A Rampage Crisis and the Art of Reassuring the Masses with a Hand on the Shoulder

It was six in the afternoon.

The setting sun glowed red over the great northwest.

Steam filled the bathhouse at the Northwest Military Region.

This was the first important activity after Sing Sing and his companions arrived: washing off the dried black mud covering them.

Sing Sing stared at his suit for a long while before finally tossing it into the trash and changing into an army-green training uniform.

Over in the female soldiers' quarters, Lorna was examining herself in the mirror.

The brand-new training uniform made her look especially sharp.

The fabric was thick, the stitching fine, and the clothes wrapped her in a reassuringly snug fit.

Beside her, Amy clutched the toiletries a female logistics soldier had just handed out and exclaimed excitedly, "Lorna! They even give us soap!"

Sing Sing had just walked over. At the sight of this, he quickly jumped back a step. "Keep your emotions under control! Don't cry!"

His interruption made Amy burst out laughing.

Once everyone had washed up, they were done.

Now came the main event: digging in.

The mess hall was brightly lit, and steaming dishes lined the long tables.

After her bath, Edith had finally come around from her drunkenness and overexertion. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around for food.

The cafeteria auntie at the serving window couldn't understand English, but her eyes filled with sympathy at the sight of the girl's blue skin and skin-and-bones frame.

"Oh dear, how did this girl get so hungry? Her face has turned green from hunger... no, blue!"

As she fussed, the auntie used a big iron ladle to scoop three fist-sized meat buns out of the steamer.

She also filled a large bowl with golden millet porridge, added a small dish of pickled mustard greens in chili oil, and handed it all to Edith on a metal tray.

"Eat! There's plenty! If that's not enough, I'll get you more!"

Edith looked at the unfamiliar food and tentatively took a bite of a meat bun.

"Ah—hot, hot, hot!"

Meat juices and the aroma of scallions filled her mouth.

Ignoring the heat, she devoured the big bun in a few bites, then picked up the millet porridge and noisily gulped down a large mouthful.

"This is so good!"

"China's McDonald's wins!" Edith shouted indistinctly. "This is the best McDonald's I've ever eaten!"

Sing Sing sat down beside her with his tray. "This is called a carb bomb with a whole-grain liquid. It's nutritionally balanced and way better than your fried chicken and fries!"

Just as everyone was eating with gusto, a series of measured footsteps sounded.

Ma Weiguo walked into the mess hall carrying a document pouch.

"Comrade Ling Ling Qi."

"Major Ma, have you eaten? If not, sit down and have something."

"No, thank you. These foreign nationals have special, sensitive identities. According to regulations, they need to undergo an isolated review and have blood samples taken for risk testing before they're transferred."

Isolation.

Blood tests.

After arriving, Lorna had asked for a dictionary, and with her strong ability to learn, she understood what those words meant.

"Creak..."

The stainless steel spoon in her hand began to deform.

Immediately afterward, the stainless steel trays on the table began to vibrate at a high frequency.

The iron window frames in the distance shook along with them, and even the safety catch on the pistol at Ma Weiguo's waist was trembling.

Stryker's face appeared in her mind, and the sharp pain of a thick blood-drawing needle piercing her skin came over her.

They lied to me!

This place is a laboratory, just like in the United States!

They're all cages!

Smack!

A large hand landed on Lorna's shoulder, forcibly holding her back just as she was about to go on a rampage.

Sing Sing had somehow stepped between Lorna and Ma Weiguo.

He turned his head and lowered his voice. "Old Ma, they just crawled out of a pile of corpses in an American laboratory."

"But... we have to follow procedure."

"We do, but you need to know how to put it."

As he turned around, a brilliant smile spread across his face, and he placed both hands on Lorna's shoulders.

"Lorna, don't be nervous. Major Ma didn't mean it that way."

Lorna stared at him, her voice trembling. "He just said he was going to isolate me and draw my blood."

"Oh, that's all a translation error! You know, cultural differences between China and the United States!"

Sing Sing pointed at the folder in Ma Weiguo's hand. "It's called a recuperation and observation period for highly skilled personnel! Think about it: you've just made a long journey, and your body's run down. The organization was worried you might have trouble adjusting to the local conditions, so they arranged a private room with meals and lodging just for you. That's a benefit!"

"What about drawing blood?"

"That's a pre-employment physical!"

"We're a proper organization. Who doesn't get a physical when they join?"

"They'll check your liver function and do a complete blood count. It's all for your health! And let me tell you, after they draw your blood for a physical here, the cafeteria auntie gives you two free hot boiled eggs and a carton of whole milk to build up your strength! Could you even dream of treatment like that in the United States?"

Sing Sing's rapid-fire speech left Lorna stunned.

"But he said my freedom of movement would be restricted..."

"That's the organization putting you on paid leave. Employees are strictly forbidden from working overtime on their own!"

Sing Sing spoke with righteous conviction.

"You're a priority talent under protection now. If you run around and get hurt, whose responsibility is that? It's a workplace injury!"

"To keep its workplace injury compensation rate down, the organization wants you to rest in your room—and you're getting paid for it!"

Recuperation and observation.

Eggs with the physical.

Paid leave.

Those terms went around in Lorna's head a couple of times.

The humiliation and fear of being treated as a test subject were gradually replaced by the absurd feeling that she was getting a huge bargain at the organization's expense.

Lorna let go of the stainless steel spoon she had twisted into a knot, and her shoulders relaxed.

She looked at Sing Sing suspiciously. "They really give you eggs?"

"Two!" Sing Sing thumped his chest in assurance.

Lorna forced herself to calm down, then hesitated before saying, "Then... let's follow procedure."

And just like that, a potential bloody conflict was defused by a few lines of outrageous nonsense from Sing Sing.

Ma Weiguo watched, utterly dumbfounded.

After the group had been taken away, Ma Weiguo couldn't help edging over to Sing Sing. "Comrade Ling Ling Qi, does your 749 Bureau usually... trick... communicate with people like that?"

Sing Sing pulled a Hongtashan cigarette out of his pocket and blew a smoke ring.

"Old Ma, watch your wording."

Sing Sing flicked the ash from his cigarette, his gaze growing more thoughtful.

"That's called the art of working with the masses."

"They were treated as monsters in the United States. Those people saw them as weapons and materials to be used up at will. Their nerves have already been stretched to the limit; the slightest provocation will set them off."

"They don't understand when you talk to them about discipline and regulations. Where they come from, rules exist to persecute them."

Sing Sing pointed to the spot where Lorna had been sitting.

"They need to be treated like normal people who need to eat and sleep."

"I've learned something."

Ma Weiguo stood at attention and saluted Sing Sing.

"You're too polite." Sing Sing returned to his carefree manner and moved closer, rubbing his hands together.

"So, Major Ma... since this is paid leave, could we raise the meal allowance a little over the next few days?"

"That red-braised pork looked pretty good. Could you arrange to have it for lunch tomorrow? Also, my Armani suit is ruined. Could you put it on your books and reimburse me for it...?"