FSO Chapter 9

To avoid missing out on this golden opportunity and letting his target slip away, Dou Ming decided to accept the 10,000 yuan monthly allowance offered as part of the “sponsorship” arrangement.

In truth, it was already far better than his previous job carrying bricks, not to mention this deal would allow him to get closer to the top criminal force in Haicheng.

But before he could even speak, a voice came from behind the curtain.

“15,000.” The legendary ruthless and cold-blooded Da Jiang-ge ultimately agreed to Dou Ming’s demand for more money, though the rough, cold voice carried a tone of grievance and indignation. “You’re only worth that much.” Da Jiang-ge sneered mockingly.

Dou Ming kept a straight face, ignoring the latter half of the sentence. He simply nodded and said, “That’s fine.”

Jiang Wan strained his ears, trying to hear some trace of hidden anger or resentment in the boy’s voice.

But there was nothing.

The boy’s tone was eerily calm, as if he didn’t care at all about selling himself.

That irritated Jiang Wan.

Kids these days, going down the wrong path… Luckily, they met him. If it had been someone else, they might’ve handed them a “Happy Omega pill” to show them what real trouble looked like.

Fuming, but still trying to maintain his air of superiority, Jiang Wan said in a low voice, “Sign the contract, then.”

Dou Ming paused for a moment but quickly understood. Just like in those novels, it seemed sponsorship was now treated as a legitimate job, complete with a contract.

He accepted the A4 paper handed over by Du Yanlong, gave it a quick scan, and found that it was quite standard.

The employment start date was today, and the contract term was one year.

It even mentioned a three-month probation period and triple pay during holidays.

There was a stamped seal at the bottom.

The only thing missing was health insurance and pension benefits.

Dou Ming didn’t see anything amiss, so he picked up a pen and signed his name boldly under the section for Party B.

Du Yanlong carefully examined the signature, making sure there were no cheeky phrases like “Screw your uncle!” before handing the contract back. He then turned toward the curtain and said, “Da Jiang-ge, he’s signed it.”

Da Jiang-ge, who was pouting in frustration, looking like a little frog, was not pleased.

Here they were, offering a tutoring position, and the boy went ahead and accepted a “sponsored” arrangement instead.

Had Dou Deli filled the kid’s head with such bad ideas?

One mustn’t indulge such laziness, only thinking of living comfortably without working for it.

Just as Jiang Wan was contemplating how to educate Dou Ming, he heard approaching footsteps, followed by a sharp rebuke from Gang Ya.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Gang Ya stepped in front of the curtain, glaring at the approaching Dou Ming.

Beside him, Du Yanlong even had his hand at his waist, ready to reach for something.

The two men stared coldly at the Alpha, who had seemingly made a suspicious move, now preparing themselves for a fight. Was he only playing along with the sponsorship to catch them off guard?

The two men’s gazes were like ice, as if they were waiting for the word to drag Dou Ming outside to be fed to the fish.

Dou Ming stayed silent for a moment before raising his copy of the contract and pointing to the start date. “I start work today.”

The two exchanged glances.

W-work?

Dou Ming took another step forward, his expression calm as he said, “How am I supposed to work through a curtain?”

The two were momentarily at a loss for words, their expressions becoming somewhat dazed.

Jiang Wan caught a whiff of that familiar cedarwood scent seeping through the curtain and nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Stay still!” He barked, trying to sound firm.

Dou Ming, ever the professional, halted immediately, speaking politely. “Boss, I’m listening to you. Whatever you want me to do next, I’ll follow your instructions.”

Jiang Wan: “…”

Gang Ya had to bite back a laugh, barely managing to keep it in.

At school, their boss played the role of a delicate and weak student, teasing Dou Ming for fun. But now, on his own turf, the tables had turned, and Dou Ming was the one doing the teasing.

Dou Ming stood there calmly in front of the curtain, figuring that Da Jiang-ge was simply being extra cautious. Despite signing the sponsorship contract, the guy still wouldn’t show his face.

Jiang Wan really didn’t feel like putting Dou Ming to work just yet. He was tired and just wanted some peace and quiet. Speaking through the voice modulator, he bared his teeth and said in a rather menacing tone, “When I need you, I’ll call for you. For now, go home and save your energy. The work ahead is going to be very exhausting. I doubt you’ll last the year.”

Jiang Wan smirked inwardly. Kiddo, ever heard the phrase “exhaustion to death”?

Dou Ming clearly understood. He replied, “I’ll work hard to earn my salary.”

Gang Ya: “…”

Du Yanlong: “…”

We suspect you two are driving the conversation off a cliff, but there’s no solid proof.

The curtain fell silent once more.

After waiting a few more minutes, Du Yanlong graciously escorted Dou Ming out of the café without asking why their boss had gone silent.

Dou Ming, for his part, was cooperative. He took the contract and left the café without insisting on starting work immediately.

After all, there was plenty of time ahead.

Jiang Wan listened to Dou Ming’s footsteps fade away before sneaking a peek out from behind the curtain to make sure the Alpha was truly gone. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and come out.

