“The comparison results are out. There’s no connection whatsoever.”

Song Yu sat on a high stool at the bar, casually sending the analyzed file to Rong Shi.

After obtaining the Lin brothers’ blood samples, Song Yu had people compare them with L739 and L783.

Although the two liquids and their pheromones smelled similar, there was no essential connection between them.

Rong Shi carefully read through the report, and the more he read, the more questions he had.

Was it that the same scented liquid was formulated for each test subject, or was it that this liquid was used to find Omegas with the same scent?

The order makes all the difference; the purpose would be vastly different.

“What about the medical records? Give me a copy,” Rong Shi asked.

Song Yu spooned a taro ball into his mouth. The fresh coconut milk paired with chewy taro balls, interspersed with mango and yellow peach pulp, was simply divine.

“I acquired that with my own ability. Why should I give it to you?”

Rong Shi reached for the bowl in front of him and took it away: “This was also made by my own ability. Don’t eat it.”

“Wait!” Song Yu held onto the bowl, refusing to let go, his eyes locking on Rong Shi. “How can you take back something you’ve already given me?”

Rong Shi released his hand, his face cold: “This is for Mian Mian.”

Song Yu gestured towards the living room with his chin: “But your little bunny doesn’t want to eat it.”

Rong Shi followed his gaze.

Mian Mian lay in the beanbag chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, a tiny figure nestled inside, his back to them, having been motionless for quite some time.

Song Yu: “Of all things to teach, why combat? Look at how scared the child is!”

Rong Shi: “…”

Cola leaned against the beanbag, basking in the sun and playing with building blocks, occasionally shaking Mian Mian’s foot, restless with loneliness.

“Mian Mian, are you feeling better? Come play building blocks with me.”

Rong Shi walked over and knelt in front of the sofa. Seeing Mian Mian covering his face, he uncharacteristically doubted his own decision.

“Brother was also about your age when he had his first combat lesson, and he didn’t meet the goal either.”

Mian Mian remained silent for a long time, his cheeks flushed, even his ears were red.

“Really?”

Rong Shi patted his head: “Mhm, no one is born knowing everything. It’s okay, learn slowly.”

Mian Mian propped himself up, sitting, and looked up at Rong Shi, curiously asking: “How many times did you complete?”

Rong Shi recalled: “Only fifteen times.”

Mian Mian immediately lay back down, slowly burying his face in the sofa, becoming motionless again.

Rong Shi: “…”

“Pfft…” Song Yu almost choked on his laughter.

Being his brother, he’d get a heart attack sooner or later.

Student Council Investigation

On Monday, the student council intervened to investigate the dispute between Wu Han and Zhou En.

Lu Ming brought Zhao Wan, the head of the disciplinary department, to the school infirmary to talk to the two.

After two days of treatment, most of Wu Han’s injuries had healed, but his left leg was fractured and would require another week of rest.

Lu Ming and Zhao Wan sat by the hospital bed. Zhao Wan set up a camera and took notes.

Lu Ming: “You said you fell yourself?”

Wu Han leaned against the headboard, nodding: “Yes, I accidentally missed a step because I felt unwell after smelling an Omega’s pheromones.”

Zhao Wan noted the key points: “Then do you know who the Omega in heat that day was?”

Wu Han shook his head: “I don’t know.”

After understanding the basic situation, Lu Ming took his people and prepared to go to the adjacent infirmary to find Zhou En.

“Vice Chairman,” Wu Han called out to him, “Senior Zhou was more affected by the pheromones and might not have been fully conscious at the time. Please be sure to take my word as accurate.”

Lu Ming looked at him indifferently: “The student council will clarify the truth. Just focus on recovering.”

Walking out the door, Zhao Wan scoffed: “Who does he think he is? Just because he’s a head of the technical department, he thinks he can tell us how to do our jobs?”

Lu Ming ignored him and entered the infirmary where Zhou En was.

Inside the room, Zhou En leaned against the headboard, his eyes vacant, his face pale, looking like a patient recovering from a serious illness.

“We’re from the student council,” Lu Ming pulled up a chair and sat down. “We’re here today to understand the situation from Friday.”

After several seconds, Zhou En said in a hoarse voice: “I only smelled the Omega pheromones; I don’t know anything else.”

Zhao Wan asked as a matter of routine: “You didn’t push Wu Han downstairs, did you?”

“How could I?!” Zhou En suddenly became agitated. “What is he? Is he worthy of dirtying my hands? That kind of waste isn’t even worthy of being in the same frame as me!”

Lu Ming noticed his abnormality and casually asked: “Do you two have any bad blood?”

“No!” Zhou En’s voice rose several pitches. “How could I possibly have any dealings with someone like that?!”

Lu Ming and Zhao Wan exchanged glances, signaling him to note that down.

Zhou En was agitated, so after asking a few more questions, the two left.

