Luo Hai really wanted to refuse and just drive straight home.
He thought he had long since grown immune to Eugene’s childish antics, but when the other casually mentioned “before I die,” something inside him wavered.
If everything went as planned, Eugene would be executed in fifteen days.
If things didn’t go as planned…
Luo Hai cut off that thought immediately.
Regardless, taking one picture wasn’t such a big deal.
He pulled over and stepped out of the car. There were still people nearby taking photos—students, office workers, elderly women. Laughter carried through the air on the evening breeze.
Luo Hai walked alongside Eugene, their footsteps crunching on fallen leaves, perhaps becoming part of someone else’s background.
“Here’s good.” Eugene leaned against the tree, crossing his arms. “You can capture both the maple leaves and the sunset, and avoid most of the aunties.”
“Whatever.” Luo Hai raised his phone.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing?” Eugene protested from behind the lens.
“Taking your picture.” Luo Hai looked at him.
“Duh, we’re supposed to take a selfie together!” Eugene grabbed Luo Hai’s wrist and pulled him in.
Before Luo Hai could react, Eugene had already draped an arm around his shoulders.
Not only that—he snatched the phone and held it up. “My arms are longer. Let me do it. Now, smile~”
Luo Hai’s lips twitched, but combined with his furrowed brows, his expression was more terrifying than anything else.
Eugene pouted. “Come on, cooperate!”
A sudden peck on Luo Hai’s cheek—click.
“Alright, done taking the photo.” Eugene grinned as he handed the phone back to Luo Hai. “Remember to send me a copy when we get back.”
“You—” Luo Hai was fuming but had nowhere to vent his frustration. He had no choice but to step aside for the next person waiting to take photos.
A few girls who had been watching them the entire time whispered and giggled as they stole glances at them.
Luo Hai couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed Eugene’s arm and dragged him back to the car.
Even after getting into the passenger seat, Eugene still wasn’t behaving himself. He put on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression. “Ouch, why are you so rough? That really hurt.”
“We’re going home.” Luo Hai started the car and shot him a look of disdain. “You’re such an embarrassment.”
Eugene, however, just chuckled and slumped down in his seat, watching as Luo Hai skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel, guiding the car along the small road toward their apartment.
As usual, Eugene was the one cooking dinner. Even after spending the whole day experimenting with osmanthus flowers, he somehow still had the energy to prepare two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.
It seemed that neither death nor looming threats could affect Eugene Oddis’ mood. He remained as carefree as ever, like an oversized golden retriever, determined to fatten up his prosecutor roommate by at least ten pounds before his time was up.
“The key to making sweet and sour ribs is getting the sugar-to-vinegar ratio just right—not too much, not too little.” Eugene placed a piece of rib into Luo Hai’s bowl. “Also, the oil temperature when frying the ribs has to be just right. That way, the outside is crispy while the inside stays tender. Beginners often mess this up—the outside burns while the inside is still raw…”
“Why are you telling me this?” Luo Hai pushed away Eugene’s chopsticks. He was already feeling stuffed, and eating any more would only lead to indigestion. “It’s not like I can cook.”
“You can learn. It’s not hard.” Eugene said casually. “That way, even if I’m not around, you’ll still be able to make yourself something tasty.”
“…” Luo Hai tossed the rib back onto the plate. “I can buy whatever I want to eat. I didn’t starve before I met you.”
“But store-bought food isn’t as healthy as mine, and it definitely doesn’t taste as good.” Eugene shrugged. “Right?”
Luo Hai had no comeback for that.
After Eugene left, he really might have a hard time adjusting to a life of fast food and takeout.
A complicated mix of emotions stirred in his chest—frustration, resistance, and a faint, almost imperceptible sense of loss.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang. He took a deep breath, got up from the dining table, and said, “I need to take this call. You clean up—I’m done eating.”
“Fine, fine. I cook, I clean—” Eugene pouted, dramatically sighing. “The great Prosecutor only needs to open his mouth, huh—”
“Don’t push it. I have a dishwasher.” Luo Hai shot him a warning look before turning away, answering the call as he headed to the bedroom.
Eugene chuckled, watching Luo Hai’s back as he disappeared into the room. The door shut firmly, cutting off his view.
….
“How’s the progress?” Luo Hai got straight to the point as he sat down on the bed.
“Going smoothly.” Colin’s voice came from the other end of the call. “After I sent the sketches to the institute, I quickly found out the names and identities of those two Omegas, even their addresses. The results were shocking—both of them were marked twenty years ago, have families, children, and have even been recognized as ‘Outstanding Omegas’ in their communities for two years in a row. They have great relationships with their neighbors… It’s hard to imagine that these kinds of people are actually members of the Lightwing Society.”
“Go on.” Luo Hai prompted.
“Their names are Alin and Dandan—both female,” Colin continued. “Their daily routines are very predictable. They wake up early, make breakfast, take care of their kids, and send their Alphas off to work…”
“Get to the point.” Luo Hai rubbed his temples.
“Ahem, the point is that after making breakfast, they each have a little over an hour of unaccounted time every morning,” Colin said. “They tell their families they’re going out for a walk, but no neighbors have ever seen them during this period. So I secretly followed them and discovered that they go to Nantes Square every day and then… disappear somewhere in the buildings near the fountain.”
Luo Hai frowned. “What do you mean ‘disappear’? Didn’t you continue following them?”
“I did!” Colin protested. “I kept my eyes on them the whole time, but suddenly, a guy holding an advertisement board blocked my view. By the time I looked again… they were gone.”
Luo Hai sighed. “That guy with the ad board was one of their people. You’ve been found out.”
“Wait, really?” Colin’s voice immediately turned anxious. “I’m sorry, boss, that was my mistake…”
“It’s fine. I know you’re already very skilled at tailing people. The fact that they noticed means they’re extremely cautious and have good counter-surveillance skills,” Luo Hai said calmly. “At least now we know their meeting point is at Nantes Square—that’s a big breakthrough.”
“So what do we do next?” Colin asked nervously. “Since they’ve spotted me, shouldn’t we act quickly before they run? We could lock down the entire square and conduct a thorough search. That way, no matter where they hide, we can flush them out.”
Luo Hai let out a long sigh. “Colin, I’ll say this again—our goal in investigating the Lightwing Society isn’t to round up and execute its members. Lightwing isn’t a military force; it’s a movement built on ideology and belief. A mass crackdown might get us a few people, but they’ll have plenty of time to destroy key information and evidence. All we’ll end up with is a pile of corpses. The society might go quiet for a while, but as long as their beliefs remain, they’ll eventually resurface—more cunning and more extreme than before.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment before Colin responded, “You’re right… I never considered that. But since I’ve been exposed, how can I keep investigating?”
“They only realized you were following them. That doesn’t mean they know who you are,” Luo Hai explained. “You weren’t wearing a prosecutor’s uniform or holding a sign that says, ‘I’m Luo Hai’s assistant.’ Nantes is full of different forces—ours isn’t the only one watching them. And since you didn’t see where they went, I doubt they’ll change locations just yet.”
“So what’s your plan?” Colin asked.
“We continue tailing them,” Luo Hai said decisively. “I’ll do it myself.”
