Qi Huai carefully applied the medicine and then wrapped the new wounds with gauze. As he bandaged, he thought back to what the comic’s synopsis said about Yoon Nam-hyuk.

In public, a cold-blooded, ruthless, ill-tempered yet handsome nobleman; in private, a paranoid, obsessed madman tormented by sex addiction, yet ironically impotent…

The temper was certainly bad.

But if a person had an illness they never wanted, fought with all their might to overcome it, even to the point of self-harm, and still couldn’t get better—after more than a decade of torment, it would be hard not to go mad, right?

Just like Qi Huai himself.

It wasn’t his intention to become the first and only human-Alpha genetic hybrid, but enduring the torment of the estrus cycle was an innate physiological trait.

Besides tolerating those unique Alpha characteristics, he also had to endure the strange, curious gazes of the other ordinary human task-takers.

To escape everything that made him uncomfortable, he had no choice but to drift through various mission worlds, because only when executing a mission could the Mainframe temporarily suppress his Alpha physiology—allowing Qi Huai to live like a real human.

So Qi Huai understood very well this feeling of powerlessness, of having to endure something he didn’t want, and the self-destructive despair that made one want to smash their head against a wall when pushed to the limit.

He was just a little luckier; he could escape into mission worlds, Qi Huai thought.

At that moment, as his pain subsided, Yoon Nam-hyuk was also thinking about Qi Huai. He wondered, Is it really a coincidence that this person has appeared twice, both times when I was at my most vulnerable?

Most of the people and things surrounding him were draped in a cloak of sincerity, but beneath that cloak? Was it the greed for profit or the heart of hatred? Who knew?

So Yoon Nam-hyuk asked Qi Huai, “What exactly is your purpose?”

“Can’t I really just be a bystander?” Qi Huai said as he slowly organized the first-aid kit.

“You? A bystander?” Yoon Nam-hyuk sneered. “You appeared at my worst moments twice, both times by chance, and you say you’re a bystander. Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Then don’t,” Qi Huai replied with a lazy smile.

Yoon Nam-hyuk stared at him, very seriously. “I won’t develop a liking for someone just because of a few pieces of gauze and a bottle of powder, you understand?”

Qi Huai couldn’t help but laugh. “If I wanted to seduce you, I wouldn’t use such a childish trick as playing the hero to save the damsel. I’m not in elementary school.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk’s eyes narrowed. “Then what’s your reason for being at my company?”

Qi Huai raised an eyebrow. “Does President Yoon not know which new artists his own company has signed?”

“What did you say? New artists?” Yoon Nam-hyuk frowned.

Buzz—!

His phone vibrated.

Yoon Nam-hyuk answered the call from Assistant Yoo. Before Liu could speak, he asked directly, “Did the company sign new artists?”

Assistant Yoo was stunned for a moment, then said, “Uh, yes. Manager Choi signed two new artists, one named Baek Soo-kyung and one named Qi Huai. Qi Huai is the one from the banquet last time…”

“I know,” Yoon Nam-hyuk interrupted.

Assistant Yoo quickly added, “President, the production team’s meeting…”

Only then did Yoon Nam-hyuk realize he had completely forgotten about it. He cleared his throat. “Let the production team start without me. I’ll go over later.”

The call ended.

Yoon Nam-hyuk lowered his gaze, fastening his cufflinks and carefully adjusting his suit and tie. The warm yellow light of the storage room made the small vermilion mole on his nose seem to gleam, his face like a delicate ivory statue, possessing a cold, almost perfect divine beauty.

In just a few dozen seconds, he had transformed from a disheveled youth controlled by his sex addiction back into the handsome nobleman from the comic’s synopsis.

Qi Huai, with his arms crossed and a smile in his eyes, leaned against the wall watching Yoon Nam-hyuk fix his clothes. The latter glanced at him and said, “I don’t believe in coincidences. Seeing as you’ve helped me twice, if someone sent you to get close to me, confess now. I’ll not only let it go, I’ll also give you 100 million won as a fee. You have one minute to consider.”

Qi Huai casually replied with an “Oh,” and fiddled with a pencil on the table. “I already said, if I wanted to seduce you, I wouldn’t use this method. Or is it that… you’ve been seduced by me?”

“Yah!” Yoon Nam-hyuk instantly lost his temper.

Qi Huai tossed the pencil aside and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I’ll stop teasing you. Remember to change the dressing on your wound. And… the weapon is confiscated.”

With that, he pocketed the blood-stained knife from the cabinet and left.

The door to the storage room closed, and silence returned.

The unbearable heat and random numbness brought on by his sudden sex addiction had long faded. Yoon Nam-hyuk stood frowning for a long time before muttering, “Rude bastard… Daring to confiscate someone else’s property. Does he think he’s a cop?”

