Top-Tier Omega: Chasing Alpha to the Crematorium – Chapter 71
by Little PandaZhan Nansheng’s Revenge
By the time Ming Yu received definitive news, Wu Lan had already been detained for investigation by the President’s direct order.
The official grounds for the investigation: dereliction of duty.
During their detention and interrogation at the Federation Bureau of Investigation, the key Black Kite criminals, Murong Ruixue and Li Man, had unexpectedly bribed the guards and successfully broken out of prison. Although Li Man was ultimately killed on the spot, Murong Ruixue managed to escape. President Zhan Li was furious. As the director of the Bureau, Wu Lan bore the brunt of his wrath and was immediately dismissed pending review.
Deputy Director Chen Duo was appointed to temporarily take over as acting director. President Zhan Li had ordered the establishment of a special investigative team under his personal supervision to look into the matter thoroughly and root out any conspirators.
The frequent infiltration of the Federation’s upper echelons by the Black Kite was an absolute disgrace.
Learning all of this, Ming Yu was secretly alarmed. This series of moves made it obvious that Zhan Li had been prepared for this all along.
Otherwise, Chen Duo would not have acted so decisively.
As she pondered the situation, she realized that Wu Lan was not the sort of person to have her weaknesses exploited so easily. If she had truly dared to let Murong Ruixue and Li Man go, she must have had absolute certainty in her plan; she wouldn’t fall so easily.
She couldn’t afford to lose her composure now.
After careful consideration, Ming Yu immediately ordered Lieutenant Lin to take some personnel and secretly protect Song Qingpei.
Next, she had to find a way to see Wu Lan. Only then would she know what had actually happened.
Ming Yu thought of Zhan Nansheng. She clearly had an ambiguous relationship with Wu Lan, and as Zhan Li’s daughter, she was bound to know more. Thus, Ming Yu immediately set off to find her.
When Ming Yu arrived at Zhan Nansheng’s office at the military academy, she found the door firmly shut. She knocked, but there was no response from inside. Frowning, she turned and headed next door to the aide’s office.
The aide was sorting documents. Seeing Ming Yu enter, she hurriedly stood up. “Chancellor Ming, what brings you here?”
Ming Yu asked point-blank, “Where is Vice-Chancellor Zhan? I need to see her.”
A look of awkwardness flashed across the aide’s face. She hesitated before replying, “The Vice-Chancellor didn’t come in today. I heard she wasn’t feeling well.”
“Not feeling well?” Ming Yu’s frown deepened. “Since when?”
“The notice came directly from the Presidential Palace this morning, stating that the Vice-Chancellor is unwell and temporarily relieved of all her duties. The paperwork is currently being processed,” the aide answered carefully, clearly just as surprised by the turn of events.
Ming Yu’s heart sank. Zhan Nansheng had been perfectly fine yesterday. Why would she suddenly take sick leave? Furthermore, why was it an order straight from the President?
Sensing something was wrong, she immediately took out her communicator and dialed Zhan Nansheng’s number.
However, only a cold automated voice played from the other end. “The user you have dialed cannot be reached at this time. Please try again later.”
Ming Yu’s expression grew grim.
Zhan Nansheng had lost contact as well. This was absolutely no coincidence.
Quickly calming herself, her mind raced to analyze the current situation. Wu Lan detained for review, Zhan Nansheng claiming illness and losing contact—none of this seemed to revolve solely around the escape of the Black Kite members. The situation was clearly far more complex.
She turned and left the aide’s office, returning to her own to quickly gather several official documents regarding the military academy. These were originally meant to be discussed with Zhan Nansheng, but now they would serve as her excuse to see the President.
Grabbing the files, Ming Yu headed straight for the Presidential Palace.
Upon seeing Ming Yu, the guards at the Presidential Palace immediately snapped respectful salutes.
“I have urgent official business to report to the President,” Ming Yu said, her expression stern and her tone carrying unquestionable authority.
