Chapter 84: Into the Tiger’s Den – Do You Want to be Played with by Us, or by Them?
The evening breeze swirled with the fragmented lights of the roadside neon. Mo Qingyu’s mind suddenly went blank. What had he just heard?
“I don’t understand…”
Jiang Chenyan didn’t answer Mo Qingyu’s question. His voice was very light, softened by the evening breeze. He asked instead, “Didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me just now? Joining an organization? What organization?”
Mo Qingyu’s fingers tightened slightly. He had accidentally let it slip to the organization that Jiang Chenyan was an Omega. Those at the top seemed quite happy with this news and hoped Jiang Chenyan could join them.
He had planned to find a stable time to bring it up, but now…
What should he do?
“Do you… want to join us?” Mo Qingyu asked, his heart pounding.
Jiang Chenyan raised an eyebrow, roughly understanding what the other was trying to say. “Rebels and the like?”
“…”
Mo Qingyu was momentarily speechless. How had he seen through it so directly?
Jiang Chenyan lowered his eyes in thought, as if seriously considering Mo Qingyu’s proposal.
“Then let’s have a surprise attack the day after tomorrow. I’ll be heading to the Alliance, and there should be high-rank Alphas accompanying me. At that time, you guys just blow up the shuttle and spread the news of my ‘death escape.’ After it’s done, I’ll go to your organization to talk about cooperation.”
Jiang Chenyan’s plan was quite clever.
His original plan was to discuss creating the illusion of a shuttle explosion with Kai Lan. Although the Alliance said they wouldn’t send anyone, they would likely still have a heavy escort.
Now that Mo Qingyu had delivered himself to his door, it was a good opportunity.
Mo Qingyu was stunned and instinctively took half a step back. “Ah? Isn’t this too reckless? Deciding it just like that by the roadside?”
“Also, why do you want to do this?”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Chenyan’s mouth. “If nothing goes wrong, there will be an SS-rank Alpha on board. It won’t be a loss to blow up an SS-rank Alpha of the Alliance.”
“The day after tomorrow?” Mo Qingyu’s brow furrowed slightly as he thought. “I’ll go back and inform those above first and give you an answer as soon as possible.”
Jiang Chenyan nodded. “Alright.”
The system was a bit worried for Jiang Chenyan.
[Host, what if an accident really happens? Also, if the protagonist gong is on the shuttle, are you going to blow him up as well?]
Jiang Chenyan frowned and condemned the other. “As a system, don’t you have any other practical functions? For example… teleportation?”
The system suddenly understood, its voice cracking with excitement: [Sh*t! You reminded me! It seems I really do have that function! Then why do we even need Mo Qingyu’s help? We can handle it ourselves!]
Jiang Chenyan’s expression was cold, mostly speechless.
Why didn’t you say so sooner?
Slowly recovering his composure, Jiang Chenyan explained calmly: “I still need their help. I don’t have explosives, and a small amount wouldn’t be enough anyway. To make sure the shuttle is destroyed, I need to be blown to ashes.”
More importantly, he had never tried installing bombs. If Mo Qingyu’s side was willing to act, they would send mechs to bomb it directly. It would both guarantee the power and save a lot of trouble—far more stable than him tinkering on his own.
System: [Host, you surely don’t want to blow up everyone on the shuttle, do you?]
Jiang Chenyan raised his eyes nonchalantly. “Is that not allowed?”
In places where there was war, death was inevitable. It was a perfectly normal thing; there was nothing to make a fuss about.
Furthermore, Jiang Chenyan had no idea which organization Mo Qingyu had joined. Was it a power led by Omegas or a faction controlled by Alphas?
There had always been more than one anti-Alliance organization, and their stances were unclear with many entanglements.
Seeing that the talk was mostly finished, Jiang Chenyan planned to leave. “In that case, just give me an answer once you’ve discussed it. I remember saving your contact information.”
He hadn’t walked more than a few steps when Mo Qingyu suddenly called out behind him, “Hey, aren’t you curious about how things are in there now? Or… how I’ve been doing lately?”
Jiang Chenyan’s steps paused. He turned his face toward him, his eyes lacking any extra emotion.
It was very late. The neon light blurred into mottled shadows, and the sound of decadent music mixed with voices drifted into the night sky, outlining the illusion of prosperity in the city’s bright lights and wine.
Jiang Chenyan had thought Mo Qingyu’s vigilance would be too strong to tell him, but it seemed not.
Turning back, Jiang Chenyan focused his mind, ready to listen.
His voice was pressed into the night, very light. “Shall we talk? Is that okay?”
Mo Qingyu gave a bitter smile, appearing to be caught in great distress. “I’m a bit lost right now. The only person I can rely on is you.”
An unexpected answer. Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed.
The night grew deeper. The glow of the lights and wine flowed over the two, pulling their shadows long and short. Both of their thoughts were sinking into their own depths.
In the VIP room, a large redwood table occupied most of the space, covered with exquisite dishes.
The waiter silently finished adding dishes, bowed, and retreated. The sound of the door closing was almost inaudible.
