TIC Chapter 39

 Chapter 39

“I was recalled on short notice; it seems Char needs me here rather than out in the field.” Jane’s index finger gently tapped against the corridor wall as he slowly approached Xiao Yan.

“Oh.” Before Xiao Yan could even turn around, his arm was seized by the other man.

“Where are you going?”

His breath was far too close; Xiao Yan wanted to shake him off, but given his own strength, that was an impossibility.

“Back to my researcher’s quarters. The Interrogation Unit doesn’t intend to...”

“You’ve misunderstood. From this moment on, you are under my supervision.” Jane smiled—a demeanor quite distinct from his earlier flippancy.

“Wh... what? Why would *you* supervise me? I’m affiliated with the Central Academy of Sciences! Are you messing with me again?” Xiao Yan frowned.

“Haha...” Jane’s fingers reached out. Xiao Yan instinctively recoiled, but the pads of the other man’s fingers touched his brow, slowly smoothing away the furrows there. “I’m not messing with you; this time, I’m entirely serious.”

“What... is going on?”

“Once the interrogations are concluded, Casey will also be placed under the protection of the Special Task Force. You are his research assistant—and, if I’m not mistaken, you have an independent research project registered under your own name, don’t you? The Central Academy’s directive is for you to continue that research. However, this facility is no longer a safe environment; I will be protecting you around the clock—never leaving your side.”

“What? Even with things in this state, the research is to continue?”

“Even if Char were to cease to exist, the Earth would still keep turning. We’ve merely lost a fifth of our researchers; we need only bring in some fresh blood to replenish the ranks. If we were to let our research grind to a halt, wouldn’t that be playing right into the hands of the Surge?” Jane maintained his air of unruffled composure.

“Without Casey here, do you expect me to complete my project all by myself?” Xiao Yan found the whole situation utterly absurd.

“Even *with* Casey here, wasn’t your research project essentially a solo endeavor anyway? Or perhaps...” Jane’s smiling gaze gradually turned cold. He leaned in slightly, his breath mingling almost imperceptibly with Xiao Yan’s. “...would you prefer to be placed under the supervision of Major Maya instead?”

“Maya...” Xiao Yan furrowed his brow. Why would Lieutenant Colonel Wallis suddenly bring up Maya? “He’s very gentle with you in bed, isn’t he?” Leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed, Jan looked at Xiao Yan with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

“You really have quite the imagination.” Xiao Yan shot him a cold glance, then turned and walked away. It seemed Jan Wallis had witnessed his encounter with Maya outside the bar that day. But so what if he had? Xiao Yan would be with whomever he pleased—and that went double for Maya, who was his friend!

Xiao Yan dismissed Jan’s words as nothing more than a tiresome joke; he always felt that nine out of every ten things the guy said simply couldn’t be trusted. He would much rather head back to his apartment and enjoy a good, long sleep.

He strode purposefully out of the research institute, while Jan followed right behind him with an air of utter nonchalance, drawing countless speculative glances from the people around them. Their eyes seemed to say: *Look at that—the notoriously philandering Lieutenant Colonel Wallis has found himself a new target!*

Even when Xiao Yan hailed a mag-lev taxi, Jan acted as if it were his absolute right to be there, squeezing himself right through the door.

“Hey! Go bother someone else! Or better yet, go chat, play cards, or chase girls with the guys from your own unit! Do whatever you want—just leave me alone!”

“They’ve all been assigned to supervise various other researchers.”

“I’m sure the researchers *they’re* supervising are all top-tier ‘Class A’ elites. I, on the other hand, am just a ‘Class B’ deadweight—yet *you*—the Captain of the Special Missions Unit’s Third Squad—have personally come to protect *me*? I’m truly flattered!” Xiao Yan turned his head away to stare out the window.

“Don’t do that. The scenery outside isn’t nearly as captivating as I am.” Jan hooked a finger under Xiao Yan’s chin.

To Xiao Yan, it felt like an irresistible force; yet for Jan, it required absolutely no effort at all. Yes, the guy possessed finely chiseled features and a demeanor that stirred the imagination.

“If you’re trying to get Cathy’s attention by getting close to me, that’s a pretty stupid strategy.” Xiao Yan looked Jan straight in the eye; no matter how mesmerizing those eyes might be, his own expression remained unshakeably firm. Jane chuckled. "Why do you think I like Casey? I just find it amusing when he gets angry. And why shouldn't I try to catch *your* attention?"

"You’re free to like whomever you please—that’s your business. But, Lieutenant Colonel Wallis, would you mind letting go of my chin?"

Jane finally released him.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the Institute’s residential complex. Xiao Yan unlocked the apartment door using his fingerprint scanner, then coldly shut the door, leaving Jane standing outside.

