What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 42.2

At this point, his lips trembled slightly, as if he didn’t dare to continue, as though speaking the words would make him relive the unbearable pain.

But the two parents had already sensed that something was wrong. Chi Sui’s expression turned cold, though his voice remained gentle and reassuring. “What are you afraid of? Your dad and I are both here. Just say it.”

“What burden could I possibly not bear? I never taught you to hesitate when you’ve been wronged.”

Chi Jinxian then said, “He had drugs related to ‘Secondary Gender.'”

His words stopped there. No further explanation was needed the intentions of the Ren family’s son were now perfectly clear.

An eerie silence fell over the living room.

After a long pause, Yuan Sibu asked very, very softly, “An An, what did you say?” A moment later, his voice grew slightly louder but also hoarser, “How could he have that?”

“What a formidable character,” Chi Sui suddenly let out a cold laugh, lightly setting his cup down on the coffee table with a sound that foreboded an impending storm. He said, “Back then, it was because of my investment that this harmful, substandard research found a loophole. I have no complaints about being penalized by the Alliance, but the refined Suppressant I developed can also be considered a way to make amends. So at the time, I proposed to my superiors to terminate the research and destroy the banned drugs. Even now, the Alliance still has laws strictly prohibiting the study of ‘Secondary Gender’.”

“Very well.” With that, Chi Sui stood up and strode upstairs, as if heading to his study to begin gathering evidence or devising a countermeasure.

Just as he was about to push the door open, he turned his head, his eyes cold, and asked, “Xiao An, where’s the medicine?”

Chi Jinxian instinctively replied, “One dose is at the school, and the other was taken to the hospital by Brother Lu.”

“Mm.” Chi Sui gripped the doorknob and said, “Stay with your dad. There’s no need to be afraid.”

“Isn’t he having an episode? Keep a close watch on your health. If you feel unwell, tell your dad immediately so he won’t worry.”

“Mm.” Chi Jinxian nodded softly in agreement.

At the same time, a heavy silence fell over the Lu family’s living room.

After a long pause, Lu Zisheng finally asked, “You’re saying Ren Guanming is privately researching what?”

Lu Zhi replied, “Drugs related to ‘Secondary Gender’.”

Unlike Chi Jinxian, who could be taken away immediately, due to Lu Zhi’s involvement in the altercation, Lu Zisheng had no choice but to take Lu Zhi to the hospital after leaving the school.

Aside from visible external injuries, Ren Yiran’s Scent Gland had also suffered minor damage being an Omega, he was highly sensitive to pheromones. When Lu Zhi unleashed his icy, snow-covered pheromones to pressure everyone, Ren Yiran was the first to be affected.

Moreover, that wintry scent carried no trace of alluring fragrance, so it wouldn’t induce an Omega’s heat, but it could harm the Scent Gland. The severity depended entirely on whether the person releasing the pheromones intended to kill or merely teach a lesson.

Thus, Ren Yiran was not in a regular hospital room.

When the two arrived at the hospital, Lu Zhi got out of the car but refused to go inside. Lu Zisheng, his face cold with anger, delivered a sharp kick to Lu Zhi’s calf, nearly forcing him to his knees.

“Lu Zhi, I don’t care right now how you two ended up in this situation. I only need you to understand that by resorting to violence, you are in the wrong! If you don’t go in now to apologize, how far do you plan to escalate this?!”

“You’re a powerful Alpha with strong pheromones, but that doesn’t give you the right to act recklessly without any regard for consequences! Is this how Yan Yue taught you when you were young?!”

He was so furious he seemed on the verge of bursting a blood vessel, his words spilling out uncontrollably.

At this, Lu Zhi lifted his gaze and calmly met his eyes, the depths of his pupils holding a defiant warning.

Lu Zisheng had no patience to scrutinize his expression, roughly dragging Lu Zhi inside instead. Ren Guanming and his wife were pacing anxiously in the hospital corridor. When they spotted the familiar figures approaching, their faces twisted as if they’d swallowed flies.

Especially Ren Guanming, like Lu Zisheng, carried a strong military demeanor. Even without the uniform, his posture remained ramrod straight. He strode over to Lu Zhi in a few large steps and, without a word, raised his hand to strike, only to have his wrist caught firmly by Lu Zhi, who remained expressionless.

Lu Zhi stared into his eyes and said, “Uncle Ren, I was the one who hit him. I know exactly how he is, so there’s no need for you to be so worried.”

“He’ll wake up soon.”

Ren Guanming first looked at his abruptly intercepted hand, then at Lu Zhi’s face, frowning as he demanded sharply, “What did you say?!”

Before Lu Zisheng could even speak, his expression had already turned completely cold.

