The Crematorium of the Top Omega Chasing After Alpha - Chapter 21.1

After Song Qingpei joined Blue Sea, everything gradually fell into place.

She worked hard to adapt to her new life, spending her days absorbing new knowledge. Her relationship with her new superior, Murong Ruixue, was harmonious part mentor, part friend and she learned many things she had never been exposed to before.

As for Song Song, who had initially been clingy, she gradually became more cheerful. Every day, she would pester Song Qingpei with questions about mechas, chattering nonstop. When she learned that Song Qingpei needed to study extensively to design a mecha for her, she stopped merely begging her mother to come home early and instead began urging her to stay at the company longer to learn more.

Song Qingpei found this both amusing and exasperating.

As for the person she had deliberately ignored, the mountain that had once weighed heavily on her.

Ming Yu was busy with military meetings every day, leaving early and returning late, with little time to cause trouble.

This, in turn, allowed Song Qingpei to enjoy her peace and quiet. She even thought it would be wonderful if this relatively peaceful state could last until the time they had agreed upon.

Unfortunately, this was merely her wishful thinking. Ming Yu had long been dissatisfied.

She had assumed that after clearing up the misunderstanding about the blind date, Song Qingpei’s attitude would soften.

Yet Song Qingpei remained as cold and distant as ever, almost to the point of ignoring her.

With a job that offered little promise and days spent rushing out early and returning late, the two hardly had any time to see each other. Even when they did cross paths briefly, Song Qingpei would only offer a few perfunctory, polite words, her impatience practically written on her face.

Ming Yu couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling, only that her chest felt tight and a sour ache spread within her.

She believed she was the one who should be setting boundaries with Song Qingpei, so what right did Song Qingpei have to act so coldly? How dare she call Ming Yu disgusting? Aside from their physical relationship, Ming Yu had always maintained her integrity.

The more Ming Yu thought about it, the more dissatisfied she became. She could no longer console herself with the excuse that Song Qingpei was playing hard to get.

After finishing her work, Ming Yu irritably pressed her fingers to her temples but couldn’t resist opening her email.

She had never instructed Ming Rui to withdraw the people keeping an eye on Song Qingpei.

The emails revealed nothing unusual about Song Qingpei’s whereabouts just the daily routine between home and the company. But seeing the photos of Song Qingpei laughing and chatting with Murong Ruixue over a meal, Ming Yu found it increasingly irritating. In her memory, Song Qingpei had never smiled like that before.

She continued scrolling, growing more and more annoyed, and was about to close the email when her eyes caught the date on the message August 24.

She froze for a moment, her thoughts drifting. Today… was her birthday.

Strictly speaking, it was the day she had been injured, lost her memory, and was rescued by Song Qingpei.

Because she couldn’t remember anything back then, Song Qingpei, afraid she would feel sad, celebrated her birthday on this day every year. Though it was only a humble cake with a ridiculous line written on it: “Wishing Mengmeng a speedy recovery of her memories.”

Mengmeng was the name Song Qingpei had given her, saying that meeting her felt like a dream.

Later, Song Qingpei had called her Mengmeng, wife, darling. At her most nauseatingly affectionate, she would hug her and call her “dearest wife”…

These were once shameful memories she had refused to recall, but now, thinking back, she found herself less resistant.

Perhaps it was because Song Qingpei had said she loved her. If all of this was born out of love…

As if guided by some inexplicable impulse, Ming Yu couldn’t resist sending Song Qingpei a message:

[I’ll be back early tonight.]

Only after sending it did she realize how impulsive she had been.

She thought about recalling the message, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately let it be.

Song Qingpei would probably understand what she meant.

She even thought that perhaps Song Qingpei had already been preparing for this. It might be better for her to offer an olive branch now and apologize to Song Qingpei later, believing that Song Qingpei would know when to stop.

Lost in her thoughts, Ming Yu was suddenly pulled back to reality by a knock on the door.

She snapped out of it, closed her email, and called out, “Come in.”

The door swung open, and in strode a tall, slender female Alpha in a black military uniform adorned with gold embroidery. With her narrow waist and long legs, she moved with purpose.

She appeared to be around twenty-five years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, her peach-blossom eyes sparkled with charm and allure.

