Soldier Boy

Joanna did not reveal what she really thought. She merely slid the intact wooden airplane gently back in front of Lin Mo.

Then she turned slightly and caught the hem of his shirt, settling back into her usual closeness, though a trace of caution remained.

Deep down, she settled on a secret rule of her own, one she would never say aloud.

She would not give up her instinct to protect Lin Mo, nor had she ever considered a stranger's life equal to his.

For now, she was simply willing to make the greatest concession she could for his sake.

The next time a threat appeared, the next time she needed to eliminate a danger, she would be more careful and more discreet.

As long as Lin Mo did not see it, as long as he was not disappointed or angry with her, as long as she could keep him safe, the decisions she made in secret would not change.

Lin Mo looked at the gentle girl beside him and gave a lazy yawn. He had talked so much today. He was exhausted.

In his previous life, he would never have had the patience to explain all this to someone. When things like this happened, he would rather sit back and watch the show.

In the Observation Room outside the Game Room, the researchers recorded monitoring data as lines of cold conclusions appeared on the screen.

[Under Lin Mo's guidance, Joanna has begun to develop an awareness of limits on lethal force.]

[After the conflict, Lin Mo was able to restore and stabilize Joanna's mood and willingness to cooperate.]

The researchers all concluded that the conflict represented useful progress for the plan.

Only Edgar remained silent. His gaze rested on Joanna's slender hand gripping Lin Mo's shirt on the screen, his eyes concealing a depth no one could fathom.

As a businessman, he could read people far better than most.

After a long while, he spoke quietly, his tone even.

"She just confirmed something."

A behavioral researcher beside him immediately leaned in to listen and asked softly,

"What was it?"

"Even if she disagrees with Lin Mo and goes against his wishes, he won't abandon her."

Edgar's steady words cut straight to the heart of it.

One researcher nodded slightly, then looked worried.

"That may not be a good thing."

"Joanna now knows Lin Mo will stay by her side whether or not she follows his rules. That will likely weaken his ability to restrain her behavior."

Edgar shook his head slightly, a cold glint passing through his eyes.

"Not necessarily."

"Only when people are certain a relationship won't break easily do they dare invest all their feelings in it."

"The more certain she is that Lin Mo won't leave, the more she'll care about what he thinks and how he feels."

"Harsh punishment only makes people afraid of making mistakes. Disappointing the person they care about most makes them hide those mistakes."

The researcher's expression shifted as he caught Edgar's meaning. He instinctively turned toward the two huddled together on the screen.

"You mean she'll deliberately hide what she does?"

Edgar did not answer. He simply watched the gentle, obedient blonde girl on the screen.

No one knew that the girl nestled so tenderly against Lin Mo had just formed her first secret rule for survival, one that belonged to her alone.

She would not give up her instinct to protect Lin Mo, nor had she ever truly accepted that strangers' lives had value.

Time dragged inside the research facility. Since the attack experiment, the researchers had behaved themselves, and nothing like it had happened again—at least, not as far as Lin Mo could see.

That was a relief. As long as Vought did not pull any more stunts, he could manage. Looking after Joanna was already enough trouble.

Lately, though, he had noticed that things in the research bunker seemed unsettled. Something was different about the staff. Caregivers began changing frequently. Several familiar faces vanished, replaced by strangers wearing higher-clearance badges.

Apart from a few minor incidents, Lin Mo had explored nearly the entire bunker. Places like the laboratories were open to him, but he had no interest in lingering there. He would rather spend the time in the sun.

Senior managers who had never appeared there before came and went from Vogelbaum's office for several days straight.

They rarely wore white lab coats. Most wore dark suits and showed their badges only briefly as they passed through security doors.

Internal communications at the research center also grew more frequent, with constant notices about staff transfers and restricted areas.

"Archives Management Department staff, report to Zone Three immediately."

"All Level One clearance personnel must remain on duty tonight. Access to the military cooperation project database is prohibited without authorization."

"Information Security Team, complete the old system cleanup by 22:00."

The notices were not meant for Lin Mo and Joanna. In Vought's eyes, the two had little to do with the matter, so restrictions on them were not as tight. That gave Lin Mo an opening.

Joanna, in particular, paid no attention to the announcements most of the time.

She cared more about whether Lin Mo showed up on time that day, or whether the researchers would suddenly cut their time together short.

Lin Mo did not investigate, but he memorized every announcement. They might prove useless, but it was better than being caught completely unaware.

Vought would not destroy old files without a reason, nor would it have so many senior staff meeting through the night. Especially not in an era before personal computers were widespread, when most records were still kept on paper or internal terminals.

The more urgently Vought cleaned house, the clearer it was that something it wanted hidden had just happened.

A conversation Lin Mo overheard by chance confirmed it.

He had just completed a basic defensive-capability test.

The researchers had made him stand behind a transparent barrier and withstand impacts that increased in strength with each round.

The test had not been particularly demanding, at least for Lin Mo. When it ended, two lab assistants told him to return to the rest area as usual. As usual, they did not accompany him.

Lin Mo wandered around the research wing. As he passed through a side corridor that saw little use, he noticed that the security door ahead had not shut completely.

Low voices came from behind it.

"The Nicaragua records need to be revised."

A man spoke.

"We can't keep the original roster of the operation team."

Another voice answered at once. "What about the remaining members of the team?"

"Everyone sticks to the same story. No one can mention the internal conflict at the scene."

"What about Soldier Boy?"

After a brief silence, the first man said, "Delete that part from the regular system. Move everything involving the Soviet side into the board's special archives."

"No one may access it without authorization from Mr. Edgar and the board."

Lin Mo stopped for a moment. His expression did not change.

But a ripple passed through his thoughts as three things connected in his mind.

Nicaragua. The team. Soldier Boy.

So it was time for that.

1984.

Soldier Boy, one of Vought's most famous heroes and the leader of Payback, was betrayed by his teammates during a military operation in Nicaragua.