Chapter 21: The Dangers of AI Face-Swapping

Shao Ye was utterly exhausted after spending five to six hours in etiquette class, repeatedly walking back and forth like a clumsy amateur trying to imitate a master.

Now, he couldn’t even rest. Ye Li was keeping a close eye on him, forcing him to complete a video-based physiology course.

Earlier, Shao Ye had dared to doze off while watching, only to be jolted awake by Ye Li’s electric shock "encouragement." That harsh reminder ensured he didn’t dare try it again.

Admittedly, video lessons were the better option for this subject. If they taught topics like the physiological traits of Alphas and Omegas, body structures, heat cycles, and susceptibility phases in practical classes, Shao Ye, with his conservative Earthly values, would have wished he could bury himself alive on the spot to avoid the sheer awkwardness.

["During susceptibility or heat cycles, the chances of pregnancy are highest. Repeated stimulation of the Omega’s reproductive cavity and depositing seed inside can bring the probability of conception close to 100%. The following positions and techniques are scientifically proven to maximize the AO experience and significantly boost happiness…]

Shao Ye felt his face heat up, his ears burning.

“What the hell? This is supposed to be a serious biology lesson? Are you sure my computer hasn’t been infected with some virus that swapped the content with adult videos?”

Ye Li calmly explained, “Sir, this curriculum is the result of years of rigorous scientific research. It’s been thoroughly reviewed and is guaranteed to be effective.”

“Who cares if it’s effective? The real problem is…” Shao Ye hesitated, struggling to get the words out. “Why the hell is there no censorship? Not even a single blur?”

“Sir,” Ye Li replied patiently, “the process itself is the core of the lesson. Since hands-on teaching is not feasible, the video must accurately recreate the scenarios.”

Shao Ye was stunned.

This “biology class” was light-years ahead of the sex ed he knew from his old world. For someone still shackled by conservative thinking, it was overwhelming, borderline unacceptable.

Male A and female O were one thing.

But male A and male O?

He felt his stomach churn. Skipping this part was his first instinct, but Ye Li wasn’t having it. No fast-forwarding, no skipping.

Closing his eyes? That meant starting over from the beginning.

By the end, Shao Ye’s face was a mask of anguish.

“Sir, the system has detected extreme discomfort. Would you like to apply AI modifications to the video?” Ye Li asked.

AI modifications?

He had no idea what that meant, but anything was better than watching two naked men in a steamy display. If the AI could replace them with stick figures, even better.

“Yes, do it,” Shao Ye said quickly.

The video reloaded.

“…Why are they still real people?!” Shao Ye felt like he was going to snap.

But then he noticed something off.

Ye Li had swapped the original actors with… Lu Zhanxing and Shao Ye themselves.

Shao Ye: “…”

AI face-swapping. The invention of the devil.

It was horrifyingly realistic.

Where’s the report button when you need it?

Shao Ye didn’t even remember how or when he managed to fall asleep that night. All he knew was that the cursed video replayed in his mind until he dreamed of battling Lu Zhanxing in an endless, scandalous showdown.

*

The next morning, an electric jolt yanked him out of sleep.

This massive, luxurious bed—easily the best he’d ever slept on in two lifetimes—was now a source of love and hate.

“Why not just kill me outright?” Shao Ye muttered, frustrated. “Every time I’m sleeping my best, you zap me awake. What’s the point?”

“Sir, this is a rule set by Commander Lu. Every member of the family must wake up, train, and fulfill their duties on schedule. Laziness, negligence, or violations of family codes are punished accordingly. It’s because of Commander Lu’s strict enforcement of these rules that the Lu family transformed from decadence and corruption into what it is today.”

Shao Ye paused at the explanation. He had to admit, the Lu family really was different from the other nobles.

The ancestral mansion still exuded an air of luxury and decadence, but it wasn’t wastefully extravagant. The Lu family wasn’t like other aristocrats, who let themselves grow to hundreds of pounds and needed help just to walk.

Lu Zhanxing, as the Supreme Commander of the Alliance Army, ran his household with strict military discipline. It was undeniably impressive.

But seriously—electric shocks? Those hurt like hell.

Shao Ye groaned, “How about this? Set an alarm for me. I swear, as soon as it rings, I’ll get up. No more slacking off.”

“Of course,” Ye Li replied calmly. “Today’s etiquette lesson is on table manners. Please be at the dining room in thirty minutes.”

The maids came in, ready to help him wash up and change. Shao Ye, however, was not about to get used to being waited on, especially by these impeccably trained professionals. He waved them off and dressed himself.

By the time he reached the dining room, though, “Madam Rong” was already there, waiting.

Shao Ye spent hours practicing something as simple as how to sit properly in a chair. When he was finally allowed to eat, the food had gone cold. And even then, the meal came with a barrage of arbitrary rules, leaving him chewing through bland bites of misery.

After enduring the morning’s torture—er, lesson—Shao Ye was granted a rare break. He wandered into the garden, but he wasn’t just strolling. He was scouting for escape routes.

