Jiang Yue watched the surveillance footage in the police station, her heart almost leaping out of her throat.
In the surveillance footage, Jiang Yue placed the instant noodle cup behind the windowsill and hurried towards the bathroom. At that moment, an alpha approached the windowsill, grabbed the instant noodle cup, and wolfed down its contents greedily, tilting his head back to slurp up every drop of the soup.
The surveillance footage switched, showing the alpha trapped inside an iron cage. He lay prostrate within the cage, his lower body legs disappearing, replaced by a dark red worm-like tail measuring about two meters in length. The black folds on its surface undulated, as if breathing.
This scene sent shivers down Jiang Yue’s spine, and she immediately vomited uncontrollably on the spot.
The culprit behind this alpha turning into a human-zerg hybrid was none other than the instant noodles Jiang Yue had placed on the windowsill.
Jiang Yue’s mind went blank, cold sweat streaming down her back, leaving her utterly bewildered.
“Do you know this alpha?”
Jiang Yue shook her head. “I don’t know him.”
“Where did you buy the instant noodles?” the police inquired, noticing her pale complexion.
Jiang Yue answered with a pale face, “I bought it at the cafeteria in the relief center, from the self-service machine number five.”
The police frowned at Jiang Yue and continued, “Did anything happen after you bought the instant noodles?”
Jiang Yue struggled to recall. “On my way back to the dormitory, I was bumped by a male alpha, and everything in my arms spilled.”
The two police officers sitting across from her glanced at each other. One of them, a confident female alpha officer, said, “There was a tiny pinhole on the instant noodle cup. Think carefully about the details.”
Jiang Yue felt her soul about to flee her body. With a pale face, she said, “I was knocked down at the time and didn’t pay much attention. He picked up the instant noodles, apologized, and left.”
She described the alpha’s appearance in detail, and the artificial intelligence synthesized an ordinary face.
Most alphas were exceptionally good-looking, even those from the lower echelons in the relief center appeared quite handsome. Alphas with such plain appearances were extremely rare.
The police speculated that this alpha might be a random offender seeking revenge against society, a social misfit.
Jiang Yue narrowly escaped a dire fate, and a hungry alpha, by a stroke of misfortune, became her scapegoat.
The police escorted her back to the relief center. Once in her dormitory, Jiang Yue collapsed onto her bed, overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of fear.
How could such a massive worm exist? What kind of bizarre world was this?
This incident caused instant noodles in the cafeteria to suddenly stop selling, and the other food items in the vending machines were quickly depleted, leaving only various flavors of cup noodles.
It seemed that Jiang Yue wasn’t the only one experiencing PTSD triggered by instant noodles. Opting to avoid further trauma, she opted to buy several bags of compressed biscuits for her late-night snack instead.
At night, when she went out to fetch hot water, Jiang Yue saw alphas squatting by the wall, drinking hot water and munching on compressed biscuits.
As the week went by, everyone’s spirits gradually relaxed, and the cafeteria’s instant noodles were once again swiftly cleared out.
Alphas may be thick-skinned creatures, but Jiang Yue was timid. She stocked up on chocolates as emergency rations and was extremely cautious when walking, making sure to avoid pedestrians.
For her own safety, before going to bed, she would barricade the door with a table and place a glass bottle upside down on top of the table.
Despite her efforts, Jiang Yue still felt uneasy. With a determined heart, she reluctantly spent a hefty sum on an omega door alarm, an essential for venturing outdoors.
This meant she would miss at least ten meals.
In truth, Jiang Yue didn’t hold much hope for the device to be effective; it was purely for her peace of mind.
On the third day after purchasing the door alarm, in the dead of a silent night, piercing alarm sounds suddenly echoed throughout the entire floor.
Jiang Yue jolted upright from her bed.
The commotion roused all the alphas on the floor; everyone stumbled out of their dormitories, rubbing their sleepy eyes. Footsteps filled the corridor.
Summoning her courage, Jiang Yue moved aside the door alarm and dashed into the hallway.
In the corridor, Song Yang approached, bleary-eyed, staring quizzically at the door alarm in Jiang Yue’s hand.
“What did you buy this thing for?”
Jiang Yue, still shaken, replied, “Someone pushed the door just now, and the door alarm went off.”
A group of alphas gathered around.
Song Yang said, “The dormitory requires card access. How did the person who pushed the door manage to unlock Jiang Yue’s door?”
A sharp-eyed female alpha looked at Jiang Yue and said, “This is suspicious. Let’s go to the security office and check the surveillance footage.”
Jiang Yue recognized this female alpha. During a conversation with Song Yang, she had walked between them, holding a cup of instant noodles. Her cold and aloof demeanor, coupled with her loose tank top, left a deep impression on Jiang Yue.
Accompanied by Song Yang, Jiang Yue reported the incident to the authorities and then went to the security office to review the surveillance footage.
To their astonishment, the surveillance system malfunctioned that evening, leaving no records for the A3 apartment.
Jiang Yue squatted against the wall, her eyes filled with fear and confusion.
The consequences would have been unimaginable if it weren’t for the door alarm.
