Top-Tier Omega: Chasing Alpha to the Crematorium – Chapter 53
by Little PandaOrigins
Military Headquarters Building, Conference Room.
The spacious conference room was filled with officers in uniform seated along both sides of the long table.
Ming Yu sat at the head, her steady gaze sweeping across everyone present. There was only one week remaining until the Planet Lan Advanced Military Academy was officially established. Today’s meeting was crucial—she had to ensure every detail was flawless.
“Everyone, we have seven days until the academy officially opens. Time is pressing.”
Ming Yu’s voice was clear and powerful, breaking the silence in the conference room. “In today’s meeting, we need to confirm the opening ceremony procedures, guest list, security measures, and subsequent teaching arrangements. Please report on your respective areas one by one.”
First to stand was the officer in charge of security. He detailed the security deployment for the opening ceremony, including perimeter surveillance, internal patrols, and emergency protocols. Ming Yu listened carefully, occasionally raising questions to ensure no aspect was overlooked.
Halfway through the meeting, her gaze drifted to Zhan Nansheng seated across from her.
As the academy’s Vice-Chancellor, Zhan Nansheng’s behavior today was unexpectedly calm. Not only did she not confront Ming Yu with her usual aggressive opposition, she actually offered several constructive suggestions.
“Regarding the opening ceremony procedures, I suggest adding a segment.” Zhan Nansheng stood up, her tone confident. “We could arrange a small-scale mech demonstration. It would showcase the academy’s capabilities and attract more media attention.”
Ming Yu was surprised by Zhan Nansheng’s proposal, but nodded nonetheless. “That’s a good suggestion. A mech demonstration could certainly be a highlight of the opening ceremony. However, we need to strictly control the timing—it can’t interfere with the subsequent agenda.”
“I’ll submit a detailed plan tomorrow,” Zhan Nansheng said.
Ming Yu glanced at her, all business. “Very well, I’ll leave it in your hands. If you need any coordination, come to me.”
Seeing her agree so readily, Zhan Nansheng was momentarily taken aback. “You trust me with this just like that?”
Ming Yu gave her face. “I still believe in Lieutenant General Zhan’s capabilities.”
As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling person1. Seeing Ming Yu so cooperative, Zhan Nansheng couldn’t continue to oppose her. The meeting proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Ming Yu breathed a sigh of relief. This cooperation seemed to be going much more smoothly than she had anticipated.
After the meeting ended, people filed out one by one.
Ming Yu was preparing to leave the conference room when Zhan Nansheng suddenly called out to her. “Ming Yu, I will prove that I’m no worse than you.”
“I’ll be waiting.” Ming Yu was unimpressed.
“We’ll see.”
Zhan Nansheng said nothing more and left the conference room first.
Watching her retreating figure, Ming Yu couldn’t help but think of Wu Lan. She sighed inwardly—Director Wu truly was not simple. She wondered what method she had used to make Zhan Nansheng so cooperative.
Thinking of Wu Lan’s unfathomable scheming, she couldn’t help worrying about Song Qingpei. She silently decided she needed to urge Wu Lan to act quickly regarding Murong Ruixue. She couldn’t let Qingpei remain in danger indefinitely.
Ming Yu left the conference room with a heavy heart and walked toward her office.
Just as she reached her office door, the guard saluted respectfully. “Admiral Ming, there’s a guest waiting for you.”
Ming Yu frowned slightly. Who would come looking for her at this hour?
She nodded and pushed open the door to find Wu Lan seated on the sofa, looking relaxed.
“Director Wu, what a rare guest.” Ming Yu’s tone was calm, but her eyes held a trace of wariness.
Wu Lan stood and smiled slightly. “Admiral Ming, apologies for the intrusion. There are some matters I’d like to discuss with you.”
Ming Yu walked behind her desk and sat down, her gaze fixed on Wu Lan. “What matters?”
Wu Lan didn’t beat around the bush. She asked directly, “Has there been any progress with Song Qingpei? Have you discovered Murong Ruixue’s objective?”
Ming Yu’s heart stirred—Wu Lan’s information was certainly well-informed.
She deliberated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. “Murong Ruixue recently had Qingpei repair a mech. That mech belonged to former President Rong Cen.”
“Rong Cen?”
At that name, Wu Lan’s expression changed instantly. She shot to her feet, her voice urgent. “You’re certain it’s… Rong Cen’s mech?”
Ming Yu nodded, watching Wu Lan’s reaction closely. “Yes. Qingpei told me herself.”
