WCHM Chapter 56

Luo Zexu stared at the little “cat reaching out” sticker, his expression shifting strangely.

 

In the interstellar holographic age, hardly anyone still used something as outdated as stickers. With the assistance of “Cocoon”, people were more accustomed to full holographic communication. Younger users preferred customizing their own virtual avatars, letting loose behind a fabricated persona.

 

Luo Zexu had one too, a silent black-haired, black-eyed Alpha, completely different from his real face.

 

But inexplicably, he felt that this cat resembled Lu Chi.

 

Its tail perked up, eyes bright, and when it slapped someone… it probably hurt enough to make their ears ring. Even the way it held out its paw for money was oddly cute, completely justified, and utterly confident.

 

…It seemed Lu Chi really had nothing to do with Lin Jingsi. Otherwise, with the Lin family’s wealth, Lu Chi wouldn’t still be this poor.

 

Luo Zexu felt a strange sense of relief, but then memories of last night surfaced again, his expression shifting once more. That long-haired Beta seemed to carry some kind of magic, making his cheeks and gland begin to burn faintly again, as if reliving the pain. Unbidden, the image returned: Lu Chi looking down at him under the neon lights, stepping hard on his face, that half-smiling expression.

 

He had called him a dog.

 

Luo Zexu’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

 

He shifted his crossed legs slightly, forcing himself to ignore his body’s reaction, and lowered his gaze to reply.

 

A-0207: [You’re short on money?]

 

A-0207: [Figures. New terminals on the market removed the sticker function ages ago. Yours is at least four generations outdated, even sending holographic video lags.]

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, with conditions like this, you might as well…]

 

Might as well what?

 

Luo Zexu paused for two seconds, inexplicably, but the other side didn’t care. The holographic screen glowed with a faint blue light. Ignoring Luo Zexu’s message, Lu Chi sent his own cleanly and efficiently:

 

B-1121: [Nov 6. A classmate spread rumors that I cheated. While you stood by watching and smirking, you accidentally broke my thermos. 21 credits.]

 

B-1121: [Nov 7. A classmate locked me in the school restroom. When you passed by, you deliberately stepped on and broke my pen, mecha model, and mechanical eye. 233 credits.]

 

B-1121: [Nov 9…]

 

Luo Zexu’s gentle mask froze.

 

He watched as Lu Chi listed out a long record of bullying he’d suffered since enrollment, including the financial losses tied to Luo Zexu himself. At the end, the Beta totaled everything without wasting a word…

 

B-1121: [Total: 476 credits. Add missed cooking and floral classes, converted to 800 credits. Grand total: 1276.]

 

B-1121: [Give me the money.]

 

B-1121: [Now.]

 

“……”

 

Luo Zexu stared at the screen, his fox-like eyes unreadable.

 

Memories from a month ago surfaced along with Lu Chi’s words: the thin, silent Beta shrinking into himself, surrounded and shoved by those Alphas and Omegas. No matter how they pushed him, he kept his head down. His long gray-silver bangs covered half his face, never looking up.

 

He didn’t ask for help either.

 

Even when Luo Zexu had stood behind him, deliberately making noise in impatience, the Beta had been stubborn as a mule with no awareness of seeking protection, neither resisting nor speaking up.

 

Cowardly. Slow. Infuriating.

 

That was why, for this competition, Luo Zexu had deliberately approved Lu Chi’s application. He wanted to see just how far this irritating Beta could be pushed, how badly he’d be bullied before finally lifting his head, looking around, and pitifully seeking help from him.

 

Luo Zexu had even gone personally to the filthy, backward D District, preparing everything, waiting for this timid prey to fall into the trap he’d woven.

 

But what he got wasn’t tears or pleading.

 

It was slaps… and humiliation.

 

The red-haired Alpha clicked his tongue. After a moment, the corners of his lips lifted faintly.

 

A-0207: [That’s all you want?]

