Thrive in Catastrophe Chapter 82

He had just gotten back to work. Did he get no time to adjust? Why did a project fall on his head so quickly?

What kind of simulation system...Xiao tried hard to think and recall such a thing, but he could only draw upon sporadic flickering fragments. There was no cohesiveness or detail he could pull out to help him.

"Loch, you will provide technical support for the system. You are aware of Xiao Yan's brain speed so we need a system that can accommodate his processing rate. This will be essential to the efficiency of the project."

Xiao looks around curiously. Major Loch? Isn't he the one who designed the dual craft system at age sixteen?

Where is he?

"Hm, I know."

A hollow sounding voice spoke nearby and Xiao Yan turned to find the exhausted looking man seated next to him was the one who spoke,

"Also Major Xiao Yan your department has just been established, it needs some fresh blood. After this meeting, my liaison officer will send you a list of prospective a.s.sistants to choose from."

Research a.s.sistant? He is also Casey's research a.s.sistant... No...

"No need to overthink it. A research a.s.sistant is simply a tool to instruct. They need only meet three requirements, first they must be obedient, second they must be obedient and third...obedient."

Loch's voice was like a withered plant in extreme need of water and barely clinging to life. His tone was dry and raspy and he seemed to strain to free each word from his throat.

"Don't listen to this guy there is only condition for an a.s.sistant and that is they must put their director first. If they have this state of mind, they will do well for your research."

On the right side of Xiao Yan was a major with flaxen colored hair coiled in tight curls. His military collar is open and he rests his arm leisurely across the back of Xiao's seat.

"Mr. Ritz, in addition to Xiao Yan's simulated battle system, the second project we need to discuss today regards military aircraft. I was informed that Jane Wallace and his team have developed a new type of craft. Not only is it silent, but its speed is twice that of ours. And their weapons system..."

Ervel tapped at the air and a hologram display materialized in front of everyone showing images of Jane's craft engaged in battle with Ling. The missile system was quite advanced. If not for Heine's quick thinking, Ling's squad would have been completely wiped out.

"In the past two years, your department has  contributed hardly any useful research. I am forced to wonder if you are too lazy or simply incapable." Ervel narrowed his eyes at Ritz, who just smiled indifferently back at him.

"Give me a month and I can increase the speed of our craft 2.5 times what it is now."

Xiao Yan paused at his words. Perhaps the person beside him was just lazy, because he spoke with complete confidence. Surely no one would dare falsely brag in a room full of officials.

"So what about the weapons system of the craft?"

"Ah...thinking is so exhausting." Ritz scratched his head.

"If you can develop a superior weapons system than what is presented in this video, I will give you a week of vacation."

Ritz shook his head in disinterest. "My life is worth more than one measly week."

"Perhaps I can send you to Base 46. They are in constant need of commanders."

The reason for this was well known. Base 46 was located in the Arctic Circle. The base was small and sufficiently supplied, but... it was...excruciatingly boring.

"I choose the generous week long vacation." Ritz sat up straight, adopting such a serious expression that his earlier lazy presence seemed to evaporate.

"Very good." Ervel's gaze returned to Xiao Yan again. "The research on the x-2 must go on. We hope that we will be able to widely distribute the virus, as opposed to the c.u.mbersome task of individually tailoring it. The burden on you shoulders is quite heavy Xiao Yan, but you have the cooperation of any department you need. No matter what you require, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Yes, Lieutenant General."

The meeting lasted well through the morning before it finally ended.

Xiao Yan exhaled in relief, and Ritz happily slung an arm on Xiao Yan's shoulder.

"What's wrong? Such a sad look? Is it the simulation system or the x-virus project that has you looking so down? It all sounds like a headache, but everyone here have more than one project. Look at the opportunities."

"So he should be more like you? From last year until now, your department has acc.u.mulated more than 26 unfinished projects."

Loch's glare smashed right through Ritz.

