The End of the Purge and the Shift in Power

Morning light pierced through the gaps in the heavy curtains, cutting a sharp beam of white across the dormitory floor. Lin Xiao stood by the window, watching the busy scene in the base courtyard. Soldiers were clearing up last night's aftermath, carts carrying damaged equipment and medical waste. Their footsteps sounded especially distinct in the morning silence.

The smell of disinfectant still hung heavily in the air, but that sickly sweet stench of decay had faded, leaving only a faint lingering trace, like the afterimage of a memory.

There was a knock at the door.

"Captain Lin, Officer Fletcher requests your presence at the command center." A soldier's respectful voice came from outside.

Lin Xiao turned around and picked up the coat hanging over the back of his chair. It had been cleaned, but a faint blue stain that was difficult to remove still remained on one cuff—the trace of laboratory fluid.

"Understood."

He opened the door. The corridor was much brighter than the dormitory. The emergency lights had been switched off and replaced by the normal lighting system, though some tubes had been damaged in last night's chaos, leaving sections of the hallway dimly lit.

The soldier standing outside was a young private. Exhaustion was obvious on his face, but his eyes held the relief of someone who had survived a disaster.

"This way, sir."

Lin Xiao followed him down the corridor. The walls still bore the scars of last night's battle—bullet holes, bloodstains, and several corroded metal panels temporarily sealed with tape. The smell of welded metal drifted through the air as repair crews worked through the night.

They passed the medical station. Its door was open, and low groans and the hurried footsteps of medical staff came from within. Hansen and Miller should still have been inside undergoing examinations, but Lin Xiao did not stop.

The command center was located in the base's most central area and required passing through three security checkpoints. Soldiers guarded every one of them, but today, every soldier who saw Lin Xiao snapped to attention and saluted. Their eyes held complicated emotions—reverence, gratitude, and a faint, barely perceptible fear.

Word of last night's events had already spread.

The laboratory leak. The sample creatures' rampage. The activation of the purification system.

And Lin Xiao entering that zone of death with two others, then coming back alive.

The third checkpoint opened, revealing the command center in its entirety.

It was a semicircular space, its walls covered in displays. Some screens were still lit, showing surveillance footage from different sections of the base. At the center stood a massive tactical table with a touchscreen surface, currently displaying a map of the base marked with last night's damaged areas and personnel positions.

More than a dozen people stood in the room.

Fletcher stood at the head of the tactical table. He had changed into a clean combat uniform, and one arm was wrapped in bandages, but his posture was straight and his gaze sharp. Several officers stood beside him, all familiar faces to Lin Xiao—the heads of the base's various departments.

At the other end of the tactical table stood an elderly man Lin Xiao had never seen before.

The man appeared to be around sixty. His hair was gray, but immaculately combed. He wore the dark gray uniform of a senior Hydra officer, with three silver stars on his epaulets, representing the rank of the base's highest commander. His face was square and deeply lined, especially around the corners of his eyes and mouth, as though years of frowning had carved the marks there. But what stood out most were his eyes—pale gray, with very small pupils. When he looked at someone, it was like a hawk studying prey.

The room was quiet, with only the low hum of operating equipment.

"Lin Xiao, come here." Fletcher spoke, his voice echoing through the spacious room.

Lin Xiao walked to the tactical table and stopped three meters from the old man, standing at attention.

The old man's gaze settled on him, slowly and carefully sweeping him from head to toe. That gaze had weight, almost physical, pressing down on Lin Xiao's shoulders.

"Is this the man who entered the laboratory last night?" The old man's voice was low, with the rough quality of sandpaper scraping.

"Yes, Commander." Fletcher replied. "Lin Xiao, captain of the base's outer operations squad. Last night, he led two team members into the leak's core zone, successfully activated the purification system, and prevented the leak from spreading."

The old man did not speak immediately. He continued staring at Lin Xiao, those pale gray eyes seeming to pierce through flesh and skin to see what lay inside his bones.

Five seconds passed.

Then ten.

