TIC 76

 Chapter 76

“Hein… Hein… Thank goodness—you’re alive…”

Xiao Yan’s eyes widened as he gazed at the other man with insatiable intensity.

In an instant, Hein appeared at his side and pressed his hand firmly against the wound in his abdomen.

With lowered eyelids, the world around them seemed to blur and vanish.

Hein’s palm cupped Xiao Yan’s cheek, compelling him to part his lips; the moment their mouths and tongues met, a jolt of sensation—so intense it felt as if his very nerves were shattering—coursed through him.

Hein’s kiss was fierce, his embrace so tight it felt as though he might crush Xiao Yan’s shoulders. By the end, Hein was gripping the back of Xiao Yan’s head with such desperate force—pressing it against his own—that it felt as if he might actually crush his skull.

An endless kiss, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of being possessed that surged wildly through their veins.

The aircraft continued to hover above them.

Mark craned his neck out the hatch to take a look. “Tsk, tsk, tsk… That’s one hell of a long kiss…”

Liv grabbed Mark by the scruff of the neck and hauled him back inside. “Watch it, or the Boss is going to poke your eyes out!”

In the distance, Sheldon—who had been pinned to a tree trunk—finally slumped to the ground, half his face landing in the dirt. With his left hand, he yanked the blade free from his torso, while his right hand remained behind, still attached to the severed limb.

“Boss! We need to move out!”

Mark’s voice boomed out.

Hein scooped Xiao Yan up into his arms, then suddenly whipped something through the air—it was Sheldon’s blade.

It pierced straight through Sheldon’s forehead—a ruthless, decisive strike.

The rushing wind whistled in Xiao Yan’s ears; everything felt so surreal.

Had Hein truly found him?

As Hein stepped into the cabin, Mark and Liv reached out to pull Xiao Yan inside.

“Welcome home, Lieutenant Xiao Yan!”

“You rookie! We’ve been searching for you forever!”

“Hey, kid! What are you spacing out for?” Mark gave Xiao Yan a playful—yet characteristically heavy—slap on the shoulder. Fortunately, Xiao Yan no longer had to worry about having his bones shattered by the force of it. “I... I was just wondering if it’s really... real? That I’m back?”

“Of course it’s real!” Liv blinked playfully. “Do you need the Colonel to give you another—ahem—*hot kiss* just to prove it?”

Xiao Yan gazed at Hein’s profile; the wind rushed in through the open hatch, tugging at his hair. The sharp, chiseled lines of Hein’s face made Xiao Yan’s eyes sting with emotion.

“You have no idea how many places the Boss dragged us to just to find you! We practically lived on this craft for weeks! Now, finally, we can head back to Shire and get some proper rest in a real bed!”

“We’re stopping at Base 14 first to resupply,” Hein issued the command coolly.

“Base 14... Well, I guess that’s still better than just drifting around in the sky...” Mark rubbed his nose.

It had all happened so fast that Xiao Yan still found it hard to believe. But more importantly, he felt a cold, sharp presence pressing down on him... emanating from Hein Burton.

How many times in a lifetime does one get to experience a miraculous escape like this?

The sheer intensity of the moment just moments ago had left Xiao Yan’s heart reeling; yet now, Hein Burton’s sudden composure left him feeling utterly bewildered.

Mark and Liv fell silent, and the conversation took a more serious turn.

“Xiao Yan, you’re the very first researcher to ever escape the clutches of the Tide Organization... I’d bet... that you’re in for a whole heap of trouble once we get back to Shire.”

Xiao Yan understood exactly what Liv was referring to: the internal review process. He would be subjected to interrogation by the Internal Security Squad and barred from conducting any research for three months. If the Squad harbored even the slightest suspicion, he could be forced to leave the Central Academy altogether, reduced to the status of an ordinary Shire citizen.

“No one is going to give him any trouble,” Hein stated coldly.

As their craft docked in the hangar bay, Lieutenant Colonel Raven was there to greet them personally.

