After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Met the Reborn Omega (GL) - Chapter 30

The waves grew larger, and the sky gradually darkened. Hua Miaomiao stayed by Mo Zhaoyan’s side as they continued to watch the sea. Unfortunately, unpredictable weather struck — the coastline at the horizon, once connected to the sky, was now covered by dark clouds, blotting out the glowing sunset. A violent storm was rapidly approaching the island.

There were no stars in the sea. Mo Zhaoyan had initially guessed that the star must be hidden somewhere underwater. Yet, with the island surrounded by vast ocean, finding a single star seemed nearly impossible. Mo Zhaoyan originally thought the production crew would have placed the prop somewhere along the shore, expecting it to glow at night to help contestants locate it. However, seeing the dark clouds rolling closer, she realized finding the star tonight would be impossible.

Due to the sudden storm, the production team decided to halt filming. Watching the fierce storm bearing down on them, Mo Zhaoyan felt an overwhelming unease, as if something bad was about to happen.

Standing side by side, Hua Miaomiao was slightly shorter than Mo Zhaoyan. The hem of her red dress fluttered brightly in the growing gloom.

“President Mo,” Hua Miaomiao said, “someone like you deserves someone better.”

Mo Zhaoyan understood what Hua Miaomiao was hinting at. Many online also believed that Lin Changsheng was unworthy of her. But how could outsiders have the right to judge her personal affairs?

“Whether someone is worthy or not is for me to decide. Others have no right to comment,” Mo Zhaoyan replied coolly.

Hua Miaomiao regarded her with great interest. “You like Lin Changsheng that much?”

Mo Zhaoyan didn’t even spare her a glance. “President Hua, it seems you are more interested in my assistant.”

Hua Miaomiao hadn’t expected Mo Zhaoyan to be so perceptive. Nevertheless, Hua Miaomiao had never intended to hide her feelings for Tang Ying — it was merely that Tang Ying disliked attracting attention.

“It’s just a normal romantic relationship. Surely President Mo doesn’t mind?” Hua Miaomiao admitted openly. However, Mo Zhaoyan decided to strike back.

“From what I know, Ying doesn’t easily enter romantic relationships. Perhaps, President Hua, this is just your wishful thinking?”

Hua Miaomiao bit the back of her tongue in frustration. Mo Zhaoyan had bested her again. She could only force a smile and say, “Maybe she’s just shy?”

Mo Zhaoyan did not expose her further. She simply smiled faintly, and the conversation ended there. Hua Miaomiao still disliked dealing with someone as shrewd as Mo Zhaoyan — every word from her seemed a test, every step a potential trap.

It was exhausting. How did Lin Changsheng put up with her?

The rain had already started to fall. The production team hurriedly escorted Hua Miaomiao and Mo Zhaoyan to the village, where accommodations had been prepared. When they arrived, they found only Gu Ruoyun there and quickly learned that Lin Changsheng had not yet returned.

The production crew was frantic. The rain came so swiftly it even disrupted communications — something the crew hadn’t anticipated. Unable to contact Lin Changsheng and the others, Mo Zhaoyan wanted to go search for her, but the staff stopped her. The storm outside was too dangerous.

Fortunately, Gu Ximeng finally made contact with the cameraman who had been following Lin Changsheng. It turned out that Lin Changsheng and Bai Qin had gone to the central lake on the island, believing the star was hidden in the water.

Lin Changsheng had drawn this conclusion from the village legend: a man had drowned there, and the islanders knew nothing about the existence of the mirror. The surface of the water was, after all, nature’s finest mirror.

Compared to Mo Zhaoyan’s guesses, Lin Changsheng had conducted a more thorough investigation of the island’s terrain and discovered a natural lake in the center. It was rare for such a large lake to exist on an island. Researching further, she learned the lake was once the site of the former island lord’s residence.

Legend had it that the island lord angered the heavens, and a meteor struck the site, killing him and leaving a massive crater. After heavy rains, the crater filled with water, forming the lake. Although Lin Changsheng found the story puzzling, she decided to take a chance.

The lake was not deep but covered a large area. Lin Changsheng couldn’t find the star immediately. At first, she had planned to wait until nightfall to search. However, she worried that it might become too late to complete the task, so she kept diving again and again to look for it.

As the storm worsened, the production crew officially suspended filming.

