Shenyang, Liaoning Province: 8th Battalion | Time: 08:00 AM
“Tung! Tung! Tung!”
The sound of a thousand pairs of combat boots hitting the concrete floor echoed loudly across the vast training grounds. Hundreds of soldiers in olive-drab camouflage uniforms moved in unison like well-lubricated machinery. The shouting in response to orders rang out, vibrating across the perfectly taut barbed-wire fences all the way to the main road outside.
The north wind, carrying the chill from the Changbai Mountains, whistled through the tightly strung barbed wire. All around, there was no sound of birds or living creatures—only the sound of the giant red flag flapping violently atop its pole, as if to remind everyone of an invisible power.
Six guards at the front gate stood as still as stone statues. Their sharp gazes from beneath caps adorned with the red star insignia stared intensely at the main road ahead. Their breaths turned into faint white mist in the freezing air.
The blunt, grey rectangular buildings stood in rows like matchboxes stacked with perfect order. Every window was shut tight, reflecting only the shadows of soldiers marching past one another with a rhythmic footfall so precise it sounded like a single heartbeat.
Deep inside, the scent of engine oil and gunpowder drifted from the massive fighter jet hangars. The silver reflections of metal shimmering in the dim light inside looked like sleeping monsters waiting for the day they would be awakened.
As soon as they stepped through the mansion’s doors, the sound of the wind outside vanished instantly. Only the footsteps of the three men remained, echoing across the polished stone floor. Inside the vast hall, it was so silent that one could hear the ticking of an ancient clock performing its duties faithfully.
The gaze staring down from the portrait of the President seemed to pierce through to the deepest secrets of the visiting group. The painting of the Long March battlefield on the wall appeared so lifelike it was chilling; the oil colors depicting the hardships of the past only served to emphasize the mansion’s luxury, making it feel both grand and frigid at the same time.
“Ding!!!” The large, round antique wall clock struck, signaling 08:00 AM. A large, light-brown guest sofa awaited the visitors, paired with a bookshelf on the right.
A female soldier in uniform, stationed at a desk in front of the stairs, stood up and raised her hand to block the three men, her gaze strictly scrutinizing them.
“Wait. State your names,” she ordered with a smileless face.
“Inform the General that Major Xi Shan has arrived,” the soldier stepped forward to answer. Beside him stood the scarred-face Colonel, as still and composed as a warrior who had survived countless battles.
All three raised their hands in salute to the portrait on the wall as they walked past, heading up the stairs toward the second-floor office of the Division Commander. A large, red Chinese national flag was stretched taut against the wall, adding a sense of sacred authority to the place.
Inside the office…
General Hao Wu stood face-to-face with a tall, imposing foreigner, showing no sign of fear. His defiant gaze indicated he was in a foul mood. He raised his thick hand to slowly rub his oily forehead before slamming it down on the polished wooden desk with a loud—Bang!
“Moses! The higher-ups are furious, and I’ve been reprimanded because of you. How are you going to take responsibility for this?” The booming voice echoed with authority, causing the large, stout foreigner's shoulders to slump instantly. He unconsciously stepped back half a pace, keeping his head down and staring fixedly at his own toes.
The General, nearing retirement, was bald with a high, receding hairline. His round face and chubby cheeks bore an expression as uninviting as a pig bored of its food. His khaki uniform was tight, with his belly bulging out, and his torso was short; standing next to Moses, he was a full head shorter. Only the shiny black desk stood as a barrier between the two of them.
He stood with arms crossed, leaning against the edge of the desk, exhaling a sigh of pure contempt…
“We moved the production site with such difficulty just to evade journalists, but it seems I can't place any hope in you at all.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Moses stammered in reply. His voice trembled as much as his hands, which were clasped so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Everything was going so well. White Silence has successfully shaken the world. Many countries are already starting to request the second-generation vaccine. If the anti-vaccine leaks to the WHO, it’s game over for us. Or if it catches the eye of the Western media, it’ll be an even bigger mess. We haven't even finished clearing up the news about the virus leaking from the military yet!” The General complained like a bear with a sore head, standing there with a sour face. He flicked his index finger toward the window as if to toss all the blame outside the camp.
