TIC Chapter 31

 Chapter 31

“Let’s go. You overslept, you slacker—there’s no time for you to eat breakfast.”

“...Why did I have to get up?” Xiao Yan looked utterly bewildered. He was just a cadet currently on standby; he was supposed to be allowed to sleep until he woke up naturally.

“We’re heading outside the base to conduct reconnaissance.”

“...What does that have to do with me?” A sense of foreboding welled up in Xiao Yan’s heart.

“Don’t you know the General Staff’s operational regulations? Every special operations squad is required to be accompanied by a technical specialist whenever they deploy?” Mark wore an expression that seemed to ask, *Have you been living under a rock?*

“...I’m not a technical specialist; I’m a reservist.” Xiao Yan knew he had gone on missions with Mark and the others before, and in Mark’s eyes, he and their squad shared a certain—albeit minor—degree of operational chemistry. However, over the past few days, Xiao Yan had come to realize that if a soldier attempted to fill a role outside their actual skillset, they would very likely end up becoming a liability to the entire team.

“Reservist Act, Article 32, Clause 7: In situations involving an emergency or a personnel shortage, reservists are required to assume the duties of regular soldiers, accept their assigned roles, and carry out military orders.” Liv walked up to Xiao Yan and gave his cheek a playful pinch.

“If it really is an emergency, then you *especially* shouldn’t be picking me!” Xiao Yan looked at Liv with dead earnestness.

“Right now, the situation falls under ‘personnel shortage.’” Liv effortlessly hoisted Xiao Yan out of his sleeping pod and pressed a technical specialist’s gear pack into his arms. “Don’t be so tense; we’re just going out on a routine patrol. Besides, have a little faith in yourself—you’re far more useful than those technical specialists who have nothing but their military rank!”

“Really?” Xiao Yan had never imagined he held such high standing in the eyes of this squad of special forces soldiers.

“Let’s move out.” Hein lifted his chin slightly, and the entire squad followed him out of the lounge.

To save time, Mark tucked Xiao Yan under his arm and, looking thoroughly delighted, briskly jogged to take his place behind Hein.

*Inwardly, Xiao Yan screamed:* *Stop treating me like this! I’m going to puke—do you not get that?!*

Once aboard the dropship, Xiao Yan kept his head down and remained completely silent as he organized the equipment inside his gear pack; he needed to familiarize himself with every single item. If they really did run into agents from the “Tide Surge” organization during their patrol, he needed to know exactly what role he could play. Sitting across from Xiao Yan was Liv; she nudged his knee with the tip of her boot.

“Hey! What’s the matter with you? You haven't said a single word.”

“I know what it is! Yesterday, I saw him hanging around with a pretty female cadet all day! He must have tried to make a move on her and got shot down!” Mark wore a look of gleeful schadenfreude.

Xiao Yan merely twitched the corners of his lips without speaking; for once, the usually dense Mark had actually shown a rare moment of insight.

“Huh? No way—did you really get rejected? That woman was right there looking after you the whole time you were unconscious; she seemed pretty interested in you!”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“A boyfriend? What kind of boyfriend? Is he tougher than you?” Mark gave Xiao Yan a look of sympathy.

“A Major in the Military Discipline Office.” Xiao Yan said nothing more.

Liv and Mark exchanged glances and fell silent.

The cabin went quiet. Then, a loud rumble came from Xiao Yan’s stomach, sending Mark into a fit of laughter.

“You skipped breakfast, didn't you? You must be starving!” Playing the role of the good Samaritan, Mark held out a packet of compressed biscuits to Xiao Yan.

“...No, thanks...”

Compressed biscuits... yeah, he’d pass on those... He’d rather just go hungry.

They were currently flying over a dry, rocky region; towering, wind-weathered rock formations rose up like pillars, as if straining to hold up the very heavens.

Xiao Yan leaned against the window, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon.

A flock of unidentified birds flew past the aircraft’s flank.