Not daring to delay her, the guards swiftly escorted her inside.
President Zhan Li was in his office processing documents. Hearing the knock, he looked up at Ming Yu, a hint of exhaustion on his face. “Ming Yu, what brings you here?”
Ming Yu stepped forward and placed the documents on his desk. “President, there is official academy business that needs to be handed over to Vice-Chancellor Zhan. However, I couldn’t reach her today and heard she took sick leave. Thus, I came specifically to report to you.”
Zhan Li frowned, his tone somewhat dismissive. “Nansheng hasn’t been in good health lately. I’ve told her to rest for a while. Handle the academy affairs yourself for now; it won’t be too late to hand them over once she’s recovered.”
Ming Yu’s expression remained unchanged, her tone resolute. “President, the academy’s recruitment plans and training schedules all require the Vice-Chancellor’s oversight. Time is of the essence. I hope to hand this over to her as soon as possible so as not to delay our work.”
Zhan Li fell silent for a moment, a complex look flashing through his eyes.
He clearly didnt want Ming Yu to see Zhan Nansheng, but he could not reasonably refuse her excuse.
Finally, he nodded. “Very well. I’ll have someone take you to her.”
Ming Yu felt a wave of relief but maintained a calm exterior. “Thank you, President.”
Pressing his communicator, Zhan Li called for his secretary. “Escort Admiral Ming to see Nansheng.”
The secretary nodded respectfully and led Ming Yu out of the office.
Ming Yu followed the secretary down the long corridors of the Presidential Palace. Just as they reached the door to Zhan Nansheng’s room, the sound of things being smashed—bang, bang—echoed from within, accompanied by the sharp shatter of glass.
Looking thoroughly embarrassed, the secretary hurried forward to knock, speaking cautiously. “Eldest Miss, Admiral Ming is here to see you.”
The commotion inside ceased instantly. A moment later, the door was wrenched open.
Zhan Nansheng stood in the doorway, her face pale, her eyes filled with obvious fury and exhaustion.
Seeing Ming Yu, she paused in surprise before letting out a cold sneer. “Ming Yu? Are you here to laugh at me too?”
Ming Yu’s expression was serene, her tone strictly business. “Vice-Chancellor Zhan, the academy’s recruitment plans and training schedules need to be handed over to you. Time is pressing, so I came specifically to discuss them with you.”
Zhan Nansheng frowned, clearly not expecting Ming Yu to seek her out with such an excuse.
She stepped aside, gesturing for Ming Yu to enter.
The secretary lingered at the door, hesitating over whether he should follow them inside.
Zhan Nansheng cast a frigid glare at him, her tone dripping with impatience. “Get out. I’m discussing official business with the Admiral. Your presence isn’t needed.”
The secretary nodded awkwardly, stepped back, and pulled the door shut behind him.
Only Ming Yu and Zhan Nansheng remained in the room.
Ming Yu glanced around. The room was in complete shambles. Shattered glasses and scattered documents littered the floor. Even several paintings had been torn from the walls and now leaned haphazardly against the corners.
Zhan Nansheng walked over to the sofa and casually tossed the broken picture frame in her hand onto the floor. It landed with a dull thud.
She sat down, crossing her arms as she looked at Ming Yu. “Out with it. What do you want?”
Ming Yu didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she took a seat across from her and asked in a low voice, “What exactly happened with Wu Lan?”
At the name ‘Wu Lan,’ Zhan Nansheng’s expression drastically shifted.
Her fingers tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white. A flurry of complex emotions flashed through her eyes—anger, pain, indignation, and even a faint, barely perceptible trace of longing. She stared at Ming Yu, her tone laced with wariness and mockery. “Since when did you and Wu Lan get so close? To think you’d actually come looking for me because of her.”