Jiang Chenyan picked up the bottle. The amber liquid slid down the side of the glass, creating ripples at the bottom of the crystal cup. He pushed the glass toward the exquisite blue-eyed youth opposite him.
Kai Lan picked up the glass and took a sip, his eyebrow arching slightly. “You mean, you ran into Mo Qingyu?”
He had a deep impression of that name; the auction incident was still fresh in his memory.
Jiang Chenyan nodded. His fingertips tapped the table lightly as he pondered for a moment before speaking slowly: “Mm, he told me a lot.”
Kai Lan’s movement to pick up food paused. “Oh? About wanting you to join some sh*tty organization?”
Jiang Chenyan leaned back against the chair, a cold light flitting through his eyes.
He had already secretly investigated and broken through layers of interception systems. He had finally discovered the true colors of that organization: The LE organization. On the surface, it waved the anti-Alliance flag, claiming it wanted to overthrow the existing system and seek benefits for Omegas and Betas. But the leaders were mostly Alphas. Who could truly see through the hidden twists and turns?
“The LE organization,” Jiang Chenyan said. “Publicly, they claim to condemn the Alliance’s inaction and fight for the rights of Omegas and Betas.”
“…”
Kai Lan’s chewing stopped. He continued eating with his chopsticks while asking nonchalantly: “Do you believe them?”
Jiang Chenyan looked up, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: “Do I look like the type to believe that? However, I plan to use them.”
“Then I support you with both hands.” Kai Lan swallowed the food in his mouth, his gaze suddenly becoming vigilant. “Wait, we need to investigate carefully in a bit. The interior of the Alliance has been a mess lately. Various factions are constantly arguing, and their differences are growing larger. Many rebels are stirring; it seems the world is about to change.”
The game of power was always cruel. Alphas fought and plotted against each other just to seize the right to speak.
In the later stages of the original novel, it was described in detail how the Xie family, the Shen family, and the Qi family each formed their own faction. Originally, the three families were at each other’s throats, but they were forced to cooperate because of the protagonist shou’s existence, joining forces to suppress all kinds of rebellions.
In the end, all power was monopolized by these three families. The Alliance became entirely their puppet. The protagonist shou was also forced to recognize reality and accept his fate, no longer struggling or resisting. Don’t think for a moment that the protagonist gongs were good people; the law still strictly protected the rights of upper-class Alphas and even intensified it. Lower-class Omegas and Betas still lived in the dire straits of oppression.
However, those were the plots of the original novel. Jiang Chenyan was now in a fanfiction world, and many details were still unknown. He would have to ask the system for more information later.
Kai Lan set his wine glass down, his brow furrowed slightly. “I don’t object to your ‘death escape’ plan, but what if an accident happens to you? Also, what about Shen Shiyue? Does he know about this?”
Jiang Chenyan’s fingers tightened, his voice lowering a bit: “I originally planned to tell him everything, but he is currently detained at home. I don’t know whose hands the message I sent will fall into. It’s also very hard for me to sneak into the Shen family, so…”
“Wait,” Kai Lan interrupted Jiang Chenyan, finding it a bit strange. “What exactly is going on with you two? Why is he detained at home?”
Jiang Chenyan lowered his eyelashes. To put it bluntly, it was his fault. He really didn’t have the face to explain in detail.
“It was my mistake.”
Jiang Chenyan’s heart was in a mess. It was likely because of the relationship between him and Shen Shiyue, or that impulsive sentence, “I will marry Shen Shiyue,” which had provoked Shen Qing.
Most importantly, that wasn’t even the worst part. Educating Old Master Shen was the ultimate blow.
In short, Shen Shiyue was locked up by the Shen family.
Seeing Jiang Chenyan like this, Kai Lan managed to tuck away his gossip-seeking mind and softened his tone: “Fine, I won’t ask. I’ll use a micro-drone to notify him secretly; it won’t be discovered. You can rest easy.”
“Thank you…”
“Tsk.” Kai Lan sneered, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Chenyan. “Why have you suddenly learned to be polite? Weren’t you quite arrogant before? Where’s your cold male god persona?”
Jiang Chenyan’s mouth twitched, momentarily speechless.
Cold male god.
When did that happen?
Kai Lan put a piece of food into Jiang Chenyan’s bowl. “Hurry up and eat. Look at how thin you’ve become. Tomorrow, no matter what happens, you must come back alive to see me. Do you hear me?”
“Mm.” Jiang Chenyan gave a low response.
He had a cheat; nothing would go wrong.
However, it was good to have a friend looking out for him.
The corners of Jiang Chenyan’s mouth unconsciously curled up into a faint, exceptionally sincere smile.
Kai Lan frowned. “What are you smiling at? Eat, hurry up.”
The smile that had just bloomed on Jiang Chenyan’s face froze, and he silently withdrew his expression.
Just then, his terminal suddenly vibrated. He tapped it to see a message from Mo Qingyu—
Good, LE agreed.
On that day, the shuttle plaza was crowded with students and teachers seeing people off. The Alliance had indeed sent dedicated personnel to meet them.