The room grew even quieter. Someone unconsciously held their breath.

"Your name is Lin Xiao." The old man finally spoke. It was not a question, but a statement.

"Yes, sir."

"What did you see last night?"

Lin Xiao's mind raced. There was a trap in that question. What the old man wanted to know was not merely what had happened in the laboratory, but Lin Xiao's judgment, his reactions, and his loyalty.

"Reporting, sir. I saw a serious leak in the laboratory. The sample creatures displayed abnormal behavior, and some culture chambers were damaged. Following Officer Fletcher's orders, I entered the core area and activated the purification system. I encountered a small number of sample creatures during the process, but no direct conflict occurred. After the purification system was activated, the sample creatures collectively withdrew into the deeper sections of the base, and the leak was brought under control."

He omitted the mysterious figure and the container.

He also omitted Blood Axe's final words.

And he especially omitted his observations and deductions regarding the creatures' behavior.

Reports had to be concise and accurate, containing only what superiors needed to know—something he had learned from countless missions in his previous life.

The old man's expression did not change after hearing the report. He turned to Fletcher. "Casualties?"

"No casualties in the laboratory area," Fletcher said. "Three soldiers on the perimeter displayed poisoning symptoms after initial exposure to the leaking gas. They have been sent for treatment and are in stable condition. In addition, Blood Axe and twelve core members of the Radical Faction were subdued during last night's Purge operation. Eight were wounded and four were killed. Blood Axe himself is critically injured and currently held in the maximum-security cells. His vital signs are unstable."

"Purge operation." The old man repeated the words in an even tone. "Who authorized it?"

"I did." Fletcher stood even straighter. "Commander, after the laboratory leak occurred last night, Blood Axe's faction attempted to seize control of the base amid the chaos. They attacked the command center, sabotaged the communications system, and attempted to open the base's outer defenses to bring in outside forces. I judged it to be an act of rebellion and authorized armed suppression under Article Three of the base emergency regulations."

Someone in the room shifted their feet slightly.

The old man was silent for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"You did the right thing."

Three lightly spoken words, yet everyone in the room heard their weight.

The old man walked to the tactical table and swiped across the touchscreen, bringing up the surveillance records from last night. Images flashed past rapidly—the Radical Faction soldiers charging the command center, Fletcher's people counterattacking, gunfire in the corridors, and chaos around the laboratory.

He watched carefully, but quickly, as though he had long known this would happen.

At last, he switched off the screen and turned to face everyone.

"Last night's incident exposed severe problems within this base." The old man's voice remained low, but every word was clear and forceful. "The Radical Faction disregarded the safety of the base and the interests of the organization. For their own selfish ambitions, they created chaos and even attempted to bring in outside forces. Such conduct is betrayal."

He paused, his gaze passing over everyone in the room.

"Captain Fletcher remained clear-headed during the crisis, acted decisively, quelled the internal unrest, and protected the base's core facilities from destruction. On behalf of base command, I formally commend Captain Fletcher for his achievements."

Fletcher stood at attention. "I was only doing my duty, Commander."

The old man waved a hand, signaling for him to relax.

"Starting today, Captain Fletcher will take full command of the base's security affairs. He will be responsible for eliminating the remaining Radical Faction elements and restoring order within the base. All department heads must cooperate fully."

No one raised an objection.

Everyone in the room understood—this was the formal transfer of power.

After finishing, the old man looked at Lin Xiao again.

"As for you," he said, "Fletcher gave me a detailed report of your performance. You remained calm during the crisis, carried out orders decisively, and demonstrated judgment and courage beyond the ordinary."

Lin Xiao waited for him to continue.

"The base needs people like you." The old man said, "Starting today, you are promoted to deputy director of base security and will concurrently serve as captain of the special operations squad. Your clearance level is raised to Class B. You may mobilize sixty percent of the base's non-core resources. You will assemble your direct team yourself."

Soft inhalations sounded around the room.

Class B clearance. Deputy director of security. Special operations squad.

