Who Says Omegas Can’t be as Explosive as Alphas - Chap 71
Chapter 71
System tasks are kept confidential until they are completed, so even if others are curious, no one knows what Lu Jingning and his team will do next.
To ensure efficiency, the entire team assembled and departed on the second day of registration, boarding a light cruiser to the Spacecraft Headquarters in the Eighth Galaxy.
Watchman Island is located on the border planet Watchman Star in the Seventh Galaxy. Due to its remote location and its position at the intersection of other star systems, it has attracted numerous merchant fleets seeking prosperous trade. Although the government of the Seventh Galaxy has dispatched troops to garrison the area, the diverse mix of races on Watchman Star still leads to constant disputes, and the crime rate remains high. These reckless outlaws, who only care about money, completely disregard the government’s presence, making Watchman Star practically a lawless place, except for major incidents, where the garrison forces turn a blind eye to minor disturbances.
The mission on Watchman Island has been open for some time, but no one dared to take it on. On the one hand, cunning bounty hunters knew that the generous reward would not be easily claimed. On the other hand, the military academy set exceptionally stringent conditions to protect the safety of its students, discouraging them from venturing into these treacherous waters. Therefore, the arrival of Lu Jingning’s Imperial Navy team finally gave Captain Zhang Anfu a glimmer of hope.
The forces stationed on this planet are under the command of the Fourth Legion and the camp is situated not far from the spaceport. As soon as Lu Jingning disembarked from the light cruiser, a vehicle sent by the unit picked him up and headed straight to the camp.
For Cen Junfeng, it was his first time entering a military camp, and he found everything around him to be quite novel. He wanted to strike up a conversation with someone to share his excitement, but the others appeared much calmer.
After scanning the group of seniors with his eyes, Cen Junfeng finally settled on Yu Qingcang, who was also a younger brother like him. After thinking for a moment, he found a suitable opening and asked, “Yu Qingcang, are you nervous?”
From his observations along the way, Yu Qingcang always followed at the back of the group, seemingly less receptive than even him, and he seemed dazed by the intense atmosphere of the military camp.
As expected, when asked, Yu Qingcang took a while to respond, “Huh?”
Cen Junfeng cleared his throat, “After all, we are all students from the military academy, and sooner or later, we’ll be joining the military. It’s a good opportunity to observe and learn. Don’t you think so?”
Perplexed, Yu Qingcang looked at him and said, “Aren’t all military camps like this? What’s there to learn?”
Taken aback, Cen Junfeng asked, “All… like this?”
“Yes,” Yu Qingcang felt strangely dizzy today, so he hadn’t spoken much since getting off the long-range light cruiser. Another reason was that the structure inside the military camp did not pique his interest. “My dad and Uncle Lu, who is Lu Jingning’s dad, used to be comrades-in-arms. They often brought us to the military camp when we were kids. But to be honest, the military camp here isn’t very disciplined. Those soldiers we met earlier had a somewhat lax walking posture. If you want to learn, you definitely shouldn’t learn from them; you’ll pick up bad habits.”
Yu Qingcang emphasized the last four words quite seriously.
“Thanks for the reminder…” Cen Junfeng covered his chest in an unnoticed place.
He had thought that in this team, he could at least be second to last, but now he realized that he might very well be the last.
In an instant, he went from being a younger brother to being the youngest among the younger brothers, making Cen Junfeng feel that his life was becoming increasingly insignificant.
The soldier leading them stopped, “We’ve arrived, please come in, everyone.”
In the center of the reception room sat a person who stood up immediately upon seeing them enter, “Welcome.”
Captain Zhang Anfu was the highest commanding officer currently stationed on the planet, but even with that title, he was just a captain. His information intensity had plateaued at quasi-S level for over a decade, and he had yet to successfully break through to S level, making it a formidable barrier that many may never overcome.
For many people, the leap from quasi-S to S level was an insurmountable chasm, a step they might never take in their entire lives.