“Colonel Burton! It’s been a long time! I hear you successfully rescued Lieutenant Xiao Yan from the Central Academy!”

At that very moment, Hein grabbed Xiao Yan’s wrist and yanked him forward. “I need to run a blood test on this guy.”

“A test... for what?” Lieutenant Colonel Raven asked, looking completely bewildered. “I suspect Second Lieutenant Xiao Yan has been infected with the X-virus.”

“Was this the work of the Tide Surge Organization? What is their objective...?”

Lieutenant Colonel Rui Wen received no answer; everyone simply watched as Lieutenant Colonel Burton—radiating an oppressive aura of fury—dragged Xiao Yan by the wrist, striding rapidly down the corridor.

His grip was incredibly strong—so strong it nearly dislocated Xiao Yan’s arm. Yet, in the face of such towering rage, Xiao Yan couldn't even muster the courage to cry out in pain.

He knew that Hein harbored an absolute aversion to the X-virus; the last time he had used X-2, Hein had nearly killed him, mistakenly believing he had injected himself with the virus.

“I had no choice... If it weren't for the X-virus... I might already be dead!”

The very next moment, Xiao Yan was violently yanked into the man’s embrace.

It was Hein Burton’s embrace—a place Xiao Yan had never imagined he would one day find himself, held so tightly.

“Just how much must you torment me... before you’ll finally be satisfied?”

The words were ground out through clenched teeth—heart-wrenching and piercing to the bone. Instantly, Xiao Yan’s eyes welled up with a stinging ache.

“What...?”

Xiao Yan’s eyes widened as his mind raced to analyze the meaning behind Hein’s words.

“You made me notice you; you forced me to watch over you. And now—after I’ve poured every ounce of my effort into protecting you—you show absolutely no regard for your own life!”

“...Colonel Burton...”

“Don’t call me Colonel! I am not your Colonel!” Hein pressed his palm against Xiao Yan’s cheek, forcing him to meet his gaze. “How could you put my sidearm against your own head like that?!”

Those eyes—usually so cold and devoid of any emotional fluctuation—were now brimming with every emotion Xiao Yan had never before witnessed in this man. They swirled and churned, emotions that had been suppressed for so long they no longer knew how to find release.

Xiao Yan parted his lips. “I... I had no choice... You have no idea how terrified I was...”

“That is precisely why I told you to stay out of it! I told you to leave! That was an order! Why didn’t you listen?!”

“You wanted me to abandon you? You never once abandoned me! So *that* was the order you were giving me all along?!”

“Yes. There was only one order I ever gave you.”

“What was it?” Xiao Yan asked, his voice trembling. “You absolutely must not die before I do.”

Xiao Yan froze; he shook his head, gazing at the other man with a look of bewilderment.

“Furthermore, I will not repeat the same order a second time. You are not me; therefore, you will never be able to truly grasp what it feels like to be trapped within a confined space, imagining the overwhelming probability that the person who matters most to you... is being killed.”

*The person who matters most...* Xiao Yan’s eyes widened as he stared at the man before him.

It was as if the entire world—its bones shattered—groaned as it was compressed and funneled into this man’s eyes.

“You always make my patience seem utterly futile.”

Hein’s lips descended.

In this moment, neither of them was wounded; Hein’s kiss had but a single motive.

He simply wanted to kiss him.

It was a kiss given with every ounce of his being—shifting from an initial dominance and forcefulness to an intensity laden with carnal intent. This was something Xiao Yan had never, in his wildest dreams, anticipated. He was pinned against the cold, hard wall, yet in an instant, his world erupted into a raging inferno.

A sliding door glided open, and a liaison officer stepped out—only to freeze in stunned silence the moment he witnessed the scene before him.

Without a word of explanation, Hein seized Xiao Yan by the hand and dragged him across the threshold into the room; the door immediately locked shut behind them.

Xiao Yan was shoved onto a sofa, his forehead striking the armrest. Though the impact caused no pain, it left him feeling disoriented; just as he managed to prop himself up, the overwhelming presence of Hein Burton descended upon him.