"And you are so good? You complete your research like it is your final dying wish...and for what? So Ervel can hand you more work? How long has it been since you slept? I bet I will live a much longer life than you." Ritz slid a piercing glance toward Lock.

"With the way that you avoid having to think I imagine that your chance of getting dementia is far greater than mine."

The two researchers continued to go at each other, Xiao couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.

Casey and he used to quarrel like that. Now he is a major and Casey isn't even in the city.

"Hey Xiao Yan. We should celebrate your promotion. Do you want to go to the Blue Tulip with me? There are many beautiful women that are just waiting to pounce on you." Ritz has taken inventory of all the beautiful women in the military. He even has then ranked on a leaderboard.

"Hey, Xiao Yan! Today is the first day you become a major. Do you want to go to the Blue Tulip

"Mr. Ritz, I suggest you don't." Loch's drained voice gave a stern warning.

"Why? You just don't want to see me enjoy myself!"

"If you were drinking by yourself at the Blue Tulip I have no doubt you would enjoy yourself. But if Colonel Burton knows you brought Xiao Yan on a drunken binge with you...well...then, I can guarantee I will live longer than you."

"..." Ritz stood speechless as his arm stiffened on Xiao Yan's shoulder. After thinking on this advice, he hastily lowered it, "Oh... oh..."

"Why would you mention Colonel Burton?" Xiao Yan was confused

"Why would he mention Colonel Burton?" Ritz arched a brow at Xiao Yan's tone and shrugged his shoulders.

"Young people! Colonel Burton kissed you in front of the Central Academy of Sciences. This behavior sends quite the message.... He pretty much branded you as his. We must communicate and work together, but it is important to define the boundaries. That is why I will live longer than this old man."

"Let's go. I will go to the Blue Tulip with you." Loch grabbed a hold of Ritz and ushered him toward the door.

"Who wants to go drinking with you?! Those beautiful women won't come close to me with you there! You are nothing but a giant rabid dog! "

"The rabies virus has been extinct for some time now."

As he watched them retreat, Xiao let out a sigh of relief.

The two projects he was a.s.signed were of great import to the city. He doesn't know anything about them. He must sort them out quickly, and he only knows one person in the whole s.h.i.+re that could help him.

So Xiao Yan once again found himself at the torture force.

He could hear the sound of symphony music drift down the hall as he approached Xia's office.

The liaison officer opened the door and Xia was seated with his eyes closed as he tapped his fingers on the table.

Xiao Yan approached him and the music gradually faded out. As he stood next to him, there was a deep silence and the general slowly opened his eyes. He stared at Xiao Yan for a while and then  his lips lifted in an ambiguous smile.

"I bet every time Heine sees you in that military uniform he wants to tear it off."

Xiao Yan licked his lips nervously as the good looking and observant general grinned at him playfully.

"You haven't yet sorted out your memories of Colonel Burton?"

"No."

"No as in 'not yet' or 'don't want to?'" The creases along Xia's eyes deepen with interest.

Xiao Yan chose to ignore this question.

"Oh, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Don't fall asleep while connected to the terminal."

"Ah?" Xiao Yan looked blankly at Xia. He did have a habit of wearing a terminal to listen to music before going to bed.

"Colonel Burton will invade along the terminal," Xia's fingers tapped Xiao Yan's eyebrows, "and then have his way with you."

Xiao Yan moved back half a step, his mind was filled with the image of Heine kissing him in his dream. No matter how he struggled, he could not escape. The forbidden desires, which could not be relieved in reality, broke out unscrupulously in his dreams.

"Haha!" Xia shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "You just finished with your military meeting. Did they hold a promotion party for you?"

Xiao Yan shook his head and moved the conversation toward his problem. "I need your help, Sir."

"Does it concern your research project?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm that is disappointing. I had hoped you would want me to help you sort out the relations.h.i.+p between you and Colonel Burton.