“Does this Zhou En have some kind of mental problem?” Zhao Wan said with a look of disdain after they walked out. “What kind of people are in the technical department? Truly odd.”

Zhou En was a second-year Mech major, and also the former head of the technical department.

Lu Ming didn’t pay much attention, walking towards Jiang Huai’s office.

Ever since the monthly exam, Zhang Yi had gone missing.

The Zhang family’s situation changed overnight. The vacant positions were immediately devoured by various forces. Although it wasn’t a fatal blow to the Lu family, it had far-reaching effects and would take a long time to recover from.

Under these circumstances, investigating such trivial matters, he simply wasn’t in the mood.

Knocking and entering, the office contained only Jiang Huai.

“Doctor Jiang, I’m Lu Ming. I’m here to understand the situation.” Lu Ming sat opposite Jiang Huai’s desk, his attitude not particularly respectful. “How is Zhou En’s mental state?”

Jiang Huai was forty this year, a Beta, but with a youthful face, looking only in his thirties.

“Nothing abnormal,” he explained, “His pheromone levels have stabilized, and he can return to class this afternoon.”

Zhao Wan: “Are you sure? He didn’t seem like a mentally sound person just now.”

Jiang Huai crossed his hands in front of him and chuckled: “Some people are just prone to emotional agitation. Doctors look at data, not feelings.”

Having been subtly retorted, Zhao Wan’s face was displeased. He buried his head in his notes and said nothing more.

After asking a few simple questions, Lu Ming left with his people.

Student Council Meeting

After school on Wednesday afternoon, the student council held its regular meeting.

Lu Ming had each department report on their last week’s summary and this week’s plan.

After finishing his own tasks, he casually said, “I’m done here. Does the Chairman have anything else to say?”

After asking, he received no response for a long time. The group in the conference hall looked towards the chairman’s seat.

Rong Shi was resting his chin on his hand, intently flipping through a book.

Everyone: “…”

As expected of the Chairman, he doesn’t forget to study even in a meeting.

Rong Shi turned a page, slightly raising the hand holding the book, revealing the title on the cover—”99 Ways to Make a Child More Lively.”

Everyone: “…”

But what he was studying was too wild.

Seemingly finally sensing the stagnation in the air, Rong Shi casually said: “If there’s nothing else, the meeting is adjourned.”

Lu Ming clenched his back teeth, suppressing his emotions, and said: “It’s not allowed to do things unrelated to the meeting during a regular meeting. Please, Chairman, mind your propriety.”

Rong Shi finally looked up from his book, his gaze on Lu Ming very faint, “Thank you for the reminder.”

Pulling a document from a folder, Lu Ming pushed it in front of him: “This is the investigation report. If there are no issues, please sign it, and I’ll announce it based on this.”

Rong Shi didn’t take it, his gaze sweeping over the overly brief investigation results. He said calmly, “Leave it for now.”

“Please review it as soon as possible!” Lu Ming grew increasingly impatient. “If it’s delayed too long, our student council’s efficiency will be questioned.”

The feeling of doing nothing yet occupying the highest position, and everything having to go through his review, was terrible for Lu Ming.

Rong Shi put down his book, “Have you checked the surveillance? Did you find the Omega in heat?”

Already annoyed, and now having his investigation results questioned by someone who did nothing, Lu Ming slammed the table and stood up, his tone very poor: “The testimonies of the two parties are completely consistent, what surveillance do we need to check?! The Omega in heat wasn’t found, but that has nothing to do with their dispute!”

“Whether it’s related or not isn’t up to your subjective conjecture,” Rong Shi also stood up. “You want efficiency, fine. I’m returning this report to you now. Take it back and reinvestigate.”

Lu Ming: “You—!”

Zhao Wan of the Disciplinary Department also lost face.

This report was made by him and Lu Ming together. With the report rejected, even his work ability was being questioned.

Zhao Wan raised his hand and stood up: “Chairman, you might not understand the situation. Wu Han and Zhou En have made things very clear. I don’t think there’s a need to reinvestigate.”

Rong Shi looked at Lu Ming: “You think so too?”

Being questioned about his work ability in front of all the student council department heads, Lu Ming’s anger was almost uncontrollable.

“Exactly! Even if we investigate repeatedly, this will be the only result.”

Having been undermined, Lu Ming spoke deliberately before Rong Shi could, “If you have any issues with me, please discuss them privately. Don’t involve others due to personal matters. Everyone joined the student council to work for the school, not to be a punching bag!”

This statement, spoken from the perspective of a subordinate, resonated with everyone, and their expressions immediately became subtle.

The conflict between the two chairmen had been ongoing since the beginning of the semester. Leaving other things aside, in this matter today, Lu Ming was indeed more reasonable than Rong Shi.

His terminal suddenly vibrated. Rong Shi casually opened it; it was a message from Qian Fan.