Hein slammed Xiao Yan back down onto the sofa, tearing open his collar before pressing his lips against his neck—the sheer force of his hands seemed to penetrate right down to the bone.

Xiao Yan had never imagined that this man—who had seemingly lost all semblance of rationality—could actually be Hein.

It was as if a lifetime of pent-up repression had finally erupted, spiraling into a frenzy that was utterly beyond control.

Hein’s fingers brushed aside Xiao Yan’s hair, revealing his smooth, unblemished forehead.

“You *will* obey the orders I give you, Lieutenant.”

“Yes... Colonel...”

Xiao Yan’s breath caught in his throat. He felt a sudden, inexplicable dread regarding what was about to unfold; he wasn’t ready for this... or perhaps, deep down, he knew that once this man finally unleashed everything he had kept bottled up inside, the intensity would far exceed anything he himself could possibly endure. Suddenly, he was flipped over; his arms instinctively braced against the armrests. Just as he attempted to scramble to his feet, his trousers were roughly yanked down.

“Hein!” Xiao Yan’s eyes widened as he twisted his head around; the other man’s hands forcefully spread his body apart, and he lowered his head to kiss him.

“Hah—” Xiao Yan gasped, drawing in a sharp breath; this was a scene he had never, not even in his wildest dreams, imagined.

Xiao Yan could clearly feel Hein’s lips leaving behind a trail of sparks that threatened to ignite his entire being.

He worked his way downward, descending straight to the very place that caused Xiao Yan the most acute embarrassment.

“Stop! Hein! Stop it…”

“I am a Colonel; you have no authority to issue me any orders, Lieutenant.”

That habitually ruthless voice had turned hoarse and low, as if something primal were bursting forth from its chrysalis, threatening to devour him whole.

His mouth teased open the entrance, then slowly, deliberately, slid inside.

It was a sensation Xiao Yan had never experienced before. “Please—get out! It’s dirty down there… please…”

Hein’s hair brushed ever so faintly against Xiao Yan’s skin, and the warm breath exhaled from his nose swirled around him, driving Xiao Yan to the brink of total collapse.

He pounded against the sofa, struggling to break free, but Hein held him firmly pinned down.

Xiao Yan’s breathing became utterly chaotic. *Someone—knock me out… make this stop.*

Finally, the other man withdrew, only to replace his mouth with his fingers.

“No… don’t!”

Jan Wallis had done the exact same thing to him once before, and Xiao Yan knew—all too well—what the objective was. This was merely to ensure that *something else* could slide in smoothly later!

Hein lowered his head, nipping at the rim of Xiao Yan’s ear and the nape of his neck. The movements of his fingers grew faster and faster; to Hein, it was merely a gentle rotation, but to Xiao Yan, the sensation was so intense and exaggerated it felt as though his body were being torn apart.

At the doorway, the intercom unit chimed, broadcasting the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Raven.

“Colonel Burton! May I ask what is going on in there?”

Xiao Yan tensed up instantly, terrified that Lieutenant Colonel Raven might suddenly walk in. As the commanding officer of Base No. 2, his authorization code granted him access to every single room within the facility.

“I’m having sex.”

To Xiao Yan, the sound of Hein’s voice felt like a pronouncement of his fate. On the other side of the door, Lieutenant Colonel Raven froze. With his back rigid, he turned around to look at Liv and Mark.

“Just now… was that Colonel Burton’s voice?”

Mark wore an expression of sudden realization. “So *that’s* it! I was just about to ask the Boss how he manages to never actually finish…”

Liv shot Mark a scathing glare, then addressed Lieutenant Colonel Raven in a tone she tried to keep as steady as possible: “This could go on for quite a while, so I suggest the liaison officer assigned to this office find a different workspace.”

“But I’ve just finished setting up the blood tests…”

“You’d better prepare a research lab instead. I think… Second Lieutenant Xiao Yan is going to need to synthesize some X-2 for himself.” At the mention of this, Liv’s expression turned visibly serious.

