The door opened, and Chi Yao was met with the sight of an old man’s face, dark as the bottom of a wok.

The old man was Jing Rong, reportedly the principal of a military academy.

Chi Yao had no family growing up, and the old men he’d dealt with before were all “abnormal.” For a moment, he didn’t know how to treat this kind of ordinary old man.

The elder looked like he couldn’t withstand one punch from him. If anything went wrong, Jing Xi would probably fight him to the death.

Chi Yao: “Please, come in?”

Jing Rong walked in huffing with anger and sat on the sofa, silent.

Chi Yao waited for a moment. Seeing the man sitting there bolt upright like a statue, neither moving nor speaking, he couldn’t figure out the purpose of the visit and simply went upstairs to wash up.

When he came back down, washed and changed, the old man was still in the same position, who knows what he was trying to do.

Why is this whole family, from the old man to the cat, so aloof? Is it genetic?

Chi Yao couldn’t be bothered with him and went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

There was still some time before 8 o’clock. It was better to cook for himself than wait for Jiang Feng on an empty stomach.

Jing Rong heard the door close behind him. He held back, then secretly turned his head to look.

His grandson had gone to the kitchen to cook, completely ignoring him.

Has his condition worsened again?

“Meow—”

A cat appeared at his feet. Jing Rong beckoned to it.

Yaoyao jumped onto the sofa, snuggled into the old man’s arm, looking utterly content.

Jing Rong stroked its fur and whispered: “Yaoyao, has Xi Xi’s illness flared up again?”

Yaoyao stretched and closed its eyes, preparing to sleep.

Chi Yao was frying eggs, feeling the gaze on his back, but pretended not to notice.

When he came out with the plates, the old man quickly turned back around.

Chi Yao saw his posture was the same, only he now had a cat in his arms.

“…”

What exactly did he come here for?

“Have you eaten?” Chi Yao placed one of the plates opposite him at the dining table. “I accidentally made too much. Want to come and eat some?”

After he spoke, he was completely ignored.

He didn’t mind and sat down to eat.

Just as he was about to finish one of the fried eggs, he suddenly heard a cold snort. The old man approached with a dark face and sat down opposite him.

Chi Yao: “…”

Are ordinary old men this tsundere?

Jing Rong picked up a piece of the split, grilled sausage with his fork and put it into his mouth, feeling light as air.

What do you mean ‘made too much’? He clearly made this specially for me.

And he still remembers I like grilled sausage, hmph.

It tastes too good!

Since he had already cooked for him, that counted as an apology.

Jing Rong, through sheer imagination, forgave his grandson’s missed appointment last night and his rudeness this morning. He was even ecstatic because of a few pieces of grilled sausage.

“I heard you stirred up trouble in the military department these past few days?” Jing Rong asked.

Is he here to seek justice bright and early?

Chi Yao: “They provoked me, and I provoked them back, that’s all. Can’t stand it? If you can’t stand it, then… don’t eat my grilled sausage next time.”

He originally wanted to say, if you can’t stand it, then leave, but felt the words were too harsh and worried the old man might get sick from anger.

Jing Rong: “…”

To defend his freedom to eat grilled sausage, Jing Rong explained: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you’re tired, take leave and come back to rest. If you really don’t want to do it, resigning is fine. Our family isn’t short on food for you.”

It was a rare moment for Chi Yao to guess wrong, and he found it novel.

“I heard that people who stay at home after becoming an adult are usually despised by their family.”

“I can’t wait for you to resign!” Jing Rong huffed. “What’s the meaning of all this fighting and killing? If you truly have nothing to do, you can come teach with me at the academy. It’s much more interesting.”

Chi Yao imagined the scene: “…Forget it. Fighting and killing suits me better.”

If he were to become a teacher, he might not be able to resist slaughtering the classroom.

At 8 o’clock sharp, Jiang Feng arrived right on time.

Seeing Jing Rong, he respectfully saluted: “Elder Master, I didn’t know you were here. I’ll go make breakfast right now.”

Jing Rong raised his hand to stop him: “No need. My grandson made it for me.”

Jiang Feng was stunned.

The commander cooked for himself?

In front of an outsider, Jing Rong couldn’t help but show off: “It tastes much better than the academy cafeteria.”

Jiang Feng: “…Oh.”

Today wasn’t the weekend, and both the grandfather and grandson had to go to work.

As they walked out the door, a luxurious hovering vehicle was already parked outside the gate, with a beta dressed as a butler waiting by the car door.

Before getting into the car, Jing Rong looked back at his grandson and whispered: “What happened back then wasn’t your fault. Be happy. That person will be found one day.”

Chi Yao: “?”

Jing Xi is looking for someone?

__

At the same time, the Star Pirate Group was conducting its monthly deep clean.

Fang Liang patrolled one area after another, making sure to miss not a speck of dust, especially any trace of blood.

The Boss has a cleanliness obsession that flares up about once a month, roughly the same cycle as a normal alpha’s rut.

But he doesn’t have a rut; he only has his cleanliness obsession.

When the obsession acts up, he can’t stand to see any filth, especially blood and the smell of blood.

A few years ago, the major slaughter in the C-Zone happened to coincide with the Boss’s obsession.

The thick smell of blood drove the Boss insane, and he killed everyone.

The next day, Fang Liang found the Boss’s hands covered in self-inflicted wounds from scrubbing.

While patrolling the seventeenth floor, Fang Liang’s terminal vibrated.

He casually swiped it open and said respectfully, “Boss.”

