On the starship, Luther, the head of the First Legion’s Mecha Department, was still swept up in the excitement of seeing his idol. Even though rumors had always circulated within the Lanli Research Institute about the new Chief being cold, arrogant, and unapproachable, in Luther’s heart, Feng Zhixi was the only one worthy of that title.
Besides, where was this "cold and ruthless" person the rumors spoke of? They were clearly nothing but lies. To Luther, the young Chief was obviously a kind-hearted person who simply wore a cold mask. As he thought this, his gaze grew even more fervent.
Being stared at with a look that screamed "You’re such a good person," the former interstellar pirate leader Feng Zhixi fell into a bewildered silence. *Who exactly is this guy?*
It wasn't that Feng Zhixi was being forgetful; it was simply that, including the time from his previous life, it had been far too long since he had left the Lanli Research Institute. In a past where everyone had turned against him the moment he fell from grace, Feng Zhixi had completely severed himself from the institute in his heart. He no longer had anything to do with the Federation’s highest research facility.
The Chief? He had ceased to be that a long time ago. Feng Zhixi thought to himself, his heart remaining perfectly still.
However, Luther had no idea what Feng Zhixi had gone through. He was simply stunned to see him here—the teenage Chief who had saved him all those years ago...
***
This happened before Luther joined the Federation Military, back when he was just an ordinary researcher at the Lanli Research Institute.
After graduating from Lanli Academy with honors, Luther accepted an invitation from his mentor to join his research team at the institute. At first, everything was wonderful. Lanli was a place where masters gathered and geniuses emerged in droves, yet the atmosphere remained friendly. Luther met many like-minded friends there.
They researched and progressed together. Luther once thought he would stay at Lanli forever, until an accident shattered that dream.
One day, when Luther returned to the institute after a vacation, he found his entire team in high spirits. Everyone was beaming with pride while enthusiastically congratulating his mentor.
Confused, Luther asked around and discovered that during his absence, his mentor had published a new research breakthrough that had been selected for Lanli’s patent library. To have a result entered into Lanli’s patent library meant there was a chance it would be inducted into the Federation’s Supreme Patent Database. If that happened, his mentor would gain both fame and fortune.
At that time, the battle for the position of Chief at Lanli had reached a fever pitch. The new Chief was to be chosen between his mentor and a very young but well-connected genius. The patent his mentor produced at this critical juncture would likely be the turning point that allowed him to suppress the talented youth backed by famous masters.
Everyone was congratulating his mentor, and Luther was naturally happy too. After all, this was the man who had mentored him and brought him into the institute. That was, until he discovered that the research result his mentor had submitted was actually a theft of Luther’s own independent work.
Shocked and unable to believe it, Luther confronted him.
It was then that the senior, middle-aged man finally revealed his dark side. The shameless thief stood before him with a hypocritical smile and gave him two choices: first, get out and have his reputation ruined; or second, shut up and wait for a "compensation" once the mentor became the Chief of Lanli.
Facing the young man’s indignant gaze, the older man sneered. He had merely "borrowed" a small portion of the results; others would kill for such an opportunity.
Threatened by his mentor and guide, the then-young and hot-headed Luther unhesitatingly chose a third option: he took his original research data and reported the man to Lanli’s judicial body.
The young Luther had been too naive. He had only seen the sunny side of Lanli and failed to notice the dark undercurrents beneath the surface.
Stealing research results was a serious crime in the Federation. However, the accused was a seasoned scholar and a candidate for Chief, while the accuser was a green newcomer who worked on the accused's team. Given the disparity in power and the fact that Luther was the man's student, the situation looked like a classic case of "The Farmer and the Viper" to outsiders.
Worse yet, a segment of the "core" data in the original records Luther provided clearly originated from one of his mentor’s early research projects. This made Luther’s accusations lose all credibility.
The final straw was a set of original experimental video logs produced by the calculating mentor. The footage showed that the mentor had begun this research at least three years ago—at a time when Luther was still just a student at Lanli Academy.
Only then did Luther realize why his mentor was so fearless. When the man decided to steal the work, he had already set a trap. Such practiced ease suggested this was far from his first time doing this.
If Luther had been obedient, he would have received a so-called "reward" like the other anonymous predecessors whose work had been stolen. But because he insisted on a mutual destruction, the result was his expulsion from the academic world.
Just as the shameless thief had threatened—he was to get out with his reputation in tatters.
With no way to prove his innocence, Luther fell into a dead end. No one believed him. Former friends, colleagues, admirers, and even others who had also had their work stolen looked at him as an ungrateful snake, a thief, and a rogue.
In the end, when Luther thought he had reached the end of the road, the person who restored his reputation was someone he never expected.
It was a youth—the "arrogant, insolent brat" his mentor often complained about, one of the other candidates for the Chief position: Feng Zhixi.
At the time, Feng Zhixi didn't know Luther, but he found such clumsy framing methods beneath contempt. More importantly, if Lanli’s judicial body could actually fall for such an obvious setup, it would be an insult to the entire institute.