Seeing who had entered, Ming Yu couldn’t help but frown.

This was not someone easy to deal with. Zhan Nansheng was both her contemporary from military academy and her long-time rival. She never visited without a purpose, and Ming Yu had already guessed why she was here.

Zhan Nansheng approached, tilting her head slightly with a light laugh. “General Ming, long time no see.”

Ming Yu remained seated, her tone indifferent. “Major General Zhan, what brings you here?”

As expected, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhan Nansheng cut straight to the point.

She fixed her gaze on Ming Yu, her eyes sharp and challenging. “Marshal Lin spoke to you about establishing the Lanxing Advanced Military Academy.”

Ming Yu nodded. “He did mention it.”

“Are you going to be the first president?”

Zhan Nansheng’s eyes bore into her, filled with scrutiny.

Ming Yu lifted her head, meeting her gaze with a sharp look of her own. “That’s classified military information. I can’t disclose it.”

Her words were blunt, and Zhan Nansheng’s face flushed with alternating shades of red and pale.

She was the youngest and most outstanding commander in the military. Establishing an advanced military academy was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recruit young officers and build her own influence. The promotion and prestige of this position should have been hers.

Yet once again, Ming Yu had snatched it away from her at the last moment.

It had been like this since their academy days. The two of them were constantly compared as rivals. Her family had high expectations, always urging her to suppress Ming Yu, the illegitimate daughter and humiliate the Ming family on behalf of her aunt, the original wife.

But every time, Ming Yu managed to outshine her, leaving her, an Alpha, utterly disgraced. How could she swallow such bitterness?

“Hah, Ming Yu, this presidency isn’t something you can just take if you want it,” Zhan Nansheng sneered, a shadow of gloom flickering in her eyes. “Your Seventh Fleet is stationed out in the frontier, with no solid foundation on Lanxing and no one to rely on. I also know you have no real interest in this matter, which is why I came to you. I suggest you step aside gracefully while you still can.”

As if hearing a joke, Ming Yu raised an eyebrow. “I may not be interested, but it is my duty to cultivate new military strength for the Federation. Once I take on this task, I will spare no effort and will not disappoint Marshal Lin’s trust.”

Though her words sounded diplomatic, they were firm and resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

“What a dutiful and righteous stance. You certainly know how to claim the moral high ground,” Zhan Nansheng retorted, rising to her feet and looking down at Ming Yu. She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, “Don’t celebrate too soon. I’ll be watching to see if you can actually secure this position.”

“Then we’ll just have to wait and see,” Ming Yu replied noncommittally.

Seeing her remain unmoved, Zhan Nansheng’s anger intensified. “Ming Yu, you’re nothing but an illegitimate child who can’t stand the light of day. If my cousin hadn’t passed away early, how could you and your homewrecker mother have had the chance to climb up? I’ll see how long you can keep gloating.”

Ming Yu had always been deeply sensitive about her origins, it was a pain she could never confidently refute.

Moreover, everything Zhan Nansheng said was true, leaving her no room for rebuttal. Had the Ming family heir not died unexpectedly, and the legal wife not furiously divorced Ming Yuanze, she truly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to become the legitimate successor of the Ming family.

Her face turned pale and flushed in rapid succession.

Zhan Nansheng, however, grew more and more impassioned, eager to expose all of Ming Yu’s scandals.

“I also heard that you disappeared for two years and had a bastard with who-knows-who. And then you shamelessly brought the child back, even throwing a grand recognition banquet as if you were proud of it. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you’re just as cheap as your homewrecker mother, and even your child.”

“Zhan Nansheng!”

Ming Yu abruptly stood up, her eyes blazing with murderous intent. “Watch your language!”

She never defended what her mother had done, but touching upon her daughter was crossing a line utterly unforgivable!

Seeing her fury, Zhan Nansheng sneered coldly. “Am I not speaking the truth?”

Ming Yu took a deep breath, struggling to rein in her rage.

There was a type of person in this world who would push their luck if given an inch. Without teaching them a lesson, they would never understand what pain meant.

Zhan Nansheng was a prime example.