Xiao Yan spent the whole afternoon in Xi's office. As he went to leave, General's Xia's expression became suddenly serious. His eyes grew somber as the lines of his face deepened and darkened his features.

"Major Xiao Xiao, I hope this is the last time you have need of this kind of a.s.sistance."

"...I am sorry to have taken up your time..."

"No. It is not that. On the contrary, entering your brain is quite enjoyable. You read like an open book...it arouses... dark impulses. I have superb self-control, but others may not enter your brain with such good will."

In that moment, the waves disturbing the deep eyes of the General became unsettling.

Xiao Yan was stunned. He was so accustomed to his mild temperament that he had completely forgotten he was dealing with the s.h.i.+re's most famous torture expert.

"This is really regrettable." Xiao Yan lowered his head.

"What are you sorry for?"

"Given your work, you are the best 'blocker' in the s.h.i.+re. I thought I could have a chance to learn from you."

The General's lips widened into a broad grin, "I'm glad to see you thinking along these lines."

"Sir, does that mean you will be my mentor?" Xiao Yan was overjoyed.

"I am a tired, major. Right now, I want to listen to some music." General Xia slowly closed his eyes. "Major, I hope you can learn to control everything."

"......Thank you."

Xiao Yan got up and returned to his apartment.

He plopped down on the sofa and yanked on the tight collar around his neck. Then he paused...opposite his desk were two rows of paper backs. Xiao walked up to them and one by one he scanned their t.i.tles. 'Ocean climate', 'Marine Life' 'Urban Desertification'....there were even some older famous works such as 'The Red and the Black' and another written in an unfamiliar language. Xiao Yan turned the books over and flipped through their pages. His eyes brightened in curiosity and excitement.

"Do you like them?"

"Of course I do!" Xiao Yan looked back and saw Heine with his arm propped up against the wall.

"How did you get in?"

" My security clearance."

A wry smile lifted in Xiao's heart. He looked over at the gla.s.s jar on the desk. The small terrarium mimics the environment of the beach, sea and sun. A small hermit crab is crouched in the sand, occasionally waving its tiny pincers. Xiao is consumed with a warm and familiar feeling.

As he walked to the gla.s.s jar and lifted the crab out, the aggravated hermit crab turned over and struggled grumpily. Xiao smiled at the crab's frantic movements. When the little guy tired himself out, he mercifully put him back.

"I remember... it seems like you gave it to me."

"Hm."

"The weird thing is, the most vivid memory I have about you is when you stepped on my shoulder. It was so painful, it's hard to forget."

"It's late, go to sleep."

As Heine walked past him, Xiao thought that he would lean in and kiss him. Instead he just walked out of his apartment.

His heart suddenly felt terribly empty.

Xiao let out a shaky breath as the door slid closed.

Outside of Xiao's apartment, Heine leaned into the door, his forehead resting against it. His chest hitched slightly as though he were struggling to suppress the waves that rolled violently within him.
_____

The next day for Xiao Yan was a rather busy. He has to choose his research a.s.sistant. According to the staffing policies of the Academy, a major can have up to six a.s.sistants.

Xiao looked around the large lab and his breath rushed out in gasp. The candidates for the position were listed in the new system. Xiao couldn't help but linger once he connected. This terminal system was much faster than he remembered. Instantaneously, all the terminals in the room activated. In a normal lab, there are 6 terminals available.

His lab is equipped with 12.

Suddenly, he heard Major Loch's voice through the system. "Major Xiao Yan, welcome."

"Major Loch? Did you already upgrade my system? That was fast."

"All that you need for your research should be mere seconds away. If you have any questions let me know, I welcome any questions or feedback."

Xiao Yan was excited as though he had just been given a new toy. He began to input complicated calculations and experimental conjectures. Just as the reason for him using the system slipped his mind, the liaison officer reminded him to choose his a.s.sistant.

