After Colette Doyle’s death, the Prosecutor’s Office didn’t even have enough manpower to collect his body until the third night.
The explosive and dramatic incident had thrown the entire city into chaos for several days. It was already terrifying enough that no one could tell who among the prosecutors was actually an Omega. But things quickly escalated. All across the city and beyond, many Alphas began discovering that their pheromones were no longer under control—either they couldn’t release them at all, or they began to resemble the scent of an Omega more and more.
The police, once dispatched, couldn’t even determine who should be arrested, and had no choice but to remain on standby, waiting for someone to conduct gender tests. Meanwhile, hospitals and institutions capable of performing those tests were thrown into disarray, too busy trying to sort out the “spies” among their own ranks first.
For a time, it became impossible to tell who was an Omega and who was an Alpha in the entire city. Law enforcement could only take a blanket approach—stopping everyone who emitted an Omega-like scent. This infuriated many Alphas who were used to their arrogance and privilege.
Eventually, someone shouted out—no one knew who started it—but that voice snowballed, growing louder and louder until it became an unstoppable wave:
“Why is it that Omegas can’t?”
—Why can’t Omegas enter the city?
—Why are only Omegas subject to curfews?
—Why can’t Omegas purchase essential goods?
Only then did the Alphas seem to suddenly realize just how many restrictions had been placed on Omegas—how a mere difference in pheromone scent could lead to two completely unequal social statuses.
Those drugs had bridged two worlds that were once never meant to connect. In their haze of confusion, the public began to form a vague and unfamiliar new idea:
Could it be that Omegas, just like Alphas… are also people?
The concept was too new, too advanced. It scared many old-fashioned Alphas. But by then, the government could no longer control the situation. The drug could turn any Omega into an Alpha—or any Alpha into an Omega. Gender as a basis for hierarchy was rapidly losing meaning. Even those in power, who had comfortably sat on their thrones, now had no choice but to consider this radically new idea.
One month after Colette Doyle’s death, the Prime Minister of Nantes personally met with Eugene Oddis, the leader of Lightwing. Their meeting lasted three hours. No one knew what they discussed, only that, when Eugene left the meeting room, the Prime Minister shook his hand warmly.
A week after the meeting, the Nantes government released a new Anti-Discrimination Law, which abolished the Omega Trade Regulations, the Omega Manual, and the Alpha Rights Act. The law emphasized that Omegas had equal rights to Alphas and Betas. They were allowed to enter and leave urban areas freely, as long as safety was confirmed, and human trafficking against an Omega’s will was strictly prohibited.
From then on:
- Refusing to be marked as an Omega was no longer illegal.
- Omegas could register their own brands, businesses, and real estate.
- Companies with a three-star rating or higher were required to hire at least three Omegas—or be in violation of the Anti-Discrimination Law.
However, the Offering Day still occurred once a month as usual.
Despite Eugene’s strongest opposition, he could not get the Offering Day abolished. The authorities only yielded on two points: participation must now be voluntary, and participants would be paid at the same rate as employees of one-star companies.
Naturally, those in power made sure not to lose out. They used the excuse of having to “pay Omegas” as a reason to charge Alphas even more, turning the Offering Day into an even bigger business.
But given the influence the Lightwing Society now held, achieving even this much was already groundbreaking.
In recent days, Luo Hai had been so busy that his feet barely touched the ground.
The prosecutor’s office had been at the epicenter of the upheaval and suffered the most direct impact. Although no one besides Doyle died in the chaos, there were countless injuries and psychological traumas. Hospitals overflowed, and nearly all the aftermath had to be handled by Luo Hai alone.
Public opinion shifted at lightning speed. A month ago, people were calling for Omegas to be hunted and killed. A month later, Omegas were being portrayed as an endangered group in need of protection. The media was flooded with voices calling for anti-discrimination and gender equality.
Those same netizens who had been waving fists and demanding all Omegas be executed now turned around and said:
“I knew there’d be a twist.”
“I always thought those laws were unreasonable.”
“The prosecutors committed unforgivable crimes—they should pay for the Omegas who were killed!”
“Like this post to pray for the Omegas who sacrificed themselves!”
Luo Hai’s true gender, hidden for fifteen years, was naturally revealed during the incident. With the help of public support, the media painted him as a heroic Omega who had endured humiliation for years, biding his time in silence—a trailblazer and fighter. He was hailed as the most suitable new star to take on leadership in this new era.
Luo Hai became the new Chief Prosecutor of the Nantes Prosecutor’s Office.
Not many attended his inauguration ceremony. The old-school prosecutors who believed in Alpha supremacy couldn’t accept the current outcome. Some had broken down in psychiatric wards; others quietly handed in their resignations and left in search of new paths.
The Nantes Prosecutor’s Office was preparing for the largest restructuring in its history—and this time, power would no longer belong to fake Alphas, but to real Omegas.
