Chapter 5: This Alpha Is More… Than He Looks
Before coming here, Yu Shi had gone through the profiles of the entire class. However, the information on this student named Xie Ren was pitifully sparse.
The database contained only three lines: Xie Ren Male Alpha Rank: S+
Statistically, S+ ranks accounted for only 0.1% of the entire Blue Star population.
A century ago, the medical community discovered that rank influenced the function of pheromones. For instance, B-ranks could soothe patients with depression, A-ranks could calm infants and pregnant women, and S-ranks could alleviate physical pain, offering vast prospects in military and medical fields.
This discovery spawned a gray industry chain: the violent extraction of pheromones from others. Unlike voluntary release, violent extraction caused damage to bodily functions and could even lead to death in severe cases.
To combat this gray market, Sundial enacted relevant laws, one of which stated that anyone ranked S or above would be displayed simply as S+.
The entry threshold for NDU was A-rank, and the Command Academy averaged S-rank, but Xie Ren was the sole S+.
It was truly jaw-dropping that an S+ Alpha could be as childish as a high schooler.
Yu Shi opened his optical computer and logged into the teaching system, only to find he couldn’t connect to the campus network.
He called the teaching AI. The voice on the other end said apologetically, “So sorry, dear. The internal network can only connect to work computers. You can go to the computer room to access the internet.”
“The computer room requires identity verification, which I haven’t registered yet. Why can’t I connect to the external network?”
“So sorry, dear. There are signal jammers on campus; access to the external network is not permitted.”
“…” Yu Shi said impatiently, “I need to notify the students about a class meeting tomorrow. How should I proceed?”
“So sorry, dear. You can go to the computer room to access the internet,” the AI repeated robotically.
Yu Shi clenched his fist. “Do you not understand human speech? The computer room requires identity verification! Is there any other way besides that?”
“Dear, identity verification is usually done collectively upon enrollment, or within three days of approval. It includes iris recognition, pheromone recognition, fingerprint recognition…”
Yu Shi hung up with a snap. This piece of junk, spouting nothing but nonsense.
Work was forced to a halt. He had to wait half an hour for the Academic Affairs Office to open so he could contact a normal human to handle this.
He paced to the window. The space on the fifth floor was large; all three of them stayed in double rooms equipped with two beds, desks, and wardrobes.
Yu Shi swiped his screen in annoyance. Suddenly, a hotspot popped up in the wireless network list.
Heh, they say external networks aren’t allowed, but in reality, the students were all secretly surfing the web.
Without much hope, he clicked on a hotspot named “Indeed Very Handsome.” To his surprise, it required no password and connected smoothly.
He quickly logged into the teaching system, sent a mass notification for the class meeting tomorrow, uploaded the lesson plans for the day after, and conveniently downloaded a few art films.
The network was as silky smooth as chocolate. While uploading, he sent a message to Liu Yin to let her know he was safe.
[Liu Yin: You still know how to reply? Do you know how many days you’ve ignored me? I was about to call the police if you didn’t reply!]
[Yu Shi: Mom, I’m at NDU for Summer Training. The signal is bad.]
[Liu Yin: You went to NDU? When did that happen?]
[Yu Shi: Just arrived today.]
There was a silence on the other end before she replied: [It’s a good opportunity. Their former principal was an old comrade of your dad’s. By the way, remember to check that Pink Cannonball app. I saw your last login was twenty days ago.]
Yu Shi felt dizzy. [Why did you log into my account again?]
[Liu Yin: You brat, you weren’t replying, so naturally I had to see if you were dating! He sent you so many messages; don’t just leave him hanging.]
[Yu Shi: …Understood.]
Speechless, he logged onto Pink Cannonball. This time, he clicked for device synchronization and received a cascade of messages.
[Thank You Whole Family: Good morning, young friend.]
[Thank You Whole Family: Let’s go for a morning run together, hehe /Image/]
The timestamp was 5:30 AM, nineteen days ago. The photo showed a lush poplar forest and a winding cobblestone path—a quiet and beautiful environment.
A sign by the roadside was visible: Retired Cadres Hot Spring Sanatorium.
Yu Shi: ?
Suppressing his confusion, he continued scrolling down.
[Thank You Whole Family: Young friend, are you very busy?]
[Thank You Whole Family: I went fishing, hehe. Caught a twenty-pound fish and a strange schoolbag.]
[Thank You Whole Family: Case solved. Inside was a kid’s summer homework, hehe. Kids are so interesting. I’m going to dry it out and send it back.]
…You are a devil.
[Thank You Whole Family: Celebrating my old classmate’s birthday today. This cake is a full two meters tall /Image/]
[Thank You Whole Family: Pity my blood sugar is a bit high recently, so I can only watch them eat, hehe.]
The photo was taken on a cruise ship, showing a six-layer cake and golden confetti—a scene of luxury and dissipation, if not for the giant longevity peach on top of the cake.
[Thank You Whole Family: Little Yu Doesn’t Eat Fish, why don’t you reply to my messages?]
[Thank You Whole Family: Is the way I talk too ‘out’? I surf the web often, I shouldn’t be behind the times. Do you dislike the things I send?]
