Chapter 8

"But..." Samuel reminded her, "Lailisi, every student's data is confidential."

Lailisi cast a meaningful glance at the freshmen around them who had pricked up their ears. "Although the students' pheromone levels aren't made public, if you really want to find out, it's not as though there's no way, is it?"

Samuel was speechless. A moment later, he understood why Lailisi had said that.

The four of them might not be able to find out, but... there was strength in numbers. There could be hidden talents among the freshmen, and someone might actually be able to uncover it.

The people secretly listening had different thoughts, but the female Alpha was right.

One of the most common methods was for students to ask around among themselves. Another was to investigate discreetly by undisclosed means; how much they could find out depended on the depth of their connections.

The school would not interfere. This was also a way of assessing the students' abilities. Whether they managed to hide their own data or uncover someone else's information, as far as the school was concerned, it all came down to their own abilities.

At Lailisi's words, everyone exchanged glances and fell silent by unspoken agreement. But they all knew perfectly well that after the freshman entrance ceremony, countless people would secretly investigate the black-haired Alpha with the extraordinary bearing in the front row.

They would most likely have an answer in three days, when the students in each major officially met their classmates.

Ask him? That was out of the question.

The pink-haired Omega named Samuel had gone weak at the knees because of a single careless glance from that Alpha, even though the Alpha had not released any pheromones. Though they had been some distance away, they too had felt the cold, ruthless pressure that came rushing at them with that look. They didn't have the nerve; staying put was their best option.

Lin Yin glanced at the freshmen's expressions and sniffed, sensing only a piercing chill. "Leaving aside this question we can't answer for now, have you noticed that, apart from the cold aura that's been spreading forcefully through the air ever since he appeared, the chaotic pheromones that were 'competing for attention' earlier have become much fainter?"

After Lin Yin pointed it out, He Muzhi and the other two realized how much more comfortable they felt.

"It really is true." Samuel looked pleasantly surprised.

Because of the influence of pheromones, naturally combative Alphas had a stronger sense of territory than Omegas and betas. Especially with so many Omegas present, the Alphas had been using their pheromones to overpower one another and show off their Alpha masculinity.

With all those pheromones 'competing' against one another, most people with low pheromone levels and betas, who had no pheromones at all, felt miserable.

Even so, He Muzhi and Lailisi, S-rank and A-rank Alphas respectively, had no intention of peeling off the patches on the backs of their necks and using their pheromones to suppress everyone else's.

Now, with that Alpha's arrival, the pheromone scents that had been chaotically mingled together were growing fainter and fainter. Anyone could tell that his forceful suppression had made the other Alphas and Omegas rein themselves in.

The other freshmen had naturally noticed it too, and their gazes held a trace of excitement as they looked at Qin Su in the front row.

That mysterious black-haired Alpha clearly possessed pheromones powerful enough to utterly overwhelm the others, yet he wore a pheromone-blocking patch.

He seemed cold and ruthless, yet he voluntarily maintained social courtesies like a gentleman. How could the low-rank Alphas, Omegas, and betas who had recently been troubled by pheromones not develop a favorable impression of him?

All of this showed up on Qin Su's skin as the favorability value in the upper-right corner shot up, almost keeping pace with the bullet comments.

Qin Su had expected that the locals, having been physically 'chilled' by him, wouldn't be in a particularly good mood. His favorability value would rise because of his styling and the illusion of a 'powerful aura' created with the help of the Cold Blast Bomb, but it wouldn't rise faster than the bullet comments.

Yet the reality displayed in the upper-right corner was that the locals' favorability value was rising far too quickly, leaving Qin Su surprised.

Qin Su: "...?"

Could it be that the locals just liked being frozen?

After pondering for a while without finding an answer, Qin Su noticed that it was eerily quiet around him.

Without looking back, Qin Su could guess that countless burning gazes were fixed on him. Right now, he could be said to be surrounded by Alphas and Omegas.

Since he was already surrounded, he couldn't let it go to waste.

With that thought, Qin Su silently sniffed the air around him.

Soon, Qin Su, secretly drawing in a breath, discovered a cruel fact that left him dejected.

Just as he had guessed earlier, because he was not a native of this world, even surrounded by so many Alphas and Omegas, he could not sense the slightest trace of pheromones. He couldn't even smell a hint of them.

"..."

Having confirmed this cold fact, Qin Su was once again glad that he had initially made the great decision to 'disguise himself as a mysterious and unfathomable Alpha big shot.'

Since he wasn't part of the pheromone 'food chain,' he wouldn't be suppressed by pheromones. And because he was a 'big shot' who inspired fear, people wouldn't casually ask him things like, "Hey, classmate, do you know what my pheromones smell like?"

"As expected of QS!" The beta who had stood behind Qin Su in the train waiting hall earlier was so excited that his voice trembled.

"!"

