Sir, do you want the pheromones? - Chapter 2

“Huh?” Meng Ruqian was a bit taken aback, staring blankly at Pei Xingyu’s back. They had been classmates since military school, and although they were not in the same unit after graduation, they were still in the same legion. How could he not know about this?

 

“When?”

 

Pei Xingyu thought for a moment, “Before graduation.”

 

Meng Ruqian understood now. 

 

At that time, Pei Xingyu had achieved an unprecedented score of 98.5, and the entire Interstellar Federation treated him as a revered figure. To showcase the quality of the Imperial Military Academy’s education, they created a publicity stunt, allowing this prodigy, Pei Xingyu, to delay reporting to his unit and instead teach a series of tutorial classes to new students at the school.

 

“Why haven’t I heard you mention this before? Wasn’t he a fan you hurt before?” Meng Ruqian chose his words carefully, probing Pei Xingyu, “To be honest, you look so formidable in uniform.”

 

Pei Xingyu did not pause his steps and replied coldly, “Anything else to say?”

 

“Alright, but this Jin Ran… Jin…” Meng Ruqian remarked, “He shares the same surname as Minister Jin Shaoyuan from the Seventh Legion. It’s quite a coincidence that while he’s sent here to suffer, if he were in Minister Jin’s family, he wouldn’t need to be here. Even without his pheromone, he could rise in the Interstellar Federation.”

 

Pei Xingyu didn’t respond. Meng Ruqian continued, “By the way, why did you decide to teach him fencing? I didn’t know you even knew it. You never mentioned it.”

 

“There’s nothing to say.”

 

He didn’t know Jin Ran at that time; he met Jin Ran when he was just sixteen. At that time, Pei Xingyu had already undergone his transformation. Omegas were not allowed in the military due to pheromone induction issues, and that was when he encountered Jin Shaoyuan, who had just been promoted to Minister of Operations of the Seventh Legion and was Jin Ran’s father.

 

“I know your sister needs medicine to survive. You can’t afford it. If you agree to my condition, I will help you support your sister. If necessary, I can also help you find your parents in the future. It’s a good deal.”

 

Such a generous offer made Pei Xingyu inquire about the conditions. 

 

Jin Shaoyuan said, “Marry my son.”

 

Jin Ran was born with a lack of pheromones, his eyes were silver-gray and he couldn’t see many things clearly, and he was also missing a little finger.

 

Even though Pei Xingyu had become an Omega, his pride, even greater than others, understood that the word “marry” meant “to ward off misfortune.”

 

He sneered and said, “No need.”

 

He left the Minister’s office with his sister. 

 

Pei Yan, still young and unaware of the world, looked at him as he touched her face and said, “What did your brother teach you? Repeat it.”

 

Pei Yan tilted her head and said in a soft, cute voice, “Hmm… When touched by someone, they will die.”

 

Pei Xingyu wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Pei Yan had been taken away as an experimental subject at a young age, and when she was returned, she had a strange illness: whenever she was sick, she would become immensely strong, reducing even heavy mechs or ancient trees to ruins with a single touch.

 

He couldn’t even afford to compensate others, let alone the expensive and scarce medicine needed for Pei Yan.

 

Pei Xingyu could not bear to see Pei Yan lose consciousness at such a young age and become a monster attacking others. So, he returned to Jin Shaoyuan’s office half a month later.

 

“I agree.”

 

Before this, he had never met Jin Ran. The first time he saw him was at their “wedding.”

 

It was called a wedding, but it was just him signing a paper. Jin Shaoyuan handed him a sheet and told him that everything he had promised would be fulfilled if he signed it.

 

Pei Xingyu asked, “Where is Jin Ran?”

 

Before Jin Shaoyuan could respond, the door was kicked open with a bang, and a sixteen-year-old boy with a sharp gaze and unruly demeanor withdrew his long leg from the floor, mockingly laughing, “What’s this, marrying me off?”

 

Pei Xingyu frowned slightly.

