Albert had never seen such a young parent of a student before. If it were not for that widely known name, he might have thought the young man in front of him was Lu Chao’s older brother.
Seventeen years ago, Albert had only been a low level administrative worker at Simon Academy.
When the news had reported Lu Huai’s death in action, Albert, like countless other citizens, had felt both admiration and regret for that young and handsome Alpha.
And now that very Alpha was shaking his hand.
Time seemed not to have left any trace on his face. Colonel Lu looked exactly the same as he had in the military photograph widely circulated in the news years ago.
Albert felt endless emotion rising in his heart.
“Colonel Lu… you’ve returned…”
Lu Huai released his hand and went straight to the point.
“The people involved and their guardians aren’t here yet?”
Normally, when a child got into trouble, parents arriving at school would immediately want to understand what had happened.
Having learned from his previous experience communicating with Jiang Yun, Albert had already prepared the holographic recording.
What he had not expected was that Colonel Lu would immediately ask about Dennis and his parents.
Suppressing his emotions, Albert replied quickly, “Student Dennis is currently under observation at the medical center due to severe discomfort caused by student Lu Chao’s pheromone suppression. As for Dennis’s parents, Colonel Donnashew and Mrs. Otilia, they are on their way to the school.”
Albert intentionally mentioned Dennis’s parents’ names to gently remind Lu Huai that the student who had clashed with the twins also came from a powerful family.
Lu Huai asked simply, “Who?”
Albert hesitated. “The eldest son of President Qiaohede and his wife.”
Lu Huai raised his eyebrows. “That impressive, huh?”
Albert placed his hand over the button that would play the surveillance recording, already prepared to press it.
“Would you like to watch the holographic footage of the incident before they arrive?”
Lu Huai replied absentmindedly, “Is that necessary?”
Albert froze. “N–Not necessary?”
“You summarized the whole situation clearly in the call,” Lu Huai said. “I don’t need additional information.”
Albert said “Understood, Colonel Lu,” but could not help feeling puzzled.
Colonel Lu didn’t even ask whether Dennis releasing pheromones toward Jiang Mu had been intentional or accidental.
Wasn’t that important information?
Just then, the AI assistant spoke again.
“Dennis’s guardians have arrived at the school gate.”
Dennis and Lu Chao were both known as problem students at school. Lu Chao had already had his parents called twice but this was the first time in three years of high school that Dennis had been summoned.
Whatever trouble Dennis caused at school could normally be settled with a single call from his parents.
The only reason they had come in person today was because of one name.
Jiang Yun.
“Your son certainly has courage,” Donnashew snorted coldly. “He actually dared to provoke the sons of Jiang Yun and Lu Huai. Isn’t your father already troubled enough because of Jiang Yun?”
Otilia defended her son.
“How can you be sure Dennis provoked them first? I think that Omega from the Jiang family just happened to differentiate suddenly and our son was simply nearby. When the time comes, we’ll just say that. What could Jiang Yun possibly do to us?”
Donnashew glanced sideways at his wife, feeling utterly exhausted by her ignorance.
“What are you saying? That’s Jiang Yun.”
“I know, Minister Jiang. I’ve heard about his methods. Most of them rely on using power to pressure people. I don’t see anything particularly clever about it. You’re an Alpha, why are you afraid of an Omega?” Otilia calmly opened her handbag and reapplied her makeup. “Besides, I heard Jiang Yun’s husband will be returning soon. Tell me, how are those Alphas in the military who once pursued Jiang Yun doing these days?”
When his wife mentioned Jiang Yun’s husband, Donnashew’s expression darkened further.
“Enough. When we get inside, you speak less. I’ll handle the conversation with Jiang Yun.”
“You should probably thank our son for giving you a chance to speak with Jiang Yun,” Otilia replied coolly as she put away her lipstick. “Without Dennis, an Alpha like you, who only became a colonel at fifty, would never even catch Jiang Yun’s attention.”
Donnashew snapped angrily, “You know perfectly well that was because Father deliberately slowed my promotions to avoid suspicion!”
