TIC Chapter 55

 Chapter 55

Xiao Yan looked at Hein with an expression of utter disbelief. He suddenly recalled the force with which this man had pinned him down and kissed him the previous night; instinctively, he reached up to touch his neck. The skin there throbbed with pain—this wasn't a hallucination, nor was it a dream; it was real.

"Go to the mess hall for lunch." It was a command.

Xiao Yan fled the room as if his life depended on it. Only after stepping out did he realize that he had taken a completely wrong turn the day before; in his drunken stupor, he hadn't realized he was heading back from the training room rather than the mess hall—meaning his direction had been entirely off!

It seemed it was Hein who had opened the sliding door for him—which meant this room belonged to Hein! And not only had he stumbled into the wrong room, but he had also spent the entire night sleeping in the man's bed!

That wasn't just *someone else's* bed... it was *Hein's*...

Before he knew it, Xiao Yan had arrived at the mess hall. As he was collecting his meal, a few special forces soldiers approached to tease him. Tuller, in particular—that guy kept inexplicably craning his neck to peer at Xiao Yan's throat. Xiao Yan looked down to see what he was staring at, only to discover a distinct purple bruise blooming on his neck.

It was the undeniable proof of Hein's kiss from the night before.

Good heavens—the Colonel had kissed him! The Colonel had *really* kissed him! What on earth was going on? How was he supposed to make sense of any of this?!

Xiao Yan gasped, his mind reeling in utter chaos. Instinctively, he buttoned his collar tight, though his cadet uniform was already a crumpled mess.

As if his embarrassment wasn't already acute enough, Wynn—that rascal—walked up beside him, slung an arm around his shoulder, and grinned. "Well, look who's alive! Xiao Yan, is that you? Maya really went overboard this time—kissing you that hard? You look like you're about to start bleeding!"

He reached out to tug at Xiao Yan's collar, but Xiao Yan quickly clamped his hand over his neckline. "It wasn't Maya!"

"Not Maya? Don't tell me it was your good friend, Lieutenant Colonel Casey? Or maybe Jessica? Nah, she's always glued to the Major General's side—no way she'd be rolling around in bed with you! Oh... unless it was Liv? Mark would kill you!"

Xiao Yan felt as though any attempt to explain would be utterly futile. Someone placed a meal tray across from Xiao Yan, crossed their legs, and said lazily, "You can take medicine indiscriminately, but you shouldn't spout nonsense indiscriminately, Major Wynn."

"Maya!" Xiao Yan froze the moment he looked up at the person before him.

The handsome, dashing young man standing there—with his sharp, short haircut paired with a form-fitting combat uniform—caught the eye of many people passing by.

"...Maya, where's your hair?" Wynn nearly spat out the mouthful of soup he had just taken.

"I cut it off." Maya popped a bite of food into his mouth with a completely nonchalant air.

"Why did you cut it?" Wynn still wore an expression of utter disbelief.

"It was too much of a hassle to maintain." Maya curled his lips; that was a reason Wynn wouldn't have believed even if you beat him to death.

Xiao Yan remained silent; he suspected that Maya's hair likely had something to do with Hein.

Lunch concluded amidst this peculiar atmosphere. No sooner had Xiao Yan returned to his room than Maya arrived.

To be honest, Xiao Yan really wasn't used to seeing Maya with short hair; consequently, the moment he opened the door, he just stood there staring up at him blankly.

"I know you guys were all jealous of my long hair! Now that I've cut it off, surely you don't have to keep staring at me like that?" Maya slid the door shut and sprawled out casually on the sofa.

"Actually, I've always wanted to say: you look a lot more masculine with short hair. Bro, I’ve never thought you looked this handsome before!"

Maya patted the spot beside him. Xiao Yan sat down, and Maya propped his chin in his hand as he asked, "Hey, did the Colonel walk you back last night?"

"...Sort of..." That was a truly difficult question to answer.

"Hey, I went so far as to cut off my hair because of you—don't you think you owe me the honest truth?"

"Wasn't your hair cut off because you offended Colonel Burton?" Xiao Yan retorted. He hadn't even gotten around to scolding Maya yet for his terrible idea—an idea that had made everything Xiao Yan did last night turn out to be a complete and utter trainwreck.

"And wasn't the reason I offended Colonel Burton so that you could test his boundaries and, while you were at it, figure out what your own heart truly desires?"

