The Top-Tier Alpha Refuses to Be Pretty Cannon Fodder - Chapter 10

Alphas are inherently arrogant and competitive. Due to their biological attributes, meeting another Alpha usually triggers an instinctive sense of aversion and hostility.

But Alphas also worship strength. In the face of a true powerhouse, lowering one’s head is not a sign of weakness, but a gesture of goodwill and submission. Huo Yan was giving him an immense amount of “face.”

Respectable, Lu Yunli thought.

Lu Yunli pulled off his gloves and extended his hand in a reciprocal gesture of goodwill. He smiled, “How could a host complain about a guest being late? It is my honor that the General is willing to grace me with his presence.”

The Alpha before him smiled with elegant prestige, speaking humble words, yet Huo Yan did not underestimate him for a second. Instead, he shook the hand with a newfound gravity. “President Lu is too modest.”

What happened to Alpha repulsion? Why are these two so damn harmonious? The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded.

Ning Biao, who had been hoping to cling to Huo Yan’s influence, was now looking for a way to slink away. But just as he tried to push himself up, Huo Yan’s boot landed firmly on his spine. With a muffled grunt, Ning Biao was pinned back to the floor.

Huo Yan looked down coldly. “Inciting a disturbance… President Lu, how shall we handle this person?”

Having someone else do the dirty work saved Lu Yunli a lot of trouble. He gave a casual wave. “The General may do as he pleases.”

Huo Yan hoisted the man up by his collar and tossed him to the TT Club manager, who had come rushing over. “This man… what does your club intend to do?”

The manager answered instantly, “Kicked out! Blacklisted for life!”

Lu Yunli arched an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on the manager. Is that all? The manager’s heart skipped a beat. Was that too light? He stole a glance at Lu Yunli.

Under the bright white lights, the Alpha looked cold and radiant—like a rose blooming amidst a thicket of thorns. In M State, S-rank mental power was rare enough, but a Top-Tier Alpha was one-of-a-kind. The club didn’t see many S-rank Alphas in a year, which was why they had allowed Ning Biao to act like a tyrant for so long.

Now, it seemed their ancestors’ graves were smoking with good fortune not only was General Huo Yan here, but this “ancestor” Lu Yunli had appeared as well. The ancestor’s thoughts were their thoughts; the ancestor’s will was the company’s guiding philosophy

The manager immediately changed his tune: “From this day forward, not just us, all shooting ranges in M State are forbidden from hosting this man!”

This was essentially a total ban. Lu Yunli had no objections. Huo Yan waved them off, and the manager scrambled to drag Ning Biao out of sight.

The Duel of Stars

With the noise gone, Lu Yunli felt a sense of peace. He tilted his head toward the glass booths. “General, care for a few rounds?”

“Let’s,” Huo Yan replied. Already itching for a challenge, he unbuttoned his long coat and handed it to his adjutant.

Lu Yunli watched as Huo Yan rolled up his sleeves. In M State, the true “God of Guns” was actually Huo Yan. Those hands were at their most beautiful when holding a weapon—the fluid lines and distinct finger joints were the kind of hands every Omega in the country dreamed of being handled by for a year straight.

Lu Yunli had specifically chosen this shooting range because of that detail in the profile. To talk business effectively, you must first cater to the other party’s interests.

Lu Yunli donned his gloves and entered the booth. As he reached for his goggles, Huo Yan spoke up. “Ten rounds is too many.”

Lu Yunli smirked. “Three rounds to decide the winner?”

Huo Yan loaded a magazine with a practiced click. “One.”

“One is too few; not satisfying enough.” Lu Yunli didn’t budge an inch. “Since the General wants excitement, do you dare try the three-shot burst on moving targets?”

With a fixed target, there is time to think between shots. But with a three-shot burst on moving targets, speed and accuracy must be perfectly synchronized.

Huo Yan’s hand paused. He looked at Lu Yunli. “It seems President Lu is exceptionally confident in his marksmanship.”

“Apologies, General.” Lu Yunli glanced at the growing crowd outside. “I, Lu Yunli, like to be first in everything. Besides, with so many people watching, it would be quite embarrassing if I lost.”

