TIC Chapter 42

 Chapter 42

Strictly speaking, the Special Task Force represents merely the most combat-capable and uniquely designated unit within the military’s operational forces; not every soldier in the operational corps has undergone the X-virus treatment. Major General Gordon, for instance, hails from the conventional armed forces and has not personally received the X-virus. While special forces operatives were risking life and limb outside the city of Shire, Major General Gordon remained seated comfortably at his desk, issuing orders—a testament to the fact that he, too, possessed extraordinary qualities of his own.

“I didn’t come here to alleviate your boredom. I simply want to know: what exactly kind of game are you playing? Since when did Xiao Yan synthesize the X-virus? Are you using him as bait to flush out the spies lurking within Shire?” Jane narrowed his eyes; the sheer intensity of his gaze caused Major General Gordon to slightly temper the smile on his face.

Only then did Xiao Yan understand why his day had been so turbulent! He finally realized why—despite being merely a Class B cadet—the military had assigned a formidable expert like Jane Wallis to act as his overseer: he was the bait, and Jane was the hunter.

“Don’t be so angry; at the very least, our efforts have yielded significant results. Take Cole, for instance—the subordinate who served under you for two years—it turns out he was a member of the ‘Tides’ Organization. The Ministry of Transport, the Department of Military Administration, and even the Interrogation Corps have all inevitably been infiltrated by the Tides Organization—including the Central Academy of Sciences, where Xiao Yan is stationed.” Major General Gordon’s gaze swept past Jane’s shoulder to land on Xiao Yan. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Xiao Yan. Do you have anything to report to me?”

Xiao Yan wiped all expression from his face and executed a crisp, textbook-perfect military salute before Major General Gordon.

“Reporting, Sir! I do!”

“Oh? And what is it?” Major General Gordon asked with evident amusement.

“You are a complete and utter bastard!” Xiao Yan’s expression remained dead serious, his words articulated with crystal-clear precision. “Hahaha!” Major General Gordon laughed, patting Xiao Yan on the shoulder. “Come now, that idea actually came from Lieutenant General Averell at the Central Academy of Sciences. Besides, Xiao Yan, you truly are valuable enough for the Surge Organization to hunt down; the Military Department has already raised your security clearance to S-level.”

Jian furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“Xiao Yan, your research project is actually nearing completion. If successful, you will have synthesized a novel type of virus—is that correct?”

Xiao Yan swallowed hard. “I never imagined that you, Sir, would also be aware of my research project.”

“Of course. As the elite of the combat forces, we are obligated to keep a close watch on this virus; it promises to render our soldiers virtually invisible in the eyes of the zombies.”

Indeed. Within the genetic sequence of the Comet Virus, Xiao Yan had discovered a specific code that had been overlooked by every other researcher. This code posed absolutely no harm to the human body; rather, it served as a unique “chain-link marker” embedded within the Comet Virus’s complex genetic structure. Once a host was infected with a virus carrying this specific code, the Comet Virus would be—in essence—deceived into perceiving the host as one of its own kind, thereby ceasing its attack. In other words, were soldiers to be injected with a virus carrying this particular genetic sequence, any zombies they encountered would automatically recognize them as fellow zombies, thereby losing all instinct to attack.

“Even if the genetic sequence has been identified, it still requires synthesis with a compatible viral vector before it can be safely administered to humans! I don’t have a finished product yet, nor have I conducted any trials on human subjects! How could the Surge Organization possibly...”

“Because there was a Surge operative among Cathy’s assistants. He transmitted every single piece of your research data directly to the Surge Organization. In their eyes, the distance between your current stage and total success is as negligible as a single breath from God.” Major General Gordon’s hand rested firmly on Xiao Yan’s shoulder. “Do you know why the Surge Organization attacked that research vessel?”

“Why?” Xiao Yan felt a growing sense of dread, sensing that the answer was almost certainly not one he would want to hear. Major General Gordon turned his gaze toward Jane; every trace of his former relaxed demeanor seemed to vanish beneath the surface of a tranquil sea. Jane spoke slowly: "Because the Surge Organization has developed a certain biotechnology. They extract the brains of researchers, link them to terminals, and force them to think—compelling them to work until they are completely drained of vitality, at which point they are simply discarded."

Xiao Yan gasped. "And what does any of this have to do with me?"

