TIC Chapter 50

 Chapter 50

“Your vigilance is weak, and your reaction time is sluggish. If I were a member of the Tide Organization, you would have already lost your brains.”

A chilling hypothetical, oppressive words—there could be no one else but Hein Burton.

Xiao Yan’s arm was pinned tightly behind his back; surprisingly, aside from being rendered immobile, he felt no pain.

Hein slowly released his arm, his hand drifting downward to grasp Xiao Yan’s wrist, pinning it against the side of his head. His chest pressed almost flush against Xiao Yan’s spine, radiating a palpable warmth. Hein’s face seemed to brush—or perhaps it was merely an illusion—against the curve of Xiao Yan’s ear, his breath occasionally grazing the side of his neck. The whole experience was sheer torture.

“Next time, you should wait until you’ve confirmed via surveillance that everything is safe before stepping out. Do you understand, or do you not?”

“I… I understand!”

Hein’s voice lingered in Xiao Yan’s ear; he instinctively hunched his shoulders. Finally, Hein let him go.

“Go on. You should head back and get some rest.”

Why on earth was it Hein Burton standing guard outside his door?

Xiao Yan racked his brains, utterly baffled.

Hein entered Xiao Yan’s room first; only after confirming that everything was secure did he step back out—as if Xiao Yan’s safety were a matter of the utmost importance.

“Colonel Burton…”

As Xiao Yan gazed at Hein’s retreating figure, the moment his tension began to dissipate, he felt an instinctive urge to reach out and hold onto something. Yet, the instant he called out to Hein, he realized how ridiculous he must seem.

“What is it?”

“I… my research requires blood samples. Would it be possible for me to collect a 5-milliliter sample from you?”

In that moment, Xiao Yan cast aside his trepidation at facing a Colonel and instead approached him strictly as a fellow researcher—even though he could just as easily have asked Mark or Liv for help.

“Very well.”

Xiao Yan blinked in surprise. Once Hein had departed, the corners of his lips curled upward involuntarily. He flopped onto his bed, beaming with a wide, delighted grin.

A blood sample from Hein Burton—even Cathy had never managed to get her hands on one! Rumor had it that his blood represented the perfect equilibrium between viral concentration and human physiological function! At the mere thought of it, Xiao Yan began rolling around on his bed in sheer ecstasy. However, starting with the training session the very next morning, Xiao Yan didn't see Hein again. With Hein absent, Wynn and Mark became much more lax about their training; Casey, too, seized the opportunity to slack off.

Wynn and Mark sat by the side of the track, chatting with grave expressions. After finishing his hour-long jog, Xiao Yan walked over and squatted down beside them. Mark immediately yanked him closer, ruffling his hair as he asked, "Hey, Rookie—what are you hovering around here for?"

"How come I haven't seen Colonel Burton today?"

"The Boss is out on a mission."

Perhaps because Hein had personally mentored Xiao Yan, Wynn held a considerable fondness for him.

Xiao Yan wore a look of disappointment, prompting Mark to immediately let out a wolf-whistle. "I’ve suspected you had a thing for the Boss right from the start! You even deliberately kissed him on the mouth back at the nuclear power plant! And whenever you get the chance, you’re practically burrowing yourself into his arms! You’ve got a crush on the Boss, don't you?"

"Ah—so *that's* what's going on!" Wynn wore an expression of sudden realization—though whether it was genuine or just him playing along with Mark's teasing was hard to say. "The Boss is a total germaphobe, you know! Whenever we’re out on a mission, he’s the *only* one who manages to stay completely spotless! You really are something special, Xiao Yan—the Boss actually let you kiss him!"

Xiao Yan shot Mark a fierce glare. "Go ahead—say that to Colonel Burton's face if you've got the guts!"

Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to stand up, Mark grabbed him by the wrist. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually voiced the words that had been stuck in his throat: "Hey... our Special Missions Unit isn't exactly invincible, you know. So you need to learn how to protect yourself—and fast!"

Narrowing his eyes, Xiao Yan realized that Mark's words must be connected to Hein's mission. "Hey! What happened?"

Mark glanced at Wynn, who nodded in agreement. "There's no harm in telling him; he's a researcher, after all. For all we know, any samples the Boss brings back from this mission might end up in his hands for analysis anyway."