However, no sooner had he taken a seat on the sofa than the door opened once more. Jane strolled right back in, wearing an expression of intense curiosity as he surveyed the interior. "Ah, so *this* is what a researcher's apartment looks like! As expected, the equipment here is far more sophisticated than what we Special Forces guys get."

"How did you get in?" Xiao Yan sprang up from the sofa.

Jane held up a finger, mimicking the motion of scanning a print. "Didn't I tell you that you’re currently under my supervision? That means I have unrestricted access to your apartment—and your lab."

Xiao Yan pressed his hand against his temple; it seemed Jane was telling the truth. "I’m hardly a VIP. Why on earth would Command assign *you* to supervise me?"

"That’s exactly what *I* want to find out—just what makes you so special."

Dwelling on the intentions of those in Command was a futile exercise—a waste of brain cells that yielded no results. Going with the flow had always been Xiao Yan’s personal philosophy.

"Fine. Stay wherever you like. But listen up: if you cause any trouble for my personal life or my work, I swear I’ll make you regret it."

"Oh? And just how do you intend to make me 'regret it'?" Jane walked over to Xiao Yan’s desk, where a stack of physical books lay arranged. He pulled one out at random and began flipping through it casually. His posture was ramrod straight—poised and ready for action—yet the expression on his face remained calm and detached. "I never would have guessed you were into these antiques."

Having said that, he unceremoniously shoved the book back into its place.

"Hey! Be careful with those! They’re made of paper!"

Xiao Yan rushed forward in alarm, anxious to check whether Jane had damaged his books. To his surprise, however, he discovered that at some point—he couldn't say exactly when—the man had slipped a single red leaf between the pages. As his fingers brushed against it, he could distinctly feel the intricate tracery of the leaf’s veins beneath his touch. “These leaves are beautiful, aren't they?” Jian lowered his head, his fingers ceaselessly prodding at the hermit crab Xiao Yan kept as a pet; the poor little creature had retreated deep into its shell, shaking its tiny pincers in distress.

“They’re maple leaves.” Char hadn't cultivated plants of this variety, so this was the first time Xiao Yan had ever seen one with his own eyes.

“I didn't know what they were called, but I figured you’d probably like them.”

Xiao Yan hadn't expected Jian to even notice such details. However, when he saw that his little pet had completely withdrawn into its shell—yet Jian was still stubbornly trying to coax it out—Xiao Yan finally lost his patience. He shot Jian a fierce glare. “Stop bullying my hermit crab!”

“Oh... your choice of pets is certainly peculiar.” Jian, for his part, seemed perfectly at ease; he had simply commandeered the sofa, lying on his side with his head propped in his hand as he settled in to watch TV.

This was the apartment provided by the Military Department. Although every amenity was so comfortable as to be beyond reproach, the limited floor space meant there was absolutely no partition separating the living area from the bedroom. Xiao Yan felt acutely that his personal space was being invaded. After a quick shower, Xiao Yan lay down on his bed. It had been a day of dramatic twists and turns; he had already been through so much. Were it not for Hein Burton, he would be dead right now.

Xiao Yan turned onto his side, reached out a finger, and touched his lips. He could still faintly recall the sensation of the other man’s lips—the irresistible touch of his tongue—which had sought not to plunder, but to give.

Hein Burton had given him a second life.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?”

Xiao Yan snapped back to reality. Only then did he realize that, at some point without him noticing, Jian had climbed onto the bed. With his hands planted on either side of Xiao Yan’s pillow, Jian’s entire body loomed over him. Although Jian wasn't actually making physical contact, the oppressive sensation of being enveloped and trapped instantly caused every muscle in Xiao Yan’s body to tense up.

“This is my bed. If you want to sleep, the sofa is over there.”

Xiao Yan’s expression was stern. He knew that, regardless of what Jian might intend to do to him, he ultimately possessed no real power to resist. Jan smiled, yet his smile did nothing to alleviate the pressure he exerted on Xiao Yan. "You’re angry with me, aren't you?"

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"Because I kissed you, and—unable to resist the pleasure the X-virus brought you—you kissed me back. Actually, you aren't the first person to feel something from my kiss; there’s absolutely no need to beat yourself up over it."

"I’m not beating myself up; I just feel sorry for *you*."

"Sorry?"

"Because when you kiss someone, you can never truly know if their response is born of genuine attraction to *you*, or simply a reaction to the X-virus inside you."

Xiao Yan no longer averted his gaze; he looked Jan straight in the eye. No matter how audacious this guy might be, he certainly wouldn't actually kill him.

"Then what about Hein Burton? When *he* kissed you, were you certain whether your response to him was due to the X-virus, or because you were genuinely attracted to *him*?"

Jan didn't seem offended; in fact, his smile took on a new, suggestive nuance.

"What?" Xiao Yan’s heart gave a sudden lurch.

