After Abandoning the Paranoid Mad Dog Alpha - Chapter 1

Beep beep—

The communicator in the back seat let out two sharp pings, signaling new messages.

“…Coming back and immediately rushing to school to cancel your leave? I didn’t realize Imperial University’s honor students were so studious. No wonder my uncle likes you so much.”

Inside the speeding hovercar, Qin Fang held the steering wheel with one hand while his eyes wandered shamelessly over the young man in the back seat via the rearview mirror.

The youth wore a perfectly tailored student uniform that accentuated his slender waist. The collar was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of cold, white collarbones. His longish brown hair covered the back of his neck; even knowing there was a pheromone blocker patch there, it was hard not to imagine a cool fragrance drifting through the car, making one’s heart restless.

Hearing him, the youth looked up, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face.

A small face, dark eyes, pale lips, and a tiny brown mole near the bridge of his nose that added a touch of vivid allure—like a vortex, he instantly commanded all attention.

Qin Fang’s breath hitched at the sight, his throat tightening involuntarily.

He adjusted his tie with feigned composure and let out a light cough. His sharp eyes caught the communicator on the other’s wrist flashing white light incessantly. Just as he was about to remind him, Zhong Yu tilted his wrist slightly to hide the screen and spoke obediently:

“Thank you for the ride to school, Brother Fang.”

His voice was clear and bright, his gaze innocent and moving.

Basking in the “thank you,” Qin Fang felt a surge of satisfaction. He replied with smug casualness, “It’s nothing. We’re practically family now; helping each other out is only natural.”

Zhong Yu gave a shy smile.

Qin Fang continued, “I heard Uncle say you went to Planet Kinna alone for the past two months? Why didn’t you ask me to take you? It’s worrying for an Omega to travel alone.”

His fingers tapped the steering wheel as his gaze roved over Zhong Yu like a slimy venomous snake, carrying blatant disrespect. His drawn-out words held a flirtatious undertone, tinged with a hint of regret.

As if oblivious to the subtext, Zhong Yu looked up and smiled:

“Thank you for your concern, Brother Fang. I was fine; I was in contact with Brother Duo every day.”

At the mention of Qin Duo’s name, Qin Fang’s expression changed instantly. He straightened up and replied awkwardly, “…Oh, oh. That’s good then.”

Zhong Yu sat upright in the back seat as if he hadn’t noticed a thing. Wary of the person just mentioned and feeling his fun had been spoiled, Qin Fang didn’t dare say anything more.

After a few turns, the car stopped at the gates of Imperial University. Zhong Yu grabbed his bag and thanked him before getting out. Finally, letting his lust get the better of his judgment, Qin Fang rolled down the window and handed Zhong Yu a business card.

“If you need anything, you can find me anytime.”

His gaze lingered greedily on Zhong Yu before he reluctantly drove away.

Zhong Yu watched the car disappear around the corner. A second later, his smiling face turned cold. He crumpled the gold-embossed card into a ball without looking at it.

If the spaceship hadn’t been late and he wasn’t in such a rush to attend the mecha competition to celebrate for Qin Duo, he never would have accepted a ride from someone like Qin Fang.

Recalling the disgusting pheromones in the car and the oily, “witty” remarks, Zhong Yu felt nauseous. But remembering that he didn’t even dare offend a bottom-feeder from a side branch like Qin Fang, the gloom in his heart deepened.

The communicator on his wrist was still flashing white. He checked it with a cold expression. As expected, it was their messages:

【Where is this month’s money? Why hasn’t it been sent yet? Aren’t you afraid your secret will be exposed?】

【400,000 Star Credits. Not a penny less.】

【What? Playing dead? Don’t you want to keep living your life of luxury?】

Zhong Yu frowned and typed: 【Didn’t we agree on 350,000? Why did it change to 400,000?】

The reply was instant: 【What, got a problem?】

【We’ll give you one more day. If the money isn’t received by tomorrow night, you know the consequences.】

The messages stopped.

Zhong Yu stared at the screen for a long time with an unreadable expression before deleting the entire chat history.

Imperial University was the top comprehensive academy in the empire. Since it was currently the Mecha Competition Open Week, the gates were crowded with people.

Zhong Yu, in his pristine uniform, tall and slender with refined features, drew many eyes as he stepped out of a luxury car. Many people were peeking at him. Realizing he had let his guard down, he quickly composed himself and walked into the campus.

Today was the finals of the mecha competition, and it was also Qin Duo’s birthday. He had kept his return a secret, taking the earliest flight just to give Qin Duo a surprise on this special day.

Qin Duo was the Alpha heir of the main Qin family, currently a junior at Imperial University. As long as he could successfully secure his place with the heir, all of Zhong Yu’s problems would be solved.

The annual mecha competition was one of the school’s most popular events. The central plaza was packed so tightly that not even water could trickle through.