"Alright then. You know how Jane Wallis's unit left Shire to carry out a mission? Well, a critical transit hub of ours has been overrun by the 'Surge' organization. Lieutenant Colonel Wallis and her unit went in to retake it..." ...return to this platform. It was originally a task of little difficulty; however, although Lieutenant Colonel Wallis succeeded in retaking the platform, he paid a heavy price. The Surge Organization had developed a specific serum: once a bullet carrying this serum pierced a Special Forces soldier and entered their bloodstream, it would react with the X-Virus already present in their system. This reaction interfered with the cells' oxygen-generating function, triggering asphyxiation and ultimately leading to death. The X-Virus—originally intended to enhance physical strength and accelerate healing—had ironically become the very killer that suffocated these soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Wallis's unit is currently stationed temporarily on that platform, and Colonel Burton has been dispatched to retrieve samples of that serum.”

Xiao Yan felt a sudden jolt of alarm. “In that case, isn't Colonel Burton in danger?”

Wynn and Mark exchanged a knowing smile. “There is nothing in this world that can kill Hein Burton—nothing, that is, except for the X-Virus coursing through his own veins.”

Xiao Yan lowered his head, lost in thought. Mark leaned his head in close. “Hey! What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that perhaps the Surge Organization drew their inspiration from the ‘Sharon I’ marker virus when creating this biochemical weapon designed specifically against Special Forces soldiers—specifically, the concept of genetic markers.”

“What on earth is that?”

“I once pondered why zombies attack humans but never attack their own kind. The reason is that the Comet Virus—the pathogen that infects them—possesses a unique genetic marker used for identification purposes.”

“I don't follow.” Mark scratched his head in confusion; Wynn, however, wore an expression of intense interest.

“Let's use an analogy: both Mark and Major Wynn possess Caucasian ancestry characterized by blue eyes—a trait determined by your genes. I, on the other hand, am of Asian descent, characterized by black hair and deep brown eyes; the genes responsible for these traits are absolutely distinct from yours. Now, imagine Mark decides to attack any enemy outside of his own specific group. He might use ‘blue eyes’ as a marker to filter out potential targets; in that scenario, Major Wynn—who possesses the blue-eye gene—would be spared, while I—lacking that gene—would be attacked. Similarly, the Comet Virus contains a short segment of genetic code—complex in structure, yet serving no apparent functional purpose. *That* is the Comet Virus's ‘blue eyes.’”

Mark nodded; he had grasped the analogy regarding the “blue eyes,” but the deeper significance of the genetic marker concept still eluded him. Wynn, conversely, nodded vigorously, looking thoroughly captivated as he urged Xiao Yan to continue. Xiao Yan sighed; sure enough, given his own level of intellect, conversing with Major Wynn was a much smoother experience.

“Since the X-virus is capable of enhancing a special forces soldier’s operational capabilities, it implies that once the virus enters a target cell and integrates with your DNA, it boosts the protein content within the mitochondria and accelerates your cellular metabolic rate—a process that also encompasses oxygen generation and supply functions. This oxygen-generating function must be encoded somewhere within the X-virus’s genetic chain; that specific segment of the genetic chain is, in essence, the X-virus’s ‘blue eyes.’”

“Are you saying that the serum developed by the Surge Organization specifically targets and attacks this particular segment of the X-virus’s genetic chain?”

“Precisely. If that segment of the genetic chain is destroyed, it effectively disables—or ‘blocks’—the X-virus’s oxygen-generating function. When every other physical capability in the human body is skyrocketing, yet the capacity for oxygen generation remains stuck at a baseline, ordinary level, the result is a critical oxygen deficiency throughout the entire body!”

Wynn’s eyes lit up with sudden realization; the look he cast toward Xiao Yan was filled with profound admiration.

Xiao Yan’s confidence instantly swelled; after all, earning the admiration of a special forces soldier was truly an extraordinary feat.

Mark scratched his head. “I didn’t really follow the science, but it sure sounds like you’re incredibly brilliant, Xiao Yan.”

“It’s nothing special. Anything I can figure out, Casey could figure out just as well,” Xiao Yan said with a smile, glancing in Casey’s direction.

Mark curled his lip in utter disbelief. “Him? That useless lump? At first, I actually thought he was a little girl—only to find out after all that fuss that he’s actually a guy!”

“Well, you know what they say: looks don’t determine brains!”

