At Least an SS-Rank Super Alpha!
In previous years at this time, the capital would be gripped by a bone-chilling cold, making one feel better only after donning a heavy overcoat.
Nancheng was entirely different; the trees on both sides of the road remained lush and green. The overcast sky carried a hint of moisture, casting a filter over the scenery that looked like polished glass.
After two days of online classes at home, Xie Yun headed out for a physical examination, sitting in the back of the sedan in silence the entire way. He had expected to finish quickly, but he hadn’t anticipated a car changing lanes without signaling midway through. The time spent negotiating and handling the minor scrape delayed them significantly.
By the time he and his cousin arrived at the hospital and took a number, it was already 3:30 PM.
Jiang Jia sighed. “Luck isn’t on our side today. I should have had you come for the check-up two days earlier.”
Xie Yun, who usually prioritized time management, pulled out his e-reader to look over scripts and pass the time. “It doesn’t matter.”
There was only one thing Xie Yun truly cared about: not bumping into his brother.
The two of them sat in the waiting area. Xie Yun was dressed in casual streetwear a hoodie with his head slightly lowered, half of his face hidden under the hood. Even wearing a mask, his extraordinary aura stood out, frequently drawing side-long glances from passersby.
However, Jiang Jia acted as a natural barrier. Competent and sharp as a secret service bodyguard, she radiated an aura that warned strangers not to approach. With her there, Xie Yun could enter a state of deep focus at any time.
Normally, Jiang Jia wouldn’t speak to disturb him. But as a staff member in a “family workshop,” she harbored her own private concerns; even as a gold-standard manager, she still had to look out for her cousin’s personal life and feelings.
“How is the progress with your top-student ‘older brother’?”
Xie Yun’s gaze faltered for a moment. His fingertip tapped lightly on the edge of the screen, and he pursed his lips. “We haven’t chatted much.”
Jiang Jia asked, “Didn’t he ask why you took leave?”
“He didn’t.”
“Alright then. It wasn’t easy for you to transfer back; cherish these next few days,” she said earnestly. “If you decide to take this role, you’ll definitely have to join the film crew in a while. When you take a long leave then, you’d better not start overthinking things again.”
For instance, imagining rivals at school all day and night.
Xie Yun: “…”
He simply closed his screen and crossed his arms, but his train of thought veered in another direction. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I almost forgot about that person.”
Xie Yun was referring to that fan his brother’s newly befriended Omega, the primary “hero” responsible for his transfer.
Jiang Jia asked, “Have you never seen them?”
“No,” Xie Yun replied.
His brother’s life was simple and pure, as if studying and solving problems were the entirety of his existence. Even his childhood friend, Yuan Zhoulu, had a friendship that felt like a “home invasion” whenever they hung out. If Xi Zhiyu were an Omega, everything would make sense, but Xie Yun knew for a fact the other party was an Alpha.
Therefore, based on his daily observations, this person’s existence felt almost fictional.
Xie Yun fell into contemplation, his arms tightly hugging his chest, his brow furrowed in a brooding expression. “Or perhaps I have seen them, but just didn’t pay much attention.”
“Then… think about it slowly.”
Beside him, Jiang Jia coughed twice. Ever since returning to Nancheng, her throat had felt slightly uncomfortable. “I’m going to buy two bottles of water.”
Xie Yun gave a casual “thanks.” Unable to come up with a conclusion, he went back to studying his script. Although the thought of Xi Zhiyu could occupy his mind, once he resolved to dive into work, his focus shifted entirely to lines and character emotions, and his attention no longer wandered.
The vending machines on each floor were located next to the elevators.
Jiang Jia stood sideways buying water. Hearing the elevator doors open, she finished scanning the code to pay. Just as she turned to walk back, the elevator doors were already closing. Through the narrowing gap, she caught a glimpse of a teenage boy looking down at his phone.
The boy’s figure was tall and lanky, his black hair as dark as obsidian. Beneath it, his face was handsome but his expression was solemn, giving her a haunting sense of familiarity.
Jiang Jia paused. She watched the elevator rise and stop at the third floor for a few seconds.
That was the Differentiation Department of the physical examination center.
Jiang Jia stood frozen with the two bottles of water. Realizing she hadn’t seen the face clearly, she still felt that the boy was someone she knew. Just as she was about to stop thinking about it, the name Xi Zhiyu flashed through her mind.
But she couldn’t be sure. After all, they hadn’t met in about two years. In her memory, that Omega boy shouldn’t be that tall.
Jiang Jia hurried back. Seeing Xie Yun focused on his script, oblivious to the world, she spoke with a hint of urgency: “I think I just saw Zhiyu.”
Xie Yun took the water and twisted the cap. Upon hearing this, he took a gulp and choked.
Jiang Jia continued, “In the elevator. It looked like he was going to the third floor?”
Xie Yun: “…”
“How is that possible?!”
He immediately pulled out his phone, preparing to send a message to ask. He was terrified of bumping into his “older brother” at the hospital, fearing the other might detect his secret crush.
But just then.
The physical examination window called Xie Yun’s number. The flustered Alpha teen didn’t have time to type and was urged by his cousin to go for his check-up.
“It’s getting late,” Jiang Jia said, rubbing her temples. “Actually, it might not have been him. I probably misidentified him.”
She hadn’t been herself lately. After a car accident even a minor one it was common for one’s nerves to be on edge and for hallucinations to occur.
