Chapter 24: Virus
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This can’t be considered a threat
Zhang Qian’s face remained as indifferent as ever, but after Wen Mo uttered that sentence, he clearly saw a profound fluctuation, like a massive stone suddenly being thrown into an eternal mirror-like lake, causing ripples and waves. Zhang Qian slowly raised his head and looked at him. It might have been an illusion, but Wen Mo saw something fragile to the point of hopelessness in his gaze.
He stood up and walked towards Wen Mo step by step. Wen Mo had an instinct to leave immediately, but Zhang Qian’s movements were faster. He restrained Wen Mo in an instant, his hands moving like he was catching a rabbit, and then he lowered his head abruptly to find his lips.
Zhang Qian’s kiss was urgent and fierce, almost like a struggle, biting and tearing.
After Wen Mo went limp in his arms, Zhang Qian picked him up abruptly and carried him to the lounge. He placed him on the bed and propped himself up on either side of Wen Mo’s head, looking down at him from a superior position. All emotions in Zhang Qian’s eyes had dissipated, leaving only a hint of shadow. He said, “Yes… we have long been accomplices.”
With one hand, he slowly unbuttoned Wen Mo’s collar, sighing.
“We have long been accomplices…”
Wen Mo didn’t move, his eyes red at the corners. At this moment, he was nothing more than prey to an accomplice.
After stumbling out of Zhang Qian’s office, Wen Mo immediately returned to his residence. He was fortunate that he didn’t encounter anyone along the way. After all, it was hard to say if his actions would have raised any other suspicions.
He knew that he had undoubtedly been exposed. Given Zhang Qian’s capabilities, it was only a matter of time before he uncovered his connection with Meng Ling. Perhaps Zhang Qian had already obtained solid evidence, or he might bypass Huo Yan and eliminate him altogether. Maybe soon, he would end up like Meng Ling, locked in that dark, windowless detention cell, dying under brutal torture.
Wen Mo didn’t know how effective his threat had been, but he didn’t place all his hopes on it. He had already prepared for the worst outcome, which paradoxically made him unusually calm. He quickly entered the bathroom, took out his phone, removed the tiny SIM card, and burned it with a lighter. He then swiftly erased all traces, including the birth control pill bottle that now had only one-third of its contents left. The only thing he could currently do was to sever all ties with those of his kind and do his best to protect them, even though he knew their situation might not be optimistic.
After completing these tasks, he lay on the bed, staring at the empty ceiling, feeling empty inside as well. It was strange; he had no emotions—no fear or anything else. He felt like a puppet without emotions. At that moment, he suddenly remembered the elderly Omega in the attic.
Was there still hope?
The sun gradually shifted westward, casting its warm glow through the window onto the bed. Wen Mo felt fatigue setting in, so he turned over and buried his face deep into the soft pillow.
But it seemed that things were moving in a positive direction.
The 21 alpha murder cases came to a close as per Huo Yan’s orders.
This horrifying case had dragged on for too long, and he couldn’t allow the military to appear incompetent. In a fit of rage, he summoned several key members of the special investigation team to his office and berated them. Then he ordered the case to be closed swiftly. Of course, this was only on the surface; the investigation was still ongoing but had gone underground.
A few days later, the military spokesperson officially announced the resolution of the Alpha serial murder case. The identity of the culprit took everyone by surprise—it was a psychologically twisted Omega male prostitute who harbored a deep hatred for the Alpha community. The dark cloud that had loomed over the Alpha-dominated society finally dissipated. Media outlets rushed to report on the development, using the largest headlines to publish related news. The killer’s photo was now everywhere—a slender, monolid Omega. However, perhaps due to the lighting in the photographs, half of his face was shrouded in shadow, giving him a sinister and terrifying appearance reminiscent of a serial killer.
Not lacking in media outlets digging into his past and interpreting it from various sensational angles, trying to attract public attention. Some even unearthed photos of his past when he had sold himself. In those pictures, he was just an ordinary Omega with a forced smile. The public was both intrigued and curious, analyzing the case from psychological, sociological, and various other angles – a bloody case that happened to someone else was always the best conversation topic.
The gruesome Alpha serial murder case unfolded mysteriously and ended with much fanfare, ultimately becoming a brief entry in the annual records, with nothing else to follow.
From that day on, Wen Mo lost all contact with his kind. He found himself immersed in the Alpha world, and everything seemed to return to its previous tranquility. But Zhang Qian began dating, remaining true to his initial demeanor: cool, serious, work-oriented, and meticulous.
However, he started spending more time with Wen Mo. Whenever he had the chance, he would take Wen Mo to various places, even casually entering Wen Mo’s office, locking the door behind them, and pressing him against the office desk. Once done, he would button up his coat and walk out with a cold expression, as if they had just discussed business matters.
