TIC 85

 Chapter 85

“There’s no more time for you to goof off, Lauren. Do you know what the two major priority projects are in our lab?”

“The Combat Simulation System—and X-2! Can I participate in this research, too?”

“Yes. We’re going to start collecting data for the Combat Simulation System today. However, it is a highly dangerous process.” Xiao Yan crossed his arms and leaned against a lab bench, fixing his gaze on Lauren. His smile was enigmatic, causing the young assistant to lose his train of thought for a fleeting moment.

“...Any breakthrough in research is accompanied by risk; throughout history, quite a few scholars have lost their lives in the pursuit of results.” Lauren took a deep breath, looking earnestly into the other man's eyes.

“Alright, let's go.” Xiao Yan picked up a case and headed out the door.

“Where are we going?”

“The training room. I’ve already invited Major Wynn, Major Ling Xiao, and Captain Liv.”

“Good heavens! They’re all top-tier experts from the Special Operations Force!”

Lauren’s excitement surged once again.

When Xiao Yan arrived at the entrance to the training room, the three of them had already been waiting for quite some time.

Wynn threw an arm around Xiao Yan’s shoulder, then casually lowered his head to look at Lauren. “Oh, Xiao Yan—is this your little shadow?”

Lauren’s eyes went wide as he let out an exclamation: “You’re so pretty!”

Wynn froze for a moment; then, the playful expression on his face instantly turned ferocious. Just as he was about to fly into a rage, Liv and Xiao Yan hurriedly grabbed hold of him.

“Hey! Don’t pick on a kid!”

“He meant to compliment you on how handsome you are! He just didn't quite find the right words!”

An instinctive sense of danger made Lauren take two steps back.

Meanwhile, Wynn instantly reverted to his slightly smiling demeanor. He advanced toward Lauren step by step, lightly tapping his finger against the tip of Lauren’s nose. Although the gesture appeared feather-light, Lauren found himself continuously backing away; he felt as though his nasal bone were on the verge of shattering. The pain served as a stark reminder: no matter how harmless—or even disarmingly approachable—this man might appear on the surface, he was, in fact, a Special Forces soldier—a soldier capable of killing him with effortless ease. “Seriously, cut it out, Wynn. He’s Xiao Yan’s assistant, after all.” Liv stepped forward, gently nudged Wynn’s wrist aside, and positioned herself protectively in front of Lauren.

“Alright, alright.” Wynn snapped his fingers and turned away. “I’ll have plenty of opportunities to mess with him later, anyway.”

Lauren shuddered, while Xiao Yan—arms crossed—watched the expressions playing across the young man’s face with evident amusement. He was reminded of the first time he had met Hein; he, too, had stared openly at the other man—only to be warned by Liv that she’d gouge his eyeballs out.

The *first* time... he’d seen him? Xiao Yan’s lips curved into a faint, detached smile. Sure enough, no matter what happened—so long as it concerned *that* man—it was simply impossible for him to ever forget.

Ling Xiao gave an indifferent toss of his chin. “Don’t waste time. I have another mission this afternoon.”

Xiao Yan grabbed Lauren by the collar and ushered him into the observation room. He then opened the case he was carrying—inside lay a gun!

“A gun... What do we need a gun for?” Lauren’s look of sheer horror was, to put it mildly, hilarious.

“What? Do you want to install the sensor devices on the mutant zombies with your bare hands?”

Xiao Yan extracted the barrel and the energy converter, then assembled the weapon with crisp, efficient movements—a sequence executed with such fluid grace that Lauren couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Wynn and Liv had already entered the training arena, while Ling Xiao remained behind with Xiao Yan; this positioning allowed him to rush into the arena and provide backup for Wynn and Liv immediately should any unforeseen complications arise.

The observation room where Xiao Yan stood was situated five meters above ground level, separated from the arena by a pane of high-density titanium-alloy glass. Xiao Yan pressed a button; the glass panel slid open slowly, and he steadied the weapon on its mount.

“Do you want me to take the shot?” Ling Xiao asked.

“Yes! Major Ling Xiao, please—you do it!” Lauren was visibly agitated. What if Xiao Yan missed the zombies with his shots? They wouldn’t be able to seal the glass barrier in time—and if a zombie managed to leap inside, they’d all be dead!

