“Why not do a permanent mark? You know, some Alphas don’t say it, but they actually like it.” Mad Clown started the car, the Maserati speeding away from the terminal.
“I like it too, but he didn’t come to Harbor Tan with me. We have to be apart for a while—I’m afraid he’d be uncomfortable without comfort.” Zhan Pingchuan replied.
“Oh? Is he pregnant? Only pregnant Omegas need Alphas constantly by their side for comfort. Usually they just use suppressants.” Mad Clown’s fingers tapped the steering wheel, stealing glances at Zhan Pingchuan.
“No.” Mentioning Lance, Zhan Pingchuan completely relaxed, almost unable to suppress his smile. “He’s just a bit pampered and clingy. You know, good students like him often have delicate minds, prone to melancholy, so they need Alpha companionship and care.”
Mad Clown: “…”
Damn, people in love have filters thicker than the Pacific Ocean.
“If you like talking about this—” Zhan Pingchuan got excited, gripping Mad Clown’s seat back with relish. “We kissed the first time we met, but don’t misunderstand—he’s not casual, and neither am I. He was being pressured by another Alpha’s pheromones on the street, so I had to comfort him.”
Mad Clown: “…Oh.” Heh, he just had his ultimate move backfire and needed expensive medical treatment.
“Guess how high our pheromone compatibility is?” Zhan Pingchuan deliberately left suspense, inviting questions.
Mad Clown’s smile was barely holding: “…Very high.”
“Damn, you’re smart. How to put it—I think it’s destiny. Love is sometimes so mysterious. I even feel I waited so hard to come of age just to meet him at a legal age.”
“Ha, ha.” Mad Clown smiled stiffly.
Fucking regret starting this topic. The chatterbox track really has people beyond people.
“Actually, his family conditions are quite tough. His sister works day and night in the fields, his dad broke his leg driving a tractor, but he’s especially sensible and ambitious…”
Mad Clown immediately hit the brakes, mischief flashing in his eyes. He quickly pulled out his phone, pressing voice record: “Hey intern, what did you just say? Say it again.”
“Oh, I said he’s independent and self-reliant. His sister works in the fields all day, his dad broke his leg driving a tractor. They finally managed to send him to university.”
Whoosh—
The voice message was sent to Dream Witch, then forwarded to Lan Wendao.
Mad Clown’s scheme succeeded, humming even more cheerfully.
In the office, Lan Wendao and Dream Witch were discussing negotiation bottom prices for Tasman Pirate Nation when they simultaneously received Mad Clown’s message.
Dream Witch frowned, her hand faster than her brain, clicking first, only to be hit head-on.
Dream Witch: “…”
Lan Wendao was a step slower, catching Dream Witch’s replay.
Lan Wendao: “…” Double damage.
“Uncle Lu, didn’t expect we’d get along so well.” Zhan Pingchuan was still oblivious, having chatted about Lance for half an hour. Getting a bit thirsty, he stopped to look at the scenery outside.
Mad Clown restrained himself from correcting Zhan Pingchuan, keeping his mouth tightly shut, afraid Zhan Pingchuan would chat with him for another half hour.
He really didn’t want to hear someone else introduce the fake young master to him.
Zhan Pingchuan used all his skills to build rapport with Lucas, working hard to leave the impression of a simple, rash university student.
If High Tower Guild truly harboured the Black Lantern Society, they’d surely strictly vet outsiders. If his identity was exposed, he probably couldn’t return to Desert City alive.
Throughout the journey, Zhan Pingchuan feigned curiosity, looking around, occasionally observing Lucas through the rearview mirror. But he keenly noticed Lucas was also secretly observing him.
However, this observation carried no hostility, wasn’t even scrutinising—it was more like people visiting giant pandas for the first time.
This discovery surprised Zhan Pingchuan. After brief contact, Lucas completely overturned his preconceptions.
Lucas wasn’t gloomy, cold-natured, or difficult to approach at all. Instead, he was overly enthusiastic toward strangers, even quite easygoing, with no airs whatsoever.
Could his personality have completely changed during those eight years at High Tower Guild?
The only thing Zhan Pingchuan could be certain of was that Lucas and Adrian truly had no blood relation.
Adrian’s pupils were blue-grey, his features sharp with a defined jawline. Years of seriousness and rigidity meant that even at thirty-four, his face had almost no fine lines. His eye sockets weren’t deep and his brow bone wasn’t particularly high, but when his expression turned cold, it could still make people feel guilty and timid.
Lucas’s eyes were pure deep blue, his hair colour—whether dyed or natural—so pale it was almost white, even his eyelashes were very light. When he smiled, he always showed eight teeth. Perhaps because his skin was thin, the wind-chafed marks on his face were still red.