Put together, those words meant Lin Xiao had risen overnight from an outer-perimeter soldier to one of the base's figures with real authority.

"Thank you for your trust, Commander." Lin Xiao said calmly, showing neither excitement nor surprise.

The old man looked at him, and a trace of nearly imperceptible approval flashed through those pale gray eyes.

"Do not disappoint me."

The meeting ended twenty minutes later.

After the old man left, the atmosphere in the command center visibly relaxed. Officers began speaking in low voices. Some approached Fletcher to congratulate him, while others studied Lin Xiao with complicated looks.

Fletcher walked over to Lin Xiao and patted his shoulder.

"Good work," he said, keeping his voice low. "The Commander rarely praises anyone in person."

"Was it because of last night, or something else?" Lin Xiao asked.

Fletcher smiled, and the smile held deeper meaning. "Both. But more importantly, you proved you are not like Blood Axe. You know when to advance and when to withdraw."

He paused and lowered his voice further. "Blood Axe will not survive until noon. The medical team says his internal organs have been completely corroded. Drugs are the only thing keeping him alive now. Once he dies, the Radical Faction will be finished for good."

Lin Xiao nodded.

"Have you decided who you want on your team?" Fletcher asked.

"Su Ying," Lin Xiao said. "And Wolf, Nightingale, Grey Falcon, as well as the female researcher we rescued last night, Anna Koch."

Fletcher raised an eyebrow. "Anna Koch? She is only a technician."

"She knows the laboratory equipment and the samples," Lin Xiao said. "We need someone like that."

"Your call." Fletcher did not object. "I'll have their files transferred over. Your team can begin operating before this afternoon. Your office is on the east side of the command center. It used to be the intelligence analysis room. I had someone clear it out."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me yet," Fletcher said. "The greater the power, the heavier the responsibility. There will be no fewer people watching you in this base than there are watching me."

He turned and left to speak with the other officers.

Lin Xiao remained where he was, looking at the base map on the tactical table. The red markers indicating damaged areas looked like wounds. And his new position made him the one responsible for stitching those wounds shut.

At two in the afternoon, Lin Xiao entered his new office.

The room was three times the size of his previous temporary dormitory. The walls were painted light gray, and dark carpeting covered the floor. A row of filing cabinets stood against one wall. On the other side was a broad desk, already equipped with new communications devices, a data terminal, and a folder.

Inside the folder were his appointment letter, clearance list, and the files of his team members.

He opened the files.

Su Ying's photograph was on the first page. It had been taken when she first joined S.H.I.E.L.D. In the photo, she was several years younger, with sharp eyes and lips pressed into a straight line. Her entire bearing radiated an unwillingness to admit defeat. The file recorded her training results, mission history, and reason for defecting—"ideological differences with her superiors."

Lin Xiao continued flipping through the files.

Wolf, real name unknown, an outer operative from Hydra's intelligence department. He specialized in communications interception and electronic countermeasures, but had never been valued due to his withdrawn personality.

Nightingale, female, twenty-four years old, formerly a Hydra network security officer. She had been demoted three months ago for unauthorized intrusion into an internal system.

Grey Falcon, male, thirty years old, a logistics department dispatcher. He worked diligently but lacked connections, leaving him no hope of promotion.

Anna Koch, twenty-eight years old, Ph.D. in bioengineering. She had been forcibly conscripted into Hydra's research division and was responsible for maintaining laboratory samples. Last night had been her first time participating in a live combat mission.

Five people. Five people who had been marginalized, overlooked, or forced into joining.

Lin Xiao closed the folder.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and the five people entered one after another.

Su Ying entered first. She had changed into a clean combat uniform, her hair tied into a neat ponytail. A few minor scrapes from last night's battle still marked her face, but her gaze was clear and her steps steady. When she saw Lin Xiao, she nodded without saying anything unnecessary.

Wolf was a thin, tall man of around thirty-five. He wore thick glasses, had messy hair, and held a data tablet at all times. After entering, he went straight to a chair in the corner, sat down, and began fiddling with the tablet as though he were the only person in the room.