“It was truly beyond our control, General. We tracked her down last night, but we got completely crushed. We never expected that she would have allies with her,” Moses said, head bowed and hands clasped. He secretly swallowed a large lump, trying to make himself as small as a giant of a man possibly could.
“How did you let Natalie synthesize Aeon 30? Why didn't you conduct a proper inspection? This is extremely careless. And I’ve told you before: don’t bring those low-life thugs to work with us. Why didn't you listen?” The General picked up a pen from the desk and tapped it rhythmically and heavily against the surface, as if hammering the mistake directly into Moses’s head.
“I have no excuses, sir. They are all dead.”
“I will handle the tracking of Natalie myself. Now, let me see the latest data. How far has she escaped?”
Moses handed over the tablet with hands so shaky the device nearly slipped from his grasp. The General opened it and nodded slightly, the corner of his mouth twisting into a smile that would make anyone’s skin crawl.
“She’s already reached Guizhou?”
“Um, sir... I received the latest orders emphasizing that no soldiers are to be sent, as it would attract too much attention. The assassination team will coordinate with the local police themselves.”
“I don’t trust you people anymore.” The General swiped the screen away dismissively, turning his back to stare at the portrait on the wall, leaving Moses standing hollowly in the middle of the room.
The General swiped the screen again and muttered, “You know we must keep our secrets from the central government. Our work must be decisive and swift. Natalie is not that dangerous—capturing one small woman, yet you took that many weapons? Were you planning to kill her? If something happens to Natalie, do you have any idea what will happen, huh?”
He slowly turned back, his cold gaze piercing deep into Moses’s eyes until the latter had to look away. Despite the icy air conditioning in the office, Moses’s face and neck were drenched in large beads of sweat.
“Knock! Knock! Knock!”
“Enter!” He straightened his posture, his expression shifting from frustration to a stern, commanding aura in an instant.
Three young officers marched in, reporting for duty with movements as precise as well-programmed robots.
“Major Lu Xi Shan, reporting for duty, sir!” He met the General’s gaze with eyes as calm and still as water in a deep well.
“Captain Gao Li Tian, reporting for duty, sir!”
“Lieutenant Chen Xiao Pang, reporting for duty, sir!”
The three soldiers puffed out their chests, their combat boot heels snapping together with a thunderous crack that made Moses jump in startle.
“Any news?” the General turned to ask.
Gao Li Tian straightened his chest until his back was pulled taut… “Footage from the camera behind the dam caught them at a long distance. They disappeared before reaching Chongqing. Currently, there are reports of damage remnants found deep within the ravines, sir.”
“Don’t worry about that anymore. We’ve obtained the latest data. Take this and continue the tracking. Come see me before you depart,” he said, handing the tablet to his subordinate with a gesture that looked like he was handing over a lethal weapon.
“Yes, sir.”
“You, get out,” the General waved Moses away before looking at another officer.
“Xiao Pang! Go check on Anna’s papa. His illness has flared up significantly lately. Instruct the doctors not to let their guard down and to do their absolute best. Dismissed!” His tone softened slightly but remained firmly commanding.
“Yes, sir.” Xiao Pang saluted swiftly before performing a sharp about-face and departing silently.
He looked up at Major Xi Shan. The gaze he leveled at his favorite officer was filled with deep expectation…
“Colonel Lu! You don’t need to go with them. I have something special for you to do.”
“Yes, sir,” Xi Shan replied briefly. His demeanor remained calm and composed, showing not a hint of excitement or curiosity.
“Form five special companies. Have Ge Cheng assist in selecting the strongest men, then take them to train as a special forces unit at the East Cape Camp. Under no circumstances are they to be given the vaccine. Keep this as a top secret. Dismissed!” The General lowered his voice until it was almost a whisper, yet the weight of his words increased manifold.
“Yes, sir!” Xi Shan snapped his heels together loudly, delivering a final salute before turning and walking out.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
He looked up at Moses, who was now standing there trembling like a chick fallen into water.
“Moses!... I don’t want to be any more frustrated than I already am. Release White Silence again in the major cities to stir up more fear. That way, we won’t have to force the Tame 30 injections.”