Fanny wept uncontrollably the moment Luo Hai put on the Chief Prosecutor’s badge. Colin, trying to comfort her with a pat on the back, ended up breaking down too, and the two of them sobbed together in a tangled mess.
Eugene didn’t attend the ceremony directly. He simply stood quietly in a corner, smiling in the shadows, watching until it ended.
But just as he was about to leave, someone hooked an arm around his neck from behind, almost making him stumble to the floor.
The ambusher smelled faintly of iris. Even through two layers of fabric, their warmth reached straight into his chest.
“You showed up just to run away? Not giving this Chief Prosecutor the respect he deserves?” the person whispered, deliberately letting warm breath brush against his ear.
Eugene sighed. “Reporting to the Chief Prosecutor, I wasn’t running. I’m just terribly overbooked. In ten minutes, I’ll miss the subway—”
“Appeal denied,” Luo Hai said, planting his hand beside Eugene’s ear and towering over him. “Ten minutes is more than enough to get a lot done.”
The newly appointed Chief Prosecutor pushed the Lightwing leader into a shadowed corner. Heat, breath, and ambiguous sounds spread within that small enclosed world. Eugene couldn’t help but trace Luo Hai’s features with his palm, wanting to etch every inch of his skin deep into his soul.
“Come on, what trick did you pull to get me this job?” Luo Hai whispered in a break between kisses, biting Eugene’s ear lightly. “Don’t tell me that silver tongue of yours convinced those old fossils to hand over the core of Nantes’ legal system to an Omega?”
Eugene chuckled lowly and pressed a kiss to Luo Hai’s neck. “Nothing much—just leaked a little info on our current stash of explosives and the usage rates of MantaTech in the rich districts’ villas.”
Luo Hai’s eyes widened in surprise, then he burst into laughter. “Has anyone ever told you you’re an absolute demon?”
Eugene raised an eyebrow. “If I weren’t a demon, how else could I flip the board and win the game?”
Luo Hai hooked his arms around Eugene’s neck and wrapped his legs around his waist. “I have a question—why didn’t you just steal the inhibitors and drug the Prosecutor’s Office from the beginning? With all the cards you had in hand, victory would’ve been yours long ago.”
“If I had done that, you wouldn’t be standing by my side now,” Eugene replied, lowering his gaze and planting a kiss on Luo Hai’s forehead. “I’m a greedy man. I want both victory and you.”
…
Three months after the incident, the new headquarters of the Lightwing Society was completed in Nantes.
Funded by Manta Technologies, the building was grand yet not excessively lavish. It was open to everyone, with no restrictions on entry.
Displaced Omegas could collect basic supplies there. Those who had been forced or threatened could seek shelter. Any Omega wanting to temporarily suppress their heat cycle or conceal their gender, after a health evaluation, could receive inhibitors or blockers for free.
Eugene sent Luo Hai at least three messages a day, asking him to come and visit. Luo Hai replied to each one saying he would, but he was always so swamped with endless work that he never found the time.
Visiting the Lightwing Society was out of the question—these days, even catching a glimpse of Eugene was harder than climbing to the heavens.
So, once the Lightwing Society’s affairs were in order, Eugene wasted no time abandoning his comrades-in-arms and moved straight into Luo Hai’s small apartment in the city center.
Wanting to surprise him, Eugene had cleaned out the supermarket downstairs, hauling up over twenty kinds of seasonings and ingredients. But when he opened the fridge, he discovered it was already fully stocked with all his usual spices—every single one of them.
Spring had quietly begun to bud. The willows in the Prosecutor’s Office swayed green in the wind, and wildflowers bloomed in front of the Lightwing Society’s doors. Li Jie had snipped a bundle and placed them in the lounge, drawing the younger members in to sniff the fragrance.
By the time peach blossoms spread across Nantes, Luo Hai’s work finally started to ease. He had saved up two full weeks of unused vacation, and on the very first day off, Eugene pinned him against every corner of the apartment—so much so that Luo Hai had to tug up his collar just to take out the trash, hiding the conspicuous hickeys.
On top of that, Eugene dragged him to the best hospital in Nantes for a full-body checkup, concerned about the possible long-term side effects of using synthetic pheromones.
The good news was, aside from pre-existing hormonal imbalance and inflammation, Luo Hai had no major health issues. With time and rest, his body would gradually recover and it wouldn’t greatly affect his normal life.
The bad news was, long-term medication had caused irreversible damage to his glands. Luo Hai would never experience the regular heat cycles of other Omegas again, nor could he ever be marked. His glands could still secrete pheromones, but had otherwise lost nearly all Omega functions.
Luo Hai’s expression remained calm as he read the report. He only said lightly, “I already knew.” But Eugene knew him too well—he knew Luo Hai was far more upset than he let on.
So, on a night when the moonlight was especially bright, Eugene suddenly turned over, wrapped his arms around Luo Hai, and whispered warmly into his ear, “Wanna go on a spring outing together?”