Nightingale was a young woman with ordinary features but bright eyes. After entering, she quickly surveyed the entire room, her gaze lingering on the communications equipment and data terminal for several seconds before turning to Lin Xiao with curiosity and caution in her eyes.

Grey Falcon was a solidly built middle-aged man in a logistics department uniform. He held a notebook in his hand and stood straight after entering, waiting for orders.

Anna Koch entered last. She had taken off her laboratory protective suit and changed into ordinary clothes—a white shirt and dark trousers. However, her cuffs were slightly wrinkled, as though she had dressed in a hurry. Her face was still pale, and dark circles were obvious under her eyes, but she no longer looked as terrified as she had last night. After entering, her gaze settled on Lin Xiao for a few seconds before she lowered her head.

"Sit," Lin Xiao said.

The five of them sat in the chairs before the desk. The atmosphere in the room was somewhat delicate. The five did not know each other, and their only common ground was that they had all gone through last night's crisis and were now being forcibly assembled into a team.

Lin Xiao looked at them and was silent for several seconds.

"Starting today, you are my direct team," he said, his voice calm but clear. "I am Lin Xiao, deputy director of base security and captain of the special operations squad. I have read all of your files. I know why you are here—because you were not valued, were excluded, were forced to do things you disliked, or simply wanted to survive."

No one spoke.

"I do not care about your past," Lin Xiao continued. "What I care about is whether, starting today, you can properly carry out the tasks I assign. My team does not require background or connections. It requires only ability and loyalty."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across every face.

"As for ability, I will give you opportunities to prove it. Loyalty requires time to test. But there is one thing I can guarantee—in my team, your efforts will receive the rewards they deserve, and I will do everything I can to keep you alive."

Wolf looked up from his tablet, glanced at Lin Xiao, then lowered his head again.

The corner of Nightingale's mouth lifted slightly, as though she had heard something interesting.

Grey Falcon quickly wrote something down in his notebook.

Anna Koch's fingers unconsciously twisted together.

Su Ying kept watching Lin Xiao, her gaze focused as if evaluating every word he said.

"Now, task assignments," Lin Xiao said. "Su Ying, you are responsible for the action group's training and field command. I am giving you three days to assess everyone's combat ability and develop a training plan."

"Understood," Su Ying said.

"Wolf, you are responsible for communications, intelligence surveillance, and electronic warfare. Within a week, I want you to establish an independent communications network covering the base's main areas, ensuring that we can remain in contact under any circumstances."

Wolf nodded, his fingers rapidly swiping over the tablet.

"Nightingale, you are responsible for network security, information theft, and counter-tracking. I want you to conduct a full inspection of the base's surveillance systems, databases, and internal network. Find every vulnerability and backdoor."

Nightingale's eyes lit up. "What about clearance?"

"Class B clearance. You can access sixty percent of the base's non-core systems," Lin Xiao said. "If you encounter insufficient clearance, report directly to me."

"Understood."

"Grey Falcon, you are responsible for logistics, personnel contacts, and maintaining internal relationships within the base. I need to know the situation in every department—who is doing what, who has conflicts with whom, who may become a friend, and who may be an enemy."

Grey Falcon closed his notebook. "I will prepare a detailed report."

Finally, Lin Xiao looked at Anna Koch.

"Dr. Koch, you are responsible for medical support and limited technical analysis. I need you to organize all of the laboratory's research materials, especially data concerning the sample creatures and Prototype-Alpha. But remember, analysis only. Do not conduct any experimental procedures."

Anna Koch raised her head, surprise flashing through her eyes. "You... trust me?"

"I trust your professional knowledge," Lin Xiao said. "But I also know that last night's events affected you deeply. So take it slowly. Start by organizing the materials. If you feel unwell in any way, tell me at once."

Anna Koch bit her lip, then nodded. "Thank you."

After assigning the tasks, Lin Xiao had everyone else leave except Su Ying.

Once the door closed, only the two of them remained in the room.

