After Being Used As A Substitute By A Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 5

The conference room on the top floor of the Gamma Group was packed. A crowd of people sat in a dense circle evidently, the meeting had been underway for some time.

Mei Xiaowen was the first to push open the door. Zhongli Tang followed closely behind, dressed in a simple black suit with her ink-black curly hair draped over her shoulders. She exuded a blend of sharp efficiency and lingering charm, bringing a splash of vibrant color to the otherwise oppressive atmosphere. The crisp, rhythmic click of her high heels echoed against the floor.

However, not everyone saw it that way. To some, the sound was a blatant mockery.

“Where is security?! Security! Get them in here now! What are they doing, letting an outsider in? Do they want Gamma to be on the front page of the entertainment news tomorrow?”

Someone inside was shouting. However, Zhongli Tang had already cleared out the security office, there was no response. She didn’t spare the shouter a single glance, walking straight to the front row and sweeping the room with a cold, piercing gaze.

“Second Uncle, you seem so unwelcoming. You didn’t even notify me about the meeting. No matter, I’m here now. Aren’t you going to stand up and give me your seat?”

Her Second Uncle, Zhong Chengyu, leaned on his cane and didn’t budge. He maintained a fake, smiling facade. “Is Tang’er finished filming? I have some spare cash on hand, how about I help you with some promotion? Don’t worry, I’ll guarantee you a Best Actress award. How does that sound?”

The people in the room gasped collectively. They weren’t used to this kind of scene, when the titans clash, the subordinates suffer.

Zhongli Tang could see clearly that the old man had no intention of moving. She didn’t want to waste words. For some reason, she briefly thought of Qin Wei, what would she do if she were here? Ridiculous, she thought, why am I thinking of her?

“Although being in the entertainment industry doesn’t sound very prestigious, to put it bluntly, you’re just a commodity for people to choose from, you are still the eldest miss of the Gamma Group and my niece. No matter what, I won’t let you be bullied,” Zhong Chengyu said, raising an eyebrow provocatively.

“Second Uncle is right,” Zhongli Tang suddenly spoke.

“I forgive you for being young and impulsive. Go over there and listen in,” Zhong Chengyu said smugly. He thought she was yielding. After all, she was just a young Alpha, how could she dare oppose him? He casually pointed to a distant, insignificant seat.

“Fine. Since Second Uncle is reluctant to walk, I’m young. I don’t mind giving you a lift.” Zhongli Tang lost her patience. She suddenly lashed out with a kick, sending his chair sliding away. Then, she casually pulled out a clean chair and sat down. The entire sequence was fluid and decisive.

“Zhongli Tang!”

Zhong Chengyu’s chair came to a halt exactly where he had just pointed. Having lost face so spectacularly in front of his subordinates, his smile was now uglier than a crying face. He could no longer maintain his “nice guy” act. He, who had refused to stand earlier, now looked like his backside was on fire, nearly jumping in rage.

“I’m telling you, even if you’re here, you can’t change a thing! No one is restarting the M6149 experiment today! It’s just a broken concept that can never be realized! We’ve already paid too high a price for it, it was tragic! Even now, your grandfather is still lying in the hospital. Do you intend to disregard all human ethics now?”

As soon as he said this, the room fell deathly silent. Zhongli Tang’s expression went cold. Her eyes were like a thousand silver needles, chillingly piercing through Zhong Chengyu.

The Gamma Group’s reach extended across biology, mathematics, and chemistry, but its core was medical care, controlling over 60% of the world’s resources. Whether Alpha, Omega, or Beta, no one could claim they hadn’t used Gamma’s drugs or equipment. It had always been a trusted symbol for the public.

Logically, Gamma should have only flourished. However, the M6149 experiment had emerged, claiming nearly twenty years of research with the potential to change the natural genetic instincts of Alphas and Omegas. The news caused a massive stir, with voices of support and opposition coexisting, and high-level controversy brewing.

Yet, the experiment pushed forward. Countless investments poured in like a tide. But upon its launch, the truth caught everyone off guard: people died. And it wasn’t just one person.

The situation spiraled out of Gamma’s control. M6149 was urgently suspended, which in reality meant shut down. Investments were withdrawn, and the company faced massive compensation claims. The public outcry intensified, the Chairman met with a car accident and remained in critical condition, and under the crushing pressure, Gamma was unable to pay its debts. Collapse seemed inevitable.

It was at that moment that Zhong Chengyu and others had fled, taking the last of the company’s funds.

But Zhongli Tang had stepped up. She mortgaged the very building they were in and much of her property to settle debts and appease the families of the deceased. Though some refused compensation, her efforts provided a breathing room. Most crucially, she led a R&D team day and night to produce a new type of medicine, slowly restoring some trust. But the heavy blow dealt by M6149 still lingered.

“Second Uncle, I only allowed you to come back because I saw you were getting old and needed a place for retirement. How do you have the nerve to sit here now?” Zhongli Tang spoke without a shred of politeness.

Zhong Chengyu’s face turned a mottled blue and white. Because of that past scandal, he had replaced everyone around him, yet Zhongli Tang had ruthlessly exposed it. He stiffened his neck.

