TIC Chapter 53

Xiao Yan returned to his room and stood before the mirror, gazing at his reflection clad in his combat uniform. The form-fitting black fabric perfectly accentuated his physique; he could clearly see the emerging inverted-triangle shape of his torso, and even without clenching his fists, the musculature of his arms was faintly visible. He was no longer a "scrawny chicken," yet Wynn was right: compared to the other special forces soldiers, his physique was—to put it mildly—hardly anything to write home about. Silently shedding his combat uniform, Xiao Yan took a quick shower before changing into his cadet uniform—an outfit he hadn't worn in ages. Standing before the mirror, he adjusted his collar; after a moment's thought, he decided to button the top button at his neck. He ran his fingers through the bangs falling over his forehead—they had grown quite a bit since he first arrived here. *Oh well.* This wasn't a promotion interview for the Military Department; it was just some frivolous, off-the-wall striptease party. For all he knew, when he got to the mess hall, he might be the only one there dressed in proper uniform.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan headed to the mess hall. The entire space was bathed in dim light, and the scent of various spirits hung heavy in the air. The windows where meals were usually served had—at some point—been transformed into a makeshift bar, with glasses of strangely colored liquids being handed out through the openings.

All the dining tables had been pushed back against the walls. There were a few snacks available, but the focus was clearly on the cocktails. Only one-tenth of the Special Operations Force officers were off-duty today; yet, when combining the special forces soldiers, liaison officers, and researchers currently undergoing training, the crowd still totaled nearly a hundred people. Elegant blues music played in the background, laced with a subtle, seductive undertone that tugged at the heartstrings. Right in the center of the room, Major General Gordon was dancing, holding the hand of the liaison officer, Jessica. Jessica was pressed almost flush against Major General Gordon’s chest, her knees occasionally brushing against his calves; despite her deliberate provocations, the Major General maintained a perfectly composed smile, his expression never wavering.

Xiao Yan looked around the room and spotted Wynn—holding a drink and wearing a mischievous smirk—standing next to Mark, who appeared utterly uninterested in the entire scene. It wasn't until Liv tapped Mark on the shoulder that the big, simple-hearted guy finally broke into a smile. Xiao Yan was just about to walk over when, suddenly, a pair of arms reached out from behind him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Pressing his head against Xiao Yan’s back, the other man spoke in a voice that was at once a little petulant and a little pitiful: "You bastard!"

Pausing for a brief moment, Xiao Yan chuckled as he gently clasped the other man's hand, smiling as he said, "I'm sorry, okay, Casey?"

"What good is 'sorry'?! I left you so many messages on your communicator—did you ever reply to a single one?"

"Don't be mad! I was just so exhausted. Every time I got back to my room, I practically collapsed into bed and fell asleep instantly!"

Casey gave a light huff. "Then how come I didn't see you going back to sleep? Instead, you're here watching some striptease show? You really are a lecher who just can't be cured!"

"Heh heh..." Xiao Yan gave an embarrassed chuckle, though his eyes instinctively scanned the crowd—yet he still couldn't spot the figure of Hein Burton anywhere. Xiao Yan sighed inwardly; Maya had miscalculated. How could he have failed to realize that Hein Burton wouldn't show up to an event like this in the first place?

The slow, languid blues music that had been playing suddenly shifted in an instant, giving way to energetic, wild electronic beats. The abrupt change left Xiao Yan feeling slightly disoriented. Meanwhile, the officers around them were already clapping their hands and whistling enthusiastically.

Someone—it wasn't clear who—kicked a chair out into the center of the room, and it slid to a perfect halt right behind Major General Gordon.

Jessica promptly pushed the Major General down into the seat. Wearing an expression of amused understanding, the Major General sexily tugged open his collar, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh aloud; he never would have imagined that Major General Gordon—usually such a picture of propriety—could be so uninhibited. At that moment, Jessica began swaying her hips, slowly unbuttoning her military uniform jacket in time with the music.

