Although Doyle and his team rushed over at top speed, Eugene Oddis, who was as elusive as ever, once again disappeared right under their noses.
However, this did not dampen the Prosecutor’s Office’s morale in the slightest. Everyone knew that with the ongoing martial law and constant checks, the Lightwing Society was on the verge of collapse. Most of the Omega in the city had been arrested or executed, leaving only the final stages. The most notorious and violent terrorist organization in history was about to fall into the hands of the law, and the Nantes Prosecutor’s Office would soon become the most influential and powerful political enforcement agency on the continent.
On the last day of the cleanup operation, the night before the intelligence report stated that the Lightwing Society would attack Nantes, the prosecutors in the office gathered together to drink and celebrate. And to everyone’s surprise, it was Prosecutor Luo Hai who was treating.
“We’ve all worked hard this year, and victory is finally within reach. We’ll soon be able to rest. So, I’d like to wish everyone a good holiday and a happy new year in advance,” Luo Hai said with a smile, raising his glass and toasting each person at the table. “Over the past year, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to thank you all. So tonight, let loose and drink as much as you want—it’s on me.”
“Well, well, isn’t this something? Is this still the same Luo Hai who’s always been so independent and stingy?” Flock laughed while raising his glass. “What made you suddenly decide to appreciate us?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Luo Hai has just been too busy with work to pay attention to anyone,” Bray said, raising an eyebrow as he clinked his glass with Luo Hai’s. “Now that things have calmed down, of course, he wants to hang out with everyone, right?”
Luo Hai chuckled lightly. “Exactly.”
“Though, Lightwing won’t act until tomorrow, so isn’t this a bit like opening the champagne before halftime?” Barney mused.
“What halftime champagne? Oddis has fewer than thirty men left under him now. We’ve mobilized over a thousand special police officers. Just one shot from each of us, and we could crush them like bugs,” Daina said nonchalantly. “These little Omegas have already caused enough trouble. If we had just locked Oddis up in prison from the start, none of this would have happened.”
Seeing the conversation taking a sharp turn, Flock quickly filled Daina’s glass, “Drink up, drink up! Luo Hai’s paying, so we’re not stopping until we’re all drunk tonight!”
Luckily, the prosecutors were already used to relaxing, and it didn’t take long for them to get back to the fun. The group played a rowdy game of rock-paper-scissors, while Luo Hai sat quietly in the corner, slowly sipping from his glass alone.
“You really can handle your liquor, huh?”
Luo Hai glanced up, noticing Colin sitting beside him. “I’ve had a drink with everyone, and it’s them who got drunk first.”
Luo Hai gave a faint smile. “I’ve trained for it since I was a kid.”
Colin blinked, but before he could ponder that statement, Luo Hai casually changed the topic.
“If you’re bored, you can head back early,” Luo Hai gestured toward the door with his chin. “They’re all getting pretty drunk now; no one will notice.”
“No need,” Colin whispered. “I won’t be able to sleep if I go back now. Might as well stay and keep you company for a little longer.”
Luo Hai didn’t insist and picked up a piece of fried meat that the drunkards had ignored, placing it in Colin’s bowl. “What do you think will happen tomorrow?”
Colin glanced at the rowdy crowd and then at Luo Hai, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
After a two-second pause, he spoke again, quieter this time: “But no matter what happens, it’s not the end of the world. Whether you’re Alpha or Omega, life will go on after tomorrow, and as long as life continues, there will always be new changes.”
Luo Hai quietly watched him for a while before smiling. “I like the way you think.”
With that, he poured more liquor into Colin’s glass and raised his own, clinking it with his. “To change.”
Colin couldn’t explain why, but when Luo Hai said those two words, he suddenly felt a surge of great courage in his chest. He raised his glass. “Alright, to change.”
As the burning liquid flowed down his throat, the moon outside was covered by a thick cloud. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses couldn’t pierce the deep darkness of the night, and only the cold wind swept through the empty city.
……
Luo Hai was called to Doyle’s office at around 8 a.m. the next morning.
It was just the start of work hours at the prosecutor’s office. Colleagues who had partied all night walked up the stairs, yawning and with bags under their eyes, but the fatigue didn’t hide their excitement. Everyone was looking forward to that day’s victory, and even the topic of conversation was about how much year-end bonus they could pull from Eugene Oddis.
The chatter barely registered in Luo Hai’s ears as it floated by, having no impact on the heavy atmosphere in Doyle’s office.
The more the atmosphere thickened, the more relaxed Doyle appeared, like a hunter certain of his prey. He slowly sipped his hot tea, only occasionally glancing at the prey that walked into his trap.
“The plan to seize the armory is today?”
Luo Hai stood straight, his face expressionless. “Yes.”
“Have the personnel arrangements been made?”
“I personally checked everything last night. No issues,” Luo Hai said softly.
“According to you, if the prosecutor’s office lies in ambush in the northern district today, we can catch the Lightwing Society like fish in a barrel?”
Luo Hai’s voice was still calm, like a competent machine. “Exactly.”
Doyle chuckled and put down his teacup. “Luo Hai, do you remember how I used to punish you when you lied as a child?”
Luo Hai’s pupils suddenly contracted, his fingers trembling involuntarily before he clenched them tightly.
“Every time, I’d leave a key. As long as you used the key to unlock the lock, the punishment would end. But every time, you could never get the key, no matter how hard you tried,” Doyle said gently. “Luo Hai, I thought you would’ve figured it out back then—if I don’t want you to escape, you will never escape my grasp.”
Luo Hai knew he shouldn’t be trembling or showing weakness at a time like this, but the conditioned reflex formed over the years made it nearly impossible to control his muscles. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist with all his might.
