"Usually, the infected die within twenty-four hours. Are you sure your last bed partner wasn't just too enthusiastic and bit you?"

Si Nan sat behind the door, his arms resting on his knees, and shook his head.

Zhou Rong was about to say something more when the doctor put down the thermometer and said, "Your man has a fever, Captain Zhou. Thirty-seven point nine. It's an early symptom of infection. He should be quarantined immediately."

Everyone around them paled. Not far away, civilians backed away one after another, a buzz sweeping through the crowd like static: "He's infected..." "Will he turn into a monster?" "Hurry, get away from him!"

A man emboldened himself and shouted, "Get him out of here! We're all civilians. What if he bites someone?!"

The voices of agreement grew louder. Yan Hao said angrily, "He's not infected! Otherwise, he would have mutated on the road! It's all Zombies outside. Where do you want him to go?"

Whispers spread through the surroundings: "Soldiers are so aggressive..."

"Exactly!..."

Zhou Rong squatted in front of Si Nan, suddenly reached out, and forcefully tilted his chin up.

Si Nan's skin was a cool white, different from most Asians. His lips were chapped, and he looked a little tired. With his eyelids slightly lowered, he somewhat resembled his mother, a stark contrast to Zhou Rong's strong, calloused hands.

Zhou Rong studied him coldly for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "Lock him in the warehouse office. Keep him under observation."

The doctor disagreed, "Captain Zhou..."

Zhou Rong said, "He's my man. I'll take responsibility."

The warehouse office was a small room partitioned off with plywood, about five square meters. Before the virus outbreak, it was where the on-duty staff took turns. The thin, hollow wooden door had an old-fashioned spring lock, and there was an iron bolt on the inside.

Si Nan sat in a corner with his back against the wall, one hand resting on his bent knee. After a while, Zhou Rong pushed the door open, shut it behind him, and blocked Yan Hao and Chuncao, who were following closely, outside.

"Here."

Si Nan raised his eyes. In front of him was a pork floss bun.

"Got it from the storeroom. Eat up."

Si Nan stared at it motionlessly for a few seconds before turning his face away.

"What, just because I locked you up for a bit, you're going on a hunger strike because you're pretty?" Zhou Rong snorted. "Let me tell you, I've never known how to be gentle with a beauty in my life. My specialty is being ruthless. Back when I was in training, we had everything from Omega Pheromones to beautiful spies trying to seduce us one after another. Later, when I was made captain, Yan Hao led the charge in defying my authority, so I beat the hell out of him three times a day, on schedule... Be good and eat. Don't think I won't get rough."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Si Nan finally told the truth:

"...Supplies are limited. Don't waste them."

Zhou Rong let out an undisguised laugh, casually tossed the bun into Si Nan's lap, and said, "Girl, why are you so fussy, just like an Omega."

Si Nan: "..."

Zhou Rong clapped his hands and turned to leave.

As the sky grew darker, the sounds of people walking around and distributing food came from outside the door.

Si Nan thought for a long time before finally eating the bun. The food soothed his nerves. Leaning in the corner, he drifted off to sleep without realizing it. His consciousness floated between waking and dreaming, as if traversing thousands of miles of damp, cold wind, watching the war-torn earth capsize below.

He seemed to have returned to his childhood. The heavy gates of the manor slowly opened before him, crystal chandeliers shone brilliantly, and heavy, intricate hand-woven carpets led up a spiral marble staircase. A boy in a black formal suit stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the railing of the second-to-last step. He looked down at him for a long while before suddenly saying caustically, "You're so ugly."

He felt his nails dig deep into his palms. He wanted to back away and leave, but in the dream, he couldn't even turn around.

The boy jumped down the stairs, reaching him in a few quick strides. He suddenly grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up. "From now on, I'm your brother. Understand?"

Si Nan's chest heaved. He felt a hot, acrid airflow repeatedly cutting his windpipe. He wanted to throw a punch and hit the person hard, but in the dream, he had suddenly become very small, unable to even reach him with his outstretched hand. He could only watch that arrogant face and those mocking, azure eyes.

'I'm going to beat you up...' he thought.

'One day, I'm going to beat you to a pulp at my feet...'

In an instant, the scene shifted. Memories flashed by like a revolving lantern. The boy's detestable face gradually matured and hardened, transforming into a look of shock and astonishment in another scene, before he was sent reeling backward by a punch.

Bang!

The clamor receded like a tide. He grabbed the person by the collar, only to see blood trickling from their nose and the corner of their mouth. Those azure eyes that had constantly watched him for so many years had turned a stormy, hazy, dark gray. "...You've wanted to beat me up for a long time, haven't you?..."

Yes.

Always.

But he didn't answer. Instead, he threw a right hook—heavy, ruthless, and clean. The crisp sound of a breaking nose came from between his knuckles. Even long, long afterward, he could clearly recall that pleasant sensation.

...

Night fell, and Si Nan's fever worsened.

In a daze, he felt his body grow hot, as if submerged in a warm, empty deep sea, floating without being able to touch the bottom. Footsteps came and went. Arguments and clamor filled the air. He couldn't distinguish whose sharp voice was saying, "You have to send him away! He could mutate at any moment!"

"Your soldiers' lives are valuable, but are we supposed to risk ours?!"

"What do we do? He's already infected. We're all doomed..."

The sounds of pushing and shoving drew near, then suddenly receded, hazy as if heard from underwater. He didn't know how much time had passed when footsteps suddenly stopped beside him. Someone squatted down and draped a thick piece of clothing over him.

Si Nan struggled uncomfortably, but the person tucked him in tightly, not even leaving the nape of his neck exposed.

