TIC Chapter 70

 Chapter 70

“You might as well just kill me! Because no matter the reason, nothing you say will ever convince me!”

A faint prickling sensation ran through his arm—Casey had injected him with something.

肖岩’s vision swam; his body was rapidly losing strength. Yet Jian held him up firmly, and the moment his strength completely gave out, Jian swept him up into his arms.

His vision blurred. Xiao Yan struggled to remain conscious, but his thoughts spun wildly as he felt himself slipping away.

“Let’s go. Where’s the airship?”

“It’s waiting for us.” Jerry sighed. “I actually thought we’d be able to assassinate the President while we were at it this time!”

Casey shot Jerry a look of utter disdain. “What’s the point of assassinating the President? One President dies, and another simply steps in to replace him; nothing would actually change.”

“What about Claire? It looks like she’s trapped.”

“Who is she up against?”

“One of Hein Burton’s subordinates—Liv—plus a big guy named Mark.”

Jian frowned slightly. “If it’s those two, Claire is either already dead or has been captured. We don’t have time to turn back; Major Wynn has likely already received the alert and is rushing back here.”

“Alright. If Claire is still alive, I trust she’ll find a way to escape on her own.”

Ahead of them lay a massive crater blasted into the wall by explosives. Through the opening, they could see the central plaza in a state of utter chaos; zombies attacking civilians were being systematically cleared out by the Special Task Force, while the other armed units looked battered and disheveled.

In the distance, the Presidential Palace was collapsing—a level of total destruction that could only be achieved through an internal detonation.

“Boss... what did you do?”

“I just felt it was rather galling that the President got to live in such a lap of luxury all the time.” Jian smiled faintly, then turned back toward the now-ruined Special Task Force Headquarters and rendered a crisp military salute. “Goodbye, Char.”

He carried Xiao Yan into the airship just as the control tower at Char issued a command:

“Airship K92, please respond!”

“This is Airship K92. I am Jian Wallis, Commander of the Special Task Force’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th Squads. We are departing Char on an emergency mission bound for Base 14—Colonel Shen Bing’s command—Requesting clearance for our flight path.”

Jian smiled as he answered the control tower with cool, unhurried composure. “Mission code.”

“J207.”

“Flight path initiated.”

Jan lowered his head, his fingers brushing across Xiao Yan’s forehead; the young man leaned quietly against Jan’s shoulder, fast asleep.

“I know how much you love the sea. This time, I’m going to give you an entire ocean.”

Jan gently kissed the crown of Xiao Yan’s head; in an instant, the craft shot out of Char and soared toward the horizon.

Jerry nudged the silent Casey with his elbow; though his tone was teasing, his eyes were dead serious. “Tell me, Casey—are you really willing to leave this place behind?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Casey’s gaze was icy.

“Because *he* is the father you’ve always dreamed of having.” Jerry persisted in teasing Casey, refusing to let it go; he placed his hand atop the younger boy’s head, ruffling his hair into a bird’s nest of a mess. “That dose of accelerator you injected into Hein Burton—I’m afraid that’s going to break Lieutenant General Averil’s heart. You told Xiao Yan you were researching accelerators, but in reality, you were working on inhibitors; the accelerator was merely an accidental byproduct—one that that bastard Cole secretly shipped off to the Tide.”

“So Jan seized the opportunity to take care of Cole.” Casey coldly swatted Jerry’s hand away, answering with fierce, low-pitched intensity: “I *will* return. I *will* come back—and I will stand before Averil with my head held high!”

Jerry sighed in resignation. “I feel like I’ve joined an organization even more dangerous than Char itself. Casey, you’re doing this for Lieutenant General Averil; Jan is doing it so he can live the rest of his life doing whatever he pleases—wild and unrestrained. So tell me: what exactly am *I* following you guys for?”

“Because you’re our ‘family.’”

Three hours later, the chaos within Char was quelled.

Major General Gordon successfully made his exit from the Special Mission Force headquarters via an emergency escape route.