“I designed and built this weapon myself. I believe I understand how to utilize its functions far better than Major Ling Xiao does.”

Xiao Yan’s tone remained perfectly calm, but Lauren was anything but. He cast a pleading look at Ling Xiao, his expression conveying—in no uncertain terms—his profound skepticism regarding Xiao Yan’s marksmanship. But Ling Xiao had already begun the countdown: "Three... two... one!"

The button was pressed, and a mutated zombie burst out violently; both its speed and strength put Wynn and Liv on high alert.

The sound of a trigger being pulled rang out—*snap!*—and in a flash of lightning speed, Xiao Yan struck the zombie in the back, successfully embedding a sensor deep into its muscle tissue. The zombie instantly changed direction; thrusting off the ground with its left leg, it charged straight toward Xiao Yan.

Hideous features, facial muscles already rotting away, and yellowed fangs.

"Oh God—" Lauren cried out in terror, collapsing onto the floor.

Xiao Yan, however, coolly slammed the glass barrier shut just as the zombie crashed violently against the observation room window.

"Hey, kid—did you wet yourself?" Xiao Yan asked, shouldering his rifle and grinning with cocky arrogance.

"You... *you're* the one who wet himself!"

Lauren’s legs had gone completely limp. He still remembered the terrorist attack orchestrated by the Tide Organization in Shire just months ago. That day, he had been sitting in a classroom at school when a commotion broke out outside. The professor lecturing at the time paid it no mind—but by the time the commotion escalated into screams of agony, it was already too late. A zombie had burst into the classroom and, with a single bite, severed the professor's neck. The students screamed and scattered in every direction while the zombie ravenously devoured the professor's flesh, its hollow eyes gleaming with excitement as it watched them all. Lauren had stood frozen in place, too paralyzed by shock to move; had a special forces soldier not arrived in the nick of time, he would surely be dead.

And the zombie that had just lunged at the observation room was clearly far more terrifying than the one he had encountered in that classroom.

"Hey! What are you spacing out for? Aren't you supposed to be monitoring the data?"

A teasing voice rang out, and only then did Lauren realize that Xiao Yan was crouching right in front of him, watching him with an amused expression. His pride wounded, the teenager shoved Xiao Yan’s face away and activated his holographic display screen; the zombie's movement patterns were being streamed directly into the system in real-time, generating raw data that was then being analyzed and categorized. Throughout the entire process, Wynn stood to the side, while Liv constantly parried and maneuvered against the zombie. Two minutes later, Liv twisted off the mutant zombie's arm and pinned its head firmly beneath her foot.

"That was... truly incredible!" Lauren exclaimed in admiration.

At that very moment, Xiao Yan opened the glass enclosure once again.

Ling Xiao pressed a button, and a second zombie charged out in a frenzy.

Lauren’s heart leaped into his throat; Xiao Yan, however, barely needed a moment to react before firing a second shot that struck the zombie squarely in the chest.

His aim was absolutely unerring!

Lauren admitted to having a slightly revised opinion of Xiao Yan. "I thought you were all brains and no brawn!"

Ling Xiao, who had remained silent until then, appeared completely unsurprised by Xiao Yan's abilities. "Every single 'Condenser Gun' currently in use by the military was personally calibrated by Major Xiao Yan. His marksmanship ranks easily within the top ten across the entire military."

Gazing at Xiao Yan’s back, Lauren suddenly realized that this man must have had an extraordinary past.

"Hey, don't you think your supervisor looks pretty cool right now?" Xiao Yan slung the barrel of his gun over his shoulder and curled the corners of his lips into a smile—a roguish grin that made Lauren’s breath catch in his throat.

"What's so special about that? Give me two years, and I’ll be even better than you!"

Xiao Yan laughed heartily, placing his palm atop Lauren’s head and giving it a vigorous ruffle. "Are you sure two years will be enough?"

"Let go of me!" Lauren struggled to break free, yet when he lowered his gaze, the warmth radiating from Xiao Yan’s hand brought him an unexpected sense of reassurance.

Outside the observation room, Liv released the first zombie she had subdued. Now free, the two zombies began to coordinate their movements; despite Wynn’s exceptional prowess, it took them a full five minutes to finally subdue both mutant zombies.