On their way back to the dormitory, Song Yang asked, “Why did you suddenly decide to buy a door alarm? That’s something only omegas usually buy.”
Jiang Yue found it difficult to explain to him because she used to be a frail and slender girl. She had bought various types of door alarms before, and she always carried one with her when staying in hotels.
“Because I thought this door alarm looked nice,” she replied.
Door alarms are mostly purchased by omegas, so they often have aesthetically pleasing designs. Jiang Yue’s door alarm was a pink bunny, and it was surprisingly robust.
Song Yang scratched his head, his bright brown eyes revealing a meaningful expression. “Ah, I see, omega stuff,” he said, with a hint of understanding.
It was hard to tell what he actually understood.
Jiang Yue became a focal point of protection at the relief center. They upgraded her dormitory with a higher-grade smart lock and installed a security chain inside her room.
Living in constant fear, Jiang Yue stayed indoors as much as possible, only venturing out when necessary. If she felt bored, she would chat with others in the hallway.
Days passed by, and the three-month buffer period at the relief center was nearing its end. Alphas had to leave the relief center and contemplate their future paths.
As alphas gathered in the hallway to eat their late-night snacks, discussions about the future filled the air.
Jiang Yue sat against the wall, nibbling on her compressed biscuits, quietly listening to their conversations.
Her hearing was exceptionally keen—she could hear anyone’s conversation if she wished.
One alpha remarked, “For us at the bottom of society, besides joining the military academy, what other options do we have? It’s the only way to move up the social ladder.”
Another alpha rebutted, “Bah, it’s easy to say that. Unless you can get into a federal military academy, there’s not much future in the military. After retirement, all you get is a meager pension. What good is that? It won’t even be enough to support a family.”
“Damn, federal military academies are where the elites’ kids study. If a wall collapses, you’ll hit all sorts of second-generation rich. They have all the resources. What resources do we have? Just getting into one of the top fifty military academies is already considered good.”
“Then there’s university. Omegas in university are naive, not as practical. Get one, mark them quickly, and you’ll have your lifelong partner sorted.”
The alpha’s words struck a chord with everyone.
Jiang Yue grimaced, feeling a bit disgusted.
After finishing a cup of instant noodles, Song Yang bumped his shoulder against Jiang Yue’s. “The end of the month is when the federal military academies recruit. Shall we give it a try?”
Students like Jiang Yue and Song Yang, coming from the slums, received compulsory education within their communities. In this world, there is no college entrance examination after 12 years of compulsory education.
AI provides school selection recommendations based on students’ overall performance. Students only need to submit their 12-year transcript to their desired schools.
However, for certain majors in military academies and some other specialized fields, besides academic performance, physical fitness is also taken into consideration, necessitating interviews.
Jiang Yue felt deeply uncertain about her future, which was entirely normal. She hadn’t finished university yet, nor had she experienced independent living. Suddenly thrust into a foreign world where she struggled with hunger every day and found herself in a body and gender that didn’t match her soul, she felt deeply conflicted and unable to adapt.
She was like a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse, suddenly uprooted and thrown into the desert. Whether she could survive depended entirely on fate.
Seeing her hesitation, Song Yang decided to be blunt. “Military academies are very safe. Besides, it’s likely you’ve attracted unwanted attention. This society has its share of deviants. Leaving that aside, we have to consider safety. When it comes to safety, there’s no place safer than a federal military academy.”
Indeed, one incident could be dismissed as a coincidence, but two consecutive occurrences suggested otherwise. Perhaps the previous occupant of Jiang Yue’s body had provoked some enemies in the slums, and now they sought revenge. Jiang Yue felt a chill run down her spine at the thought.
Nothing was more important than staying alive.
With her heart stirred, and considering that the Federal Military Academy was located in the bustling city of Licheng, situated in the industrial and political hub of the north, Jiang Yue felt compelled to go. After all, how could a girl accustomed to urban life resist the allure of such a vibrant city?
She hurriedly filled out the application form, managing to sort out the details despite the rush.
Before heading to the Federal Military Academy for the entrance exam, the apartment building where omegas from the social relief center resided needed renovation. All the alphas in the building were called upon to work as temporary movers.
Jiang Yue realized then that omega residents received social assistance for two years, whereas alphas only received it for three months!
If the two-year assistance period expired, omegas could reapply for social assistance.
Comparing the living conditions between omega and alpha apartments, the difference was stark. Alpha apartments seemed like dog kennels in comparison. Omega apartments were spacious, with each room spanning 90 square meters and equipped with all appliances. Plus, they had a large balcony.
The walls here were painted in a fresh cherry blossom pink, creating a bright and spacious interior with warm and cozy furnishings. Not a speck of dust could be found on the large floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing ample sunlight to flood the rooms.
Jiang Yue felt intensely envious.
She was just too unlucky. Why couldn’t she have been born as an omega?
Being an alpha was so miserable!
But then, upon further reflection, Jiang Yue thought being an alpha wasn’t all bad. Despite the poor treatment, alphas didn’t have to bear children, and their bodies were naturally stronger.
Jiang Yue couldn’t help but feel bitter.
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