Ming Yu ignored the question and cut straight to the point. “Because the key Black Kite criminals, Murong Ruixue and Li Man, broke out of prison while detained by the Federation Bureau of Investigation. The President is furious. Wu Lan has been ordered into custody for review under the charge of dereliction of duty. Right now, Deputy Director Chen Duo is acting as the director, and the President has established an investigative team to look into the matter thoroughly.”
With every word Ming Yu spoke, Zhan Nansheng’s face grew paler.
“Zhan Nansheng, what the hell is going on?” Ming Yu frowned, pressing the issue. “Why would your father suddenly move against Wu Lan?”
Zhan Nansheng remained silent for a long time, a flicker of humiliation and remorse crossing her eyes.
Ming Yu did not rush her. She merely waited quietly.
Likely realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhan Nansheng spoke with a mixture of unspeakable shame and indignation. “My father was forcing me into a political marriage with the Qin family, and that bastard Wu Lan was pushing me too. I… In a fit of rage, I told my father that Wu Lan had forcibly marked me.”
Here, her voice abruptly cut off. She clearly didn’t want to elaborate further.
Ming Yu looked utterly bewildered. “…Isn’t Wu Lan an Omega?”
Hearing this, Zhan Nansheng’s expression turned even uglier. She gritted her teeth. “That bastard. Of course she isn’t an Omega. She’s an Enigma.”
This revelation left Ming Yu deeply astonished. She couldn’t help but shoot Zhan Nansheng a complicated look. It was hard to imagine someone like Zhan Nansheng being forcibly marked by Wu Lan. Moreover, it appeared she was completely and helplessly dominated by her.
Zhan Nansheng had been her rival for a long time. Even knowing it was inappropriate, Ming Yu couldn’t help but twitch her lips, a smile threatening to break through.
Catching sight of Ming Yu’s mockery, Zhan Nansheng instantly lost her composure1. “Ming Yu, you really are just here to laugh at me, aren’t you?!”
Ming Yu hastily reined in her expression and said seriously, “So, you’re the one who told your father to lock Wu Lan up?”
Zhan Nansheng took a deep breath before continuing, “No. I just wanted to teach her a lesson, to let her know I wasn’t so easily bullied… But I didn’t expect the Black Kite members to escape right at that moment, giving my father the perfect excuse to put Wu Lan in her place…”
Hearing this, Ming Yu’s heart immediately sank.
She realized that Zhan Li had likely been suspicious of Wu Lan for a long time; this incident was merely a pretext. She looked at Zhan Nansheng, her tone grim. “Your father probably planned this all along. Wu Lan is in a dangerous position right now. If we don’t get her out soon, she might end up as nothing more than a discarded pawn in your father’s hands.”
Zhan Nansheng’s face turned ghastly. She murmured in disbelief, “Impossible… My father wouldn’t actually do anything to Wu Lan. He just wanted to teach her a lesson…”
Uncertainty laced her voice, as though she were trying to convince herself.
Ming Yu said nothing more, only offering a stark reminder. “You know your father better than I do. You should be able to tell whether he’s serious or not.”
Zhan Nansheng fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, she looked up and glared at Ming Yu, her eyes filled with accusation. “Are you and Wu Lan… hiding some secret from me?”
There was a sharpness to her voice, as if she were trying to mask the unease in her heart.
Ming Yu did not answer her question. Instead, she stood up and said, “I’m leaving. Think it over.”
With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Zhan Nansheng standing there alone, her expression shifting unpredictably.
Her fingers mindlessly rubbed the edge of the sofa as Wu Lan’s figure continually surfaced in her mind—that woman who always wore a careless smile. She hated Wu Lan’s dominance and overbearance. She hated how Wu Lan treated her like a disposable plaything. Yet, she could not deny that her feelings for Wu Lan had long since surpassed pure hatred.
That tangled web of emotions caused her immeasurable pain.
Zhan Nansheng walked over to the window and murmured under her breath, “Wu Lan… I told you to just wait…”
“No matter what, we won’t end things this simply.”
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