The next second, Xiao Yan felt a sharp pain on his shoulder. His face was pressed onto the counter, with his right arm twisted to the back. The immense pain pierced into the depth of his brain, leaving him with a silent scream.
His shoulder was dislocated.
Why the shoulder again?! Does Heine has a grudge against my shoulder?! Can you please make it somewhere else next time!
(Winly: Youāre still hoping for a 'next time' Xiao Yanā¦?)
"The next time I hear any of you gossiping about my subordinates, I wonāt be wringing off your arms but your head."
This isnāt a threat but the truth.
However, he wasnāt saying this to Xiao Yan but the two captains on the ground.
"d.a.m.nit! Why the h.e.l.l are you holding me down if youāre avenging for your subordinates! Iām not the one gossiping about them!" Xiao Yan was bellowing in silent anger inside but could not utter a word due to the pain.
"Sub-Subordinateā¦ā¦" the fellow sprawling on the ground snapped into realisation, "Youāre Heine Burton!"
Heine turned a blind eye to them and switched his attention to the person in his hands. He leaned down towards Xiao Yan, causing the held back arm to fold even more. The latter gritted his teeth in pain.
"Do you prefer to have your fingers plucked off one by one by me, or have your throat slit open and bleed to death?" a cold voice whispered into Xiao Yanās ear with a volume that no others could hear, piercing through his heart like an icicle.
"W-Whyā¦ā¦"
I should at least know what have I did wrong if I were to die.
That was Xiao Yanās last resolve.
"Maya, Lily, and now Officer Mich.e.l.le. You sure have a varied taste," Heine said and laid his gaze on Sharon.
Sharon wanted to help Xiao Yan but froze in her tracks under the oppressive gaze.
"Huh? What does this get to do with the two captains and Reeve?" Xiao Yanās face was filled with puzzlements. His thoughts begin to trail off the tracks from Heineās words.
"I know! Heine Burton is still holding a grudge against the accidental kiss! Now that all missions are over and those who will defend me like Maya and Reeve arenāt around, Heine can finally take his revenge!
"Goodness! I canāt even remember the sensation of his lipsā¦ā¦ After surviving all the crashes and countless zombies, Iām gonna end up losing my life for a kiss that barely exists?
"If there is reincarnation, I might as well be a zombie!" Xiao Yan thoughts went berserk.
In the meantime, a person barged into the bar and shouted at the sight of the terrible mess, "Boss!"
It was Reeve.
She walked towards Heine and saw Xiao Yanās face that was twisted in pain. Frantically, she tugged onto Xiao Yanās arm, "Xiao Yan! Are you alright! Boss, heās not the one spreading those rumours! Please let go of him!"
Heine remained indifferent. The moment he loosens his hold, Reeve got hold of Xiao Yan before he slid off to the ground.
"Theyāre too noisy," Heine lowered his gaze, looking upon others like a grim reaper in controlling deaths.
"Iā¦ I have a mission tomorrowā¦ā¦ I should go," Sharon said decisively after having a glance at Reeve and Heine.
After Sharon left, Xiao Yan could still feel the strong sense of oppression coming from Heine.
"Do you wish to live, or to die in bed," Heine broke the silence.
"ā¦ā¦to live."
"Then keep todayās lesson in mind," his gaze pierced into Xiao Yanās eyes like a sharp-edge.
By the end of the day, this was all because Iāve been drinking with Sharon?
Goodness! Heavens know I have no plans to do anything with Sharon, at all!
Thatās a totally false accusation!
Though Xiao Yan knows, he may lose control if he had stayed any longer with Sharon. If that happens, he's going to have more than a dislocated shoulder.
Heine Burton has hauled him back from the verge of h.e.l.l. Although it hurts, Xiao Yan was glad that he did not plunge into the oblivion.
But still! It freaking hurts!
Xiao Yan was bawling inside, yet before he could utter a word to defend himself, Heine turned around and left the bar.
A moment ago he appeared out of thin air like a shadow, now he left like a pompous tornado.
Staring at his back until he is out of sight, Xiao Yan felt his lifted heart finally settled back in his chest.
"Iām sorry Xiao Yan! Bare with me for a moment!" Reeve placed her palm on Xiao Yanās shoulder.
"Bare w-" what?