Mark’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly threw open the cabin door.

“Hey! Mark! What the hell are you doing?!” The fierce wind whipped against Xiao Yan’s face, making it sting.

“Adding to the menu!” With that, Mark fired off several “Silver Wing” darts; seven or eight birds were instantly struck down, plummeting toward the ground below.

Mark hooked a safety line to Xiao Yan’s seat and leaped out of the cabin. Xiao Yan felt his heart leap into his throat at the guy’s recklessness. Less than a second later, the line retracted; Mark hauled himself back into the cabin, grinning triumphantly as he dangled the dead birds from his hand.

“Hah! I’m sick to death of eating those damn compressed biscuits! Finally, we get to eat something else!”

“You guys think compressed biscuits taste bad, too?” Xiao Yan asked, looking genuinely surprised. “Hey! Just because we heal quickly doesn't mean it feels good to choke on a compressed biscuit!” The mere mention of compressed biscuits sent Mark into a furious rant. “If anyone can figure out how to improve the texture of those things—once I’m dead—I’ll leave them my entire life savings!”

“You actually *have* savings?” Liv rolled her eyes at Mark with an amused smirk.

Half an hour later, their aircraft landed atop a rocky mountain peak.

The air was still that day; a few of the special forces soldiers efficiently set about building a fire. Mark plucked and gutted the birds they had caught earlier. This was Xiao Yan’s first time having a barbecue out in the wilderness, and his heart was brimming with anticipation.

He squatted beside the campfire, unsure of how he could be of use; yet, at the mere thought of the roasted bird meat he would soon be eating, his mouth began to water uncontrollably, and the rumbling protests from his stomach grew even louder. The soldiers gathered around the fire burst into hearty laughter. Xiao Yan turned his head and spotted Hein standing at the edge of the cliff, head bowed, his gaze distant and fixed on some unknown point in the distance.

Suddenly, Hein leaped off the cliff. Xiao Yan tensed up and scrambled to his feet; rushing to the precipice himself, he saw that Hein was actually gliding down along the rock face—his combat uniform was equipped with a gliding function.

“Where did the Boss go?” Mark asked, having already placed the birds over the fire to roast.

“Who knows? Doesn't the Boss like to have some alone time every now and then?” Liv replied nonchalantly.

*Alone time...* That was Hein Burton, all right—a man who inhabited a world that no one else could approach or enter.

These special forces soldiers were experts at wilderness cooking; before long, the bird meat was fully cooked, its skin roasted to a glistening golden-brown. Mark lifted one of the birds and deliberately dangled it right under Xiao Yan’s nose. Seeing the young man crane his neck and stare at the meat with wide, glazed-over eyes, everyone chuckled in amusement.

Xiao Yan wasn't the least bit shy about it; tilting his head back to look at Mark, he pleaded, “Come on, give me some meat! You dragged me out of my sleep pod at the crack of dawn—that was practically torture!”

“You cheeky brat!” Mark laughed, then generously tore off a leg and tossed it to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan proved surprisingly agile; he caught the bird leg in mid-air, saving it from landing in the gravel by a mere hair's breadth. Seeing the posture Xiao Yan had adopted, the other special forces soldiers burst into laughter; they vied with one another, joking that they should toss the wings at him just to see if he could catch them.

It was only then that Xiao Yan realized he seemed to have become some sort of pet...

Since there was no salt or other seasonings available, the bird meat was almost entirely flavorless; yet, simply because he was famished, Xiao Yan found it surprisingly delicious.

The other soldiers remained seated around the campfire. Liv gave a huff and called out, "Hey! Remember to save some for the Boss!"

Just then, the sound of someone climbing reached their ears. Everyone turned around, instantly on high alert; however, the moment they saw Hein nimbly scaling the rock face to reach the summit, they all went right back to what they were doing.

Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. Getting *down* was easy enough—but how on earth had Hein managed to climb *up*?

