TIC Chapter 34

 Chapter 34

Hein lowered his gaze with a look of disdain; his lips parted slightly, and though his voice was soft, every single word felt like a blade slicing directly across one's nerves.

“Tell Major Denzel: I—Hein Burton—am waiting for him to come at me with everything he’s got.”

Sure enough, the three guys’ jaws dropped; they were utterly dumbfounded.

Making an enemy of Hein Burton was tantamount to crossing the Grim Reaper himself.

They scrambled to their feet and fled in disarray—a scene so undignified that it left Xiao Yan feeling somewhat unsettled.

“...Thank you.”

Xiao Yan attempted to curl the corners of his lips into a smile, but with every inch of his body throbbing in pain, the resulting expression looked even more wretched than a sob.

“You’re filthy.”

Hein’s brows furrowed, and only then did Xiao Yan realize that his nosebleed had smeared blood all over his face.

Instinctively, Xiao Yan moved to wipe it away with the back of his hand, but Hein’s fingers—holding some object between them—gently pressed against his face instead.

His shoulders gave a start, and Xiao Yan involuntarily took half a step back; Hein’s gaze instantly turned glacial.

Was he angry? Angry because *he*—Xiao Yan—was so dirty?

Even when cutting a path through hordes of zombies, this man always managed to look utterly spotless; yet here was Xiao Yan, his face smeared with blood—Hein must surely be utterly repulsed.

“I’ll... do it myself...”

The moment Xiao Yan’s fingers closed around Hein’s wrist, he instantly regretted it.

Would Hein twist his wrist back? Would he dislocate it all over again?

But the other man simply let go.

Only then did Xiao Yan realize what he was holding: *Blade-Wipe*—a cutting-edge product of the Military Department’s advanced nanotech research. When used to clean a blade, *Blade-Wipe* utilizes nanomaterials to fill in microscopic fissures, thereby restoring and enhancing the blade’s sharpness. Naturally, such an item came with an astronomical price tag.

And yet, Hein had used it to wipe away Xiao Yan’s nosebleed...

“Tilt your head back.” The voice—typically so cool and terse—reached Xiao Yan’s ears, carrying with it a faint, inexplicable warmth. Xiao Yan lifted his chin; his nose hurt terribly. Great—now it was bound to swell up in a moment. He wouldn't even need to step out the door anymore; he had originally planned to meet up with a few fellow trainees at a bar, but now, he feared that the moment he showed his face, he’d be mocked as a "Christmas Red-Nosed Reindeer."

After tilting his head back for a while, his neck began to ache. Xiao Yan lowered his head—only to find that the nosebleed had started up again. He hurriedly pressed down on it with "Shi Ren." Meeting Hein’s gaze once more, Xiao Yan felt a sudden tremor run through him.

He hadn't expected the other man to still be there; for a moment, he was utterly at a loss for words.

Hein’s eyelids drooped slightly, as always making his emotions impossible to discern; yet, the usual sharpness and aloofness seemed—at this moment—to have had their hard edges softened. Xiao Yan wondered if this was merely an illusion caused by the stinging pain in his own eyes. Hein reached out a hand; Xiao Yan felt an instinctive urge to recoil. The other man’s fingers brushed past his ear and cupped the back of his head, gently tilting it back once more. This time, however, he felt no discomfort in his neck; from this angle, he could not see Hein’s eyes—he only felt the touch of the other man’s fingers against his lower lip.

At such a touch, Xiao Yan instinctively hunched his shoulders. His lips were gently parted; his breath caught in his throat as he frantically speculated in his mind: *What exactly is Hein planning to do?*

He felt a certain presence—an aura—seep through the parting of his lips and into his mouth, surging deep into his very core, threatening to consume him entirely. His body trembled; Xiao Yan knew that Hein was leaning in closer.

He could scarcely believe it—that the other man was actually making the first move toward him.

The instant the tip of that warm tongue brushed against Xiao Yan’s upper lip, he felt as though the ground beneath his feet had begun to sway and crumble. And when that soft, yielding tongue slipped past his teeth and gently grazed the tip of his own, Xiao Yan’s heart pounded wildly. His blood rushed downward in a torrent; his mind went utterly blank, and all his senses converged upon the point where their bodies met. He lost all control of himself, consumed by an insatiable craving to receive—to take—even more from the man before him!