The scene of utter devastation that lay before him made him clench his fists tight. Countless armed soldiers lay dead or wounded; the bodies of civilians were scattered everywhere; buildings had collapsed, mag-lev vehicles lay wrecked, and shattered holographic advertising screens sputtered and hissed amidst the wreckage.

Major Wynn and Major Ling Xiao had already completed their mop-up operations and now approached Major General Gordon to report the mission’s completion. A holographic video feed popped up from the communicator; the Minister of Defense wore a grim expression.

“Major General Gordon! Do you realize that the Special Forces unit sent to protect the President is completely without a commanding officer?”

“What?” Major General Gordon looked astonished. “I distinctly assigned Lieutenant Colonel Jane Wallis to the task!”

“You should check the entry and exit logs for Char. Lieutenant Colonel Jane Wallis left Char three hours ago on a mission!”

“That’s impossible! He wasn't assigned any mission whatsoever!”

“Major General Gordon, you should count yourself lucky that the President remains unharmed; otherwise, I would certainly recommend to Admiral Sharif that you be relieved of your command!”

At that moment, Major General Gordon’s face went deathly pale. Suddenly realizing something, he roughly yanked Jessica—the communications officer standing beside him—closer. “Tell me: where is Second Lieutenant Xiao Yan? Didn't you say Colonel Burton would ensure his safe extraction? Where are they?”

Jessica swallowed hard. “Reporting, Major General... I attempted to contact Colonel Burton multiple times, but there was no response...”

“Why didn't you report this immediately?”

Maya, who had been standing by Major General Gordon’s side the entire time, spoke up to answer: “It was I who stopped Jessica from reporting it to you, so as not to delay your own extraction, Major General.”

Major General Gordon gritted his teeth and glared at Maya. This subordinate of his was usually somewhat irreverent, yet he displayed a surprisingly fierce dedication when it came to his duties.

At that moment, a faint tremor ran through the space between Maya’s brows; while he had prioritized Major General Gordon’s safety above all else, he was simultaneously consumed by an uncontrollable anxiety for Xiao Yan.

Major General Gordon shoved the communications officer aside and issued a command that bordered on a roar: “Wynn! Ling Xiao! Go find Xiao Yan—immediately! You will find him, even if you have to turn the entire Earth upside down!”

Wynn was already on edge upon hearing that contact had been lost with both Xiao Yan and Hein, while Ling Xiao cast a glance at Wynn, appearing somewhat perplexed. “Lieutenant Xiao Yan has synthesized X-2! Prior to this attack, he had been kept at Headquarters under protective custody.”

“What!” Ling Xiao suddenly realized the truth. “That means the Surge Organization’s massive, high-profile invasion of Shire was actually a diversion—intended to draw us away from Headquarters! Their true target wasn’t the President, but this researcher!”

At that very moment, Mark and Liv brought a woman before Major General Gordon; her wrists were shackled in high-density titanium, yet her expression remained one of disdainful arrogance.

“Sir! This is the Surge Organization’s ‘Witch’—Claire!” Mark gave Claire a ruthless shove.

Claire curled the corners of her lips into a smirk. “Well, hello, Major General. Are you still secretly hoping that Hein Burton managed to make it out alive with that ‘adorable’ little researcher of yours?”

“What do you mean? How could Colonel Burton have lost contact? Where is Lieutenant Xiao Yan?”

Major General Gordon felt not a shred of pity for this woman—a seeming beauty, yet a viper beneath the surface. He roughly hoisted her up, grabbing a fistful of hair from the back of her head to force her eyes to meet his. “Did you really think Casey was working on X-2 for you guys all this time? In reality, he’s been piggybacking on your resources—specifically, your research findings—to synthesize something rather ‘interesting.’ It accelerates the activity of the X-virus within a special forces soldier’s body, burning through their physical stamina at a hundred times the normal rate. Their metabolic turnover skyrockets by a hundredfold, which means their muscles, bones, and internal organs are all deteriorating rapidly. I’d bet that by the time you actually track down Hein Burton, he’ll already be a corpse.”