But Lu Zhi continued, “Ren Yiran attempted to force classmates and others into relationships, just as he once tried to force me into one with him. Back then, out of respect for my father and uncle, we settled it privately, but now we can’t.”

His tone and pace were no different from usual, yet every word fell more clearly than ever into the ears of those around them. Ren Guanming was utterly stunned.

Lu Zisheng’s icy expression suddenly turned somewhat bewildered.

“Just now, my father said that resorting to violence and using pheromones to overpower others is utterly wrong, that my dad’s upbringing of me was flawed, and that I should come apologize to you,” Lu Zhi released Ren Guanming’s wrist, his eyes dark and intense. “My father passed away many years ago, so people can say whatever they want. But how can parents who raised their son to rely only on despicable methods demand an apology from me?”

Lu Zisheng’s lips moved as if he wanted to defend himself, but Lu Zhi gave him no chance.

“I’ve already called the police. This matter will be dealt with openly. You all have influence; if you act now, you might still manage to suppress it.”

With that, he turned and walked away. But Lu Zisheng’s earlier kick had been delivered with genuine force, and as Lu Zhi took a step, his foot instinctively faltered slightly. After a fleeting pause, he resumed his stride.

After this confrontation, Lu Zisheng never got to express his apology. With a grim expression, he left the hospital to find Lu Zhi.

During the drive home, not a single word passed between the father and son only profound silence.

It wasn’t until they arrived home that Lu Zisheng spoke hesitantly, “What exactly happened today?”

Lu Zhi remained silent for a moment before finally speaking he needed Lu Zisheng to find evidence of Ren Guanming’s involvement with banned drugs.

‘Secondary Gender’ had emerged once a decade ago, causing widespread panic. After all samples were destroyed, no one expected it to resurface with such momentum now.

“The injection,” Lu Zhi handed over a vial. “Father, have someone trustworthy analyze its contents. There’s another one at the school.”

Lu Zisheng reached out to take it, his gaze deeply shadowed. He murmured, “This thing, almost got injected into you when you were a child.”

“And now they dare to develop it again.”

Lu Zhi said nothing.

The living room remained silent for a long time. With no more topics between them, Lu Zhi had no intention of staying longer and turned to go upstairs, only to be softly called back by Lu Zisheng: “Xiao Zhi.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhi paused mid-step on the staircase and glanced back.

“I.” Lu Zisheng stood up, restless like a troubled youth, unsure how to begin. Finally, he lowered his voice and said, “I didn’t mean that Yan Yue failed to raise you well, or that his upbringing was flawed.”

He was clearly remorseful, but it was uncertain whether he was genuinely apologizing for his thoughtless words or merely trying to ease his own conscience.

Lu Zhi pressed his lips together and didn’t respond immediately. Just as Lu Zisheng was about to find another excuse, he said, “My dad could only give me eight years, but he gave all eight of them to me.”

Yan Yue had vanished from this world forever when Lu Zhi was eight years old, but until then, every day of Lu Zhi’s world had been filled with Yan Yue.

Drug analysis takes time; just because someone claims it can alter a person’s gender doesn’t mean it can. This requires a credible figure to step forward and follow up.

It would be even better if they could find someone who had participated in or analyzed this drug in the past.

Fortunately, Doctor Yang had spent over a decade researching tirelessly to save Chi Jinxian’s life, and no one could speak with more authority than him.

But now, Chi Sui didn’t have the drug on hand, so he went to find Lu Zisheng. At that time, Lu Zisheng hadn’t yet found someone he trusted enough, but when Chi Sui approached him, he handed over the drug without asking a single question.

Moreover, when it came to this drug, Chi Sui was the most familiar with it.

After receiving the substance, Doctor Yang stated bluntly, “This is clearly much more refined and advanced than the version from ten years ago, and the components that can alter gender have been obscured. It’s impossible to determine them directly now. So, I need to extract elements that weren’t present in the previous defective batches. Give me at most a week.”

With the evidence in hand, Chi Sui wasn’t worried about anyone escaping. He could wait not just a week, but several months.

Unless Ren Guanming could ruthlessly destroy all his private research bases for banned drugs during this time completely obliterating them without leaving a trace for the Alliance to uncover he would have to pay the price.

But Chi Sui wasn’t at all afraid of that. Because until the specific components of the drug were analyzed, no one would leak any information about this matter prematurely.

According to Lu Zhi, when he asked Chi Jinxian to take Ren Yiran’s backpack, Ren Yiran was already unconscious.

The situation was chaotic at the time, and Ren Yiran’s backpack was still at the school, waiting for him to retrieve it himself after he recovered and school resumed.

