Omega Manual chapter 5

Nantes

His seat was by the window, next to a Beta girl in her teens, her hair dyed pink, with her legs crossed, chewing something in her mouth.

Soon, the carriage was filled with people. Every space, whether in the aisle, between carriages, or even in the toilet and luggage racks, was packed with no space left. A thin man spread a sack on the luggage rack as soon as he got on the train, taking up a large area, ignoring the disapproving glances around him.

Despite all the spaces being filled with people, there was no communication between the passengers. The carriage was filled only with continuous coughing, throat clearing, occasionally interrupted by a child’s cry and a mother’s comfort.

Irey looked out the window, took out a lighter, and lit a cigarette. The girl next to him frowned, “Can you smoke in the bathroom?”

“Invent teleportation and then I can,” Irey said, nodding towards the crowded people in the aisle with his chin.

The girl rolled her eyes and didn’t speak anymore.

Soon, the whistle sounded, and the train, like a silent monster, carrying all the passengers who still didn’t know their future or destination, steadily headed towards the distance.

The year before the disaster broke out, Irey had been to Nantes once.

If he had to describe it in some way, he would choose the word “exquisite”.

Although the walls there were not made of gold, every brick and tile was crafted delicately, with patterns and designs drawn by old craftsmen. You could find the most classical buildings in the city, as well as the most fashionable designs.

There were all kinds of shops, bustling with young people from all over the world on the streets. The largest shopping mall and the oldest church in the city center were just a street apart. As the church bells rang, university students also came out from beautiful clothing stores, chatting and laughing.

He still remembered there was a fountain on the square of the main street in Nantes, where classical music played from the horns would accompany the flutter of pigeons. A group of pigeons always lingered near the square, and when they got tired of flying, they would land near the crowd to rest and beg for a bite to eat. A clown sold balloons next to the bakery, and when he saw children running by, he would stuff a balloon into their small hands and then ask their parents for money.

He had also been one of the victims cheated by the clown, just because Caroline liked that pink pig balloon, she held it tightly and ran around the fountain three times, unwilling to let go.

The train didn’t arrive in Nantes until early the next morning.

Most of the passengers got off the train in the afternoon or evening of the previous day. When Irey woke up, the girl with the pink hair was gone, replaced by a disheveled vagabond who was fast asleep with his face buried in a dirty hat, clearly having found a way to evade paying the fare.

The train slowed down gradually and finally stopped in front of the platform. Irey looked out the window and saw the sign on the platform with the words “Nantes” written on it.

He stood up, tapped the shoulder of the vagabond, who didn’t react at all. Irey clicked his tongue and squeezed out from between the vagabond and the seat.

It was just barely dawn, and dew still glistened on the grass in the flower beds along the road. There were hardly any people on the street except for the vagabond. Irey walked forward along the road from memory and found that many snack shops on both sides of the road were closed, with their signs lying beside them, looking as if someone had held a gun to their heads and they had hastily fled for their lives.

Moreover, the fountain was not spraying anymore; the nozzles were rusty, and the pool was full of dust and bird droppings. Of course, there was no clown selling balloons either.

On the desolate street, a Beta woman who looked at least sixty years old held a large broom and swept the street leisurely.

Irey walked over, showed her the address in the letter, and asked, “Is this place nearby?”

The old lady looked at him and pointed in a direction.

“Thank you.”

After walking a few steps, Irey paused and turned back to add, “Why isn’t the fountain in the square spraying anymore?”

“It hasn’t sprayed for years.” The old lady said slowly, “There’s no money left, and nobody cares anymore.”

Irey nodded and walked towards the direction he had just been pointed to.

At eleven o’clock, he arrived at the door of the Manta Grand Hotel on time.

This hotel occupied at least three shops just in terms of its facade, with a magnificent golden door facing the busiest street in the center of Nantes. Two tall and handsome Alpha men stood on either side, and a red carpet was laid out in the middle. The people coming and going were all elegantly dressed upper-class people, making Irey’s plain attire stand out among them.

The two guards who stood straight at the door frowned and seemed to be coming over to chase him away.

“I have a reservation,” Irey said, “Room number three on the second floor.”

The guard looked him up and down suspiciously, obviously not believing what he said. Irey impatiently took out the envelope and waved it in front of the guard.

“I’ve been invited for dinner. Is that enough?”

The guard reluctantly averted his gaze and made a perfunctory gesture of “please come in.”

Irey put the letter back into his pocket and walked into the hotel confidently.

The Manta Grand Hotel was the best hotel in Nantes, and it was said to be the best in the world. Irey knew that these people dared to claim this only because the scope of the “world” had become too small now. Eighty percent of the global population had died in the meteor shower disaster five years ago, and the surviving humans had to move to the farthest places from the radiation of the meteorites.