With the day’s training concluded, Xiao Yan returned to his dormitory. Just as he was about to step into the shower, he noticed a new message waiting in his communicator—signed by Hein Burton.

Xiao Yan, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly choked to death in surprise. He hurriedly tapped to open the message; it contained only a single, brief sentence: *The item you requested has been left in the laboratory.*

“The item I requested?”

It hit Xiao Yan in a flash: she was talking about Hein’s blood sample!

He threw open his door and bolted out into the hallway; the two special forces soldiers standing guard outside his room silently fell in step behind him. Upon reaching the laboratory, he opened the sample storage unit and, sure enough, discovered a row of blood samples. However, instead of the five milliliters he had requested, there was at least fifty milliliters! This far exceeded anything Xiao Yan could have possibly imagined. Even as he was leaving, Hein didn't forget the promise he had made to Xiao Yan; this significantly altered Xiao Yan’s perception of the cold, aloof man.

In truth, the guy wasn't quite as unapproachable as he appeared.

Once you earned his recognition, you earned his respect.

Xiao Yan retrieved the blood samples and, unable to wait another moment, immediately plunged into his research. Although he knew he might never get the chance to examine the actual serum samples Hein had brought back, Xiao Yan remained captivated by the oxygen-generating gene found within the X-virus.

Deeply immersed in thought, Xiao Yan navigated a vast ocean of data. Dissatisfied with the processing power of a single terminal, he linked up the two other terminals in the lab to accelerate his calculations and analysis.

However, such a heavy cognitive load took a toll on his brain; Xiao Yan often drifted off to sleep without even logging out of the terminal interface.

Time seemed to rewind, transporting him back to that day when Hein had pinned him against the wall outside the research lab.

Except this time, everything veered off its original course.

Hein roughly tilted Xiao Yan’s chin upward and pressed his lips against his in a heavy, forceful kiss—a near-brutal act of possession against which Xiao Yan’s struggles appeared both laughable and futile.

Every flicker of resistance was met with an even more overwhelming act of invasion.

Xiao Yan had never imagined that one person could kiss another with such sheer, unbridled force.

His clothes were torn open as the other man thrust his burning body inside him; no matter how much he screamed or begged for mercy, he was forced to endure a violation that grew more ferocious with every thrust.

Hein’s assault was so intense it bordered on cruelty; he completely ignored Xiao Yan’s pleas, forcing him to lift his left leg so that every thrust would drive deep into his very core.

Tears streamed down Xiao Yan’s face; no matter how loudly he cried out, the entire corridor remained silent and empty—as if this space had been constructed by Hein solely for the purpose of violating him.

"Hah..." Xiao Yan’s eyes snapped open; gasping for breath, he reached up to wipe the sweat from his temples. "Oh, God..."

That dream again...

Only then did he disconnect from the terminal, removing his VR helmet as he stared at his own trembling fingertips.

*Xiao Yan, what on earth is wrong with you? That’s Hein Burton!* Swallowing hard, Xiao Yan lowered his head only to see a damp patch spreading across his trousers...

Good heavens—had he actually *enjoyed* himself while dreaming? Didn't all those psychologists claim that dreams reflected a person's deepest, most buried desires? He was constantly dreaming of being violated by Hein; could it be that these weren't merely dreams, but rather a manifestation of his own subconscious yearning for Hein Burton?

Oh, Xiao Yan... surely you aren't... a masochist? That would be an absolute tragedy!

It must be because he’d been cooped up in this place for far too long!

...Or was it simply that he had grown unaccustomed to the moments when Hein wasn't watching him?

As he rose to his feet, he was reminded of Hein’s warning: always verify that the area is secure before leaving the laboratory. He pulled up the surveillance feed to check the corridor outside; seeing two special forces soldiers standing guard at the door—their expressions resolute and unwavering—he let out a soft breath of relief.

Over the following days, Xiao Yan continued to compare Hein’s blood samples against those of Mark and Liv. He discovered that the activity level of the X-virus within Hein’s blood was more than double that of anyone else. The activity of the X-virus correlated directly with explosive power, speed, and regenerative capabilities; however, such intense activity simultaneously placed a rapid, exhausting strain on Hein’s physical constitution. The day the X-virus finally consumed every last ounce of Hein’s vitality would mark the end of his destiny. Given such dangerously high viral activity, Xiao Yan couldn't help but fear that—one day—that final moment might arrive without warning.