A flicker of unreadable emotion crossed Wu Lan’s eyes. Noticing her own loss of composure, she restrained her emotions and slowly sat back down, her fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the sofa, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, she looked up, her tone unable to conceal her urgency. “Where is that mech now? Did Murong Ruixue reveal anything else?”
“The specifics are still unclear. Murong Ruixue didn’t disclose much information.”
Wu Lan’s brow furrowed deeply, clearly unsatisfied with that answer.
Her fingers tapped faster. Ming Yu keenly sensed something was wrong and alarm bells rang in her mind.
“Director Wu,” Ming Yu’s voice turned cold. “Whatever your purpose, I’m warning you—Song Qingpei is my bottom line. If you dare let her come to any harm, I won’t let you off.”
Wu Lan composed her expression and explained, “Admiral Ming, you’re overthinking this. I’m not your enemy, and I bear no ill will toward Song Qingpei. I simply want to understand Murong Ruixue’s objective.”
Ming Yu remained unmoved, watching her coldly. “I hope so.”
Wu Lan stood and straightened her clothes. “Since Admiral Ming is so busy, I won’t take up more of your time. However, if there are any new developments with Song Qingpei, please inform me promptly.”
Ming Yu didn’t respond, simply watching Wu Lan leave the office.
The moment the door closed, her expression grew grave. Wu Lan’s reaction was far too abnormal. Just mentioning the former President’s mech had clearly struck a nerve.
She would need to remind Qingpei again—not to get too close to Wu Lan.
After leaving the Military Headquarters Building, Wu Lan went straight to her car.
She sat in the back seat, urgency in her eyes as she took out her communicator and dialed a number.
Song Qingpei’s voice came through on the other end. “Hello, who is this?”
“Miss Song, this is Wu Lan.”
“Director Wu?” Song Qingpei was clearly surprised, a note of wariness in her voice. “How did you get my contact information?”
“As the Director of the Bureau of Investigation, finding someone’s contact information isn’t difficult.” Wu Lan smiled. “Miss Song, there’s no need to be so nervous. I mean you no harm.”
Song Qingpei was silent for a moment before asking, “What does Director Wu want with me?”
Wu Lan said, “Miss Song, I’d like to meet with you. There are some things I’d like to ask you in person. When would you be available?”
Recalling Ming Yu’s warning that Wu Lan was not someone to be trifled with, Song Qingpei declined. “I’m sorry, Director Wu. I’ve been quite busy lately. I probably won’t have time.”
As if anticipating her refusal, Wu Lan’s tone carried a note of reassurance. “Miss Song, you don’t need to be so nervous. I just want to talk to you—about Murong Ruixue and that ‘Yuyue’ mech.”
She hesitated, then asked, “Director Wu, what exactly do you want to know?”
“Miss Song, I know you’re repairing Rong Cen’s mech. That mech is very important to me. I need to understand more details.” Her voice softened, even carrying a note of entreaty. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you, and I won’t put you in a difficult position. Can we talk in person?”
For some reason, Wu Lan’s humble posture made it difficult for Song Qingpei to refuse.
Finally, she nodded. “Alright, Director Wu. Let’s meet.”
Wu Lan smiled. “Good. Let’s meet at a café near Blue Sea Group. You can decide the time.”
Song Qingpei checked the time. “Let’s make it seven o’clock tonight then.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Wu Lan ended the call, her eyes filled with unconcealable joy. She was now almost certain—Song Qingpei must be the person she had been searching for.
Over twenty years. She had finally found her.
At seven o’clock that evening, Song Qingpei arrived at the café on time.
Inside, she spotted Wu Lan sitting in the corner at a glance. She wore a simple black suit, a cup of coffee in her hands, looking relaxed.
“Miss Song, over here.” Wu Lan waved to her.
Song Qingpei walked over and sat across from Wu Lan, getting straight to the point. “Director Wu, what exactly did you want to ask me?”
Wu Lan smiled. “Have something to drink first. Relax. We can take our time.”
Song Qingpei didn’t touch the coffee, her gaze fixed on Wu Lan. “Director Wu, just tell me directly.”
Wu Lan nodded, her tone gentle. “Very well, I’ll be direct. Miss Song, while you were repairing Rong Cen’s mech, did you discover anything unusual? For instance… hidden data, or any special images?”
“Director Wu, I was only responsible for repairing the mech’s external structure and AI brain system. I didn’t investigate its internal data.”
She pressed on patiently. “Didn’t you attempt to awaken that mech’s AI brain? Think carefully—did anything strange happen?”