The corners of Jan’s mouth curved upward even more distinctly. He deliberately lowered his head, drawing closer and closer to Xiao Yan until he was practically pressing down upon him. His hand slid beneath Xiao Yan’s pajamas to rest against his lower abdomen. "Right here—this is where the assassin’s blade pierced through you. The chip implanted in your body indicated that you had barely three seconds left to live before your heart miraculously restarted. The man who saved you was Hein Burton—and there were only two possible methods."

"Which two?"

No sooner had Xiao Yan asked than he regretted it, for the expression on Jan’s face had grown increasingly suggestive.

"The first method: he kissed you, allowing the X-virus in his saliva to make contact with the mucous membranes of your mouth, thereby accelerating the healing of your wound. And the second method..." Jan’s lips brushed against Xiao Yan’s ear; his warm breath caressed the contours of Xiao Yan’s ear and neck, and suddenly, the entire atmosphere shifted. "...his semen—carrying the X-virus—entered your body and was absorbed right here."

Jan’s fingers traced a path down along Xiao Yan’s tailbone, lingering in that intimate, hidden crevice.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" Xiao Yan glared at him fiercely. He grabbed Jan’s wrist in an attempt to stop him, but Jan simply flipped his hand over, deftly capturing Xiao Yan’s fingers in his own grip. “You know I’m telling the truth. But given how tight on time things were back then, I don’t think Hein had enough time to execute the second method on you. So, he must have kissed you. And clearly, you can’t get his kiss out of your head. That’s why I’m curious: what exactly is the source of this obsession?”

“Get off me—right now. This instant.” Xiao Yan’s voice grew increasingly cold.

Yet, Jan’s hand continued to roam across Xiao Yan’s lower abdomen.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Xiao Yan clamped down on his wrist.

“I just wanted to see if his kiss really was that thorough—thorough enough to leave absolutely no trace of injury on your body.”

Xiao Yan found himself completely unable to pry Jan’s hand away; he could only watch as the man unfastened his pajamas, then lowered his head to plant a kiss precisely where he had once been wounded.

“Jan Wallis—I’m going to file a complaint with the Military Discipline Office for harassment!”

“And I’ll ask them: does inspecting the injuries of a subject under supervision actually count as harassment?”

This man was the biggest scoundrel Xiao Yan had ever met!

“I know you’ve run several missions alongside Hein Burton’s unit. Since you made it back alive each time, I assume Colonel Burton must have recognized your capabilities. The Special Operations Command assigned me to your side for one specific reason: to ensure you come to no harm. So, no matter how untrustworthy I might seem—or how desperately you might wish to run straight into Hein Burton’s arms—I still hope you’ll place your trust in me.”

The smile slowly faded from Jan’s face. Xiao Yan was taken aback; it was the first time he had ever seen the man wear such a serious expression.

“I will protect you. Every bit as well as Hein Burton would.”

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his hands attempting to give Jan’s shoulders a gentle shove. “If you want me to trust you, then let me get some decent sleep right now.”

“Alright, then. You’re the first person who’s ever made me sleep on the couch.”

Jan finally left, and Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. As the lights in the apartment went out, Xiao Yan finally allowed himself to relax. Although he still didn’t understand why Command had chosen to dispatch a top-tier operative like Jan Wallis to protect him, having someone watching over him felt undeniably safer. Xiao Yan drifted off to sleep, and before long, the sound of his soft, steady breathing filled the darkness. He was utterly exhausted, and he slept soundly. Meanwhile, in the mess hall at the Special Task Force headquarters, a group of special ops soldiers gathered around a table, hoisting their beer mugs as laughter and chatter rose and fell around them.

"Aha! Maya! Going out on missions just isn't the same without you—that old chatterbox—at our side; it actually feels lonely in the silence!" Mark clinked his mug against Maya's with a hearty thud.

"So that gives you the right to harass me in the middle of the night? Mark, you need to learn to embrace the solitude! It’s a foregone conclusion now—I’m never going to be able to go out on missions with you guys again." A smile played clearly on Maya’s lips, yet a faint trace of wistfulness flickered in his eyes.

"Oh, by the way—I heard you’re currently assigned to Major General Gordon’s security detail. How’s that going? The Major General isn't too hard to handle, is he?"

"Well, seeing as I’m sitting here drinking beer with you guys right now, what do *you* think?" Maya wore an expression of utter boredom as he flexed his wrists. Then, something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh—speaking of which, the Central Academy of Sciences is currently under lockdown and supervision by Jane Wallis’s unit."

"That’s hardly surprising, considering the massive scandal that just went down," Liv sighed, then asked, "Maya, have you heard anything about how Xiao Yan is doing? I know he’s technically part of the Central Academy, but I heard he’s just a research assistant."