Then, whether it was the influence of radiation or the instinct of the human race to reproduce, the surviving humans quickly differentiated into three secondary genders six months later, and the temporary government named these three genders Alpha, Beta, and Omega.

Even the Manta company itself, before the disaster, was a high-tech company researching things like mobile phone chips. Now, due to the influence of meteorite radiation, it had to change its track and start a restaurant business, but it shamelessly presented itself as if it were a century-old establishment, even though it had only been open for less than three years from its founding to today.

The floor of the hotel lobby was waxed to a shine, and the glass on the chandeliers reflected the light dazzlingly. Elegantly dressed men and women were dining gracefully everywhere, and the beautiful classical piano music filled the entire hall like flowing water.

A few guests cast curious glances at Irey, but he ignored them and walked straight up the stairs to the second floor.

A slender figure stood by the window.

He was wearing a pure white suit, his light golden hair neatly groomed and tied behind his head, his chin slightly raised, the well-tailored fabric perfectly outlining his figure, and his long fingers tapping the edge of the windowsill lightly and rhythmically.

He looked so refined that Irey almost thought he was in a costume.

This person was naturally the Omega with golden hair and blue eyes that he had picked up from the bar a few days ago, Shelley.

Compared to the embarrassment of that night, he seemed like a completely different person now. Elegant, dignified, exuding the unique temperament and manners of the upper class, even if he did nothing, there was a natural arrogance emanating from him.

Irey stopped not too far from Shelley’s position, hands in pockets, waiting.

Shelley quickly turned around, nodding politely to Irey. “You’re here.”

“Mm.” Irey looked Shelley up and down, “Nice clothes. Are you working here? Welcoming guests?”

A single sentence successfully made Shelley’s face look ugly.

“Strictly speaking, this hotel is owned by my family.” Shelley emphasized, “‘Manta’ is my surname.”

Irey nodded thoughtfully, “So you’re working for your family’s hotel.”

“…,” Shelley stared at Irey with resentment, emphasizing each word, “No one is working here! It’s common sense to dress formally when receiving guests, not to come in like you wrapped in a rag!”

Irey, deep in thought, nodded, “So you’re not working, just dressing up for your family’s hotel.”

Shelley’s face turned even uglier, if that was possible.

Irey laughed. Seeing the cunning look in his brown eyes, Shelley realized that the man was just playing him.

“Go in,” Shelley pointed to the door of room number three.

Irey didn’t argue anymore, shrugged, and walked into the private room as instructed.

The dishes were already served, steaming hot and filling the table.

It had been years since Irey had seen such a variety of meat and dairy products gathered together. Ever since the disaster, food resources in the central and lower districts had become extremely scarce. In the central district, one could still buy milk and eggs, while in the lower district, at best, one could barely get a slice of beef.

And Lansai sold mostly alcohol, cheap whiskey, inferior fake alcohol, and even diluted alcohol mixed with medical alcohol… After all, if people didn’t drink, they would realize that such a hellish place was not suitable for anyone to survive.

Shelley sat opposite Irey, his gaze sweeping over Irey from top to bottom. “Mr. Irey Halton, Alpha, born in the West District of Lansai. Living alone, no partner, no record of solicitation, but multiple records of brawls and thefts. Yet somehow, you seem to have never been to jail, walking in and out confidently every time… Looks like you’re doing pretty well in Lansai.”

“I know some people I should know,” Irey shrugged.

“Did you finish reading my letter?” Shelley asked.

“You said you wanted to offer me a…” Irey leaned forward, elbows on the table, “‘job.'”

“That’s right,” Shelley looked at him calmly, “I can tell you the terms and salary now, 400 yuan a day, with food and accommodation included, no days off. I’ve checked your file, you don’t have a regular job, just odd jobs, and the highest wage you’ve earned was 100 yuan a day, doing debt collection for someone. There shouldn’t be any reason for you to refuse this opportunity, right?”

Irey stared at the Omega in front of him. He looked as serious as an interviewer in a formal job interview, yet if he leaned a little closer, he could smell a faint scent of flowers.

This was an Omega he had been intimate with just a few days ago, marked by him. But now, he acted as if he didn’t know him at all.

“You’ve mentioned the salary and terms, but not the job description. Why don’t you let me guess?” Irey leaned back lazily, gazing at the Omega who was legally subordinate to him for the time being. “You’re the young master of the Manta family, there are plenty of people willing to do favors for you, yet you went through the trouble of sending a letter to Lansai. It shows that this so-called job isn’t something anyone can do, but someone specific, someone like me, someone who temporarily marked you a few days ago.”

Shelley didn’t say anything, just pursed his lips.

“Omegas without marks and Alpha companions can’t freely enter and leave the city borders,” Irey said. “You want to hire me to accompany you out of the city, don’t you?”