Infinite: Progressing from Arasaka

Moreover, this white man, who came from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), served as an advisor to the International Pharmaceutical Alliance after retiring from the military, and is now the USA National Biological Prevention Director, is no small fry.

Although his power is far less than in the original story due to the butterfly effect brought about by Vera.

In the original timeline, in 2001, due to the escalating situation caused by the global war on terror and the spread of bioterrorism, he took the opportunity to guide public opinion. In addition to serving as the Director of National Bioprevention, he also served as the chief of staff of the Federal Bioterrorism Committee (FBC), which he had promoted and established.

Of course, in this timeline, the BSAA Organization was established in 1998, not long after the Raccoon City incident, and was directly funded by the federal government. One of its members was a modern-day 'Raccoon City Basilon' who is known throughout the United States. Given the order of their arrival and the overlap in their functions, it is hard to say whether the FBC could have been established at all.

"Mr. 'Silver Fox' Lansdale, I've long admired your name."

Since the other party greeted her with ancient rites, Vera naturally had to reciprocate with corresponding etiquette.

Vera, using a complimentary tone to refer to the nickname "Silver Fox" that she had earned during her political career, extended her right hand, clad in a thin black silk glove embroidered with red thorn roses, in accordance with Morgan Lansdale's etiquette.

It's not a handshake, of course.

Since Vera was on the steps leading down to the center stage of the stadium, Lansdale naturally stood on the steps slightly below, his left arm holding his cane, his right hand raised slightly, taking Vera's right hand in a kiss.

Simmons raised an eyebrow slightly.

Lansdale had clearly done his homework.

Knowing that Vera herself doesn't like to hug people, and that Lansdale obviously has something to ask of Vera, he specially devised this etiquette, which is more intimate than a handshake.

Keep in mind that this is the main venue of the Military Science and Technology Expo, where media are swarming in. Camera flashes are going off everywhere, and this scene will inevitably be publicized and exposed by mainstream media. He is creating momentum and boosting his influence.

Considering Lansdale's recent actions in Washington, and with the 2002 midterm elections approaching, some people's positions will likely change...

Simmons didn't even need to guess; that old man Lansdale was vying for the position of chairman of the BSAA's Bioterrorism Defense and Assessment Committee.

That old fox, he really knows how to pick his timing...

It's at least not the British, French, or German style of hand-kissing; it's just making the gesture of kissing the hand, not actually kissing the back of the hand.

Vera remained expressionless and withdrew her hand.

"Have a good day, Mr. Lansdale."

After the other party finished bowing and stood up straight, Vera nodded to Simmons and then walked towards the central stage of the venue.

Morgan Lansdale wasn't the first.

She was used to the overtures from federal government bureaucrats.

Entering the 21st century, with the vigorous development of military science, new patent applications were filed one after another, and new technologies were realized and successfully applied to specific products and launched on the market... As the CEO of military science, she is a natural spotlight.

Especially as the election approaches, not only the BSAA, which is directly funded by the military science, but also many federal lawmakers openly and secretly want her endorsement.

In elections, you need to let voters know you and recognize you.

This is also why officials in parliamentary electoral systems often appear in public with socialites, celebrities, and stars, maintaining close relationships.

Without gaining recognition and generating traffic, no matter how scientific, profound, or universal your claims are, if nobody knows about them, it's all for nothing.

Cold and bleak—

Descending the steps, a red carpet covered the staircase leading to the central stage of the venue. Here, Vera and Simmons parted ways, while Simmons, Lansdale, and their entourage were formally seated under the guidance of the venue's staff.

The vast floor in front of the stage was filled with high-backed chairs that looked incredibly high-tech. Each chair had a high-frame-rate, high-definition LCD screen and a miniature projector embedded in the right armrest. This might seem commonplace from the perspective of Cyberpunk or Call of Duty XI, but in Resident Evil in 2002, this was science fiction, this was high technology.

Those invited to the main venue of the Military Science and Technology Expo were all curiously swiping the touchscreen and rotating the holographic projection.

The LCD screens allow invitees to proactively inquire about the project themes and sub-venue information for this year's expo.