“Back when the experiment was launched, I never gave the nod! Alphas have a natural advantage, do you have any idea how many people’s rights M6149 would take away? Naive! Why don’t we go ask the Old Man what he thinks? He’s still alive, and Gamma is not for you to decide.”

Zhong Chengyu’s explosive rage only highlighted Zhongli Tang’s composure. He had said so much, but it was as if she hadn’t listened to a word.

Zhongli Tang scanned the room, taking in everyone’s reactions. “It doesn’t matter if you disagree. I’m only here to notify you. Don’t bother plotting anything; the M6149 project is moving forward. You don’t need to worry. I will fully represent this experiment and take full responsibility.”

“The Old Man agreed? Impossible… he couldn’t possibly be unaware of the risks,” Zhong Chengyu muttered, his face full of disbelief.

Zhongli Tang looked back at him and let out a cold snort. “When I was kicked out of the Zhong family for certain reasons, I had decided never to return. However, Grandfather gave me one condition: he would grant me any one thing I asked for.”

“I hope to have a good working atmosphere with all of you in the future. Thank you.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Now, they truly believed she was only there to deliver a notice. The closing glass doors cut off the sight of Zhong Chengyu’s stunned expression.

Zhongli Tang took a deep breath. Originally, this request had been meant for Xu Sui, she had wanted to marry her with dignity and honor. But all of that was in the past now. By a strange twist of fate, the favor was being used here instead, which was just as well.

A flicker of irony flashed in the depths of her eyes, but she had no time for lingering thoughts. In her quest to restart the M6149 experiment, Zhong Chengyu was nothing more than a small pebble in her path, the real obstacles would always lie further ahead.

Zhongli Tang left the Gamma Building. Just as she was about to step into her car, a light flashed twice from the building opposite.

“I don’t want any news leaking out,” Zhongli Tang said flatly.

“Understood. Rest assured, President Zhong,” replied Song Yuan, her manager.

Following their schedule, the group arrived at the sanatorium where Old Master Zhong resided. Since surviving the retaliatory car accident, his life had been saved, but his health had fluctuated unpredictably ever since. He required round the clock nursing care. The perpetrator had been a family member of one of the victims; Zhongli Tang had chosen not to press charges. When the Old Master eventually woke up and understood the situation, he simply played along, treating it as if it had been a common traffic accident.

“This way, President Zhong,” a nurse guided her.

Zhongli Tang asked, “How has he been lately?”

“His condition has recovered much better compared to two years ago. His appetite is okay, he even ate lunch today but sometimes he can’t help but daze off and say strange things…”

“People get like that when they’re old, don’t take those words to heart. He might not have much of an appetite tonight, so I’ll have to trouble you to look after him,” Zhongli Tang said slowly.

“Please, don’t say that. You’re too kind.” The nurse prepared to push the door open, but Zhongli Tang stopped her.

“I’ll just take a look and go. No need to go in.”

Through the glass door, Zhongli Tang looked at Old Master Zhong lying amidst a cluster of medical instruments. her gaze was complex. She surmised that Zhong Chengyu had likely already given him an exaggerated earful on the way over. Her decision was, indeed, too risky.

Most of the voices she would hear would be in opposition anyway, making them meaningless.

Thus, Zhongli Tang stayed for only five minutes before leaving.

“Since you are starting the experiment, the tasks we accepted previously need to be completed ahead of schedule,” Song Yuan reported on her upcoming workload.

Ding. Her phone chimed repeatedly, refusing to give her a moment’s peace.

Zhongli Tang carried two phones: one for work and a private one for friends.

[Su He]: Same old place. Coming tonight?

[Su He]: More people are coming today.

[Su He]: You can bring someone along, you know. I figured you didn’t want Zhou Su, you probably have someone else already, right?

[Su He]: Heehee~

Zhongli Tang couldn’t help but rub her temples. Su He had actually hit the nail on the head. She had already typed out a refusal in the chat box and was a second away from sending it. But when she saw the words “someone else,” her heart stirred slightly. She deleted the original message and sent back a single word: Okay.

“After work ends today, go to Capital University to pick someone up from school,” Zhongli Tang said.

“Understood.”

Mei Xiaowen blinked. It seemed Qin Wei’s tactics weren’t entirely useless, she had never heard of Zhongli Tang going to pick someone up before.

Zhongli Tang thought of Qin Wei’s expression before she left this morning. Ultimately, she had broken her word, since that was the case, she would make it up to her in a different way.

She will surely be just as happy, Zhongli Tang thought.

She pulled up the chat with Qin Wei. The last message was from yesterday. Scrolling up, she couldn’t find anything particularly special, mostly “sleep early” or “don’t forget to eat.” The longest gap between messages was a month of course, she rarely replied to them anyway.

In terms of never being a nuisance, Qin Wei was a perfect lover. She appeared when she was supposed to and remained completely invisible when she wasn’t. If it weren’t for the fact that Zhongli Tang still had “heat” periods and needed pheromone release, she likely wouldn’t even remember the woman’s existence.

Yesterday was an exception, she must have missed her too much and couldn’t hold back.

The people Zhongli Tang had been with before couldn’t stand it, they would start demanding a great deal and forget their place, which only bred annoyance.

Whatever, she thought. I’ll treat today as a surprise for Qin Wei.