Gang Ya immediately offered him a cup of water with a fawning smile.

Jiang Wan tousled Gang Ya’s head like a pet and said darkly, “You laughed earlier, didn’t you?”

Gang Ya shook his head violently. “N-no, no, no, no, no!”

“Hmph.” Jiang Wan let out a cold snort.

Gang Ya, practically on the verge of tears, slinked off into a corner to shiver in fear.

Du Yanlong, stationed at the door in case Dou Ming doubled back, raised his hand and asked, “Da Jiang-ge, now that you’ve signed the employment contract with him, are you still going to school tomorrow?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Omega’s dark eyes gleamed, a fiery mix of anger and determination swirling within their beautiful depths. He delicately adjusted the collar of his shirt, smoothing out the creases.

He’d show him. In what way was high schooler Jiang Wan inferior to loan shark boss Da Jiang-ge?

Du Yanlong stared at his boss, deeply worried. Why did such a smart brain insist on overthinking everything?

Meanwhile, the carefree Gang Ya was thinking about the cafeteria’s delicious lion’s head meatballs. Tomorrow, he’d definitely grab a serving to try.

The next day.

At 6 a.m., Jiang Wan’s alarm clock blared, rudely dragging him from sleep.

“Xiao Jiang, Xiao Jiang, get up early and reap the rewards. Sleep a second longer, and the Alpha’s gone.”

Jiang Wan shot up in bed with a loud “pop” the sudden motion making his head spin and buzz. His eyes were glazed over, desperate to just flop back down and sleep.

But the smart alarm continued its chatter. “Xiao Jiang, Xiao Jiang, if you don’t get up now, your love life is doomed.”

Jiang Wan, hands on his hips and glaring, barked, “I’m a drop-dead gorgeous stunner, and you, you ugly little goblin, have the nerve to sass me?”

The alarm clock spoke patiently, “Xiao Jiang, as long as you stay single, I’ll stay on duty.”

Jiang Wan: “…”

And thus began the Great Verbal Showdown.

Housekeeper Auntie Xue opened the door to his room, only to find her master in a wrinkled Godzilla onesie, his hair puffed up like an angry cat, barefoot on the floor, and yelling at his alarm clock.

The robotic vacuum trailed behind Auntie Xue, quietly slipping along the floorboards as it entered the room.

Auntie Xue, used to this scene, walked over to the bed, setting down a neatly ironed school uniform. She raised her hand, about to lift Jiang Wan’s pajamas. He immediately shrieked, “Help!” and finally stopped arguing, shooing Auntie Xue out of the room. In a hurry, he took off his pajamas and checked on the little mushroom.

The injured little mushroom was no longer swollen. Jiang Wan applied more medicine, put on his underwear, and swiftly changed into his school uniform.

Brushing his teeth, washing his face, and applying his favorite fragrant face cream, he combed his messy hair back into place. By the time he opened the door, Jiang Wan was back to being his fresh and radiant self.

This time, Auntie Xue stood in the doorway holding a medical tray. On it sat a syringe filled with a third of a green liquid. The sharp needle glinted coldly in the light.

Jiang Wan: “…” Trying to act casual, he circled around Auntie Xue, patting his stomach with a confused expression. “Why am I so hungry today? Ha ha ha.”

Auntie Xue’s palm, broad as a fan, landed on Jiang Wan’s shoulder. His entire body froze as goosebumps prickled up his neck and his gland contracted tightly into a small knot.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” Minutes later, a scream shattered the morning’s peace, and the once-cheerful alarm clock quickly fell silent, while the vacuum cleaner spun in place.

Downstairs, Du Yanlong and Gang Ya, already having breakfast, both shuddered at the sound.

Gang Ya swallowed down a mouthful of egg yolk with difficulty, doing some quick mental math. “Da Jiang-ge’s injection intervals are getting shorter and shorter.”

“He really needs to find an Alpha soon.” Du Yanlong mused. “There’s only so much suppressants can do for an Omega.”

Gang Ya nodded in agreement. “I mean, Da Jiang-ge’s almost thirty, after all.”

“Click.” Footsteps echoed behind Gang Ya.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Gang Ya’s forehead. His next words took a sharp turn. “But honestly, Da Jiang-ge doesn’t look a day over eighteen!”

“Click, click.” Jiang Wan walked around to the head of the table, plopped into the main seat, and a maid immediately brought out hot porridge and light dishes. He glanced at Gang Ya but didn’t say anything. Looking a bit weary, he picked up a spoon and began slowly eating breakfast.

Gang Ya quickly grabbed a napkin, wiping away the sweat. His quick thinking had saved him once again.

Du Yanlong watched Jiang Wan closely, frowning. “You can’t keep relying on suppressants. The side effects are getting worse.”

Jiang Wan propped his chin on his hand, lazily muttering, “It’s just a bit of a headache, maybe some nausea.”

Auntie Xue approached, setting that morning’s health report in front of Jiang Wan.

Omega bodies had long been fitted with health monitoring chips, and the family doctor sent regular reports every week.

Even a month ago, Jiang Wan’s condition had been far from ideal.

