Evolution - Chapter 128
Chapter 128
A storm of curses raged in Ji Changqing’s mind, but her face was a mask of utter confusion. “Hm?”
The other party didn’t mind her feigned ignorance in the slightest. In a gentle tone, he spoke the most alarming words: “Before the New Year’s banquet, we need to carry out a mission together. You’re familiar with the Empire’s under-the-table channels, so you can handle arranging the extraction, right? From departure to return.”
Ji Changqing’s throat tightened. It was difficult to maintain the pretense of “What are you talking about? I don’t know anything.”
She knew what he was talking about.
The plan was to act before the New Year’s banquet. He would be in charge of the killing—ah, no, he would be responsible for exposing the Klopp family’s trump card and obtaining the intelligence. Meanwhile, she would have to figure out how to prepare everything for their escape from the Empire and return to the Alliance, also before the banquet. She would extract him, and then they would bravely venture into the sea of stars together, wandering to the ends of the universe.
That was roughly the story outline the man before her had written for himself.
Ji Changqing was silent for a long moment before finding her rhythm again. “This selection and review… what exactly is it reviewing? What kind of person are you trying to select? And after they’re selected, what are they supposed to do? It can’t just be about selecting someone familiar with the Empire, can it? To put it another way, that sounds like an Imperial traitor you’d want to eliminate as soon as possible.”
The man lifted his chin, gesturing for her to sit. He was very casual, his every move subtly signaling friendliness and approachability. The only flaw was that the nonchalant words that fell from his lips sounded full of murderous intent to Ji Changqing. “How should I put it? I ran a few little games before, and Jixin was indeed the most likely person to clear them. But that’s fine. At least because of him, I found you.”
He didn’t seem to care in the slightest how many people had silently disappeared during what he called his “games.”
Even though he had the advantage of his position, Ji Changqing couldn’t help but marvel at his methods. The man had orchestrated so much, yet remained completely untraceable, while she herself had crashed and burned.
The man’s gaze, full of profound meaning, landed on Ji Changqing. His voice was even, but the delight in his heart couldn’t help but spill out. “You can call me Nankong.”
Nankong casually shifted his posture, leaning forward and extending a hand. “So, shall we have a pleasant cooperation?”
Ji Changqing stared at that long, powerful, well-defined hand as if a hand were wrapped around her own throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.
The feeling was suffocating!
Nankong had just subtly expressed his needs. He wanted to take down the Klopp family and return to the Alliance, and he urgently needed a capable assistant who would absolutely not betray him.
He had also explained in a roundabout way how he had rooted her out. Jixin would probably assume his supposed enemy was Nankong’s creation, but unfortunately for Jixin, his actions hadn’t satisfied this man.
When he finally saw that Jixin had managed to handle the matter so cleanly, he had keenly sensed that Jixin had found a helper. So he had set a trap on a whim, with the sole purpose of luring out Jixin’s accomplice.
That’s why Area A was the way it was. Ninety-nine percent of the people there were individuals Jixin had dealt with.
Could she trust him? Should she? And if she couldn’t, what then?
Sweat gradually beaded on Ji Changqing’s forehead.
She didn’t really have much of a choice. He was so certain of who she was that denying it to the death would be meaningless.
She quickly steadied herself and asked sharply, “You hold a high position, wield power, and enjoy favor. Why take such a risk?” She posed the question seriously, her gaze burning. The feigned nonchalance was gone, replaced by a sharp edge in her eyes.
Unlike Ji Changqing’s tangled apprehension, Nankong was in an excellent mood—so good that even this question, which completely hit a nerve, failed to ruin it.
The light from above poured down. His forward-leaning posture caused his long eyelashes to cast a faint shadow beneath his eyes. He scoffed, “Favor?” His expression screamed, What kind of joke are you telling? The hand he had extended clenched into a fist, then relaxed. “Compared to that kind of illusory nonsense, I prefer things I can hold in my own hands.”
Yes, he admitted he liked to take unconventional paths. Back then, the Klopp Head had seemed quite decent. An unmarried Alpha and an unmarried Omega—a physical and emotional exchange was quite pleasant. At the same time, the invisible benefits this relationship brought him were considerable. He had been happy to maintain it.