The crowd went absolutely wild.

Xiao Yan was utterly impressed by Gordon's self-control. Even when the performance reached its climax—with Jessica stripped down to her lingerie and straddling his lap—he continued to watch her with the same expression one might wear while appreciating a sophisticated opera.

As the song came to an end, Jessica stood up. The dining hall, which had been dimmed for the performance, instantly flooded with light again. Everyone’s eyes immediately darted down to Major General Gordon’s trousers; when they saw that there was absolutely no reaction—none of the tell-tale signs they had been anticipating—a collective look of disappointment spread across their faces. Suddenly, someone shouted out: "So the Major General likes men after all—that explains why he had no reaction to Jessica!"

Everyone joined in the teasing: "Major General! What *type* of man do you like?"

"Oh? If I tell you, will that man obediently lie in bed and wait for me?" Major General Gordon’s lack of boundaries was truly unfathomable.

Casey and Xiao Yan watched from the periphery of the crowd. Although Xiao Yan was itching to step forward and get a good look at the Major General’s expression, Casey—standing right beside him—held him back, ensuring they kept their distance. Casey had never been fond of Xiao Yan getting mixed up in this kind of rowdy nonsense.

"It’s Lieutenant General Averell!" a quartermaster suddenly shouted. "Whenever His Excellency the Major General has nothing better to do, he loves to go over to the Central Academy of Sciences and mooch afternoon tea off Lieutenant General Averell!"

It was meant as nothing more than a joke, yet it immediately drew a chorus of agreement from the others.

"Let's go! Let's go fetch Lieutenant General Averell from the Central Academy!" Maya cheered excitedly.

Xiao Yan’s face went completely dark with exasperation; *If I’d known you guys were planning this kind of stunt, I would have locked myself in my room and refused to come out!* he thought to himself.

"Wait a second—so who’s actually doing the performing here? Lieutenant General Averell or Major General Gordon?" Mark once again demonstrated his rather peculiar train of thought.

"Oh, come on—we can all easily imagine what Major General Gordon’s physique looks like. Lieutenant General Averell would offer a much greater sense of novelty!" Wynn chimed in, joining the raucous banter.

The conversation among the special forces soldiers began spiraling into even more risqué territory. Several researchers in the crowd exchanged awkward glances, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Haha! If you guys have the chops to actually track down my dear Averell, then *I* have the chops to make him take his clothes off!" Major General Gordon leaned back in his chair with a leisurely air, while Jessica draped herself against him with a seductive allure.

Suddenly, Wynn shouted out: "So it turns out His Excellency the Major General is actually into mature men—the refined, sophisticated type, just like Lieutenant General Averell!"

Instantly, the entire mess hall erupted in uproarious laughter. The researchers’ embarrassment quickly turned into indignation. After all, they belonged to the Central Academy of Sciences, and Lieutenant General Averil was their superior; for a distinguished Lieutenant General to be made the subject of lewd jokes by these Special Forces soldiers—it was an affront to their dignity as researchers. United in their outrage, they turned to leave the ballroom en masse; however, just before they reached the dining hall doors, they were cut off by a group of Special Forces soldiers wearing smirks.

“You... what do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s such a lively party—it wouldn’t be any fun without you guys!”

Someone set up a row of chairs in the center of the dining hall. The researchers shouted and struggled, but ultimately, they were pinned down onto the seats. It was abundantly clear: these Special Forces soldiers were seizing an opportunity to have some fun at the expense of the researchers they found so insufferable. After all, who asked them to go around acting so stiff, pompous, and high-and-mighty all the time? This time, it seemed these lunatics wouldn't be satisfied until they had thoroughly humiliated them.

Casey grasped Xiao Yan’s wrist and, with a subtle movement, steered him away from the crowd. Xiao Yan followed his lead with perfect synchronicity, backing away until they reached a quiet corner of the room.