Within ten minutes, though, he realized something alarming: he was lost.

“Damn,” he muttered. “So it’s true. Those clichés about heroines getting lost in sprawling mansions aren’t just made up.”

Out of nowhere, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Startled, Shao Ye reacted on instinct, grabbing the person’s wrist and flipping them over his shoulder in one smooth motion.

“Ahhh—!” came the agonized scream.

Only then did Shao Ye realize it was Lin Na.

“Lin Na? What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, confused.

Lin Na bit her lip, rage simmering beneath her delicate Omega facade. On the surface, though, she played the part of a helpless, innocent girl to perfection.

She knew Shao Ye had a soft spot for women who seemed weak and vulnerable.

With watery eyes and a trembling voice, she said, “I risked so much to come help you because we’re old schoolmates, and this is how you repay me?”

Shao Ye froze.

He remembered how cold and ruthless Lin Na had been just a few days ago when he first woke up at the Lu estate. Suspicion lingered, but he couldn’t ignore her pitiful act.

“If I’d known it was you, I wouldn’t have been so rough,” he said, helping her up. “Why are you here? Don’t tell me you came just for me.”

The idea left him both wary and flattered. Memories of her aiding his escape from O'Dell Academy resurfaced, fueling his wild theory—was she secretly in love with him?

But Lin Na crushed that fantasy in an instant.

“I’m now engaged to Lu Xinglan, the second son of the Lu family,” she said, her voice laced with bitterness.

Shao Ye misread her expression entirely, assuming her resentment was directed at a forced political marriage. In reality, Lin Na had far more dangerous plans.

They initially planned to marry her off to Lu Zhanxing. When that failed, they turned around and promised her to his younger brother instead.

A pitiful girl, truly.

But Shao Ye had a burning question in his mind. “Lin Na, back at O’Dell Academy, why did you feed me false information about Lu Zhanxing?”

Lin Na showed no guilt about her lies. Instead, she responded with bold defiance.

“Of course, it was for your own good—to make you more determined to escape the engagement. Shao Ye, don’t be fooled by his looks. When it comes to marriage, all Alphas are the same. They only think about their own benefits and feelings. Lu Zhanxing is no exception. He treats you well because of your high compatibility, nothing more.

"You’ve seen his susceptibility period, haven’t you? He completely loses control. The Lu family will stop at nothing to appease him. Do you know how many Omegas have died miserably at his hands during his susceptibility periods?”

Shao Ye couldn’t believe it. He had seen with his own eyes how Lu Zhanxing locked himself in the dungeon during those times. How could he have hurt innocent Omegas?

“I don’t believe it. I’ve seen it myself. He locks himself away during his susceptibility periods. He’d never hurt anyone.”

Hearing this, Lin Na’s expression froze for a split second before she quickly masked it.

Internally, she laughed coldly. 'Seen it with his own eyes? In the dungeon? Ha! I never thought this fool would spill such crucial information himself. So, he has access to the dungeon. Perfect. This is too good to waste.'

Feigning urgency, she grabbed Shao Ye’s arm, her voice hysterical. “Shao Ye, wake up! This is the Lu family! They only show you what they want you to see. Do you really think they’d let you uncover their dirty secrets? Just today, they captured several Omegas to ‘sacrifice’ to Lu Zhanxing. If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself!”

Shao Ye hesitated, doubts clouding his mind. But Lin Na’s impassioned words struck a chord.

“Seeing is believing,” he thought. If he didn’t go, the seeds of suspicion would only grow, festering into an unshakable thorn in his heart.

So, under Lin Na’s lead, he arrived at the dungeon.

At each checkpoint, the facial recognition system opened the doors for Shao Ye without issue. When they finally reached the floor where Lu Zhanxing was held, the scene before him matched the footage he had once seen through a drone. But this time, there were more claw marks on the walls.

The area ahead was shrouded in darkness, the lights shattered by Lu Zhanxing himself. Shao Ye hesitated to move forward.

“This place is so quiet. If there were captured Omegas, wouldn’t there be cries for help?” Shao Ye asked suspiciously.

“You idiot,” Lin Na snapped. “They drug the Omegas beforehand to keep them docile. Just go in a bit further, and you’ll see them.”

Shao Ye’s instincts screamed that something was off. There were no cameras, no guards—nothing. If he went in and Lu Zhanxing was still in his susceptibility frenzy, he’d be walking straight into a trap.

As he deliberated, Lin Na suddenly shoved him hard from behind. He stumbled forward, falling through the final door.

“Lin Na, you—!” Shao Ye barely had time to shout before Lin Na slammed the iron door shut.

The door was thick, impossible to open from the inside. His frantic banging on the metal produced only faint echoes.

Outside, Lin Na’s face twisted into a triumphant sneer.

“Ha! You walked right into your own death! Dying at Lu Zhanxing’s hands—what a perfect end for you! Hahaha!”