Holographic projection, on the other hand, outlines the entire sub-venue of the expo in a proportionally miniature form. Although the layout is somewhat blurry and cannot be precisely reproduced, it can be enlarged or reduced, which is an extremely novel experience for people in the 21st century.

Oh my God!

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell.

Rustle.

"That's quite a generous gesture."

"Touching the holographic miniature model at the expo, "Simmons remarked.

"Military industry, bionics, medicine... electronics, semiconductors, drones, artificial intelligence... nuclear industry research and pollution control, new energy... information and communication technology... security, military contracting... streaming media... pan-entertainment..."

After Simmons took the place, Carla Radames, as a scholar and researcher, undoubtedly felt the impact even more deeply.

A suffocating depth...

The bright moon and fireflies.

Vera's existence and her achievements are like a shining star, constantly exerting an unparalleled pressure on ambitious researchers around the world.

Lowering her eyes and touching her forehead, Kara's breathing became somewhat heavy.

She swiped rapidly, as if testing the smoothness of a touchscreen, quickly browsing the catalog of sub-venues that the Military Science Institute had shown in advance, "A Leonardo da Vinci-like polymath..."

She murmured, "Mr. Simmons's career needs her, she's indispensable..."

"No."

Kara swiped her finger across the touchscreen again, fixing her gaze on the sub-category of "Medicine".

One of the items in the expanded subpage.

—— "Biochemical Virus Prevention"——

"At least in this respect, I won't lose to you... Mr. Simmons needs me too."

On the other side, where most of the seated people were Pentagon officers and related personnel, Lansdale placed his cane next to his chair and sat down.

"The awe-inspiring, eccentric, and unfathomable nature of scientists, capitalists, politicians, and even... warriors."

He magnified the holographic miniature model of the expo, rested his elbows on the armrests, and gazed thoughtfully at the central stage.

"A genius that inspires awe."

Seats in the BSAA Organization.

With her short hair and baby face, Rebecca Chambers looked up immediately when she saw Vera walking through the inner passage to the control room behind the stage. She exclaimed to her colleague with the excitement of a fangirl, "Look, it's Ms. Vera Adelheid... Yay, the expo is about to start! I can't wait!"

She idolizes rising academic stars.

On the other side are the lower seats belonging to social celebrities and non-governmental organizations.

With a pretty face and an innate mature charm, the Asian woman with neat, shoulder-length black hair quietly took her seat in high heels, guided by the waiter.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of dark brown eyes.

"A remarkable achievement."

Upon arriving in San Francisco, the sights and sounds she had witnessed along the way, along with some insider information and urban legends she had learned through special channels, left her speechless with amazement.

As she touched the projected model on the armrest of her seat with great interest, the woman murmured in a voice only she could hear, "San Francisco has practically become a Militech San Francisco. Wesker, I don't think you can compete with her..."

"Tricell (Travis) is a bit too early to compete with me... So, Director, have you determined the backgrounds of those idiots who made statements on the forum, preparing to sabotage the expo, and their financial backers?"

In the venue's backstage control room, just before the expo officially began, Vera was meeting with the white chief of the San Francisco Police Department, SFPDI.

That's right, a meeting.

Just as Umbrella did in Raccoon City, Militech is also extending the roots of its dominance into the San Francisco Bay Area and even into California.

This bureau chief was promoted from deputy bureau chief to full bureau chief with the support of the military science department, indicating a deep-seated conflict of interest.

His eldest son works in the engineering supervision department of the military science and technology department, while his younger son was injured and disabled while serving in the military. After being fitted with prosthetics, he now works in the Militech Security department.

With the backing of the military science and technology department, SFPD has been living a very comfortable life these past few years.

The San Francisco Bay Area is within the direct reach of the global headquarters of Militech.

Before issues like free shopping, homelessness, illegal immigration, and LGBT+ diversity became as obsessive and extreme as they would become twenty years later, Vera supported a young California legislator who submitted an initiative to the state legislature entitled "Creating Civilized Cities Across America," urging the legislature to take stronger measures to improve public safety.

Riding the wave of the war on terror and the fight against biological warfare, many city and county governments have expressed their support, and state governments have passed legislation and implemented preferential policies.