“What do you want from us?!”

“We’re going to report you to the Military Discipline Office!”

The researchers, forcibly seated in their chairs, began to panic.

One of the Special Forces soldiers straddled a researcher directly, his fingers grazing the man’s cheek as he teased, “What’s the worry? We’re not going to kill you! You guys spend every day cooped up in your labs—you’re so stuffy and old-fashioned. You need a dose of something fresh—a thrill you’ve never experienced before—to shake up those stagnant minds of yours!”

Major General Gordon, his arm draped around Jessica, slowly rose to his feet. He leaned forward, casting a playful, mocking gaze upon the terrified researchers. “Gentlemen, do enjoy the ‘premium service’ provided by our Special Forces. It’s not every day you get to witness their ‘hot dance’ routine, after all. And do remember to convey my personal, utmost respect to Lieutenant General Averil!”

With that, His Excellency the Major General demonstrated to everyone just how sophisticated and high-class one could be—proving that he was equally adept at issuing military orders as he was at acting like a total hooligan.

A “hot dance” performed by Special Forces soldiers... Xiao Yan mused to himself. There were barely any women in the entire Special Mission Force to begin with—let alone any who happened to be on rotation duty right now. Scanning the room, he couldn't spot a single female soldier anywhere—save for Liv. Sure enough, several male special forces soldiers, clad in their military uniforms, approached them with lewd grins.

Inwardly, Xiao Yan lit a metaphorical candle for the researchers—especially after catching sight of the suggestive expression on Maya’s face. The guy was clearly in a mischievous mood; there was no telling how this whole farce would end.

Just then, Major General Gordon—who had already retreated into the crowd, ready to sit back and enjoy the show—suddenly chimed in: "Hey, where’s Xiao Yan? You guys are putting on such an enthusiastic performance; it wouldn't be right not to let him get in on the fun!"

Xiao Yan’s shoulders gave a start, and he instinctively tried to shrink further back into the corner.

Good grief! Major General Gordon, I’ve never done you any wrong! Why on earth are you using me as the butt of your joke right now?!

Everyone turned around, scanning the area. Although Xiao Yan held no official military rank, he had successfully completed several consecutive missions alongside Hein Burton’s unit—and, most importantly, had returned alive from every single one—earning him a rapidly rising reputation within the Special Task Force.

Xiao Yan could only curse himself for never having invented an invisibility potion that would render him completely invisible to everyone else.

At that very moment, someone reached around his waist, hoisted him up onto their shoulder in a single swift motion, and—for good measure—delivered two loud smacks to his backside.

"Found him! The little rascal was hiding right here!"

Xiao Yan’s eyes went wide as he glared furiously at his captor. It was none other than Maya! Yet, Maya acted as if he hadn't even noticed Xiao Yan’s indignant glare; laughing boisterously, he strode straight toward the center of the dining hall.

"Xiao Yan!" Casey tried desperately to yank Xiao Yan back down. The guy was naturally strong to begin with; with him tugging at Xiao Yan’s arms and Maya hauling him by the waist, it looked as though they wouldn't stop until they’d torn him clean in two.

"Let him go! If you guys in the Special Task Force want to have a striptease party, go play your little games amongst yourselves! Why do you have to drag us into it?!" Casey fumed.

But before he could do anything else, two other special forces soldiers stepped forward and effortlessly pried Casey’s hands away. “I say, Lieutenant Colonel Casey—are you feeling left out just because Major General Gordon invited Xiao Yan but didn't invite *you*? Don't you worry; you'll get your turn in the next round!”

“Maya! You lunatic! Xiao Yan doesn't like this stuff! Let him go—now!”

Casey drifted further and further away from Xiao Yan, while the surrounding noise and raucous laughter grew increasingly loud; suddenly, Xiao Yan felt as though his head were about to explode.

“Maya, cut it out! I really don't like this!” Xiao Yan hissed in a low voice.