He glanced at it, picked up his book, and prepared to leave: “If I mixed personal and public affairs, you would have been kicked out of the student council long ago. Since you’re still here, I hope you can do something useful.”

Lu Ming’s nerves were harshly twanged. He looked at him in disbelief as he opened the door and left.

The others present dared not interrupt, even softening their breathing, wishing they could be transparent background boards.

—These big shots fighting are too damn scary, aren’t they?!

Ten minutes later, Rong Shi knocked on Qian Fan’s office door.

Qian Fan was drinking the health-preserving soup sent by Qin Lin, and he waved him over to drink it together: “You’re really lucky, kid. Old Qin rarely sends me soup, and you’ve caught it a few times!”

Rong Shi: “No need. Drinking too much makes it easy to get nosebleeds.”

Qian Fan: “…Are you trying to say I’m old or you’re young?”

Rong Shi: “I’m young.”

Qian Fan: “…” Brat!

Professor Qin’s soups were always the same few kinds. In his previous life, Rong Shi was already tired of them.

“I came to tell you a few things.”

Qian Fan put down his bowl. “I asked Xu Feng about the incident where Song Yang was splashed with water last time. Xu Feng and I discussed it, and decided to have him concurrently serve as Mian Mian’s homeroom teacher. From now on, Mian Mian’s safety will be entirely his responsibility; you don’t need to worry.”

Rong Shi slowly stirred the soup with a spoon: “Mhm.”

“The second thing is about this.” Qian Fan handed him a folder. “Since the beginning of the semester, over four hundred military officers have expressed their intention to recruit you. They’ve been piling up here with me, breaking records!”

Rong Shi opened the folder and flipped through it. There were officers of every rank, from lieutenant colonel to general. Qian Fan had also noted down the dates and methods of their inquiries.

“Xiao Shi,” Qian Fan’s voice softened, “Do you regret your previous decision?”

Rong Shi went through them one by one, letting 01 record them, then placed the folder on the table.

“No regrets.”

Qian Fan: “I know you understand, but I still want to remind you, not everyone gets such opportunities. You still have choices now.”

Rong Shi interlocked his fingers in front of him: “Everyone has their own ambitions. Right now, I just want my family to be safe. I have no other aspirations.”

Qian Fan shook his head and sighed for a long time. Although he had anticipated this outcome, he still felt a sense of regret.

“You’re really an old slacker!”

“What’s wrong with being a slacker?” Qin Lin, who had been silent, suddenly interjected. “I think being a slacker is great. Life isn’t about having to achieve greatness. How wonderful it is to live a lifetime safely and happily. How many people can’t even wish for that?”

Qin Lin’s tone was overly emotional when he said this, his eyes serious, not like a casual remark.

Rong Shi’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and a hint of incongruity arose in his heart.

“What good is it?! Are you here to annoy me? Go, go, go back to your research institute!” Qian Fan was exasperated, throwing the empty bowl at him.

Listening to the two old men bicker, Rong Shi didn’t feel much lighter.

Wanting his family to be safe was true.

If, after living again, he couldn’t even protect his family, then he would be a complete failure.

Beyond that, he also needed to uncover the truth behind 100% matching.

The brothers of the First Legion couldn’t have died in vain.

As for returning to his previous status, he had already let go of that.

Fame and status were ultimately not his pursuits.

An Unexpected Encounter

Walking out of Qian Fan’s office, Rong Shi took a small path, wanting to find a quiet and secluded place to calm down.

When he reached near Teaching Building C3, he suddenly heard sounds of arguing and muffled impacts.

In the alley between the teaching buildings, Wu Han was heavily slammed against the wall and fell down.

He curled up in pain, trembling all over.

“Useless trash!” Zhou En stomped on him fiercely. “You rubbish think you’re worthy of studying at the Central Military Academy?! Go back to your third-rate planet!”

“Don’t, don’t hit me, hiss—!” Wu Han raised his hand to protect his head, turning his body to shield his right hand.

Zhou En pressed his shoulder, flipped him over, and then viciously stomped on his right hand. “Do you really think anyone can work on mechs? No talent, what’s the use of having a pair of flexible hands? I think it’s better to just cripple them!”

Wu Han pulled back with force but couldn’t free himself. He watched helplessly as Zhou En’s foot pressed down on his right hand’s fingers. He completely panicked, trying desperately to pry off Zhou En’s shoe.

“No, please, don’t!”

“Worthless!” Zhou En cursed under his breath, grinding his heel down—

Author’s note: 

After the self-isolation ended—

Mianmian: Ge, why did you only complete fifteen times?

Rong Shi: Because that rabbit fell apart when I threw it.

Mianmian: …[Heart attack/Self-isolation/Social death]

Has anyone forgotten who Wu Han is?

He appeared before, the chief mech repair expert, a brother from the First Legion.