Although the couple argued constantly, their many years of political marriage had given them a perfect understanding of how to perform unity in front of outsiders.
When they entered the disciplinary office, the unexpected figure inside caught them completely off guard.
Instinctive awe made Donnashew halt in place.
“Co–Colonel Lu?”
Lu Huai had returned to the capital so quickly?
Why hadn’t the Presidential Office received any news about this at all?
Could it be that his father had completely lost his ability to monitor Jiang Yun and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
Lu Huai glanced at the insignia on Donnashew’s shoulder and gave a slight nod.
“Sir. Madam.”
Donnashew froze for a moment, then instinctively straightened his back.
Only then did he remember that his current military rank was higher than Lu Huai’s.
He was no longer the senior student from years ago who could only look up to the dazzling reputation of his junior at the military academy.
The military maintained a strict hierarchy. His father was the President of the Alliance.
What did he have to feel inferior about?
“Welcome back, Colonel Lu,” Otilia said with a graceful and composed smile. Compared with her husband, she appeared far more calm and collected. “You look even younger and more handsome than in the photos. No wonder Minister Jiang was willing to wait so many years for you.”
Lu Huai skipped all pleasantries and spoke directly.
“Our request is simple. Send Dennis to the Alpha Control Institute.”
Otilia, who was used to the subtle politeness and diplomatic maneuvering of political circles, was clearly not accustomed to such blunt communication. The polite smile on her lips froze instantly.
“…What did you say?”
Donnashew exploded with anger.
“What kind of joke is this?!”
Albert sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Lu Huai glanced at his communicator and said calmly, “I’m short on time. Just tell me whether you agree or not.”
Otilia finally recovered from her shock. Her demeanor changed completely, as though the elegant mask she had been wearing had been suddenly torn away.
“How could we possibly agree to that?!”
The Alpha Control Institute was a facility designed to detain adult Alphas who posed a danger to society.
It was essentially a brutal “execution ground.”
The staff at the institute used every method imaginable to subdue the Alphas sent there, conducting various extreme and cruel experiments until the Alphas could completely control their pheromones.
Dennis had been raised in luxury and privilege since childhood.
How could he possibly survive in a place like that?
Lu Huai replied calmly, “A seventeen year old Alpha used pheromone pressure against an undifferentiated classmate, forcing that person into premature differentiation. Aside from the Control Institute, I think the garbage dump might be the only place more suitable for him.”
His calm tone felt like a tightening noose, constricting the air in the room and making it difficult to breathe.
Donnashew could not help suspecting that Lu Huai had released pheromones to create such suffocating pressure.
But he could not smell any Alpha pheromones at all.
“Watch your words, Colonel!”
Lu Huai laughed.
“There it is again, your traditional skill: issuing warnings.”
Albert spoke timidly, “But Colonel Lu… the Alpha Control Institute only accepts adult Alphas.”
Lu Huai looked at the couple.
“That’s your problem to solve. Convince the institute to relax its age restriction and make a special exception for a seventeen year old Alpha. With your power and influence, that shouldn’t be difficult, right?”
“Why should we do that?” Donnashew demanded, enduring the discomfort of the invisible pressure. “The situation is still unclear yet you’re rushing to conclusions. What exactly are you trying to achieve?”
Otilia did not seem particularly uncomfortable.
Lu Huai had apparently avoided affecting Omega pheromone sensitivity on purpose.
“At present, all we know is that Jiang Mu differentiated in front of Dennis,” she said smoothly, presenting the explanation she had prepared earlier. “Whether Dennis actually caused that differentiation is still open to discussion. What if Jiang Mu simply differentiated on his own? Would Colonel Lu still send an innocent child to the Alpha Control Institute?”
Those few sentences were enough to completely exhaust Lu Huai’s patience.
“Enough already,” he said flatly. “When will you people learn to stop talking nonsense?”
Donnashew’s face turned livid.
“This is a necessary procedure!”
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Albert hurried forward to mediate.
“Please calm down, all of you. I have the surveillance footage here. Perhaps we should watch it together?”
Donnashew’s expression stiffened slightly.