Huo Yan’s lips curved into a smile. He signaled the staff to switch to moving targets.

Outside, the crowd was in an uproar. “Oh my god! This is a once-in-a-lifetime duel! My ticket money was well spent!” “I love both of them—I don’t care who wins!” “It has to be General Huo, right?” “But President Lu’s aim earlier was god-like!”

Lu Yunli’s smile deepened as the whispers reached him. He couldn’t guarantee success when acting as a crying, delicate Omega, but in shooting? If he claimed to be number one, no one dared claim number two. However… against Huo Yan, he would have to go all out.

Huo Yan raised his gun. “Ready, President Lu?”

“Anytime.”

The targets shifted. At the referee’s signal, Huo Yan’s shot fired first, with Lu Yunli’s trigger pull following a split second later.

Bang, bang! 10 Points!

Cheers erupted outside. But inside the booth, Lu Yunli gripped his gun tighter. A long-lost thrill and uncontrollable excitement surged through him. So fast. He had to admit, Huo Yan was incredibly strong.

Alphas worship the strong, and facing strength only made Lu Yunli stronger. His eyes, hidden behind the goggles, turned deep and focused. He pulled the trigger again without hesitation.

“Look! They’re hitting the same target!” “The system only records the first hit! It’s a race to the mark!”

Bang, bang! The targets flipped. Simultaneously, Lu Yunli’s third shot was away.

Lu Yunli exhaled sharply and set down his gun. The results were in. He didn’t even need to look to know that he and Huo Yan were tied.

“Am I seeing things? A tie?!” “A tie on a three-shot burst? How?” “On the second shot, they hit the same target at exactly the same time!”

Lu Yunli pulled off his goggles. He had lost. Even though it was a tie, he knew his firing speed on the second shot was technically a fraction slower than Huo Yan’s.

He brushed back his sweaty bangs and saw a hand extended toward him. He looked at Huo Yan’s fingers, then took the hand in a firm shake. “General, you truly are the God of Guns of M State.”

Huo Yan smiled. “And President Lu’s reputation remains intact.”

Lu Yunli let out a low laugh. This man, Huo Yan… he is damn well to my taste.

Inside the revolving restaurant of the Century Tower, Lu Yunli leaned back in his chair and took a box from his secretary, handing it to Huo Yan. “A meeting gift. Open it.”

The night was quiet. A lonely moon hung over the skyscrapers, casting a cold, silver light onto Huo Yan’s face, making him look exceptionally refined.

Huo Yan opened the box. It wasn’t large; inside lay an exquisite silver handgun and a sleek black ear stud.

Huo Yan adjusted his glasses. “This is?”

“A target precision device.” Lu Yunli leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “This is the real reason I asked to meet the General.”

Huo Yan picked up the gun, examining it closely. Other than its beautiful exterior, he couldn’t see anything unusual. Lu Yunli smirked, walked over to him, and beckoned for the gun.

Huo Yan handed it over. Lu Yunli expertly ejected the magazine. He then pulled a gold pin from the lapel of his black suit and inserted it into a lock on the gun, turning it gently.

With a crisp click, the frame of the handgun disassembled.

Lu Yunli tossed the gold pin back into the box. Only then did Huo Yan notice that the exquisite brooch was actually a highly sophisticated miniature key.

Intriguing.

Lu Yunli ignored the General’s curiosity. He toyed with the device, extracting a microchip from the core of the firearm.

“A bionic chip?” Huo Yan asked.

“Yes, but not entirely.” Lu Yunli took a laptop from his secretary and slotted the chip into a port. His fingers danced across the keyboard, and the core data of the chip began to render on the screen.

Lu Yunli placed the laptop on the table, showing the data to Huo Yan without a shred of hesitation. He leaned over, his finger tapping the screen. “This is built on an E3 bionic chip, but I’ve integrated a new program into the architecture.”

“Target positioning?” Huo Yan asked.

