The incident of the students' collective stomach pains was no small matter. After a teacher called the police, investigators arrived that afternoon to look into the situation. The affected children were taken to the hospital for treatment, and the school was placed under lockdown.
That night, Pei Yujang explored several key areas of the school.
The basement, the auditorium, the kitchen behind the cafeteria, the infirmary, and the dormitory area were identified as potential sites where evidence might be found.
Pei Yujang briefly inspected the kitchen but didn't find anything unusual. The dormitory area was off-limits as the children were still there, so she focused on the infirmary.
The infirmary was dimly lit, with no lights on. It was a small room, and as she pushed the door open, the faint light revealed a white cabinet and a bed, both showing signs of age. The old equipment, illuminated by her flashlight, was stained with yellowish marks.
She tried to open the cabinet, but the door, though loose, was locked. The area was dusty, and Pei Yujang carefully avoided leaving any traces of her presence.
She took several photos of the cabinet with a special camera, capturing every detail in 4K resolution. When she zoomed in on the images, she noticed some unusual items inside the cabinet—anesthetic drugs.
Typically, a school infirmary would stock common items like herbal oils or medicine for colds and fevers, used to treat minor injuries and illnesses. Anesthetics, however, were not something one would expect to find in such a place.
There were also some drugs labeled in foreign languages that Pei Yujang couldn't identify. She decided to take more photos to show Yu Zhiwan later, as she wasn't fluent enough in foreign languages to understand the scientific names.
There seemed to be more items at the bottom of the cabinet, but they were locked away. The lock wasn't easy to pick, so after a brief attempt, she gave up.
Returning to the dormitory, she found Yu Zhiwan alone and showed her the pictures. Yu Zhiwan carefully examined the labels:
"This is an oral anesthetic. It numbs the entire body and lasts for about two hours."
She continued, frowning, "This is a mild stimulant, banned in sports. It's not something that should be used in normal circumstances. Why would a school have these?"
In addition, there were some prescription drugs and even some illegal ones. Some of these could be used to predict future gender through blood tests, determining whether someone would become an Alpha or an Omega. Normally, people would undergo secondary gender differentiation between the ages of 16 and 18, and testing for gender before this age was legally prohibited.
The more Pei Yujang learned, the more alarmed she became. The audacity of the A Organization was staggering. The political maneuvering at higher levels was beyond her reach, but what she had already encountered was deeply disturbing.
What about the underground laboratory? Such a massive operation—what exactly were they researching there?
The elementary school, shrouded in moonlight, resembled a beast lurking in the shadows. The defenseless children within were like prey in its grasp, at the mercy of its whims.
A thin mist hung outside, carrying the chill of deep winter. The damp air mixed with the foul odor of the restrooms, carried on the wind. Feeling disheartened, Pei Yujang closed the last gap in the window, sitting on the edge of Yu Zhiwan's bed, her mind racing with thoughts.
"Don't be afraid."
Yu Zhiwan's fingers intertwined with hers, warmth flowing between them as they held each other's hands for comfort. Gradually, Pei Yujang began to calm down. She held Yu Zhiwan's hand tightly, inhaling her scent, and felt a sense of peace.
But then, a sudden tension gripped her mind.
The campus, now quiet and peaceful during the holidays, concealed a deadly threat beneath its calm surface.
Pei Yujang stared at the woman beside her, her voice tense:
"Zhiyu, you mentioned that the A Organization discovered your base in Yicheng. After you relocated, did they stop searching for you?"
"They searched but couldn't find us. We were in a hidden location," Yu Zhiwan replied, her mood sinking along with Pei Yujang's question. "But we lost two people. They acted as decoys, sacrificing themselves to mislead the A Organization. Otherwise, they wouldn't have backed off so easily."
The confrontation between the two sides had officially begun. They were now engaged in an open battle, and for the losing side, the consequences would be far worse than the fate of the corpse rotting at the bottom of the lake.
Seeing Pei Yujang still looking at her, Yu Zhiwan provided more details about the day's events, including how the A Organization had found them. Several of their group clashed with the A Organization, and in the end, two members sacrificed themselves to allow the remaining supplies to be successfully moved.
As Yu Zhiwan calmly recounted the events, Pei Yujang held her hand, feeling the warmth of her fingers gradually fade in the cold air. She tightened her grip, pulling Yu Zhiwan's hand closer.
The familiar sound of Yu Zhiwan's voice helped Pei Yujang regain her composure. She realized that she had been overly tense, leading to irrational thoughts.