Years of relying on suppressants had caused his pheromone levels to fluctuate wildly.

The family doctor had warned that he had, at most, six months to find a compatible Alpha, to be claimed, to be marked. Only the fusion of Alpha pheromones could restore balance to his Omega system.

If not, his body, unable to bear the strain, would be utterly destroyed by the suppressants. He’d face glandular deformation, internal decay.

In other words, he’d become a cripple.

Jiang Wan glanced at the report, shrugged it off, and tossed it aside.

Everyone else at the table stared at him disapprovingly.

He glared back, asserting his authority as the head of the household.

Gang Ya immediately backed down, obediently focusing on his boiled egg, while Du Yanlong held his ground, saying, “You can’t keep playing around. Either listen to your grandmother and find someone to settle down with, or just get Dou Ming to fulfill the contract and bind yourselves together. You like him enough, don’t you?”

Jiang Wan huffed melodramatically. “I only like his pheromones.”

“Well, there you go.” Du Yanlong reasoned. “Start with that and see where it goes. You could fall for him in the process. Come on, it’s the modern world. Adults have fun, no strings attached!”

“Shut up.” Jiang Wan gripped his silver fork tightly, lowering his gaze to hide the waves of fear and anxiety. From Du Yanlong and Gang Ya’s perspective, the normally lively Omega now seemed like a stubborn rock, shutting out the world and refusing to let anyone in.

Auntie Xue stepped behind him, gently wrapping her arms around the child she’d watched grow up, offering a sad smile to the two bodyguards, shaking her head.

Jiang Wan tried bouncing a little, but his… parts still ached. So he had no choice but to walk into the classroom as modestly as he could.

There, by the window, was the Alpha, sitting in the morning sunlight, reading a book. The golden light highlighted his delicate bangs and broad shoulders.

Jiang Wan’s mood instantly improved, and he quickened his pace to sneak up on Dou Ming, raising his hands, ready to play a childish game of “Guess Who” by covering the Alpha’s eyes.

But Dou Ming, his eyes still fixed on his book, suddenly dodged out of the way without warning.

Jiang Wan: “…”

Jiang Wan, maintaining his composure, slowly retracted his hands and happily greeted him, “Good morning!”

Dou Ming responded with a very cold, very distant “Mm” showing none of the flirtatiousness from the day before when he’d signed that contract full of suggestive banter.

Jiang Wan: “…”

His face fell, a look of gloom overtaking him as he returned to his seat. He started to wonder if maybe Dou Ming was a masochist, someone who only responded to a firm hand. Maybe it was time to drop the innocent act and just be Da Jiang-ge. He could order Dou Ming to release his pheromones and finally enjoy them fully. That might just work.

As Jiang Wan happily drifted into his daydreams, he felt a nudge against his elbow. He thought it was just Zhou Kui again, probably trying to pester him with some favor, so he was about to tell him off when he turned and realized it was his nosy Beta deskmate.

“?” Jiang Wan stared in confusion.

The deskmate, all full of gossip, took out his phone and babbled a mile a minute. “Wan Wan Wan Wan, you and Dou Ming are all over the school forum! People are saying you’ve got everyone’s favorite boy wrapped around your finger! The Omega from the special class even posted, saying they’re warning you.”

Jiang Wan gave him a deadpan look. Oh.

Kids loved spreading rumors on school forums. He’d almost forgotten.

The deskmate shoved his phone into Jiang Wan’s hand. “You shouldn’t brush this off. The special class isn’t like ours. They’ve got more than ten Omegas there, and each one is treated like a royal! They’ve all got Alphas guarding them! You know, like knights protecting their princesses?”

Jiang Wan gave a perfunctory nod, scanning the screen. Just as he thought, the gossip about him “getting with” Dou Ming stemmed from the fact that someone had seen Dou Ming carrying him to the infirmary. It was a very proper carry—nothing remotely inappropriate or juicy.

Dou Ming hadn’t even indulged him by giving his butt a squeeze or planting a little kiss while he was passed out.

Jiang Wan, utterly bored, handed the phone back to his deskmate, twirling his pen in his fingers. “I just got hurt, and Dou Ming took me to the infirmary, that’s all.”

“I know, I know.” His deskmate said, “Yesterday someone saw Dou Ming bringing you back, and they asked in the group chat what happened. Dou Ming told us not to spread rumors.”

Jiang Wan perked up a little. “Wait, there’s a class group chat? Can you add me?”

“Of course!” The deskmate opened up QQ.

Jiang Wan took out his phone at the same time, flashing his WeChat QR code.

Jiang Wan: “…”

Deskmate: “…”

Jiang Wan could practically feel a generational gap materializing between them.

He stared at his screen for a moment before nonchalantly switching to QQ.

It needed an update.

His deskmate looked puzzled. “You’re just like my mom. She never uses QQ, only WeChat.”

“No, no, this is my mom’s phone. I’d never use an old person’s app like WeChat.” Jiang Wan said as QQ finally finished updating. He logged in, added his deskmate as a friend, and got himself added to the class group.

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