Exhausted, Lin Changsheng lay by the lake’s edge, breathing heavily. Bai Qin, who couldn’t swim, could only wait anxiously onshore. The crew informed them they must return immediately, but Lin Changsheng felt she was close to finding the star. She pleaded for one more attempt.

Naturally, the production team refused. Lin Changsheng could only turn a pleading gaze toward Bai Qin. Sighing, Bai Qin thought, why is Lin Changsheng so stubborn? Then, she cleverly distracted the crew to buy her friend a little more time.

Lin Changsheng took advantage of a moment when the production crew was distracted to dive again. However, the storm struck suddenly. What had been a light drizzle quickly turned into a fierce downpour; the raindrops hitting the skin even caused a slight stinging sensation. The water level was rising rapidly, already surpassing the original safety line, yet Lin Changsheng had not surfaced.

The production team hastily set up shelter from the rain and sent trained lifeguards into the water. Although Lin Changsheng was wearing the diving gear provided by the crew, the rapidly rising water still posed a significant danger, and the team feared an accident might occur.

Meanwhile, Lin Changsheng remained unaware of the situation above. Underwater, everything was calm. Yet, she could feel that the water was indeed deeper than before; she had to dive further than she had earlier. Night had fallen, and the water was enveloped in darkness. Amid the blackness, a tiny stone shimmered faintly.

Had it been daytime, it would have been nearly impossible to spot. Fortunately, under the cover of darkness, the stone flickered like a star. Lin Changsheng lifted the slab that had been pressing down on the star-shaped object, finally allowing it to shine freely once again.

She hurried to the surface, only to find the water currents had become turbulent. Struggling against the flow, she finally broke through the surface. It was pouring heavily; the production crew had turned on every available drone light, frantically scanning the water for her.

At last, Lin Changsheng was brought back to the shelter. Mo Zhaoyan, visibly worried, hurried forward. Had they delayed any longer, Mo Zhaoyan would have called in her own people — agents she had stationed secretly to protect her at all times, with Tang Ying as their leader.

Ironically, it was these same people who, in her previous life, had fatally shot Lin Changsheng. For them, protecting Mo Zhaoyan took absolute priority over all other commands.

Bai Qin, completely drenched, was shivering with cold. While everyone else fussed over Lin Changsheng, it was Gu Ruoyun who noticed Bai Qin huddled alone at the back of the crowd. She quickly handed her a towel.

Seeing Gu Ruoyun’s concern, Bai Qin silently accepted the towel and murmured a soft thanks. Though the two remained awkward around each other, the moment was genuine.

Meanwhile, Hua Miaomiao, quietly observing the scene, noticed Tang Ying’s arrival. Somehow, Tang Ying had appeared without anyone noticing. She approached Mo Zhaoyan and whispered something in her ear, causing Mo Zhaoyan’s expression to darken.

On the television, the latest weather report was being broadcast: the island’s communication lines had completely failed due to the storm. For their safety, Gu Ximeng announced that filming would be suspended until the weather cleared.

Lin Changsheng clutched the stone she had worked so hard to find, feeling a little dejected. She wouldn’t be able to team up with Mo Zhaoyan after all. The stone, which glowed faintly in the dark, appeared completely ordinary under the bright indoor lights — just a piece of dull glass, lacking any luster.

Lin Changsheng didn’t know exactly what material the stone was made of, but she guessed it absorbed sunlight during the day and emitted a faint glow at night — similar to how real stars shined.

Gu Ximeng assigned rooms for everyone, instructing them to rest for the night. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the suspended filming, Mo Zhaoyan followed Tang Ying to another house in the village.

Despite using umbrellas, the heavy rain still soaked them thoroughly. Tang Ying, shielding Mo Zhaoyan as much as possible, ended up completely drenched herself.

A woman answered the door — dressed in beachwear, looking every bit a tourist, with a translator device hanging by her ear. She seemed stunned when she saw Mo Zhaoyan.

“President Mo?” she exclaimed.

“May I come in?” Mo Zhaoyan asked politely.

Though the woman hesitated briefly, she ultimately let them inside.

Unbeknownst to them, Lin Changsheng had been quietly following Mo Zhaoyan all along. She had originally intended to find Mo Zhaoyan secretly, but stumbled upon her and Tang Ying sneaking out into the storm. Why would they leave in such heavy rain?