Yu Shi: …I wouldn’t call it dislike.
Liu Yin had replied with a few sentences on his behalf, explaining that he was busy with work and couldn’t check his phone often. The other party had replied with a cheerful “It’s okay,” displaying an emotional stability that felt less like a blind date and more like a tolerant father.
It was way, way too weird.
Liu Yin had continued liking his posts for a few days, raising the favorability to 19. Yu Shi clicked on his profile.
Although it was hard to believe, it clearly stated: “Gender: Male Alpha, Age: 23, Graduate Student Status Verified.”
He clicked into the other party’s “Little Nest” and saw a new post from two days ago.
Thank You Whole Family: [Welcome home.]
The attached image was a satellite photo. A massive warship was slowly entering orbit.
An Alpha in military uniform stood behind the glass, saluting in the direction of Sundial. His posture was tall and upright, standing as straight as a blade ready to be unsheathed, radiating an invisible oppression.
The warship itself was blurred out, looking no different from a standard starship, and the shot was taken from very far away, making his face indistinguishable.
Yu Shi found it hard to believe, but this person really was a soldier in his twenties.
Was he being too sensitive? Maybe the guy just had an old-fashioned style?
Seeing him online, Thank You Whole Family popped up a “Good Afternoon” sticker. This time, it wasn’t the passive-aggressive elderly smile emoji.
[Little Yu Doesn’t Eat Fish: Sorry, I’ve been quite busy lately, so my replies haven’t been timely.]
Perhaps influenced by the other party, his tone became polite as well.
[Thank You Whole Family: Hehe, it’s alright. I was very busy last month too.]
Yu Shi was puzzled. You were busy? Weren’t you fishing, jogging, and attending your old classmate’s birthday banquet every day?
[Thank You Whole Family: Let me show you a good thing I got recently. You should like it.]
[Little Yu Doesn’t Eat Fish: ?]
[Thank You Whole Family: Blue King Kong, do you know it?]
Yu Shi narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting slightly.
“King Kong” was a combat mecha belonging to the Ranger series. It originated during the civil war, but because its destructive power was too inhumane, production had ceased decades ago.
He remembered that this mecha only came in red. How could there be a Blue King Kong?
And the few that hadn’t been destroyed were currently in the K9 Armory. What means did he use to acquire one?
Thank You Whole Family sent an image. It loaded very slowly; the circle spun and spun until suddenly, a notification popped up: Connection Lost.
Yu Shi switched back to the wireless tab and found the hotspot was gone.
He had been kicked by the owner.
A second later, the name changed to “Try leeching off your daddy’s hotspot again.”
Yu Shi: “…”
Are the students in this school all this arrogant?!
What’s wrong with borrowing a hotspot? You’d better hope the Disciplinary Committee doesn’t catch you!
At 2:00 PM, the Academic Affairs Office distributed their work computers and recorded their identity passes.
The collection staff held an instrument and said, “Instructor Yu, there are many checkpoints on campus. We recommend using iris recognition. Please remove your contact lenses.”
Xu Bohan piped up, “Teacher, your prescription is very low, right? Why do you always wear contacts?”
Yu Shi paused for a moment. “No need. I’ll record my fingerprints.”
The staff member was stunned and tried to persuade him, “Fingerprint recognition isn’t very convenient. Very few people use only that. Look…”
“Just fingerprints.”
“Alright.”
The two staff members exchanged a glance, both a bit confused.
After the collection was complete, they said, “At 9:00 AM on Saturday, the Health Department will organize an entry physical examination. We wish the teachers all the best during your tenure.”
Yu Shi sent the system login credentials to Xu Bohan and Qi Huan and assigned tasks. “Little Xu will be responsible for future class notifications and compiling everyone’s participation points and attendance.”
Qi Huan asked meekly, “Director Yu, what about me?”
“You have other work,” Yu Shi said.
Qi Huan’s eyes dimmed. The retribution had arrived as expected.
The next morning, Yu Shi held a class meeting in a large classroom. While calling roll to recognize faces, he introduced himself and his assistants.
Unsurprisingly, only half the class showed up. The Alphas sat with their legs crossed, listening to him with indifferent expressions.
After it ended, Xu Bohan looked unwell and asked Yu Shi what to do.
Yu Shi said, “Deduct five points for every absence, including class meetings. Notify everyone that if they don’t mind failing the course, they don’t have to come for the entire semester.”
NDU controlled the failure rate strictly, and Summer Training grades counted toward graduation credits.
This move was very effective. When formal classes started on Monday, half the room filled up.
Yu Shi wasn’t in a hurry to start class. He leaned against the podium, looking at the faces of these young reserve officers.
The Command Academy was famous for its strict discipline, yet these Alphas—some in training uniforms, some in casual wear, some wearing hats, some with open collars—fully illustrated what it meant to “tailor their attitude to the person.”
—They simply didn’t take this instructor seriously.
The course was divided into theory and practice. The theory class was paperless, but a quarter of them hadn’t brought their optical computers, sitting there empty-handed and slouching, seemingly just there to leech credits.
Xu Bohan was calling roll when the bell rang, and three male students walked in from the door.