The problem was, finding a patron to climb the ladder and get ahead didn’t mean he actually wanted a father figure to control him, did it? Who would want a relationship with a lover to suddenly turn into a possessive CEO’s captive love story?!
From the moment the Klopp Head forcibly marked him, all he could think about was killing the man. If the Klopp Head hadn’t had him watched like a hawk back then, only granting him limited freedom as if it were a great boon after they were safely away from the Alliance, his hands wouldn’t have been so tied. Otherwise, he would have sent the Klopp Head to his grave long ago!
Favor? What the hell was that?! The script he wanted was “A fair wind aids my flight, sending me soaring to the heavens.” But the Klopp Head had insisted on shoving a “harem infighting” palace drama script at him, wanting to tie Nankong’s entire future, honor and disgrace, to him alone. It was utterly disgusting!
Sensing the coldness and killing intent in Nankong’s eyes, Ji Changqing slowly took the hand he had left hanging in the air, trying her best to make her smile less stiff. “I hope our cooperation will be seamless.”
Having received a satisfactory answer, Nankong’s eyes curved into a smile, a genuine glint of amusement flashing within them. In high spirits, he wore a cryptic smile that said, You know, I know, our little reunion is over, and waved her away.
Not long after Ji Changqing left, Nankong received a communication. He glanced down, and the smile on his face froze instantly. His expression was dark for a long moment before he listlessly accepted the call.
When the Klopp Family Head’s face appeared before him, the corners of his mouth lifted into a standard, professional smile.
“Nankong.” The Klopp Family Head held a smile, his tone gentle and doting, but his eyes held a condescending, scrutinizing look. “The internal investigation—how did it end up on He Qingzhi and Bolai?”
Nankong flicked a piece of dust from his sleeve and said pointedly, “What, they didn’t report to you? Bolai once discussed leaving the Empire with He Qingzhi.”
The Klopp Family Head couldn’t help but laugh. “He is a Klopp, after all, and he hasn’t done anything out of line this past year. It seems it was just some idle talk among young men.”
“As you wish.” Nankong smiled at the Klopp Family Head, his expression gentle and his eyes shimmering, looking both affectionate and docile. In any case, he was just stirring things up a bit. He had no real intention of cleaning house for this bastard. Let them all go to hell for all he cared.
The Klopp Family Head was clearly pleased, and his smile became a little more genuine.
Nankong played his part as lover and subordinate with extreme professionalism, flirting sweetly with the man while mentally shoving his head into a toilet again and again.
As they chatted, Nankong seemed to mention casually, “The New Year is approaching. Shouldn’t the young people at the academy start socializing?”
The Klopp Family Head replied offhandedly, “We should pick a few good ones to bring along.”
Nankong was satisfied. Picking a few to bring along meant they would have some contact with core matters. Wouldn’t that give He Qingzhi a chance to prove himself?
One had to think big, after all! Exposing the trump cards of both families and taking them back to the Alliance would naturally be best. But if he couldn’t have both, he would choose Klopp!
Only then would the years he had endured not be in vain.
After escaping the melodramatic plot of a possessive CEO’s captive love, even with only limited freedom, he had been constantly working toward the day he would regain his liberty and break free from the Klopp Family Head. He had never stopped searching for, screening, and trying to turn potential allies.
When he set his sights on Jixin, he had already gone through several rounds of eliminating unsuitable candidates. He had once been very optimistic about Jixin, almost believing it was worth taking the final step of laying his cards on the table and proposing a partnership. But just then, his security clearance had been expanded. Information he received from Earl Klopp revealed that Jixin’s father was not entirely innocent. Of course, he wasn’t that dirty either; his father’s good friend had taken the opportunity to shift some of the blame onto him.
Jixin was desperate to clear his father’s name, a wish that was destined to remain unfulfilled. If he knew the truth and discovered that he wouldn’t find justice even after returning to the Alliance, would his desire to go back still be as strong?
With that concern, Jixin was no longer a good candidate for cooperation.