Instinctively, he thrust the tip of his tongue forward to meet it—but the other man withdrew just as swiftly. Unable to stop himself, Xiao Yan leaned in to chase the kiss—only for Hein to suddenly clamp a hand firmly against the back of his head, halting his forward advance.那瞬间肖岩睁开了眼睛，他与海茵一成不变的目光相触的瞬间，在他的瞳孔中看见某种隐忍多时几欲崩塌的东西。

只是这种情绪一闪而过，肖岩甚至没有任何探究的时间。

海茵的手离开了肖岩的后脑，失去支撑的那一刻，他的心脏莫名空了起来。

“上校！我们走吧！”

丽芙清亮的声音响起，肖岩掠过海茵的肩膀看见她从某个公寓中走出来。

“跟你弟弟告别了吗？”海茵侧过身去。

“是的！”丽芙看见肖岩的瞬间露出不知该笑还是该怒的表情，“我的老天，才十几个小时没见到你，你怎么又把自己折腾成了这副样子！怎么都是血？”

“呵呵……”肖岩仍旧没有从与海茵的接触中回过神来，那是一个近乎亲吻的触碰，对于肖岩来说等同于不可能发生的事情。

“诶？已经愈合了吗？”丽芙掰过肖岩的脸，仔细看了看。

那一刻肖岩忽然发现肿痛的发麻的感觉全部消失了，鼻腔的流血也止住了，就连被揍了的地方也不再疼痛。是x病毒，肖岩这才反应过来刚才海茵舔上自己的目的是什么。

就像那一次他扭伤脚踝，躺在地上，海茵用草叶沾了自己的唾液喂给了肖岩，只不过这一次肖岩是通过直接接触获取了x病毒。

丽芙在那瞬间似乎明白了什么，肖岩看向海茵时，对方留给他的只剩下背影。

孤绝的，仿佛与肖岩属于不同的世界。

Liv shook her head helplessly. "I always get the feeling you’re a walking disaster zone. The aircraft you board gets invaded by Blockers; the bases you enter get hit by missile strikes; and even after returning to Shire, you still manage to get yourself into a state like this!"

"Now that you mention it, I suppose that really does seem to be the case. You’re here to say goodbye to your younger brother—is your unit shipping out somewhere again?"

"We’re heading to the Amazon! Ever heard of the place?"

Xiao Yan’s heart gave a sudden jolt. "The Amazon? Over two hundred years ago, that was an incredibly complex biosphere! Could I go along?"

Liv smiled and shook her head. "We’re going there to conduct a resource survey. Talk to me about joining up once you’re actually capable of killing a zombie!"

A pang of melancholy welled up in Xiao Yan’s heart. "Yeah..."

If his evaluation results reached Rank A, he would be assigned to the Academy of Sciences to serve as Casey’s assistant—truly becoming a bird in a cage.

"See? The Boss really is pretty good to you." Liv gave a playful wink. She wasn't teasing Xiao Yan in the slightest; she was simply stating a fact. Liv had easily deduced the reason why Xiao Yan—despite having lost so much blood—saw all his bruises and swelling vanish within such a short span of time.

This realization calmed Xiao Yan’s inexplicably restless heart.

This was the work of the X-virus coursing through the bodies of the Special Task Force members. If the virus were injected directly into the bloodstream, it would enhance every aspect of one's physical capabilities—including regenerative healing—but at the cost of shortening one's lifespan. However, when Hein’s tongue brushed against Xiao Yan, the X-virus—its potency attenuated by passing through Hein’s own metabolic system—entered Xiao Yan’s body. It briefly boosted his healing capabilities, yet simultaneously acted as an irresistible aphrodisiac; this explained why Xiao Yan had been utterly powerless to resist that fleeting touch from Hein—a contact so brief he hadn't even had time to react.

As Constantine—Shire’s "Father of Virology"—once said: the most terrifying viruses often possess unexpected moments of tenderness. That regenerative healing ability, perhaps, was the X-virus’s own form of tenderness.

Undeniably, it was—so far—the most tender, yet also the most erotic kiss Xiao Yan had ever experienced... even if, strictly speaking, it barely qualified as a kiss at all. Yet, the moment his gaze locked with that of Hein Burton—standing not far away—his breath seemed to freeze within his chest, and all his amorous musings instantly shattered into fragments.

He recalled the unrealistic fantasies he had once harbored about Hein—the frenzied kisses, the lethal force—a stark contrast to the almost gentle demeanor he had witnessed just moments ago. Xiao Yan couldn't quite grasp it: when exactly had this legendary figure begun appearing in his life so frequently—even more often than he could have ever anticipated?

That night, Major Denzel returned to his officer's quarters, reeking of alcohol.

As the lights automatically flickered on, he staggered toward his large, comfortable bed; through his hazy vision, he thought he saw someone sitting upright on the sofa.

He narrowed his eyes at the figure—a face of exquisite, breathtaking beauty. Denzel flashed a lewd smile. "Hey, darling... how did you get in here?"

His vision was unfocused, preventing him from meeting the other person's gaze directly, yet he was certain of one thing: they possessed a pair of eyes with incredibly beautiful contours.

However, the figure remained utterly silent—not even stirring from their seat.

"Don't be so cold; I... I like women with a little passion..."

Denzel reached out, attempting to cup the figure's chin. Just as his fingers were about to brush against their skin, a sharp *snap* rang out; his fingers were twisted and broken. Denzel’s screams of excruciating agony echoed through the apartment.