 

Jin Ran walked over, pinching his chin to lift it. Jin Shaoyuan slammed the table, “Jin Ran, don’t be disrespectful!”

 

Jin Ran didn’t spare a glance at his father, looked Pei Xingyu up and down, and sneered, “What’s this, a child bride? You’re an Alpha and agreed to this, what did you get in return?”

 

Pei Xingyu had been using inhibitors, so Jin Ran thought he was an Alpha.

 

Pei Xingyu turned his head, breaking free from Jin Ran’s grip, and said to Jin Shaoyuan, “Minister Jin, I hope you will keep your promise. Goodbye.”

 

That was their first meeting.

 

He didn’t expect Jin Ran would also go to military school and be sent to K7. Pei Xingyu always felt that something had quietly broken, drifting uncontrollably toward an unknown direction.

 

“That’s not right. You were supposed to report to the Seventeenth Legion two months later,” Meng Ruqian, known for his impeccable memory, said confidently.

 

Pei Xingyu glanced at the vast, boundless planetary space outside the cabin. Yes, he was indeed scheduled to report to the Seventeenth Legion two months later. As for the time in between…

 

During that period, Jin Ran underwent his transformation. His pheromone deficiency made it impossible for him to control his pheromones like a normal Alpha, and he also experienced severe sensitivity periods.

 

At that time, Pei Xingyu understood why Jin Shaoyuan wanted him to “ward off misfortune.”

 

His pheromones had a calming effect on Jin Ran. In other words, only his pheromones could soothe the uncontrollable Jin Ran and bring him back from the brink of madness.

 

During Jin Ran’s first sensitivity period, which lasted a whole week, Pei Xingyu stayed with the little madman who could go berserk at any time. Once, he saw a fencing room in Minister Jin’s house and casually picked up a sword, showing it to Jin Ran.

 

“Do you want to learn?” Pei Xingyu asked.

 

Jin Ran said, “No.”

 

Later, he did learn. Although his eyesight was poor and he couldn’t distinguish the sword’s tip very well, his hearing was very sharp, and he could almost match Pei Xingyu using only his senses.

 

Later, Jin Ran’s sensitivity period ended.

 

And later…

 

Meng Ruqian saw Pei Xingyu in deep thought, still unwilling to speak, and sighed in disappointment. He thought that Pei Xingyu, being an icy beauty, would be impossible to understand.

 

“I thought there would be a reconciliation drama, but it turned out to be a young dog’s unrequited love for the unfeeling commander. The show’s over, it’s over.”

 

Pei Xingyu ignored the offhand remark and said coldly, “There’s no relation between me and Jin Ran. This is the only joke.”

 

Seeing Pei Xingyu’s displeased expression, Meng Ruqian quickly agreed.

 

The mechanical arm slowly moved over to hand Meng Ruqian the files. Pei Xingyu flipped through the folder, pulled out Jin Ran’s information, and instructed Meng Ruqian, “The Eleventh Legion sent an antique mech. Try to crack it and send the data to Commander Mei Pu within half a month.”

 

Meng Ruqian responded, “Yes, Commander.”

 

**

 

Pei Xingyu sat in the office cabin, arms crossed, leaning back in his chair. The mechanical arm carefully helped him turn pages and occasionally asked if he needed to turn to the next page.

 

“Turn the page.”

 

The mechanical arm obediently turned to the next page, and after a while, it flipped to the last page and quietly waited for the next command from its owner.

 

Jin Ran excelled in physical skills, starship piloting, and various weapon uses, but his overall ranking was at the bottom. What could deduct so many points?

 

Pei Xingyu pondered for a moment and said, “Connect to Captain Meng Ruqian.”

 

The mechanical arm clicked and clacked, displaying a virtual screen on its belly. “Connected to Captain Meng Ruqian.”

 

“What’s up with Jin Ran?” 

 

Meng Ruqian, wearing oversized identification glasses and chewing on a pen, was lying under the mecha. He mumbled indistinctly, “His physical condition is poor; didn’t the report say that?”