Before he could finish, a loud "crack" was heard, followed by Xiao Yanās curdling scream.
"Itās ok now! Itās ok! Youāre a man, arenāt you? Canāt you bare with such trivial pain?"
A hint of ludicrousness can be heard in her words of comfort. Reeve continues to tease him, "Not a single soul in this world has kissed our Boss before! The fact that youāre still alive is a miracle!"
Mouth still sore from being pressed on the counter, Xiao Yan tried moving his arm slowly and realised that Reeve has jointed back his dislocated shoulder. As expected from a Special Force soldier!
Xiao Yan has made up his mind: "The next time I see Heine Burton, Iām gonna hide in the floor cracks!"
Reeve lowered her head. The concern on her face vanished and replaced with a callous look. Shifting her gaze to the main culprit of the rumor, she approached the captain with a captivating smile.
"If my memory hasnāt failed me, youāre that dimwit that Iāve rejected when you approached me last week, arenāt you? Now, why am I hearing rumors about my s.e.x life with you the moment Iām back from my mission, hmm?"
Reeve crouched down on one knee slowly, and laid a flick on the captain's forehead, causing the latter to scoot under the counter in fear.
"G-Go away!"
"Go away? Why?" Reeve simply grabbed a gla.s.s lying beside her, with a light squeeze, the sound of gla.s.s shattering into pieces was clear and apparent, "We just made love with each other recently, didnāt we?"
"So-Sorryā¦ Iām sorryā¦ā¦ Please donāt ā¦ā¦" the captain was on the verge of tears.
"Hmmā¦ What are you sorry for?"
"I-I shouldnāt be spreading ru-rumours aboutā¦ you sleeping with meā¦ā¦"
Reeve gave a light snort, "You 'thing' is quick, short and smaller than a needle, Iām truly curious who would ever want you!"
The captain curled himself up on the floor, he didnāt even have the courage to meet Reeve in the eyes.
Xiao Yan let out a sigh. What rotten luck he has, to get muddled up in unwanted troubles when he only wanted to have a drink.
"I canāt believe an idiot like this really exists in the research department. To have the guts to get a rise out of those in Special Task Force, and on Heine Burton's subordinate even," he shook his head in silence.
Reeve then left the bar with Xiao Yan, half-jokingly, she asked: "Hey, do you want me to escort you over to the medical center to have a look at your injuries?"
She said in such a way, as though Xiao Yan is the feeble woman while Reeve is the stalwart knight.
"I thinkā¦ā¦ Iām fine," Xiao Yan gave his shoulder a swing and felt no discomfort, "but I have to sayā¦ā¦ your Boss is just, terrifying."
Reeve sighed, "Donāt blame Colonel Burtonā¦ we wonāt be here without him."
"I can see that. You guys really look up to him."
Thereās no need for Reeve to explain. Xiao Yan can understand that the Special Task Forces has been through many bloodsheds and realities that are much cruel than what the cooped up researchers have faced.
"Though I could sense that Colonel Burton's kinda in a bad mood, thatās why he gave you a lesson."
"So he gave me a lesson because he is in a bad mood?" Xiao Yan was speechless.
"Who knows. Maybe youāre the reason heās being snappish? Besides, what he said to you before he left, I think he did that to protect you. Donāt ever wish to have Colonel to protect you by treating you as a fragile object. He would rather make you suffer in his hands than to have you get yourself killed by others. It took me years to figure out his policies in doing things as well. He will never do things for the sake of good impressions or just to please you, he only does what he thinks is necessary."
Xiao Yan fell into silence after listening to Reeve's words. Trueā¦ That's how Heine Burton is. At least he knows, the pain that any Special Force soldiers could bring to him will be far worse than the pain of a dislocated shoulder.
"I heard that you and your cla.s.smates are leaving for Base 14 tomorrow."
"My, you are pretty well-informed. Are you gonna be my personal escort?"
"You're an interesting fellow, but too bad, we have a mission, won't be arriving at the base for the next two days. I've heard that Base 14 had lost contact with another research aircraft this morning, even its GPS tracker malfunctioned. There were two A-ranked researchers on the aircraft. Although we've not known each other for long, still, I hope you'll be safe. Otherwiseā¦ā¦ no one else would remember my name."
