TIC Chapter 37

 Chapter 37

“Huh? I actually know this guy?”

Maya reached out and pulled Xiao Yan into his arms; the young man’s forehead rested right against Maya’s chin. Although only his profile was visible, Mark—true to form—let out a loud yell.

“My God! Oh, my God! That bastard Maya actually slept with the rookie!”

“What rookie?” the other special forces operatives chimed in.

“Xiao Yan!”

“What?!” Liv’s reaction was particularly intense; her face immediately popped up on Mark’s comm screen. “Maya! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Yeah! Yeah! You’re going to hurt him!”

Maya fought the urge to burst into laughter. Just as he was about to offer an explanation, a cold voice cut in.

“What are you doing?” It was Hein Burton. Even though Maya couldn’t see his face, he could already feel that familiar, oppressive presence.

“Boss! That bastard Maya slept with Xiao Yan!” Mark shouted, unable to contain his eagerness.

Maya’s heart went cold; taking a joke too far with Colonel Burton was no laughing matter.

“Uh, Boss! I didn’t sleep with Xiao Yan!”

“Then why is Xiao Yan in your bed?!” Liv demanded sternly.

“I had a couple of drinks with the guy at the bar today, and he got so wasted he couldn’t even string a sentence together! I didn’t know where his apartment was, so I just brought him back to my place!”

“You really didn’t do anything to him?” Liv still looked thoroughly skeptical.

“Even if I—Maya—were completely devoid of morals, I would *never* sleep with one of my own brothers!” Maya swore emphatically.

“W2014, take him home now.” The cold voice rang out, causing Maya to instinctively swallow hard.

“...What?” Maya hadn’t quite processed the command.

“Xiao Yan’s apartment code.”

“Hey! Did you hear that?! The Boss told you to take Xiao Yan home! Even if you don’t have any designs on the rookie *right now*, who knows what you might do later on?!” Looking thoroughly indignant, Mark cut the connection. Maya sighed. "You’ve got to be kidding me... taking Xiao Yan all the way back to his place in the middle of the night? Wait... how did the Boss even know Xiao Yan’s apartment code?"

"W" stood for the district code, "20" for the street code, and "14" for the apartment number.

Maya stood up, hoisted Xiao Yan onto her shoulder, and—with a touch of indignant exasperation—lightly tapped his cheek. "You lucky bastard! It’s not every day that everyone actually treats you like you matter!"

And so, the next morning, Xiao Yan woke up in his own apartment. He groggily scratched his head as his communicator flashed incessantly; with a light tap, Casey’s furious face appeared on the screen.

"Xiao Yan—do you have any idea what time it is right now?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Oh, crap! Xiao Yan scrambled out of bed and stumbled headlong into the bathroom. Of course, getting thoroughly chewed out by Casey was his inevitable destiny.

Casey’s research was progressing smoothly, entering its final wrap-up phase by the end of the month. Consequently, there was less and less for Xiao Yan to do to assist her; most of the time, he simply used one of the lab terminals to log into an online game—a particularly tacky dating sim, at that. If he hadn't joined the Research Institute, Xiao Yan mused, he’d probably be out right now, downing drinks at a bar with his fellow classmates!

"Xiao Yan." Casey nudged his calf with the tip of her boot. "Stop slacking off and playing games all the time. Hasn't anyone told you that playing these multi-dimensional online games too much makes you stupid?"

Resigned to his fate, Xiao Yan logged out of the game. When you’re on Casey’s turf, Casey calls the shots.

He really wanted to tell Casey that, generally speaking, "stupid" people tend to lead simpler, happier lives than smart ones—so he wouldn't mind becoming stupid in the slightest.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind—Heine’s cool, crisp tone, laced with a hint of mockery—softly uttering those words: "You dim-witted rookie."

"So... what do you want me to do?"

In the entire research lab, he was the only one without a personal research project of his own—after all, he was merely an assistant.

Casey crossed her arms and gave a cold huff. "As your department supervisor, I’m assigning you a task right now."

"What kind of task?"

Xiao Yan, for his part, much preferred doing absolutely nothing. “Initiate a new project, and draft a proposal report for me.” Casey’s finger jabbed firmly against Xiao Yan’s cheek, his eyes glinting with a clear threat. “Listen to me—if this project lacks any genuine research significance, you’ll have to start over. Until you’ve established a suitable project, there will be no online gaming, no bars, no chasing girls—absolutely no entertainment of any kind. Do you understand?”

Casey was serious; he had weathered considerable pressure to keep Xiao Yan on staff here, and it certainly wasn’t so the young man could sit around doing nothing.

“…Fine.”

Casey’s primary research focus was the X-virus—specifically, how to mitigate the virus’s debilitating effects on the human body and how to engineer a variant better suited for use by special operations units. Since a new project was to be established, it naturally had to be related to the X-virus.

Bored out of his mind, Xiao Yan accessed the X-virus database; every decoded gene sequence and piece of related coenzyme data flooded into his mind in rapid succession.

It was all excruciatingly boring.

Before long, Xiao Yan drifted off to sleep without even bothering to disconnect from his terminal.

