Chapter 30: Drowning Dog
“As for that ‘green-eyed’ buyer… we still have no leads.”
Luigi reported with trepidation.
Samuel felt a bit embarrassed; to have let Jiang Zhaosheng suffer such a thing on his own territory was a blow to his pride. Just as he was about to explain, Jiang Zhaosheng appeared indifferent. He put down his fork and knife and comforted him instead:
“Itâs fine.”
“âItâs normal that you canât find leads on him.”
“Who is he?”
Samuel knew Jiang Zhaosheng had an answer in his heart and asked instinctively.
But for someone of his status, inquiring about the close relationships or enemies of those around him was a major taboo.
Jiang Zhaosheng glanced at him flatly. Just as Samuel was about to apologize, he heard the other speak againâ
“A ‘ghost’.”
It was a neutral word, devoid of any emotion. Jiang Zhaosheng was immersed in his memory, his finger propping up his forehead. He looked at the table, but his gaze was unfocused.
“In that secret room… I received another piece of information.”
Samuel was startled. “What information?”
Jiang Zhaosheng didn’t answer directly. He just looked at him meaningfully.
“…Greetings from an old friend,” he blurred the title, yet the word carried significant weight, “as well as a time and place for a meeting.”
Samuelâs pupils constricted. He roughly understood. That “acquaintance” was definitely no ordinary person and was likely closely related to Jiang Zhaoshengâs past, but he couldn’t get any more information from Zhaozhao.
Judging by his attitude, it didn’t seem like an old lover. Why had that happened in the secret room…
The image of Jiang Zhaoshengâs back, draped in a large coat, lingered in his mind.
Amidst his internal conflict, Jiang Zhaosheng leaned back into his chair again, returning to his languid and relaxed state:
“Go and check the leads for Eden. Help me find out the identity of that Omega and how he died. Thatâs what you should be doing.”
…
After a far-from-ordinary breakfast, Jiang Zhaosheng paced slowly along the lakeside next to the villa.
He was casually draped in a soft knit cardigan, his black hair loosely tied at the side of his shoulder. The early morning breeze playfully teased a few strands of hair, brushing them against his fair neck.
Samuel followed a step behind him, exactly like an ever-present large dog. Several times he raised his hand, wanting to help smooth those disobedient strands of hair. His fingertips almost touched the hair, but he forcibly restrained himself and pulled back dejectedly.
Thoughts were swirling in Jiang Zhaoshengâs mind. the Alpha’s words suddenly made him recall the look the Omega had given him. At the time, he had interpreted that uncomfortable gaze as competition or some other emotion, but now it seemed…
He suddenly turned his head to look at Samuel.
Samuel was stunned by this abrupt gaze. His previously somewhat serious expression instantly melted away, and he broke into a dazzling, cheerful smile, his blue eyes blinking innocently:
“What is it, darling?”
Jiang Zhaosheng didn’t speak. He just crossed his arms, letting his long hair fly in the wind, and watched him calmly as he began to count in his mind.
One, two, three…
Sure enough, the hesitation and embarrassment in the Italian man’s eyes quickly faded, gradually turning into that familiar, predatory, obsessed gaze. His blue eyes sparkled as if he were staring at a priceless treasure.
That was it. That Omega on the ship had been the sameâgreedy, possessive, longing. Although that fellow had kept his eyes lowered and looked like a pathetic drowning dog at the time, the underlying emotional tone was essentially the same as the way Samuel and even Shang Yan looked at him.
His stomach cramped. Rejection and physiological discomfort welled up in his heart. Jiang Zhaosheng couldn’t help but cover his mouth and retch.
Samuel: “?!!”
The Italian man was left bewildered in the wind, his expression changing from obsession to terror and self-doubt. He instinctively touched his face, then raised his arm to sniff himselfâhad he forgotten to shave before coming out? Or had his breakfast left some strange smell? To think it could make Zhaozhaoâs stomach turn like that?!
“Itâs not your problem,” Jiang Zhaosheng waved him off, rubbing his arms where goosebumps had broken out. His tone was weary. “I just… thought of that corpse.”