"Xiao Yan, do you know the processing speed at which your brain interfaces with a terminal?"

Xiao Yan shook his head.

"Three hundred quadrillion units per second." This answer left not only Xiao Yan dumbfounded, but even Jane Wallis—for a fleeting instant—let a flicker of astonishment show in his eyes.

"Xiao Yan, so you really are quite the formidable individual." Jane pressed a hand against his temple, forcing a smile. "It was an oversight on my part to have treated you merely as a simple, 'cute' rookie researcher."

Simple and cute? Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel utterly exasperated. He felt that the world would be a truly wonderful place only when Jane Wallis finally decided to treat him with a normal attitude and speak to him in normal language.

"Your brain has now become their target," Major General Gordon stated, looking at Xiao Yan with grave seriousness.

That single sentence instantly crushed Xiao Yan beneath its weight.

He thought of those fellow trainees who had refused to leave the spacecraft—perhaps they hadn't merely been killed; perhaps their brains, too, had been harvested. Instinctively, Xiao Yan reached up to touch the back of his own head... He could scarcely imagine what it would be like if, one day, his own brain were to be taken as well.

A chill ran through him. Jan sneered, roughly grabbing Major General Gordon by the collar, his voice practically squeezed out through clenched teeth. "He nearly died, Major General. Just as you wished, his brain was nearly taken right out of Shire!"

"I admit that was a miscalculation on my part." Major General Gordon met Jan's gaze with extreme seriousness. "I never imagined the Tide faction would be so reckless—so brazen—as to attempt to assassinate Xiao Yan in broad daylight. It proves they are absolutely determined to seize Xiao Yan's brain, to the point where they no longer care about concealing their identities."

Jan’s fingers suddenly clamped down on Major General Gordon’s throat, his voice turning even colder. "I ought to snap your neck right now and let you get a taste of that sensation yourself! He nearly died—and that so-called 'three-hundred-trillion-speed' brain you keep talking about was nearly snatched up by the enemy!"

"He is still alive, Lieutenant Colonel. And you aren't the only one secretly protecting Xiao Yan." Major General Gordon looked calmly at Jan, his voice remaining composed. "Snapping my neck won't do anything to alleviate the frustration you feel inside—because *you* made a mistake, too, Lieutenant Colonel. I wasn't the only one who nearly let the Tide faction steal Xiao Yan's brain; *you* did as well."

Xiao Yan stepped forward and grasped Jan’s wrist; now was not the time to be squabbling over this issue. "Major General! By your own admission, *all* the researchers are currently in danger! Yet they seem completely unaware of it!"

"The Military Command has deliberately withheld this information from the public precisely to avoid inciting panic among the researchers." Major General Gordon gave Jan’s wrist a firm pat—though the look in Jan’s eyes sent a sudden chill down the Major General’s spine.

The man had truly harbored murderous intent.

"Jan... let go of Major General Gordon..." Xiao Yan sighed. Even if he were to kill Major General Gordon, it wouldn't change the fact that he himself had become a target for the enemy. He instinctively reached up to press against his neck as the searing pain of the blade slicing through his muscle surged back once again.

Jan glanced at Xiao Yan, his gaze darkening considerably. He released Major General Gordon.

Major General Gordon let out a breath and methodically straightened his collar; he appeared to have never truly feared that Jan would actually take his life. Instead, he simply lowered his head to observe Xiao Yan’s expression. “I... I’m already terrified, Major General.” Suddenly, Xiao Yan didn’t know where he was supposed to go or what he should do.

“For the time being, the Tide Organization has no opportunity to make a move against you. Colonel Hein Burton has carried out a purge of the spies infiltrating Shire.”

Had the Tide Organization’s influence already infiltrated Shire? Did they even have their people embedded within the highest echelons of the government and the military? If that were the case... then nowhere was truly safe anymore. For the first time, Xiao Yan felt that having a mind that processed thoughts too quickly was, in itself, a rather tragic thing.

Ordinary citizens had nothing to worry about, yet he had to constantly watch out for his own head. He felt as though the malice of the entire world was bearing down upon him.

“Hein Burton...” Jian furrowed his brows, then closed his eyes and let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. “No wonder that guy was able to appear so quickly just now; he had already set up an ambush. Xiao Yan and I have been under his surveillance the entire time.”