His consciousness began to sink slowly; the world inverted—the ocean now suspended high above the sky.

The beach stretched out in a breathtaking, sinuous curve. The grains of sand, as if defying gravity, began to drift upward in scattered wisps, forming faint, shimmering currents that rose to meet the overhead ocean. There, suspended amidst the waves, they shimmered with a soft, ethereal glow.

Xiao Yan strolled along the beach. In the distance, a solitary figure sat motionless on the sand—eyes closed, head tilted slightly upward—as if listening to the whispers of the wind.

As he drew closer, step by step, and finally caught a clear glimpse of the figure’s handsome profile, Xiao Yan froze.

“Hein… why are you here?”

Hein Burton raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Xiao Yan glanced around his surroundings, then ultimately chose to sit down beside Hein. “Where... is this place?”

“Your subconscious.”

Xiao Yan froze, suddenly recalling that Hein had once entered his subconscious. “Then... you aren't actually Hein Burton, but rather the residual information he left behind in my subconscious?”

All memories formed within the subconscious reside at the deepest layers of consciousness; much like a dream, they are forgotten the moment one wakes. That was why Xiao Yan had never been able to recall exactly how Hein had helped him break free from the shackles of his own subconscious.

“If that is how you wish to think of it, then so be it.”

Hein’s voice, though calm, held a softness—a tenderness Xiao Yan had never heard from him before—as if he feared disturbing the tranquility of Xiao Yan’s world. He lay back, resting his head on his arm and closing his eyes, appearing utterly exhausted.

“Why have you gone silent?”

Xiao Yan pursed his lips. “You don't like people who talk too much.”

“This is *your* world; no matter what you wish to say, I cannot stop you.”

Strands of golden-brown hair fell forward, obscuring Hein’s eyes and leaving only the elegant bridge of his nose visible—a feature radiating a powerful, raw sensuality.

“I don't like that particular thing you said.”

“Which part?” Hein’s eyes remained closed.

“That we will all die—sooner or later.”

“That is a fact.”

“Because *you* face death without fear or hesitation. I, however, have always believed that while death may mark my *end*, it is most certainly not my *destination*.” Xiao Yan reached out, his fingertips brushing against the boundless ocean that stretched across the sky.

“You really are naive.”

Hein turned his face toward him; within those eyes lay a breathtaking beauty that made the heart flutter—a vision in which all traces of bloodshed and violence suddenly vanished into the distance.

Xiao Yan felt as though he were drowning in the depths of those eyes.

Hein’s face drew slowly closer. His fingers brushed against the tips of Xiao Yan’s hair, then gently wove their way through the strands; his gaze shed its icy restraint, shifting from soft and gentle to intense and burning.

Xiao Yan felt the very blood in his veins come to a complete standstill.

The other man captured his lips, kissing him slowly and tenderly. As the pressure deepened—growing in intensity until Xiao Yan could no longer hold himself steady—he tumbled forward into Hein’s embrace. Hein’s free arm wrapped around Xiao Yan’s waist, pulling him tight against his own body. Xiao Yan lay sprawled across Hein’s body. The angle of the other man’s kisses shifted constantly; within what had begun as a slow, gentle kiss, a surging wave of desire began to spread uncontrollably. The intensity of the suction grew fiercer and fiercer as Hein’s tongue entwined with his—licking, swirling, and plundering everything within his mouth—as if every part of him were destined to belong to the other man. The pressure of the kiss intensified until, with a swift roll, Hein flipped them over. Bracing his hands on either side of Xiao Yan’s head, he loomed over him, pinning him completely beneath his body. The torrential kiss struck once more; every inch of space inside Xiao Yan’s mouth was conquered and possessed with suffocating thoroughness, leaving him with the illusion that he was drowning in the kiss itself.

“Do you know why I’m kissing you here?” Hein withdrew from Xiao Yan’s mouth, his lips brushing ever so lightly against Xiao Yan’s own.

Still reeling and unable to pull himself away, Xiao Yan gazed up at him with wide eyes. They were so close—so incredibly close—that Hein’s eyes seemed poised to dye even his own gaze the same shade of blue.

“Because only here can I be certain that every single one of your reactions has nothing to do with the X-Virus.”

A gentle breath invaded through the parting of Xiao Yan’s lips, instantly jolting his frozen senses back to life. His thoughts surged like a tidal wave—wild, chaotic, and utterly unstoppable.

Then, in a sudden, disorienting instant, Hein’s form vanished as if it were nothing more than a mirage.

Xiao Yan woke with a start, only to find Casey sitting directly across from him, wearing a face of stone.

“...Ca... Casey...” Xiao Yan felt as though he were emerging from a deep, vivid dream—yet no matter how hard he tried to grasp at the fading memories, he could not retrieve a single fragment, save for the faint, lingering flutter of a heartbeat deep within his chest.

“Wipe your mouth! You certainly slept soundly, didn't you? You were practically bouncing off the walls when you logged into that online game earlier!”