 

B-1121: [Can’t you read Galactic Common Script?]

 

A-0207: […I just thought you’d know, if you used that video to blackmail me, the Luo family could give you unimaginable wealth.]

 

[Wealth beyond anything you could ever dream of.]

 

……………………..

 

Outside the D District dormitory, Lu Chi saw the message and raised an eyebrow.

 

B-1121: [For example?]

 

A-0207: [For example, billions of credits. A valuable cooperation invitation from the research institute. Absolute safety, no one at school would dare bully you again.]

 

A-0207: [And for example, second-class citizen status.]

 

The Federation’s class system was brutally rigid, and capital monopolized all upward mobility. For lower-class Alphas and Omegas, climbing the ranks was extraordinarily difficult; unless they became pawns or accomplices of major powers, they would never rise in their lifetimes.

 

Let alone Betas, who no one cared about.

 

And the “second-class citizen” Luo Zexu mentioned was already considered prestigious within the academy. With that identity and backing, Lu Chi would never again face open bullying, nor worry about basic necessities.

 

The privileges included free A-grade meals and hot water, access to combat competition tickets, and entry to training grounds via iris scan. After graduation, many companies outright rejected applicants of fourth-class or lower. With status, all of that would be effortlessly resolved.

 

In Lu Chi’s mind, the system grew excited: [This would-be rapist is actually useful! Host Baby, we can drain him dry and toss him aside!]

 

Lu Chi smiled slightly, his long lashes catching the sunlight as he asked, [So you’re telling me a Beta worth less than a mechanical stray dog should go blackmail a top-tier conglomerate Alpha?]

 

The gap between them was too large, and it was too easy to lose control. Besides, Lu Chi had no intention of using such a high-risk method.

 

Instead, he looked at the screen. On the other side, Luo Zexu continued typing at an unhurried pace, every word carrying the tone of a gentle professor patiently instructing him on how to blackmail himself.

 

Lu Chi raised an eyebrow, a faint, amused smile tugging at his lips.

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, don’t you really want those who bullied you to pay the price?]

 

B-1121: [752 years]

 

A-0207: [?]

 

B-1121: [According to Federation law, extorting a special-class citizen results in 752 years of imprisonment and compensation in the hundreds of millions. If the criminal cannot pay, the judge may transfer them to the research institute as experimental material.]

 

At that, Luo Zexu paused before sending:

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, I thought you weren’t this cautious.]

 

Last night, Lu Chi had struck him without hesitation, which alone proved he wasn’t as timid as he appeared. The Beta had a hard spine and a cold gaze, making Luo Zexu itch even more.

 

Compared to pushing Lu Chi to submit like a dog…

 

Luo Zexu realized, with a strange mix of fear and excitement, that he actually preferred what had happened last night: being stepped on, humiliated, and pushed into an unprecedented climax.

 

In over twenty years, it was the first time he had ever experienced one.

 

As a child, he had been kidnapped. Among the kidnappers were both Alphas and Omegas, beasts with no restraint, who ignored the presence of a child and indulged in chaotic group mating whenever they pleased. Their pheromones were rotten, suffocating.

 

For an entire week, while still developing, Luo Zexu had been forced to watch. When his older brother finally killed the kidnappers and brought him home, they discovered something was wrong.

 

He was diagnosed with a psychological aversion to marking. On the day of his coming-of-age heat, nothing happened.

 

Simply put…

 

He was impotent.

 

And impotent men were always particularly fragile.

 

Because of that, Luo Zexu had been removed from the line of succession. On the surface, he was gentle and flirtatious, but inside, he was twisted, finding pleasure in watching others suffer, compensating for what he himself lacked.

 

But Lu Chi was the first person who had stirred desire in him, the first who had made him respond and release.