Before this meeting, Zhang Anfu had already received some information about these students. Although they were still in college, including their two leaders, this group had a total of four S-level holders. They hadn’t even graduated yet, but their future prospects within the military were boundless.
Zhang Anfu couldn’t afford to be careless, so he immediately put on an incredibly warm and friendly smile as he greeted everyone and invited them to take a seat.
His facial expressions were well-managed, but when his gaze fell on Lu Jingning, a trace of astonishment flashed through his eyes.
After all, no one expected an Omega to participate in a mission of this level of risk.
Lu Jingning paid no attention to such reactions and casually pulled a chair over, sitting down without hesitation. He even poured himself a cup of tea, moistening his somewhat dry throat.
He acted as though the military camp was his own home.
Captain Zhang Anfu: “…”
“Captain Zhang,” Bing Yunlin’s composed voice sounded, drawing back his attention. “Our time is limited, so please keep it short and to the point.”
Zhang Anfu snapped back to reality and immediately handed a document to them, saying, “All the information is here.”
Lu Jingning’s gaze landed on the seal on the document’s cover, and his eyes squinted thoughtfully.
Three horizontal lines—a mark of extreme confidentiality.
As they finished reviewing all the intelligence, the atmosphere in the reception room turned somewhat heavy.
Although they had already learned some relevant information from Bing Yunlin, they realized that the situation was even more challenging than they had imagined after they had real contact with it.
Wen Ye frowned slightly, “So you’re saying the missing merchant groups weren’t just three as rumored, but eight? Captain Zhang, it seems you’ve kept quite a bit of information hidden.”
Under his gaze, Zhang Anfu inexplicably felt a bit guilty and wiped a cold sweat, “Yes, the number of missing people is too large. If we were to disclose everything, it might cause panic. So, we chose to withhold the information for now.”
Bing Yunlin inquired, “Are there any special characteristics about these missing merchant groups?”
Zhang Anfu pondered and replied, “They are all merchants from different star systems. There’s nothing particularly special about them. All we know is that they disappeared near Watchman Island and haven’t been seen since. We received the information seven days after the incidents, and it’s highly likely the situation is dire.”
Listening to this ambiguous response, Lu Jingning couldn’t help but frown, “So, it’s been this long, and your military has done nothing at all?”
Zhang Anfu felt a bit embarrassed by his straightforwardness and smiled wryly, “I do want to investigate, but Watchman Island is the busiest port in the planet. The flow of people is enormous, and most of them are undocumented illegal residents. Even if I wanted to investigate, the locals guard their information as if it’s the plague, and I can’t get any useful leads. Of course, I’ve also thought about arranging some capable soldiers to conduct a discreet investigation, but those misfits are as well-informed as our intelligence database. So far, I’ve sent ten men, and none of them returned. We haven’t even found their bodies.”
Bing Yunlin interjected, “So, this is why you decided to issue the mission.”
Zhang Anfu affirmed, “That’s right. Whether it’s bounty hunters or military academy students, at least to them, we are unfamiliar faces, making it more convenient for them to act.”
“Understood.” Wen Ye didn’t seem interested in hearing any more excuses and stood up, gesturing to the others, “Let’s go.”
Zhang Anfu hurriedly stood up as well, “Shall I have someone accompany you?”
Bing Yunlin raised a hand to stop him and smiled faintly, “No need. Since the military presence attracts attention, I believe we can handle things better once we leave this place.”
Zhang Anfu found his reasoning sound and nodded, “Then, please take care, everyone.”
As they walked out the door, they passed a group of people led by soldiers coming from the end of the corridor. Lu Jingning looked at their peculiar attire and curiously asked, “Captain Zhang, those people earlier, aren’t they part of the camp?”