Gradually, Xiao Yan’s head began to loll to one side. Just as he was on the verge of drifting off to sleep, the system interface flashed a notification: "Terminal Disconnected." The monitoring terminal had been removed.

Xiao Yan snapped wide awake. "Who’s there?"

He threw his eyes open, only to realize that the person standing right before him was Hein!

For the first time ever, Hein was kneeling on one knee before him, meeting his gaze at eye level.

Xiao Yan’s mind felt as though it were plummeting from an altitude of tens of thousands of feet; Hein’s elegant, ice-blue eyes instantly held him captive.

"You... You’re back..."

"Mm." Hein’s fingers brushed lightly through Xiao Yan’s dark hair; in the brief moment his fingertips lingered at the very ends of those strands, there arose a fleeting illusion—a sense of reluctance, almost of wistful longing. He then slowly rose to his feet. "Go get some rest."

The tone was commanding, yet this time, Xiao Yan felt none of the oppressive weight he had come to expect. “Yes, Colonel.”

Xiao Yan hadn’t expected Hein to return to Shire so soon.

This time, Hein followed Xiao Yan into the room; only after watching him lie down on the bed did he turn to leave.

“Colonel, did you really bring back that serum—the kind capable of suffocating a Special Forces soldier?”

Xiao Yan reached out, wanting to grab hold of him, but ultimately suppressed the impulse.

“Yes.” Unexpectedly, Hein returned to Xiao Yan’s bedside and slowly sat down; instantly, Xiao Yan grew tense.

“It’s nothing... I was just...”

“You’re curious; you want to study it...” Hein remained as direct and concise as ever, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

“Yeah... though even if it were to be studied, that task would likely fall to Cathy.”

Xiao Yan knew that, although the Academy of Sciences had specially allocated a research lab to him, he was still just an ordinary researcher—nowhere near the same caliber as Cathy.

“The remains of the Special Forces soldiers who lost their lives to this serum will be delivered to Shire within three days.”

So, soldiers *had* indeed perished because of it.

Xiao Yan understood Hein’s implication: analyzing blood samples from the remains would serve just as well to determine the serum’s composition.

Yet, even with Hein telling him all this, Xiao Yan feared he wouldn’t even get the chance to examine those blood samples.

“Go to sleep. Goodnight.”

Hein’s fingers brushed gently across Xiao Yan’s forehead, letting the strands of Xiao Yan’s dark hair slip through the gaps between them.

In that instant, Xiao Yan’s eyes widened; his thoughts seemed to freeze in time as he instinctively tried to hold onto that whispered “Goodnight” forever.

Hein rose and departed, leaving behind not a single trace of lingering attachment. Once the silence had settled, Xiao Yan was overcome by a sense of utter desolation—a feeling bordering on total collapse. He wanted to scream it out: *Colonel, you are just as disdainful of physical contact with me now as you were in the past. You could crush my shoulders, snap my bones... and those physical wounds would eventually heal.*

*But when I harbor hopes for you that I have no right to hold—*that* is the true tragedy.*

*Am I truly destined to walk the path of a masochist, never to return?*

Three days later, Maya—accompanied by two Special Forces soldiers—arrived at Xiao Yan’s research lab, escorting a temperature-controlled specimen container. “Hey! Babe! Miss me?” Maya winked, still wearing that signature irreverent look of hers, and pushed the sample case toward Xiao Yan.

“This... what is this?”

“I’m just following orders to deliver this case to you; as for what’s inside—that’s not my responsibility.” Maya tidied her hair and leaned in close to Xiao Yan. “So? Don’t you think my hair looks extra glossy? It’s a new treatment technique!”

Xiao Yan acted as if he hadn't heard a word; if this sample case had indeed been assigned to him, the case would automatically recognize his biometric data.

With a light touch of his finger, a row of blood samples inside the case was revealed before his eyes.

Xiao Yan froze for a moment, then looked up at Maya and asked, “These are...?”

“The remains of the Special Forces soldiers who lost their lives to that new biochemical weapon developed by the Surge Organization. Don't let them go to waste... For the sake of research, almost all the blood was drained from their bodies; they look practically like mummies.” Maya took a sharp breath, lowered her head, and gave a helpless smile. “If it had been our squad on that mission, the sample you’d be studying right now might very well be my blood.”