“Naturally.”

Jian gave a self-deprecating smile and rubbed his temples. “Well, well... Here I was, running around in a desperate scramble to keep Xiao Yan safe, only to find out that my struggles were actually just part of Hein Burton’s grand cleanup operation. What a miscalculation.”

Hearing Jian say this, Xiao Yan finally understood that Hein had been watching him all along—to the point where it was now questionable whether the mission that had taken him away from Shire had even been real in the first place. It had all been a smokescreen; Xiao Yan was merely the bait. While Jian Wallis was constantly fending off the Tide Organization’s pursuit and assassination attempts in an effort to protect him, Hein had been silently observing it all, using those very events as clues to systematically uproot the Tide Organization’s presence within Shire.

In that case... had Hein also been watching him from somewhere nearby while he and Jian were having dinner together?

Damn it! This feeling—the sensation of having one’s every single move scrutinized by unseen eyes—was absolutely infuriating! Yet, Xiao Yan had to admit that if Hein hadn’t been secretly keeping an eye on him all this time, he would likely be dead by now. “Don’t put it like that. A mission like this would have gone to either you or Colonel Burton. But Jane—do you really think, given your personality, that you could manage to remain as silent and low-profile as Hein? You’d turn Char upside down in no time.”

“Your explanation is so perfectly logical, General Gordon, that any attempt to refute it would seem entirely superfluous.” Jane perched sideways on General Gordon’s desk; his posture appeared relaxed and self-satisfied, yet in reality, it exuded an air of utter arrogance.

Xiao Yan felt a certain admiration for General Gordon’s patience—or perhaps, more accurately, the General had already mentally strangled Jane to death hundreds, if not thousands, of times over; it was simply that no one could tell.

“By the way, Xiao Yan—you never underwent ‘Blocker’ training, yet you still managed to infiltrate the Department of Transportation’s systems. That really is quite impressive!” General Gordon stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Oh, right! That’s when I ran into a ‘Blocker’! If Colonel Burton hadn’t entered the system just then, I might have already...”

“The Blocker who attacked you has already been apprehended; he turned out to be a high-ranking official within the Department of Transportation. Hein Burton managed to pinpoint his identity based on the digital trail the culprit left behind.”

Jane lowered his head, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter, then clapped his hands together softly. “My congratulations, General, on your resounding victory this time around.”

“You deserve some of the credit for that victory yourself.” General Gordon treated Jane’s sarcasm as if it were genuine praise. “It must be getting rather boring for you in Char, isn’t it? Well, you’re in luck—you have a mission now, Lieutenant Colonel Wallis. Based on intelligence transmitted by our spies, we’ve pinpointed a base belonging to the ‘Tide Surge’ organization. You have three hours to gear up and deploy with your unit. Good luck, Lieutenant Colonel.”

Jane wore an expression that seemed to ask, *Are you kidding me?* “What about Xiao Yan?”

“Rest assured, no one will be making any moves against him.” General Gordon rose from his seat, walked over to Xiao Yan, and draped an arm around his shoulders—projecting an air of extreme familiarity and closeness.

“Did my insubordination just now lead you to believe that assigning me a mission is the best way to get rid of me, General?” Jane asked in a half-joking tone—though no one present felt, for a moment, that he was actually joking. “You certainly aren’t easy to handle, but I haven’t yet reached the point where I’ve lost confidence in my ability to handle you.”

Jane returned to stand before the Major General, leaning forward slightly as a sharp, predatory curve formed on his lips. “Sir, if I return and find that Xiao Yan isn’t safe and sound, I will rip your brain right out of your skull and deliver it to the Tide Organization.”

“I accept your threat.” Major General Gordon smiled and waved a hand, as if suddenly recalling something. “Oh, right—for this mission, your unit will be operating in conjunction with Colonel Burton’s unit.”

“Huh?” Jane rarely displayed surprise, but now his expression shifted; the temperature in his gaze plummeted, radiating an oppressive intensity that forced Major General Gordon to look away. “Sir, you’re not joking, are you? You want *me* to work with *that guy*?”

“This mission carries significant risk, Lieutenant Colonel Wallis. This is neither the time for your arrogance nor for grandstanding. I expect every single soldier who departs from Shire to return—every last one of them.” A grave expression settled upon Major General Gordon’s face.