“What... Casey...”

“That’s right. You’ve always treated him as an irreplaceable intellectual asset. The guy is usually such an arrogant prick; it must have been absolute torture for him to spend all these years at Military Headquarters, keeping up that charade. I suggest you hurry up and start looking—you might just make it in time to say your final goodbyes to Hein Burton.”

Liv stepped forward and landed a vicious punch square in Claire’s face. “Talk! Where is Colonel Burton?”

Claire staggered toward Liv, leaning in close until his slow, drawling voice brushed against her ear: “You should be asking... where is his *corpse*?”

Wynn wasted no more time. “First Squad! Follow me back to Headquarters—commence a search! Second Squad! Take the aircraft and conduct a perimeter search outside the facility! All aircraft—including our own—are to be ordered to return to base immediately! If any refuse to comply, shoot them down!”

“Major Wynn!” Liv grabbed hold of Wynn, baffled by his order to “shoot them down.”

“The enemy has already abducted Xiao Yan! I would sooner see him dead than let his brain fall into the hands of the Tide Organization.” Wynn forced a bitter smile. “Don’t let his hard-working demeanor fool you—the guy is actually incredibly lazy... Forcing him to engage in endless intellectual labor on problems he loathes would be tantamount to killing him anyway!”

Claire curled the corners of his lips into a sneer. “Too late. My boss has already made off with his little ‘pet’ and left the Shire. You guys haven’t got a prayer of catching up.”

“Who exactly is your ‘boss’—Jane Wallis, or Casey?”

“You tell me. *Hah!*”

Wynn had already led his team down the corridor in search. When they came across the bodies of the twins, Wynn let out a low click of his tongue. “Keep moving forward!”

“Major! We’ve found a research lab here that’s been locked down tight! But from what we can see through the door and windows, there’s no sign of Colonel Burton or Lieutenant Xiao Yan!”

Wynn narrowed his eyes. “There must be something inside!”

He activated his comm unit and issued an order: “Restore power to Research Lab 2’s main control system!”

A green light flashed on, and the sliding door hissed open. Wynn led two special forces operatives inside while the rest of the team continued their search.

Wynn entered the access codes and scanned the entire lab; finally, he detected a biological signature inside a deactivated reaction chamber.

The chamber slowly rose open, and they finally saw Hein—slumped against the glass, completely unconscious.

He looked utterly broken; even in his state of coma, his tightly clenched fists refused to loosen their grip.

“Get him out of there—now!”

The medical team rushed in immediately and began administering emergency aid to Hein.

“He’s alive! He’s alive! I just felt a pulse!” Hope blazed in Wynn’s eyes.

Hein’s face was completely drained of color; his body was limp and burning with a high fever, drenched from head to toe in sweat.

“Heart rate dropping! Pulse has fallen to a critical level!”

“Extreme hyperthermia—temperature at 42.85!”

“Atrial fibrillation detected!”

“You *have* to save him!” Wynn grabbed the medical team’s lead physician in a tense grip. “He is absolutely irreplaceable to our Special Operations Unit!”

“I know—please, calm down, Major!”

Hein was transferred into a specialized life-support pod and airlifted via transport craft to the military’s central medical facility.

A few minutes later, both Major General Gordon and Lieutenant General Averell arrived at the scene.

“What is Colonel Burton’s condition?”

“His physiological state is critical; his heartbeat, pulse, and even his neural activity are all in a state of extreme chaos. We’ve attempted to stabilize his vital signs, but all our efforts have been in vain. At this rate... he won’t last another hour.”

“But he’s already been inside that reaction chamber for three hours! If he were truly going to die, he would have died long ago! Report his blood test results.” ”

In contrast to the panic displayed by everyone else, Lieutenant General Aiviel appeared poised and calm.

“Blood tests indicate that the activity level of the X-virus within Colonel Burton is steadily rising! Yet, the viral load itself is decreasing!”