Zhang Anfu responded, “Oh, no. They are bounty hunters. Some time ago, there was a riot in a prison in the Eighth Galaxy, and many prisoners escaped. It’s said that some of them came to the Seventh Galaxy. They came here to seek our assistance in the investigation. Rest assured, they have nothing to do with the missing merchant groups, and they won’t interfere with your mission.”
“Okay.” Lu Jingning nodded.
…
After leaving the military camp, the group didn’t rush to the city but held an impromptu meeting in a nearby forest.
“I must say, this military unit is clearly unreliable!” Lu Jingning couldn’t help but vent his frustration about Captain Zhang Anfu in front of them. “It’s been such a long time, and all they provided were profiles of the eight missing merchant groups? They couldn’t even narrow down the location of the incidents on Watchman Island! And the disappearance period, a seven-day window? If those people were indeed killed, by now, their bodies would probably be decomposing!”
He had often heard Lu Kongbin saying that many people in the military were just idling around waiting for their paycheck, but now he truly experienced it himself. There was no denying that this remote galaxy was indeed not a priority for the Imperial government, but the incompetence of Captain Zhang Anfu’s unit was beyond his expectations.
Although Yu Qingcang remained silent, his eyes indicated his full agreement with Lu Jingning’s frustration.
Wen Xingchen lightly chuckled, “Besides, they’ve likely taken quite a lot of bribes during their time here. You must know that issuing a five-star mission costs a considerable amount, something a mere captain living on military pay can’t afford. I think, even if a dozen merchant groups had disappeared, it wouldn’t have bothered him unless someone higher up applied pressure.”
“Now isn’t the time to talk about this; we can’t get involved in military matters,” Wen Ye interrupted their discussion, looking at Bing Yunlin with a hint of dissatisfaction for his spectator-like attitude. “Yunlin, didn’t you already have a plan? Let’s assign the roles.”
Bing Yunlin chuckled, “How did you know I had a plan?”
Wen Ye replied, “You don’t?”
Bing Yunlin neither confirmed nor denied it and stood up from the tree trunk he was leaning on, “Yes, I do. But I still need everyone’s cooperation.”
“Obey the organization’s arrangements!” No one expected that the usually silent Qin Yuankai would be the first to speak up, and the others quickly followed suit.
Bing Yunlin smiled, “Actually, it’s not difficult. Since we don’t know who these people are, let’s make them come to us.”
Cen Junfeng looked puzzled, “How do we make them come?”
Bing Yunlin smiled gently, “By acting as a merchant group and becoming their targets.”
He looked around at each person as if he had planned it from the beginning, meticulously going over each name.
According to his arrangement, Wen Ye and Wen Xingchen, who bore some resemblance, would play the two young masters of the merchant group, while Bing Yunlin himself would be in charge of operations. Qin Yuankai, with his sturdy disposition, would serve as the bodyguard protecting the merchant group. Yu Qingcang and Cen Junfeng were just right for the roles of the group’s assistants.
Although this arrangement made sense, Cen Junfeng couldn’t help but feel disappointed and lowered his head slightly.
Sigh, he really is just a little brother!
After listening for a while, Yu Qingcang noticed someone was missing and couldn’t help asking, “What about Lu Jingning?”
Bing Yunlin smiled faintly, “As for him…”
For some reason, when that smile fell into Lu Jingning’s eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Then, Bing Yunlin’s smile gradually intensified, and with evident interest, he said, “I’ve thought about it for a long time, and given Lu Jingning’s situation, the most suitable role left is probably to be the young master’s male pet.”
Lu Jingning: “???”
Wen Xingchen: “Ah, that doesn’t sound bad. Consider me for the role.”
Cen Junfeng, enjoying the show without thinking too much about it, suddenly felt like his role was entirely acceptable, “Lu bro, I believe in you! Obey the organization’s arrangements and give it your best!”
Lu Jingning: “… What the heck?!”
Author’s note: What’s wrong with playing the sweet and soft Omega? Lu Jingning can handle it ~