Lu Yunli was leaning quite close. Huo Yan shifted his gaze slightly, catching a glimpse of the CEO’s lean, firm waist beneath his tailored suit. He adjusted his glasses and pulled his focus back to the screen.

“Exactly.” Lu Yunli picked up the black ear stud from the box. “This is the precision sensor. Synced with the chip in the gun, it eliminates about two seconds of hesitation during combat.”

Two seconds. In a firefight, those two seconds were more precious than gold.

Huo Yan understood this better than anyone. If this technology were applied to the military, M State’s combat effectiveness would see a monumental surge. Lu Yunli, the mastermind behind it, would become the most sought-after man in the country.

The military had to secure this technology.

Huo Yan tapped his fingers on the table, his face clouding with deep thought. Lu Yunli, meanwhile, reassembled the gun with practiced ease and sat back in his chair.

Huo Yan stroked the still-warm frame of the handgun. “A gift this valuable… what is it that President Lu wants in return?”

Lu Yunli crossed his legs and leaned back. “The General should know that FLP’s last batch of chips is due to the Imperial Family in a few days. As for the inventory…”

“I will provide the chips,” Huo Yan interjected.

Lu Yunli arched an eyebrow. “I heard the Lanhai Group recently received a fresh shipment.”

At the mention of Qi Xi, Huo Yan recalled their last, rather unpleasant encounter. “That is true.” He tapped the table rhythmically. “Bionic chips are currently scarce in M State. I will ensure that batch is prioritized for you, President Lu.”

Lu Yunli’s lips curved into a smile. “Much obliged.”

【Lu Yunli: See? And just like that, they’re back.】 【520: Host, you’re amazing! Now we don’t have to worry about the shipment FLP owes the Imperial Family.】 【Lu Yunli: I told you, I’m vengeful. If someone bullies me, I’ll make them pay it back twofold.】

Huo Yan leaned back. “It’s a pity for a talent like yours to remain only in business, President Lu.”

“I’m a man of simple tastes,” Lu Yunli replied, eyes flashing. “I like money, and I like absolute freedom.”

He loathed interference and hated being told what to do. He would never become a subordinate to any organization. Once he was involved in a project, his word was law. This statement was a polite but firm rejection of the military’s “talent recruitment” invitation.

Though it was a loss, Huo Yan did not push. “Deal.”

Lu Yunli raised his glass. “General Huo, a pleasure doing business with you.”

The Broken Mirror

At the Tingyun Villa, a car pulled up to the gates. The door opened, and Qi Xi stepped out, still focused on his phone.

“The research department is pushing the lab to hand over the test results by tomorrow. I also want the inspection reports and solutions to the issues raised in today’s meeting on my desk by morning.”

Qi Xi walked into the garden, his eyes landing on the only room in the villa that still had a light on.

“If there’s nothing else, Xingchi, I’m hanging up. Pick me up from Tingyun tomorrow morning.”

“Wait,” Xie Xingchi’s voice came through the line, sounding as though he had been holding back for a long time. “Brother Xi, you… you went back to the villa?”

“Mmh.” Qi Xi pushed the front door open. “He’s about to graduate. I need to make sure he actually finishes.”

Xie Xingchi’s brow furrowed. “But Brother Xi, you’ve never cared about that before.”

“Xingchi, he is my spouse,” Qi Xi reminded him coldly.

The foyer was dark. Qi Xi changed his shoes and walked into the living room. “Besides, I have no desire to be summoned as a ‘guardian’ a second time.”

“But you’re going to divorce him anyway.”

“Xie Xingchi, remember your place.” Qi Xi stopped dead in his tracks. “Even if I divorce him tomorrow, he is my wife today.”

His voice was low and carried a sharp edge of displeasure. Xie Xingchi bit his lip. Previously, Qi Xi had never treated that person as a partner; he had been utterly indifferent. But ever since he went home on that anniversary, everything had changed.

“Understood, President Qi. I will pick you up at the villa tomorrow.”

Qi Xi hung up. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted the pink cake from earlier cruelly tossed into the trash. It looked like a broken, trampled heart. A complete and utter mess.

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