When Zhong Yu arrived, two mechas were locked in combat mid-air. The metal giants attacked and dodged with lightning speed, performing extreme maneuvers that left only afterimages in the sky.

He squinted, trying to distinguish the silver trail on the right belonging to Qin Duo.

Qin Duo’s mecha was pearlescent silver-white, custom-designed by a master at a high cost to the Qin family. From materials to aesthetics, every button was tailored to Qin Duo’s personal data. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say this perfect synchronization boosted Qin Duo’s strength by at least 20%.

In contrast, the other mecha looked far too ordinary.

The grey-black outer casing showed obvious signs of wear. A serial number, 078, was painted in white. Its bulky design made it look exceptionally clumsy. Under the silver mecha’s increasingly fierce assault, its reactions seemed stretched thin and pathetic, yet—unexpectedly—it managed to avoid every critical hit.

No one who reached the finals at Imperial University was a nobody.

Zhong Yu glanced at it for a few seconds before looking away disinterestedly. He didn’t care about the quality of the match; he simply hoped Qin Duo’s opponent was weak so they could skip the boring parts and get to the victory. If Qin Duo was in a good mood, his planned arrangements for the night would go smoother.

He stifled a yawn. The glaring sunlight forced him to close his eyes, leaving colorful spots dancing in his vision. Suddenly, gasps erupted around him:

“Oh no, he missed the dodge!”

“Ah, it looks like he’s going to lose.”

“No way, he held out for so long. What a shame…”

Zhong Yu snapped his eyes open. Within the fading spots in his vision, the battered grey-black mecha hung in the sky, a silver spear pierced through its left shoulder.

It was positioned directly in front of Zhong Yu’s line of sight, blocking the center of the sun. It looked like a knight being executed in the heart of the sun, only to be reborn in the flames, carrying the weight of a righteous judgment.

For some reason, the hair on Zhong Yu’s arms stood on end.

Even though they were far apart and he couldn’t even see the patterns on the mecha clearly, he had a ridiculous sensation—that he was making eye contact with the mecha.

The iron-clad exterior looked cold and heartless. After being struck, it remained motionless. People below began whispering about technical difficulties.

“Did it malfunction? Why isn’t he counterattacking?”

“Probably not. The teachers check them before the match.”

“What a pity. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a genius. I thought he might win.”

“It’s not easy for a freshman to make it to the finals. I heard his mecha was borrowed from the academy. The hardware gap is just too big, and President Qin was last year’s champion. It’s normal he can’t win.”

“I heard the military is already contacting him for special recruitment…”

The buzzing voices were incessant.

Under the blazing sun, Zhong Yu felt a phantom chill. His fingertips trembled slightly. Instinctively, he turned to leave. As he stepped away, people nearby shouted in surprise: “He moved! He’s fighting back!”

Zhong Yu fled to a nearby vending machine. He bought a bottle of ice water and downed it in one go, barely suppressing the unease in his heart.

His intuition had always been sharp—it had saved him many times before. Right now, his eyelid was twitching wildly, as if signaling that something major was about to happen.

He peeked back toward the sky. The two mechas were still fighting, but it was clear Qin Duo had seized the advantage from earlier, leaving the opponent with almost no room to breathe.

He let out a sigh of relief, bought another bottle of water, and circled around to the athlete’s support area.

Qin Duo was the Student Union President—handsome, wealthy, and popular. He was the quintessential Alpha. Even without an entry pass, many Omegas were lingering by the entrance, waiting for him to come out.

The ticket checker was looking up at the match with his back turned. Zhong Yu recognized him as Xiao Quan, a friend of Qin Duo’s he had seen many times at the house.

He stepped forward. “Brother Xiao.”

Xiao Quan turned around lazily. Seeing it was Zhong Yu, his eyebrows shot up, and he deliberately stayed silent.

Zhong Yu smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Brother Xiao. I just got back and didn’t tell Brother Duo; I wanted to surprise him, so I didn’t ask for a pass. Could you let me in?”

Xiao Quan had guessed Zhong Yu’s intention the moment he saw him. The passes were mostly for outsiders; Qin Duo’s friends could usually just walk in. Technically, Zhong Yu could too, but Xiao Quan simply disliked him and wanted to make things difficult.

An Omega from the slums… how does he think he can sit among us? Just a gold-digging piece of work.

He didn’t say yes immediately. Instead, he stared at him with a half-smile until the surrounding crowd started to notice. Then, he slowly spoke:

“Sure, why not?”

He pulled the gate open just wide enough for one person to squeeze through, waiting until Zhong Yu felt thoroughly uncomfortable under the stares of others before letting him pass.

As Zhong Yu hurried inside, Xiao Quan’s mocking voice drifted from behind:

“You want to get in too? Too late. You can’t beat him at the ‘daddy’ game. First, go get a dad who was Old Man Qin’s ‘white moonlight’…”

A flash of darkness crossed Zhong Yu’s eyes. His fists clenched and then slowly relaxed.