So, he wouldn’t immediately notice that something was missing.

However, Doctor Yang was highly efficient. Even though the injection contained other drugs that obscured the gender-altering components, he still delivered the results by Sunday evening.

He personally went to Chi Sui’s home and handed over a printed report, saying, “It is indeed ‘Secondary Gender,’ and an improved version at that. You can now start gathering evidence of whether he has used this to commit any acts.”

Without needing to be told, Chi Sui replied, “There are already signs. General Lu has also sent some over. There’s no escaping it.”

Because of this small item, Chi Jinxian hadn’t slept well since returning on Friday night.

It seemed he was remembering something, often waking up from nightmares in a cold sweat.

Yuan Si Bai noticed his poor sleep on Saturday night when he went out for water and saw a sliver of light seeping through the slightly open door of Chi Jinxian’s bedroom.

When he entered, he found Chi Jinxian curled up in the corner, hugging his knees, having fallen asleep with his chin resting on his arms.

It was as if the narrower and more confined the space he slept in, the safer he felt.

At the time, Yuan Si Bai didn’t understand what was wrong. He approached and asked softly, “An An, what’s the matter?”

Chi Jinxian woke from his light sleep, glanced at Yuan Si Bai, and said pitifully, “Dad, whenever I fall into a deep sleep, I keep having dreams. I can’t remember the specific scenes, but there’s an uncle talking to me, and I’m scared of him.”

Hearing this, Yuan Si Bai understood instantly.

He knelt halfway on the floor, embracing Chi Jinxian who was huddled in the corner, and comforted him, “It’s all over now. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

At the same time, he thought to himself that after Chi Jinxian recovered from his high fever and forgot these events, neither he nor Chi Sui had ever mentioned how wise that decision had been back then.

Otherwise, Chi Jinxian would have endured countless nightmares while growing up.

He could let go of everything, but he needed time.

After discovering this, Yuan Si Bai started sleeping in Chi Jinxian’s bedroom with him. With his closest and most trusted person by his side, Chi Jinxian indeed slept more soundly.

The only one suffering was Chi Sui, who couldn’t voice his grievances even if he wanted to.

He felt sorry for his son and himself alike. In the end, he laid out a makeshift bed on the floor in Chi Jinxian’s bedroom, refusing to be separated from his wife.

On that Sunday evening, Chi Sui looked down at the pharmaceutical analysis of “Secondary Gender” drugs, his expression cold, and said, “Messing with my family’s treasure isn’t that just asking for death?”

He had no intention of giving Ren Guanming a chance to react, nor did he plan to gather all the evidence before bringing the matter to light. He intended to go public with the Alliance right then.

Just the research on banned drugs alone was enough to land Ren Guanming in prison for years, regardless of his military family background.

After all, Chi Sui, who was presenting the evidence, was no nobody. It was merely a fierce game of chess, who was afraid of whom?

“Tomorrow is Monday, everything will be back on track. Let’s wait until tomorrow,” he concluded. “How formal giving him all the face he deserves.”

But on Monday, someone else preempted him and brought the matter into the open.

First Interstellar Alliance High School was holding a flag-raising ceremony, and all teachers and students were required to attend.

After the ceremony, Lu Zhi from Class 10 of Grade 12 was to deliver a self-criticism under the Alliance flag.

The school had already notified everyone over the weekend: they had confirmed that aside from Ren Yiran himself, none of the people he brought were students of First Interstellar Alliance High School. They were all Ren Yiran’s friends from the neighboring high school. The Interstellar Alliance had fully informed the neighboring school about the incident.

However, since Lu Zhi had resorted to violence, it still constituted a serious disciplinary incident. He should have received a major demerit, but as he was not the instigator and had acted to help a fellow student, he was instead required to write a self-criticism and reflect on his actions before the entire school as punishment.

Further consequences would depend on Lu Zhi’s own conduct.

Ren Yiran, whose intentions toward his classmates were impure and far more reprehensible, was also required to deliver a self-criticism.

His arms were immobilized, and he should have been recuperating in the hospital, but he showed up at school with his arms in casts, as if determined to remain in everyone’s sight.

The “Secondary Gender” scandal had not yet been exposed, so he remained completely unaware of the severity of the situation.

He remained arrogant, believing he would face no real consequences.

His confidence stemmed from Ren Guanming’s pressure on the principal and the “sincerity” he had shown. Although the principal seemed reluctant, he remained silent overwhelmed by excessive power, he had no choice but to comply.

No one yet understood the full scope of the situation.

The one with the most favorable outcome was Chi Jinxian. Although he was among the students involved on Friday afternoon, he had proactively reported the incident to a teacher, preventing the situation from escalating.