Maya unceremoniously plopped Xiao Yan down onto one of the remaining seats, then leaned in close, whispering right into his ear: “Aren't you dying to know just how far the Colonel's tolerance for you actually extends?”

Just as he was about to stand up, Xiao Yan grabbed hold of Maya. “He’s not even here!”

Maya flashed a cryptic smile, then—with absolutely no sense of loyalty—casually pried Xiao Yan’s hand off him.

The thumping beat of explosive dance music kicked in. With the crash of a drumbeat, the researchers seated on the chairs—as if facing a mortal enemy—collectively hunched their shoulders in tense anticipation. Meanwhile, the handful of special forces soldiers clad in military uniforms began to sway to the rhythm.

The person beside Xiao Yan grabbed his arm in a tight vice-like grip. The researchers held their breath—some even bowed their heads and squeezed their eyes shut, determined not to look at anything at all.

Wynn shouted out, “Hey! We’re dancing for your entertainment—why are you all keeping your eyes shut so tight?!”

Everyone burst into laughter once again.

Inside, Xiao Yan was gritting his teeth in fury: *Maya, you just wait! I’m going to have a field day with your hair!*

By now, the special forces soldiers had arrived right in front of them. Xiao Yan, still keeping his head down, felt a hand cup his chin, forcing his head upward. His partner deliberately exhaled, blowing a warm breath directly onto Xiao Yan’s face, then let his fingers trail teasingly down his neck to unfasten his collar.

This time, Xiao Yan truly regretted his choices. He never should have listened to Wynn’s nonsense about wearing a cadet uniform; he should have just shown up in his combat gear. Then he could have watched this bunch of clowns try to figure out how to strip *that* off him!

“Come on, ‘babe’—can’t you take a cue from Major General Gordon and just chill out a little?” a playful voice teased.

Xiao Yan looked up, his gaze locking with a pair of smiling eyes. The man’s appearance was nothing remarkable—the sort you’d instantly forget the moment he blended into a crowd. Yet Xiao Yan remembered him; he was one of Hein’s subordinates, a man named Toller. Instantly, Xiao Yan felt a sense of relief. Hein’s men—no matter how wild their antics—would never cross the line.

In fact, if he really thought about it, what was it but a striptease? He’d certainly seen them before when he and his fellow cadets used to go wild at bars; back then, he’d even watched with keen interest, cheering them on and letting his imagination run wild. Why, then, was he so flustered now? Look at Major General Gordon: completely unperturbed, enjoying every moment. And to have special forces soldiers performing personally—what a novel experience! He might never get to witness anything like this again in his entire life!

Xiao Yan widened his eyes. The men before him were clad in officer uniforms; while the fabric didn't cling to their bodies quite as tightly as combat gear, it exuded a distinct, ascetic sense of power. From the sweeping motions of their arms to the deliberate slide of a knee grazing against Xiao Yan’s own, and even the rhythm of their footwork—it was all utterly distinct from the sultry seduction of Jessica. Xiao Yan’s heart began to pound in sync with their beat; in an instant, the man who had seemed so ordinary just moments ago transformed into a figure of immense charisma. His gaze followed their movements involuntarily; having cast aside all his inhibitions, Xiao Yan found that he, too, could now view the spectacle with the same uninhibited ease as Major General Gordon.

Toller tore open his collar, baring his clavicle and a portion of his chest. With a rhythmic thrust of his hips, he executed a move so dashing that it was impossible to look away. Xiao Yan thought to himself that if he were a woman, he would likely be itching to offer up his lips right then and there.

It truly was an excellent opportunity to learn!

Xiao Yan nodded along to the rhythm, an attitude that earned him the favor of the other special forces soldiers. One by one, they stepped up to dance for him, playfully tugging open the buttons of his tightly fastened collar—they even dragged him to his feet to dance along. In less than three minutes, every button on the front of Xiao Yan’s uniform jacket had been undone; his belt had vanished somewhere, leaving his uniform trousers hanging loosely at his waist, teetering precariously on the verge of slipping off. Yet, despite pressing themselves so close against Xiao Yan, the men maintained a strict sense of propriety; not a single one of them went any further. As Xiao Yan became the center of their attention, the other researchers wore expressions of sheer relief.

