While Ji Wei was reeling with "the truth" he had gleaned from Ji Yu’s accidental slip of the tongue, the man on the other end of the line—having abruptly cut the transmission—was facing a crisis of his own.
"What happened?" Upon seeing the message from his subordinate, Ji Yu had wasted no time ending the call where he had been berating his useless son to turn his attention back to his primary affairs.
In the holographic projection, Ji Yu’s subordinate looked pale and frantic as he reported the sudden emergency. For reasons unknown, personnel from the Interstellar Federal Inspection System had suddenly appeared across the major star systems, using aggressive tactics to detain a significant number of people.
Among those taken were many "nails" they had painstakingly planted within various levels of the Federation’s institutions. Even two individuals who had risen to the rank of Galactic Executive Vice-Chief had been hauled away by the "White Gloves" of the Inspection System.
These "White Gloves" seemed to have come prepared; the arrests occurred almost simultaneously, leaving no time for a reaction. Their core personnel had been virtually wiped out in a single sweep.
In a single night, the network of informants they had spent years embedding within the Federation’s Department of Civil Affairs was uprooted. Aside from a few insignificant strays on the periphery, the entire operation had been gutted. To call it a devastating loss was an understatement.
"Why are you only reporting this now!" Ji Yu roared. "What do I pay you for?! Why was there no prior intelligence? Who is behind this?!"
The upheaval had happened so fast that Ji Yu’s subordinates were like headless chickens. The man in the projection lowered his head in shame. "We don’t know yet." The opposition had clearly planned this in advance, leaving them zero window to respond.
Furthermore, the Interstellar Federal Inspection System had always been a mysterious entity, operating independently of both the Military and the Civil Affairs Bureau. No one knew why they had suddenly struck, catching everyone completely off guard.
"Useless!" Ji Yu bellowed. "Get out there and find out!"
"Yes, sir!"
After dismissing his subordinate, Ji Yu forced himself to calm down, reining in his outward displays of violence. His face was grim as he contemplated who would have the capability—and the motive—to target him so specifically.
Ji Yu’s first suspicion fell upon Ji Qiu.
Had his "dear brother" discovered something? As he pondered, the stress of his recent emotional outburst triggered a fit of coughing. It was a violent, hacking sound that he couldn't seem to suppress. By the time the racking coughs subsided, his complexion had turned a sickly, waxen yellow, making him look like a man at death's door.
*Could Ji Qiu have discovered what happened back then?!* Ji Yu thought, gripped by sudden apprehension. But he quickly dismissed the idea.
Impossible. Ji Qiu hadn't found the truth back then, and now, with the passage of time and the disappearance of all evidence, it was even less likely his brother could uncover anything.
Ji Yu thought of his brother with nothing but contempt. Ji Qiu had only attained the rank of General of the Eighth Legion because of his status and the blatant favoritism of that "old fossil." If it weren't for Ji Yu’s own poor health, how could an Omega like Ji Qiu ever stand above him? He was an Alpha; he was the one who should have inherited everything the Ji family owned!
Gritting his teeth, Ji Yu didn't hesitate to project his most malicious thoughts onto Ji Qiu. What did it matter if his Omega brother was a General? He was still sterile! Did Ji Qiu really think he didn't know where that little brat Ji Yeran came from?!
Ji Yeran wasn't a normal human being at all; he was a gene-adjusted monster! Ji Yu thought resentfully.
In the Federation, research into human genetic adjustment was strictly prohibited. Although Ji Yu still didn't know exactly how Ji Qiu had managed to bypass the most rigorous genetic screenings, he was certain that Ji Yeran was not a product of natural conception!
He was sure of it because he knew Ji Qiu was incapable of bearing offspring. His "dear brother" had once been struck by a genetic weapon; his mutated genes made it impossible for him to conceive with any Alpha!
Therefore, years ago, when the newborn Ji Yeran was confirmed by testing to carry the bloodlines of both the Ji and Ye families, Ji Yu knew the boy was an artificial creation. It was just that Ji Qiu had covered his tracks too well, leaving Ji Yu unable to find concrete evidence despite years of searching.
Ji Yu had tried countless methods to breed the strongest Alpha, mating with numerous Omegas of high-quality attributes. Ji Wei could be considered the most blessed "work" among his many children. If Ji Qiu hadn't secretly conducted experiments and used forbidden genetic adjustment technology, how could Ji Yeran’s Alpha attributes possibly be stronger than the masterpiece Ji Yu had meticulously selected?
Consumed by a mix of jealousy and resentment, Ji Yu conveniently forgot that he, too, had secretly attempted to violate Federal law by conducting genetic adjustment experiments—he had simply failed. In the laboratory under his control, every embryo had mutated and died; not a single fetus had survived to a healthy birth. The lab's only products were deformed infants with congenital genetic defects.
Since the experimental route was a dead end, he had no choice but to use the most primitive methods to select "qualified products."
Ji Wei’s mother had been the most outstanding of the Omegas he had hand-picked, which was why she had given birth to an S-rank Alpha like Ji Wei.