Wen Mo felt like nothing more than a plaything, and indeed, he was. But he didn’t resist, he was obedient, and he even tried to please Zhang Qian as diligently as he had with Huo Yan, because he knew that this was the price of being an “accomplish”.
With the arrival of early spring, flu season also came. Wen Mo caught a severe cold, giving him a few days of respite. He was sent back to the villa, lying in bed all day. His joints ached, and he felt endlessly tired, with a persistent headache making him extremely uncomfortable.
This flu was widespread, and the news constantly reported various protective measures and coping methods.
Doctors had visited several times, but the flu was a self-limiting disease, and there was little they could do. They could only prescribe medication to alleviate Wen Mo’s symptoms and make him as comfortable as possible. By the third day, Wen Mo still had a low fever. He felt weak and helpless. Mrs. Song applied a new cooling patch to him and gently woke him up, giving him some water. There was a hint of concern in her eyes as she asked, “Xiao Mo, are you feeling very uncomfortable?”
Wen Mo shook his head, burying his masked face in the pillow.
Mrs. Song sighed deeply and adjusted his blanket for him.
He didn’t know how long he had been sleeping in a daze, but he was pulled out from under the covers once again. A warm and rough palm covered his forehead, and Wen Mo, feeling miserable, nuzzled against it. He weakly opened his eyes and saw Huo Yan.
Huo Yan lowered his head and kissed Wen Mo’s feverish cheek. “Feeling uncomfortable?”
Wen Mo weakly averted his gaze. “I might infect you.”
Huo Yan smiled softly and gently touched his flushed cheek with his fingertip, pulling down his mask and placing a kiss on his lips.
He had no fear of the virus.
Wen Mo knew that this Alpha relied on his robust physical constitution. In the three years they had been together, he had never seen Huo Yan fall ill, not even with a simple headache or fever. Wen Mo suspected that Huo Yan didn’t understand what it felt like to be unwell. The superior genes handpicked by the Huo family were truly something to envy.
He felt a mix of jealousy and annoyance but weakly wrapped his arms around Huo Yan’s neck.
Huo Yan was about to leave for another city for two weeks this time. As he was about to depart, he suddenly had the urge to come back and see his sick Omega. He sat by the bedside, finding Wen Mo’s ill appearance both pitiful and endearing. Remarkably, he even had Mrs. Song bring a bowl of porridge and fed it to Wen Mo with great care.
The car that would take him to the airport had been waiting downstairs for quite a while. Huo Yan knew he couldn’t delay any longer. He handed the empty bowl to Mrs. Song and gave her a few instructions before heading downstairs.
Mrs. Song was pleased to see that Mr. Huo cared so much about Wen Mo. She tucked Wen Mo in tightly with a smile and said, “Mr. Huo is really good to you.”
Wen Mo remained silent, lazily turning away and burying himself in the blankets, a hint of self-mockery in his expression.
Huo Yan disembarked from the plane and was met by a car that would take him to the Northern Military Region. The heavy iron gates opened, amidst layers of security, Huo Yan stepped out of the car. A group of high-ranking military officials surrounded him as he made his way toward the military headquarters. Along the way, they encountered numerous soldiers wearing masks. Huo Yan furrowed his brow and immediately ordered his security detail to summon the head of the Military Region’s Logistics Department.
The department head nervously carried a folder and reported the latest statistics for the base up to yesterday. It was true that there were more soldiers with influenza compared to previous years. He explained with a forced smile, “The spring this year has been warmer than usual, and the humidity is high, which makes it easier for the virus to proliferate. Having more cases of the flu is somewhat normal.”
Huo Yan tossed the folder onto the table and said coldly, “Follow the established procedures to deal with it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Huo Yan let him go, as there were several meetings to be held in the afternoon, and he didn’t have much time for rest. Immediately, Huo Yan had the security personnel bring in a simple meal for him to eat. After finishing it, he began reviewing the afternoon’s agenda. Everyone envied Huo Yan for his high position and authority, but they couldn’t handle the high-intensity and high-pressure situations that came with it. After all, it wasn’t something that could be managed with just high energy.
This busy schedule continued for over a week. Huo Yan, accompanied by several top military officials, inspected the troops, and in the evenings, there were various social events to attend. When he finally returned to his residence, it was already eleven o’clock at night.
Huo Yan lay on the bed in a tipsy state, and the moonlight outside spilled in. Suddenly, he felt a strong longing for his gentle Omega, and, of course, his body. So, he took out his phone and dialed immediately. The Omega picked up quickly, and their soft and tender voice flowed into his ears, “Sir?”
It was as if language and scent were intertwined. Huo Yan’s nose twitched, sensing the sweet aroma of his pheromones. He cleared his throat and spoke in a firm tone, “Is your cold better?”
The voice on the other end made an affirmative sound and said, “Yes.”