He knew his son’s character well enough. Dennis had long been spoiled by Otilia’s family, there was no telling what he might have done.
Otilia, however, agreed immediately.
“I have no objections. What about you, Colonel Lu?”
Lu Huai still felt that they were wasting time but he said indifferently, “If you insist on going through the procedure, go ahead.”
As he spoke, he sent Jiang Yun a message.
[How are the kids?]
Donnashew exchanged a glance with Otilia.
Now he finally understood why so many people had described Colonel Lu as “arrogant” when speaking about him in the past.
Even Jiang Yun would use honorific language out of respect for the President’s position. He certainly would not be casually sending messages on his communicator during a situation like this.
That earlier “Sir” from Lu Huai was just like the “Senior” he had used years ago at Jiang Yun and Lu Huai’s wedding when Donnashew’s father had introduced them.
Those were merely polite forms of address performed out of discipline and upbringing.
Lu Huai had never truly taken any of these Alphas seriously.
Albert pressed the playback button.
A brief prompt appeared on the screen.
Video does not exist.
The dark red corners of Otilia’s lips curved upward almost imperceptibly.
Albert’s vision darkened.
“H–How is that possible?”
He frantically tried to restore the video but failed repeatedly. Cold sweat poured down his face.
“Could the surveillance system be broken? That shouldn’t be possible…”
Donnashew quietly exhaled in relief.
“These matters require time to investigate. Until the investigation is complete, no one should jump to conclusions.”
Albert bowed urgently toward Lu Huai.
“I’ll arrange technicians to restore the footage immediately! Even if it cannot be recovered, we still have many witnesses. Please give us some time, Colonel Lu!”
Lu Huai interrupted him, finally lifting his gaze from the communicator.
“So you want to stall first?”
Otilia replied calmly, “It’s not that we want to stall. The situation simply demands time. Instead of wasting time here with us, wouldn’t it be better for you to check on your sons?”
“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Lu Huai said half seriously. “If I don’t resolve this matter, I wouldn’t dare face my wife.”
Donnashew said coldly, “I know that when you carried out missions in the past, you always pursued extreme efficiency and simplicity but you should understand that you’re not on a battlefield now.”
Lu Huai nodded.
“You’re absolutely right about that. I have no interest in communicating with you a second time.”
“Colonel Lu has just returned,” Otilia said, gracefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Perhaps you haven’t quite adjusted to the role of being a father. Matters between children may not seem serious but they are complicated and time consuming to resolve. Surely you don’t expect everything to be settled in a single meeting?”
Lu Huai answered matter of factly.
“Yes. Why not?”
Otilia was about to say something else but Donnashew stopped her.
“Very well. Then let me see your style of solving problems, Colonel Lu.” Donnashew sat down leisurely. “I’m quite curious how you plan to convince us to send Dennis to the Alpha Control Institute with just a single sentence.”
This was not seventeen years ago.
And they were not on a battlefield.
What could Lu Huai possibly do to them?
Point a gun at their heads and force them to agree?
If that was his idea of “simple and efficient,” then the famous Colonel Lu was nothing special after all.
Perhaps Jiang Yun’s choice back then had not been the right one.
But before Lu Huai could speak, the AI assistant’s mechanical voice suddenly echoed through the room.
“Mr. Albert, the director of the surveillance center has just been taken away by police on suspicion of repeatedly destroying evidence of campus bullying. A formal investigation has been opened.”
The confident expressions on Otilia and Donnashew’s faces instantly turned pale.
“Well,” Lu Huai said lightly, “since we’ve already gone through the procedures, I might as well perform a little myself.”
“From the moment we received the call to the moment we arrived at the school, Jiang Yun and I took four minutes. Why don’t you guess what we managed to do in those four minutes?”
The couple fell silent.
“With the presidential election approaching,” Lu Huai continued casually, “if Qiaohede wants to secure another term, he probably can’t afford even the slightest scandal.”
He pushed open the door and walked out of the disciplinary office, leaving the three of them behind.
“Within twenty four hours, send your son to the Alpha Control Institute. That’s all.”
Lu Huai ran at full speed toward the medical center.