Maya's words left Xiao Yan stunned.

The Colonel's boundaries... and what my heart desires? What *does* my heart desire? “Come on, tell me—where exactly did you sleep last night?” Maya seemed to have already figured it out; for Xiao Yan to keep hiding it any longer would be utterly pointless.

“I think... it was the Colonel’s room. When I was walking back, I got my bearings mixed up and mistook the Colonel’s room for my own. Besides... the layout of every room is exactly the same, so I couldn’t tell the difference...”

Xiao Yan expected Maya to have a dramatic reaction to this news, but to his surprise, he merely let out a calm, measured sigh.

“Did anything... happen in the Colonel’s room?” Maya fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan’s neck, his expression conveying that Xiao Yan shouldn't try to hide anything from him—after all, some things were plainly visible for anyone to see, such as the hickeys on Xiao Yan’s body.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Compared to himself, Maya surely understood Hein Burton far better.

“...I... I kissed Colonel Burton.” The moment the words left his lips, Xiao Yan found the whole situation almost laughable. He braced himself for Maya’s inevitable mockery, but to his surprise, the other man remained unexpectedly calm.

“And the Boss? How did he react?”

For a moment, Xiao Yan found himself at a loss for how to describe Hein’s reaction. Maya let out a soft chuckle. “Well, judging by the marks on your body, I can pretty much guess the outcome. Just think about it: if *Mark* had kissed the Boss, what kind of consequences would he have faced?”

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, recalling the aftermath of the time his lips had accidentally brushed against Hein’s back at the nuclear power plant; a chill ran down his spine. “Even if he didn’t get killed outright, he’d probably end up with his arms and legs twisted right off...”

“But you’re still alive—you haven’t lost so much as a single hair.” Maya looked at Xiao Yan with a look of deep significance. “You ought to know that if the Boss had *truly* decided to do something to you, you probably wouldn’t have died—but you’d almost certainly have ended up in the ICU.”

The bruise on Xiao Yan’s neck began to throb with pain once again.

“But will this make you want to distance yourself from the Boss? Or do you still want to get closer to him?” Maya looked Xiao Yan directly in the eye; in that moment, Xiao Yan felt as though he had been seen through completely—as if there were nowhere left for him to hide. Xiao Yan froze. Even after the nearly dangerous things Hein had done to him the previous night, he realized he hadn't truly felt fear—not even when Hein had guided his hand to touch the very spot that could have cost Xiao Yan his life. Deep down, his pursuit of this man had never ceased.

"Is this truly just admiration? Is it merely a yearning for the strong?" Maya reached out, placing her palm over Xiao Yan’s chest. "Xiao Yan, you are a man; you must take responsibility. And that responsibility includes facing your own heart."

Xiao Yan’s pupils constricted in that instant. Recalling the image of Hein pinning him down and kissing him with forceful intensity, Xiao Yan knew that he had felt an instinctive fear; yet, that fear had not sparked even a shred of hatred toward Hein. He remembered the reckless abandon with which he had kissed Hein in return—he had even wondered if, were this man to truly snap his limbs, he might actually feel a sense of relief. To kiss a man who was infinitely stronger than himself—a man whose thoughts he could never hope to fathom—Xiao Yan, for the first time, began to question the true reasons behind his actions.

Hein Burton was like a cold spark that had fallen into Xiao Yan’s calm, languid world. It had begun to burn in silence, and by the time Xiao Yan realized what was happening, the flames had already engulfed him completely.

"Am I a goner, Maya...? I thought I was attracted to women like Lily... or failing that, Liv would have been a great choice, too... Why did it have to be *him*?" Xiao Yan stared blankly in Maya’s direction.

Maya sighed, reaching out to pull Xiao Yan’s head against her chest. "You idiot... sometimes you’re so brilliant it’s practically offensive—solving problems that even the veteran researchers at the Central Academy couldn't crack as if they were nothing at all... yet at other times, you’re so utterly clueless that one simply doesn't know what to do with you."

"Well, right now... I really don't know what to do."

What was he supposed to do? Rush up to Hein and say, "Hey, Colonel, I’ve fallen for you—so, uh... wanna be together?"

Forget about confessing his feelings to another man in general—the guy in question was Hein Burton: the untouchable legend of the Special Operations Force. “Xiao Yan, you need to gather your strength; you need to reach higher and go further. The Boss has been watching you all along, waiting for you to reach a level where you can stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Only then will he give you that answer.”