Huo Yan felt a tingling sensation in his ears. He said, “Let me see you.”
Without delay, the other person hung up the phone and initiated a video call.
Wen Mo was half-lying on the bed, with a large pillow tucked behind him. He wore a light gray silk pajama, and his entire body seemed to melt into the softness of the pillows. His black hair and fair skin, along with his rosy lips and white teeth, made him look like a delectable dessert served on a porcelain plate. Huo Yan’s gaze darkened, and he couldn’t help but find fault with him, “Why haven’t you called me?”
Of course, this was an unfounded accusation. He didn’t allow his lovers to call him during his official duties, as Huo Yan was very strict about keeping his personal and professional lives separate. Nobody dared to cross that line with him.
The Omega still accepted his accusation with humility. Their eyes were gentle as they replied, “I just didn’t want to disturb you.”
Huo Yan knew that his Omega could only admit their mistake. After all, he was used to being dominant. He looked at the tempting flesh peeking out from Wen Mo’s neckline, feeling as if he were gazing at a tantalizing honey he couldn’t taste. It was maddening. He immediately ordered, “Move the phone farther away and let me have a good look at you.”
The other person clearly hesitated but quickly understood his intention. He fetched a smartphone stand and set it up on the bedside table. Then, he returned to the bedside and gently unbuttoned his pajama top.
He was an Omega living in the Alpha world without any sense of self.
Of course, at that time, Huo Yan didn’t know how proud his Omega really was. If they had to be compared, perhaps their pride was even greater, but for now, he was just a toy to be played with, having come from another Alpha’s bed less than two hours ago.
Huo Yan was oblivious; he was simply indulging in the sight of his favorite Omega.
The wave of this flu gradually receded. The flu statistics reported by the military’s health department showed a steady decline in the number of cases. The data indicated that this year’s flu season was, like previous years, nothing out of the ordinary. Once again, the human immune system had triumphed over the flu virus in a short period and was ready to face the next challenge.
—The eternal battle between humans and viruses continued.
On the surface, the citizens of the Federation had returned to their normal lives. But no one knew that a long-brewing storm deep beneath the ocean was about to break through the calm surface, sweeping across society. Nevertheless, on the streets, life went on as usual, with bustling traffic and people discussing stocks and the weather, just like any other day.
Huo Yan had gone to the northern military region and returned to the central city a few days later than planned. As soon as he got off the special plane, he had the commuter soldiers take him back to the villa. After the intense and non-stop activities, he urgently needed a complete release and a reward. He had to see his Omega immediately.
It was late in the evening, and a spring drizzle fell steadily. The surroundings were immersed in a damp mist. As the car wheels pressed heavily on the intersection, Huo Yan, looking through the rain-smeared car window, could see a window with a warm glow in the distance.
His gentle Omega was waiting for him.
It could be said that gentleness was Huo Yan’s initial aesthetic preference. It was the first quality that had soothed his soul when he was in his early teens. Moreover, his Omega was so fresh, affectionate, and beautiful. Huo Yan had already played out in his mind several times how he would thoroughly possess them. He licked his canine teeth, eager and hungry like a starving lion.
The door opened, and the Omega half-knelt to change Huo Yan’s shoes. However, Huo Yan scooped them up onto his shoulder and strode upstairs.
[Mad dog!]
A disdainful reprimand reached his ears, followed by a searing pain in his head. Huo Yan winced and his body swayed. He knocked his head to alleviate the intense pain, which quickly subsided, and he continued walking upstairs.
In that moment, he strangely didn’t realize that he had heard an offensive remark. It was as if he were too abnormal to even register it. He thought that perhaps he had been busy lately or, perhaps, because of this Omega, he hadn’t been sleeping well, leading to these bizarre and absurd hallucinations. Restlessness crept into his heart, and his teeth itched even more. He stormed upstairs and threw the person onto the bed.
[This lustful mad dog!]
His head was once again assaulted by a severe pain, a pain he had never experienced before. He collapsed onto the Omega, his forehead breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Sir, what’s wrong with you?”
[What’s going on with this mad dog?]
Huo Yan whimpered, collapsing heavily on the bed. Two nearly simultaneous phrases were spoken in the same tone, yet they carried completely opposite emotions. One was his familiar gentleness, and the other was filled with an unprecedented sense of loathing and annoyance. Huo Yan felt like his head was about to explode. He vigorously shook his head, clutching it in pain.
Wen Mo touched his face with concern and said, “Sir, what’s happening to you? Please don’t scare me…”
[It can’t be? You’re really sick? This is worthy of celebration.]
Huo Yan panted, slowly lifting his head. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, his eyes bloodshot, and his gaze was fierce and chilling, like a demon clawing its way out of hell.
His predatory gaze settled on Wen Mo.
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