Jane Wallis, wearing a look of utter nonchalance, narrowed his eyes as that sharp, predatory curve returned to his lips. “It seems this mission is going to be very interesting.”

“We will be assigning Major Berry to accompany you as your technical specialist.”

A technical officer holding the rank of Major in Shire would typically serve as the head of a research division at the very least. The fact that a technical specialist of such high—division-head—caliber was being deployed for this mission suggested that its difficulty was not merely high, but utterly incalculable.

At that very moment, the sliding door hissed open, and a man with a stern, cold demeanor stepped inside, his stride measured and unchanging.

His golden-brown hair swayed with an air of detached indifference, while his black combat uniform accentuated the lean, athletic contours of his body—a figure defined by both decisiveness and an aura of profound mystery. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, never wavering in the slightest—not even when Xiao Yan, unable to help himself, found his own eyes drawn irresistibly toward the man. Traces of Xiao Yan’s blood still clung to him, winding across the black fabric of his uniform in dark, intricate patterns; beneath the harsh glare of the lights, those crimson stains appeared deep and somber—a sight that, for some inexplicable reason, made Xiao Yan’s heart ache. “Ha, Colonel Burton. Come, come—I assume this is your first time working with Lieutenant Colonel Wallis?”

Jan pursed his lips and cast a languid glance at Hein. Just as he was about to drape an arm over Hein’s shoulder, no one could quite make out exactly how it happened; all Xiao Yan saw was Jan being slammed violently onto Major General Gordon’s desk—one side of his face nearly deformed, his arm twisted grotesquely behind his back—it was undoubtedly broken. Decisive, clean, and executed without the slightest hesitation—that was Hein Burton.

Major General Gordon merely shrugged his shoulders, watching the scene unfold before him; it took him a good while to snap back to reality.

“Well... that’s not exactly a pleasant start, is it? Heh...”

Meanwhile, Jan propped his other arm against the desk and, with a sudden surge of power, instantly broke free from Hein’s hold. He slowly worked his broken arm; the sound of bones grinding back into place was utterly spine-chilling, yet the smile on his face remained utterly unchanged from start to finish.

Hein exuded an aura of such forbidding intensity that Xiao Yan felt compelled to avert his gaze.

“Colonel Burton, still the same as ever—you really don’t like anyone touching you.” Jan rubbed his chin and continued nonchalantly, “If you really want to come to blows with me...”

“If you two really intend to fight, I’m afraid my Special Task Force Headquarters would be utterly demolished. I’d appreciate it if you both didn’t underestimate your own destructive capabilities.” Major General Gordon pressed a hand to his forehead, feigning distress—though to Xiao Yan, it felt as if the man was secretly hoping the two of them *would* tear into each other.

Jan let out a soft chuckle and leaned in toward Hein, speaking in a voice audible only to the two of them: “Don’t think for a second that I don’t know what you did.”

Hein simply turned his face away, sweeping a cold, icy gaze over Jan.

“You hacked into the terminal while he was asleep and invaded his subconscious. You thought that because it was the subconscious, nothing you did to him there could cause any real harm. But did you ever stop to consider that *everything* that transpires within the subconscious leaves an imprint on a person’s cognitive perception? It will create the illusion that he has ‘fallen in love with you.’” Jan curled the corners of his lips upward; his usually flippant smile now held a distinct undertone of cruelty. “Likewise, he can express his truest thoughts without any inhibition. Furthermore, Lieutenant Colonel Wallis, you failed to protect him.” Hein lowered his head; beneath his drooping eyelids lay an immense pressure—a force so heavy it seemed capable of crushing the world the moment it met his lashes.

“I admit my failure. But what about you, Colonel Burton? The wound on his neck has already healed, yet you still can't bring yourself to push him away. Deep down, you actually hope he becomes addicted to you, don't you?”

Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, itching to step closer to catch exactly what they were discussing.

“You made him have a wet dream; you made him foolishly call out your name; you made him powerless to resist the X-virus you inflicted upon him. You are far more terrifying than I am, Hein Burton.” Jan’s smile grew increasingly cold.

The air crackled with the tension of something about to snap.

Unable to hold back any longer, Xiao Yan took a few quick strides to position himself between the two men. Yet, at that very instant, the conversation between Hein and Jan came to an abrupt halt.