Xiao Yan quickly pulled up the candidate list, most of whom were senior level researchers and others were students. Xiao Yan read through their achievements and past research projects. Xiao doesn't understand the reasoning behind either Lock or Ritz in determining the criteria for their researchers. He doesn't want an a.s.sistant that is bound by pre-established limits. He requires someone who can keep his mind stimulated and show him a different perspective when his is stuck, a person who thinks of unorthodox ways to solve a problem.

Xiao went through the list from beginning to end and finally closed his terminal.

He left his lab and two special forces followed behind him.

These researchers show commonly established thinking patterns and are accustomed to their current research directors. Xiao feels he needs someone that has not already been so rigidly conditioned, someone with a more active mind and broader thinking abilities.

"Major, where are you going?"

"Campus. I want to reminisce."

He put his hand in the pockets of his military pants and walked toward the college campus.

Countless young and energetic faces pa.s.sed by him.

Xiao relishes the fresh energetic air of hope and possibility. It is completely different from the beaten and dead atmosphere of the labs. His mind flashes through memories and his face lights with a rare impish smile, as though he has gone back in time. He sees himself speak freely with the students about things completely unrelated to academics. Then Casey leans in and scolds him for not submitting his lab report on time.

His thoughts flash and flicker rapidly as he walks through the familiar campus.

His mind feels lighter and his memories mix and merge with reality.

"Look, it's Major Xiao Yan!"

"Don't you know? He used to be a cla.s.s b student! But he accomplished what all the cla.s.s A researchers could not!"

"Why are the Special Forces following him?"

"Idiot, of course it's because the major is very important to the future of the s.h.i.+re. The Surge has already kidnapped him once."

Hearing their gus.h.i.+ng exclamations of admiration, Xiao Yan feels his face heat up and redden.

Their words dampen his nostalgia and he lowers his head as he heads back to his apartment. He decidedly orders three sets of uniforms from his terminal. Xiao Yan then called the two Special Forces inside and asked them to change into these uniforms. He watched with amus.e.m.e.nt as their expression grew sinister at his request. Their stern faces contrasted sharply with the youthful student uniforms.

When he returned to campus he was relieved to find that no one took notice of him this time.

Right now there is a cla.s.s on viral variability being held in room 299. Xiao Yan ordered the Special Forces to stand outside the door and he entered the cla.s.sroom. He found a vacant seat and connected to the terminal. The gene chain of a coronavirus was displayed in front of him and the professor asks the students to make an antiviral agent.

The question was too simple for him to bother and he instead looked around the room. He immediately spotted a young student sleeping in the back row. The rules of the cla.s.s dictate that if the student doesn't submit an answer, they will not receive credit for the cla.s.s.

At the very end of the allotted time, the teenager lazily opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead. The data on his holographic screen scrolled rapidly and he submitted his answer at the last possible second.

The youth caught Xiao looking over at him and narrowed his eyes.

When the cla.s.s ended, Xiao hurried to catch up with him before he went too far. By the time he looked back over, the boy had disappeared. Xiao quickly exited the cla.s.sroom as the Special Forces rushed to trail behind him. He pa.s.sed through a throng of students and located the boy. He walked sluggishly forward, holding his head.

Half an hour later, Xiao followed him to a mechanical physics cla.s.s. This time, he chose to sit right next to him. As the professor lectured on the principles of aircraft engines, the teenager falls asleep again. This allows Xiao Yan to observe him freely.

He is around 18 or 19 years old with pale skin. His eyebrows were arched high and furrowed in impatience. Looking at him Xiao is reminded of Casey. In Xiao's first year as a student, Casey was his cla.s.smate. At that time, Casey had mastered all his subjects, but in order to receive credit he had to attend cla.s.s. He often slept during the lecture, to the annoyance of many professors, but he aced every exam administered, even achieving the highest ranking. In less than 3 months Casey had jumped ahead a level. By the time Xiao finished his junior year, Casey had already graduated.