Xiao Yan clenched his fists. Although he wasn't sure exactly what answer Maya was referring to, he knew that he absolutely had to become stronger.

“Hey, Maya, thanks for everything you’ve done for me—even if I’m not exactly thrilled with the results.”

“...You cut my hair.”

“It looks way cooler short. If you don't believe me, just ask Jessica.”

“I don't want to talk to you anymore.”

That afternoon, Xiao Yan returned to the research lab.

He knew that Hein’s formidable power wasn't solely due to the X-virus; it also stemmed from his combat experience and the lightning-fast reflexes honed by countless close calls with danger. Xiao Yan realized that what *he* lacked was precisely that same kind of experience—experience that neither Wynn nor even Hein could simply teach him. Everyone grows in their own unique way, and Xiao Yan believed he, too, had a path of his own to forge.

The mere thought of Hein made Xiao Yan’s heart skip a beat; he pounded his fist against his chest to steady himself.

Focus, Xiao Yan! Focus! Otherwise, your efficiency is going to plummet!

Xiao Yan pulled up every piece of data available regarding the movement capabilities of zombies. He then designed a specialized software program to create realistic, simulated scenarios of zombie attacks within his mind, using these mental exercises to hone his reaction speed.

Reflexes aren't innate; they require the brain to successfully process and respond to threats in specific scenarios thousands upon thousands of times until that response becomes second nature. Just as the body’s physical capabilities require rigorous training, so too does the brain’s capacity for rapid reaction.

By the very next day, Xiao Yan’s entire training regimen had been completely overhauled to focus exclusively on foundational drills.

Wynn began putting Xiao Yan through his paces—drilling him on punches from every conceivable angle, grappling and counter-grappling techniques, and even lethal combat maneuvers.

Mark served as Xiao Yan’s sparring partner. However, Mark was such a massive guy that, compared to him, Xiao Yan looked like an ant trying to take down an elephant; even when Xiao Yan threw every ounce of his strength into a punch, it seemed to have absolutely no effect on Mark. Yet, Xiao Yan continued to throw every single punch with unwavering seriousness. Gradually, Mark found himself swept up in the intensity of Xiao Yan’s spirit and began to respond to his attacks—and despite being a hulking brute who clearly didn't know the first thing about regulating his strength, he still blocked Xiao Yan’s punches with surprising gentleness and care. After more than ten days of training, Wynn and Mark suddenly called Xiao Yan over to the doorway of a room.

“Hey, bro, I heard a few guys from Military Discipline once beat you up?” Mark wore an expression of eager anticipation.

“Huh?” Only then did Xiao Yan recall the incident: Major Denzel, annoyed that Lily had taken a liking to Xiao Yan, had enlisted a few men from Military Discipline to give him a brutal thrashing.

Wynn winked. “Mark and I invited those ‘little darlings’ inside just for you—so you can really hone your fighting skills! We’ve got to build up your confidence!”

“What?”

Wynn placed his hands on Xiao Yan’s shoulders and shoved him into the training room. “Enjoy yourself!”

Xiao Yan stumbled inside, only to see the three guys from Military Discipline glaring at him with looks of pure resentment.

Wynn’s cheerful voice rang out over the intercom: “Hey, you rookies from Military Discipline! If you can’t beat this upright, brave, adorable, and kind-hearted researcher until he can’t get back on his feet, we’re going to snap your limbs one by one and hang you from the Military Discipline headquarters building!”

It was sheer intimidation! It seemed Wynn fully intended for Xiao Yan to get a thorough beating!

Sure enough, the guys from Military Discipline charged forward ferociously. Xiao Yan instinctively dodged the first punch, prompting Mark to shout out again: “Hey! Rookies! Don’t hold back! You’d better make it worth all the time I’ve spent training with you these past few days!”

Xiao Yan curled the corners of his lips; he had been itching to teach these guys a lesson for a long time.

Another punch came flying toward Xiao Yan’s nose. He twisted his body and tilted his head back, narrowly evading the blow, then raised his right fist and smashed it hard into his opponent’s jaw.

“Ugh—” The man clutched his jaw and staggered backward, opening his mouth to spit out a broken tooth—a sight that was as pathetic as it was comical.

