Thrive in Catastrophe

“Dumb rookie,” Heine stated blatantly.

Xiao Yan just replied with a carefree smile.

I wouldn’t be just a B rank students if I am invincible.

“I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully,” Heine began to explain to Xiao Yan that he’s now mentally trapped in his subconscious. “You’ll have to leave your subconscious level and reach over to your surface of thoughts.”

Xiao Yan’s mouth was twitching in irritation. He now realised that Heine and Shen Bing are, indeed, humans of the same kind, possessing the ability to describe an abstract thing in a most precise way, but can never be understood by others except for themselves.

Xiao Yan felt like an idiot under Heine’s cold gaze.

“Alright, I’ll lead the way, but you’ll have to believe in me. The moment you face me with hostility, I will retreat from your mind immediately.”

And Xiao Yan will be left wandering in his own conscious level.

“Got it.”

With that, Heine’s body hovered off the ground, his lips an inch away from Xiao Yan’s and continued moving up slowly, brushing across Xiao Yan’s nose bridge, over his forehead and finally, the top of his head.

It was somewhat a slow and heart fluttering process.

“Let’s go.”

The stern and aloof tone stopped Xiao Yan’s flutter instantly, yet he had no choice but to trail along this man.

He then hovered off the ground following Heine and kept close beside the man.

As they were closing into the floating sea, Xiao Yan reached out to Heine instinctively and before his hand reaches Heine, the man held out his hand to him, their fingers intervened with each other.

Xiao Yan drew a breath back in surprise, it was his first time to have someone hold his hand in such a way, let alone that someone is Heine.

“We have to go in?”

Heine glanced at Xiao Yan, “What are you afraid of? This is your conscious.”

Heine reached out his other hand into the pool of ocean, his face remained indifferent as though nothing could waver or enter his heart. Though at the same time, his coldness is what reflects his resolution.

With just a tap on his chest by Heine, Xiao Yan was engulfed in the ocean.

Heine’s eyes never left him as Xiao Yan continued to move forward. He had a feeling that he won’t be able to go further if he leaves Heine’s sight. All of a sudden, he began to panic, until Heine appeared before him. His golden strands spilled out like golden rays in the ocean, his eyes gentle.

Just as Xiao Yan reached the surface of the ocean, Heine held onto his shoulder and pointed to the direction above them.

“Head over there and you’ll be awake.”

“Thank you.”

Xiao Yan stared at Heine, the man’s flawless profile is seared into his mind. The latter turned away slowly, as though something was brewing within his icy gaze.

“Do a better job in protecting yourself next time.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Heine cupped Xiao Yan at the back of his head, drawing them closer.

Without warning, his lips pressed onto Xiao Yan’s, parted his lips slowly and savoring it with great force that mingles with a strong sense of possession.

Xiao Yan knows he should resist, yet he did nothing, as though he was restrained by an invisible force.

Heine’s tongue was intense and forward. He fondled Xiao Yan’s mouth, trailed across his palate, showering him with his feelings that ran wild, and invading every inch and corner within his mouth.

The man poured his everything into the kiss, from every possible angle, as though he had retrieved something he most cherished when he was about to lose it.

Xiao Yan did not even have the chance to resist. His rationality was a the verge of being unshackled from the man’s intense kiss.

A moment before their desire went loose, Heine let go off Xiao Yan. His fingers brush across Xiao Yan’s strands that covered his forehead. And as he drew back his fingers, Xiao Yan had a strong urge to chase after his warmth.

“W-Why……” Xiao Yan asked.

“What’s the point of telling you? You won’t remember what I’ve told you when you wake up.”

One can never recall the memories that happened within the subconscious.

“I know I won’t remember a word that you’ve said and the things that you’ve done for me! So tell me, Colonel!”

“I’m addicted to you, Xiao Yan.”

Before Xiao Yan could grasp the meaning behind his words, Heine laid back and let himself engulfed in the ocean in serenity.

“Heine!”

Xiao Yan tried to hold on to him yet in the next second, Heine was no longer there.