Aiviel wore a thoughtful expression. “Claire mentioned that Casey had synthesized a viral accelerator. If Hein was injected with this accelerator, it is hardly surprising that the X-virus activity is spiking; it is consuming Hein’s physical reserves. His vital signs ought to reflect this—specifically, a drop in body temperature and a loss of function in his internal organs. Although Hein’s heartbeat and pulse are erratic, they have never dropped below thirty beats per minute. The decline in the viral load, however, remains utterly baffling.”

“Lieutenant General... are you suggesting...?”

“I need to monitor Hein’s blood samples in real-time.”

Lieutenant General Aiviel personally took charge of analyzing Hein’s blood samples; every five minutes, he conducted a follow-up examination to track the status of the X-virus within Hein’s system.

The medical unit had initially predicted that, given his current vital signs, Hein could not possibly survive for more than an hour; yet, he had already held out for three hours inside the isolation chamber.

Suddenly, Lieutenant General Aiviel burst out of the laboratory, his face etched with an expression of sheer disbelief. “Prepare high-concentration nutrient solution! He needs nourishment to pull through this! We must maintain an intake rate of thirty milligrams per minute! He doesn’t need medical treatment—what he needs is energy!”

Major General Gordon turned to look at Aiviel, realizing that the Lieutenant General must have made a critical discovery.

“Gordon! Listen to me! I am convinced that, in addition to Casey’s accelerator, Hein has been injected with *another* type of virus!”

“What virus?”

“X-2! Second Lieutenant Xiao Yan must have successfully completed his research!” Aiviel’s eyes gleamed with the fiery intensity of a man witnessing a world in flames. “It’s absolutely incredible! The X-virus inside Hein—stimulated by the accelerator—is replicating uncontrollably; yet, the X-2 virus injected into his system is helping his body fend off the X-virus’s assault, constructing a specialized immunological defense line! It is like a full-scale war being waged within Hein’s own body! Hein needs energy to survive this war!”

“But if the X-virus is rendered ineffective, Hein will lose his combat capabilities... Still, as long as he survives, none of that really matters.” ”

Major General Gordon closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“What nonsense are you spouting? X-2 will replace the X-virus as the energy source for Hein! X-2 will store energy through his daily nutritional intake; it can even accumulate energy through sunlight, just like a zombie! Whether Hein is sleeping or conversing with others, this virus won't endlessly drain his physical stamina the way the X-virus does. It acts like an energy reservoir—and most importantly, it is synchronized with Hein's genetic code. It will become an integral part of Hein's body!”

“Are you saying...” Major General Gordon’s voice caught in his throat; he struggled to find the words to finish his sentence.

“What I mean is... I cannot predict exactly how much combat capability he will retain once he pulls through. However... the so-called ‘ten-year’ expiration limit that applies to Special Forces operatives no longer applies to Hein.”

“Is that true?”

Gordon and Averell turned around in unison, met by the astonished expressions of Wynn, Mark, and Liv.

“If... if Hein manages to wake up, then all of this is true.”

Everyone turned their gaze toward the isolation chamber; aside from waiting, there was nothing else they could do.

Lieutenant General Averell, having spent over twelve consecutive hours conducting research, was utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes and let out a deep, weary breath. Someone reached out and disconnected his neural interface terminal.

Averell slowly opened his eyes to find Major General Gordon leaning against the back of his chair, propping himself up with one hand. Gordon was standing quite close, yet despite the proximity, Averell felt no sense of intimidation or pressure from him.

“Casey injected Hein with an accelerant. You have to save Hein—only then can you rectify Casey’s mistake.”

“Casey does not make mistakes.” Averell locked his gaze firmly with Gordon’s, his resolve unwavering. “The accelerant he injected into Hein was the result of meticulous calculation; therefore, Hein will absolutely not die.”

Gordon turned his head away in frustration. “Averell, I know how deeply you suffered when your wife and your son, Alex, died because of Renodin’s betrayal. That is why, when you look at Casey—who bears such a striking resemblance to Alex—you find yourself placing an uncontrollable, irrational trust in him. But he is not Alex!” "Tide Surge took his DNA and bred Casey for one sole purpose: to lull you into a false sense of security!"