But then again, today’s breakfast really hadn’t suited his palate. That greasy bacon made him especially miss those few extremely delicious meals heâd had a few days ago… Tch… Iâm getting a bit of a craving.
Thinking of food, he strolled back a few steps to walk side-by-side with Samuel. He tilted his head slightly and asked:
“By the way, how are Lin Xuan and the others?”
He didn’t believe this jealous jar, Samuel, would do nothing.
When Samuelâs eyes darted around as he tried to lie his way out, Jiang Zhaosheng heartlessly raised his foot and accurately ground his heel into the other’s expensive custom leather shoe.
“Don’t play dumb.” His tone was cold, like the northwest wind blowing this morning.
âIt would be for the good of the people if a guy like Shang Yan died, but there was no need to act before heâd been fully utilized. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, was just unlucky to be caught up in this.
Sure enough, after having his foot stepped on, Samuel stopped acting. He immediately and blatantly showed his jealousy.
He let out a disdainful huff, looked out at the distant lake, and said in a light tone:
“Oh, them. Theyâre probably waiting to be served as an appetizer for my ‘little pets’.”
He was referring to the few crocodiles raised in the island’s lake.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoshengâs brow quirked up. His tone was unreadable. “…’Going’ to be?”
This meant they hadn’t been fed yet; it was just a threat. He hadn’t expected this man to have actually made some progress over the years.
He paused and scrutinized Samuel with a look that said, ‘My silly dog has finally matured’:
“So you know not to act on your own. Very good.”
Being seen through, Samuel couldn’t quite maintain his face. He muttered: “…Anyway, itâs enough for them to handle.”
Jiang Zhaosheng didn’t bother wasting any more words with him. He turned and walked toward the small guard hut by the lake. Samuel hurried to keep up.
However, before they even got close, they sensed something was wrong. It was too quiet. The subordinates who should have been guarding the prisoners were nowhere to be seen.
The two quickened their pace to the shore, only to see two of Samuelâs men slumped crookedly under a treeâthey had been knocked out cleanly and efficiently.
Lin Xuan was tied up tightly with a cloth stuffed in his mouth, thrown pitifully to one side. Seeing them, he made excited “wu wu” sounds.
As for Shang Yan, who should have been the main star of the “breakfast,” he was standing leisurely by the lake with a cold and indifferent expression. Aside from his hair being a bit messy, he didn’t look the least bit disheveled. Instead, he looked as if he had just finished a pleasant morning run. He didn’t even spare a single glance for the trembling Lin Xuan on the ground.
Jiang Zhaosheng stopped and raised an eyebrow at Samuel beside him. His gaze was one of unmasked mockery, meaning:
You can’t even handle a small thing like this?
Samuelâs face instantly turned black as the bottom of a pot. To be slapped in the face by a rival in front of his beloved was a profound humiliation. He suddenly pulled out his gun and said in a forced, relaxed tone:
“Itâs okay. This can be solved this way too.”
Unexpectedly, almost at the same instant he drew his gun, Shang Yan also pulled out a weapon with lightning speed. The muzzle was aimed steadily at Samuel, and a polite but incredibly cold smile played on his lips:
“Mr. Esposito, you can try and see who is faster.”
The two men stood in a standoff with guns drawn. Just as Samuelâs finger tightened, about to pull the triggerâ
Jiang Zhaosheng suddenly acted. He grabbed Samuelâs wrist that was holding the gun and forced it down.
“Enough.”
Caught off guard, Samuelâs muzzle was forced down. He looked at Jiang Zhaosheng in shock.
Seeing this, Shang Yan laughed lowly. He looked at Jiang Zhaosheng, his gaze burning and obsessive. Who knows what he was thinking, but he abruptly began his twisted confession:
“Zhaozhao, try to fall in love with me. That is the best ending for us.”
Jiang Zhaosheng completely ignored his “dog barking.” He let go of Samuelâs wrist, gave his arm a comforting pat, and walked straight toward the tied-up Lin Xuan.