"It's a normal sickness, from exhaustion," that person said. "A Beta's constitution is weak. If the fever continues like this, I'm afraid he won't make it."

"Rong-ge..."

The person stood up and said in a low voice, "Give me the car keys. I'm going out for a bit."

When he startled awake from his stupor again, Si Nan felt someone stuffing something into his mouth. He forced his eyes open. It was pitch black, so dark he couldn't see his own hand. After a few seconds, he could barely make out a sliver of light coming from under the door.

"Drink some water," Zhou Rong said, giving him a swig from a military canteen without taking no for an answer.

Si Nan swallowed the water and tasted a bitter flavor in his mouth. He realized it was the pill that had been forced between his teeth, now dissolved. "...You..."

"Fever reducer."

...Where did he get fever reducer?

Zhou Rong took off his jacket, tossed it on the floor, and plopped down, shamelessly squeezing into the same corner with him. He chided in a low voice, "Are you stupid or just an idiot? You went to the pharmacy just to find food, didn't you think to grab some common medicine? Now look, you have a fever. You made me drive twenty kilometers back and forth in the middle of the night. I almost became a midnight snack for the hundreds of Zombies on the street. If it weren't for the fact that you're good-looking..."

Si Nan let out a muffled cough and said hoarsely, "For saving you all during the day, you're welcome."

Zhou Rong immediately fell silent.

Si Nan had recovered a bit of energy. Just as he was about to tease him a little, he suddenly smelled a thick, corrupt, bloody stench coming from his feet—it was Zhou Rong's jacket on the floor.

He reached out and touched it. The fabric was sticky and damp.

In the darkness, only their deep breaths could be heard. After a long moment, Si Nan said in a low voice, "...Thank you."

Zhou Rong said, "You're welcome."

With the soft click of a lighter, Zhou Rong leaned back against the wall, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a relaxed, content puff of white smoke. He asked with a laugh, "Were you dreaming just now? I heard you muttering something. Sounded like you were cursing someone."

"..."

"Do you miss home?" Zhou Rong asked nonchalantly.

Si Nan shook his head.

"What did you do before? Your skills are pretty good. Private bodyguard? Or a cop?"

Si Nan shook his head again, not answering.

"Don't be so tense, relax and let's chat. What if it's not a fever but a real infection, and you die in a bit? I'd be the last person you could entrust your will to." Zhou Rong nudged him with his shoulder and teased, "Married? Got a partner?"

"...No."

"Good, me neither. The whole squad is full of bachelors."

Si Nan glanced at him from the corner of his eye and thought silently, 'That's because you're leading the gay parade.'

Completely oblivious, Zhou Rong took a drag from his cigarette and sighed leisurely, his tone full of longing. "The B Military Region Shelter can hold tens of thousands of people. It's self-sufficient with water and power, completely isolated from the outside world. After the virus passes, the country will definitely arrange for you all to settle in B City, have blind dates, get married, and encourage childbirth to replenish the population lost during the disaster..."

"Besides, Area B rescued the most Omegas, most of them of childbearing age, and they've sent troops specifically to protect them." Zhou Rong subconsciously licked his lips and smiled. "Tsk, impressive. Whoever came up with this policy is a real genius."

Si Nan's voice was a little tense. "Why?"

"Whenever a disaster strikes, Alphas are the main force for relief efforts. Whichever large shelter has more Alphas has a greater ability to compete for resources, weapons, and territory—and Alphas will naturally gravitate towards places with more Omegas. The higher-ups can then allocate Omegas as a strategic resource. Don't you understand such a simple principle?"

Zhou Rong took a deep drag on his cigarette, the red glow between his fingers brightening and dimming. Si Nan was silent for a long time, then was suddenly poked in the waist. "What are you thinking about, so absorbed?"

Si Nan said casually, "You want to go to Area B and claim a strategic resource to take home too?"

To his surprise, Zhou Rong refused flatly. "No!"

For a moment, Si Nan thought he was going to say, "Because I have Yan Hao." But before he could be moved by the love between these two Beta gays, he heard Zhou Rong say decisively, "I hate Omegas!"

"..." Si Nan asked, "Why, Rong-ge?"

Zhou Rong abruptly changed his posture, staring intently at Si Nan. He said earnestly, "I have to give you a piece of life advice, dear: If you're looking for a partner in the future, never, ever get an Omega."

"..."

"Try to find a Beta."

"..."

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Si Nan's mouth twitched slightly. "That's exactly my plan."

Zhou Rong patted his shoulder approvingly.

Si Nan asked sincerely, "But... why?"

He thought Zhou Rong would use Yan Hao as an example of how Beta gays could also find sexual happiness in life, but Zhou Rong once again shattered his unrealistic illusions about human nature. Zhou Rong said seriously, "Because Omegas... they have character issues."

In the darkness, the two stared at each other, holding a pose where Zhou Rong's hand rested on Si Nan's shoulder, their noses barely ten centimeters apart.

After a long moment, Si Nan finally squeezed carefully further into the corner and asked cautiously and politely, "Rong-ge, have you been hurt by love before?"

The words 'hurt by love' were clearly new to Zhou Rong. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "In a way, I was emotionally deceived, but it's not—actually, that was many years ago. Have you ever heard of the International Special Forces Jungle Competition?"

Si Nan shook his head.

Zhou Rong said, "When I was eighteen, I represented our country in the competition. I was way ahead on points, until the hostage rescue segment, where I encountered a hostage from Country A who claimed to be of Chinese descent... a fifteen-year-old Omega kid."