Thrive in Catastrophe - Chap 57

“You are not a child…But ten years is not enough time. It is not enough time to finish your research, not enough time to fall in love, not even enough time to figure out what you want in life.”

“What do you care?”

Xiao Yan doesn’t know why keeps pressing him with questions, he feels that if he doesn’t take this opportunity then this man, who has mastered the art of controlling his emotions, will slip away from him.

Heine looked at him but doesn’t say a word.

The grip on his collar loosens, and Heine backs up. His expression settles back into its typical lines, no trace of emotion ripples across it.

This is the expression Xiao didn’t want to see.

“I didn’t give myself the X virus.”

Heine halted his retreat and looked at Xiao Yan closely. He was silent but something deep within him seemed to be disturbed. The silent waves, rushing and cresting, threatened to release and destroy at any moment.

“It’s x-2.”

Xiao swallowed, not knowing if he should continue. Casey has been working on x-2 with no progress. And Xiao Yan, with no rank, has managed it.

Would anyone believe such a thing?

However, Heine looks at him without any doubt of his accomplishment.

“But…it wasn’t completely successful. It is only effective for a short period of time.

“You are experimenting on yourself.”

Hine’s voice lowered into a dangerous register.

Viruses are always changing and ferocious. One bit of negligence and the virus he was cultivating could end up far worse than the original strain. The line between harmless and fatal was impossibly thin.

“I had to verify its effectiveness. The human body is the final test. I can’t have others bear the results of my experiment. I must do it myself. And I am confident that it will react the way I anticipate. I have studied x-2 so that I can leave the Shire and one day get out of the aircraft.

“Promise me two things.” Heine suddenly spoke.

“what?”

“First, absolutely no one can know that you have synthesized x-2”

“……Yes.”

Xiao Yan understands Heine’s concerns. If it his known by the Surge then he will become their absolute and only target. On more than one occasion he has been afraid of his brain being removed and stored in a nutrient dish, connected to a terminal and forced to think until no activity is left. This point of Heine’s requires 100% compliance.

“Second, you can only conduct similar experiments under my supervision.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Yan smiled glad for a Special Forces soldier’s assistance. If the virus had failed, and Xiao had not been able to take out the zombies…it would have been quite dangerous.

Heine’s stipulations meant that he understood the importance and the risks of what Xiao has done. This study will be a secret between him and Heine. This point of common interest makes Xiao feel that the distance between them is closing.
_________________________–

It is his graduation test and Xiao Yan was waiting in the training room he had been practicing in.

The zombies are about to be released from the door and dozens of special forces are ready and watching. Mark had even made a bet with the other soldiers. Even the researchers had stopped their training to observe from the sidelines.