 

The red-haired Alpha lowered his gaze, his mind foggy, fingers flying across the screen as he tried to persuade:

 

A-0207: [Even if you blackmail me, you still hold leverage. The Luo family doesn’t want that video leaked. Compared to you, we have more to lose, so we’re even more cautious.]

 

A-0207: [This can stay between us. I won’t tell anyone.]

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, you can be a little bolder.]

 

The other side fell silent, as if thinking, and Luo Zexu unconsciously tightened his grip on the terminal. Moments later, as the message notification lit up, he immediately looked, confident…

 

B-1121: [Are you impotent?]

 

“……”

 

The smile on his face froze completely.

 

It was as if Lu Chi were some kind of cyber ghost, his gaze drifting lightly across the distance, those pale brown eyes clear and beautiful, carrying that faint, mocking smile as he typed:

 

[No wonder you carry aphrodisiacs around.]

 

[So all the drugs and sprays… were all prepared for yourself.]

 

“……”

 

In the silent hospital room, a sharp metallic scent suddenly spread.

 

With a crack, Luo Zexu crushed the glass in his hand. Shards sliced into his palm instantly, blood and flesh torn open. Without changing expression, he stood, turned on the water, and carefully rinsed his hand. The red diluted and disappeared down the drain.

 

In the entire Federation, fewer than five people knew about his condition.

 

How did a fourth-class Beta like Lu Chi know?!

 

After a long moment, Luo Zexu looked back at the screen. The holographic blue glow reflected in his dark eyes, eerie and chilling.

 

Expressionless, he typed:

 

A-0207: [……?]

 

A-0207: [Sorry, but your imagination is quite impressive.]

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, I don’t know what you’re talking about.]

 

B-1121: [Not just impotent. You’ve got masochistic tendencies, too. And you finish fast.]

 

B-1121: [Luo Zexu, you’re disgusting.]

 

“……”

 

The room’s AI detected the abnormality and immediately released calming mist, speaking gently:

 

[Patient shows emotional instability. Would you like to call a physician?]

 

Luo Zexu lifted his eyes, voice cold: “Shut up.”

 

[Understood, sir.]

 

He exhaled, forcing himself back into composure.

 

A-0207: [Lu Chi, don’t try to provoke me.]

 

A-0207: [Whether I’m impotent, you should already know from last night.]

 

B-1121: [Mm-hmm]

 

B-1121: [So hurry up and pay me. 1276 credits.]

 

That indifferent attitude made Luo Zexu tilt his head back, eyes squeezed shut as he forcibly suppressed his emotions. But anger and humiliation churned violently in his chest, driving him into paranoid suspicion of everything around him, even the doctor treating him.

 

After a long while…

 

Luo Zexu finally transferred the exact amount into Lu Chi’s account.

 

A-0207: [How much more do you need?]

 

A-0207: [I can sponsor you; that way it’s legally clean.]

 

A-0207: [Or do you prefer cash?]

 

………………..

 

D District Dormitory.

 

After renewing the lease, the Beta stepped inside at ease. Once the AI received payment, it became extremely attentive: several smart home robots immediately carried in his luggage, sorting and arranging his clothes while cleaning the furniture.

 

Lu Chi took a sip of D-grade water that carried a faint disinfectant taste. Seeing the message, he couldn’t help but smile.

 

Impotent men really were suspicious.

 

B-1121: [You just want to know how I could tell you’re impotent, right?]

 

A-0207: […]

 

A-0207: [Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.]

 

B-1121: [Mm-hmm, actually it’s because I can read palms, draw tarot, and tell fortunes.]

 

B-1121: [If you need it, you can come to me for a reading. It’s an ancient Blue Planet tradition that’s long been lost, believe it or not.]

 

“…?”

 

For once, Luo Zexu frowned in genuine confusion. Not long after, he realized Lu Chi had already changed his avatar name to four bold words: Fortune-Telling & Palm Reading.