"What do you think?" Lin Xiao asked.

Su Ying walked to the window and looked out over the base courtyard. "Five people, five problem cases. Wolf is withdrawn, Nightingale is rebellious, Grey Falcon is mediocre, and Anna Koch is fragile. Only I am somewhat useful."

"Problem cases are often the ones with the greatest potential," Lin Xiao said. "Because they have not been completely assimilated by the system. They still have minds of their own."

Su Ying turned around and leaned against the windowsill. "Are you sure you want to do this? Building your own team means taking responsibility for them. If any of them betray you or make a mistake, the responsibility will fall on you."

"I know," Lin Xiao said. "But this is a necessary step. Working alone will never achieve anything."

Su Ying looked at him and fell silent for several seconds.

"You still have not told me everything about last night," she said. "Besides the sample creatures, what else was in the laboratory?"

Lin Xiao did not answer immediately.

He walked to the desk, activated the data terminal, and pulled up a surveillance recording—the footage outside the equipment storage room. A blurry figure entered carrying a container, then left empty-handed.

"This person took a sample container from the laboratory during the chaos," Lin Xiao said. "The container held Prototype-Alpha, the source of last night's leak."

Su Ying walked up to the screen and studied the blurry figure closely.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know," Lin Xiao said. "But he knows the base very well. He knows the locations of every surveillance camera and knows how to avoid them. I suspect he used that independent subnet we discovered earlier."

"The third party." Su Ying spoke quietly. "They were lying low inside the base, waiting for an opportunity."

"And they succeeded." Lin Xiao shut off the screen. "The container is gone, and the samples' whereabouts are unknown. And now, we don't even know who they are."

The room fell silent.

The light outside the window began to dim. Dusk was approaching.

"What do you need me to do?" Su Ying asked.

"Train the team first," Lin Xiao said. "Get them combat-ready as soon as possible. As for that mysterious person... I'll use my new clearance to pull more files and see if I can find any clues."

Su Ying nodded and turned to leave.

When she reached the door, she stopped and looked back.

"Lin Xiao."

"Yes?"

"You rose through the ranks quickly," she said. "But the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Be careful."

The door closed, leaving Lin Xiao alone in the room.

He walked to the window and looked at the lights coming on in the base courtyard. The soldiers were still busy, and sparks from the repair crews' welding flickered in the twilight like fleeting stars burning out one by one.

The transfer of power was complete.

He had gained the position, clearance, and team he wanted.

But the missing container remained like a thorn lodged deep in his mind.

And there was also the attention from headquarters that was soon to come.

Seven that evening, base cafeteria.

It was called a victory banquet, but it was pitifully simple—canned food, compressed biscuits, and several bottles of cheap whiskey dug out of storage lined the long tables. Yet the atmosphere was lively. Those who had survived gathered together, talking loudly, clinking glasses, and laughing as their voices echoed through the spacious cafeteria.

Fletcher sat at the head of the table, accepting toasts from everyone. He did not drink much, but he wore a smile that carried both relief and exhaustion.

Lin Xiao sat in a corner with a glass of water before him. Su Ying sat beside him, eating canned beans in small bites. Wolf and Nightingale sat at another table. Wolf was still fiddling with a tablet, while Nightingale curiously studied everyone in the cafeteria. Grey Falcon was helping distribute food. Anna Koch sat in the farthest corner with her head lowered, barely eating anything.

"Not going to have a drink?" Su Ying asked.

"No," Lin Xiao said. "Alcohol affects judgment."

"You're always so cautious."

"Caution helps you live longer."

The noise in the cafeteria continued for an hour. Around eight, Fletcher stood, said a few words of thanks, then announced that everyone was dismissed. People gradually left, and the cafeteria slowly quieted down.

Just as Lin Xiao was preparing to leave, a soldier walked over.

"Captain Lin, Officer Fletcher requests your presence in his office."

Lin Xiao glanced at Su Ying. Su Ying nodded, indicating that she would head back first.