He liked humming whilst driving, the tune quite high-pitched. His fingers tapped the steering wheel to the rhythm, looking very casual and enjoying his freedom.
Compared to the disturbed youth who’d tried to assassinate Adrian, he was more like a spoiled young master who despised rules and constraints.
The car stopped in front of High Tower Guild’s independent building. Mad Clown let Zhan Pingchuan out, telling him to report to HR.
Zhan Pingchuan looked up.
High Tower Guild headquarters resembled a massive office building, with floor-to-ceiling glass from bottom to top. A High Tower Base sign hung at the building’s peak.
Shielding his eyes to look carefully, he could see staff coming and going through the glass windows.
Very different from Ghost Eye Guild’s style.
Harbor Tan’s winter was damp and cold. Zhan Pingchuan had planned to find a random hotel after reporting, but HR suddenly stood up, eyes wide, repeatedly checking his name: “Zhan Ping…”
Zhan Pingchuan silently stepped back: “Chuan, Zhan Pingchuan.”
HR immediately put on a textbook spring-breeze smile: “Mr Zhan, you’ve had a hard journey. Our guild has prepared a room for you, with three daily meals and free fruit provided.”
“…” Zhan Pingchuan suddenly felt the worry of having entered the wrong loo. He deliberately went back out to check the sign on the building again.
It was indeed the rival guild, not a five-star hotel.
HR patiently waited for him to return before continuing: “I see you’re from Underground City Combat, so your work for this month will be joining the combat squad to assist with B-level underground city Rainforest mining operations.”
The Rainforest entrance was in an abandoned air-raid shelter in Harbor Tan’s old district. The red parrot crystal ore that Tasman Pirate Nation needed came from there.
“Good, thank you. When do we go down?” Zhan Pingchuan was planning to use this opportunity to figure out High Tower Guild’s background. If [Rainforest] had large red parrot crystal ore reserves, it would probably end up being another ‘thrilling’ trade war.
“The combat squad doesn’t go down until the day after tomorrow. You can rest in your room these two days or look around. Oh, here’s your room card—it’s at the Gem Pear Five-Star Hotel one block over.”
On his way to the hotel with his bag, Zhan Pingchuan looked up the room prices at Gem Pear Five-Star Hotel.
When the search page popped up, he stared wide-eyed at those four zeros.
Zhan Pingchuan felt uneasy, cold sweat running down his back.
A month at a luxury hotel—just how much value did High Tower Guild expect him to create for the company?!
Dedicate himself unto death?
Pies couldn’t possibly fall from the sky—free things were often the most expensive.
Zhan Pingchuan didn’t dare sleep at the hotel. He dropped off his luggage and immediately rushed back to the guild building.
To be able to firmly say no when exploited by the rival company, even if it meant sleeping rough in the building, he absolutely couldn’t disappear from his workstation.
HR was shocked to see him: “So fast.”
Zhan Pingchuan smiled: “I came to familiarise myself with the environment, to quickly adapt to the work rhythm and dedicate myself to the guild.”
HR handed him an employee card: “Please go ahead. You can visit anywhere except the top three floors.”
Zhan Pingchuan looked up, his heart stirring.
There were actually three floors forbidden to ordinary employees—what could be on those three floors?
“Right-o, I’ll have a look around downstairs.” Zhan Pingchuan smiled, taking the card and pocketing it.
HR watched him leave before secretly messaging in the gossip group—
[Young master-in-law, diligent.]
Zhan Pingchuan wandered aimlessly around the building, quickly discovering that High Tower Guild had an extremely relaxed work atmosphere that wasn’t chaotic but rather well-organised.
There were no specific workstations here, but different work areas based on working habits.
The fourth floor office area was designed like a park. People who liked this leisurely environment could work with their laptops on swings, benches, pavilions, by the river, or on small boats.
The fifth floor was high school study room style—those needing high-pressure competitive environments to constrain themselves and improve efficiency could work here.
The seventh floor was a bar with dim lighting and blues music, with bartenders providing unlimited cocktails. Employees with masochistic tendencies who wanted to integrate work into life could work on the rooftop with laptops and cocktails.
Most outrageous was a floor with hot spring medicinal baths. Portable table boards were placed beside the pools so employees could work whilst bathing, with anti-fog wipes even provided poolside.
Here, any quirk could be accommodated, and everyone could complete work in their preferred way.
Zhan Pingchuan finally understood why High Tower could be a top guild despite Harbor Tan not having many underground cities.
