Chapter 67: Emergency Mission / “But Someone Doesn’t Want to Let You Go.”
Shen Zhuo sniffed carefully, only to find the scent was gone again.
“Are you hurt?” Shen Zhuo pressed his knee against the man’s chest, pushing him away slightly.
Afraid of hurting him this time, Du Xun obediently sat on the bed.
However, he simply sat there and put on his clothes without saying a word.
Shen Zhuo furrowed his brows and asked again, “Are you hurt?”
Du Xun looked up.
In those gray-blue pupils, deep as the ocean, lay a sorrow so dense it could not be dissolved.
This was the first time Shen Zhuo had so clearly seen the man reveal his emotions without any concealment.
He was looking at him.
Yet, it also seemed as if he were looking at the only remaining beam of light in the darkness.
Du Xun still did not answer.
He leaned forward and planted a light kiss on the young man’s lips.
It was fleeting, like the momentary brush of a feather.
“There is an operation at nine o’clock. Don’t wait for me; go to sleep first.”
“Du Xun!” He grabbed Du Xun’s arm.
Shen Zhuo did not like Du Xun’s secretive attitude.
He disliked it immensely.
Perhaps there were some things he couldn’t help with.
But he would try his best, and he would put his heart into it.
But this attitude of Du Xun’s felt like he was drawing a line between them.
As if he were still the person from his past life who couldn’t do anything.
Stopped by his call, Du Xun paused.
His movements slowed down.
He squeezed the hand Shen Zhuo was using to hold him:
“Don’t worry, you will see me tomorrow.”
Shen Zhuo felt a sudden, inexplicable panic in his heart.
“Is the operation dangerous?”
Shen Zhuo thought he was relatively calm, but he could hear the tremor in his own voice as he spoke.
Anything that Du Xun considered dangerous was certainly not a simple operation.
His fingertips curled inward, gathering into his palm, trembling uncontrollably.
“It will be fine,” Du Xun comforted him. “These matters need to be wrapped up. Everything has been arranged.”
Du Xun stood up, finished dressing, and buckled the gun belt from the table around his waist.
He looked at Shen Zhuo again.
“It will be fine.”
Sometimes, when words are repeated too often, they sound fake.
Shen Zhuo activated his ability, wanting to listen to Du Xun’s inner thoughts.
But for some reason, it felt like hitting a transparent wall.
Shen Zhuo knew his expression must be very unsightly right now.
Bad alpha, not letting him listen.
“Can I go with you?” Shen Zhuo changed his approach.
He added, “I’ll stay on the perimeter. I won’t go in.”
The young man lifted his face; the flush on his snow-white cheeks had not yet faded, and under the light, his rippling eyes carried a sense of urgency.
But Du Xun didn’t even think before answering: “No.”
“Is it because of the security clearance level?”
Shen Zhuo wouldn’t give up.
If it was because of that, his gland rank allowed him to apply to join the operation, even if just as an observer on the sidelines.
Du Xun shook his head.
He glanced at the time.
“Go to sleep, be good.” Du Xun smiled at Shen Zhuo.
Even though the smile looked stiff, as if forced out with great effort.
The moment Du Xun opened the door, Shen Zhuo got out of bed.
A “Du Xun” was swallowed back down his throat.
Shen Zhuo sat back on the edge of the bed, his mind a mess.
He knew that at times like this, he should just trust Du Xun.
But he couldn’t help letting his imagination run wild.
His fingers unconsciously gripped the quilt tightly, and the rhythmic ticking of the clock in his ear became annoying.
He stared at Du Xun’s clothes on the hanger for a long time.
Then he got up and walked towards them.
Du Xun hadn’t worn a jacket when he left; he was only wearing the shirt that went under the summer military uniform.
Shen Zhuo took the clothes down.
They were a bit heavy.
He felt the pockets and took everything out.
The Commander-in-Chief ID of the Imperial Strategic Deployment Command.
Two unused potent inhibitors.