They had to be the freshmen he had encountered in the train waiting hall yesterday.

Hearing the familiar ID, Qin Su turned his attention away from the scent of pheromones. His gaze appeared to rest coolly on the stage ahead, where the military equipment was being displayed, but he was actually listening intently to the people behind him gossiping about him.

"What do you mean?" The freshmen in the back rows thought their voices were low enough.

"That Alpha's identity ID!" The beta didn't point, only kept his excited voice down.

But everyone who heard him knew perfectly well that the person he meant could only be the black-haired Alpha who had drawn everyone's eyes the moment he appeared.

"What? You mean QS is his ID? Seriously?!"

"I have to say, that ID... really suits him."

The freshmen around them were excited to be at the forefront of the gossip and chimed in one after another.

"Of course it's..." Realizing his voice had risen a little in his excitement, he glanced nervously at the black-haired Alpha in the front row and lowered it. "It's real. We were standing right behind him at the time and saw it perfectly clearly."

"I can vouch for that. I was there too," another Omega murmured in agreement. "This classmate really was standing behind that mysterious Alpha up front."

"To tell you the truth," yet another Omega joined the discussion, "I'm the Omega who was so nervous because that black-haired Alpha was standing behind me that I plunged straight into the train."

"And me..."

More and more people joined in to confirm that 'QS' was the identity ID of the black-haired Alpha in the front row.

"If we know his name's prefix letters are QS, we can work out... well, never mind. Knowing that doesn't help. There are so many people whose name prefixes are QS that we still can't figure out his name."

"Even though I know there'll be self-introductions at the first class meeting in two and a half days, and we'll find out his name then, it still feels like every second is dragging by."

In less than ten minutes, Qin Su's identity ID had spread through almost the entire freshman area, except for the section where Qin Su himself was seated.

On the real-time updating comic pages, the bullet comments were also scrolling madly in response to the discussions among random background characters A, B, C, and D.

[What?! The mysterious new black-haired Alpha's identity ID is actually... damn it! A bunch of thirsty girls and boys get to eat... wait, no, they get to know before us esteemed VIP viewers? The rope always breaks at its thinnest point; fate really loves to toy with us esteemed VIPs]

[1? Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk~ That's right, all our big shots have Top 1 syndrome (starry eyes)]

[Thank you (smile). We still don't know the new character's name, but just seeing that identity ID has already made my day]

[+ID number (hands folded over chest) (smiling) (lies down peacefully)]

As the bullet comments and the freshmen behind him continued their discussions, Qin Su saw another surge in both favorability and bullet comments.

"..."

Qin Su once again thanked the system in his heart for being 'lazy.'

Set the record straight? That was impossible, absolutely impossible. The viewers said such nice things, and he liked them so much.

But... knowing the system, he definitely wasn't the first person to use this identity ID.

He could use it now, and neither the comic world's locals nor the bullet comments had any recollection of it. That meant the hosts who had used this identity ID before...

Their traces had been completely erased from both the comic world and the real world. They had 'died' utterly and completely.

If he failed his mission, it would mean more than just the death of his body. His existence would also be completely erased from his loved ones' memories.

Absolutely not.

A sense of crisis flashed through Qin Su's heart. His eyes, fixed on the stage and seemingly indifferent but actually unfocused, narrowed slightly without his realizing it. His fingers curled at his side, and as his grip slipped out of control, he unknowingly crushed a Cold Blast Bomb.

A freezing chill spread out from Qin Su in an instant.

"!"

The freshmen nearby, who had been stealing glances at Qin Su, saw an Omega in military uniform take the central stage to deliver a speech. The instant Qin Su's sharp black eyes narrowed, a bone-chilling aura spread outward from him.

Hiss...

In an instant, soft gasps rang out one after another around him.

What a cold aura!

Nobody provoked him, did they?

What's up with this big shot now? Nobody's even blocking his way!

Thoughts like these flashed through the minds of the freshmen caught in Qin Su's 'suddenly icy aura.'

Soon, they recalled how Qin Su's eyes had suddenly narrowed and felt that they understood.

That's it, the problem's on the central stage!

The freshmen, convinced they had 'seen the light,' turned their gazes toward the Omega giving the speech.

Is there a grudge between them? Or... do they know each other?

Frozen at the center of the 'cold blast,' Qin Su looked straight ahead, silently observing the movements of those around him from the corners of his eyes.

Seeing the others look left and right before finally settling their gazes on the stage, Qin Su kept his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched it.

"..."

At this point, he would stay put for now.

In any case... given his current persona, though his every move attracted attention, there was an advantage too: no matter what he did, someone would find an 'excuse' for him.

According to the data 777 had provided on the important people at the entrance ceremony, the Omega onstage, Xuan Jingxi, was one of the outstanding students of the Fourth Military Academy's 25th class and came from the Xuan Family, one of the twenty-four noble families of Ikelios Planet. Although Xuan Jingxi had not yet graduated, she had already taken part in the Fourth Military Academy's military weapons research and development project because of her exceptional work in mecha engineering research and development. She was a fully deserving representative of the 25th class's outstanding students.