“Your Excellency.” Jan cast a look of profound significance at Xiao Yan, then turned his head toward Major General Gordon. Crossing his arms, he shook his head. “Your Excellency, I have absolutely no interest in that fellow, Berry. The man’s willpower is simply too weak.”

"Isn't he the one who nearly had his brain invaded and his data extracted by an Interceptor last time? Let's hope he doesn't turn into a blubbering idiot the moment he sees a zombie! I say, General—wouldn't it be better to assign us someone with a bit more actual combat experience? We don't expect him to be a game-changer; we just ask that he doesn't start wailing and screaming at the critical moment."

Jan wore an expression of extreme sarcasm.

Major General Gordon rested his chin in his hand, his gaze sweeping over Jan and Hein before finally coming to rest on Xiao Yan. He spoke slowly: "In that case, I shall assign Xiao Yan to take Major Berry's place."

"That’s an excellent idea! Now I can keep a personal eye on him! Plus, I get to enjoy the technical services of a brain interface operating at three hundred quadrillion speeds!" Jan flashed a broad grin and threw an arm around the dumbfounded Xiao Yan.

Hein, however, directed a look at Major General Gordon that carried an undertone bordering on both warning and coercion.

Wait—what?! That high-risk mission requiring the deployment of *two* elite squads—they were actually going to let a rookie like *him* tag along? Had Major General Gordon lost his mind?

He’d only just managed to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet back in the Shire! He still had a mountain of research projects left unfinished!

Memories of his previous harrowing experiences flooded his mind; one couldn't count on getting lucky enough to cheat death *every* single time!

"Xiao Yan lacks the credentials of Major Berry; he is merely a cadet." Hein’s gaze was steady and intense as he spoke to Major General Gordon, enunciating every single word with deliberate precision.

For the first time ever, Xiao Yan found himself regarding Hein with profound respect—the man was practically a paragon of god-like virtue. Had this guy finally reached his limit with having a rookie like him constantly dragging the team down? Just recalling all those times he’d been unceremoniously slung over Hein’s shoulder was enough to make Xiao Yan lose his appetite!

"A cadet? Yet hasn't he already accompanied you on two missions? During that ambush by the Swarm, wasn't it Xiao Yan who managed to transmit the distress signal to Base 14 via the platform? Had it not been for him, Major Maya would surely be dead by now."

Jan’s gaze shifted toward Xiao Yan, the smile playing upon his lips holding a distinct note of amusement.

"Transmitting a distress signal is a basic skill required of every technical specialist." Hein’s answer remained utterly unwavering.

“However, Lieutenant Colonel Wallis’s intention is to deploy technical personnel with actual combat experience. At this moment, there are virtually no technical specialists left who possess both the requisite skills and combat experience. Xiao Yan’s neural interface speed clocks in at three hundred quadrillion operations per second—a feat no other researcher can hope to match.”

“In that case, he ought to remain here in Shire, under protection.”

“Don’t say that! Xiao Yan is hardly some incompetent nobody.” Jane Wallis ruffled Xiao Yan’s hair, wearing a teasing, seductive expression. “Right? Isn’t that right? Come with me—the world out there is full of excitement!”

Exciting? Yeah, right—exciting as hell!

Xiao Yan raised a hand to swat her away.

“Sir, I urge you to reconsider.” From start to finish, Hein’s gaze never rested on Xiao Yan’s face for even a single moment.

And Xiao Yan—who had, until now, felt nothing but relief that Hein had shot down Major General Gordon’s proposal—suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable bitterness welling up inside him. In this man’s eyes, he—Xiao Yan—was simply not worthy of trust. Weak. Incompetent. A mere ordinary zombie would be enough to end his life. Yet, constantly being dismissed and deemed incapable in this manner, Xiao Yan suddenly felt utterly unmanly—as if every shred of his dignity had been stripped away, even though he had never really placed much stock in his pride to begin with.

“I have given this matter ample consideration. You are the elite of Shire’s fighting forces; if Xiao Yan cannot survive even under your direct protection, then keeping him here in Shire offers no guarantee either. Should a recurrence of the incident at the Central Academy of Sciences take place—as it did not long ago—there is no certainty he would survive that, either.” Major General Gordon rose from his seat, carrying his teacup as he approached Hein, a cryptic smile playing upon his lips. “Hein, a man truly begins to grow only when he has stared death in the face, time and time again.”