"Speaking of *him*—he’s actually the biggest headache of all," Maya said, rubbing his temples. "Logically speaking, if someone of Jane Wallis’s stature is being deployed, the target or subject involved should at least be on the level of a Lieutenant Colonel—like Casey. But Jane Wallis actually went to Major General Gordon and demanded that he wouldn't deal with *anyone* other than Xiao Yan! He even went so far as to say he’d rather go out on a combat mission than be stuck babysitting a bunch of stuffy researchers!"

"Huh? That’s 'Madman' Jane Wallis for you—true to form! He’s the only guy with the guts to say something like that to a Major General! Good grief! If we leave our Xiao Yan in *his* hands, do you think he’ll even still be alive by the time we get back to Shire from our next mission?"

As for Hein’s squad, they had long since accepted Xiao Yan as one of their own. Deep down, they felt that if they absolutely *had* to bring a technical specialist along on a mission, Xiao Yan was the only person they’d ever want by their side. What they didn't realize, however, was that for Xiao Yan himself, going out on a mission with *them* ranked as one of the most terrifying experiences of his entire life.

Finally, having drained the mess hall’s entire daily beer ration down to the very last drop, the group called it a night and dispersed. Mark stretched lazily, grumbling about the fact that he had to leave Shire once again early the next morning.

Maya walked back to his officer's quarters with a sense of listlessness, but the figure waiting at his door came as a complete surprise. The person leaned quietly against the wall, head tilted slightly upward, gazing at the otherwise bare surface.

"Boss?" Maya instinctively swallowed hard.

"I am no longer your direct superior; you now command your own squad, tasked with guarding the headquarters of the Special Operations Force." Hein’s gaze shifted toward Maya, and the sheer weight in his voice compelled Maya to take his current responsibilities seriously—almost without realizing it.

"To me, you’ll always be my boss. You’re leaving Shire tomorrow; is there something you need me to do?"

"Keep a close eye on Jane Wallis," Hein said in an utterly flat tone.

Maya furrowed his brows; he didn't understand the meaning behind those words, but Hein had already departed.

With a sigh, Maya murmured softly, "Still the same as ever—completely inscrutable."

Xiao Yan had slept so soundly—sleeping the clock around, as it were—that he remained completely oblivious even as his communicator buzzed incessantly.

"Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan!"

A gentle, mellow voice rang out right next to his ear, and only then did Xiao Yan slowly begin to stir.

"Mm... what is it?"

The moment Xiao Yan met Jane’s eyes—eyes that were twinkling with amusement—he snapped wide awake.

"What are you doing?!"

"Your communicator has been ringing non-stop. And by the looks of it, the calls are coming from the research lab."

Xiao Yan snatched up his communicator, only to discover that he had already missed over a dozen calls.

"Xiao Yan, you were supposed to be at the lab two hours ago to finish your work..."

"...work. May I ask where you are right now?"

It wasn't Casey's voice, but rather that of Colonel Michelle, the administrative officer overseeing several research laboratories.

"I'm sorry—I didn't realize that research was scheduled to continue today..."

"I don't need your apologies! Unless you're dead, nothing—absolutely nothing—is permitted to halt your research!"

With that, the communication ended.

Xiao Yan clutched his head and let out a long, weary sigh. When he looked up, he saw Jian watching him with a look that was neither quite a smile nor quite a smirk.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"First, because you have to be asleep for me to get a good look at you—otherwise, you just stare back with that impatient, even hostile, glare. Second—didn't you doubt me when I told you that our research wouldn't be halted just because of this recent bloodshed? I needed to make it abundantly clear to you that I wasn't joking."

Xiao Yan threw back the covers, said not another word, quickly got himself ready, and headed straight for the research lab.

Casey hadn't returned yet; several researchers were continuing work on Casey's project, while Xiao Yan's own research was just getting underway.

Every face in the room wore an expression of intense seriousness; they knew that finding the answers they had been seeking all along was the greatest tribute they could offer to the fallen.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath; he, too, needed to buckle down and push himself. Otherwise, when Casey eventually returned to their lab only to find that he had made absolutely no progress, he would surely fly into a furious rage. He immersed himself in the data regarding the Comet Virus, ceaselessly running calculations and conducting various experiments. Jian sat directly across from him. From where he sat, Jian couldn't see Xiao Yan's eyes, but he could tell from the slight, tight set of his lips that he was currently deep in strenuous thought. When Xiao Yan finally stepped away from his terminal, his face bore the unmistakable signs of exhaustion. He frowned, appearing to still be mulling something over in his mind.

Jian followed silently behind him as they headed to the cafeteria. Xiao Yan numbly stuffed food into his mouth and chewed; occasionally, he would press his fingers against his temples, and at other times—even after chewing for nearly a full minute—he would simply fail to swallow.

"Hey... tell me: why don't zombies ever bite other zombies?"