"He will return, Gordon."

"Avril, no two leaves in this world are ever exactly alike! Therefore, Casey will never be Alex!"

"I know. That is precisely why I say: Casey *will* return."

"You will face a court-martial, Avril."

"Are you going to turn me in?" Avril tilted his head back.

"That is something I could never bring myself to do." Gordon closed his eyes, then turned and walked away.

As if emerging from a long journey through the darkness—accompanied by a throbbing headache—Xiao Yan opened his eyes. Soft light created a gentle visual tableau, and as Xiao Yan felt the yielding softness beneath him, a faint scent drifted into his nostrils...

A faint scent—the fragrance of fresh grass.

“You certainly slept for a long time.”

A languid voice stretched out its syllables, and a handsome face came into focus before Xiao Yan’s eyes.

As those narrow, seductive eyes grew sharper and clearer, Xiao Yan snapped instantly awake.

He bolted upright and threw a punch—"Jan Wallis!"

His fist was effortlessly caught. Xiao Yan struggled to yank his hand back, but his captor held him fast with seemingly no effort at all; with ease, he pried Xiao Yan’s fingers open one by one, slowly bringing the hand to his lips to plant a kiss upon its back.

“Don’t be so angry, my dear. I paid such a heavy price to bring you out here; you really ought to enjoy everything this place has to offer.”

Jan’s eyes were deep and profound, as if threatening to draw Xiao Yan right into their depths.

Glancing around, Xiao Yan realized that he was inside a massive glass enclosure. Outside lay a dense forest where sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow; beneath the canopy, several lizards lay motionless and still. Looking up, the boundless azure sky seemed to pour down from above, instantly engulfing Xiao Yan’s gaze.

“My dear, take a breath.” Jan’s fingers brushed lightly against Xiao Yan’s brow ridge as he slowly leaned closer.

Instinctively, Xiao Yan braced himself and tried to pull away, but Jan swept him into a tight embrace.

The air was filled with the crisp, clean scent of leaves—a fragrance that refreshed the very soul. Xiao Yan was reminded of the very first time he had picked up a leaf and held it to his nose to inhale its scent.

“The scent here is completely different from the air in Shire, which has been filtered through countless layers. I know you, Xiao Yan. You have never been content to be a penned-in lamb; you crave anything and everything that embodies boundless freedom.”

His heart gave a faint flutter, and Xiao Yan slowly clenched his fists.

“Everything you hold dear—I will give it all to you.”

Jan’s embrace was firm, yet he tempered his strength so that Xiao Yan felt no sense of constriction. “Who exactly are you?”

“I am Jane Wallis.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”

Jane gave a light chuckle, sidled up to sit beside Xiao Yan, and draped an arm around his shoulders. “That question isn’t romantic at all.”

“What exactly is your relationship with the Tide organization?”

“Before you ask me that, why don’t you answer a question of mine first? In your mind, what is the Tide?”

“A terrorist organization. Enemies of humanity. It was the Tide’s bombs that attacked the Crimson Star Virus Management Committee—where the Comet Virus was stored—and triggered the apocalyptic catastrophe in the first place!”

“Char taught you well.” Jane suddenly planted a loud, smacking kiss on Xiao Yan’s cheek. “Except they didn’t tell you that, back then, the government had also discovered the other side of the Comet Virus’s lethality: hope. They wanted to monopolize the virus to conduct research on immortality.”

“And so, to break that monopoly, you allowed the Comet Virus to spread to all of humanity?”

Xiao Yan made no attempt to dodge. The X-2 compound in his system had long since metabolized; he was now completely at the other man’s mercy, and any form of resistance would be futile.

He still remembered how Hein had taught him: when a situation spirals out of control, one must wait patiently until an opportunity presents itself.

What he needed right now was an opportunity. And an opportunity could only be seized through a complete understanding of the situation at hand.