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, sinking deep into thought.

A single mutant zombie was not particularly terrifying in itself; the greatest challenge lay in the fact that these creatures possessed a certain degree of intelligence. When two or three of them teamed up, the threat they posed multiplied exponentially; the special forces operatives would have to learn how to effectively disrupt their coordinated attacks.

The entire morning was spent engaged in this process of data collection. Xiao Yan even simulated a wide variety of combat scenarios—in cities, military bases, forests, and so on. Eventually, Ling Xiao joined Wynn and Liv, and the data being collected grew increasingly complex.

By the time the day’s data collection concluded, Wynn and Liv were nearly collapsing from exhaustion; meanwhile, the training room had been completely cleared of any remaining mutant zombies.

Xiao Yan walked down the corridor carrying a case, with Lauren trailing close behind him. He found himself growing increasingly curious about exactly how this system would ultimately be designed.

When Xiao Yan pulled up the prototype model of the combat system, Lauren was absolutely stunned.

"This is practically a carbon copy of reality! Even the sensation of being killed feels incredibly vivid! Did you *really* design this system yourself?"

Xiao Yan ruffled his hair. "Come on, stop goofing around. We have to perfect this system within a month to ensure it’s ready for use by the Special Task Force. Otherwise, they’ll start questioning your competence as my assistant—and then you’ll be shipped right back to those boring classrooms to sit through endless lectures from the professors."

"Oh—God—that would be absolute hell!"

Lauren immediately sprang into action. The task Xiao Yan assigned him was to import all the scenario data; as it turned out, the young man possessed analytical capabilities that rivaled—if not surpassed—those of researchers with years of experience, approaching every problem with even greater caution and thoroughness than they did.

With Lauren as his assistant, the research and development of the simulation system proceeded with remarkable efficiency.

Hein’s unit was the first to utilize this simulation system for training. After a week of intensive mental conditioning, the efficiency of Hein’s unit on field missions skyrocketed; every single member of every deployed squad returned safely to Shire. This success once again validated the significance of Xiao Yan’s research in the eyes of the Central Academy of Sciences.

However, Xiao Yan knew that the simulation system was not the primary concern; his true priority was to find a way to neutralize the X-virus within his own body as soon as possible. He delegated the task of collecting data from the simulation system to Lauren—though, evidently, Lauren was far from eager to interact with the special forces soldiers. “Um... do I really have to go over to the Special Forces’ quarters to retrieve the data collector?”

“What else would you do?”

“They could just send the data over via the system!”

“Don’t you know that this lab’s system operates independently?”

Lauren lowered his head. “What if Major Wynn kills me?”

Only then did Xiao Yan realize that Lauren was still dwelling on the time Wynn had scared him.

“Alright, you should know that the Military Command passed a decree: all researchers must undergo the same training as the rest of the armed forces—and, what’s more, the instructors for the researchers’ training are the Special Forces themselves. Major Wynn was the one who trained me back in the day; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he’ll likely be the one training you, too.”

“...In that case, I’d rather be eaten by zombies.”

“Trust me—compared to being eaten by zombies, you’d much prefer being trained by Wynn. Why not take this opportunity—while you’re collecting the data—to get on Wynn’s good side? That way, when the time comes for your Special Forces training, he might just ‘look out’ for you a little more!”

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes; although he felt utterly wicked on the inside, his face wore an expression that practically screamed, “I’m truly doing this for your own good!”

“Well... alright then...”

Lauren left the lab, looking thoroughly dejected. Xiao Yan’s expression, however, turned cold and grave. He knew that absolutely no one else was permitted to participate in any research regarding X-2—not even his own assistant.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, meticulously piecing together every step of his X-2 research process—from the studies on the Comet Virus conducted in Antarctica to the analysis of Hein’s blood samples. As everything fell into place, his thoughts became crystal clear. He drew a sample of his own blood to analyze the activity levels of the X-virus within his body, then began the process of formulating X-2. It was a task demanding absolute concentration; he understood that he required immense patience, for a result like this could never be achieved overnight.

Meanwhile, Lauren had arrived outside the Hein Unit’s lounge. He hesitated for a long moment, but finally gritted his teeth and pressed his finger against the access panel. His biometric data was verified, and the sliding door hissed open. Although Lauren had prayed countless times that it wouldn't be Wynn on the other side, fate had other plans: there stood Wynn—clad in his black combat uniform—leaning against the doorframe with one hand, watching Lauren with an amused smirk. “Hey! Assistant, is something up?”