The remaining two guys attempted to pull the same trick again; one tried to circle around behind Xiao Yan to pin his arms and restrain him. Anticipating his intent, Xiao Yan drove an elbow into the man’s chest, then delivered a vicious kick to the other guy’s knee before ducking low to land a solid punch right in his chest. Mark’s whistling drifted in over the intercom, while Wynn remarked coldly, "You three pieces of trash!"

Sure enough, the three men from the Department of Military Administration wore expressions of panic as they charged forward in unison, attempting to overwhelm Xiao Yan with a lethal assault. Their fear had stripped them of their reason; conversely, Xiao Yan’s counterattacks were methodical and precise. In less than ten minutes, all three men lay sprawled on the ground, incapacitated.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Only in this moment did he truly feel that he was no longer the same person he used to be.

Wynn and Mark exchanged a knowing smile.

"This guy is improving far faster than I ever imagined! If he joins the Special Missions Unit, he’ll definitely have a brighter future than you do!" Wynn said in a half-joking tone.

"Haha! If he were to undergo the X-Virus treatment, this guy would undoubtedly become a formidable force!" As Wynn turned around, he realized that Hein was standing right behind him.

Hein’s icy expression and scrutinizing gaze instantly put both Wynn and Mark on edge.

"C-Colonel!"

"He still has a long way to go."

The intercom had not been switched off, and that remark fell—raw and unvarnished—directly into Xiao Yan’s ears.

*I am always a long way behind you.*

*But there will surely come a day when you look down and can no longer find my figure—because I will already be standing right behind you.*

*When that moment arrives, what kind of expression will you wear?*

Day after day, following his rigorous physical training, Xiao Yan would return to the research lab to engage in simulated combat scenarios using the neural interface system. While his physical reflexes might still be lagging behind, his capacity for split-second decision-making was improving by the day. Gradually, Xiao Yan came to realize that if he wished to continue his progress, he needed a truly exceptional role model to emulate.

The first person who came to mind was Hein; however, he immediately shook his head. Next, he thought of Mark—but as a power-based fighter, Mark was clearly not the most suitable role model for Xiao Yan. Then, the image of Wynn swiftly and decisively subduing Mark flashed through his mind. Xiao Yan couldn't help but think: *Now that—that is the style that truly suits me.*

When Xiao Yan finally sought out Wynn, he found him in the midst of instructing a group of newly recruited special forces operatives. Inside the same training room, Wenn beckoned to the group of new recruits, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he said, "Don't waste time—come at me, all of you!"

The three recruits charged forward without hesitation. All of them had been administered the X-virus; consequently, their speed and strength were extraordinary. Yet, Wenn evaded every attack with effortless grace, striking each opponent at the most unexpected moments. In less than thirty seconds, the skirmish was over: one recruit had been kicked clear across the room, another was pinned motionless with his arm twisted behind his back, and the third lay sprawled on the floor with Wenn’s boot planted firmly on his face.

Unlike the first time he had witnessed Wenn roughing up Mark, Xiao Yan—having undergone a period of training himself—was now able to clearly discern the nuances of his movements. It wasn't merely a matter of speed; every strike, though appearing decisive, was in reality a conditioned reflex forged through countless real-world combat scenarios.

"You ought to consider yourselves lucky that this isn't a real battle; otherwise, I’d be twisting your heads off, one by one! Don't get cocky just because you’ve made it into the Special Operations Unit—the 'Tide' organization is teeming with members who are far more ruthless than I am."

Gone was the languid demeanor and playful banter he typically displayed toward the researchers; his voice had turned cold and hard, and the sheer intensity radiating from his eyes was enough to make the recruits shrink back, unable to meet his gaze.

Xiao Yan knew that Wenn’s rank of Major had undoubtedly been earned amidst unimaginable bloodshed and carnage.

The moment Wenn turned around, spotting Xiao Yan standing in the doorway of the training room, the expression on his face shifted with a speed that was almost jarring. "Hey, Xiao Yan! Did you come to watch the special forces training?"

"I actually came to ask you for a favor!"

Aside from Hein, Wenn was the only person who knew that Xiao Yan was the true creator of the "degrading enzyme." The synthesis of this enzyme had not only saved Mark’s life but had also lifted the dark shadow that had long loomed over the Special Operations Unit. Consequently—despite his usual disdain for researchers—Wenn had come to regard Xiao Yan as a brother, much in the same way Mark did.