Ming Yu chose to strike directly at her sore spot, curling her lips into a cold smile. “General Zhan, the Marshal has authorized me to pre-select the personnel needed for the military academy’s establishment. I’ve heard that Lin Qi and Jiang Ze under your command are exceptionally capable. How about transferring them to contribute to the academy’s formation? What do you think?”

“You…” Zhan Nansheng was left speechless.

Lin Qi and Jiang Ze were her right-hand men. If Ming Yu transferred them away, it would be no different from slapping her in the face.

As Zhan Nansheng faltered for words, Ming Yu said unhurriedly, “If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”

“You!”

Fuming but unable to retaliate, Zhan Nansheng could only shoot her a hateful glare before storming out and slamming the door.

After she left the office and the door closed, a mocking smile tugged at Ming Yu’s lips.

She knew all too well the Zhan family’s standing in the military. She had no desire to antagonize them, but that didn’t mean she would let anyone walk all over her.

Her earlier words weren’t just a threat, she intended to follow through. So she opened the document and added Lin Qi and Jiang Ze’s names to the list. These two were indeed talents, which would make Zhan Nansheng feel the sting of losing her key aides even more acutely.

Heh, she wondered how Zhan Nansheng planned to confront her.

After dealing with the matter, Ming Yu quickly put Zhan Nansheng out of her mind.

After all, over the years, they had clashed numerous times, and Zhan Nansheng had only come out on top a handful of times. Ming Yu had never considered her a real rival her true opponent had always been the Zhan family behind Zhan Nansheng.

Rubbing her temples, Ming Yu instinctively glanced at her smart device and frowned deeply.

Still no reply.

Had Song Qingpei not seen it yet?

Little did she know, Song Qingpei had not only seen it but had also deleted the message without hesitation.

As for why it was deleted.

Song Qingpei could only say it was because seeing it irritated her.

When she saw that inexplicable message, her hard-won peace of mind instantly vanished.

She naturally remembered what day it was remembered it all too clearly. In fact, she had been feeling somewhat down the entire day. It wasn’t that she still harbored any unrealistic expectations toward Ming Yu; it was just an inexplicable melancholy.

After all, such a gentle, affectionate wife once such a significant presence in her life had vanished just like that. Wasn’t it only natural to reminisce a little?

Thinking about Ming Yu’s current detestable attitude after regaining her memories, and having to face the same face every day, Song Qingpei felt deeply frustrated. It felt as though her cherished memories of her wife were being continuously distorted, and even the love she once held was gradually eroding.

She could only repeatedly hypnotize herself: My wife is dead. The Ming Yu of now is nothing but a skin-wearing ghost with the same face.

As for why Ming Yu had sent her that inexplicable message, she couldn’t be bothered to ponder it.

They had agreed to stay out of each other’s way and focus on raising their daughter well. As for all those unnecessary, messy complications she had neither the mind nor the energy to deal with them. The little passion she had left had long been extinguished by Ming Yu.

So, she quickly put the matter aside and threw herself into her work.

Over this period, she and Murong Ruixue had grown increasingly synchronized. This was her first time participating in the maintenance and inspection of a combat mecha, and she took it extremely seriously.

The mecha resembled a giant bird in appearance, not particularly large, only about five meters tall. Its exterior was covered in golden tempered glass, offering excellent bulletproof performance.

This is the beginner combat mecha of the Bird series. Its maximum travel range is approximately fifteen light-years, suitable only for short-distance interstellar voyages. Its primary weapon is a laser prismatic spike, which boasts penetration and destructive power but has a limited attack range and overall moderate offensive capability.”

“Here are the mecha’s control keys and psionic sensor,” Murong Ruixue explained, pointing at the computer screen on the console. “You can try operating it with your psionic energy.”

Song Qingpei placed her hand on the sensor, and the console slowly rose, transforming into a small tablet.

She attempted to input commands through the main system but found that no matter what she tried, the instructions wouldn’t register. This puzzled her.

“Ruixue-jie, it seems like the console and system are malfunctioning?” Song Qingpei said uncertainly.

Murong Ruixue nodded. “Exactly. This mecha appears to have a failure in its main system, preventing it from receiving commands effectively. It needs repairs.”

She initiated the startup sequence while inspecting the damage to the mecha’s core system. Song Qingpei listened attentively, carefully recording each piece of data.

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