Xiao Yan began pondering on the meaning behind Heine’s words. How can he be addicted to me when I’m just an ordinary human? Won’t people be addicted only to X-virus?

Meanwhile, Heine has returned to the reality.

Shen Bing let out a sigh of relief when he saw him back in one piece.

Heine walked over to the bed where Xiao Yan sleeps and traced his fingers over his closed eyelids.

Shen Bing was stunned for a moment. Begin Heine’s years of cla.s.smate in the Central Science Academy, he knows this man pretty well. He may seem cold and aloof on the outside, but he was never surrounded with the sense of oppression like he does now during his school days, though at the same time, he refuses any unnecessary contact with people and has a strong sense of territory.

Yet looking at his action now……

Gently, Heine ran his fingers through Xiao Yan’s hair and caressed his face.

Shen Bing breathed a quiet sigh and tried to speak as calmly as possible, “He’ll wake up.”

Heine stood up and left the room without a word. And as the door slid open, he saw Lily standing behind the door frantically, not knowing what to do.

“C-Colonel!” She stuttered.

Heine walked pa.s.sed her and Lily felt a cold glance from him that caused her breath to stifled, until Shen Bing’s voice drew her back.

“Come in, Xiao Yan’s not awake yet.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan was still lingering at the intersection point of his subconscious and his mind troposphere, still pondering over what Heine said.

He sat there cracking his head while placing his index finger on his swollen lips. He knows he has to get back to the reality in order to find out what Heine meant by “addicted to you”.

Once decided, he took a deep breath and left the water surface, as darkness engulfed him.

Xiao Yan eyes snapped open, only to see a whitewashed ceiling above him. His eyes slowly adjusting to the thankfully mild light.

“Xiao Yan! Thank goodness! You’re finally awake!”

“Lily…… What happened to me?”

Xiao Yan tried to sit up from the bed but a pang of dizziness forced him to lie back.

“You’ve trapped yourself in your subconscious, and now you’re awake.”

It was the same blatant tone of voice that he heard from the aircraft, the voice of the main culprit that had him trapped in the first place.

“Shen Bing——” Xiao Yan yelled.

This man is one of the few pure-blooded Asian in this era, just like Xiao Yan.

“Yes, I’m Shen Bing.”

He walked over to Xiao Yan’s side and nailed him down in a superior manner, “but I believe you should call me Colonel Shen Bing, you dumb rookie.”

“Excuse me. Dumb rookie?”

Even though Xiao Yan is just a B ranked cadet, it may be true that he’s not the most talented ones in research, but being called a ‘dumb rookie’ is just beyond his tolerance.

“Is getting yourself trapped in your own brain not stupid enough for you then? If it wasn’t for Colonel Heine Burton entered here and lead you out,” Shen Bing gave Xiao Yan a tap on his forehead, “I’m afraid you’ll slip into eternal slumber.”

“What…? Heine Burton?”

“As expected, you don’t recall any of it, but that’s normal, no one could remember anything that happened in their subconscious.”

Shen Bing continued with a light hmph, “You’re lucky. If Heine hasn’t arrive at the base, no one can save you.”

With that, Shen Bing stood up and left. Xiao Yan let out a breathe he was holding and stared at the ceiling blankly.

What’s with this sense of emptiness in me?

It felt like he had forgotten something really important but every time he tried to recalled, nothing seems to form in his mind.

“It’s true, you know, about Colonel Burton,” Lily broke the silence.

Xiao Yan sat up and was. .h.i.t with a pang of dizziness once more, “G.o.d…. I can’t recall anything……”

His brain was all messed up again. Why would Heine Burton save him? He thought he wanted him dead instead?

When Shen Bing left the room, he saw Heine leaning against the wall as though he was waiting for something.

However, from Shen Bing’s years of acquaintances with this man, he knows, this man never waits.

“Is that dumb rookie still alive?”

