Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 12

After his shower, Pei An returned to his room and lay down, occasionally checking the messages on his smart device.

Irene informed him that all the people rescued from Gold Wind and Jade Dew had undergone physical examinations. Those who had not succumbed yet, the ones kept locked in the basement, had only suffered minor external injuries and malnutrition. With proper care, they would recover. However, for those who had been forced into their line of work, it was a different story. Regardless of their physical condition, the days they spent at Gold Wind and Jade Dew would be a lifelong nightmare.

【Pei Ge, would you like to visit the welfare institution tomorrow to check on the situation?】

Irene was a compassionate girl herself, and to be honest, seeing those people with lifeless eyes, crying in pain, also weighed heavily on her heart.

Pei An rested one arm behind his head, contemplating the possibility of forcibly erasing these people’s memories using his psychic abilities.

In theory, a psychologist could use hypnosis to help victims forget these unspeakable memories. However, in a small place like DS009, where even regular doctors were scarce, let alone psychologists, Pei An might have to use his psychic abilities to intervene if the victims couldn’t move past their past traumas.

【Take care of them. I’ll visit the welfare institution tomorrow.】

It was already quite late, so Pei An sent the message to Irene and turned off the lights to sleep.

The next day, after Pei An woke up, he headed to the bathroom in his sleepwear to wash his face and brush his teeth. There, he caught a whiff of the scent of breakfast. There was porridge, steamed dumplings, and eggs.

A faint itch tugged at Pei An’s heart. He had assumed that after Xie Yu had discovered his secret the previous day, he would do everything to leave DS009. Perhaps he would avoid meddling in the affairs of the Farstar System, or he might even return with a regular military force to eliminate him. In any case, he shouldn’t still be here, cooking breakfast for him.

Even though Xie Yu had never shown any intention of leaving from start to finish.

Xie Yu came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of dumplings, and noticed Pei An standing by the dining table, not sitting down to eat.

“Can you eat breakfast while standing?” Xie Yu placed the dumplings on the table and pulled out a chair for Pei An. “Sit down and have breakfast.”

Apart from the porridge, which was freshly made, the eggs were freshly cooked. The dumplings and steamed buns were pre-packaged from the supermarket. All they needed was reheating before serving.

For Pei An, there was no reheating process at all. His breakfast was typically bought on the go, eaten at the base, or consisted of a nutrient supplement.

“Pei An, I want to visit the people who were rescued yesterday. Is that okay?” Xie Yu sat down across from Pei An, his expression sincere.

Pei An picked up an egg and started peeling it. “Why would you suddenly want to see them?”

“I…” Xie Yu organized his words. “I’ve never seen something like this before. I feel like I don’t understand this world.”

As the heir to the Third Corps, Xie Yu had always been the center of attention at every stage of his life. Even when he entered the military, he didn’t start from the lowest rank. Moreover, he was genuinely a military talent, having led countless battles and never suffered a defeat.

General Xie Yu, with years of military leadership, had annihilated countless interstellar pirates. But he had only seen gunfights on the battlefield and political maneuvering within the Central Galaxy. He had never seen the hidden filth beneath the glitz of the empire.

This wasn’t what he had originally joined the military for.

“Sure,” Pei An thought to himself. Giving a Major of the Third Corps a taste of the world’s injustices might yield unexpected results. This was a Major of the Third Corps, after all, someone with significant influence.

After breakfast, Pei An drove to the welfare institution. DS009 seemed gloomier than usual today, the air heavy with humidity as rain clouds gathered, making it rather uncomfortable.

Xie Yu sat in the passenger seat, silently observing DS009 through the car window. Despite having gained some insight into the lack of prosperity on this small planet, Xie Yu couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort.

This small planet was dull, lifeless, and its inhabitants lacked the vivacity of those in the Central Galaxy.

They soon arrived at the welfare institution. Pei An parked the car and gestured for Xie Yu to exit. “We’ve reached our destination.”

Xie Yu unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car alongside Pei An.

Irene, who had stayed at the welfare institution overnight, was already there waiting.

“Pei Ge, the people we rescued yesterday have all been examined by Sister Manzhu. However, the situation is quite complex, so you should coordinate with her directly,” Irene said. Her eyes sneaked a quick glance behind Pei An, as she found it odd that he had brought Xie Yu along.

“Where is Sister Manzhu?” Pei An asked, pretending not to notice Irene’s curious gaze.

Irene retracted her eyes, “She’s in the medical office.”

Pei An nodded in acknowledgment and headed towards the medical office.

Xie Yu followed suit.