It could continuously attract high-quality talent, strengthen itself, then proactively extend olive branches to cooperate with surrounding smaller guilds lacking capability to develop high-level underground cities.
Currently, no fewer than fifteen small guilds maintained stable cooperative relationships with High Tower Guild, covering nearly a quarter of the Federation.
Though Lan Wendao was only B-level, he truly had exceptional, unmatched talent for business.
Suddenly, a little girl with blue braids rushed past Zhan Pingchuan.
The girl wore ugly clothes resembling scrap-collector work gear and a mask, only revealing round eyes. As she passed, she deliberately glanced at him once, then again, before quickly running off.
Zhan Pingchuan was puzzled—surely High Tower Guild didn’t employ child labour?
Lily ran to the corner and immediately reported her observations in the group—
[Little idiot mister has a super body, Lance is a face-con!]
After a while, a tall, clumsy security guard-dressed figure met Zhan Pingchuan head-on.
Zhan Pingchuan actively made way. The security guard pulled his cap low to hide his face, saying in a muffled voice: “Thank you.”
Soon after, Abaddon shared his opinion—
[Young master-in-law, polite.]
Just as Zhan Pingchuan was about to take the elevator downstairs, a hand suddenly grabbed the elevator door. Then a person wrapped in black bandages, half his face bearing corrosive scars and emanating a strange herbal fragrance, appeared at the door.
He stood silently in place, seemingly afraid of frightening Zhan Pingchuan, so he didn’t plan to enter.
Zhan Pingchuan smiled: “Don’t be polite, mate. Which floor?”
Only then did the person slowly walk in: “Sixth floor.”
Zhan Pingchuan paused his finger, raising an eyebrow: “Mate, this is the sixth floor.”
“…Fifth floor.” The person stiffly avoided Zhan Pingchuan’s gaze.
Zhan Pingchuan pressed five, feeling something was off.
This person seemed to have no destination, as if riding the elevator just to ride the elevator.
Could High Tower Guild have many oddballs?
The elevator chimed. Fata walked out with matching hands and feet, thought for a moment, then typed—
[Young master-in-law, enthusiastic.]
Zhan Pingchuan went down to the first floor himself, exited the building, and looked up at the top floors again.
The lazy smile faded from his face as his gaze gradually sharpened.
The greatest hiding place was in plain sight—who knew where those Black Lantern Society executives were hiding now.
Lance stayed in the dormitory an extra day. The next afternoon, he packed his luggage, placed his palm on the sheets where they’d been intimate for three nights, caressed them for a while, then left with his suitcase.
Whilst waiting at the airport, Zhan Pingchuan’s call came at just the right time.
“Baby, not too late, am I?”
“No.”
“Is the mark still there?”
“…Yes, very deep.”
“Miss you so much.”
“Me too… have you eaten gem pears?”
“Yes, this hotel provides them free. You can’t imagine how good a hotel High Tower Guild booked for me.”
Lance chuckled softly.
Little idiot, I personally designated that hotel—how could I not know?
“Oh, how good?”
“Harbor Tan’s most luxurious hotel, unlimited seafood and gem pears.”
“Are you comfortable there?”
“Very comfortable, just the bed’s too big—missing a little fox ball to cuddle whilst sleeping.”
Lance glanced around and lowered his voice: “Little wolf cub can sleep holding my pajamas.”
“What did you call me?” Zhan Pingchuan pressed the phone closer to his ear.
“…Husband.” Lance immediately changed his address.
“Tsk, good baby.”
The announcement called passengers to check in, so Lance had to hang up temporarily.
There were few direct flights from the capital to Desert City—Lance’s required a transfer.
The flight would arrive in Desert City at five in the morning. City transport wouldn’t be running yet, so he’d have to take a taxi.
Lance already had a rough plan for this infiltration mission.
As a freshman F-level student, his presence wouldn’t be too conspicuous, giving him greater freedom invisibly.
Finding out whether Yan Qili had been taken by Ghost Eye Guild was actually easy—he just needed to inadvertently reveal He Jing’en’s abnormal behaviour to someone close to Zhan Qinghe or Chu Fu. If Yan Qili was here, he would definitely contact He Jing’en again to confirm Oliver’s life or death.
Once He Jing’en received Yan Qili’s call, he would immediately inform him.
The current priority was screening out people who could access Zhan Qinghe and Chu Fu. Ideally, he could intern beside them—that way the revelation wouldn’t seem too deliberate.
After calculating, Lance leaned back in his seat and fell asleep.
After a bumpy night, at five in the morning, the plane landed punctually at Desert City International Airport.
Snow covered the ground, cold winds blew, the horizon turned deep blue, closely connected to the majestic wind-eroded ridges in the distance.