 

“I wasn’t asking about that.” Pei Xingyu flipped through the data himself, thinking Meng Ruqian probably didn’t know that Jin Ran was Jin Shaoyuan’s son. He asked indirectly, “How did his overall score end up being sent to ‘k7’?”

 

“Oh, it was arranged from above.” Meng Ruqian removed the pen from his mouth, thought for a moment, and asked the AI to step aside. He crawled out from under the mecha and looked at the virtual image of Pei Xingyu. “I suspect it was arranged by the 11th Legion. Our connection with Lian Jinfeng… it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to play a deep cover role.”

 

Pei Xingyu pondered slightly.

 

Meng Ruqian continued, “If you look at the last page of the file, you’ll see there’s a six-month gap in his records, and he had a significant financial transaction with Lian Jinfeng. It’s possible he was sent here as an undercover agent in exchange for money.”

 

Pei Xingyu lowered his gaze. He knew the father and son had a very strained relationship, so Jin Ran’s presence here probably wasn’t arranged by Jin Shaoyuan. Could it really be Lian Jinfeng?

 

“Commander, if Jin Ran wasn’t specifically arranged to enter ‘k7’, we need to be cautious.”

 

–

 

The new recruits memorized their dormitory numbers and left. Zhong Guan saw Jin Ran still standing there in a daze and walked over to nudge him. “What are you thinking about? Aren’t you going back to the dormitory?”

 

Jin Ran came to his senses, glanced at the still-chattering virtual image, and since it was all blurry to him, he didn’t look again.

 

Zhong Guan, knowing Jin Ran’s eyesight wasn’t great, said, “We’re sharing a dorm with Xiao Song.”

 

Jin Ran lifted his foot, kicked his sword to the wall, and it happened to land on the sword rack. Zhong Guan stared in disbelief. “How precise!”

 

Sometimes, Zhong Guan doubted whether Jin Ran could really see.

 

Zhong Guan turned his attention back to Jin Ran, who was already walking far ahead. He hurried to catch up, chattering away, “That person we saw earlier was really strong. When he walked by with the sword, even though I couldn’t see his face, I felt an indescribable pressure. Maybe he’s a captain or something? I hope I get assigned under him once the pheromones are sorted.”

 

Jin Ran was disinterested, standing at the door scanning his iris. Whether it was his poor eyesight or something else, the smart chip couldn’t recognize his identity.

 

After a dozen attempts, Zhong Guan felt Jin Ran’s patience was wearing thin.

 

Jin Ran placed his hand on the scanner, smiling slightly. “ID AS8382 Jin Ran. If it doesn’t recognize me again, I’ll blow you up.”

 

“Threatening the AI, deduct…”

 

Jin Ran squinted, pulled a small button out of nowhere, and pressed it against the scanner. Zhong Guan was startled. That was an energy particle button!

 

With just one, the entire compartment could be blown to pieces!

 

“Jin Ran, don’t…”

 

Jin Ran straightened up, hands in pockets, and said to the AI, “Come on, recognize me again.”

 

“Iris recognition successful. Ding.”

 

Zhong Guan: “…………That’s so pathetic.”

 

The hatch opened. Jin Ran walked in and glanced at the spotless space capsule. Although the three of them shared a dorm, there were three small ecological capsules in one room, so they wouldn’t disturb each other during rest.

 

Jin Ran stood in front of the ecological capsule, scanned his iris, and although the hatch opened, he didn’t go in immediately. He looked around at the spacious interior and spotless bedding.

 

There was a set of black military uniforms neatly folded. Jin Ran lightly ran his hand over it and smiled slightly. “It’s been five years. Time to collect the debt.”

 

Zhong Guan was a chatterbox, incapable of staying silent for even a second, which could be quite annoying.

 

“Hey Jin Ran, what exactly is the ‘Star of the Galaxy’? I heard that getting it can provide endless energy. There are also rumors that it’s the key to unlocking the ‘Sirius’ interstellar civilization and gaining their technology and weapons to dominate the entire solar system. Do you think that’s true?”