At that moment, Xiao Yan felt the other man’s fingers withdraw; the sudden sensation of emptiness left him feeling bewildered. The very next instant, however, Hein’s imposing member pressed against him. His heart leaped into his throat; before Xiao Yan could even cry out, Hein thrust inside him with impatient force. His body was stretched to its absolute limit; Xiao Yan gasped, mouth wide open, terrified to even take a breath—as if the slightest movement would cause him to tear apart.

Completely distended, his flesh throbbed with surging blood.

The man behind him began to move—movements so subtle they were terrifying. Xiao Yan gritted his teeth; every sensation was so vivid it drove him to the brink of collapse. Yet, as Hein’s patience finally ran out, the rhythm and depth of his thrusts spiraled completely out of control.

“Please… I beg you…”

He pounded his fists against the floor, pleading for mercy, but the other man turned a deaf ear. Though the motions were repetitive, each thrust brought a distinct sensation—tormenting his nerves while simultaneously igniting a deep, burning desire within his soul.

His heart felt as though it were about to burst right out of his chest. Hein Burton—the man renowned for his untouchable self-control—had completely shattered. Enveloped by the heat and yielding softness of Xiao Yan’s body, he forgot everything else; his only impulse was to drive deeper still. The pain was excruciating beyond measure, yet the X-virus coursing through Xiao Yan’s system ensured his body healed and regenerated just as quickly. He longed to simply lose consciousness and escape it all, but Hein attacked relentlessly, giving him no respite; though barely ten minutes had passed since the penetration began, to Xiao Yan, it felt like an eternity.

He could only gasp for air, as a wave of overwhelming sensation surged through every fiber of his being. Hein thrust upward; the sudden shift in angle made Xiao Yan let out a muffled groan as he instinctively tried to latch onto something. Hein’s arm was braced right beside his ear; in a subconscious reaction, Xiao Yan seized Hein’s wrist, squeezing it with a vengeful force that made the bones creak as if they were shattering. Yet, the low, hoarse, and intensely suppressed gasps right next to his ear sent his heart rate racing to its absolute limit. The sheer force of his partner’s movements threatened to shatter him completely. His body was suddenly flipped over; as he spun around, he clutched at Hein’s shoulders in sheer panic, feeling as though his legs were about to be snapped in two. Hein’s icy-blue eyes burned with an intense fire—the more he took, the more insatiable his hunger grew. He hoisted both of Xiao Yan’s legs onto his shoulders and drove downward with a ferocious plunge, thrusting with such violence that it felt as if he were trying to drive right through Xiao Yan’s body.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. He knew that begging for mercy would be utterly futile, so he could do nothing but cling helplessly to the man holding him.

Unable to see the man’s expression, he could only feel him buried deep against his neck, sucking fiercely—as if intent on draining every drop of blood and flesh from his body.

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, just as Hein—his lips grazing the shell of Xiao Yan’s ear—finally began to speak. That rush of breath flowed into Xiao Yan’s ear canal, penetrating the deepest recesses of his mind and stirring up yet another wave of overwhelming sensation.

“If you want me to end this... then pleasure me.”

It was a commanding tone; were it not for the ragged, uncontrolled sound of his breathing, Xiao Yan would never have been able to imagine that this man was currently completely consumed by his own primal urges.

He could only reach out clumsily to kiss Hein’s chin, struggling to stretch far enough to touch his lips—a gesture that served as the prelude to the next round of their shared madness.

“Mmh... Mmh...”

Hein slammed him down hard against the sofa. One of Xiao Yan’s legs was lowered, creating an angle that allowed Hein to penetrate even deeper than before.

Tears streamed from the corners of Xiao Yan’s eyes. He had already reached his climax three times, yet Hein showed absolutely no signs of slowing down or stopping.

He was going to die right here...

With dazed, helpless eyes, Xiao Yan gazed up at his partner. For the very first time, he was witnessing Hein Burton—a man utterly and completely dominated by his own carnal desires.

