a bit. He still looked just as upright and “proper” as before.

Jiang Yuan had been brought by several of Shen Wei’s friends to a bar in the Lower District. This, too, was one of Shen Wei’s properties.

The Lower District sat on the edge of the Core Urban Area, a place where peace was a foreign concept. While the outskirts were heavily patrolled by police to keep the residents suppressed and prevent rioting, the interior was a lawless void. Within its borders, Alliance laws were the most useless things imaginable. Chaos was the norm, and nothing seen inside was considered strange. Consequently, even if the businesses here flouted every regulation in the book, no official bothered to investigate.

Although Shen Wei owned multiple businesses, the bar in the Core Urban Area was his largest and most profitable. Because of Jiang Yuan’s inexplicable sense of justice, that bar had been shut down for two months. Shen Wei had lost more than half of his income, and he still had to deal with the headache of explaining the situation to the other shareholders and friends. The complex bureaucracy involved was enough to make his head spin.

At their very first meeting, he had formed a deep grudge against this Alpha. No wonder he had felt so physically repulsed the moment he laid eyes on Jiang Yuan.

Shen Wei stepped forward slowly.

The others wisely retreated, leaving the space around Jiang Yuan entirely to Shen Wei. Shen Wei draped an arm over Jiang Yuan’s shoulder. The sharp, choking scent of nutmeg filled his nose—Shen Wei never bothered to restrain his pheromones.

Then, Shen Wei landed a heavy punch right in Jiang Yuan’s abdomen.

Jiang Yuan doubled over in pain, but Shen Wei forced him upright again. Even though Jiang Yuan was an Alpha of the same rank, his wisest choice right now was to endure Shen Wei’s fury. Surrounded by Shen Wei’s people, resistance was impossible.

“So full of justice, aren’t we, Classmate Jiang?” Shen Wei said with a smirk.

Jiang Yuan was held in a death grip. His chest heaved and his gaze never wavered. He could feel Shen Wei’s pheromones seeping into his lungs, clashing and fighting with his own before finally merging with his very flesh and blood. He took a deep breath but didn’t move.

A clear, pleasant voice whispered in Jiang Yuan’s ear, “Since you provoked me, why don’t we play a little game?”

Shen Wei’s tone was ambiguous and his words were spoken with a smile, but his expression was one of pure contempt as he pinned the man down onto the sofa. His friends watched his face, shocked but not daring to show it.

However, Shen Wei’s next words left everyone speechless: “Go. Find me an Omega.”

Fang Yangxu hesitated for a long time before asking, “One A and one O can you handle that?”

Shen Wei chuckled, giving Jiang Yuan a non-answer: “That’s right. One A and one O what could they possibly do?”

Fang Yangxu’s pupils contracted as he realized what Shen Wei intended. Shen Wei wanted to give Jiang Yuan a taste of his own medicine.

As the words fell, Jiang Yuan looked up at him. Shen Wei leaned down, locking eyes with him. In Shen Wei’s pupils, Jiang Yuan saw his own reflection expressionless, unresisting, not even offering a single word of refusal.

Once the Omega’s pheromones induced Jiang Yuan’s rut, Shen Wei would report it to the police without hesitation. He would tell them an Alpha was trying to harass an Omega, giving Jiang Yuan a criminal record. The school would likely expel an Alpha with such a history.

By then, Jiang Yuan might finally beg for mercy.

The thought of an equal groveling at his feet made Shen Wei’s blood boil and his scalp tingle with anticipation. Yet, Jiang Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, still indifferent as he stared back.

Shen Wei didn’t say anything more. He signaled Fang Yangxu to carry out his orders.

Fang Yangxu went to pick an Omega. The bar manager stuttered as he ordered several Omegas to stand before Fang Yangxu, hovering behind them to observe; he couldn’t afford to offend these powerful sons of officials.

A row of Omegas lined up, but Fang Yangxu walked to the end without finding one he liked. He turned to look at the manager.

The manager suddenly dropped to his knees, snot and tears streaming down his face. “Master Xu, I’m just a Beta! I have elderly parents and young children to support, and my body has long since gone to seed. I really can’t serve Master Shen!”

Fang Yangxu gave him a bizarre look. “Who asked for you? Forget it. Which one has a sweeter pheromone scent?”

Two Omegas stepped forward. Fang Yangxu glanced at them and said, “Fine. Both of you come with me.”

The manager crawled up, feeling like he had just escaped death. He ushered them into the VIP room, whispering instructions to the two Omegas not to anger Shen Wei and promising them a bonus afterward.