Shen Bing answered with a laugh, “Stop calling him that. It’s gonna turn into his nickname. And… I’m sorry that you had to enter someone’s subconscious again. A person’s subconscious can be filled with hostility, filth and cruelty despite how decent they may seem in reality… I’m sorry you had to go through all that again, and… I’m glad that you’re back safely.”

Heine just shrugged off his apology and turned to walk away, “You don’t need to apologize. His brain is not as bad as you think.”

“……” Shen Bing gaped.

“Oh my gosh, to actually hear arch compliment coming out from Heine that fella’s mouth… I have a sudden urge to crack that rookies brain up to have a look what’s inside! Hey, Heine——”

Heine stopped in his tracks. This was the greatest tolerance he could give to his old friend.

“What did you see in his brain? The terminal shows that you almost… lost control before you leave his mind.”

“Shen Bing, if I were to die one day, I hope his world would be my deathbed.”

With that, he left.

Shen Bing’s eyes widened in astonishment, he was on the verge of losing control in excitement before he calmed himself down with a finger on his temple. “It seems that I’ve found out something incredible……” he mumbled to himself.

While he was on his way back to the control center, he was alerted by one of the officers, notifying him that one of the plane that went missing, A102, is now approaching their base.

The liaison officer has attempted to get in contact with the pilot but to no avail.

Knowing that, Shen Bing gave immediately order to close all entrances and all areas stay vigilant, as he rushed over to the control room.

At the same time, the emergency light in Xiao Yan’s room went off as the warning announcement replayed itself throughout the whole area: “Third level emergency! Third level emergency! All departments please stay alert!”

Xiao Yan sat up and looked at Lily, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. But it’s best for us to stay here, not that we can do anything as a cadet.”

Meanwhile, on the holographic screen in the control room, an aircraft is zooming towards the closed entrance of Base 14.

“Shoot it down!” Shen Bing commanded.

The liaison officer stared at him in disbelief, “But Colonel, that’s our aircraft!”

“If the pilot is our ally, why didn’t he reply to our call?”

“Still……”

The aircraft was getting closer, and without further hesitation, Shen Bing gave direct orders to the shooting platform.

Then there was a blast, a guided missile was fired, chasing behind its target closely.

The aircraft turned to swirl around in mid-air, trying to get rid of the missile railing behind.

“What are you hesitating! They did not even attempt to contact us when they’re in this state, do still insist that they are allies!” Shen Bing bellowed at the liaison officer.

The latter finally came to his senses. A plane that has lost contact for more than 72 hours is, with high possibility, being hijacked by the Tides and they are now trying to exploit the aircraft to enter the base.

“Attention to all platforms! Shoot the aircraft down at all cost!”

Another two missiles were fired from two platforms, without more possible struggle, the aircraft hit and there was a blast.

Just before Shen Bing could sigh in relief, a small missile shot out from the burning plane, towards the base.

Walls crumbled and the ceiling collapsed as the secretarial officer covered Shen Bing under himself.

The missile continued drilling deeper into the depth of the base.

Shen Bing staggered to stand.

Before he could grasp hold of the whole situation, the floor was flipped over by some sort of force and begin crumbling as well.

“Colonel! It’s a spiral missile!”

There was no time to lose. Immediately, Shen Bing gave order to determine the level of destruction caused in the base.

“All areas above ground level are destroyed! But fortunately, the underground areas have been consolidated last year, hence no damage done on the lower grounds!”

“All ground level departments retreat from their nearest exit to the underground! Release first-grade emergency!”

The room Xiao Yan is in was flipped upside down. Lily clung to him when the room overturned. They suffered a sudden cascade from mid-air and with Lily’s weight as an added pressure that landed on him as he falls, Xiao Yan felt his organs were almost squashed in bits.

The announcement came a second after.

“Attention to all ground level departments! Evacuate to the underground level from your nearest exit immediately!”

The announcement continues to repeat itself as Xiao Yan and Lily went frozen.

“W-What’s going on……”

Lily stood and went for the door before Xiao Yan stopped her with a shout: “Don’t!”

“W-What it is……” Lily’s hand paused and turned to look at a Xiao Yan.

A sudden chill struck his heart.