Back then, when he saw the test results, Ji Yu had been incredibly proud. Those few years were his most glorious time within the Ji family. He never expected that five years after Ji Wei’s birth, Ji Yeran would be born.
That Alpha infant, born with top-tier attributes, had instantly stolen all the attention of the "old fossil," causing the branch families who had begun leaning toward Ji Yu to turn back into indecisive fence-sitters.
*Once I have power, I’ll uproot every last one of those turncoats!* Ji Yu thought furiously. But for now, his most urgent task was finding out who was stabbing him in the back.
Who was it? Ji Yu’s expression was dark as he mentally reviewed every faction.
The Ye family? No.
The old fogies in the Ji family who supported Ji Qiu? No.
Those fence-sitters, or the ambitious branch families who thought they could become the main line?
...No! No! None of them!
None of those people fit. The culprit had to be someone more closely aligned with his interests, someone who understood his clandestine forces, someone he was familiar with—perhaps even someone hiding in plain sight. Who could it be?
After exhausting his list of suspects, one name dropped into his mind: Ji Wei! His "dear son"!
So, the pawn was tired of being a pawn and wanted to flip the board? Ji Yu sneered. To confirm his theory, he contacted another individual.
"How are those hyenas being fed?" Ji Yu asked as soon as the connection was established.
The person who answered had their face entirely obscured by a strange mask, leaving only their eyes visible. "Those space pirates are insatiable. They have massive appetites."
Hearing this, Ji Yu replied dismissively, "As long as they are obedient and useful, I don't care how big their appetites are—keep them fed!" He only viewed those pirates as a transactional necessity; those hyenas were merely hired thugs used for work that couldn't see the light of day. As long as they could hunt, they were worth the price.
Ji Yu continued, "Any news on Blood Eye?"
"None." The person on the other end sounded puzzled. "He’s vanished. The last time anyone saw him was at the Delta Star. Since then, no one has caught a glimpse of him. With no word for this long, the word on the street is that Blood Eye is dead."
Vanished? Dead? Ji Yu sneered, not believing a word of it. Blood Eye’s disappearance only served to prove his suspicion—the person secretly undermining him from the shadows was indeed his son, Ji Wei!
"Vanished" my foot. That traitor had likely been bought off by his son long ago and had probably changed his face to infiltrate the military under a new identity. Ji Yu pondered. *The little brat thinks his wings are strong enough to play games with me? He’s still too green.*
While the calculating old bastard thought he had caught the young bastard’s tail, the young bastard was just beginning to bare his new fangs.
***
Back in the military camp, Ji Wei received a message from an untraceable location. Upon seeing the contents, he couldn't help but break into a smug, self-satisfied smile. *No wonder the old man ran off so fast!* It turned out the "White Gloves" had already come knocking. Those people certainly moved fast!
Ji Yu wasn't wrong; as a pawn and the current heir apparent, Ji Wei was the person most familiar with Ji Yu’s hidden hand.
Furthermore, compared to a sickly Alpha with mediocre attributes, the young, vigorous, and promising S-rank Alpha Ji Wei was a far more attractive leader to follow.
It was only natural for people to betray Ji Yu, and Ji Wei had seized that opportunity.
Ji Wei thought triumphantly that it was time for the old bastard to step down!
Originally, Ji Wei had wanted to wait a bit longer, but the recent string of setbacks told him he couldn't afford to delay. He knew Ji Yu better than anyone; his "dear father" had plenty of "seeds" scattered outside. The moment his father felt a pawn was no longer useful, he would replace them without hesitation.
Moreover, Ji Wei had recently gained a powerful ally—a force the old man had never been able to penetrate. He had established a connection with the Interstellar Federal Inspection System.
But for all of this, he really had to thank his "dear cousin," Ji Yeran. In the privacy of his thoughts, Ji Wei laughed, his expression full of malicious anticipation. His cousin probably had no idea that the person he trusted most had already betrayed him!
At that very moment, the "dear cousin" in question, Ji Yeran, was finishing the final report. After authenticating it with a high-level authorization code, the processed document was transmitted into the exclusive encrypted channel of the Interstellar Federal Inspection System.
The document, bearing the endorsement of the Interstellar Warden, traveled through a special one-way encrypted channel across the vast sea of stars, finally landing on a unique planet located on the outer rim of the Capital Star System.
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 星际联邦监察系统 | Interstellar Federal Inspection System | An independent oversight body in the Federation. |
| 白手套 | White Gloves | Slang for enforcers or agents who handle "dirty" or direct intervention work. |
| 基因调整人 | Gene-adjusted human | A human whose DNA has been artificially modified; often illegal. |
| 基因武器 | Genetic weapon | A weapon designed to target or mutate biological DNA. |
| 星际典狱长 | Interstellar Warden | A high-ranking title held by Ji Yeran, implying significant secret authority. |
| 血眼 | Blood Eye | A specific individual, likely a mercenary or pirate leader. |
| 首都星系 | Capital Star System | The central star system of the Federation. |
