Cen Chi.
With Chu Xingxiao’s temperament, at least for the time being, Cen Chi probably wouldn’t be bothering him again.
Chi Zhan strapped on his training gear and got to work.
During a break, he handed a water bottle to his training partner, who was drenched in sweat and collapsed dramatically to the floor.
“I’m done for,” the guy groaned. “Sparring with you is like getting steamrolled.”
Even so, training with Chi Zhan was a valuable experience. Though he was ruthless during drills, he had excellent technique and didn’t rely on brute force like many Alphas. If you didn’t understand something, he’d patiently explain it. On top of that, his features were refined and handsome, and his usual demeanor was gentle and well-mannered. Every Beta who’d trained with him ended up liking him.
Chi Zhan sat down beside him, unscrewed his water bottle, and took a sip.
His partner was the chatty type and, after catching his breath, launched into another topic: “I still can’t believe no one’s said anything about who got matched with the Crown Prince. It’s driving me nuts! Don’t tell me they’re under some kind of confidentiality clause?”
Chi Zhan kept it brief.
“Maybe.”
His partner rambled on.
“I mean, come on—that’s a huge honor! Whoever it is hasn’t said a word. They must be trained in stealth or something. No way an Omega could resist showing off about that.”
“What if it’s not an Omega?”
“Not an Omega? You mean a Beta?” His partner chuckled like it was a joke. “No way. Sure, it’s a genetic match system, but Betas can only pair with other Betas. There’s no chance in hell a Beta would get matched with an Alpha.”
Chi Zhan replied simply, “True enough.”
After the matching results were released, the Crown Prince never contacted Chi Zhan. Neither did anyone from the royal family.
Then, out of nowhere, a bombshell dropped: the one matched with the Crown Prince was—
Moy.
The moment the news broke, public opinion split down the middle—half said they saw it coming, half were crushed by disappointment.
“I knew it! It had to be Moy. The Crown Prince’s chosen one has to be someone special. Maybe they’ve even got a telepathic bond or something.”
“Even the Second Prince tried to snatch him up—he must have some real hidden talents.”
Chi Zhan didn’t feel disappointed. On the contrary, he felt a quiet sense of relief.
This had the Crown Prince’s fingerprints all over it.
“Hey, you,” Moy said, walking up to him. “You’re the one who beat me, right?”
He’d been bitter about that loss ever since. He couldn’t understand how he’d lost to Chi Zhan—even after using an item.
It was just an NPC, after all. But Moy was naturally petty and couldn’t let it go until he’d regained some face.
“What do you want?” Chi Zhan asked coolly.
Moy sneered.
“So what if you beat me? I’m going to be the Crown Prince’s personal secretary now. And you? You won’t even get the chance to see him again.”
Chi Zhan gave him a long, almost pitying look.
If you knew we’d be working side by side in the future, would you completely lose your mind?
Of course, saying that would be unfair to the player—and a fast track to getting reported. So Chi Zhan only gave a noncommittal hum and said nothing more.
Moy, annoyed by his indifferent reaction, was quickly overtaken by a gaggle of friends who gathered around to jeer at Chi Zhan, spouting things like, “You’ll be a commoner your whole life—how pitiful,” and “Even if you’re top of the class, you’re just cannon fodder.”
Moy didn’t get a word in, glared daggers at Chi Zhan, and stormed off.
Chi Zhan wasn’t fazed. But as he turned to leave, he noticed someone trailing behind him. He ducked into a narrow alley—and sure enough, the person followed.
Chi Zhan stopped, turned, and stared them down.
“Are you… are you Chi Zhan?” the person asked nervously.
Chi Zhan eyed him warily.
“There’s only one Chi Zhan. It has to be you!” the man stepped closer, visibly excited. “I’m Zhang Yuan, a friend of Jiang Yi’s. Do you remember Jiang Yi? He’s been looking all over for you!”
A name he didn’t recognize popped up out of nowhere, but Chi Zhan’s expression remained unreadable.
“Why is he looking for me?”
“I’m not really sure,” Zhang Yuan admitted. “Ever since he entered this instance, he’s been trying to track you down. Probably something important. But he’s from the Federation, so no wonder he couldn’t find you. Wait, I’ll contact him and let him explain!”
Just as he reached for his communicator, it vanished from his hand as if by magic—already in Chi Zhan’s grasp.
Zhang Yuan stared in confusion.
“What… what’s wrong?”
“You’re in contact with someone from the Federation?” Chi Zhan said in a low voice. “Then you should know that communicating with Federation citizens is a capital offense.”
Zhang Yuan blinked blankly, then gave an awkward laugh.
“Whoa, man—don’t get that into character. Uh, I mean, yeah, I have heard of that rule, but how am I supposed to let him talk to you if I don’t reach out?”
“If you insist on contacting him, I’ll have no choice but to report you to the interstellar authorities. But seeing as we’re classmates, I’ll let this one slide. I’ll pretend I didn’t see you colluding with the Federation.”
Zhang Yuan was floored. He’d never seen a player this committed to immersion. It was almost embarrassing.
But that’s what made the game fun, right? If you broke the immersion, what was the point?
His respect for Chi Zhan skyrocketed.
“My bad. I really shouldn’t have done that.”
Chi Zhan observed him for a few moments. Once satisfied, he handed the communicator back.
“If you get any leads about Federation operatives, report them directly to the Central Office. They’ll take care of it.”
Zhang Yuan’s jaw dropped.
“Uh… that’s kinda harsh, don’t you think? He is my friend. Wouldn’t that be, like, betraying him?”
“All for the good of the Empire,” Chi Zhan said flatly, then turned and walked away.
Leaving Zhang Yuan in a moral crisis.
Man, if he really did that, Jiang Yi would probably cut him off for life.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yi sneezed.
He rubbed his nose and stared at his screen in boredom. Yeah, this time around, he didn’t have the money to whale. He was just a no-name student at the Federation Academy, scraping by on meager funds. There was no way he could afford the clues that led to Chi Zhan—he’d have to find him through sheer luck.
Chi-ge had only asked him to pass along a message.
But in a crowd this massive, where the hell was Chi-ge supposed to be?