Hein’s chin was tilted upward, his eyes squeezed tightly shut—a figure at once noble and wild, lost in a state of total, unbridled surrender. At the moment of climax, a surge of heat flooded into his body; he gripped the other man's shoulders tightly, terrified of being scorched.

They panted heavily as Hein peppered his face with light kisses.

“This might just be the one upside to you being infected with the X-virus.”

Perhaps it was merely an illusion, but in that moment, Hein Burton actually wore an expression of tenderness.

His body could not be broken by the other man, so this was not an end—it was the beginning of a frenzy.

Before his breathing had even had a chance to steady, the other man swelled within him once again. He let out a startled cry; Hein planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then abruptly swept him up into his arms. An endless onslaught of thrusts began; Xiao Yan’s body rose and fell with his partner’s movements, and for the first time, he realized that Hein Burton was going to utterly destroy him.

Although his body could not be physically broken, that did not mean his nervous system could withstand such intense stimulation. Hein had yet to reach his own climax, but Xiao Yan’s chin slumped limply against Hein’s shoulder as he drifted into unconsciousness.

A few hours later, Mark and Liv passed by that office.

“Um... shouldn't we go wake them up for dinner? Veal in red wine sauce... Xiao Yan’s favorite...”

“The Boss would rip your head off.”

“...You know, if no one tells them to exercise some ‘restraint,’ they’ll probably just keep going until they drop dead...” Mark sounded genuinely worried.

“No one among us understands the meaning of ‘restraint’ better than the Boss does.”

Liv gave Mark a kick, and the two of them hurried away.

Unfortunately, Liv was wrong this time.

When Xiao Yan’s consciousness flickered back to life, he found himself seated squarely in the other man’s lap—subjected to yet another round of torment that left him utterly broken.

This time, Xiao Yan remained unconscious for three full days; Liv was so worried that she even administered three doses of nutrient supplements to him.

Meanwhile, Hein Burton sat right beside Xiao Yan, continuously scrolling through holographic displays.

“Boss, Jane Wallis’s spacecraft went out of control and crashed into a mountain range. When our team went to investigate, they didn't find a single member of the Surge Organization.”

“Casey’s control capabilities are top-notch.”

“Additionally, the Surge Organization has dispatched a large number of assassins to scour the area for Jane Wallis. The reason remains unclear.”

Liv’s gaze fell...

Regarding Xiao Yan, her implication was that he had been held captive by Jane Wallis all this time—and perhaps he knew exactly what the reason for that was.

At that moment, the young lieutenant lay with half his face pressed into the pillow, his features etched with exhaustion. His neck, barely peeking out from beneath the covers, was covered in a scattering of dark bruises.

He let out a faint whimper, and as a small section of his shoulder slipped out from under the blanket, Liv couldn't help but lower her gaze. She suspected that Colonel Burton had likely staked his claim—asserting his exclusive ownership—over every single inch of Xiao Yan's skin.

"Additionally, Lieutenant Colonel Raven has prepared a research laboratory for Lieutenant Xiao Yan."

"Understood."

Though Liv harbored doubts as to whether Xiao Yan would be lucid enough to synthesize X-2 anytime soon.

"No more... Colonel... please, no more..." The sleeping lieutenant let out a plea so fragile it was heartbreaking.

Hein turned his face slightly, drawing the murmuring Xiao Yan closer as his fingers gently stroked through the young man's hair.

Separated by the holographic display screen, Liv couldn't make out the Colonel's expression clearly; however, she had the good sense to quietly excuse herself from the room. As she walked down the long corridor, the smile playing on Liv's lips became increasingly difficult to conceal.

Hein’s kiss landed softly on Xiao Yan’s temple—a gesture utterly devoid of the unbridled intensity that had characterized his actions in the days prior. Xiao Yan’s head gradually burrowed deeper beneath the covers until only a few strands of his dark hair remained visible to Hein. Hein lowered his gaze and gently peeled back the blanket, revealing the tip of Xiao Yan’s nose; he carefully adjusted the covers inch by inch, finally tucking them securely beneath the young man’s chin—lest the utterly exhausted Xiao Yan inadvertently suffocate beneath the bedding.