Seeing her grave expression, Song Qingpei thought back carefully and recounted what had happened in meticulous detail. Wu Lan listened intently, her expression shifting.
After a long while, she asked in a low voice, “So in the end, you saw… Rong Cen die in the AI brain’s images?”
Song Qingpei shook her head. “I’m not certain. I only saw a mist of blood at the end. The image grew increasingly blurry, and my mental strength was too depleted, so I was forced to withdraw.”
After hearing her out, Wu Lan fell silent for a moment. “Miss Song, Rong Cen’s mech is very important to me. I need you to take me to where the mech is being kept.”
Song Qingpei, who had been hazily caught up in various events without understanding anything, couldn’t help but ask, “Director Wu, can you tell me why you think Murong Ruixue’s target is me? Rather than using me to get close to Ming Yu? After all, Ming Yu is an Admiral in the military, while I’m nobody—I have no value whatsoever.”
Wu Lan looked at her with a complex expression and didn’t immediately answer.
Song Qingpei felt awkward. “Is it inconvenient to say? Forget it, I was just curious…”
“Miss Song, I heard you’re an orphan?” Wu Lan suddenly asked, interrupting her.
At the mention of this painful subject, Song Qingpei’s expression dimmed as she nodded. “Yes. My adoptive mother found me on a garbage planet. Later, my adoptive mother died in an accident, and I’ve been on my own ever since… until I met Ming Yu.” She didn’t finish the rest.
“I apologize, Miss Song, for bringing up painful memories.” Wu Lan looked at her with regret. “But that… is likely why Murong Ruixue targeted you.”
Song Qingpei was confused. “What do you mean?”
“Your origins may not be simple.” Wu Lan paused. “Miss Song, I can only tell you this much. I haven’t found evidence yet, so I can’t draw conclusions.”
At the mention of her origins, Song Qingpei was completely stunned. She had always thought she was just an ordinary, unfortunate child abandoned by her parents. She had never imagined she might have some dramatic, complicated background.
After all, life wasn’t a novel—where would all this drama come from?
But facing Wu Lan’s grave expression, the curiosity she had been suppressing surged up. She couldn’t help but doubt herself. Who were her parents? Why had they abandoned her?
She wanted to know.
“Miss Song.” Wu Lan’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I know this is sudden and difficult to accept. But investigating Black Kite is very important to me. Please take me to where the mech is kept.”
Song Qingpei came back to herself and looked at Wu Lan with a complicated gaze.
Her fingers unconsciously traced the rim of her coffee cup as she struggled with the decision. She knew that agreeing meant getting drawn in deeper. Ming Yu had been warning her not to trust Wu Lan. Although Wu Lan had always given her a familiar sense of closeness, she didn’t dare trust her completely.
After hesitating for a long time, Song Qingpei finally spoke. “Director Wu, I can take you to where the mech is kept, but I don’t want to get any more involved in this matter.”
Wu Lan nodded. “I understand your concerns. You just need to take me there. I’ll handle the rest.”
Song Qingpei was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Alright. I’ll take you there tonight.”
“Admiral Ming is very worried about you. It’s best not to tell her, or I’m afraid she’ll try to stop you.” Wu Lan cautioned.
That sounded exactly like someone with ill intentions coaxing a child—not to tell your mother about this. Song Qingpei immediately frowned, her wariness spiking.
As if acutely sensitive to her emotions, Wu Lan sensed her resistance and smiled. “Don’t be nervous. Pretend I didn’t say that. If you don’t trust me, there’s no point telling Admiral Ming anyway. I’m just worried she might alert the enemy by acting prematurely2. After all, Admiral Ming’s priority is ensuring your safety—other considerations aren’t within her scope.”
Song Qingpei didn’t respond verbally. They exchanged polite farewells, and she turned to leave.
After returning home, she sat on the sofa in the living room, looking somewhat dazed.
Thinking of Wu Lan’s words, she truly hesitated. Given Ming Yu’s personality, she certainly wouldn’t support her having contact with Wu Lan. But this wasn’t just any matter—if it really had something to do with her origins, how could she remain indifferent and stay uninvolved?
She couldn’t help but struggle with the decision—should she tell Ming Yu or not?
Song Song was sitting on the carpet playing with building blocks. Seeing her mother occasionally spacing out, she looked up with dissatisfaction. “Mama, look at me—is the castle I built pretty?”
Song Qingpei forced a smile and reached out to pat Song Song’s head. “Very pretty. Song Song is so clever.”
“Mama’s lying, you didn’t even look.” Song Song accused unhappily.