As Xiao lost himself in the past, the teenager had already awoken and stared back at him with wide eyes.

The professor posed a question to Xiao through his terminal. Xiao, who had not been listening at all, jumped as he was startled back to reality.

The teenager revealed a mockingly sly smile as if to say, 'you're dead'

Xiao Yan reviewed the question, after ten seconds the terminal generated an answer based on his thoughts. Seeing his response, the youth's expression lifted in surprise. Xiao couldn't help the small spark of pride that flickered through his heart. He had been too lazy to muse about such questions when he was a student, but now, as ridiculous as it is, he can't help showing off a bit.

The cla.s.s ended and all of the students filed out the door.

Xiao Yan had just walked outside when someone suddenly appeared in front of him and dragged him up by his collar. The Special Forces rush up to intervene but Xiao Yan waved them away.

They fell back, their posture vigilant.

"Hey! I know that you have been following me! You are not in any of my cla.s.ses!"

The teenager attempted an aggressive expression, like a tiny agitated beast.

"How do you know I am not one of your cla.s.smates?"

"I have never seen you before! You have to at least be a senior! That problem the professor gave you... It only took 10 seconds from the time you started your terminal to when you submitted you answer. It took that chattering old man 12 seconds to answer his own question."

"That is because he must slow down his thinking speed so you can see how his ideas progress."

"I don't need to see his thoughts to know they are close minded and long winded."

"So you sleep in cla.s.s?" Xiao Yan asked. He lowered his head to hide his smile.

The youth is a half a head shorter than him. The gap in their heights reminds Xiao Yan of Casey. That guy was always complaining that he wasn't taller.

"Hey! From the display of your knowledge, you have to be a senior! And you have been following me. I deliberately delayed going to my next cla.s.s by a full hour to verify! You have definitely been following me!"

"Oh? How do you know?"

The student does not meet his eyes.

Instead he raises his wrist and taps his comm. Xiao instantly understood. He had used the s.h.i.+ny surface of his contact device as a mirror.

"I followed you because I thought you were interesting." Xiao Yan widened his eyes. "You seem to be very smart."

"I am very smart!"

"Many people claim that they are smart but they are not. How can you prove it?"

"Oh! Then we will make a bet. If I win, you have to take my terminal tests for the rest of the school year."

"Alright. And If I win?"

"You win...you set the terms. What do you want?"

"Hm. I haven't thought about it. Can we say our terms at the end? Anyway, it has to be something that you can do. It is more productive to discuss the rules of the game. We each give each other questions that are of increased difficulty. Of course, the one posing the question must be capable of answering it."

"Interesting! We will determine the winner in the library." Xiao Yan had clearly sparked the teenager's ambition.

"Ok. What is your name?"

"What does my name have to do with you?"

"So I should refer to you with 'hey' or 'kid'?

"... Lauren Ann." The boy grumbled reluctantly.

"What?" Xiao Yan smirked and pretended not to hear.

"Wait I didn't hear you!" Xiao continued to provoke the youth.

Lauren ignored him and walked to the library. Xiao gestured to the Special Forces to keep an appropriate distance.

Five minutes later, they found two adjacent seats in the library and started the compet.i.tion.

*****************************************

Poor Heine he is really paying for using Xiao Yan's shoulder as a launch pad. I love Xia too. My favorite aspect of this story is how everyone falls in love with Xiao's mind.

I know that a lot of readers are probably struggling with this story arc. I know that I did. I had planned to release these chapters in one huge hunk...But...well...we all know what happened....

There are some really lovely moments in it though. I promise. In fact, I have been reading comments and some of you have a very particular and specific wish that is going to be granted. In fact I couldn't contain myself and responded to those comments. Luckily Wattpad errored me out or I would have given a spoiler away. That is all I am going to say on the matter.

Also, two readers left comments that helped me realize why the author chose to put in this plot point. Has anyone figured it out yet? There is a huge hint in this chapter.