Using San Francisco as a pilot city, a crackdown was launched against gangs and crime hotspots throughout the city.

Sweep away organized crime, crack down on drug trafficking and arrest criminals!

It's useless for you to hide in impoverished Black areas. Under the pretext of establishing a comprehensive urban anti-biological and chemical terrorist attack prevention system, they've slapped a big label on you and pushed you aside.

In addition, the military contract mercenaries, security personnel, and bodyguards of the Military Science Institute have clustered in the cities surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area, severely squeezing the living space of many gangs. Those social outcasts have obviously chosen to relocate and flee.

Anyway, by 2002, San Francisco was named one of the most civilized cities in the United States and one of the safest cities by the Federal Tourism Commission.

Furthermore, leveraging the cluster effect of the military science and technology high-tech industry chain, a large number of highly qualified, highly educated, and somewhat traditional middle-class families are beginning to migrate here...

Oh, Los Angeles, Los Angeles is still the same Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, the birthplace of multiculturalism. I've heard there are more black faces these days, and the safety situation has deteriorated significantly.

The mayor of Los Angeles is in a real bind and has already contacted the Militech Security department. It is said that once the city council approves his proposed legislation and funding application, he will order security support services from the military.

Let's get back to the main topic.

"This... ma'am, these kinds of cross-state donations and scattered donations are not easy to investigate."

The SFPD chief looked troubled.

"Fine, if we catch someone cheating while following the rules, all we can do is argue about it."

Vera then asked, "Which specific organizations have emerged?"

"Primarily led by extreme environmental groups such as the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF)."

The SFPD director answered affirmatively.

"It's them..."

Vera gave a look as if she had stepped on some kind of pickled substance.

We're old acquaintances.

This isn't the first time they've attacked Militech on social media.

After all, around the turn of the 21st century, the United States was engaged in a massive construction boom, with the largest scale of such projects being Militech.

Leaving aside the smaller, scattered projects, let's just talk about the major ones: the reclamation of artificial islands in San Francisco Bay, the construction of the Expo, the commencement of new phases of the industrial park, and the groundbreaking of the new global headquarters of the military science and technology project...

Due to the widespread appeal of this Militech expo, many unscrupulous organizations have also used it as a platform to promote and showcase their own positions.

ELF is a typical example.

They repeatedly set fire to and destroyed laboratories, pharmaceutical factories, and other facilities.

They boldly issued a challenge to the military science department, declaring, "Disrupt their expo that's killing the earth," and displaying slogans like, "If you build it, I'll burn it down." They had their sights set on the expo because the military science department's expansion had damaged the environment and resulted in deforestation.

After closing the investigation documents handed over by the SFPD director, Vera said calmly, "Clean it up."

"Yes, I will bring them to justice..."

"No."

Vera shook her head. "I don't have time to argue with them. Cooperating with the court's investigation will only give them what they want."

Suing a giant like Junke would only increase their fame and let more idiots hear their claims, so Vera decided to take drastic measures.

Now that their wings have grown strong enough, the old methods of building private prisons to send them in need of change. For those idiots who are arrogant, have a proven track record of 'battles', and who intended to set fire to the Expo, thinking that at most they would just be sentenced to prison if caught, a giant corporation should act like a giant corporation.

It's time to resort to some off-the-beaten-path tactics.

It's terrifying...

"So, you mean..."

"Throw them into San Francisco Bay to fill in the land."

Vera glanced at him sideways. "I'm tired of playing house with them time and time again."

"Yes!"

Staring at him with those unfathomable indigo eyes, the SFPD chief instinctively lowered his head and replied.

"Bob, clean it up."

Looking at the time, it was almost time to go on stage. Vera stood up, patted the white chief on the shoulder with her left hand in an encouraging gesture, and then stepped out of the soundproof control room.

"..."

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Director Bob did not hesitate for long.

As an official personally promoted by Vera, his family, his secrets, his career, and his future were all in Vera's hands. He knew that the time had come to prove his loyalty and truly pledge his allegiance.

He took out his portable walkie-talkie and dialed a frequency.