In the picture, Jing Xi looked at him: “Where are you? Come with me to the C-Zone.”

“Now?”

Fang Liang was surprised. If the Boss went to the C-Zone now, something bad might happen again.

Jing Xi: “Now.”

Fang Liang hesitantly agreed: “Alright, I’ll be right there.”

Hanging up the communication, Jing Xi picked up his jacket and put it on.

He was due to leave for X30 training tomorrow, so he had to check the C-Zone regardless.

If Chi Yao truly was capturing ordinary civilians to play these slaughter games, he might change his training plans and report them directly to the Security Bureau.

He went down to the office floor, where Fang Liang was already waiting at the door.

Jing Xi: “Let’s go.”

Entering the elevator, Fang Liang immediately handed him a gas mask.

Jing Xi glanced at it: “What’s this for?”

Fang Liang: “It hasn’t been completely cleaned up there yet. I’m afraid you’ll be overstimulated.”

Jing Xi frowned.

How bloody must the scene be for even Chi Yao to be overstimulated?

The vehicle drove to the C-Zone. Fang Liang walked inside by Jing Xi’s side.

“They’ve been locked up since last time and haven’t been released.”

Jing Xi: “Mhm.”

The C-Zone was vast. The building they entered was just one of them and served as the detention center for the captives.

Jing Xi wasn’t in a hurry to see them.

“Go to the second floor first and check the extent of damage to the facilities.”

Fang Liang was unaccustomed to seeing him take this so seriously.

Since this area was established, when did the Boss ever care about equipment issues?

The second floor was a high-ceilinged flat area, five meters high, with a massive cement-built maze in the center.

The two went up to the high platform at the top to look down.

Fang Liang explained: “This level is for maze running. Passing requires getting from this side to the other within the time limit. We have gun ports set up around the perimeter, and anyone who tries to climb the wall will be shot.”

Jing Xi stared at the path of the maze for a moment.

The maze wasn’t exceptionally large, but the layout was complex, with only one correct route.

Jing Xi: “What’s the time limit?”

Fang Liang looked at him strangely: “Ten minutes. It was originally five minutes, but you said it wasn’t fun because too few people passed, so you doubled the time.”

Jing Xi: “And for those who can’t get out when the time is up?”

Fang Liang: “A bullet to send them off.”

Jing Xi: “…”

On the third floor, Fang Liang turned on the power, and a pattern lit up on the floor.

It was a standard nine-square grid, nine spaces horizontally and nine vertically.

Fang Liang: “Before the game starts, they each draw a number. Once the game begins, a random partial nine-square grid puzzle is displayed. They pass as long as they can complete the nine-square grid.”

This game fundamentally requires teamwork, but placing it here, Jing Xi didn’t feel it was a good thing.

“Is the number of people just right?”

Fang Liang shook his head: “A team of ten people is given a six-space puzzle.”

No matter what, four people would not be able to pass.

Not only that, but some people might destroy other numbers to make their own number useful.

A perfectly good puzzle game had turned into a murder game.

Jing Xi’s face darkened.

Going up, they saw Hide-and-Seek, Dodgeball, Jump Rope, and other projects. Each sounded ordinary, but once tied to human lives, they became extraordinarily terrifying.

Jing Xi rubbed his temples, not wanting to look any further.

“Let’s go see the people.”

Fang Liang thought the prolonged smell of blood was starting to affect him and quickly led him to the detention floor.

As soon as he stepped in, Jing Xi smelled a strong odor of blood and sour decay.

This floor was divided into many small rooms. Through the small opening in the iron doors, one could see the people confined inside.

Jing Xi walked past the iron doors, seeing the captives huddled on small beds, filthy and dishevelled.

His hand hanging by his side clenched. He hesitated before asking: “What are the names of this batch of people?”

“Names?” Fang Liang was momentarily stunned and opened his terminal. “I’ll look it up. These people usually don’t use their real names, so the information might not be accurate.”

While he was searching for the data, Jing Xi slowly walked forward.

He didn’t know what he was expecting.

As he passed the sixth cell, Jing Xi stopped.

This person looked familiar.

“Fang Liang.”

There was too much data. Fang Liang hadn’t found the list yet. Hearing the Boss call him, he rushed over: “What is it?”

Jing Xi pointed to the nearby cell: “Open the door to this room. I want to see.”

Fang Liang hesitated: “It’s too smelly inside. How about I change the iron door into a railing, and you stand outside to look?”

Jing Xi: “Fine.”

Fang Liang pressed a button on the wall, and the iron door suddenly opened like a shutter, turning into an iron grate.

Jing Xi stared at the person inside and said coldly, “Lift your head.”

The person inside tightened his arms, but his head hung even lower.

Fang Liang kicked the iron door and roared: “Did you not hear me tell you to lift your head?! Do you want to take a bullet?!”

The person inside was startled and immediately looked up.

“I… I didn’t hear you just now.”

Seeing the face clearly, Jing Xi was momentarily stunned.

He remembered this person.

This alpha was named Jiang Ming. Eight years ago, he was convicted of raping and murdering 5 underage omegas and sentenced to five years of service on a Class III penal colony, to atone for his sins through hard labor. His earnings were to be directly transferred to the victims’ accounts, followed by execution by firing squad upon completion of his term.

The case caused a sensation at the time, with hundreds of millions of netizens jointly signing a petition for the death penalty.

Leaving aside the fact that rape and murder are first-degree felonies in the Empire, regardless of the crime, once a death sentence is pronounced, the person can only await death; no commutation is allowed.

So this person should have been executed three years ago.

Why is he here?