Xiao Yan’s fingers trembled slightly as the image of Sharon collapsing right in front of him suddenly flooded his mind. Xiao Yan spoke slowly and deliberately, emphasizing every word: “That absolutely cannot be allowed to happen—because if it did, I would lose my objectivity.”

Maya patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder and smiled. “Alright, this is your domain now, so I won't bother you any longer.”

"You're here!"

With that, Maya left the lab. Xiao Yan's fingers traced the rows of blood samples; there were enough for numerous tests and analyses, making him feel like a sudden nouveau riche among the researchers!

He couldn't wait to start the blood sample analysis. For lunch, he only ate half a compressed biscuit. This was the first time he'd ignored the biscuit's terrible taste. Even during his most drowsy moment after lunch, Xiao Yan felt like he'd been injected with stimulants, unable to stop thinking.

But when Hein stood before him with her arms crossed, Xiao Yan still felt a chill.

"Colonel..."

Hein didn't need to say anything; Xiao Yan was already blaming himself. He had physical training tomorrow; he should have made sure he got enough sleep. Hein's slender fingers tapped lightly, and the holographic screens in the entire lab went out, forcing Xiao Yan to leave the terminal.

"Sleep."

"...Yes, Colonel." "

Xiao Yan followed silently behind Hein, head down. The other's figure remained distant yet strangely close.

His mind replayed uncontrollably the dreams he'd had, and Xiao Yan's face flushed.

This is maddening! Colonel, please don't show up again!

Suddenly, the person in front stopped. Xiao Yan's nose nearly bumped into her. Hein looked at him, her eyebrows slightly raised. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..." Xiao Yan quickly followed, opened the door, and collapsed into bed.

Physical training was nearing its end, and their final assessment was approaching. All the trainees were anxious, especially Casey, whose face was contorted with worry.

"What if I don't pass the physical training? Then I can't do the combat skills training! Combat training only takes half a day, and I can continue my research project in the other half! If I keep wasting time on physical training, I'll die!" "

Xiao Yan squatted beside Casey by the track, unsure how to comfort him.

"You said you were so strong when you grabbed me, I thought you were really fit!"

"Now you're so smug!" Casey glared at Xiao Yan, his expression incredibly cute, completely different from his serious demeanor as Xiao Yan's research project supervisor, prompting Xiao Yan to pinch his cheek hard.

Unlike Xiao Yan, Casey had basically gone straight to sleep in his room for the past three months, while Xiao Yan, after adapting to training, could even find time to continue his research at night.

"You know, Jane Wallis's unit was attacked by the Tide Surge organization, and some special forces soldiers suffocated to death. The military might suspend our researchers' damn training, and we should quickly get back to research and find the answers! That way, we can be freed from this misery!" Xiao Yan was stunned. Did Casey mean he hadn't received the research samples? But why had he? If it was classified research, Xiao Yan knew he wasn't qualified at all.

When he glanced to the side, he met the gaze of Hein, who was standing not far away listening to Wen En's report on the training.

This guy's gaze was too deep; Xiao Yan couldn't fathom his emotions at all.

"Boss, Major General Hitti from the interrogation unit personally sent a liaison officer to find you… saying you haven't been to his assessment for a whole year." Wen En finished speaking, holding his breath, waiting for Hein's reaction.

"Hmm." Hein checked the information Wen En had sent to his communicator, showing no sign of taking Wen En's words to heart.

Wen En swallowed, closed his eyes, and with an expression of preparing for heroic sacrifice, whispered, "Major General Hitti said… Colonel, if you don't go to him… he will submit an assessment report to his superiors stating that you are temporarily unfit for combat…"

"Hmm." Hein switched off the communicator. The moment his gaze swept over Wen En, Wen En felt as if his bones were being crushed.

When Xiao Yan's gaze returned to the direction of Hein and Wen En's conversation, he only saw Wen En standing alone, looking relieved, while Hein had already turned and left.

Half an hour later, in a quiet and spacious room, a man in a major general's uniform sat at his desk, drinking a cup of coffee. When a blond man with a cold expression approached him, the major general gently set down his coffee cup and greeted him familiarly.

"Long time no see, Colonel Burton. I almost submitted your evaluation report."

"You didn't write a report at all, Major General Hiti." Hein stood before him, his icy gaze and indifferent expression causing Major General Hiti to frown.