The moment Lauren looked up, he froze on the spot.

Wynn’s formerly shoulder-length hair had been buzzed down to a crew cut. He glared at Lauren, deliberately trying to look menacing—yet, to his surprise, he saw that Lauren’s eyes had actually welled up with tears.

“You... where’s your hair?”

“I cut it off. It’s not like I’m Maya; I used to just think that a hairstyle like Mark’s—one that needs constant trimming—was a hassle. But lately, that awkward, in-between length started hurting my pride, so I just went ahead and chopped it all off.” Wynn wore an expression that screamed, *“None of your damn business.”*

“Is it... because I called you pretty?” Lauren’s expression—which had been one of fear just moments ago—now appeared surprisingly earnest.

“Yeah, it is! What kind of man actually *likes* being called ‘pretty’?” Wynn scoffed.

“But this new haircut looks absolutely hideous!” Lauren blurted out. “Do you have *any* sense of aesthetics at all?!”

Wynn continued to glare at him. Realizing his mistake, Lauren instinctively took two steps back—but it was too late; Wynn had already grabbed him by the collar.

“Who are you calling tasteless? Huh?” Wynn growled, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth.

“S-sorry...” Lauren stammered.

Liv sighed and walked over to the pair. “Major, tell me—why can’t you just be honest with Lauren? Why not just tell him that during today’s mission, your hair got splattered with zombie pus? You found it absolutely disgusting, so you couldn’t wait to chop it all off?”

Wynn’s face darkened, while Lauren’s eyes filled with the look of someone who had just realized, *“You were messing with me all along!”*

With another huff, Wynn let go of Lauren. “Are you here to collect the data recorders?”

“Y-yes...” Still instinctively terrified of Wynn, Lauren tried to inch closer to Liv. Unfortunately for him, his escape attempt failed; Wynn simply grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him into the lounge.

“Hey! Hand over your data recorders—all of you! Hurry it up! The longer this kid stays in the room with us, the more terrified he gets. If we scare him so badly that he loses his nerve completely, the Central Academy of Sciences is going to come down on us hard!”

Everyone promptly unclipped their data recorders and placed them on the table in front of Lauren. Wynn returned to the sofa with a swaggering air, sat down, and closed his eyes, speaking no further. His tightly furrowed brows and grim expression radiated a palpable aura of lethal intent.

Lauren fled as if his life depended on it, dashing out with all his data collectors in tow. As he reached the doorway, however, he fumbled and spilled everything with a loud clatter. Scrambling awkwardly, he crouched down to frantically scoop up the scattered items before sliding the door open and hurrying out.

The instant the sliding door shut behind him, Wynn could no longer contain himself and burst into uproarious laughter.

Liv rolled her eyes heavenward in exasperated silence.

Several days later, Xiao Yan finally succeeded in formulating an X-2 variant compatible with his own physiology.

He held the small vial—containing the viral solution—between his fingers. Although numerous simulations had confirmed the virus itself was safe, Xiao Yan knew that once injected into his own body, the resulting biological variables remained entirely unpredictable; there was simply no way to guarantee a precise outcome.

"Hey, Major! You’ve been fiddling with that vial all morning! You’re going to make the poor thing dizzy!"

Xiao Yan chuckled softly and ruffled Lauren’s hair. "How is the upgrade to the combat simulation system coming along?"

"It’s going great—absolutely perfect!" Lauren huffed indignantly, turning his head away. "What kind of top-secret research are you conducting? I tried to access your data logs, but I couldn't even log in!"

"Once you’re skilled enough to crack the security protocols I’ve put in place, then—and only then—can you join my research team."

Lauren had never undergone any training as an "Inhibitor." Even if he personally had no ties to the "Tide" organization, were he ever to fall into their hands, the enemy would likely be able to extract vital information directly from his mind.

Xiao Yan opened the door to the laboratory. Lauren craned his neck to look out. "Hey—where are you going?"

"To see the person I trust most in the world."

Lauren’s face crumpled into a pout as he began to mutter to himself: "I’m your assistant, yet I’m *not* the person you trust most? How am I supposed to live that down?"