 

Red background, black text, glowing effects… bright and eye-catching in the holographic projection. Beneath it were clearly listed prices:

 

[Fortune-telling: 8k, Tarot reading: 7k, Palm reading: 7k]

 

[Cursing services priced separately, minimum 20k, includes one dream interpretation]

 

“……”

 

What the hell was this?!

 

Had he suddenly forgotten how to read Galactic Common Script???

 

In all his life, Luo Zexu had never felt this baffled, but he didn’t get the chance to ask. Because suddenly, there was a knock at the hospital door. Luo Zexu looked up as the AI announced gently:

 

[Iris scan complete. Biological identity confirmed.]

 

[A-grade Omega, Yu Kexing, is visiting. Would you like to open the door?]

 

……………….

 

The D-grade dorm wasn’t large, but not exactly small either.

 

A simple two-room setup: bedroom and kitchen. The furniture, all from the same production line, was neatly arranged but clearly cheap. Compared to the S-grade dorm he’d stayed in before, everything here felt crude.

 

But Lu Chi wasn’t someone who cared much about his surroundings.

 

He roughly mapped out his future money-making plan, then created a virtual persona named “Master LuLu”, nodding in satisfaction. After that, he turned off his terminal and slept for two hours.

 

When he woke up, he found himself being held, lying sideways in someone’s arms.

 

The curtains were drawn. The room was dim, with no lights on.

 

The person holding him was warm, with broad shoulders and firm, defined muscles. His breathing hadn’t fully settled yet, carrying a faint adrenaline scent; he must have just come from the arena.

 

Lazily lifting his eyes, Lu Chi saw the sharp, cold line of his jaw. The young Alpha was idly playing with Lu Chi’s terminal. Sensing movement, he lowered his head to look at him.

 

Their eyes met.

 

The silver-haired Beta let out a soft sound, then Lin Jingsi gripped his chin and kissed him deeply, right to the back of his tongue. His lashes trembled.

 

“Mm…”

 

The wet sounds of their kiss echoed softly. Lu Chi wrapped an arm around his neck, laughing lightly as he leaned back. Lin Jingsi pressed him down, chasing his lips with fierce intensity, kissing until both their breathing turned uneven and heated.

 

Only then did the Alpha release his lips, lowering his head to Lu Chi’s neck, obsessively licking and breathing in the faintly raised, incomplete gland there. Lu Chi let him, fingers threading through his hair. After a moment, his voice came out low and soft:

 

“Why didn’t you go back to your dorm? What do you want with me?”

 

Lin Jingsi gave a quiet hum, already undoing the Beta’s waistband and slipping inside with practiced ease.

 

“I came to see Master LuLu for a fortune.”

 

What nonsense.

 

Lu Chi couldn’t help laughing, raising a brow as he pressed down on his movements. His smiling eyes were bright and soft:

 

“Lin Jingsi, I don’t do readings like this.”

 

He was very professional, okay?

 

Maybe because he’d just woken up, the silver-haired Beta looked especially relaxed, like a long-haired cat that had just been stroked smooth.

 

Lin Jingsi couldn’t help kissing the messy top of his hair, then licking his lips again. Beneath his black combat uniform, he was already fully aroused. Warm breath brushed against Lu Chi’s collarbone, the air thick with the sharp, aggressive scent of Alpha pheromones. Then he heard the Alpha say, expressionless:

 

“Then tell me, am I impotent?”

 

“……”

 

Lu Chi held back a laugh, watching him silently as he spiraled again.

 

Lin Jingsi was the first to lose patience. He grabbed the Beta’s hand and pressed it down hard twice, guiding the ring on his finger through the fabric against himself, grinding like self-inflicted torture. After a long moment, his voice turned hoarse:

 

“That partner of yours… was it Luo Zexu?”

 

“……”

 

“What did you say?!”

 

Lu Chi thought he had misheard.

…………….

T.N: If you enjoy this novel so far, please consider giving it a good rating on Novel Updates. Much appreciated, thank you!

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