People could lie, but an Omega's pheromones were like a second form of identification, even more reliable than an ID card, confirming her identity beyond doubt.
As the sweet scent filled the air, Pei Yujang's nerves relaxed again. She gently played with Yu Zhiwan's soft hair and asked,
"Do you regret choosing this path?"
She had always sensed that Yu Zhiwan's view of the world was different from hers. Everyone's life experiences shaped their perspectives.
But before Pei Yujang could finish her question, Yu Zhiwan shook her head.
"No regrets. I chose this path from the start. Instead of wasting time on regrets, we should focus on what to do next."
Yu Zhiwan's soft arms wrapped around Pei Yujang's neck as she leaned into her shoulder, her delicate body pressing against her. Pei Yujang loved being close to her like this, feeling her warmth. Yu Zhiwan's body was softer than most women's, like water, and Pei Yujang adored the gentle, reassuring kisses she gave.
Yu Zhiwan's kisses, carrying the scent of roses, landed on Pei Yujang's eyelids, cheeks, and lips, tracing her features without any hint of desire. It was as if she wanted to imprint Pei Yujang's taste deep within her memory.
As Yu Zhiwan kissed her, she caressed Pei Yujang's face, and Pei Yujang's heart softened. She held the Omega's shoulders, letting her leave her mark.
In a state of bliss, Pei Yujang vaguely heard Yu Zhiwan calling her by her nickname, asking,
"Yujang, are you sleepy?"
Pei Yujang wanted to reply that she was fine, but a wave of drowsiness overwhelmed her, and she could no longer muster the energy to respond.
Yu Zhiwan glanced at the somber night outside, then at the woman who had slumped against her shoulder, before quickly wiping the powder off her hands. Her eyes darkened like the overcast sky, heavy with unspoken thoughts.
The first rain of the new year was about to fall.
Yu Zhiwan dialed a familiar number from memory.
Dark clouds loomed, heralding a coming storm. The fierce, cutting wind was already chilling to the bone.
At the edge of a district in Xiangcheng, a small ferry was docked at a port. Such weather was hardly ideal for sailing; a storm could strike at any moment.
Chen Shuyang stood at the bow, straining to see into the distance.
After her involvement in land deals was exposed, her wife had erupted in anger and threatened to divorce her. Chen Shuyang had begged and sworn that she had done nothing else to betray her, and only then did Liu Yifang calm down, forbidding her from contacting anyone else in her circle.
At that moment, Chen Shuyang had genuinely intended to quit, but she had one last piece of land, with a down payment already made—a school, as well as a company she had invested in last year. Panicked, she tried to back out, only to receive a threatening letter.
The letter contained her mother's wedding ring, a ring her mother had worn since marrying her father and never taken off. It was a unique design her mother cherished, never removing it except to sleep.
Seeing it in the hands of her blackmailer nearly drove Chen Shuyang mad. Helpless, she followed the instructions to transfer assets and sign over deeds, her actions inevitably drawing her wife's attention.
Liu Yifang was the mayor of Xiangcheng, and reaching that position meant she wasn't easily deceived. But when Chen Shuyang, trembling with fear, knelt at her feet, the only emotions in Liu Yifang's eyes were disappointment and a hint of pity.
Chen Shuyang was placed under house arrest, her basic needs provided, but she was cut off from the internet and constantly watched. A few days ago, Liu Yifang, looking exhausted, told her that the future might be turbulent.
Chen Shuyang's lips trembled as she stared at her, clinging to a last shred of hope.
"Will Xiangcheng be affected too?"
She had only sold an outlying water plant and a welfare school.
Liu Yifang shook her head without answering.
Today, she was told that her family had been taken care of and that she would be sent to a safe island to avoid the impending trouble. Chen Shuyang had heard of the island, located at the junction of Xiangcheng and the capital. Many people believed it housed a shelter, though it had never been activated, and such stories were mostly rumors.
The pitch-black night enveloped Chen Shuyang like a shroud, suffocating her. Only now did she realize that her actions had triggered a series of terrifying consequences, like a domino effect where every piece was crucial, and in an avalanche, no one was truly innocent.
Tearfully, she begged Yifang to join her, only to hear a vague response: if she could, she would.
Time passed, but no one else arrived at the port, and Chen Shuyang's heart sank.
The ferry departed, its horn sounding like a dagger to her heart. On the dark waters, the small vessel was tossed about by the wind and rain. Chen Shuyang, standing on the deck, was drenched, barely able to keep her eyes open.
But as she strained to see the island ahead, her expression changed dramatically.
Meanwhile, Liu Yifang received a call from an unknown number.