“Alright, it would be futile to try and change your mind in such a short time. But I trust that, with that clever little head of yours, you’ll eventually come to a rational conclusion.”

Jane turned his face toward Xiao Yan—a gesture intended to be incredibly romantic—but Xiao Yan turned his head away, causing Jane’s lips to merely brush against his cheek. Jane didn’t seem offended; in fact, he rather enjoyed this physical proximity to Xiao Yan—a closeness where virtually no space remained between them.

“Come on, let me show you around. I want you to see just how much effort I’m putting into trying to win you over.”

Jane took Xiao Yan by the hand and pulled him to his feet, wearing a look of playful mystery.

This suited Xiao Yan’s intentions perfectly; he needed to find out exactly where he was.

As they approached the glass doorway, the sliding doors sensed Jane’s presence and glided open automatically.

Xiao Yan’s feet sank into the soft soil and sand, tiny blades of grass brushing against his ankles. Instinctively, he tilted his head back; high above, a bird soared across the sky. His hands parted the branches and leaves; Jian turned around with a smile, reaching out a finger—its tip haloed by the sunlight.

Xiao Yan instinctively recoiled, yet the other man firmly pulled him closer, plucking a green caterpillar from the tips of his hair.

Reaching out his own hand, Xiao Yan caught the plump insect. It was soft to the touch, its body carrying a faint coolness as it slowly squirmed; the peculiar sensation traveled across his skin and flooded his mind. There were almost no insects to be found within the confines of *Xial*.

"It will spin silk to form a cocoon, grow wings, and eventually become a moth. Fascinating, isn't it? A single organism taking on two completely distinct forms."

Jian took Xiao Yan by the hand and led him onward. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, carefully cradled the green caterpillar until they passed a patch of low-lying bushes, where he gently placed it upon a leaf.

"You wear such a look of reverence."

Xiao Yan ignored him.

"Come on; we haven't even covered a third of the journey yet."

Xiao Yan followed close behind Jian. Gradually, the air grew heavy with moisture, carrying a faint scent of salt. A memory was stirred within him—a recollection of skimming across the ocean's surface during a mission with Hein's squad...

They emerged from the woods to behold a vast expanse of fine, pristine white sand. A sea of ​​azure unfolded before Xiao Yan’s eyes, merging seamlessly with the sky—a boundless vista stretching further than the eye could see.

Xiao Yan stood transfixed, slowly taking one step after another toward the water. The transparent waves washed over the tops of his feet; shards of broken seashells lay scattered at his toes. He knelt down, plunging both hands into the cool seawater.

Jian knelt beside him, his voice carried into Xiao Yan’s ears on the ocean breeze: "I knew you loved the sea, so I made a point of bringing you here."

Suddenly realizing something, Xiao Yan sprang abruptly to his feet.

He began to run—stumbling and staggering—along the length of the beach.

Why the sea?

Why *the sea*?!

A trail of footprints was left imprinted upon the sand.

With his hands tucked into his pockets, Jian followed the path of Xiao Yan’s footprints—unhurried and unperturbed. Finally, they reached the very end of the beach. Before Xiao Yan lay a stretch of jagged reefs, against which the waves crashed in ceaseless rhythm, while in the distance, nothing remained but an endless expanse of azure blue.

Xiao Yan stood at the edge of the rocks, his body tipping forward as if suddenly stripped of its weight.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Jan yanked him back instantly, wrapping his arms tightly around Xiao Yan’s waist as he retreated, step by step.

"It’s an island... it really is an island..."

"That’s right. It’s an island."

Xiao Yan squeezed his eyes shut tight.

Jan’s cheek brushed against Xiao Yan’s as he leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips. "So, you’re not going anywhere."

"Let me go."

"I could let you go. But if you pull a stunt like that again, I won’t give you another chance to leave the room. Instead, I will make you feel my presence—endlessly."

Xiao Yan understood all too well what the other man meant by "feeling his presence"; by now, such threats had left him utterly numb.