Hein placed a small bundle wrapped in leaves down in front of Liv and remarked coolly, "Help yourselves."

Liv unwrapped the leaves and discovered a stash of wild berries inside; a smile immediately lit up her face. "Raspberries! I absolutely love raspberries! Thanks, Boss!"

Curiosity piqued, Xiao Yan leaned his head in for a closer look, but Mark promptly pressed his palm against Xiao Yan’s forehead to hold him back. "Hey! Rookie! Real men eat meat—big, hearty chunks of it! All those 'berries' and whatnot are just food for women!"

"You oaf!" Liv shot Mark a fierce glare, then pulled Xiao Yan over to her side. "Xiao Yan, after eating all that meat, you definitely need some fruit to go with it!"

With that, Liv popped a raspberry into Xiao Yan’s mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she asked, "Well? How is it? Tasty?"

Xiao Yan’s expression slowly shifted to one of utter bewilderment. After finally managing to swallow the berry, he clutched his jaw and exclaimed, "Good grief! That is *so* sour! It was so tart I thought my jaw was going to lock up!"

"Hahaha!" Liv threw an arm around Xiao Yan’s shoulders and laughed heartily. "That, my friend, is a true gift from nature—grown without any artificial catalysts or human interference. They grew wild and free, and that’s a flavor you simply won't find back in the Shire."

"That’s certainly true!" Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. A faint, fresh fragrance lingered on his tongue—and despite the intense tartness, the aftertaste was truly delightful. "Huh? There are wild cherries here!" Liv paused in surprise, then looked toward Hein. "Boss, you actually found wild cherries?"

"Mm." Hein remained gazing into the distance, looking like a sentinel standing watch at the edge of a cliff.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but keep staring at his profile.

"I’ve noticed you really seem to like watching the Boss," Liv suddenly whispered into Xiao Yan's ear, making him instinctively hunch his shoulders.

"Ah... I was just..."

"Don't worry about it. When I first joined the Special Missions Unit, I used to like watching him all the time, too. With him around, we always know which way to go." Liv half-jokingly popped a cherry into Xiao Yan's mouth.

"Mmph... Still so sour..." Xiao Yan grimaced, yet he couldn't help but enjoy the taste—so utterly unadorned and natural.

"That's a first," Liv said, a smile playing on her lips.

"A first for what?"

Liv shook the wild fruit in her hand and said, "Xiao Yan, did you know that cherries symbolize 'cherishing'?"

Xiao Yan chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure Colonel Burton doesn't have that kind of romantic sensibility."

"Hey, rookie! Had enough to eat?" Mark called out in a booming voice.

"I'm full!" Xiao Yan stood up and stretched.

Just then, Mark's expression changed completely, and he roared: "Duck!"

Xiao Yan had absolutely no time to react; he only sensed something closing in behind him. His shoulders were shoved downward just as a sharp blade sliced ​​through the air right over his head. In the instant Xiao Yan's heart seemed to stop beating, something crashed heavily to the ground behind him.

Hein's chest was right before his eyes; Xiao Yan's ear was pressed tightly against the spot where Hein's heart beat. The other man's hands held Xiao Yan in a vice-like grip—with such force that it felt as if he were being crushed right into Hein's ribcage.

Hein's distinctly masculine scent filled Xiao Yan's nostrils—a scent that felt steady and grounded, yet held a palpable undercurrent of tension.

Xiao Yan was held so tightly he could barely breathe, until finally, Hein released his grip.

"What the hell?! How did a Level 1 manage to climb all the way up here?"

It turned out a zombie had actually managed to scale the rocky cliff face; Xiao Yan had come perilously close to having his shoulder bitten clean off. Hein’s gaze swept coldly over everyone, carrying a distinct air of scrutiny.

They had all been far too careless; as Special Forces operatives, they had actually waited until the zombies were nearly upon them before reacting.