Standing just outside the doorway, Xiao Yan looked up and took a deep, steadying breath. He remembered having visited Hein’s room once before—though on that occasion, he had been completely drunk.

He closed his eyes...

He recalled how, in his drunken stupor, he had wandered through the corridor as if floating on clouds, and how Hein had followed patiently right behind him.

When his footsteps finally halted, Xiao Yan found himself standing before a door. He knew his fingerprints alone would never be enough to open it.

"Hello, Colonel Burton. This is Xiao Yan."

The door slid open.

The man standing before him wore neither combat fatigues nor a standard military uniform; today was his day off. He was dressed simply in a thin, unadorned white T-shirt, and his casual trousers did little to conceal the long, powerful lines of his legs.

Xiao Yan gazed at the man before him, parting his lips as if to speak, yet no words escaped them.

He recognized this Hein Burton—yet never in such an unguarded posture, a stance suggesting that, beyond his endless missions, he actually possessed a life of his own.

Hein’s hand reached around to the back of Xiao Yan’s head, practically drawing him into an embrace. The special forces guards stationed outside were cut off by the closing sliding door; by the time Xiao Yan regained his senses, he realized he had already stepped inside Hein’s room.

The layout of the room was identical to his own. Hein leaned back against the headboard of his bed; a book lay beside his pillow.

Xiao Yan found himself unable to tear his eyes away. This man was far more captivating than any male model featured on the giant holographic screens in the commercial districts. He needed to do nothing at all—simply existing there was enough to effortlessly and inevitably command Xiao Yan’s entire attention.

Hein gently patted the spot beside him, inviting Xiao Yan to sit down.

Xiao Yan instinctively took half a step back. It was Hein’s bed—and the implication was unmistakable.

"I know what you’re afraid of. I’m going to take you—and I’ll keep taking you until either you or I no longer exist in this world. If you truly feel that being taken by me is the most intolerable thing imaginable, or if you are absolutely certain that you never want to be held by me, then you are free to stay away from me forever."

Hein’s expression remained as ascetic as ever—a quality that, paradoxically, only made him all the more alluring. At this moment, all of Xiao Yan’s sensations converged within his bloodstream like a subtle, flowing current. He had believed that those uncontrollable stirrings of the heart he once felt were merely memories; yet now, as if drawn by an invisible force, his very fingertips seemed to pull him forward. He advanced step by step; his desire to draw close to Hein Burton in this moment had absolutely nothing to do with the past.

It was as if he were destined from birth to be near him.

Xiao Yan reached Hein’s side and lay down, his head coming to rest perfectly upon Hein’s shoulder. As he swung his legs onto the bed, his senses were filled with the scent—unmistakably—of Hein Burton.

Unlike the aggressive, overwhelming intensity of Hein’s kisses and embraces, this proximity brought Xiao Yan a sense of peace he had not expected.

“I’ve developed an X-2 variant specifically tailored to my own physiology. I’m preparing to inject myself with it. I don’t know if, after receiving it, I’ll wake up just as I did in every simulation run. I can’t entrust myself to anyone at the Central Academy of Sciences; Valentine Sheehan’s influence has long since infiltrated the institution. It’s entirely possible that while my body is adapting to this virus... I might never see another tomorrow.”

“You *will* wake up. I’ll be right here.”

“I’ll likely experience the same symptoms recorded in your own X-2 trial: high fever, erratic heartbeat, loss of consciousness...”

“That was because the accelerant in my system caused both viruses to replicate at an accelerated rate. Your risk level is far lower than mine was back then. So, you *will* definitely wake up.”

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and smiled. He knew that this man held a faith in him that bordered on the absolute—almost blind in its conviction.

“This virus is tailored exclusively to me, so no one else can take my place in this experiment.” Xiao Yan took a deep breath and pressed the vial of serum into the injector gun. “I hope that when I wake up—just like last time—I’ll see you.”

“Are you sure you won’t try to run away from me again, just like last time?”

“Could I even run away from you?” Xiao Yan smiled faintly as he pressed the injector gun against his thigh.

His heartbeat spiraled out of control, and his vision began to blur. He tilted his head back, and the last thing he saw was the strong line of Hein’s jaw.