The hot-blooded young Feng Zhixi had declared that if they couldn't see through such a stupid frame-up, Lanli might as well close its doors. Calling it the Federation’s Number One Research Institute was a joke; it was the "Number One Blind Institute," a total embarrassment.
The young Feng Zhixi back then had been incredibly bold and reckless.
Ultimately, Luther’s reputation was restored, and his mentor was expelled from Lanli for egregious academic fraud, multiple thefts of others' work, and threats and bribery.
However, Feng Zhixi’s stubborn and cocky attitude gave his own teacher a massive headache. Even though the fraudster deserved his ruin, Feng Zhixi’s teacher knew all too well how many people would maliciously speculate about Feng Zhixi’s motives for helping.
He wanted his student to walk a path paved with sunshine and flowers, not a dangerous road filled with rumors and slander.
Looking at the cocky kid who still didn't realize what he’d done "wrong," and seeing the undeniable brilliance and unshielded sharpness in the boy's eyes, the weary elder made a decision: pack the disobedient brat up and send him away!
The disobedient brat Feng Zhixi: "..."
And so, at Ben-En Military Academy, a reluctant "pampered prince" met a middle-school-syndrome delinquent with green hair. Thus began their fated entanglement.
The battle for the Chief of Lanli was temporarily shelved because one candidate was expelled and the other voluntarily withdrew.
It wasn't until a year later, when Feng Zhixi reappeared before the institute with breathtaking research results, that everyone realized the genius youth had become even more brilliant. By then, he had undoubtedly surpassed everyone else in the institute.
Following that, Feng Zhixi became the new Chief—the youngest in Lanli’s history. The title was well-deserved.
However, that old academic fraud scandal would later become one of the tools used to push Feng Zhixi into the abyss. When he was prosecuted for the attempted murder of the Marshal’s wife, the man who had been expelled years ago resurfaced loudly. He recounted in detail how he had supposedly been framed by Feng Zhixi and lost his position as Chief.
He claimed that the academic fraud, the thefts, and the threats were actually committed by Feng Zhixi. How else could one explain how such a young Omega was qualified to be the Chief of the Federation’s top institute? Perhaps he had relied on his pretty face!
One must remember that up until the moment Feng Zhixi was sentenced, he was still a single Omega who had never been marked by an Alpha. This in itself was considered strange. How could a beautiful Omega survive one heat after another on his own after reaching adulthood?
Why didn't he bond with an Alpha? It went against "Omega nature"—unless he needed to remain unbonded to trade himself for something else.
These filthy speculations swarmed the imprisoned Feng Zhixi, dousing him in bucket after bucket of dirty water, ultimately negating every contribution he had ever made to Lanli and the Federation’s academic world.
When he heard the verdict, Feng Zhixi had only given a cold, indifferent smile.
In the future of the previous timeline, Luther—who was currently the head of the Mecha Department—was actually the person Hill considered most suitable to take over as the Commander of the First Legion. He was a better fit than the parachuted-in Ji Qi. However, Luther’s inexplicable bias toward Feng Zhixi during the scandal eventually led Hill to give up on him.
The future Hill could never understand why this Alpha, who was supposedly completely infatuated with him, would still firmly believe that Feng Zhixi was not the culprit.
***
At this moment, unaware of the future, Luther—who had left Lanli for the military after the scandal—had already found the perfect place for himself in the First Legion. He realized that he preferred practice over research, and the person who had inspired him was Feng Zhixi.
Thus, seeing Feng Zhixi unexpectedly on the starship, Luther could hardly contain his excitement. He dropped his "cool god" persona entirely and rushed over like a little fanboy. He stood behind the "roadblock" that was Ji Yeran and eagerly introduced himself to his idol.
"Hello, Chief! It’s me, Luther~!" The excited Alpha’s voice practically ended in musical notes.
*What is an Alpha doing getting this close? Doesn't he know about AO boundaries?!* While blocking Luther, Ji Yeran’s handsome face was cold, and his fists were clenched, ready to throw a punch.
At this moment, the green-plum-scented Warden was feeling quite sour.
Feng Zhixi: "?" (He had absolutely no memory of this person.)
Hill watched Feng Zhixi, who was currently the center of attention like the moon surrounded by stars. He saw Luther, who had previously been so compliant toward him, suddenly change. The Alpha, who usually kept everyone at a distance, was now carefully shielding Feng Zhixi. This sharp contrast deeply stung Hill’s pride.
A powerful rage surged in Hill’s heart, as if everything before him was supposed to be *his*. That look of adoration, that careful protection, and being the shining focus of the crowd—it should all belong to him.
*Thief! This person must have stolen everything from me!* Hill cursed through gritted teeth. He had a premonition: if he didn't destroy Feng Zhixi, he would lose everything.
Perhaps Hill’s emotional fluctuations were too intense, because the stalled "System" suddenly let out a *ding* and came back to life.