Yu Shi turned his head to face the three latecomers.
The leading Alpha had a bandage on him and hair cut very short. He possessed a face as sculpted as a statue, with healthy, wheat-colored skin.
Those eyes were extremely arresting—the brow bone was sharp, and the eyes were cold and pitch-black. His features were deep and handsome.
The moment Yu Shi’s gaze collided with his, he recognized those sharp eyes—it was the masked Alpha from the first day, Xie Ren of the Falcon Regiment.
The conditions for joining the Falcon Regiment were extremely harsh, requiring at least two Second-Class Merits. Only two people from this graduating class had been selected, and Xie Ren had been enlisted in his fourth year.
No wonder he was so arrogant.
A sense of vigilance rose in Yu Shi’s heart. Intuition told him this Alpha was more dangerous than he looked.
“Sorry, seems we’re late,” another Alpha said, scratching his hair and smiling playfully.
His name was Zhao Yi, the one who had been spouting nonsense in the elevator.
Xie Ren coldly looked away, carrying his optical computer toward his seat.
Yu Shi spoke up, “Did I say you could come in?”
The classroom fell instantly silent. Xu Bohan stopped calling roll, watching them cautiously.
“Xie Ren, Zhao Yi, Ye Bingyang,” Yu Shi said. “You three were absent yesterday; five points deducted from your participation grade. You are late today; another three points deducted. Furthermore, if you are late for my class, you stand at the door for twenty minutes.”
The class immediately erupted into an uproar, students whispering in low voices.
“Damn, a new broom sweeps clean.”
“Badass. He’s the first one who dares to deduct Brother Ren’s points.”
“Is he crazy? Xie Ren is aiming for an excellence evaluation. Isn’t this walking right into the line of fire?”
“Brother Ren has special privileges for missions. Even Old Tang doesn’t dare scold him. Showing up is already giving him face. Now there’s going to be a show.”
Zhao Yi was dumbfounded. “Eight points total? Deducting that much for one absence?”
“Is there a problem?” Yu Shi looked at him coldly.
Xie Ren frowned and walked straight to the edge of the podium.
Everyone else held their breath, staring at them without blinking.
The podium was ten centimeters high. Xie Ren looked him in the eye, sizing him up coldly. He looked from his face to the work badge on his chest, giving a slight, mocking smile upon seeing the name.
That look was arrogant and rude, showing absolutely no regard for him.
Xu Bohan broke into a cold sweat, terrified that Xie Ren would knock Yu Shi out with a single punch in the next second.
Could Yu Shi handle it?
Don’t joke. No one had even seen him exercise. With that physique, his arm would probably snap as soon as he lifted it.
Xu Bohan looked around, planning to find a handy weapon to sneak attack the Alpha’s head later.
This field assignment really wasn’t for humans.
Xie Ren approached step by step. Yu Shi’s breathing didn’t falter; he met his gaze with indifference.
The tension in the classroom was palpable. Everyone looked uneasy as Xie Ren slowly raised his left hand.
Xu Bohan cursed under his breath, grabbed the roll call book, and rushed forward.
Fight!
“Instructor, I’m injured,” Xie Ren said lazily.
The word “Instructor” carried no respect; instead, it sounded like mockery.
Xu Bohan almost tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. The others had varying expressions, and Qi Huan’s eyes nearly popped out as he quickly grabbed Xu Bohan.
“You’re injured, so what?” Yu Shi raised an eyebrow. “Did you file for leave? Did you ask the teaching assistant for time off? Is there a necessary correlation between being injured and being absent or late?”
Another commotion rippled through the room.
“Wow, is he really an Omega? So feisty.”
“Hahahaha, I’m dumbfounded. This instructor has some guts.”
“It’s over. For the next three months, Brother Ren is going to torture him to death.”
Zhao Yi couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward. “Teacher Yu, you might not know, but when the Falcon Regiment goes on missions, leave is approved directly by the Principal. We just came back from outside…”
Yu Shi interrupted him. “Since you call me ‘Teacher,’ then you are my student. Which school regulation states that skipping the chain of command for leave is permitted? Not reporting in for two whole days—do you think that’s justifiable?”
Zhao Yi fell silent. Hostility welled up in Xie Ren’s eyes as he said in a deep voice, “It seems Instructor Yu is determined to make an example of me.”
Yu Shi scoffed coldly. “The gun hits the bird that sticks its head out. As a Falcon Regiment Commander who has been in the force for seven years, surely you understand this principle? For disrupting classroom order, deducting eight points is letting you off light. If this were the Research Institute, you wouldn’t even be qualified to be my student.”
There was a collective gasp from below, the students’ eyes turning fearful.
Xie Ren stared at him for a few seconds, then gave a mocking smile. “Deduct whatever you want. You’d better hope you can actually enter the score into the system.”
He turned around fearlessly, hands in his pockets, walking toward his seat.
“Stand still,” Yu Shi called out to him.
Xie Ren looked back, saying lazily, “What? Regretting it now?”
Yu Shi pointed to the door. “I didn’t say you could sit. You three, stand outside for me.”
Xie Ren’s expression changed, and he looked at him with sharp, piercing eyes.
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