Bai Qin had also spotted them. Thanks to her instincts as a seasoned paparazzo, she immediately tailed them without hesitation. Lin Changsheng hesitated at first — spying on Mo Zhaoyan’s private matters didn’t sit well with her.

However, seeing Bai Qin following along, she found herself a justification: I’m just here to stop Bai Qin.

“That’s Chen Lin, isn’t it?” Bai Qin whispered.

“Chen Lin?” Lin Changsheng echoed.

Bai Qin’s connections were indeed impressive; she recognized the mysterious woman immediately. She glanced at Lin Changsheng with some confusion — how could Lin Changsheng not recognize Chen Lin? Suspicion flickered across her mind.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Changsheng asked, puzzled by Bai Qin’s sudden stare.

“That’s Chen Lin — Officer Chen. You two should know each other,” Bai Qin said.

The moment that name entered her ears, Lin Changsheng felt a sudden, sharp headache. Voices burst into her mind — she saw herself, hands cuffed, sitting across from a woman — the same woman who had just opened the door for Mo Zhaoyan.

Relentless interrogation echoed in her memory:

“Speak! Was it you who did it?”

“Lin Changsheng, did you kill them?”

“Lin Changsheng! That other person you mentioned doesn’t exist — at the scene, we only found your fingerprints!”

The repeated questioning pounded against her skull, making the pain unbearable. Who was that person…? Lin Changsheng struggled to remember.

Meanwhile, Mo Zhaoyan had followed Chen Lin into the room, with Tang Ying staying close behind her, never letting Chen Lin out of her sight.

Chen Lin seemed to notice their wariness and suddenly chuckled, tapping her crutch heavily against the floor.

It was then that Mo Zhaoyan noticed her leg — it was a prosthetic. The dim lighting earlier had masked the crutch she now leaned on.

“I’m retired now, just a cripple. No need to be so cautious,” Chen Lin said lightly.

Mo Zhaoyan, however, refused to relax. She knew what kind of person Chen Lin was — someone who would never easily let go of her version of justice.

“I heard you opened a detective agency.”

Chen Lin sat down, tossing the crutch aside casually. “President Mo, your information is as sharp as ever.”

“I don’t care why you’re here. I only hope you won’t disturb Lin Changsheng,” Mo Zhaoyan said coldly.

Chen Lin’s hand, halfway to lighting a cigarette, froze. That familiar name made her hesitate, a trace of guilt flashing across her face.

“Lin Changsheng… How is she?” she asked, her voice soft.

Mo Zhaoyan’s cold gaze bore into her. Chen Lin now looked so worn down, so different from the figure she remembered.

“Lin Changsheng no longer remembers those things. I don’t want her to remember — not because of you,” Mo Zhaoyan said flatly.

“I…”

Chen Lin had just begun to speak when Mo Zhaoyan cut her off:

“Seven years ago, the case of the family of seven slaughtered — the one where Lin Changsheng was the one who reported it. She had been missing for a week when she called. Lin Changsheng said there was someone else at the scene, but she couldn’t describe their appearance. The police only found her fingerprints at the crime scene, making her the prime suspect.

“You were in charge of that case. You interrogated Lin Changsheng for twenty-four straight hours, trying to break her down psychologically and force a confession.”

Chen Lin could never forget the broken look in Lin Changsheng’s eyes — she had only been able to repeat over and over: It wasn’t me.

Lighting a cigarette, smoke curled around Chen Lin as Mo Zhaoyan pressed on:

“Psychological evaluations showed that Lin Changsheng was experiencing auditory hallucinations — she often heard another person’s voice. But that didn’t mean she was wrong about there being another person at the scene. Still, the police concluded she was mentally unstable. Adding to that, her parents had just died, and among the murdered family was someone who had been cyberbullying her.

“The police chose to believe Lin Changsheng had committed the murders.

“But despite everything, Lin Changsheng withstood your interrogation and never confessed. In the end, due to insufficient evidence, the police released her, and the case remains unsolved.”

Mo Zhaoyan’s voice turned sharp.

“Tell me — did you ever believe Lin Changsheng? Did you ever even try to find the other person she spoke of? It’s been seven years, Chen Officer. Are you still clinging to your so-called justice?”

“I may no longer be a police officer,” Chen Lin said slowly, “but I have never given up on seeking the truth. Even if I lost it once, the honor of being a police officer still drives me.”