Then, with agile movements, he untied the ropes for Lin Xuan and pulled the cloth out of his mouth.
Lin Xuan looked at him, unable to even speak a complete sentence:
“Teacher Jiang…”
Jiang Zhaosheng didn’t quite dare to look directly into those wet, dependent puppy eyes. While looking down to untie the restraints on the man’s feet, he sighed in his heart: This poor kid. After going through this, heâll probably have a psychological shadow whenever he sees me from now on, right?
To his surprise, Lin Xuan actually grabbed his wrist and hugged him around the waist, hot tears “patter-patter” falling onto the back of his hand as he sobbed:
“Waaaah… Zhaozhao… youâre so good… I thought, I thought I was going to die…”
Jiang Zhaosheng fell silent: How did this person manage to grow up so well? He wouldn’t even know if he was being sold, would he?
However, his conscience remained. His body stiffened for a moment, but in the end, he raised his other hand and gave the man’s back a stiff pat as a form of comfort. Beside them, Samuelâs teeth were itching with irritation; he wanted nothing more than to immediately break the hand that was hugging Zhaozhao.
“Alright, I’ll send you back.”
Lin Xuan affectionately and secretly rubbed his face against Zhaoshengâs lower abdomen. He received the death glares of two Alphas, but at this moment, he was floating with happinessâthe soft sweater Jiang Zhaosheng was wearing today made him look like a “virtuous wife and good mother.” Just now, his face had come into contact with that soft belly when Zhaozheng relaxed.
Jiang Zhaosheng helped him up and let him lean against the wall.
Then, he stood up. His cold gaze swept toward Shang Yan, who was standing to the side with a grim face because he was being completely ignored, even showing a sinister expression at Lin Xuan’s rescue.
“Shang Yan,” Jiang Zhaosheng called his name softly, “it seems that in all these years, youâve only learned how to use a gun, and haven’t learned how to be a human being.”
Shang Yan was slightly stunned, seemingly not understanding why Jiang Zhaosheng would suddenly say this.
In the next second, Jiang Zhaosheng turned and attacked without warning. He raised his leg and delivered a clean, sharp kick right to Shang Yan’s waist!
“Splashâ!”
A massive sound of falling water echoed by the lake.
Water splashed everywhere. The impeccably dressed Shang Yan was caught off guard and sent flying by the kick, losing his balance and plunging into the cold lake water.
Jiang Zhaosheng stood on the shore, looking down at the man thrashing in the lake:
“This kick is to teach you not to just care about looking cool while coldly watching your classmate wait for death.”
With that, he didn’t spare another look for the pathetic figure thrashing in the water. He reached out and grabbed the back of the collar of the still-dazed Lin Xuan, saying flatly to Samuel:
“Letâs go.”
Samuel: “…”
He looked at the bedraggled Shang Yan in the lake, then at Jiang Zhaoshengâs heartless back. The unhappiness he felt from having his gun forced down instantly vanished, and he even felt like laughing.
He put away his gun, cast a gloating glance back at the surface of the lake, and hurried to catch up with Jiang Zhaosheng.
Mm, although the process was a bit twisted, Zhaozhao kicked the guy into the water. Rounding it up, that means I won.
[Authorâs Note: Answer: Neither of them won.]
[Lin Xuan: Waaaah, Iâm crying. Just kidding, I’m faking it; thatâs another 5,000 words of material right there.]
[My boss is on a business trip this week, I’ll try to hit 6,000 words a day.]
[Writing novels really is a beautiful way to “pass away” (death), haha… [Explosive crying] [Explosive crying]]
Translator’s Note: The term “drowning dog” (č˝ć°´ç – luòshuÇgÇu) in the title refers to a person who has lost power or is in a wretched state. Thereâs a famous saying about “beating a dog in the water,” but Zhaozhao just put him there himself! Also, Lin Xuan’s “5,000 words of material” is a joke about him being a writer or a fanfic author in secret. See you in the next chapter!
Recommended Reads
![Those Years When the Son of Destiny Was Severely Scammed [Quick Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/QUICK-TRANSMIGRATION1-214x300.jpg)