Looking toward the other side of the jetbridge, tall buildings rose in orderly rows, street lights clustered and lit, the ring highway coiling around the entire city like a soaring serpent.
As soon as Lance turned on his phone, messages popped up one after another, mostly from Zhan Pingchuan.
[Baby, let me know when you land.]
[It’s cold there, put on your down jacket before getting off the plane.]
[You can watch the sunrise on the way—the sun rising from Devil City is quite spectacular. Hope it’s not cloudy so you can see the best scenery.]
The howling cold wind was shut out by the thoughtful sweet words. Lance smiled softly, about to reply to Zhan Pingchuan when he heard a mature, steady voice ahead: “Lance.”
Lance’s finger paused, crisis awareness surging. He immediately looked up, then froze.
“Where are you going? I’ll give you a lift.” Chu Fu’s voice was light but polite, impossible to refuse.
Lance rarely experienced such complete mental blankness—he couldn’t figure out why Chu Fu would appear here.
“Dean Chu.” He didn’t need to pretend; his confusion was genuine.
Chu Fu seemed to know what he was puzzled about, replying briefly: “I just returned from a business trip. Coincidence.”
Chu Fu’s darkened phone screen still showed her reply to Zhan Pingchuan.
—Mum, he’s wearing a white down jacket, red scarf, with the beige sweater I helped him buy underneath. Do you see him?
—Mm.
Chu Fu seemed completely unaware of why he’d come. Lance tested: “Dean Chu, I applied for an internship at Ghost Eye Guild. I’m here to report today.”
Then Lance stared intently at Chu Fu, trying to discover any clues from her face.
But there were none.
Chu Fu looked at him with surprise, then withdrew her gaze: “Then we’re going the same way.”
Lance got into the private car that had come to pick up Chu Fu.
They rode in silence as the Alfa Romeo took the ring highway straight to Ghost Eye Guild.
Ghost Eye Guild wasn’t one building—it was scattered throughout the city in various locations. These offices looked unremarkable from outside, but required internal clearance to enter.
You could randomly walk into any district, randomly turn toward any two-story building on the street, and see Ghost Eye Guild’s flag.
It had completely integrated with Desert City.
The Alfa Romeo stopped in front of a circular building. Chu Fu indicated: “This is HR. Enjoy your internship.”
Lance got out with his suitcase, bowing to thank Chu Fu: “Thank you, Dean Chu.”
Chu Fu nodded, not driving away immediately but watching Lance enter the building.
Inside, Adrian looked up, making eye contact with Chu Fu through the glass door.
Chu Fu nodded lightly. Adrian withdrew his gaze, waiting for Lance’s arrival.
“Hello, I’m an intern from Star University, here to report today. Sorry to disturb you—I arrived a bit too early.” Lance’s breathing was slightly rapid, very much like a nervous, polite freshman.
“Not early.” Adrian looked at him deeply, expression serious. “I’m Ghost Eye Guild’s HR director. I must remind you that Ghost Eye Guild’s work intensity is considerable, and we’re very strict with interns. You might find it difficult at first, but if you persist, you’ll gain something.”
Lance had heard of this director—Mad Clown’s adoptive brother, a standard learning machine, elite template, cold-hearted and cold-blooded, emotionless and desireless. In short, an annoying stuffed gourd.
He secretly observed, thinking Adrian was quite handsome—not nearly as ugly as Mad Clown described.
However, logically speaking, this Adrian should be Ghost Eye Guild’s absolute upper management.
Would he personally receive interns? Was this company culture?
“…I’m prepared.” Lance feigned nervousness, rubbing his palms along his trouser seams.
“Mm, though the work is a bit tiring, the treatment is still good. The dormitories are crowded recently, so we’ve arranged a luxurious 200-square-meter flat in the city centre as temporary accommodation. Plus you get ten days off per month, and the guild can provide free local tours.”
Lance: “?”
“Oh, the monthly internship salary is about 100,000. If you think it’s insufficient, we can negotiate further.”
Lance: “???”
“No objections? Then that’s settled.” Adrian handed Lance the contract, had someone nearby take Lance to sign it, then pushed the door and left HR.
“Classmate, please come this way to sign the contract.”
Lance said nothing, watching Adrian’s retreating figure with narrowed eyes, then sent Lan Wendao a message with heavy thoughts—
[Dad, we should have a sense of crisis. You can’t imagine how generous Ghost Eye Guild is to newcomers.]
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152
Ahahaha 🤣 both the families welcoming their in-laws — so funny.
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And I love High Tower as a quirky worker myself. Don’t mind working in the water if computers were waterproof