Ji Xuan stepped forward quickly and gave Jiang Chenyan a hug. “Take good care of yourself over there. Remember to come back and visit often.”
Jiang Chenyan nodded lightly. His gaze instinctively swept over the crowd, finally landing on Professor Ariel. He gave the man a deep look.
Regrettably, Professor Ariel’s expression was cold. His gaze passed over him without stopping for even a second, moving directly elsewhere. He completely ignored Jiang Chenyan’s gaze.
Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed, and a hint of bitterness welled up in his heart. It wasn’t very strong—he felt a bit sad, but ultimately not much.
He withdrew his gaze, suppressed that bit of disappointment, and turned to step onto the shuttle’s ramp.
Just as he walked through the shuttle’s hatch, Jiang Chenyan’s steps paused. He was stunned for an instant.
The light inside the cabin was dim. In the hazy shadows sat over a dozen Alphas.
In the center position were two tall, familiar figures.
Jiang Chenyan only saw them clearly when he got closer.
It was Mu Sian and Xie Huaijin.
Both were leaning back in wide seats, their dark hair casually falling over their foreheads. Beneath their high-bridged noses, their thin lips were pursed into cold, hard lines without any warmth. The dark uniforms they wore were expensive and exquisite, with silver emblems on their epaulets and tight cuffs outlining the lines of their forearms. Every detail represented low-profile luxury and unquestionable power.
Sensing movement behind them, both their gazes turned simultaneously. They were bone-chillingly cold, pinning themselves directly onto Jiang Chenyan.
Their undisguised scrutiny and displeasure instantly made the air in the cabin stagnate.
The system’s voice trembled: […Why are these two here? Their aura is too terrifying; it’s pressing down on me so hard I don’t dare to make a sound!]
Not as nervous as the system, Jiang Chenyan met their gazes expressionlessly. His fingers tightened imperceptibly at his side, his knuckles turning white, before slowly loosening. Suppressing the ripples in his heart, he walked directly to an empty seat in the corner and sat down, not saying a word the entire time.
This scene was outside Jiang Chenyan’s expectations. He had thought Mu Sian and Xie Huaijin would have departed earlier; he hadn’t expected them to be on this shuttle.
A trace of irritability flickered in his heart, but then he thought about it—this was actually perfect. He could blow these two up together in a moment, saving a lot of subsequent trouble.
The journey was long. Jiang Chenyan originally wanted to close his eyes and take a nap to shut out those sticky gazes on him.
But he slowly noticed something was wrong. The gazes falling on him weren’t just from one person; they were dense and numerous, like needles poking him.
Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed, and he reacted instantly.
He shifted his eyes and stole a glance at the dozen or so Alphas behind him. Wherever his gaze passed, he actually saw several familiar figures…
[Host… Holy sh*t!] The system had discovered something, its voice shaking.
Jiang Chenyan’s fingers tightened as the irritability surged again.
On the eve of the competition, the school had held an event. He and Shen Shiyue had sneaked out and happened to run into Admiral Seles. At that time, over a dozen Alphas were following the Admiral.
And right now, among these Alphas in the shuttle cabin, several faces overlapped with the faces of those Alphas who had been following Admiral Seles back then.
Jiang Chenyan’s intuition told him something was wrong, and the unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
When wave after wave of Alpha pheromones pounced on him—thick, domineering, and filling the cabin with a daunting pressure—this ominous premonition reached its peak.
A sheep entering the tiger’s mouth.
Jiang Chenyan thought of these six words.
He kept his eyes tightly closed. Under the pressure of the pheromones, cold sweat slid from his brow along his jawline, soaking through the thin shirt on his back until it clung to his skin.
Is that all? Are they tearing off their masks and not pretending anymore?
Jiang Chenyan had guessed correctly. When he opened his eyes again, a tall figure loomed over him, completely blocking out the light around him.
Mu Sian leaned down, his fingers seemingly brushing against Jiang Chenyan’s cheek. A playful, light smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “It’s been several days. Did you miss us?”
Jiang Chenyan looked up, his eyes cold as ice. He looked directly at Mu Sian without any ripples in his gaze and didn’t respond.
Mu Sian didn’t mind at all. He leaned over and pressed Jiang Chenyan’s upper body down until it was completely flush against the back of the seat. His chest was squeezed until it rose and fell slightly; only then did he stop.
“We want to play something interesting with you.” He gave a wicked smile and stepped aside. Xie Huaijin behind him understood and walked forward slowly. The two of them trapped Jiang Chenyan on either side.
Jiang Chenyan’s stomach was churning as he heard Mu Sian speak word by word.
“Every Alpha in this cabin knows your true identity now. Now, choose. Do you want to be played with by me and Xie Huaijin, or do you want to let them take turns?”
The system was panicked. Is the Host really going to be…
Jiang Chenyan was so disgusted his entire body couldn’t stop shaking. His fingers found the short blade hidden on his person, pulled it out, and slashed toward one of them.
Translator’s Note: Talk about a cliffhanger! The phrase “Sheep into the tiger’s mouth” (羊入虎口 – yáng rù hǔ kǒu) is a perfect description of Jiang Chenyan’s current predicament.
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