Qin Su watched the mecha equipment Xuan Jingxi displayed to the freshmen on her optical computer during her speech. His slightly lowered eyes burned with interest as he absorbed the information about the mechas, taking in almost ten lines at a glance.

Having nothing but a big shot's 'empty airs' definitely wouldn't do. He had to use every opportunity to acquire information and knowledge about this world and the Fourth Military Academy.

If all he could do was play tricks and put on a show, he would inevitably be exposed sooner or later. When that happened, he wouldn't be far from being completely erased from both worlds.

Qin Su's narrowed black eyes had already returned to normal, their gaze utterly indifferent, leaving the freshmen who had been watching his movements even more confused.

After the first round of military equipment displays ended, S-rank Omega Xuan Jingxi, an outstanding senior student from the previous class, took the stage in a sharp military uniform to address the freshmen as arranged by the school. She delivered an inspiring speech in a strong, resonant voice, her mind entirely on her speech and not on what was happening around her.

Thinking of what he had just seen, He Wenyuan's gaze wandered between Xuan Jingxi and Qin Su.

When would I narrow my eyes? He Wenyuan asked himself, and soon found the answer—

When he saw someone he disliked and was in a bad mood.

At that thought, He Wenyuan smiled.

What a pleasant discovery. That Alpha was dissatisfied with both Xuan Jingxi and Samuel, who was beside He Muzhi. Close enough, that meant he was 'on the same side' as He Wenyuan.

Why couldn't the two of them... 'stand united against a common enemy'?

With Xuan Jingxi gone, he wouldn't have to change his name, and he would also be the Xuan Family's sole heir.

[Wait, why did Wen-di smile while looking at his younger sister and Big Shot '1'? What scheme is this guy cooking up now?]

Since they still didn't know the new character's name, the viewers interested in him had automatically started calling him 'Boss 1' for the time being after learning his identity ID.

[Tsk, that smile is so sinister and creepy. I'm just saying, instead of smiling, Wen-di ought to put in some effort and check Boss 1's data for us.]

[??? Wait, are you using our Wen-di as a paparazzo? Doesn't our Wen-di have any pride? Don't you know our Wen-di can't do it this time? Let's just be good and pin our hopes on the day the class members officially meet~]

[Pass it on: Wen-di can't do it (just kidding)—from a Boss 1 fan]

[??? Where did that rumor come from? Our Wen-di is more than capable. After all, he's the ruthless type who'd say, 'For you, I became a wolf... no, an Omega~' (doge). That said, Wen-di, have you noticed that while you're watching Boss 1, your Brother Muzhi is adjusting Samuel's Omega pheromone-blocking patch? (watching the drama with glee)]

[Ooh~ Fight, fight! I love watching this (waves flag and cheers)]

[Oh my goodness, what a mess. Why not ship them all... no, eat them all? (doge)]

Qin Su: "...?"

Those few short lines of bullet comments contained so much information that Qin Su's CPU was boiling.

By now, Xuan Jingxi's speech had ended, and a new round of weapons displays had begun. As Qin Su watched the dazzling spectacle, he didn't forget to follow the gossip in the bullet comments. At the same time, he memorized each of the Fourth Military Academy's people at the freshman entrance ceremony and matched them with the information 777 had provided, doing three things at once.

Qin Su maintained this state until the freshman entrance ceremony ended six hours later.

A tremendous boom of electronic fireworks burst from the sky, followed by an electronic voice announcing the end of the ceremony throughout the hall.

As the entire venue was enveloped in brilliant electronic streamers, Qin Su, having gained a great deal, timed it perfectly and rose decisively. While ninety-nine percent of the people were distracted by the streamers and instinctively looked up, he strode away, leaving the 'streamers' and the freshmen's cheers as his backdrop.

As the brilliant streamers burst and fell, the Alpha's tall figure gradually disappeared from view under everyone's eyes.

[Fireworks filled the sky, noise filled the ground, and he alone withdrew in indifference... tsk tsk tsk, what an incredible scene (hiss, pant)]

[As expected of our Boss 1, even the sight of his back as he leaves has so much style!]

Based on his deductions about the routes near the venue and the patrol paths of the roaming electronic eyes, Qin Su easily reached a surveillance blind spot after leaving the hall.

Thinking of the bullet comments and the locals' whispered discussions he had seen earlier, and how 'fervent' everyone was about his identity ID, he knew there absolutely could not be any 'mishap' with his specific data that might affect the persona he was building. Qin Su spoke directly to the system in a low voice. "777, I need to see the detailed enrollment data the Fourth Military Academy has on me."

I'm a little early today [cat head] (hands on hips proudly)