When the song ended, Xiao Yan found himself surrounded by the special forces soldiers—a rowdy bunch who spent their days living on the razor's edge. Ruthless and cold-blooded while on missions, they were even wilder and more uninhibited when it came time to play. Xiao Yan practically became a human sofa; almost every soldier approached him with a drink in hand—some sitting on his lap to tease him playfully, others tilting his chin back to pour liquor down his throat. Xiao Yan choked several times, his face flushing a deep crimson until it felt as if it were on fire. Yet, the more flustered he became, the more adorable the soldiers found him. Toller suddenly scooped Xiao Yan up from his chair, holding him bridal-style, and spun him around a few times; dizzy and disoriented, Xiao Yan genuinely felt like throwing up.

"Hey! Let's go on another mission together sometime!" Toller laughed heartily, his voice ringing with cheerful exuberance.

Xiao Yan was then passed off to another soldier, who wrapped an arm around his waist and led him in a slow dance. The slower their movements, the more sensual and seductive they appeared to outside observers. Before he knew it, another mixed drink had gone down the hatch, and Xiao Yan felt as though he were floating on clouds.

In Casey’s eyes, however, Xiao Yan looked less like a dancer and more like a choice morsel of meat about to be devoured by the special forces wolves; his furious shouts of protest were completely drowned out by the raucous din. Major General Gordon, with Jessica’s arm linked through his, approached Casey and looked down at him with an amused expression.

"Lieutenant Colonel, you’re far too uptight. Just look at Xiao Yan—he’s fitting right in with everyone..."

"Fitting right in?" Casey’s voice rose sharply at the end of the phrase. "Any one of them, if they were to lose their self-control for even a moment, could easily kill Xiao Yan!"

"But anyone who lacks that kind of self-control wouldn't make it into the Special Missions Unit in the first place," Major General Gordon replied. Amidst the surrounding clamor, his voice cut through the noise—sharp and distinct, like a shard of ice falling into a roaring fire.

Just then, Maya pushed her way through the crowd and steadied the teetering Xiao Yan. "Hey! Hey! Ease up, brothers! Know when to quit! Otherwise, this guy is going to puke all over you, and you’ll be the ones regretting it!"

Laughing, the soldiers surrounding Xiao Yan finally dispersed. Maya scooped Xiao Yan up into her arms. Mark followed close behind, calling out, "Hey! That guy is obsessed with saving face; if you carry him around like that, he’ll try to kill you the moment he wakes up!"

That remark triggered another round of laughter.

"That’s assuming he’s actually strong enough to take me on!"

As Maya passed by Casey, she gave the seethingly furious Lieutenant Colonel a playful wink. Casey wanted to lunge forward—he didn't trust a single special forces soldier as far as he could throw them—but he was helplessly pinned down, looking as though he was about to become the star of a second impromptu strip show.

The restaurant’s sliding doors parted, and air—utterly devoid of alcohol—rushed into Xiao Yan’s lungs. He lifted his eyes, his gaze landing on Maya’s chin. Although his head was spinning, that didn’t mean his mind wasn’t lucid.

“Put me... down...”

“Are you sure you can walk?” Maya asked teasingly.

“...It beats being carried bridal-style by you...” Xiao Yan insisted firmly.

Maya set Xiao Yan down; yet the moment his feet touched the floor, his legs went soft, and he nearly tumbled over.

“Hey, look at you—face flushed crimson, uniform disheveled, and legs like jelly. Anyone who didn't know better would think I’d abducted you to go roll around in the sheets!”

Maya effortlessly hoisted Xiao Yan up again, steadying him as they walked slowly down the corridor.