“Did you enjoy the performance, Luo Hai?” Doyle raised his chin slightly, his tone cold. “Did you have fun playing your little interrogation game with your lover?”
The words pierced Luo Hai’s heart like a needle. His throat tightened, but no sound escaped.
“Planning to attack Nantes from the northern district? First, seize the armory?” Doyle snorted. “You’ve spun quite a tale. You almost fooled me. If Oddis wanted to take Nantes, why would he bother with such a complicated plan to seize the armory? He has you as the perfect inside man. All you’d need to do is give the word, and the prosecutor’s office doors would open for the rebels at any time. Once you secure the prosecutor’s office, the army and SWAT teams would be no problem. The whole city of Nantes would be yours. Am I right?”
Luo Hai bit his lip, saying nothing.
“The reason you’re lying about attacking from the northern district is to draw the elite forces of Nantes away, making it easier for you to take over the prosecutor’s office from the inside. You think I’m going to fall for such a childish trick?” Doyle sneered.
He walked up to Luo Hai, grabbed his chin, and forced him to look up. “Those personnel you said you checked last night—they are no longer in the northern district. Every unit that was supposedly dispatched last night is now stationed at every entrance of the prosecutor’s office. Whenever Oddis and his little rats show up, they’ll be arrested on the spot.”
Doyle’s thumb pressed harder, his voice turning even colder. “I raised you. Did you really think your little games with your lover would slip past me?”
Luo Hai closed his eyes, silent for a long time, neither resisting nor complying. His face was pale from exhaustion, but his handsome features were still sharp, and his long eyelashes were sharply outlined by the sunlight streaming into the room.
What a waste of such a clever mind and outstanding ability. Now, this adopted son could only return to being the lowly Omega he once was. Perhaps his pretty face would still be of some use.
“You lost,” Doyle said, his words slow and deliberate, before letting go of Luo Hai with contempt.
At that moment, Luo Hai suddenly chuckled softly. The laugh was light, but in the quiet room, it sounded particularly clear.
“You really think Eugene would choose to use force to take over this city?” Luo Hai asked calmly.
Luo Hai’s tone made Doyle uneasy. He stood up straight, his voice growing colder and more authoritative to suppress the unease. “He has no choice. He’s backed into a corner.”
“Is it that he has no choice, or that you can’t think of one?” Luo Hai’s expression remained calm. “The Lightwing Society has never been a terrorist organization. Its purpose has always been the same: to bring freedom and hope to Omegas who are treated as less than human.”
Doyle almost burst out laughing at this statement. He grabbed Luo Hai’s collar and yanked him forward, making him stagger.
“What kind of poison has Oddis been feeding you, to make you say such naive things?” He raised his voice, eyes burning with fury. “You’re my son! You should’ve known fifteen years ago—those things don’t exist in this world!”
At that moment, the door to Doyle’s office was suddenly pushed open, and a flustered young assistant stood in the doorway, face flushed. When he saw what was happening in the room, he froze in shock, unable to speak.
Doyle’s anger hit a boiling point. He released Luo Hai’s collar and pushed him forward, glaring at the assistant. “Didn’t I tell you that you need to knock before entering my office?”
The assistant was so frightened that they began to stammer. “S-sorry… it was urgent… I forgot…”
“What is it?” Doyle’s patience was wearing thin.
The assistant quickly gave a deep bow. “Just now, we discovered that several Omegas have somehow infiltrated the Prosecutor’s Office! And just a moment ago… they suddenly released their Omega pheromones!”
“What?” Doyle’s eyes widened in shock.
How was that possible? It made no sense! Every single staff member in the office had been personally vetted by him. Ever since the Lightwing Society incident, not a single new recruit had been accepted. Where could these Omegas have come from? And several of them at that?
“Who are they? What positions do they hold? Where are they now?” Doyle had barely finished his sentence when another person burst in, even more frantic and out of breath than the assistant.
“Chief Prosecutor! Something’s gone terribly wrong! We don’t know when it happened, but the Lightwing Society has infiltrated the Prosecutor’s Office! There are so many Omegas… so many people—turns out they’re Omegas!”
What nonsense was this? Completely ridiculous!
The Prosecutor’s Office had always maintained strict screening protocols, and recently they’d conducted wave after wave of gender verification. Even a cat wouldn’t be able to sneak in unnoticed! How could so many Omegas suddenly appear out of nowhere?
And yet, at that very moment, Doyle’s sharp senses picked up the unmistakable scent of Omega pheromones. He suddenly turned his head and realized the scent was coming from the doorway.
The first assistant who had barged in nearly collapsed onto the floor, pointing in terror at the person who had just entered. “You’re an Omega! You’re an Omega too!”
That person, panicking so badly they nearly couldn’t hold onto the doorframe, cried out, their voice cracking with desperation. “No! I’m an Alpha! I’m really an Alpha!”
Doyle’s pupils contracted.
He knew this person. He had personally interviewed them five years ago when they joined. He’d seen all the files with his own eyes. There was absolutely no chance the gender had been recorded incorrectly.
That left only one possible answer.
Suddenly, Luo Hai, who was still sitting on the floor, began to laugh.
He leaned against the wall, laughing so hard he couldn’t catch his breath, clutching his stomach as tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. In all the fifteen years Doyle had known him, Luo Hai had never laughed like this before.
It took a long time for Luo Hai to finally calm down. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at the three stunned people standing in front of him.
“Don’t any of you ever use your brains?” Luo Hai said, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk. “If a drug can turn an Omega into an Alpha… why couldn’t it turn an Alpha into an Omega?”