Shen Wei ordered everyone except Jiang Yuan and the two Omegas to wear suppressor rings. After confirming everything was in order, he leaned back against the sofa. He gestured toward the two Omegas and rested his hand on Jiang Yuan’s scent gland. “This is my friend,” he said. “Take good care of him today.”

Jiang Yuan finally moved, shifting toward where Shen Wei sat. “What are you trying to do?” he asked.

The side of Shen Wei’s thigh pressed against Jiang Yuan’s. A cold sensation immediately traveled through the fabric, but Shen Wei maintained his smile. “Since the bar was closed and I have nothing else to do, I might as well play with you.”

His voice dropped at the end. On the surface, he was smiling, but everyone could tell his patience was rapidly wearing thin.

The two Omegas exchanged a look and tentatively released their pheromones. In an ABO society, even if there was no spark between an Alpha and an Omega, they were biologically designed to bond through the attraction and induction of pheromones. They were forever slaves to their biology.

Shen Wei lowered the setting on his suppressor ring. A faint, cloying scent of flowers and milk instantly filled the room. His heart rate accelerated and his fingers curled instinctively, as if trying to grasp the ethereal pheromones in the air. Though the rank wasn’t high, the scent was pleasant.

He kept a firm grip on Jiang Yuan. Then, he patted Jiang Yuan’s shoulder and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Sir Knight of Justice, it must be exhausting to act so noble all the time.”

Shen Wei leaned into his ear. “You can beg me for mercy.”

They were so close that from Shen Wei’s perspective, Jiang Yuan’s face seemed to radiate “disdain,” never once looking away. A powerful urge to destroy ignited in Shen Wei’s core.

As Shen Wei moved, his own pheromones began to leak out. Alphas were naturally designed to clash. Since Jiang Yuan had no suppressors, he felt a wave of heat spread through his limbs. To make matters worse, Shen Wei’s hand was restless, lightly stroking his neck in a clear signal of warning.

“Are you scared?” Shen Wei asked, tilting his head with a mockingly concerned smile.

Jiang Yuan didn’t answer. He ignored the two Omegas entirely, his eyes fixed on Shen Wei. Shen Wei’s hand was cold, its presence undeniable. The stimulating sensation of those fingers rubbing against his skin surged to his brain. Jiang Yuan’s throat tightened as he struggled to suppress his reaction.

To Shen Wei, however, it looked like Jiang Yuan was judging him from a position of superiority. He dropped his smile and glared back, turning to the Omegas. “Is this the best your pheromones can do?”

The scent in the room grew even more concentrated. Jiang Yuan became visibly restless. Shen Wei’s fingers moved from Jiang Yuan’s scent gland to his chin, forcing his face back toward him. “What’s wrong? Not satisfied with these two Omegas?”

Jiang Yuan’s pheromones were finally drawn out. Even though it was just a trace, they were so close that the damp scent immediately coiled around Shen Wei. Because Shen Wei had lowered his suppressor setting, he was now smothered by Jiang Yuan’s scent.

Sensing a rival Alpha’s pheromones, all traces of playfulness vanished. Shen Wei suddenly wanted to punch someone. With a cold face, he turned his suppressor ring to the highest setting. The sweet Omega scent and the oppressive Alpha scent vanished instantly, leaving only a lingering palpitation.

The two Omegas stepped forward, but Shen Wei watched them expressionlessly. When Jiang Yuan sat up and pushed them away, Shen Wei finally stood and called a halt, dismissing the Omegas.

It seemed that seeing Jiang Yuan lose control would be difficult. The man had incredible control over his pheromones; despite the Omegas’ best efforts, they only managed to draw out a tiny trace.

The friends watching didn’t dare to breathe.

Jiang Yuan leaned forward, bracing himself against the coffee table to maintain his balance. His pheromones were thrashing about the room; even at a low concentration, his high rank meant the others felt a heavy sense of oppression.

Shen Wei stood tall and used his foot to kick Jiang Yuan’s hand away.

Losing his balance, Jiang Yuan had to prop himself up on the floor to keep from falling. He took a deep breath and looked up at Shen Wei. The intense aggression of a powerful Alpha overflowed from his gaze, locking onto Shen Wei.

That sticky feeling of being watched by a venomous snake returned, sending a shiver of goosebumps up Shen Wei’s arms. He raised his foot and ground it into Jiang Yuan’s hand.

The tall Alpha was kneeling at his feet, looking up at him. A primal desire to conquer screamed against his reason. Shen Wei’s chest heaved with excitement, and he squatted down until he was at eye level with Jiang Yuan.

“Not backing down, are you?” he asked.

Jiang Yuan didn’t answer, just stared.

A light flickered in Shen Wei’s fox-like eyes. Ignoring the pressure, he grabbed Jiang Yuan’s jaw and said:

“Bring the muzzle.”