Hein offered no further words; he simply walked over to stand before Xiao Yan and spoke, enunciating every syllable with deliberate precision: “Gather everything you can that might help keep you alive.”

“Yes, Colonel.” Xiao Yan swallowed hard.

Major General Gordon gave Xiao Yan a brief nod. “You and Lieutenant Colonel Wallis go and make your preparations.” ”

Having said this, Jian slipped his arm around Xiao Yan’s neck and led him out of Major General Gordon’s office.

In that vast space, only Major General Gordon and Hein remained.

“You lost control during this operation. Instead of following the orders issued by your superiors to hunt down the ‘Surge’ infiltrators within the Ministry of Transport and the Central Academy of Sciences, you abandoned your squad and acted alone.” Major General Gordon propped his chin in his hand, lifting his eyes to gaze at the man standing before him. “This is a first. I want to know what happened.”

He expected to receive an explanation, but what he didn't anticipate was that Hein would walk right up to him. Hein’s hands hung naturally at his sides, yet in that instant, the cold, razor-sharp intensity in his eyes seemed to pierce through Major General Gordon’s own, stabbing deep into the recesses of his mind.

“Sir, the risk factor of this mission far exceeded your expectations. Have you ever considered: if Xiao Yan had truly died at the hands of the Surge—for you, that would be nothing more than a tactical error; but for me, it would be utter catastrophe.”

“...What?” Major General Gordon was stunned. Hein’s words were plain enough, yet he found himself unable to grasp their deeper significance.

“You must not risk his life again.” As Hein turned to leave, the warning implicit in his gaze caused Major General Gordon’s shoulders to give a sudden shudder.

When the sliding door finally closed, Major General Gordon let out a long, steady breath.

Meanwhile, Jian had already escorted Xiao Yan to the entrance of the research laboratory.

“Ah... that guy is a real pain in the ass, isn't he?” Jian lowered his head and smiled. “That bad habit of looking down on everyone—he wouldn't drop it even if the Earth itself were being destroyed.”

“Mm... yeah...” Xiao Yan gave a wry smile, then quickly composed his thoughts.

“My unit needs to assemble. See you in a bit.”

Jian gave Xiao Yan a wink, then turned to walk away—but Xiao Yan called out after him.

“Hey! Lieutenant Colonel Wallis!”

With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, Jian turned back around, wearing a look of utterly brazen amusement. “If you address me by my military rank one more time, I’m going to snap your neck.”

“I know how much it hurts when bones shatter.” ”

Jan raised an eyebrow, only then realizing that Xiao Yan was referring to the moment they had jumped out of the vehicle.

“Oh, even if I cracked a bone, I wouldn't die,” Jan replied nonchalantly. He leaned closer to Xiao Yan and gave a playful wink. “The outside world is fascinating, but it’s also dangerous. Remember to take shelter right here—in my arms.”

Xiao Yan simply smiled, offering no further comment; he knew that for someone like Jan, pain was an old, familiar companion.

“And one more thing: you don't need to thank me. I know just how terrifying it is when death comes knocking.” For the first time in front of Xiao Yan, Jan let his playful smile vanish completely—and not for the sake of bloodshed. He gave a gentle flick to Xiao Yan’s forehead with his finger. “Next time—no matter what happens—I won't let you out of my sight again.”

“That makes me sound pretty useless,” Xiao Yan chuckled, lowering his gaze. “Maybe I should just inject myself with a dose of the X-virus, too.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? That is the very last thing you need.” Jan placed his palm firmly atop Xiao Yan’s head, his voice dropping to a low, grave tone—this was perhaps the most earnest thing he had ever said. “Your time—the longer it lasts, the more meaningful it becomes.”

Jan walked away without looking back, leaving Xiao Yan behind with a heart that felt heavier than ever.

In truth, Xiao Yan wasn't entirely sure what supplies he ought to bring along. The quartermaster had already delivered his specialized mobile terminal—standard issue for technical personnel. Through this device, Xiao Yan could perform real-time analyses of field samples and maintain constant contact with the nearest base. This particular terminal system was one of the most expensive and technologically advanced pieces of equipment in the entire Shire.