Irene blinked her eyes in mild astonishment. Could it be that her Pei Ge was bringing Xie Yu to visit the welfare institution? When did he have the patience for such things?

“Did you fund the construction of this welfare institution?” Xie Yu couldn’t help but ask as they walked toward the medical office.

Pei An turned his head, “Yes, why? Are you interested in investing?”

Xie Yu didn’t hesitate, “It’s possible.”

Pei An stopped in his tracks, gazing up at Xie Yu. “Have you forgotten that the Morian Star System doesn’t use Litecoins as currency?” he quipped, reminding Xie Yu of the substantial debt he currently owed.

Xie Yu blinked; he had indeed forgotten. He was used to being the rich Major who never lacked money. This was the first time he had to seriously consider financial issues.

Pei An teased Xie Yu for a bit, then continued walking towards the medical office. “Since you’re willing, consider it a debt for now.”

Debts weren’t burdensome when they piled up.

Xie Yu followed Pei An. “Then it’s a deal.”

Pei An almost found it amusing. What kind of person was in such a hurry to accumulate debts?

The so-called medical office was rather modest. It was a four-story building with some basic medical equipment, and the medical staff were few in number. The institution had many wards, but they were rarely all occupied. Minor illnesses didn’t require hospitalization, and even when intravenous therapy was needed, medical staff could make house calls. For more serious conditions, this welfare institution’s medical office wasn’t equipped to handle them. This was the first time the hospital rooms had been filled since the welfare institution was built.

The first floor had a consultation room, a pharmacy, and some examination rooms. The upper floors had the hospital rooms and various offices and duty rooms that were occasionally used. Manzhu’s office was on the second floor.

The office door was partially open, and Pei An knocked before pushing it open. “Manzhu.”

Manzhu was a woman with long red hair and semi-rimmed glasses. She was busy working at her desk, but when she heard Pei An’s voice, she looked up and offered a faint smile.

“You didn’t get any rest?” Pei An noticed the dark circles under Manzhu’s eyes.

Manzhu didn’t mind and stood up to fetch some water for Pei An. “Staying up all night is nothing serious.”

Pei An sighed silently. Staying up all night for regular work was one thing, but what Manzhu did last night, taking care of dozens of patients one by one, leaving no room for mistakes, was on a different level of exhaustion compared to a late-night gaming session.

Manzhu handed the cup of warm water to Pei An, but she completely ignored Xie Yu, who had followed them into the room.

The office wasn’t large. Besides Manzhu’s office chair, there was only one other chair placed opposite her desk. Pei An took a seat, leaving Xie Yu to stand.

Xie Yu, who had received top-notch military training, maintained his military posture even when relaxing, making him appear like a bodyguard hired by Pei An.

However, it was safe to say that no one in the entire Empire could afford to hire Xie Yu as a bodyguard.

Pei An took a sip of water and cleared his throat before asking, “What’s the situation?”

Manzhu flipped through the documents on her desk and pushed them toward Pei An. “There were a total of thirty-nine people rescued from Golden Wind and Jade Dew. Among them, twenty-one are omegas, and within these twenty-one omegas, five have not been forced into client relationships; these are the ones who were locked in the basement.”

Pei An furrowed his brows. “So many of them are omegas.”

Manzhu twirled a pen in her hand. “Kidnapping omegas is much more profitable than betas, after all.”

Pei An handed the documents back to Manzhu. “What’s your treatment plan?”

“Those locked in the basement are relatively fine; they only need some psychological counseling. However, for those who’ve been involved in client relationships, especially the omegas, treatment is quite challenging,” Manzhu explained while tapping her neck with the pen. “The glandular damage is extensive and difficult to treat.”

Xie Yu’s expression darkened as he listened. He seemed to be developing a noticeable frown. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but can you clarify how difficult ‘difficult’ is in terms of treatment?”

Manzhu finally shifted her gaze to Xie Yu. While she was warmer when talking to Pei An, she adopted a much colder tone with Xie Yu.

“Based on the victims’ accounts, they only accepted clients during non-heat periods. The reproductive cavity wouldn’t open during these times, which means they wouldn’t be completely marked. As long as they aren’t entirely marked, omegas can be repeatedly and temporarily marked by different alphas. However, the repeated temporary marking inflicts significant damage on the gland. Information molecules from different alphas injected into the gland, and sometimes, the molecules from a previous alpha haven’t even been metabolized before a new alpha’s molecules are injected. I believe the rest doesn’t need to be elaborated.”

Manzhu stopped at that point.

Xie Yu felt like he could squeeze a fly to death on his forehead now.

Manzhu added, “Of course, alphas like you wouldn’t sense the extreme agony they experience.”