Chapter 5: My Apologies
The projection displayed the person’s profile.
Romeo Solstice, male Alpha, 26 years old.
Height one hundred and ninety centimeters, slender build, with platinum blond hair and pale blue eyes tinged with a hint of violet.
Formerly a student at Capital Star’s prestigious Saint Rhodesacri University, he was expelled in his second year for suspected involvement in group cheating. His whereabouts have been a mystery ever since.
“We suspect he is connected to the Vulcan theft, but unfortunately, we have never been able to find direct evidence,” RV said.
Romeo Solstice…
It had to be said, he had an extremely deceptive face, one that had completely fooled Wen En. Looking at that face alone, Wen En wouldn’t have been surprised to see it on a poster for an artistic romantic film. He would never have imagined that he was actually a shameful, thieving liar.
Wen En’s expression was terrifyingly dark. Back then, this bastard had told Wen En his name was Roy Miller. Great, barely a word of truth ever comes out of this guy’s mouth.
At this moment, a team member next to RV raised a question. “But, if a priceless gem was stolen, shouldn’t the owner go to an insurance company, not us?”
That was true. Wen En didn’t believe for a second that the owner hadn’t purchased insurance.
The amount of insurance those wealthy people took out on their leather coats, jewelry, and pet dogs was hundreds of times higher than the pension Wen En would receive in fifty years. No matter how he looked at it, Wen En felt that going to an insurance company was more reliable than coming to them.
“Good question, Della,” RV said. “The problem is, this is no ordinary gem.”
The 3D image on the table changed from Romeo Solstice to that of a blue gem.
RV continued, “This stone emits a peculiar type of radiation, giving off a faint blue glow in the dark. This radiation is harmless to the human body. However, it is the raw material for making a weapon called Jupiter.”
Jupiter…
Everyone in the room held their breath.
Wen En finally understood why F.I.A.D. had taken this case.
Jupiter was a man-made weapon of mass destruction. A single launch could detonate a star with a diameter of three billion kilometers. This weapon was accidentally created by a physicist fifty years ago and was later improved by the interstellar military into an imperial military weapon for the Interstellar Federation Empire’s external wars.
It was only after the war ended that the Empire’s astronomers discovered that the ecosystems of star systems where the Jupiter weapon had been used had fallen into extreme disarray. The detonation of stars had imbalanced the internal gravitational forces that held those systems together, causing them to become desolate, uninhabited zones.
After that, the Jupiter weapon was destroyed. And Jupiter’s core, the stone known as Vulcan, was purchased by a corporation called Joseph Hall Biotechnology for research.
“But in reality, Vulcan wasn’t used for biological research. Joseph Hall Biotechnology anonymously entrusted the Interstellar Central Bank to store Vulcan on their behalf?” Wen En said with a frown.
“That’s right,” RV said. “By the way, did I mention that Joseph Hall Biotechnology is also the client for this mission?”
“Jupiter has been destroyed anyway, so what are they so nervous about?” Della said. “I still think it would be more convenient for them to seek compensation from an insurance company than to have F.I.A.D. retrieve Vulcan. Commissioning us must cost them a fortune.”
Wen En said, “I saw information about their company in the news. Their boss just took office, and then this mess happened. Their boss is probably trying to secure his position and prove himself, which is why he’s willing to spend a lot of money to get Vulcan back.”
“That, I wouldn’t know,” RV shrugged. “In any case, they’ve already paid for this mission. And because it’s an urgent mission, they paid a lot extra.”
Alright, for the money’s sake.
“Getting back to Romeo Solstice, our Skynet system recently discovered his face on the guest list of an auction.”
The 3D image on the table changed, becoming a stack of exquisitely made guest lists printed in cursive script. As the list flipped to the third page, Romeo’s face came into view.
The Romeo on the guest list looked slightly different from the one in the profile just now. To be precise, his appearance hadn’t changed much, but his aura had. Wen En felt that the Romeo on the guest list looked much more treacherous and sinister.
“This auction will be held on Planet K9 in four days. Time is tight. Our primary objective is to capture Romeo Solstice and force him to give us clues about Vulcan,” RV said.
“Understood,” Wen En and Della said in unison.
“Now, let’s assign the tasks.”
RV pointed at Wen En and said, “Wen En, without a doubt, you’re on the front line.”
Wen En shrugged his shoulders.