She added, “Besides, even if Zhiyu came for a check-up, why would he go upstairs?”
Xie Yun: “…”
She was rarely this impulsive. The boy understood and coldly but kindly advised her to stop worrying about the car scrape, as his father didn’t care about it anyway. As for the rest, Xie Yun felt the probability of his cousin misidentifying someone was extremely high. Even he couldn’t see Xi Zhiyu frequently, let alone Jiang Jia, who had only met him a few times when they were kids.
Third Floor. Differentiation Research Lab of the Second Hospital.
In past years, campus differentiation incidents were only sent to this specialized research department if they were unique or had severe impacts. Every year, the physical exam included a prediction for the secondary differentiation outcome, usually estimated by a standard chip-based instrument. Unless there was a glandular disease, Xi Zhiyu wouldn’t have been required to undergo a detailed examination with high-end chip equipment.
He entered the giant instrument pod, feeling as though he had fallen into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he temporarily couldn’t remember the process of the exam due to side effects.
After this, Xi Zhiyu clearly sensed something was wrong. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant, mixed with an unsettling, anxious aura.
Looking around, several experts were gathered, discussing the possibility of a malfunction in the chip equipment. Usually, the results shouldn’t take this long.
Xi Zhiyu sat and waited. He looked calm, but his body felt as if countless ants were crawling over him. He politely asked a passing intern, “Hello. Is there a malfunction with the equipment?”
The intern shook their head. “Not sure. Theoretically, the equipment shouldn’t have issues. Please be patient and wait a bit longer.”
Xi Zhiyu: “Alright, thank you.”
The intern went back to work, checking data and learning from the experts.
The more Xi Zhiyu thought about it, the more confused he became. According to his knowledge, this high-end equipment, which cost millions to maintain annually, truly shouldn’t malfunction. Because of this, the current complex situation was baffling it felt as though after his examination, the Second Hospital’s expensive medical pod was about to disintegrate or explode.
Xi Zhiyu thought for a moment and decided to message Doctor Qiao Sen. The doctor suggested a certain possibility.
Doctor Qiao Sen: It’s likely that the leap in differentiation results is too large. Doctor Qiao Sen: Some data might need to be submitted to higher authorities. I can be there within half an hour; let’s talk when we meet.
Xi Zhiyu never expected the situation to be so thorny. Holding his breath and looking down, his fingertips turned white and trembled as he typed: Sorry for the trouble.
He had a headache. He leaned half his body against the cold wall, his mind a mess.
By the time Qiao Sen arrived, the head of the research lab his former fellow student had received the pheromone monitoring data, and his eyes lit up.
“Results should be out within half an hour. Wait a bit longer.”
Qiao Sen asked, “Senior, is now the optimal testing window?”
“Not quite. It’s still in the early detectable stage,” the other replied before hurrying off.
It wasn’t even the full detection period yet, only the early stage, and the situation was already this exaggerated.
Qiao Sen turned and walked toward Xi Zhiyu. The boy stood up, pursing his lips. “Is it very serious?”
Qiao Sen weighed his words carefully. “You should prepare yourself first. Your differentiation results will likely be astonishing.”
Xi Zhiyu opened his mouth, but almost no words came out.
With modern technology, high-end medical pods centered on medical chips can predict the secondary differentiation results of teenagers to the maximum extent. Furthermore, the accuracy of these results is extremely high at least a 90% accuracy rate.
As the most authoritative hospital in Nancheng, the Second Hospital handled all complex differentiation cases, but the current situation was something even experts couldn’t answer. This proved Qiao Sen wasn’t exaggerating. The fact that he personally appeared to provide pheromone monitoring data also meant Xi Zhiyu’s results were more special than any patient in previous years.
“I’m worried my father and the others will find out.”
Xi Zhiyu subconsciously gripped his knees, his jeans wrinkling. “Once the prediction result comes out, will it also expose my glandular disease?”
They were two separate things, but they would definitely influence each other.
Qiao Sen suggested, “You can choose to keep the prediction results confidential. They won’t be notified until the actual day of your secondary differentiation.”
Xi Zhiyu: “…Alright.”
It was just a matter of stalling for as long as possible.
The atmosphere between them was heavy, as if the air were filled with frost, freezing them into silence.
After an unknown amount of time, the middle-aged director hurried over, clutching a set of data. Both men stood up to meet him.
Qiao Sen pushed up his glasses. “How is it?”
“Let’s confirm some details first.” The director looked at Xi Zhiyu and spoke concisely. “Student, what did you see inside the medical pod?”
Xi Zhiyu searched his mind seriously. Within the misty memories of the chip pod’s visualization process, a certain image indeed emerged.
During the physical prediction process, his consciousness had shifted to an animal’s perspective. His body seemed to have transformed into a beautiful, large-bodied black feline with sharp fangs. The strongest, most valiant male tiger in the forest had been attracted to him, sending out mating signals.
Logically, with his gentle and pure appearance, he should have submitted to the other’s strength. However, at the critical moment when the male tiger was waiting for its chance, he pounced with unimaginable power, bit the back of the tiger’s neck, and fiercely marked it!
“?!”
Xi Zhiyu looked up abruptly, confirming the vision as the director had described. Then, he heard the most shocking words of his life.
“The prediction results are out. There is a 95% probability that you will differentiate from an Omega into an SS-Rank Superior Alpha.”
“I’ve worked here for twenty years…” The department director took a deep breath. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a differentiation result with such a massive leap.”