A marriage certificate.
That was it.
Shen Zhuo’s fingertips brushed over the two potent inhibitors.
The viscous liquid, the color of crimson blood, flowed slowly inside the syringes.
Three words suddenly flashed across Shen Zhuo’s mind.
Susceptibility Period.
Alphas experience a susceptibility period every three months.
In cases where they have marked an omega, the susceptibility period requires the soothing of that omega even more.
Shen Zhuo had been with Du Xun for more than three months.
Yet, he had never seen him experience a susceptibility period even once.
Shen Zhuo looked at the two inhibitors, pressing his lips together repeatedly.
It is said that alphas in their susceptibility period are even more delirious than omegas in heat. Du Xun’s behavior didn’t look like a susceptibility period.
It looked more like…
Shen Zhuo didn’t dare to continue that line of thought.
Du Xun had been so fierce; perhaps he wanted to knock him out so he could go on the mission alone after Shen Zhuo fell asleep.
But Shen Zhuo had sensed it.
He looked at the marriage certificate again.
He held the small red booklet in his palm and opened it.
Two equally expressionless faces appeared in the photo.
Du Xun was leaning slightly towards him.
Shen Zhuo’s throat felt dry as he whispered:
“Du Xun, you bastard.”
After staring at the marriage certificate for half an hour, Shen Zhuo closed his sore eyes.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
Shen Zhuo fished it from the head of the bed and saw a message notifying all S-class students.
[—All students of Class S, please gather at the equipment room. Emergency mission.]
Shen Zhuo immediately put everything back in place, sweeping the chaotic thoughts from his mind like scattering clouds before the wind.
He put on his clothes and ran towards the equipment room.
When Shen Zhuo arrived, everyone else was trickling in.
It took less than two minutes in total.
Ai Li tied up his hair casually and exchanged a glance with Shen Zhuo; both saw the confusion in the other’s eyes.
“Orders from above. Everyone, gear up and head to the Black Market to assist the military in intercepting fugitive members of the underground gland trafficking organization and rescuing hostages.”
The leading teacher spoke very fast:
“Grab your gear and follow me!”
The equipment room contained all the weapons and Bluetooth communication devices needed for the mission. The group grabbed their gear and immediately followed the teacher onto the vehicle.
On the way, Shen Zhuo put on a bulletproof vest, holstered his gun, and adjusted his Bluetooth headset.
The group synchronized their watches.
Along the way, they listened to the teacher arrange the strategy for the upcoming operation.
Shen Zhuo’s heart beat very fast.
He felt that this was the operation Du Xun had mentioned.
But Du Xun wouldn’t let him come, yet two hours later, he received a message to go and assist.
Was it already safe?
Or was it…?
“I’ll find a vantage point later,” Ai Li interjected at this moment, tapping his headset. “Contact me on this if anything happens.”
Shen Zhuo nodded.
The armored vehicle moved quickly. When they arrived at the mission location, Shen Zhuo saw Chu Baixian.
It was a concealed building outside the Black Market where plainclothes military personnel were stationed.
The omega had his hair pinned up, looking neat and efficient, and was saying something to the soldiers in the rear.
Shen Zhuo looked around but didn’t see Du Xun.
His fingers tightened.
He stepped forward and, while the teacher was coordinating with the military, asked softly, “Where is Du Xun?”
Chu Baixian’s voice was heavy.
“He went alone to negotiate with those people without bringing any weapons. I’ve temporarily taken over command.”
Shen Zhuo’s heart stopped abruptly.
What?
“The other side named him specifically, demanding Du Xun go alone. They hold 36 hostages of S-rank or above.”
Chu Baixian’s face looked very grim right now. “Half of those hostages are minors.”
He said softly, “Du Xun couldn’t just ignore it.”
The seven people in Class S were quickly assigned their respective tasks.
This operation was a surprise raid from the military’s shadows.
That being said, there might not even be a situation where they needed to act.