RV turned to Della, who was next to Wen En. “Della, as always, you’ll be providing logistics and information technology support.”
“Understood, boss,” Della said.
Wen En had looked at Della’s file yesterday. She was a recent newcomer, holding a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Security from Saint Rhodesacri University. She had given up a high-paying job at a major corporation to join F.I.A.D.
A little interesting, Wen En thought. This whole meeting feels like an academic seminar.
“PJ gave you the information chip for this mission, right? It contains a lot of data. If you have questions, review the materials. We can find time to discuss any remaining issues later,” RV said.
“Alright, you can go back for now. Prepare well. We’ll meet at the airport tomorrow morning and depart for Planet K9.”
Central Galaxy, Planet K9.
This was a planet very close to Capital Star. It also had a very beautiful name: Lailaste. The name was a transliteration from the ancient Livir language, meaning “Heart of the God of Wine.”
In ancient Livir mythology, the God of Wine was the personification of desire. Omegas wept for him, Betas despaired for him, and Alphas went mad for him. With a wave of his hand, the people of an entire city would become intoxicated for him.
What Planet K9, or its other name, Lailaste, was meant to symbolize was self-evident.
Today, the planet’s largest entertainment complex—the Andersen Grand Hotel—was hosting a grand auction.
The celebrities and dignitaries of Capital Star would all gather on Lailaste. After the auction, they would hold a post-event party lasting five days and four nights, indulging in pleasure.
Countless luxury cars came and went, starting and stopping. Security guards, with guns at their waists, watched with serious eyes as the distinguished guests, surrounded by hotel doormen, stepped out of their cars and walked in, necks held high and swaying like swans.
A red sports car pulled up at the hotel entrance.
A doorman, dressed in a red suit jacket, white trousers, and a striped tie, tactfully stepped forward and pulled open the rear door handle. “Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me,” the doorman said politely.
Before the occupants had even gotten out, a rich scent of intertwined Alpha and Omega pheromones washed over him.
The scent of bergamot mixed with coconut was interwoven with the aroma of clary sage and grapefruit.
Fortunately, the doorman was just an ordinary Beta, insensitive to pheromones, which allowed him to remain calm.
A long leg stepped out of the car. As the gentleman walked up to him, the doorman could feel the bergamot and coconut scent grow stronger.
The doorman naturally recognized who this person was. Every service staff member present had long since memorized today’s guest list.
“Mr. Romeo,” the doorman smiled.
The doorman had a rather strong impression of this gentleman, not only because he had an artistic-looking face, but also because his name had a special, vintage feel, like the subject of a Renaissance-era noble portrait in a museum.
Now, seeing him in person, the doorman’s impression of him deepened. It was because of his pheromones—the bergamot and coconut Alpha pheromones were extremely distinctive among the other Alphas present, whose scents were pungent and aggressive.
Mr. Romeo wore large, black-framed glasses and a loose-fitting, caramel-colored suit. The seemingly ill-fitting design was worn by him with a sense of leisure, as if he wasn’t here to attend an auction, but simply to have a cup of afternoon tea.
Romeo smiled, pulled out a tip from his inner suit pocket, and handed it to the doorman.
“Thank you,” the doorman said, looking at him gratefully.
Romeo didn’t rush to close the door but stood to the side. The doorman promptly extended a hand to support the lady who was about to get out of the car.
The Omega scent of clary sage and grapefruit brushed past the doorman’s face. He was stunned for a moment but quickly returned to his calm, professional state.
“Miss Claire,” the doorman said.
“Thank you,” the female Omega known as Claire smiled faintly.
“Allow me,” at that moment, Mr. Romeo, who was standing aside, took Miss Claire’s hand from the doorman.
Claire glanced at him. “Of course.”
Claire wore a celadon-brown evening gown. The tiny diamonds on the dress sparkled like stars under the lights, making her look as dazzling and captivating as a runway model.
The doorman closed the car door. He watched the backs of the two as they walked into the auction hand in hand, thinking to himself, What a perfect match, as perfect as the male and female leads in a movie.
But the doorman’s thoughts didn’t linger on the pair for long as he began to welcome the next distinguished guest.
He also failed to notice that Mr. Romeo and Miss Claire, whom he considered an extremely perfect match, let go of each other’s hands with extreme speed the moment they entered the private guest box provided by the auction house.