"There are three things I need you to remember."

The man's cold voice cut through the air, heavy with menace, as Denzel thrashed in furious resistance.

"Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Major Denzel of the Military Discipline Bureau! Don't let me find out your name! If I do, I’ll make sure you die a truly gruesome death!"

The man remained unmoved. Another sharp *crack* was heard, and Denzel’s wrist went limp—dislocated.

"Agh—!"

This time, Denzel sobered up completely. The alcohol in his system seemed to evaporate in an instant, leaving his back drenched in cold sweat. He finally saw the man's eyes clearly: ruthless, indifferent, and brimming with lethal intent.

A black combat uniform. A tall, lithe, and powerful physique. Even as he twisted and broke another man's arm, he remained—in his movements and bearing—an epitome of elegance, utterly aloof and unattainable. “First: I do not permit anyone to touch me.”

No sooner had he spoken than Major Denzel’s shoulder was dislocated.

“Ah!”

“Did you get that?”

He was utterly unable to speak; he could only nod wretchedly.

“Second: I am Hein Burton. No one gets to make my death—or my life—an ugly affair.”

Major Denzel was completely dumbfounded. This god-like man—was he actually Hein Burton?

Why on earth would Hein Burton be in his apartment?

“Third—and finally: If you cause Xiao Yan to bleed under any pretext whatsoever—even if he feels the slightest twinge of pain—it will be *your* head that I twist off.”

“Xiao... Yan...” Major Denzel struggled to recall the name amidst his excruciating agony.

Wasn't that the Class B cadet he’d been vying with over Lily? A few friends in the Department of Military Administration had mentioned they were going to “teach him a lesson”—had they actually gone through with it?

“Did you get that?”

“Y-yes... I got it... Colonel Burton... please, let me go... Ah!”

Major Denzel let out an even more piercing shriek as his other arm was twisted out of its socket.

“That’s just to ensure you remember it clearly.”

Hein Burton released his grip, and Major Denzel crumpled to the floor like a discarded piece of trash, howling in pain, his face streaming with snot and tears.

Hein walked out of the apartment, where two officers from the Department of Military Discipline were waiting outside the door.

“Colonel Burton, has your conversation with Major Denzel concluded? We still need to take him in for interrogation by the Department of Military Discipline.”

Hein gave a slight nod, then stepped aside and walked away.

The two officers watched his retreating figure, exchanging a subtle, almost imperceptible intake of breath.

Xiao Yan’s transfer orders were issued early the following morning, and he reported for duty at Casey’s research laboratory.

By now, Casey had truly come into his own; he was independently overseeing three separate virus research projects, commanding a team of twelve Class A researchers.

As Xiao Yan snapped off a crisp, standard military salute before Casey, he found—just as he had anticipated—that the gazes the other researchers cast upon him were fraught with a profound and complex mix of emotions. His research classification remained at Grade B, making him the subject of widespread gossip throughout the Central Academy of Sciences. Many had already begun to criticize Casey, claiming that the young Lieutenant Colonel treated the research lab like a game of make-believe, and that Xiao Yan was merely the nanny hired to play along with him.

However, Casey’s attitude toward Xiao Yan was strictly professional; whether issuing directives or assigning research tasks, he treated everyone with absolute impartiality.

Xiao Yan knew that, no matter how indifferent he might feel personally, he could not allow Casey to lose face. He had no intention of offering any groundbreaking insights; he simply wanted to conduct himself as a competent researcher.

Watching the figure of Xiao Yan earnestly processing data, Casey allowed a smile of deep significance to play upon his lips.

As the day’s research drew to a close, Xiao Yan stepped out of the laboratory. Ahead of him, two researchers were walking along, deep in conversation.

“Did you hear? Major Denzel from the Military Discipline Office has been demoted!”

“What happened?”

“Who knows what he did to piss off Hein Burton! Hein Burton actually twisted his arms and legs until they snapped!”

“That Denzel has always been arrogant enough as it is! It’s about time someone put him in his place! Still, it’s strange—Hein Burton rarely interacts with departments outside the Special Operations Force. How did he end up clashing with Denzel? And it wasn't enough that Denzel got beaten up—he got demoted, too?”

“What is Denzel good for, aside from sucking up to people? Hein Burton, on the other hand, is irreplaceable! His unit has a truly illustrious record of combat achievements!”

Xiao Yan blinked in surprise. Hadn't Liv mentioned that they were heading out on a mission? Logically speaking, shouldn't they have been too busy to go looking for trouble with Denzel? Then again, Denzel wasn't exactly a fool—he wouldn't deliberately stick his head into the lion's mouth.

One could only conclude that it was simply fate. For a man as thoroughly unprincipled as Denzel, Xiao Yan felt not a shred of sympathy.

Just then, two military officers approached Xiao Yan.

“Greetings. We are officers from the Administrative Committee. May we ask if you are Xiao Yan?”