Not only was he not punished he was even praised.

Under the gaze of thousands, the flag-raising ceremony concluded successfully.

Lu Zhi stepped away from his position as class monitor of Grade 12, Class 10, and ascended the steps to stand beneath the Alliance flag.

With steady and resolute footsteps, Jiang Baixiao watched with a tense heart, tugging at Chi Jinxian’s sleeve and whispering, “Our class monitor looks like he’s heading to the guillotine.”

Chi Jinxian pushed him lightly and said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“But, Cash,” Jiang Baixiao said with a pained expression, “I heard Ren Yiran tried to beat you up last Friday?”

Not much of the incident had spread, but a few rumors had leaked out. Jiang Baixiao wasn’t sure and cautiously asked.

Hearing this, Chi Jinxian lowered his gaze and didn’t respond.

“Damn it, that bastard actually dared to do it?” Jiang Baixiao widened his eyes and glared fiercely in the direction of Class Eleven.

“He’s practically a cripple now, and he still dares to come to school.”

Chi Jinxian reached out and turned Jiang Baixiao’s face back, not wanting his friend to provoke a lunatic like Ren Yiran. He said, “Hey, it’s not me who got hurt, don’t worry. It’s just.” His voice lowered, filled with guilt, “It’s just that Lu Zhi is going to be punished because he helped me.”

Jiang Baixiao stared intently at Chi Jinxian, who kept his eyes downcast, then glanced up at Lu Zhi, who had already taken the stage, thoughtfully stroking his chin.

“Hello everyone, I’m Lu Zhi from Class Ten, Grade Twelve.”

At that moment, Lu Zhi began to speak.

Dressed in the blue-and-white uniform of First Interstellar Alliance High School, his posture was upright and his figure tall and slender. He held a microphone, his tone cool and detached.

Though he was supposed to be delivering a self-criticism, he didn’t even have a script in hand. His calm demeanor made him seem less like a student who had made a mistake and more like a student representative giving a speech.

“I am grateful for the careful nurturing I’ve received from First Interstellar Alliance High School over the past three years. Now, in my final year the most critical one, I failed to focus entirely on my studies. Last Friday afternoon, after school, I engaged in a fight near the corner of Tongwan Road and used excessive force. I have let down the expectations and care of my teachers. Therefore, under the Alliance flag, I offer my self-reflection and hope my fellow students will supervise and correct me in the future.”

His words were sincere, each one seeming to come from the heart. Although the students below whispered among themselves upon hearing this, no one dared to break discipline. Their attention remained fixed on Lu Zhi’s self-criticism.

Lu Zhi continued speaking without pause, repeatedly admitting his mistakes, until the next moment when everyone realized something was off.

“Ren Yiran, along with several former classmates from next door, waited for me at Tongwan Road. This was the reason I got into the fight. He was the main instigator; he started the conflict.”

“Ren Yiran, a former classmate, hurled insults and verbally attacked another student. After hearing it, I lost control of my temper, but I did not initiate the conflict.”

The audience was stunned, their eyes wide and words forgotten.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a self-criticism? How dare he defend himself?

The Dean of Students was the first to react, his arm shooting up as he pointed at the stage, about to shout, “Are you trying to cause more trouble? I told you to reflect on your mistakes, and here you are tallying who’s more at fault stirring up resentment!”

But before he could speak, a hand beside him stopped him. The dean turned and asked doubtfully, “Principal?”

“Let him speak.”

With no one to stop him, Lu Zhi stood tall and unwavering, as if no one could shake him.

“At that time, he was carrying the long-banned ‘Secondary Gender’ drug, for which the Alliance currently has multiple laws specifying sentencing for developing prohibited substances. The drug might not have been developed by him personally, but since he was carrying it, he was knowingly breaking the law.”He cornered classmates while carrying banned research drugs his intentions are condemnable, and the nature of his actions can no longer be simply described as egregious.”

Ren Yiran’s previously calm expression finally stiffened upon hearing these words.

Lu Zhi’s voice continued, his increasingly cold tone feeling almost lethal, sending chills down everyone’s spine.

They couldn’t help but tremble and shiver.

“If Alliance First High School continues to tolerate such students, it would be nurturing potential murderers. Failure to punish him will inevitably lead to future consequences. Under today’s Alliance flag, I engage in profound self-criticism, and I request the school to record Ren Yiran’s actions in his permanent file, expel him, and make an example of him.”

“I take full legal responsibility for every word I’ve said. Moreover, this matter requires police intervention, no one can suppress it. If needed, I will fully cooperate and disclose everything I know.”

“Lu Zhi from Class 10, Senior Year. My criticism is complete.”