“I’ve already ordered its release in Eastern Europe, sir,” the large foreigner said, his head bowed.
“Where will you hold the next Tame 30 vaccine distribution conference?” he asked, sinking back into his large armchair and flipping through the files on his desk as if he no longer cared about the other man.
“Germany, and then we’ll move across to Venezuela, sir,” Moses reported hurriedly, stammering.
“Before you leave, stop by the laboratory. The voice command signal testing has progressed. The Minister strictly instructed me to have you record a video and send it to Yorn as well. You may leave now!”
“Has Messiah been born, sir?” Moses’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
“Our scientists have successfully built upon Natalie’s Tame 30 research. You may leave now,” the General replied without looking up, waving his hand as if shooing away a nuisance of an insect.
General Hao Wu stared at Moses’s back until he vanished through the door, before turning back to a computer screen hidden beneath his desk… “I have never been disappointed in you… Zhang Anna.”
He muttered to the void, his eyes reflecting the blue light from the screen, appearing as cold as a corpse.
“Ding!” Beneath the dimming lights, the ancient clock continued to strike, faithfully marking the time—as if counting down to the end of the world as everyone knew it.
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Jishou, HunanPOV: Pai Pai | September 2025: 08:00 AM
As the first rays of the sun broke over the mountain peaks, dissolving the morning mist, the sight before me was so breathtaking that I had to roll down the car window to catch the cool breeze, carrying the dampness from the stream against my face.
"Wow... this is exactly like something out of a Chinese brush painting!" I exclaimed, leaning my head out to stare in amazement.
"Juyeon Unnie, look over there!" Natalie pointed toward the limestone summits. The mountains here weren't smooth like the ones near my home; they were steep and jagged, layered like the teeth of a giant sleeping dragon. Soft white mist drifted lazily across the mid-sections of the mountains, contrasting with the deep green of the trees clinging to the ledges. It looked like someone had stuck cotton balls onto those sky-piercing cliffs.
Sawn gently rubbed his arm and pointed downward for me to see... "We're going down there to have breakfast."
Below the Dehang Valley, a small stream as clear as a mirror flowed through the wooden village of the Hmong people. The sound of thin waterfalls cascading from the steep cliffs echoed back and forth across the valley, sounding just like the background music from the wuxia movies I used to watch as a kid.
"Great beyond words. I love China." I turned back to look at the Aizhai Bridge we had passed, now far above our heads. It looked like a tiny red thread that humans had tried to paste onto the sky to connect two mountains that seemed unwilling to be friends.
"Park Unnie, look at that! It's so beautiful it hurts my chest. Such a shame about my phone; that Lanky Guy won't give it back. I missed out on a selfie!"
This valley is unbelievably beautiful, yet terrifying at the same time. If anyone fell into that abyss, they’d probably be reincarnated before they even hit the ground. But oh well... at least before entering Guizhou—which they say is nothing but tunnels and caves—getting to see a wide-open, beautiful place like this is a blessing from heaven!
"The land of China is truly vast. Each region has a completely unique identity," Juyeon said, tossing her hair in the wind.
This morning, I could see her face more clearly. This North Korean girl has unique crescent-moon eyes. Her skin is extremely white, almost translucent, but with a rosy pink flush on her cheekbones and the tip of her nose. It’s the kind of whiteness found in people from cold climates, appearing as gentle as cherry blossoms amidst the snow. But what contrasts with that beauty is how she sits perfectly upright, her legs angled in a way that looks like she's ready to draw a gun from her waist. A true soldier indeed.
“Sawn…” Jetdoe’s voice called over the radio.
Sawn rubbed his arm before pressing the button to reply… “Yes, sir.”
“Yusuf Khan called to say the Chinese police have finished their interrogation. He told them he was robbed and didn’t implicate us. The Tajik government has cleared the way.”
“Copy that.” Sawn exhaled, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he turned to look at the valley along the road.
I glanced at him sideways with suspicion. This man had a well-proportioned, muscular build, a stylish face, and round eyes. He had applied so much medicated balm that the scent filled the cabin, making my nose sting… “Hey, hey! You want me to help drive?”