 

Jin Ran patiently listened to him for a while and snorted, “Sirius might not even exist. The Star of the Galaxy might just be a tooth knocked off a meteor. As for lost civilizations dominating the solar system, who’s crazy enough to believe that?”

 

“Do you not believe in the Star of the Galaxy?”

 

“Do you?”

 

Zhong Guan was stumped by his ambiguous question, feeling like he’d be seen as a fool if he admitted he believed in it. After some thought, he decided to swallow his response.

 

Jin Ran quickly changed into the military uniform. With broad shoulders and long legs, he looked significantly taller, his black brows and eyes sharper, adding a hint of dangerous pressure.

 

“Mirror.”

 

The AI thoughtfully rotated and produced a mirror with its rear end. Jin Ran used the somewhat unsightly mirror to adjust his hat and whistled at his reflection. “Damn, I look good.”

 

Zhong Guan thought for a moment and, sitting in the space capsule, looked at Jin Ran. “Rumor has it that our Commander Pei is a traitor from the 17th Legion. On the surface, the ‘Ziwei Yuan’ appears to be the most valiant fleet of the Interstellar Federation, but in reality, it’s a group of exiles banished to planetary space. Do you think Commander Pei might be very terrifying?”

 

Jin Ran’s fingers paused slightly but he remained silent.

 

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Zhong Guan assumed he didn’t know these gossip details and didn’t continue. He glanced at Jin Ran’s gloved hands and asked, “Jin Ran, why do you always wear gloves?”

 

Jin Ran always wore black gloves. From the imperial military academy on Earth to the space station and then to the ‘Ziwei Yuan,’ Zhong Guan had never seen him take them off.

 

“Afraid of the cold.” Jin Ran gave an ambiguous answer and turned to leave.

 

Zhong Guan hurriedly asked, “Where are you going?”

 

Jin Ran waved his hand dismissively.

 

–

 

Pei Xingyu recalled that his understanding of Jin Ran was limited to those few days during his sensitivity period. During that time, Jin Ran mostly lacked self-awareness and rejected Pei Xingyu’s approach, yet instinctively absorbed his pheromones for comfort.

 

This instinct made him more erratic, even directing his disgust and rejection of this abnormal need toward Pei Xingyu. Pei Xingyu never felt any unusual emotions towards his “crazy” behavior.

 

He considered Jin Ran a patient, a slightly insane youth.

 

“Ding! ID AS8382 Jin Ran approaching the space capsule. Danger level: ten.”

 

The AI outside the space capsule could recognize the target from thirty meters away. The danger level decreased as it approached, gradually becoming safer.

 

Pei Xingyu swiped his finger, bringing up a virtual screen. Jin Ran, dressed in a crisp military uniform, strode towards his space capsule. The image appeared to waver slightly, as if drawn by some inexplicable gravitational force.

 

The image had accompanying sound: the hard, crisp sound of military boots on the floor. The diligent “cleaning robot” Du Yuan asked, “Commander, this person’s danger level is severely exceeded. Should we intercept?”

 

“Let him in. Put the documents away.” Pei Xingyu’s eyelashes lowered slightly. If intercepted, this little madman might just kick the door of the starship open.

 

Du Yuan methodically tidied up the documents, then slid to the door and opened it according to the command. Jin Ran stepped in, standing straight in front of the blue crystal desk, his heels clicking, and gave a military salute.

 

“Commander.”

 

Five years had passed, and Jin Ran had changed quite a bit. He looked significantly taller and broader, with his sharp black brows and eyes adding a touch of dangerous pressure.

 

Pei Xingyu looked up at him, meeting his silver-gray eyes. After Jin Ran saluted, he casually sat on the crystal desk, picked up a pen, twirled it, and slapped it on the desk, then tilted his head towards him.

 

“Commander Pei, let’s get divorced tomorrow when you have some free time.”

 

Sirius – Tianlang