Reeve said with a solemn look. She truly sees Xiao Yan as a friend.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment while stroking his chin, "It sounds the Tides are targeting researchers with potential. Perhaps I should suggest to the superiors to have them place a "B ranked members" label on our aircraft, to avoid having the Tides to waste their effort attacking us."
Reeve chuckled, "I've never seen a person like you, making fun of your own incompetenceā¦"
"So B ranked students are, indeed, a symbolism of incompetenceā¦" Xiao Yan looked up to the sky and let out a deep sigh.
"Alright, you know what Xiao Yan, I have a feeling, that you will become a top-notch researcher someday, connecting all those complicated terminals together and coming out with a way to extend the lifespan of us X-virus bearer while I'm still alive. Don't let me live my life as though every day would be my last."
Reeve's words left a tremble in Xiao Yan's heart.
To have someone believing in you, is a wonderful thing.
"If I do become a top-notch researcher someday, does that mean there's a chance Colonel Burton will be a.s.signed to protect me and I can instruct him to do anything I want?" Xiao Yan was immersed in his blissful imagination.
"Yeah right, dream on. Even if did become one, there are a whole bunch of elites in the Special Task Forces, how much of a chance do you think you have to get Colonel Burton a.s.signed to protect you?"
"There are people who are more hubristic than him?"
"Of course," Reeve nodded, "A perfect example would be Jean Wallis. He once sliced off the nose of a colonel from the Bureau of Political-Military, just because he did not see eye to eye with him. Although the fake nose was flawlessly attached back onto the colonel's face after the repair surgery, Jean Wallis was then well-known for his madness."
Sharon is one of Jean Wallis's subordinates. The Special Task Forces are in nowhere scarcity of lunaticsā¦
Xiao Yan breathed out a sigh, "It seems that the Special Task Forces is an incrediblyā¦ unique unit, I find Mark truly adorable all of a sudden!"
"The most adorable person is not Mark. There's a gift for you. Come with me!"
Reeve led Xiao Yan to her room while Xiao Yan feigned a look of antic.i.p.ation, "What gift? Could it be you?"
"This, is your gift," Reeve ignored his joke and placed gla.s.s container in his hands.
The bottom of the container is covered with a thin layer of fine sand, with a small white conch lying within. As Xiao Yan turned around the container for a better look, he saw something peeked out from the conch sh.e.l.l.
"Thisā¦ Isn't this a hermit crab? T-This is amazing! I've only seen it in the library's database!"
The little crab has drawn all of Xiao Yan's attention.
"We've picked it up from a beach we came across. You said you love the ocean, didn't you? Hermit crabā¦ is considered as part of the marine life right?"
"Thank you, Reeve. I love you so much! I have to look up in the database and find out the way to look after it!"
"Send your love to Colonel, not me."Written by Jiao Tang Dong GuaTranslated by Winly é¢Øå¤ę~~~ Chapter 23 I Will Teach Him to be Stronger ~~~
Note: Hi lovelies~ How was your week? Mine wasā¦ kinda stressful, though I have no idea what I'm stressing myself for XD. Anyway, how was the chapter? The last part is just too sweet, don't you think so?
And thank you so much for the feedbacks about the E-book survey! I know many of you like this story, but I've never expected all these supportive feedbacks when it comes to paying to read. Now I'm gonna feel so disappointed is I can't get the licenseā¦ T^T As for the translation licensing issue, it seems that the jjwxc plans to ignore my messagesā¦ No replies from them at all, I even tried adding them through QQ messenger, but nothing. I've sent an email to the book publisher of this novel yesterday, so I'm hoping they can have a say in the translation licensing other than the online publisher (jjwxc). If all of these still can't work, I can only stick with detailed summarising of the novel. Haizā¦ā¦ I've approached Exile Rebels and Gravity Tales for advice, but and have received their kind attention and reply, but it seems that they couldn't help either. Wuxiaworld has replied as well and I've just clarified some of my issues to them, hopefully, they will get back to me soon. Anyways, I'll still keep the story going, whether be it in official translations or in summary form, so do stay with me until the end! ^_^ Love y'all!
Oh, it may be a bit early, Merry Christmas to all of you and may you be happy and healthy always!Ā ā„ā„ā„