“Can you even drive?” Instead of looking at me to answer, those sparkling eyes looked right past me to Natalie.
“I can’t drive, but I just wanted to strike up a conversation. I don’t think you’re as mean as Jetdoe.” I felt annoyed that he was looking at Natalie with those eyes.
“Have you been vaccinated? I haven’t had mine yet.”
“I’ve already had it. You should get yours soon so you’ll have immunity.”
“Ahem!” Natalie cleared her throat softly.
“Do you believe the story about White Silence leaking from China? I don’t believe it.” I still didn’t fully understand how it was related to Natalie’s Tame 30 and Aeon 30. When I first heard her tell the story, I even secretly thought she was a bit crazy.
“If they say it ‘leaked,’ that means humans made it. But the news says it came from monkeys,” Sawn said, glancing at Natalie so often I wanted to poke his eyes out.
“Look at my face when you're talking to me!”
Juyeon interjected from the back. “If it came from monkeys, then it's natural evolution.”
Sawn gave a subtle, playful smile and glanced at Natalie again… “I heard the leak happened because people in Wuhan ate the brains of red-butt monkeys, didn't they? How many did you eat?”
Of course, when it’s something bad like this, he stares me down! This guy! We’re definitely going to be enemies.
“Hahaha! You really love making accusations,” Juyeon laughed heartily. “First, you accused me of being a sex worker, and now you’re accusing the kid of eating red-butt monkeys.”
“I didn’t eat any!” I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.
This guy! Not only is he slandering the people of Wuhan, but he’s also secretly eyeing my Natalie. Those dreamy eyes he's making... Watch out! I’ll slap him until his face hits the steering wheel, just like I did to that long-haired uncle! This one is mine—don’t you dare steal her!
“Juyeon! I’m sorry for thinking you worked at that hotel. Your friend works for the WHO, right?” Sawn looked up at the rearview mirror.
“Yes! She’s the one who leaked the news about White Silence,” Juyeon smiled and shook her head. “Are you just now figuring that out? Hahaha!” She laughed as if a weight had been lifted from her heart.
“What is her name?” Natalie suddenly asked. I, too, was curious about the secrets inside that backpack. I’d performed a whole dramatic act with so many tears without knowing a single thing. I’ve asked myself many times if I’m investing too much in this—all just because I really want a girlfriend.
“Yan Liyin,” Juyeon replied.
“Huh! Yan Liyin?” Natalie’s brows furrowed instantly.
“She’s Taiwanese! We used to study together back in high school at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. After I returned to North Korea, she went to study at Charlotte University in the United States.”
I secretly noticed Natalie’s eyes darting back and forth as she went still for a moment. She once told me she was the deputy director of the company that produced Tame 30
“Does Park Unnie know her?” My curiosity was itching like crazy. I hope I’m not being dragged so far that I become a global target for a manhunt too. Just being in China, I already barely have a place to hide my head.
“The name is just like this person,” Sawn said, pressing a button on the touchscreen console.
The monitor extended with the soft sound of machinery. However, the video that appeared on it dragged everyone’s emotions in the car down into an abyss. It was raw footage that looked like it was taken from a high-angle CCTV camera.
People on the sidewalk were walking about normally. But then, suddenly, a man in a suit froze in his tracks. He didn’t cough, didn't sneeze, and had no wounds—but he simply 'stopped' his bodily functions. Then, he collapsed face-first into the ground like a robot that had been unplugged.
The scene cut to a crowded subway train. Every passenger stared in wide-eyed shock at the person beside them, who had collapsed and was writhing in agony for only a few seconds. Their hands clawed at the air like fish out of water, their eyes rolling back in excruciating torment before going still in contorted positions... It was a death so silent, yet so violently haunting.
"This is horrifying. The central government banned this; I’ve never seen this video before. Where did you get it?" The faint belief I once had about these events being staged for propaganda began to sharpen into a grim reality.
"Loweis gave it to me," Sawn said, scratching his arm.