That silver iris-patterned knife was a custom European order; it would take a long time to get another.

Out in the hallway.

The system was completely baffled: 【Host oppa… what are you laughing at?】

Qi Huai’s lips curved into a smile. “Hmm? Was I laughing?”

The system: 【…You’re smiling so obviously, you don’t even know it?】

“Am I?” Qi Huai feigned surprise, then mused, “Well, it’s been a few days with this system bug. Maybe I’ve just learned to let things go.”

The system: …

Just look at my big mouth! Why did I even ask? Host oppa has his own plans! Why did I ask?!

Meanwhile.

Baek Soo-kyung finally finished his scenes for the movie Fox Demon’s Pact.

As soon as he left the set, he saw Choi Min-jun arriving by car to pick him up. Amidst the teasing glances of the crew—“Soo-kyung really signed a good manager”—he shyly got into the car.

“How did it go? Have the last few days been smooth?” Choi Min-jun asked him with a beaming smile.

Baek Soo-kyung suppressed the joy of having completed his first full project and carefully observed Choi Min-jun’s expression. “Good evening, Min-jun hyung. It went well. Seok-jin sunbae and I followed each other on IG and added each other on KKT①. He said I have a lot of potential and that I can go to his house to learn after I finish my scenes; he’ll mentor me.”

“I knew our Soo-kyung was the best.” Choi Min-jun smiled and patted Baek Soo-kyung’s head. “You must be hungry after a long day. What do you want to eat? How about grilled pork belly?”

“Thank you, Min-jun hyung,” Baek Soo-kyung nodded, hesitating.

Choi Min-jun tilted his head. “What’s wrong, Soo-kyung? Are you in a bad mood?”

Baek Soo-kyung opened his mouth, then closed it again and shook his head.

“Soo-kyung-ah, if you have something to say, just say it. Hyung doesn’t like playing guessing games. It makes me angry, you know?” Choi Min-jun narrowed his eyes. Though his lips were still smiling, his tone had clearly grown impatient.

Baek Soo-kyung stiffened instantly. “I’m sorry, Min-jun hyung! I… I just heard that Seok-jin sunbae has some strange habits… I don’t know if it’s true, so I wanted to ask you. I didn’t mean anything else.”

He picked at the hem of his clothes, his voice as faint as a mosquito. “I heard that an idol-turned-actor, Go Eun-bin sunbae, who was also your artist before, and Seok-jin sunbae…”

“Shh.”

Choi Min-jun smiled and stopped him. “Soo-kyung-ah, those old, exaggerated rumors are just things you hear. It’s best to just let them go in one ear and out the other, you know? That guy Go Eun-bin is an idiot. How could you be the same as him? As for any habits, don’t worry. It’s not the kind that will make you bleed or get hurt, and there’s no danger to your life. Compared to such trivial matters, your 600 million won debt is the real thing that will affect your entire life, Soo-kyung. Do you understand?”

“I… I understand, hyung. I’m sorry, hyung. I was just a little scared… I didn’t mean anything else.”

Choi Min-jun smiled and asked, “It’s okay, of course hyung understands. Have you set a date with your Seok-jin sunbae to go and learn?”

Baek Soo-kyung shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Then let’s set it now. How about this weekend?” He took Baek Soo-kyung’s phone and messaged Park Seok-jin directly. As he typed, he said, “I’ll personally drive you there and pick you up. No one will find out, okay?”

Baek Soo-kyung: “Mm…”

Choi Min-jun handed the phone back. “You still remember how to use those things, right?”

Baek Soo-kyung: “I remember… I need to place them somewhere with little noise, where the signal won’t be affected.”

“And?”

Baek Soo-kyung: “…Seok-jin sunbae is very cautious. I shouldn’t bring them at the beginning. I need to wait until he lets his guard down.”

“Very smart,” Choi Min-jun praised.

Baek Soo-kyung smiled, pressing his lips together.

Choi Min-jun studied his expression and gently persuaded, “Soo-kyung, if you don’t want to do this, just tell me. I won’t force you. I’m just sharing some advice from someone who’s been through it. Your starting point is low, and there are many who are stronger than you, so you must think carefully about what you really want. If you can’t prove your value, this might be the closest you’ll ever get to success. Do you understand?”

Fresh from his first role, Baek Soo-kyung clenched his fists and nodded firmly. “I understand, Min-jun hyung. I’ll go.”

Choi Min-jun smiled with satisfaction. “Eat well tonight. Besides pork belly, how about we also order some Hanwoo beef and grilled beef intestines?”

“Thank you, Min-jun hyung.”

It’s I who should be thanking you, my ambitious, good boy, Choi Min-jun thought.

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① KKT is an abbreviation for KakaoTalk, a popular messaging app in South Korea.