“This doesn't seem to be... the way back to my room...” Xiao Yan frowned.

“Heh. Looks like I should have poured a few more drinks down your throat.”

Xiao Yan tried to turn around, but Maya held him firmly by the shoulders, urging him to keep moving forward.

“I think I’m going to puke...” Xiao Yan’s stomach churned violently as he clapped a hand over his mouth.

“Hold it in. There’s a restroom inside the training room just ahead—you can puke your guts out once we get there.”

Maya quickened his pace, arriving at the entrance of a training room. The instant the sliding doors slid open, Xiao Yan—acting on pure instinct—bolted inside. To his surprise, however, this turned out to be a shooting range—laid out quite differently from the facility where he usually trained. He stumbled blindly, unable to locate the restroom anywhere, and promptly threw up right where he stood.

“Hey—you idiot!” Maya grabbed Xiao Yan by the collar, dragging him in the direction of the restroom.

Xiao Yan lowered his head and emptied the entire contents of his stomach; the act left him feeling significantly more sober.

“What is going on here?” A voice—cold as ice—cut through the air, piercing deep into his mind. Xiao Yan’s shoulders stiffened slightly. Maya, who was half-kneeling beside him, turned around and called out, "Boss? You’re still here?"

Hein Burton was wearing specialized shooting goggles, his hair combed back to reveal a smooth, elegant forehead. He stood in the doorway, pistol in hand, his expression as detached as ever.

"Heh... Xiao Yan had a bit too much to drink at Major General Gordon’s birthday party." Maya hauled Xiao Yan to his feet; Xiao Yan stumbled a couple of steps before planting his feet firmly beneath him with great seriousness.

Hein stared at Maya, unmoving. Suddenly, Xiao Yan found himself admiring Maya’s composure; any ordinary person subjected to a stare like that from Hein would likely have crumbled long ago.

"Well... once he gets drunk, he completely loses his sense of direction. He wandered over toward the training room—and just happened to feel the urge to throw up right then... so..."

In his mind, Xiao Yan was beating Maya’s face into a bloody pulp. *I* lost my sense of direction? *I* wandered toward the training room? Couldn't *you* have stopped me?! For the second time that night, Xiao Yan regretted not having researched some kind of invisibility serum; right now, he would have gladly squeezed himself into a hiding spot no bigger than the tip of a needle.

"Clean it up." Hein said nothing more; he simply turned around and returned to his shooting lane.

The oppressive atmosphere finally lifted. Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief, then lifted his foot and gave Maya a kick.

"Hey—you clean up your own puke."

"I can't move..." Xiao Yan promptly slumped down against the restroom wall, his gaze conveying a clear subtext: *The Colonel didn't even spare me a single glance.*

Maya sighed resignedly. He retrieved a cleaning drone, pinched his nose, and proceeded to clean up the mess Xiao Yan had left behind. Meanwhile, Hein remained pistol in hand, his performance in the simulated shooting exercise utterly flawless. Just then, Maya’s communicator buzzed to life; it was Jessica, the liaison officer, urging Maya to hurry back to the dining hall and reminding him not to forget his duty to protect the Major General. Maya cast a troubled glance at Hein, who was currently adjusting the settings for his simulation environment, showing absolutely no sign of moving from his spot. Rubbing his nose, Maya headed to the restroom. He crouched down in front of Xiao Yan—who was leaning against the wall, half-dozing—and whispered, "Hey, buddy, the restroom isn't exactly the best place to catch some Zs."

Xiao Yan let out a soft grunt.

Sighing, Maya stood up and walked over to stand behind Hein. In less than a minute, Hein had already completed another simulation test.

"Um... Boss... Jessica is bugging me to head back..."

Hein holstered his sidearm and turned around. "Do you realize what mistakes you made?"

Maya paused for a brief moment, then immediately dropped his usual devil-may-care expression.

"I do."

"Speak."