He closed his eyes, recalling the details of his previous missions with Hein; then, he opened the laboratory’s storage cabinet and began gathering a handful of miscellaneous items to stow on his person.

“Are you ready?” A cool, crisp voice rang out from behind him.

Deep in concentration, Xiao Yan was startled by the sound. He spun around to find Hein standing directly behind him.

“...I... I think I'm ready.” As he spoke those words, Xiao Yan felt absolutely no confidence whatsoever.

Hein approached Xiao Yan, extending his arm around the young man’s shoulders to retrieve several small, transparent, sealed vials from a storage unit. "What are these?"

"It’s one of my research projects; they are unfinished prototypes..."

"Take them with you." Hein’s voice was subdued; he then unholstered the sidearm from his waist. "And take this, too."

Xiao Yan accepted the weapon; the grip still retained the warmth of Hein’s touch. Once before, Xiao Yan had used this very gun to save Maya. This time, however, it was Hein himself who placed his personal sidearm into Xiao Yan’s hands.

"Do you know what your mission is?" Hein’s gaze was so profound that Xiao Yan could not fathom its true meaning.

"Maintain contact with the base... and provide technical support for you?"

"It’s none of those things."

Then what is it?

Xiao Yan could not bring himself to ask that question aloud. For a technical specialist not to know what his actual mission entailed was, in itself, an utterly absurd situation.

"Protect yourself." Hein reached out a hand; before Xiao Yan could even react, the man’s knuckles brushed gently against his brow. In that moment, the tenderness in Hein’s gaze felt so profound that it seemed almost unreal to Xiao Yan.

Hein turned his face slightly to the side; as the interplay of light and shadow shifted slowly across his features, Xiao Yan’s heart began to pound. Hein’s hand moved to Xiao Yan’s neck, his warm palm settling over the spot where the young man had once been wounded.

"Do you realize that if it had been just one second longer, no one—absolutely no one—could have saved you?" ”

Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. He had teetered on the brink of death time and again, yet he knew that Hein couldn't possibly arrive just in the nick of time every single instance.

Hein’s hand exerted a gentle pressure; Xiao Yan’s forehead was guided into the embrace of Hein’s chest—a moment that left Xiao Yan utterly astonished, almost to the point of disbelief. Then, Hein’s hand shifted to rest against the back of Xiao Yan’s head—not pressing with great force, yet conveying a sense of absolute reassurance.

Xiao Yan could hear the breath escaping from the depths of the other man’s chest—a long, heavy exhalation, laden with a suppressed intensity whose true depth remained unfathomable.

Enveloped in such a comforting embrace, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, wishing only for the moment to last forever.

Just then, the sliding door parted once more, and Mark’s voice rang out.

“Boss, we’re ready to move out.”

“Oh—right!” Flustered, Xiao Yan hurriedly pulled himself free from Hein’s embrace; for a fleeting instant, Hein stood frozen in bewilderment.

As Xiao Yan took a sharp intake of breath, Hein strode out of the laboratory with a cold, detached air, as if everything that had just transpired had been nothing more than an illusion.

Xiao Yan gave a wry smile to himself. It didn’t matter; he had far too many illusions regarding Hein as it was.

Waiting in the corridor outside the laboratory stood two full squads of the Special Task Force—a sight that made Xiao Yan’s heart give a sudden, sharp lurch. Mark and Liv leaned against the wall, waving at Xiao Yan with the easy familiarity of old friends. Colonel Sharon—who had previously led the mission to rescue Xiao Yan—gave him a playful wink.

“Long time no see, Rookie.”

No sooner had the words left Sharon’s lips than they drew a sharp retort from Mark.

“Hey! Don’t get it twisted! Xiao Yan isn’t a rookie anymore! You have no idea just how badass he is!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Vice-Colonel Sharon nodded helplessly.

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose. No matter how he interpreted Mark’s remark—"Just how capable do you think he is?"—it sounded exactly like someone asserting that no outsider had the right to critique *their* rookie; after all, the moment the spacecraft hatch closed, Mark would go right back to calling Xiao Yan a "rookie."

Hein walked past his troops to the very front of the formation and softly uttered a single word: "Move out." Everyone immediately fell in behind him, quickening their pace.

Jan rubbed his nose and smiled as he whispered to Xiao Yan: "Oh, look at that—that guy stole my line again."