But Xiao Yan grew suspicious. Special Forces personnel possessed hearing far superior to that of ordinary people; logically, they should have sensed the zombies the moment they began scaling the rocky cliffs. How, then, could this have happened...?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Xiao Yan approached the remains of the zombie. He retrieved a device from the pack on his back to collect samples and scan the creature’s limbs; the resulting data made him frown.

“What’s wrong?” Liv asked, stepping up to Xiao Yan.

“The data indicates that its physical agility is five percent higher than that of a standard Level 1 zombie... I need to transmit this data back to the Central Academy of Sciences in Shire. It’s highly probable that the Level 1 class is evolving. You guys need to be extra vigilant during your missions from now on!”

Liv paused for a moment, slightly taken aback, then turned to address the entire squad. “Hey! Did everyone hear that loud and clear?”

“Affirmative!”

Xiao Yan swallowed hard. When that zombie had attacked him just moments ago, Mark hadn't been able to reach him in time; were it not for Hein, his head would no longer be resting on his shoulders.

“Let’s move out.” Hein’s face remained utterly devoid of emotion as he strode steadily into the cockpit of the aircraft.

The entire cabin fell into a deathly silence as every operative reflected on their own negligence. Fortunately, this had merely been a routine patrol; had it been an actual combat engagement—where they failed to detect the approach of the enemy—the consequences would have been catastrophic.

Not long after, Mark—who was seated beside Xiao Yan—grew restless. He nudged Xiao Yan with his elbow. “Hey, how about you become our squad’s dedicated Tech Specialist from now on?”

“Why?” Xiao Yan was puzzled by Mark’s sudden suggestion. After all, the assignment of Tech Specialists required authorization from the Central Academy of Sciences, and surely there were other researchers—far more distinguished and possessing actual combat experience—available for such roles. “Just think back to the first time we went on a mission at the nuclear power plant—you only gave the Boss a quick peck on the cheek, and he nearly killed you for it. But look at things now: during the zip-line descent, the Boss not only guided you personally but also went out of his way to protect you just moments ago. He’s clearly accepted you as one of us now, so just stick with us from here on out!”

The other special forces soldiers suddenly chimed in in unison: “Exactly! The Research Institute is such a bore!”

“I hear that place is full of total weirdos! People talking to thin air, for instance! And that one guy who locked his research assistant inside a reactor—nearly cost the poor guy his life!”

“Yeah, you’d better stay with us before you end up going completely insane yourself!”

Xiao Yan glanced at Liv; she said nothing, merely pursing her lips in a smile.

He truly hadn't expected to be quite so popular within Hein’s unit!

Upon returning to the base, they spotted Colonel Shen Bing striding furiously toward Hein.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

The special forces soldiers looked over, baffled by the sudden outburst. Hein remained motionless in the pilot’s seat, allowing Shen Bing to step directly into the cockpit.

“You know perfectly well that Char has already...” Shen Bing’s gaze landed briefly on Xiao Yan’s face before quickly averting away.

Xiao Yan had a vague suspicion that Shen Bing’s anger likely had something to do with him.

“Xiao Yan, did you transmit a batch of data regarding the zombies to Char’s Central Academy of Sciences?” Shen Bing took a deep breath, addressing Xiao Yan in a tone she tried her best to keep steady.

“Yes, Colonel.”

“The Academy requires you to compile an analytical report based on that data. It is to be submitted by 0900 hours tomorrow morning.”

“...What?” He was merely a trainee on the front lines; at most, his duties involved transmitting data. Surely the actual analysis was supposed to be done by the researchers?

“Even if you are only a reservist, do you not understand the military principle that an order is given only once? Do you really have time to stand around daydreaming right now?”

“Yes, Colonel!” Realizing that Shen Bing was trying to find an excuse to get him out of the way, Xiao Yan exited the cockpit and was escorted away by a liaison officer.

Inside the cockpit, only Shen Bing and Hein Burton remained.