Du Xun would have arranged everything properly; they were here just as a precaution.
“One more thing.” Chu Baixian called out to Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo stopped in his tracks.
“They possess banned drugs designed to control and modify glands. Be careful.”
A dark shadow flashed in Chu Baixian’s eyes, and his fingers gripping the walkie-talkie tightened until they turned white.
Shen Zhuo nodded, noting it down.
The task assigned to him was relatively special; it was a mobile position.
No fixed station or range of action.
The Black Market belonged to a gray zone of trade. It was a place the military wanted to ban but had always found difficult to uproot.
The empire was like a food chain.
The Black Market held an important position in this chain. Under the current political structure, it was an indispensable link balancing several forces.
The moment he stepped into the Black Market, a turbid air, seemingly different from anywhere else, mixed with strange smells permeated the entire space.
The Black Market was entrenched in an abandoned underground air-raid shelter.
Rushing toward him, aside from the complex smells, were chaotic noises.
There was a boxing ring in the Black Market. At this moment, one could see shouts erupting from the sea of people surrounding it.
Location guidance came through the headset. Shen Zhuo scanned past the ring and continued inward.
Vendors large and small sold all kinds of things, some commonly seen above ground, others not.
Almost everyone wore cloaks to hide their true faces.
Shen Zhuo pulled up the hood of the jacket Chu Baixian gave him, concealing his aura as he blended into the crowd.
When he turned a corner.
Two unusual presences suddenly appeared behind him.
Shen Zhuo glanced back sideways.
He deliberately walked towards a deserted alley.
As the two presences gradually approached, a short dagger slid out of the boy’s sleeve, spun once in his palm, and was quietly gripped.
Shen Zhuo stopped.
The weapon in his hand was obscured by the jacket, making it unclear.
“What do you two want?”
“Haven’t seen you before. Looking to do some business?” One of the alphas pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. “Behave yourself.”
Shen Zhuo turned sideways, revealing the lower half of his face. “High-tier glands, do you have any?”
The two exchanged a glance.
The other alpha laughed loudly:
“Of course we do! But, do you have money?”
The boy’s gaze pierced through the brim of his hat and his bangs, fixing on one man’s throat.
A slight sound came from the headset: [Target confirmed.]
“I do,” Shen Zhuo said.
The provocative and mocking look in the alpha’s eyes changed instantly as the omega in front of him suddenly vanished.
A cold gust of wind brushed past his ears. The boy’s figure reappeared, but he was already within reach.
The short dagger drew a line of light in the air.
At the same time it slit one man’s throat, a bloody hole appeared out of nowhere on the forehead of the other alpha beside him.
After Shen Zhuo delivered a finishing blow, he followed the direction of the bullet, turned, and looked up towards the high ground.
Ai Li was on the tallest building, almost at the top of the air-raid shelter, making a hand gesture towards him.
His voice came through the headset again:
[Target eliminated.]
However, just at this moment, a command came simultaneously through everyone’s headsets.
“Negotiation ended. Prepare to—”
Chu Baixian’s voice changed abruptly:
“Wait!”
“Everyone! Do not fire!!”
A small door opened at the spot where all guns were aimed.
Du Xun, handcuffed by his hands and feet, was pushed out the door, wearing an electric shock device designed for glands around his neck.
A long-haired alpha wearing gold-rimmed glasses pressed a handgun against Du Xun’s back, looking demonstratively at all the fully armed personnel outside.
“Look, they still want to save you.”
The refined-looking alpha revealed a bewildering smile. “Are you going to resist?”
Du Xun’s eyes were cold.
But he didn’t move.
“Do what you promised, and I will do what I promised,” Du Xun said, his voice silent and heavy. “Let them go.”
“Don’t worry, of course I keep my word, but…”
The alpha revealed a syringe between his fingers.
Inside was a blue liquid.
He plunged the needle into the artery at Du Xun’s neck, smiling eerily and sinisterly:
“But someone doesn’t want to let you go.”
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