"Spit it out. As long as it doesn't involve marrying you, I'm game for anything else!"

Since Wenn was being so accommodating, Xiao Yan proceeded to explain his plan to him.

Xiao Yan intended to attach sensors to Wenn...

It incorporated software designed to log data from his combat encounters with zombies, thereby enhancing and refining this "Brain Simulation Combat System."

"Xiao Yan, I really want to crack your head open just to see what’s actually inside! How do you come up with so many bizarre ideas? A Brain Simulation Combat System? Mark and I were just wondering how you managed to improve so fast!"

"Actually, the concept for this system was inspired by online video games. The only difference is that my system allows the user to fully immerse themselves in the role; everything that occurs is a complete simulation derived from real-world data, so the brain's physiological responses are identical to those in reality."

"I’ll help you out—but only if you pass a test first." Wenn crossed his arms and lowered his head; his remarkably girlish features had always been deceptively misleading.

"What kind of test?"

"Heh. Don't you think constantly simulating combat scenarios against zombies inside your head is a bit too theoretical? Isn't it time to put that theory into practice? You need to prove to me that your so-called 'Brain Simulation Combat System' actually holds any real value."

"No problem." Xiao Yan curled the corners of his lips upward; gone was his initial trepidation—he was now itching for the challenge.

"Hey, you rookies!" Wenn strode over to the three new recruits. "The status of the Special Operations Force has been slipping lately—do you know why?"

The three recruits shook their heads; they hadn't heard any rumors to that effect.

"Because even those researchers we used to look down on are now capable of killing zombies!"

"No way!" The recruits were utterly incredulous.

"Then just watch closely!"

The recruits stepped back to the perimeter of the training area, eyeing Xiao Yan with intense curiosity.

Having spent a considerable amount of time at the research institute, Xiao Yan had naturally cultivated a certain air of scholarly refinement. Furthermore, while his physique had certainly improved—looking quite impressive by ordinary standards—it still fell far short of the explosive power latent within the sculpted musculature of a seasoned Special Forces soldier.

Wenn entered a command, and a door slowly slid open. A zombie crouched just inside the doorway; its blood-red eyes slowly came into view, fixing their vacant stare upon Xiao Yan. Its increasingly heavy, ragged gasps betrayed a hunger bordering on absolute madness.

In that moment, Xiao Yan’s state of mind was far calmer than it had ever been before.

Suddenly, the zombie lunged forward, leaping into the air with jaws agape as it pounced directly at him. The three recruits were preparing to step forward; after all, if a researcher were to actually come to harm here, it would inevitably spark a conflict between the Special Task Force and the Central Academy of Sciences.

But Wen En stepped in front of them. "No need."

In that very instant, Xiao Yan suddenly lowered his center of gravity, pivoted sideways, and slammed his elbow violently into the zombie's neck. The zombie crumpled to the ground beside him.

The recruits’ eyes went wide; they had never imagined that a mere researcher could possess such lightning-fast reflexes.

However, Xiao Yan’s physical strength was nowhere near that of a Special Forces soldier. Although his strike had been swift and decisive, it hadn't been powerful enough to snap the zombie's neck. Seeing it about to scramble back to its feet, Xiao Yan acted without a second thought: he drove his knee into the zombie's spine, pressed his right arm down against its forehead, and wrapped his left arm around its shoulder. With a sharp *crack*, the zombie went still. Its large, vacant eyes remained wide open, and its expression—twisted and grotesque—was frozen in place; but that was all.

Xiao Yan let out a steadying breath, staring down at the motionless zombie on the floor, then slowly turned his head to look at Wen En.

A round of applause rang out as Wen En threw his arms wide open toward him. "Baby, I absolutely *adore* you! Do you realize you’re the very first researcher to kill a zombie with your bare hands? If I were a woman, I’d be dragging you straight into bed!"

Wen En’s bear hug was so tight that Xiao Yan felt like he was about to vomit.

*If you actually were a woman, I probably wouldn't be able to handle you anyway!*

Wen En cast a sidelong glance at the recruits. "Did you see that? If this guy were to undergo the X-Virus treatment, taking you lot down in a split second would be child's play."

"Hey! Wen En! You’d better make good on your promise!" Xiao Yan hurriedly reminded him to uphold his end of the bargain.

"No problem!"

That night, after attaching sensors to Wen En, Xiao Yan entered a training room containing over a dozen zombies.