The support area wasn’t crowded. Most were Student Union members or Qin Duo’s friends. The two groups were clearly divided. The Student Union members didn’t know Zhong Yu; seeing a stunning youth enter caused a slight stir. Qin Duo’s friends looked up, then immediately looked away, pretending not to know him.

Zhong Yu sat down alone in the middle.

By now, the battle on the field had reached a fever pitch. The silver mecha was ruthlessly crushing the grey-black mecha’s space. One tiny mistake and the grey-black mecha would be eliminated.

Everyone was waiting for Qin Duo to deliver the final, fatal blow.

However, the blow never came. The change happened in an instant.

The grey-black mecha suddenly twisted at an impossible angle, slipping out of the silver mecha’s range. Its short blade plunged mercilessly into the opponent’s control system.

The tides turned instantly.

After two seconds of stunned silence, the spectator area erupted in screams. Even those in Qin Duo’s support zone were speechless.

“No way… he turned it around?”

“Wait, my brain is analyzing the data… according to the movement trajectories, this offensive/defensive angle is identical to a moment thirty minutes ago… I get it! He intentionally lured Senior Qin to recreate that angle because he figured out the counter earlier!”

“For real? He planned that far ahead? Is this freshman really that strong? I have goosebumps… no wonder the military wants him.”

The Student Union members whispered excitedly.

Zhong Yu hadn’t expected this. Qin Duo was clearly getting agitated after losing the advantage, while the grey-black mecha was as steady as a veteran. Step by step, it locked down every escape route for the silver mecha.

With the defeat inevitable, the silver mecha swung its spear one last time. The grey-black mecha dodged it effortlessly and countered with a long blade, slashing the engine at an inescapable angle to secure the victory.

As the silver mecha crashed to the ground, the winner slowly descended.

Medical staff rushed onto the field. Zhong Yu hurried toward Qin Duo’s side. Fortunately, the silver mecha’s internal protection was top-tier. Before the medics arrived, Qin Duo emerged on his own. He waved to show he was fine and immediately spotted Zhong Yu.

Seeing he was safe, Zhong Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He waved the water bottle and smiled.

But before he could speak, his eyelid began to twitch violently again. A bad premonition flooded his mind.

Zhong Yu slowly turned his head. Sitting at the exit of the dilapidated mecha cockpit across from him was a person he knew all too well.

The person wore the red-and-black uniform of the Mecha Academy. It was stained with oil and dust, with two long tears on the left sleeve. His black hair was messy, and bloodstains streaked across his normally cold face—the longest one running down his left cheekbone, stark against his pale skin.

He was strikingly handsome, with sharp features that made him look unapproachable, but the blood on his face added a strange, vibrant life to him.

He raised a hand to refuse medical treatment. His deep, dark eyes lifted and, among the tens of thousands of people, accurately located Zhong Yu.

At the sight of him, the hand holding the water bottle froze.

Zhong Yu never dreamed he would see him here—the man he had heartlessly dumped—standing on the opposite side of the arena.

Though separated by the expanse of the plaza, Zhong Yu felt as if he could smell the man’s scent—that familiar mint mixed with sandalwood.

The man stared at him without expression. His eyes seemed filled with cracked ice, his emotions terrifyingly intense.

Zhong Yu instinctively pulled back his hand and took a step back.

The man stepped down from the cockpit with his long legs. Under the slanted sunlight, his silhouette was blinding. The cheers of the crowd grew louder as the announcer shouted the name of this year’s champion: Shi Yao.

Qin Duo walked over and took the water from Zhong Yu’s hand. “Let’s go, Xiao Yu.”

Zhong Yu followed Qin Duo out, but his body felt as stiff as a board. A burning gaze followed him every step of the way. He tried his best to ignore it, but a massive wave of panic rose within him.

How did Shi Yao get here?

Is he here to collect his debt? To get revenge?

His heart was in his throat. While Qin Duo wasn’t looking, he glanced back. Shi Yao was being mobbed by people for the awards ceremony. Flowers, trophies, and fanatical faces surrounded him, but Shi Yao’s expression remained cold. He didn’t spare a glance for the people around him; instead, his eyes pierced through the crowd, fixed entirely on Zhong Yu.

Seeing Zhong Yu look back, the corner of Shi Yao’s mouth curled slightly. His eyes were dark and unreadable, swirling with countless emotions.

Below, someone held up a microphone to interview him for his victory speech.

Shi Yao ignored the reporter. He stared straight at Zhong Yu, his thin lips moving. He mouthed a sentence that looked like an intimate secret between lovers, yet sounded like a demon’s curse.

He said: “I finally found you, Zhong Yu.”

As the words fell, he flashed a satisfied smile.