I noticed the hurried attempts to cover things up—organizing announcements declaring that White Silence was under control, even though vaccine tents were still set up all along the route of the bicycle race. I joined the Wuhan-Chongqing long-distance race, which was a government project. How is Natalie’s Aeon 30
At the end of the clip, a woman in a white lab coat with a pale face appeared. She reported on White Silence with a trembling voice, her eyes filled with terror as if she knew all too well that the death she was describing was lurking right beside her.
"Freeze the frame," Juyeon ordered, her voice shaking. "That’s her... my friend, Dr. Yan Liyin."
"Hmm," Natalie pursed her lips, staring intently. But I felt goosebumps all over my body. This whole thing was circling closer and closer to us.
"I don't believe it. The world is in chaos because Westerners love to discredit China, love to create divisions so they can take control. Are you sure this is your friend?" Sawn exhaled dismissively, his gaze still fixed on the road ahead.
“She is my senior,” Natalie blurted out.
“Hah!” I just wanted to go back home to my mom… The girl I set my sights on is entangled in a global-scale disaster. Why is my luck with women like this? Is it too late to back out? Did I hit on the wrong person?
I looked at those images with a sense of nausea. The screen reflected faces that were clearly Chinese, but they were filmed in an unfamiliar place that looked like a secret underground laboratory. The silence in which those people collapsed and died was too terrifying to keep watching.
“Unnie! Is this the effect of White Silence? And what you told me before—that Tame 30 is a time bomb—what did you mean by that?”
I turned my head away and glanced at Natalie again. Her pale, thin lips were trembling while her hands gripped the backpack tighter, as if it were the only oxygen tank she had left.
Her gaze fixed on the screen didn’t hold the doubt that Sawn’s did; it was an acceptance of fate. The information about the deadly virus she had told me earlier was no longer just a theory. It was a reality breathing down our necks.
“That’s enough! Otherwise, we won’t be able to eat. There are plenty of other clips,” Sawn said, pressing a button to fold the monitor back into its place…
“Damn… they’re playing it so smooth. Who would believe the red-butt monkeys of Wuhan were this fierce, right, Pai Pai?” He masked the horror with a dry laugh and steered the wheel into the village beneath the towering cliffs.
“Can you stop talking about eating monkey brains for once?!” I blurted out so loudly I even startled myself. I kept looking at Natalie’s face so often that her brows began to furrow.
“We’ve reached the place to eat—Dehang Valley,” Jetdoe’s voice shouted through the radio.
Sawn turned back with a smile… “I’ll tell you something. Your Jetdoe is a kind-hearted man. If there’s anything, just tell him straight. His mouth might be foul, but believe me, he can help you.”
“Hmph... kind-hearted, is he?” I muttered softly, turning my face away from Sawn’s gaze.
I admit that his jokes about monkey brains felt completely tasteless and annoying right now. The beauty of Dehang Valley that I saw moments ago now seemed like nothing more than a facade for a gargantuan mass grave, especially with the images of those 'unplugged' dead people on the console screen still looping endlessly in my head.
Sawn steered the steering wheel, maneuvering the massive trailer truck to park in a spacious courtyard amidst the Hmong wooden village. The diesel engine died out, leaving a sudden silence to envelop the cabin. It was a silence so heavy that I could hear my own shaky breathing.
I turned to look at Natalie again... she was still sitting there, clutching that backpack to her chest. Her eyes, which used to be gloomy, now looked strangely calm—as if she were gathering the fragments of her courage to reveal a truth that might shatter everything.
“Let’s go down, Pai Pai...” Natalie said in a faint voice, reaching out to gently touch my arm. Her touch was still warm, but in this second, I felt that warmth was laced with a certain warning I didn't want to hear.
“Park Unnie...” I called her name with a voice that was almost a plea. “About that time bomb... you really have to tell me the story.”
Natalie didn’t answer immediately. She only nodded slowly before opening the car door to face the morning sunlight that was beginning to grow intense. I watched her back as she walked away and let out a long, heavy sigh…
Alright, Pai Pai! Like Sawn said, if that Jetdoe guy is truly kind-hearted, maybe during this lunch, we’ll finally find out just how many minutes are left on the 'time bomb' ticking inside all of us before it reaches the end!
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