Chapter 4

"Brother Shen, the medical records..." Little O clasped his hands together, placing a ridiculously expensive and delicious-looking strawberry matcha cake on the desk—a cake he'd clearly bought from somewhere fancy. "I really can't finish them all! Please!"

"I'll give you next month's coffee coupons!"

Shen Shu nodded indifferently. "Sure, I don't have anything pressing."

After stuffing himself at a restaurant yesterday, he might as well have a free meal at the company convenience store today. Finishing the medical records would likely take until after 10 PM anyway, and he could even get overtime pay for it.

Little O expressed his profuse gratitude and zipped back to his desk on his chair, immediately launching into a lively conversation with another Omega Guide. They were discussing the C-grade Sentinel with a Color Fox Mental Body who had visited last week—Little O had a date with him that evening.

This was the nature of the Sentinel-Guide dynamic. While there were over a hundred thousand such pairs in total, after accounting for Sentinels working in Contaminated Zones and then dispersing across various cities, they became quite rare. Yet Guides and Sentinels were locked-in soulmates. For ordinary people, failing to find a partner might just mean a lonely life, but for Sentinels, failing to find a Guide was truly a matter of life and death.

"But he's only C-grade..."

"I'm only C-grade too, and he works at the Research Institute, so he doesn't have to go to the front lines." Little O cupped his cheeks, his eyes practically sparkling with little hearts, and said dreamily, "And our compatibility is 83%..."

According to internal statistics, the average lifespan of Sentinels fighting on the front lines is 30 years, most of them dying in battles against Mutants. Sometimes, if they're unlucky, an entire Sentinel squad, including their accompanying Guides, might perish heroically in a Contaminated Zone.

However, Sentinels not involved in combat, with sufficient Guiding Substance to regulate their pheromones, have lifespans comparable to normal people.

Little O added, "You weren't there that day. You know? His pheromones smelled so good—like jasmine!"

"Wow, is that rare?" Another Little O nodded in agreement, then turned to Shen Shu. "Brother Shen, you're a Beta, right? Can you really not smell pheromones at all?"

"Hmm, I can never smell it normally," Shen Shu said, opening the System to check the progress of the medical record. In reality, it was possible to smell it, but the conditions required were far too numerous and difficult to meet. First, the individual had to be at least a Grade S Alpha or Omega. Second, the Alpha or Omega had to release a large amount of pheromones or come into contact with bodily fluids containing a high concentration of them. Third, the two individuals had to be in a very intimate state. Finally, their compatibility had to be relatively high. Only then could the pheromone receptors, which had degenerated to near-nonexistence in Betas, perceive the presence of pheromones.

Moreover, experimental data showed significant individual variations; some people couldn't smell pheromones even when all these conditions were met.

The Little O's voice was filled with wonder. "That's such a shame! The Alpha who came in this morning had such a rare scent... It smelled like Ebony Rose! I just looked it up—there's only one bottle of Ebony Rose perfume in the entire country!"

"It's fine. When I have time, I'll buy a bottle of Ebony Rose perfume to use as a substitute." Shen Shu recalled the Sentinel's face from that morning, feeling a sense of surprise. How could such a tall, aloof, and imposing Alpha Sentinel have a pheromone scent as deep and subtly sweet as Ebony Rose?

The contrast was striking.

Seeing that Shen Shu was already working, the two Little Os stopped bothering him and turned to discussing another Little O's date...

Time passed quickly, and the day was spent quietly filling out medical records. It wasn't until past 9 p.m. that Shen Shu finally finished. He stretched, finding himself alone in the office. Rubbing his neck, he leaned back and started scrolling through videos on his computer—a way to rest his brain, stuffed with medical records, and order takeout so it would be ready when he got home.

He casually opened the overtime schedule. The page was densely marked with red checkmarks, a testament to working overtime or night shifts for more than half the month. This made him the first person his colleagues turned to when they needed help.

Actually, night shifts weren't that tiring, especially in their niche department with few patients. All he had to do was sleep in the duty room; nurses would call him only if there was a medical emergency. But the overtime pay was 300.

What more could you ask for? 300 for night shifts where you could usually sleep through the night and get the next day off? It was practically a gift!

Sometimes Shen Shu even felt a little guilty about getting paid so much for so few patients at night.

The overtime pay wasn't much—50 yuan, just enough to cover his commute and meals.

After ordering takeout and using a coupon and a red envelope, he got a super-sized box of fried chicken for just 45 yuan! Usually, this thing cost 100 yuan! The chicken, coated in cheese powder and garlic sauce, was so delicious it could kill you. Shen Shu had become obsessed with this place lately. He'd rent an electric scooter back for 2 yuan, and when you rounded up, it was like the hospital was paying for his chicken. He'd even make 3 yuan!

Happy.

By the time Shen Shu was almost at his apartment building, he remembered he'd originally planned to grab something quick at a convenience store... What convenience store? Who cares? It definitely wouldn't be as good as fried chicken!

Shen Shu lived in a subsidized talent apartment provided by the city government. Though it was a bit old and small, the structure and soundproofing were solid. 50 square meters was more than enough for one person, and its proximity to the hospital made it practically a paradise.

His current goal was to earn enough to buy the place outright. That way, he wouldn't have to move—perfect.

Shen Shu glanced at his phone. He lived on the fifth floor, and his food delivery was almost here, so he decided to wait outside. Fortunately, the weather wasn't too cold, so Shen Shu stood at the stairwell entrance scrolling through videos. When the delivery was only 300 meters away, he put down his phone and focused on waiting for the delivery driver who was coming just for him!

Suddenly, he felt something bump into his back. He stumbled forward but quickly regained his balance. He turned around, puzzled. What the hell just ran into me?

But there was nothing behind him—only the dark stairwell, as calm and silent as ever.