His communicator lit up.
Jiang Yun: [They’re fine. Jiang Mu is sleeping. Lu Chao is having a breakdown over the smell of his pheromones.]
Jiang Yun: [I told you to drink less soda.]
Jiang Yun: [I’m done dealing with this. You can comfort your son yourself.]
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Cressilia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Who can compare to Colonel Lu?Chapter 2 · He should be deadChapter 3 · How were we born?Chapter 4 · That’s where Colonel died..Chapter 5 · No one knows my pheromone than Colonel LuChapter 6 · Colonel Lu’s remainsChapter 7 · Heat is approachingChapter 8 · CheckmateChapter 9 · A dream liked married lifeChapter 10 · What might be his pregnancy be like?Chapter 11 · He thought he would be the father of two childrenChapter 12 · So we just hang Colonel Lu on the wall?Chapter 13 · Finally, I have something to say to my wifeChapter 14 · Why doesn’t Colonel Lu understandChapter 15 · He doesn’t Love MeChapter 16 · You’ll see him soonChapter 17 · So casual, so carelessChapter 18 Part 1 · He.. He’s looking at meChapter 18 Part 2 · He..He’s looking at meChapter 19 · Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 20 · Wait until I bring back your zombie Alpha dadChapter 21 · Long time no see, Jiang YunChapter 22 · I still have that qualificationChapter 23 · It still tastes sweet when you kiss itChapter 24 · He seems to have forgotten how to act cuteChapter 25 · The two unfortunate children were completely terrifiedChapter 26 · Please make yourself at home.Chapter 27 · Hello, UncleChapter 28 · Am I not your deceased husband?Chapter 29 · Don’t you love me anymore?Chapter 30 · Our home is No. 5, Qianshui RoadChapter 31 · Is he… here to keep him company?Chapter 32 · What exactly did Alpha bring me?Chapter 33 · Thanks a lot, brothers!Chapter 34 · Hi?Chapter 35 · I only let you take care of the child for one dayChapter 36 · Did you have thoughts when you ‘died’?Chapter 37 · Put a double bed in your homeChapter 38 · They both suffered heavy lossesChapter 39 · Welcome back to the Alphas’ arena.Chapter 40 · Why should I lower myself?Chapter 41 · I have learned that Colonel Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 42 · They are sensitive and vulnerableChapter 43 · He would also feel regret.Chapter 44 · When a child is quiet, they’re definitely up to somethingChapter 45 · Dad, you have such a good eye for choosing a husband!Chapter 46 · Who made it wear a colonel’s uniform?Chapter 47 · I love him very muchChapter 48 · Okay, I believe youChapter 49 · I remember you went pretty hard on him at the end.Chapter 50 · Colonel Lu, don’t be too fierceChapter 51 · To…make up for the regretChapter 52 · A perfect match!Chapter 53 · Colonel Lu, let’s get married!Chapter 54 · When will you finally learn to stop talking nonsense?Chapter 55 · My darlings, we’re homeChapter 56 · Babies, please stopChapter 57 · I’m about to enter my heat cycle, not my due dateChapter 58 · Is he complaining to his wife?Chapter 59 · The only lieChapter 60 · Colonel Lu, the babies are all crying.Chapter 61 · Dad, Colonel Lu bullied me.Chapter 62 · A large number of foreign ministersChapter 63 · Jiang Mu definitely likes handsome guys tooChapter 64 · First time bringing a partner to a major diplomatic occasionChapter 65 · You’re still as handsome as you were back thenChapter 66 · Bedtime Strategic PartnerChapter 67 · How can you be so good at threatening people?Chapter 68 · I’m waiting for youChapter 69 · I’ll stay by your side, from beginning to endChapter 70 · Can you handle Lu Chao’s… educational session for me?Chapter 71 · The First SpringChapter 72 · Extra 1Chapter 73 · Extra 2Chapter 74 · Extra 3Chapter 75 · Extra 4Chapter 76 · Extra 5Chapter 77 · Extra 6Chapter 78 · Extra 7Chapter 79 · Extra 8Chapter 80 · Extra 9