“Heh... hehe...” Now was hardly the time to dwell on what kind of dream he’d just had; the real trouble—the *big* trouble—was sitting right in front of him! *Oh, I’m done for,* Xiao Yan thought to himself. *Casey caught me sleeping like a log right in the middle of my research—I’m never going to hear the end of this.*

“Where is your project report?” Casey rose to his feet and strode over to stand directly before Xiao Yan—an imposing presence that sent a shiver of dread running down Xiao Yan’s spine. “...I’ll definitely hand it over to you this afternoon!”

Xiao Yan vowed earnestly.

Casey gave a cold snort. “Fine. I’ll just sit back and watch how you manage to ‘create something out of nothing.’”

Xiao Yan immediately regretted his words; he shouldn't have impulsively promised to submit a project report by the afternoon, for—aside from a heart yearning for freedom—his mind was truly a complete blank.

Once Casey had left, Xiao Yan clutched his head in despair; at that moment, he would have preferred to go outside and face the zombies head-on.

Wait—face the zombies... Even if researchers like them weren't as formidable as special forces soldiers, surely there had to be *some* way for them to conduct research in the field?

Connecting to his terminal once again, Xiao Yan navigated away from the X-virus database; instead, he accessed the original strain of the X-virus—the infamous “Comet” virus. This virus was protean in nature, possessing an incredibly complex genetic sequence. As Xiao Yan skimmed through the data, an idea began to take shape in his mind.

That very afternoon, Casey arrived at a heavily guarded office and executed a crisp, military salute toward the composed man seated behind the desk.

“Reporting in!”

“Ah, Lieutenant Colonel Casey. I’ve reviewed your recent research reports; excellent progress has been made.”

“Sir! I am deeply honored to receive your commendation! In my hands is the project proposal submitted by Cadet Xiao Yan; I request that you take a moment to review it.”

Casey tapped lightly on his terminal, projecting a holographic display before the man. The man’s initially nonchalant expression gradually grew serious; his fingers, which had begun by idly scrolling through the document, soon slowed to meticulously scrutinize every single word. When he reached the end of the report, his fingers tapped lightly against the desktop, as if he were deep in thought.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. “A highly insightful idea—but do you believe he stands a chance of finding a result?”

“Sir, in the world of scholars, nothing is ever certain; any ‘possibility’ can become reality.”

The man closed his eyes, then issued a command in a voice of commanding authority: “This project is approved! The Academy of Sciences must provide full support for every condition Xiao Yan requires!”

“And what of the research personnel?”

The corners of the man’s lips curled slowly upward. “The sole researcher assigned to this project is Xiao Yan. The entire research process will remain under your direct supervision, and you will report directly to me.”

“You aren’t going to assign him any research assistants?” Casey was stunned.

“His interface speed with the terminal clocks in at three hundred quadrillion—is that not correct? I want to see if he can complete his research entirely on his own!”

“Understood!” Casey saluted and exited the office.

That very afternoon, Xiao Yan received clearance to access the high-level database.

With a stern expression, Casey activated a holographic display right in front of him. Xiao Yan saw a research project listed beneath his name—a project that had even been classified.

“If you treat this project as nothing more than a game, you’re a dead man.”

Casey’s gaze locked onto Xiao Yan’s eyes as he advanced step by step. Although he stood half a head shorter than Xiao Yan, he exuded an aura that suggested he could crush the younger man with a mere lift of his hand.

*Stop glaring at me like that!*

Xiao Yan roared inwardly. Lately, whenever he faced Casey, he couldn't shake the feeling that his nerves were on the verge of a breakdown.

The moment he interfaced with the terminal, he realized he had entered the system’s very core—the hallowed sanctuary of every researcher’s dreams. A boundless ocean, utterly distinct from the outside world, stretched out before his eyes; all that remained was for him to steel himself and take the plunge.

His mind was drawn in, and he found himself unconsciously immersed within it.

For Xiao Yan, that entire day seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. When he finally disconnected from the terminal, he felt so disoriented that he nearly swayed on his feet.

Many people within the research institute were still hard at work, but Xiao Yan could go no further; he needed to eat.

As he made his way toward the cafeteria, Xiao Yan spotted two officers—clad in the institute’s standard white lab coats—approaching him from the opposite direction.

Xiao Yan brushed past them and arrived at the cafeteria entrance. There, he came to a halt, instinctively turning back to watch the two men’s retreating figures. Their gait differed from that of scholars who spent their days cooped up in laboratories; more importantly—and despite his usual confidence in his own memory—Xiao Yan simply could not recall ever having seen them before. Furthermore, the aura radiating from them reminded Xiao Yan of a Special Operations Unit.

Yet, if they truly belonged to a Special Operations Unit, there would be absolutely no need for them to be dressed like researchers.

He furrowed his brows. Perhaps it was simply a case of paranoia—having spent so much time recently alongside Hein’s Special Operations Unit and having endured so many dangerous situations, he had become overly suspicious.

Xiao Yan entered the cafeteria, crouched down in a corner, activated his communicator, and connected with Casey. Lowering his voice, he said, "Casey, listen to me: leave this place immediately! Or find somewhere hidden to take cover!"

Even if he was merely overthinking things—and risked being mocked by Casey for it—Xiao Yan was gripped by a powerful sense of foreboding.