Fletcher's office was on the other side of the command center. It was larger and more formally decorated than Lin Xiao's. A Hydra flag hung on the wall, along with several photographs from the early days of the base's construction. The bookshelves were packed with files and books, though they looked more like decorations, as the spines showed almost no signs of wear.

Fletcher sat behind his desk. Two glasses and a bottle of whiskey rested before him. The bottle had already been opened, its amber liquid giving off a soft sheen beneath the lights.

"Sit," Fletcher said, pouring two drinks.

Lin Xiao took the seat across from him.

Fletcher pushed one glass toward him. Lin Xiao accepted it but did not drink.

"Don't like whiskey?" Fletcher asked.

"It's not that I dislike it. I just can't drink right now," Lin Xiao said.

Fletcher smiled and took a sip himself. The alcohol softened the lines of his face slightly, but his eyes remained sharp.

"How did today feel?" he asked. "Deputy Director of Security, captain of the special operations team, Class B clearance. Things many people struggle for years to obtain, and you got them all in one day."

"Thank you for the promotion, sir," Lin Xiao said.

"It wasn't my promotion. You earned it yourself." Fletcher set down his glass. "Without you last night, the laboratory leak might have spread across the entire base. Then the death toll would have been far more than a dozen. The commander saw that clearly, which is why he gave you this position. It wasn't charity. It was an investment."

He paused, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.

"But Lin, I need to tell you something."

Lin Xiao waited for him to continue.

Fletcher's expression turned solemn, and the softness brought by the alcohol vanished.

"Headquarters is very interested in you."

Lin Xiao's heartbeat quickened slightly, but his expression did not change.

"I submitted a detailed report to headquarters about last night," Fletcher said. "Everything—from your entering the laboratory and activating the purification system to the mass withdrawal of the sample organisms. Headquarters intelligence analyzed the report, and they are... very interested in you."

"Interested?" Lin Xiao repeated.

"Your performance exceeded the normal range," Fletcher said. "A low-ranking outer-ring soldier who stayed calm under those circumstances, made the right decisions, and successfully contained the crisis. That either means you are exceptionally gifted, or... there is another reason."

The room fell silent.

The wind outside the window could be faintly heard.

"Headquarters may send down an 'investigator' or a 'special envoy,'" Fletcher continued. "Officially, they will be assessing the base's losses and assisting with reconstruction. But in reality, they will observe you, evaluate you, and perhaps... test you."

"Test what?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Your loyalty, your abilities, your background," Fletcher said. "Hydra does not trust geniuses. It only trusts geniuses it can control. If you are too outstanding and cannot explain why you are so outstanding, they will become suspicious."

He picked up his glass and took another sip.

"So be prepared. On the day the investigator arrives, you need to perform well, but not too well. Be smart, but not too smart. Be loyal, but don't look like a mindless fool who follows orders blindly. You'll have to find that balance yourself."

Lin Xiao looked at the amber liquid in his glass. The light wavered across its surface like an omen of unease.

"When will they come?" he asked.

"Not sure," Fletcher said. "It could be a week, a month, or even tomorrow. Headquarters never gives advance notice."

He stood and walked to the window, looking out at the base in the night.

"Lin, I trust you," he said softly. "You saved this base last night. You saved me too. That's why I'm telling you this. But you need to understand that my trust does not represent headquarters' trust. In Hydra, everyone has to prove themselves again and again, until the day they die."

Lin Xiao rose to his feet as well.

"I understand," he said.

Fletcher turned to look at him, his gaze complicated.

"Good," he said. "Go back and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you'll be very busy."

Lin Xiao set down the glass and turned to leave.

As he reached the door, Fletcher's voice came from behind him.

"One more thing."

Lin Xiao stopped.

"That container," Fletcher said. "You were in the laboratory last night. Did you really not notice anything unusual?"

Lin Xiao's heart suddenly clenched.

But he did not turn around, and his voice remained calm.

"Reporting, sir. No."

The door opened, then closed.

The corridor lights were bright, but Lin Xiao felt that the shadows had somehow grown darker than ever.