20: Mr. Sheng, Calm Down!
Sheng Shaoyou waited the entire day but still didn’t receive a call back from Shen Wenlang. He didn’t return to his own home or dare go back to the apartment, instead sitting in the now almost-empty office with only Chen Pinming, wasting time.
Out of guilt, Chen Pinming had voluntarily worked overtime for several days. But all his efforts were in vain. More than half a month had passed, and there was still no word from Hua Yong.
In broad daylight, under a clear sky, a living person had somehow vanished into thin air. While Chen Pinming found it hard to believe, he couldn’t help but recall the rumors from a few years ago about Shen Wenlang’s mysterious background.
Shen Wenlang wasn’t native to Jianghu. His mother was born there but moved to Country P in her teens, where she married a local crime syndicate boss and gave birth to Shen Wenlang.
Five years ago, Shen Wenlang arrived in Jianghu alone and independently founded the now-renowned HS Group. Country P was a place dominated by capital and rampant organized crime, and Shen Wenlang’s intricate ties to the mafia cast a dark shadow over Hua Yong’s disappearance.
The son of a mafia boss who made his first fortune through crime and arms smuggling could easily hide a living person.
Sheng Shaoyou swung between various assumptions and wild imaginings each day.
Hua Yong was a proud Omega—he would never willingly be involved with Shen Wenlang!
But… what if Shen Wenlang forced him? No Omega could resist the pheromones of an S-Class Alpha. Even if unwilling, instinct would eventually take over, forcing him to surrender to a body he didn’t love.
Yet Hua Yong already had someone he liked—he had feelings…
Sheng Shaoyou clutched his head in anguish, refusing to let his thoughts spiral further.
A second-generation successor and a self-proclaimed legitimate businessman, Sheng had always steered clear of dirty money and despised those who built their empires through brutal means. But now, he hated how upright he had always been. At this critical moment, he didn’t even have a single underground connection to gather information.
He waited nervously until morning, still without a response from Shen Wenlang.
Around 3 a.m., Chen Pinming finally went home.
By 9:30 a.m., when work resumed, Secretary Chen entered the chairman’s office and handed Sheng a private auction invitation.
“President Sheng, I heard Shen Wenlang will also be attending this auction.”
In his desperate search for Hua Yong, Sheng Shaoyou had neglected numerous unimportant social events. But hearing Shen Wenlang’s name, he looked up wearily and accepted the ticket.
It was a private porcelain collection auction hosted by Guardian Art, scheduled for the coming weekend.
It had been a while since Sheng appeared at any high-profile event. Last week, Li Baiqiao finally got through to him on the phone and berated him for neglecting his friends, suspecting that he’d run off to some island to spend the heat cycle with Hua Yong.
Sheng Shaoyou’s headache worsened. He wished he could reach through the phone to shut Li’s mouth. Spend a heat cycle? He didn’t even know where Hua Yong was!
Even the usually carefree Li Baiqiao sensed something was wrong. After some pressing, he learned the stunning beauty had vanished.
That realization shook even him.
An Omega wasn’t a piece of clothing you could simply wash and wear again. Thinking of Hua Yong’s fair face, elegant neck, and slender wrists, Li Baiqiao was too stunned to say a word. After a long pause, he finally asked, “Sheng Shaoyou… did you mark him?”
Permanent marking was out of the question. But even a temporary mark from an S-Class Alpha like Sheng would’ve kept the delicate white orchid safe for at least a couple of weeks.
On the other end of the line, Sheng’s breathing grew erratic.
“Did you or didn’t you?” Li pressed.
“No,” Sheng finally rasped out.
He had never marked any Omega, and besides, Hua Yong had said temporary marks weren’t acceptable. No matter how deeply he liked Hua Yong, when it came to permanent markings, Sheng hesitated. He had enjoyed Hua Yong’s warmth and companionship but never seriously considered a future with him, let alone made up his mind.
Li Baiqiao fell silent, thinking it spelled disaster. Such a rare and beautiful orchid, even if encountered by a malicious Beta, might not survive.
After a long pause, he finally said, “Well, it’s gone, it’s gone. Find another, more obedient one. Come on, buddy, cheer up! There are plenty of fish in the sea! Though maybe not many orchids… but hey, I’ll ask Yushan to keep an eye out—there are plenty of rare, floral-scented beauties in Tiandi Club…”
Sheng immediately smashed the phone. No matter how many apologies or messages Li sent afterward, he never picked up again.
At the auction venue—
Shen Wenlang brought a personal collection: a grand blue-and-white imperial porcelain dragon plate adorned with floral motifs. It stunned the audience and was even featured as the highlight piece of the entire commemorative exhibition. The rim bore a restrained wave motif echoing the theme, “A Collector’s Ocean of Treasures,” and the plate’s center featured five finely detailed floral dragons, symbolizing imperial supremacy.
Including this one, Shen Wenlang presented a total of sixteen exquisite pieces. Each was dazzling, earning him praise from collectors as the “Porcelain Emperor.” He stole the spotlight entirely.
Sheng Shaoyou, who had no interest in outshining anyone, randomly chose a peacock-feather-glazed Jun-style porcelain basin from his private collection. Though Shen wouldn’t take his calls, he was surprisingly generous in the bidding arena, raising his paddle multiple times and pushing the final price to several times its opening bid.
To be fair, Sheng did have a good eye. The piece he submitted was stunning, with a lustrous glaze combining purples, blues, and reds like shimmering peacock feathers. Its beauty rivaled even Shen’s highlight plate.
But if Shen gave face during the auction, he showed none afterward at the reception.
“Apologies, President Shen is busy,” said Gao Tu, politely blocking Sheng’s approach. “Can I help you relay a message?”
Shen Wenlang’s actual words were far less polite:
“Tell Sheng Shaoyou to get lost and stop bothering me!” The sharp-tongued, cold-tempered Alpha had snapped ten minutes earlier.
Watching the seething Sheng, Gao Tu sighed silently.
Shen Wenlang’s misleadingly angelic face had once tricked Gao Tu into thinking he was a kind, refined gentleman. In reality, he was anything but—sharp-tongued, moody, arrogant, and secretly a little wicked.
Still, Gao Tu couldn’t help but like him. Once devoted, always devoted. He never had any other option with Shen.
But even he didn’t understand why Shen, usually diplomatic, suddenly refused to maintain basic civility with Sheng. After all, they worked in the same field and shared social circles.
Recalling Shen’s bitter remark—”Is he really this desperate after just a few days of not hearing from Hua Yong?”—Gao Tu figured this must be about the secretary who had suddenly gone on extended leave.
Alpha fights over Omegas weren’t rare. But Gao Tu felt a pang of sourness knowing it was Shen Wenlang who was jealous.
Having been blocked from approaching Shen, Sheng Shaoyou was furious but didn’t back down. He waited until Shen finished speaking with an acquaintance and was returning to his seat. Then he shoved past Gao Tu and strode straight to him.
“President Shen, you’re so busy that even getting a word in feels impossible?”
Shen shot a scathing glance at Gao Tu, who flinched. Then he turned to Sheng with a sarcastic smile. “I’ve indeed been busy. Not much time to waste on irrelevant people.”
The jab was obvious, but Sheng swallowed his pride and sat opposite him.
Chen Pinming had gone to the police on his behalf. Always the center of attention, Sheng arrived alone this time. His expression was so grim that a few who’d planned to approach him backed away.
Only one clueless idiot tried to strike up a conversation after the auction. Holding a notebook, he cheerfully asked for an autograph and to add him on WeChat.
Sheng glanced at the pen, scribbled a big X, and growled, “No.” Just then, Shen walked in. Sheng shoved the pen and paper back at the stunned fan and strode toward Shen.
Shen, seated on the couch, wore a mocking smile.
Sheng hated that smile—it was insulting. Still, he restrained his temper and said, “President Shen, your time is valuable. But I must ask you a few urgent questions.”
“You’re too polite, President Sheng.” Shen sipped his wine, reclining lazily. “As long as it’s not about my company secrets or research tech, go ahead.”
Chen Pinming’s bribed contacts at HS had all been dismissed last week. Shen clearly knew about the attempted poaching.
His calm deflection only stoked Sheng’s anger and deepened his worry for Hua Yong, missing for nearly a month now.
“President Shen, let’s not beat around the bush,” he said sharply. “Where is your secretary, Hua Yong?”
Shen smiled coldly. “You’ve always been so driven and efficient. Now you’re meddling in my personal business?”
Calling it personal business made Sheng’s teeth grind. He stared daggers at Shen, practically boring a hole through him.
Shen seemed unfazed. “Honestly, it’s laughable. That so-called loyal secretary of mine dared to collaborate with outsiders to trap me—”
His pitch-black eyes glinted cruelly, sending a chill through Sheng’s chest.
“—what a pity. Such a fragrant little Omega, yet an ungrateful wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“President Shen.” Sheng ground his teeth. “Is there not some misunderstanding here?”
“Misunderstanding?” Shen sneered, swirling his wine. “He came to work wearing a bug. What else could it be?”
He caressed the rim of his glass and added darkly, “My dog ate my food but wagged its tail at someone else. It’s only right I discipline him.”
Sheng had always worn the mask of civility, but Shen’s words shattered it. His fists clenched and his vision darkened with fury.
He couldn’t lash out. Hua Yong was still in Shen’s hands.
“President Shen,” he finally said, voice hoarse. “Surely this is a misunderstanding. Hurting someone so loyal to you—”
Shen interrupted with a smirk. “Heart? I used to want his heart. That’s why I tolerated so much.”
He leaned forward.
“But what’s the use of his heart? Love is intangible. If I can’t have it, I might as well enjoy his beautiful body.”
BANG—
Sheng kicked over the table between them, glass shattering everywhere. His powerful S-Class Alpha pheromones surged through the room like a net of steel wires, slicing into everyone’s senses.
Guests turned in shock. Within seconds, they were forced to their knees by the overwhelming scent of bitter orange laced with alcohol and fury.
Even Shen, though equally S-Class, felt it. Pain radiated from his neck through his spine, but he refused to flinch.
He looked Sheng dead in the eyes and said coldly, “Of all the Omegas I’ve met, Hua Yong’s the only one I could tolerate. He smells so good, like a rich orchid. During the temporary marking, he cried like his heart was breaking. It was… arousing.”
He licked his lips, smiling viciously.
“That night, he had a slight fever. I thought if I was gentle, he’d cooperate. But he suddenly cried out another Alpha’s name.”
He leaned in, maliciously whispering, “Guess who?”
“SHEN WENLANG!” Sheng finally lost it and lunged at him, fists flying.
Like a raging lion, Sheng pummeled Shen, roaring in fury, ready to tear him apart for touching what was his.
Shen had anticipated it and tried to block, but Sheng’s blows were relentless. After taking several hits, Shen gritted his teeth and kicked Sheng in the stomach, sending him stumbling.
But Sheng came right back, blood in his eyes, hands reaching for Shen’s throat—
Only to be stopped by Gao Tu, who stepped in between them.
Just a Beta, Gao Tu was visibly shaken, face flushed from the pheromone assault, yet he stood firm.
“President Sheng, calm down! This is a public venue!” he croaked.
Sheng’s reason flickered back. “Move!” he roared.
But his flare of anger pushed his pheromones to a terrifying new level.
Gao Tu turned pale, lips bloodless. Every muscle trembled under the assault. Sweat drenched his body. His unmarked Omega glands burned painfully.
And yet—he didn’t move.
It was too much.
The pain blanketed him. Bones felt shattered. His organs twisted like wrung rags. The terror suffocated him.
Still, he stood his ground.
No one dared intervene—until a squad of Beta guards in protective suits rushed in.
Only then did the suffocating dominance stop.
Gao Tu stared blankly at the men rushing to restrain Sheng, and then others who ran to Shen.
Shen’s face was bruised, lip bleeding, but he still sneered.
“If Hua Yong won’t behave, then he’ll pay the price. Your little outburst today, President Sheng, will also be added to his account. A dog that bites back doesn’t get forgiven—because… it hurt me.”
He stepped over the broken table and dragged the stunned Gao Tu out without looking back.