Caught, Song Qingpei said sheepishly, “Song Song, Mama has something she needs to think about. Can you play by yourself for a while?”
Song Song pouted but agreed. “Alright.”
Ming Yu walked over, noticing her unusual behavior. She went to Song Qingpei’s side and asked, “What’s wrong? You’ve been distracted since you got back.”
Song Qingpei snapped back to reality and shook her head. “Nothing. Maybe I’m just tired from work today.”
Ming Yu frowned, clearly not believing her excuse. She asked with concern, “Qingpei, did something happen?”
Song Qingpei looked at Ming Yu’s concerned gaze, her heart growing even more conflicted.
After hesitating for a long time, she shook her head and said with forced lightness, “Really nothing. Don’t overthink it.”
Ming Yu clearly wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t continue pressing. She just looked at her suspiciously. “If something happens, you must tell me. You said it yourself—we need to trust each other.”
Thinking about how she had just lectured Ming Yu two days ago about being honest and trusting, only to immediately contradict herself, Song Qingpei felt a wave of guilt. She nodded vaguely.
She knew Ming Yu was worried about her, but she didn’t want Ming Yu to stop her out of concern. She had to figure out why Murong Ruixue had targeted her. She was just taking Wu Lan to where the mech was kept—nothing should go wrong.
After thinking for a long time, Song Qingpei decided not to tell Ming Yu for now.
Ming Yu watched her obviously distracted state and furrowed her brow. What had happened? Their relationship had just started to improve, but now it seemed covered by a layer of gray fog—they could never quite reach each other’s hearts.
Both lost in their own thoughts, neither spoke for a while.
Song Song played for a while and gradually grew sleepy.
She rubbed her eyes and walked over to Song Qingpei, saying softly, “Mama, I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
Song Qingpei came back to herself and gently picked up Song Song. “Alright, Mama will take you to bed.”
She carried Song Song back to the Children’s Room, tucked her in gently, and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight.”
Song Song murmured an acknowledgment and soon fell asleep.
She quietly closed the Children’s Room door and was about to return to her own room when Ming Yu blocked her path.
Ming Yu’s gaze was fixed on her. “Are you hiding something from me?”
Song Qingpei instinctively avoided Ming Yu’s eyes. “No.”
That reaction was obviously guilty. Ming Yu reached out and gripped her wrist. “Qingpei, you’re definitely hiding something from me.”
Seeing Ming Yu’s suspicious gaze, Song Qingpei tried to change the subject. “Really nothing. Maybe I’m just… too tired from last night.”
Ming Yu froze, then a flush crept across her face—she clearly hadn’t expected Song Qingpei to suddenly bring up last night.
But she quickly composed herself and looked at Song Qingpei. “Don’t change the subject. I know you’re hiding something from me.”
Seeing that Ming Yu wouldn’t let it go, Song Qingpei felt helpless.
She knew if she didn’t do something, Ming Yu would definitely keep pressing.
So she deliberately leaned close to Ming Yu’s ear and lowered her voice. “It’s getting late. Let’s go sleep in your room. You still haven’t worn those clothes for me to see…”
Ming Yu’s face instantly flushed red, the color spreading to her ears.
She shoved Song Qingpei away, flustered and embarrassed. “You… that’s enough!”
Song Qingpei watched Ming Yu’s flustered state, finding it amusing, and deliberately provoked her. “Isn’t that so? Last night, who was the one who promised me…”
“Shut up!” Ming Yu cut her off and stormed off. “Sleep by yourself!”
Ming Yu returned to her room, still somewhat annoyed.
She sat on the edge of the bed, recalling Song Qingpei’s earlier words, her face heating up again.
But thinking of Song Qingpei’s evasive manner just now, she instinctively felt something was wrong. After thinking it over, Ming Yu still wasn’t satisfied, so she turned back and returned to Song Qingpei’s room.
Song Qingpei was startled—she hadn’t expected the Admiral to come back.
She had just received a message from Wu Lan: 【We’ll meet at the agreed location at two in the morning.】
Now, how to coax the returning Admiral away was an extremely difficult problem.
Footnotes
- The idiom 'shēnshǒu bù dǎ xiàoliǎn rén' (伸手不打笑脸人) literally means 'one does not raise a hand against a smiling person.' It describes the difficulty of being harsh to someone who approaches with a friendly attitude.
- The idiom 'dǎ cǎo jīng shé' (打草惊蛇) literally means 'to beat the grass and startle the snake.' It describes alerting an enemy by acting too soon or making one's intentions known prematurely.
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