Shen Shu took a deep breath. What's going on? Is this place haunted?

The force of the impact couldn't have been his imagination. He'd genuinely thought some neighbor's dog had escaped.

Suddenly, something warm pressed against his leg and began rubbing against it insistently. Shen Shu looked down and saw a majestic white dog pressing its body against his leg and rubbing against him vigorously.

It's probably a dog, right? It looks a bit like a lion, but lions aren't this small.

Shen Shu fell silent for a moment, then used his leg to nudge the dog aside. All cats and dogs shed, and he was wearing black pants today—those who know, know.

The dog, undeterred by the push, continued to cling and nuzzle against him. Its paws rested on his leg, and it tried to reach his hand with its head.

Shen Shu immediately raised both hands. "Hey, stop that! Whose dog is this—!"

"Whose dog snuck out!"

The dog, blissfully unaware, continued to rub its big head against his stomach when it couldn't reach his hand. After calling out a few times with no response, Shen Shu looked down at the goofy-looking dog. His clothes were already ruined anyway, so he reached out and ruffled its head.

The feel was exactly as he'd imagined: warm, fluffy, and solid. Its ears were fun—crisp and springy when pressed. He leaned down, cupped the dog's big face, and rubbed it from side to side. "Whose dog are you? Are you lost?"

Of course, the dog couldn't answer.

Gouzi obediently buried its face in Shen Shu's palm, letting him rub it freely. It eagerly licked his hand, making Shen Shu laugh. He then wiped its drool off on the dog's fur.

"The vast horizon is my love~" As the dazzling rainbow lights ahead announced the deliveryman's arrival, Shen Shu quickly called out to the deliveryman who was about to rush upstairs. "Bro! My order!"

"Thanks!" The deliveryman shoved the food into Shen Shu's hands and sped off, leaving behind the line, "What kind of song is the happiest?"

Holding the food, Shen Shu glanced down at Gouzi, who was still clinging to his leg. Taking it home was out of the question, so he called the property management office. "Yes, yes... I have a lost dog here... a long-haired white dog... looks a bit like a Samoyed, but not quite. Could you check if anyone's missing one? Please come and pick it up. I'll be waiting downstairs Building 17."

As he spoke, Shen Shu couldn't help but examine Gouzi more closely. Why is its muzzle so flat, like a cat's?

Never mind. With so many dog breeds these days, it's normal I don't recognize it.

Still, it's pretty cute.

Before the property management arrived, the aroma of the fried chicken in his hands was too tempting to resist. Shen Shu decided to eat it right there on the spot; letting the chicken get cold would be a sacrilege. He nudged Gouzi a little further away, opened the takeout container on the stair railing, and instantly a wave of savory, cheesy, garlicky fragrance wafted out, steaming hot. He took a deep breath, feeling as though his soul had been redeemed in that moment.

The skin, softened by the batter and sauce, still had a satisfying crunch when he bit into it. The chicken was juicy, tender, and smooth, with no hint of gaminess. Shen Shu devoured a chicken wing in two bites, leaving behind a clean bone.

Delicious!

"Waaah~" Gouzi whined longingly from the side, pawing anxiously at Shen Shu's pants leg. Shen Shu held up a finger. "No! Dogs can't eat fried chicken. This stuff is unhealthy!"

"It's not that I'm being stingy, it's just that if you get sick, I can't afford the vet bills. Think how worried your owner would be if they knew you'd eaten this... they might even have to take you to the doctor!"

Gouzi whined even more pitifully.

Not being able to afford it was his bottom line. Shen Shu didn't budge, standing his ground and rapidly stuffing fried chicken into his mouth. Suddenly, Gouzi made a leap of faith, its big head slamming into the stair railing with a clang. The fried chicken, which had been resting on the railing, tumbled to the ground with a splat.

Shocked but quick-witted, Shen Shu caught the chicken box, but at least two-thirds of the contents had spilled onto the floor. Only two drumsticks and one wing remained in the box.

Gouzi immediately abandoned its beloved Shen Shu and buried its head in the fallen food.

Shen Shu stared, dumbfounded. The next moment, he lunged for the drumsticks on the floor. No! he thought. After all those tech and tricks, and I just paid off my debts! I can't afford to go into debt again!

Ignoring everything else, he grabbed Gouzi by the ear and snatched the bone sticking out of its mouth. "No eating! Spit it out! Do you hear me?"

With a powerful bite, Gouzi snapped the drumstick in half, devouring the meaty half in seconds. It immediately tried to eat the garbage on the floor. Though Shen Shu moved swiftly, he only managed to scoop Gouzi up and restrain it after the dog had already bitten into the wing.

"Spit it out!" Shen Shu shouted.

"Woof woof~" Gouzi let out an inexplicable bark.

Just then, a hand reached out and lifted the dog away.

The tall, stern Sentinel, expressionless, held the dog in one hand and nodded. "My apologies, Dr. Shen. I will compensate for the trouble it caused."

Shen Shu was startled. He hadn't even noticed when the man had approached him... This was too much. He quickly regained his composure. "Hello. Do you need my cooperation with something?"

The Sentinel nodded, about to speak, when Gouzi suddenly broke free and began devouring the fried chicken on the ground with ravenous abandon.

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.

Shen Shu blurted out, "...I'll pretend I didn't see anything."

Did he even need to ask what was going on?

Anyone would be embarrassed to have this dog as their Mental Body!

Even owners of ordinary pet dogs would scold them for eating off the ground, let alone their own Mental Body! What was the difference between this and the man himself crawling on the ground to gobble up fallen fried chicken?!

Shen Shu glanced at the stern Sentinel again. He couldn't tell at all that his Mental Body was so naive and sweet!

No wonder his pheromones smelled like Ebony Rose.