Just as he was about to give up, he unexpectedly discovered Ji Changqing. Without a doubt, she suited his purposes ten, even a hundred times better than Jixin.
Before interrogating Ji Changqing, he had been unable to determine who was secretly helping Jixin. This proved that her methods were sophisticated and her abilities were strong.
After the interrogation, the one who revealed a flaw wasn’t her, but Jixin.
It was only when Jixin returned to report after being sent to verify the situation that Nankong became suspicious of Ji Changqing. Normally, one would order a subordinate to verify something, and they would simply report back the facts. But Jixin had clearly embellished his account for personal reasons, making his story perfectly match Ji Changqing’s testimony.
Once he had a suspect, verifying it in reverse was much easier. When he investigated and found the day “Zhao Qingci” had killed the people who plotted against her, “Zhao Qingci’s” presence had become much more prominent from that point on. And it was after that incident that Saiweiyala and He Qingzhi began to appear frequently by her side.
As his suspicions grew, He Qingzhi acted like a guiding beacon, allowing him to make a bold guess about Ji Changqing’s true identity. Of course, he had an even bolder guess, but now was not the right time to reveal it.
It was only when he realized Ji Changqing’s true identity that it dawned on him. No wonder he had thought Jixin was a good fit before. It turned out someone had already been working on poaching him for some time.
Now, Nankong had gotten his wish, successfully securing an ally with a firm stance and outstanding abilities. He was satisfied with Ji Changqing in every way.
Ji Changqing felt the same way about him.
Previously, she had felt that Nankong was cunning and resourceful enough, her only concern being that he might not be sincere about taking down the Klopp family and returning to the Alliance. But she soon came to the profound realization that her judgment of people was far too shallow.
Nankong was a ruthless man who was willing to go all out. He was ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to himself.
He had circled a five-day period in the coming month for Ji Changqing, implicitly indicating that this was the window for their operation.
At first, Ji Changqing didn’t understand the significance of this timing, nor did she think to ask for clarification. As someone who had passed the review and been formally promoted to the personal guard, she was assigned to be responsible for Nankong’s security after arriving on Baoling Planet, while Saiweiyala became his personal servant, attending to his daily needs.
But it wasn’t too late when she finally understood. When the five-day period of that month arrived, she realized it was Nankong’s heat.
Every time he went into heat, if the Klopp Family Head was on Baoling Planet, he would definitely make time to come over. During these times, Nankong was not allowed to use suppressants.
To be precise, he had no access to suppressants at all. Only when it was confirmed that the Klopp Family Head was away would someone bring him one—a single dose each time, with limited quantity and availability.
Evidently, Nankong had his own ways of dealing with it.
A man as ambitious and career-focused as the Klopp Family Head would naturally not spend the entire heat period with him. Making time to stay for a day or two was enough to make him feel he could move the entire Empire with his devotion.
So, when Nankong appeared on the third day of his heat, everyone was used to it. A doctor came over, well-practiced, to treat his wounds.
Ji Changqing, a late-blooming Alpha, was first secretly amazed at how wild interstellar people could be. Then she began to suspect that Nankong had become twisted and wanted to kill the Klopp Family Head because he was constantly being abused in this way.
Nankong scoffed at her suspicion. “Alphas probably all think the answers they get in bed are the most truthful. When he asks questions that annoy me, I just teach him a little lesson.”
Ji Changqing was filled with solemn respect. Nankong is really going all out, she thought. The persona he had established for himself in front of the Klopp Family Head was most likely that of a spoiled, arrogant brat who relied on favor to act out and would fly off the handle at the slightest disagreement.
In order to remain clear-headed at all times and avoid having information coaxed out of him during his heat, when his mind was most vulnerable, he didn’t hesitate to injure himself. In the Klopp Family Head’s eyes, he probably just thought Nankong was losing control due to unfulfilled desire.
Nankong also asked her to find a way to procure suppressants and a drug that could fake the symptoms of heat. The former would allow him to carry out the mission with a clear head, while the latter would be used to deceive and placate the other man.
He was extremely confident in his acting skills and was prepared to put on a show for the Klopp Family Head.
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment