FSO Chapter 14

Gang Ya suddenly appeared behind Dou Ming, as silent as a ghost. “Come with me.”

Dou Ming’s senses went on high alert, his instincts warning him of danger. No matter how much he tried to overlook it, the dark nature of these people—their corruption and violence—couldn’t be hidden behind promises of health insurance and retirement benefits.

Following Gang Ya quietly, Dou Ming entered a private room. A carved wooden screen stood in the center, hiding a thin figure behind it. To the right of the screen, Du Yanjing stood tall, his back straight and feet planted firmly at ninety degrees.

Gang Ya slightly bowed toward the screen. “He’s here.”

“Hm” came a rough voice from behind the screen—it was Big Brother Jiang.

Unlike last time, Jiang Wan hadn’t completely concealed himself. Dou Ming raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity brewing as he quietly released a faint trace of his cedar-scented pheromones.

But no Omega scent lingered in the air.

Dou Ming frowned slightly.

Jiang Wan nervously toyed with the black collar around his neck, his fingers fidgeting as he blinked. This was a newly developed high-tech gadget called a “blocking ring.” It was supposed to perfectly shield Omega pheromones while allowing them to still absorb Alpha pheromones.

It should work, right?

Grabbing his voice changer, Jiang Wan tried to sound cold and commanding. “Dou Ming, entertain me.”

Gang Ya’s face scrunched in awkwardness as he lowered his head, staring at his shoes in silence.

Without hesitation, Dou Ming obeyed his benefactor’s command, releasing a steady stream of Alpha pheromones. The crisp scent of cedar expanded leisurely, but the blocking ring cut off any potential connection, allowing Jiang Wan to absorb the pheromones one-sidedly.

The device was working.

Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back into a rocking chair, and casually kicked up his feet. Bathing in the refreshing Alpha pheromones felt as satisfying as soaking in a hot spring.

He began rhythmically rocking the chair, the soft creaking matching the gentle swaying, his entire body relaxed as though he were floating on clouds.

Dou Ming listened to the sounds behind the screen, his mind inexplicably forming an image of the Omega’s satisfied expression. A strange sense of familiarity crept over him.

The joy he imagined on Big Brother Jiang’s face was eerily similar to Jiang Wan’s sneaky little look whenever he’d catch him secretly enjoying his pheromones.

And come to think of it, both of them had the surname Jiang…

Dou Ming froze, his thoughts spiraling into a startling realization. Could it be that this innocent high schooler and the ruthless gang leader shared more than just a name…?

Could Jiang Wan be Big Brother Jiang’s son?

The burly man he had seen before, perhaps he was a bodyguard or an uncle. And the heavily made-up woman? Maybe she was a maid, or perhaps even an aunt…

As Dou Ming was lost in thought, Du Yanjing suddenly received a call. “Hello? Xiao Qiu? Oh, you can come up, Big Brother Jiang is in the private room.”

The rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair stopped abruptly, and that rough voice spoke again, sounding even more aggrieved than before. “That’s enough, Dou Ming. Stand aside for now.”

Though the voice grated on his ears, Dou Ming couldn’t help but detect a slight hint of sulkiness. He had this odd impulse to keep releasing his pheromones, wanting the Omega behind the screen to sigh in contentment like Jiang Wan did before gradually pulling back.

But then the realization that Big Brother Jiang might actually be Jiang Wan’s father hit him, and Dou Ming’s thoughts went off track again.

His expression darkened, and he promptly withdrew his pheromones before stepping aside.

Soon, Xiao Qiu entered the private room, immediately noticing the young man standing there—his face as dark as a storm cloud. The fearsome tales of “being thrown into the river to feed the fish” resurfaced in his mind.

Could this young man be the one in charge of carrying out Big Brother Jiang’s deadly threats?

Xiao Qiu’s legs buckled as he dropped to his knees in front of the screen. “Big Brother Jiang, it’s not that I don’t want to pay back the money, but business has been rough this year. Please, give me a few more days. I swear I’ll pay both the principal and the interest!”

Jiang Wan: “…”

This meeting was arranged to show Dou Ming how legitimate their lending business was, but Xiao Qiu’s panicked kneeling made it seem more like they were running an illegal loan shark operation.

Jiang Wan attempted to salvage the situation by speaking kindly. “Get up. We don’t do things like this. The contract is clear—if you can’t pay now, you’ll just owe more interest later. We know you’ve got a family. As long as you’re not trying to run or default on your payments, we won’t force you into bankruptcy. Everyone has tough times.”

Jiang Wan thought his words were understanding, but Xiao Qiu’s face paled further.

“You’ve got a family…”

Big Brother Jiang even knows about my family?! Xiao Qiu thought in horror.

He kowtowed repeatedly, pleading through his tears. “Big Brother Jiang, my family doesn’t know about the loan. It has nothing to do with them! I beg you, please don’t hurt them! I’ll take responsibility for everything!”

Jiang Wan: “…”

Why did this guy think so badly of him?!

Irritated, Jiang Wan straightened up in his chair and barked, “Gang Ya, pick him up! Stop kneeling all over the place!”

Before Gang Ya could act, Dou Ming, being closer, grabbed Xiao Qiu by the collar and pulled him to his feet.

Through the lattice of the screen, Jiang Wan caught a glimpse of Dou Ming’s strong, muscular arm in action, and his face flushed red.

Stay calm, stay calm…

Xiao Qiu, now standing, glanced up at the terrifying young man who had just hauled him up and promptly started crying again.

Dou Ming: “…” He had pulled the guy up to prevent any accidents, but it seemed like he had only scared him more.

Jiang Wan felt a little better now. At least, to Xiao Qiu, Dou Ming seemed like the scarier one.

Dou Ming’s tone was low as he ordered, “Shut up.”

Xiao Qiu instantly went silent, though he couldn’t stop a few hiccuped sobs.

Releasing him, Dou Ming pondered. He hadn’t done anything to Xiao Qiu, yet the man was terrified of him. Thinking deeper, had Big Brother Jiang actually done anything wrong?

He had been investigating for a while, but the stories surrounding Big Brother Jiang were mostly rumors. The real truth seemed to remain hidden behind layers of myth.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wan, still clueless that Dou Ming’s perception was shifting, continued his act. “Xiao Qiu, the company has reviewed your request for an extension. You borrowed money to start a pig farm, and things were going well until the swine flu hit. That’s not your fault—it’s a natural disaster. The company has already extended your loan for a year, with the same five percent interest rate. You can’t possibly be unlucky enough to have another outbreak next year, can you?”

Xiao Qiu blinked in confusion. “Big Brother Jiang, you’re really not going to throw me in the river to feed the fish?”

Jiang Wan blinked. “Even if I did, the fish wouldn’t want the measly two pounds of meat on you.”

Xiao Qiu: “…” He glanced at his own body, feeling embarrassed. “I… it’s more than two pounds…”

Jiang Wan: “…”

Xiao Qiu immediately regretted his words, mentally berating himself for getting cocky. He was about to apologize when he felt a chill down his spine.

He turned his head to see the dark expression on Dou Ming’s face.

Xiao Qiu, terrified, shuffled away and mumbled, “I’ll work hard to repay you next year, Big Brother Jiang. Honestly, I’m grateful for all you’ve done. I lost everything to the bird flu when I was raising chickens, and my strawberry crops were wiped out by heavy snow. I lost my savings, and my wife and kids went back to her family. Last year, I wanted a loan to raise pigs, but the bank wouldn’t even consider it. I tried private lenders, willing to pay higher interest, but they all turned me away when they heard my story. You were the only one willing to lend to me, and at just five percent interest…”

Xiao Qiu’s voice cracked as he crouched down, sobbing uncontrollably.

People always said hard work would bring success, but when someone’s luck ran out, even drinking water could cause a choke.

Jiang Wan’s voice softened. “It’s alright now. Du Yanjing, give him some water and a copy of Postpartum Care for Sows on his way out.”

After sending Xiao Qiu away, Jiang Wan strained to listen for any sign of Dou Ming speaking up. But the Alpha remained silent throughout.

Clearing his throat, Jiang Wan commented, “The air in here feels a bit stale.”

In an instant, the refreshing scent of cedar filled the room, wrapping around him with a gentle persistence.

Jiang Wan could sense a subtle shift in Dou Ming’s pheromones. It was no longer a purely transactional exchange, but a genuine willingness to offer comfort.

See? Now you know how great I am.

Smiling to himself, Jiang Wan lay back down, rocking in his chair with satisfaction.

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