Xiao Yan’s mind remained flooded with memories of Hein’s irresistible kisses and his overwhelming possessiveness—so much so that his shoulders gave an involuntary, faint shudder. At such moments, Hein would turn onto his side to embrace him, his fingers gently stroking Xiao Yan’s forehead—as if to silently reassure him: *Don't be afraid.*

Finally, Xiao Yan awoke from his deep slumber. The room was pitch black, yet behind him lay a warm, enveloping embrace—accompanied by the strong, steady rhythm of a beating heart.

Instantly, vivid images of that violation—of that irresistible force and absolute dominance—surged through his mind. Xiao Yan instinctively recoiled, attempting to scramble away to the side; yet, he remained firmly ensnared within the other man’s arms. He was lucky; the X-virus coursing through his veins had saved his life. Otherwise—given Hein Burton’s reckless abandon—he would surely be dead by now.

The person beside him stirred slightly, and Xiao Yan instantly tensed up.

A soft light illuminated the bedside, and only then did he realize that this was no longer that chaotic office.

A gentle kiss landed on the back of his neck; that voice—usually so cold and detached—seemed to hold a trace of warmth in that moment.

“You need to eat something.”

The mere sound of the other man’s voice was enough to make Xiao Yan’s blood boil once again.

His rationality had been utterly consumed by a frenzied passion, leaving Xiao Yan acutely aware that this was no mere hallucination conjured within his mind; with every kiss and every thrust, he found himself gasping for breath.

He had never imagined that Hein Burton could lose control to such an extent. This man was dangerous; instinctively, Xiao Yan tried to pull away.

“Come back.” Hein’s hand glided gently across Xiao Yan’s cheek before clamping down on his shoulder, yanking him back into place.

His head collided against the man’s powerful chest, and Xiao Yan braced himself, terrified that things might spiral out of control once more.

“You have no reason to be afraid.” Hein lowered his head, his gaze seeming to seek Xiao Yan out from within the shadows.

“You... you’ve invaded my mind more than once... but I never imagined you could lose control like this...”

Even during their final kiss back in Shire, Hein had never crossed this line.

“Because the body of an ordinary researcher simply cannot withstand the physical intensity of a Special Forces operative. I didn’t want you to lose your life because of me.”

The man’s breath caressed Xiao Yan’s ear, and a sense of foreboding—both thrilling and dangerous—intensified exponentially within him.

*Cannot withstand it? Lose my life?*

Just how far was this guy planning to go?

“...When did you first start wanting to do this to me...?”

“A long time ago.”

*A long time ago? What does ‘a long time ago’ even mean? I only met you two years ago! You call two years ‘a long time ago’?!*

Xiao Yan knew one thing: he was emotionally dependent on this man. He admired his strength and prowess; yet, just as Xiao Yan was finally beginning to label these feelings as “love,” Hein Burton had already—with impatient, decisive action—claimed him as his own. Just then, Hein’s communicator lit up, displaying a message from Major General Gordon.

“Dear Colonel Burton, I am delighted to hear the news that you successfully rescued Second Lieutenant Xiao Yan.”

Xiao Yan turned his back and pulled the covers up slightly; he did not want to be seen lying in bed alongside Hein. If it were discovered that Colonel Burton’s bedmate was—of all things—a man, he would undoubtedly become the talk of the town throughout Char.

“Military Command requests that you, Colonel Burton, return to Char as soon as possible. Major Ling Xiao’s unit came under attack while garrisoning Base 24, resulting in the loss of twelve special forces operatives.”

What? Twelve special forces operatives lost?

Could it be that they, much like Jane Wallis’s unit back then, had fallen victim to a biological weapon attack?

“Please provide the specific details.”

The holographic display switched to footage of the attack on Base 24 that day.

Xiao Yan was stunned by the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Three aircraft belonging to the Tide Organization were in hot pursuit of a transport vessel, chasing it all the way to the airspace directly above Base 24.