Special Security Unit
Long, slender fingers adjusted the ring on the right ring finger before picking up one box after another, searching for something amid the chaos. Around him, piles of documents and boxes were scattered across the floor.
"Vivian, what are you doing sitting on the floor, rummaging through all this mess? Why is it so cluttered?"
A deep, low voice broke the silence as an older man stepped into the new division's office.
The pale, familiar face looked up at the visitor, smiling with an innocence that made him seem like a child. Another colleague with a stern expression sat quietly further inside the room. The desk was spotless and well-organized, but the floor was so cluttered there was barely room to walk—anyone could tell who had caused it.
"I'm looking for some documents, Uncle Lupin," the slim face replied, delicate and princely, voice clear and polite.
"Have you taken your medication today?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Don't forget your medicine. Your immunity is low you could get into trouble otherwise."
"Yes, sir."
"Tomorrow, we're going out to vaccinate in the red zone. Prepare yourself. Be more careful than in the yellow zones; don't get careless and risk infection, okay?"
A large, weathered hand landed gently on the messy hair of the thin figure on the floor. Lupin smiled warmly, showing affection, even though the person was no longer a child.
"Understood, Uncle," the young man replied, returning the smile to the older man who was both the head of the organization and a close friend of his late father. Every meeting with him brought a comforting sense of having a father nearby.
The kind-hearted middle-aged man, Lupin, was forty-nine years old, yet showed no signs of age. Years of physical training, martial arts, and abstaining from vices had kept him looking a decade younger than he actually was.
Although the Security Unit didn't rely on brute force like other divisions, Lupin was known as the strongest unit chief the organization had ever had. Impeccably dressed from head to toe, no one had ever seen him in casual clothes or without his uniform.
Coupled with his genuine care for subordinates, it was no wonder that everyone respected and loved him.
Lupin had established the special unit specifically for Vivian, personally training him with close guidance. No matter how clumsy the new recruit was, no matter how many mistakes he made, the head of the unit never once spoke down to him or scolded him harshly.
The Special Security Unit had been set up separately from the main division to assist the Viral Suppression Unit in containing the new virus strain. Vivian and his colleague, Henry, were tasked with delivering vaccines to the residents in all designated high-risk zones daily, a routine they had become so accustomed to it was as ordinary as a milk delivery route.
Vivian Zhang, thirty years old, was born through in-vitro fertilization. His father had been the head of the new virus research unit, and his mother a female military nurse in the special forces. Because they wanted a child but were constantly exposed to viruses and chemicals, it was Lupin then a close friend who suggested IVF, resulting in the beautiful and capable Vivian of today.
Vivian's slender frame was explained as a side effect of contaminated genetic material, which required him to regularly receive immunization injections.
Though his parents loved him dearly, their duties rarely allowed the family to be together. Only Lupin acted as a guardian, caring for Vivian more devotedly than his own child would be cared for.
When his father succumbed to an unknown viral infection so potent that no one could approach the body except experts tasked with safe disposal Vivian lost the chance to say a final goodbye. All that remained was a silver wedding ring left at home by his father, which Vivian wore constantly in remembrance.
Lupin remained a single man, never marrying or having children, because his love for Vivian was so absolute that he never considered anyone else.
"Hello, we're from the government's Special Viral Suppression Unit, sent to assist the Security Unit. My name is Semi Ryo, the one on my left is Will Billian, a researcher, and that's the head of the Suppression Unit, Cayen Faak. Pleased to meet you."
Semi and his two companions entered, greeting the two in full protective suits who were busy preparing vaccines for the people they would be treating in just a few minutes.
"Hello. I'm Vivian Zhang, and this is Henry Yang, special officers of this unit," Vivian's muffled voice came through the mask. His thick brows twitched as Cayen's sharp voice cut across the room.
"Funny names, and Chinese surnames too. Are you guys part of the Security Unit or some sort of spy division?"
Cayen crossed his arms, eyeing the two slim figures in their white protective suits. Even with the bulky outfits, they looked small and frail compared to his towering frame.
"What the…?" Vivian exclaimed in disbelief. In a world where people were mixed across countless nations, leaving scarcely a trace of pure heritage, he could hardly believe someone could still speak so brashly and without manners.
"Uh… Cayen just likes to tease people a little harshly. Don't take it personally. I'll help prepare the vaccines. I didn't expect only two of you to come this Special Unit must be really impressive."
Semi smiled broadly to defuse the tension before moving off to help organize the equipment with Will.
Vivian, slim and frail, huffed in frustration as the sharp, furrowed gaze of Cayen stood over him, arms crossed, scrutinizing every move. In his distraction, he accidentally picked up the wrong-sized box.
"Vivian, you grabbed the wrong vaccines! Those are for animals!" another colleague called out from the delivery truck, watching the clumsy man stumble along, legs nearly tangled into a figure-eight.
"Ah… now it makes sense why the yellow zones turned red," a voice sneered, as if waiting for an opportunity to humiliate him.
Cayen's chiseled face wrinkled in exasperation; he shook his head at the person he was scrutinizing, clearly showing disappointment.
"Sorry, Uncle… I couldn't neutralize the virus. My job is only to administer the vaccine, not to absorb the poison," Vivian muttered under his breath, carrying boxes past Cayen's imposing frame as if intentionally letting him hear.
"You brat! That's exactly why you do half-assed work and waste the budget every day! What the hell was the point of setting this up?"
The large man strode along beside him, snapping at him loudly enough for the others to hear.
"Hey~ Cayen, why are you crowding him like that? If you want to patrol, go ahead. Will and I can handle this area," Semi said, stepping in as usual to mediate whenever his friend got aggressive.
This time was no different. Two people from different divisions, with a significant age gap, were about to clash and Semi had to separate them… for the sake of peace?
"Fine… I'll leave. I don't want to stay anyway. Everything here just gets on my nerves, and everyone's so full of themselves head and subordinates alike!"
Cayen smirked slightly, eyes narrowing at the younger man, before storming off alone.
Vivian muttered under his breath That power-hungry old man!