This World Is Seriously Ill

Under their enthusiastic invitation, Kevin pulled the somewhat shy Angela along and joined their nighttime revelry.

However, to be cautious, Kevin Did Not accept the food they offered. He simply took the little girl for a stroll through the nearby woods and was lucky enough to catch a nest of rabbits.

After that came the slaughter and barbecue. Once he'd run a few simple tests on some seasonings, Kevin naturally borrowed a bit.

And, as a courtesy, he gave them one of the roasted rabbits, offering it to the warm-hearted group of drifters.

It wasn't until nearly 11:30 at night, after receiving a message from Ada, that Kevin pulled the little girl along and declined the drifters' earnest pleas to stay.

Seeming to really like Angela, the enthusiastic drifters noticed the pair preparing to return to Raccoon City and decided to have a bearded drifter drive them home in a beat-up truck used to gather supplies at the camp.

Thanks to the help of those on society's fringes, he and Angela arrived at their destination much earlier than expected.

At the basement entrance of Kendo Gun Shop, Kevin knocked in a set pattern, matching the signal he'd arranged earlier.

The sealed iron door was yanked open instantly, and Police Woman Jill rushed out first.

"You're back—good." She looked at the unharmed Kevin, let out a long breath, and lightly punched him on the shoulder as a sign of closeness.

Kevin smiled faintly, picked up the shy Angela, and followed Jill's steps into the basement.

It was brightly lit inside.

Barry, a former S.T.A.R.S. member, was wiping down his custom "Bison" pistol; the shop owner, Robert, sat by the stove holding his sleeping daughter Emma, brewing coffee; the exhausted Matt siblings leaned against the wall, fast asleep.

Claire looked relieved at Kevin's arrival, but a trace of displeasure quickly spread across her face.

And Leon, who had originally driven the Black SUV to lure the enemy, was miraculously sitting by the stove, warming his hands. He noticed Kevin's return and grinned sincerely, looking somewhat pleased.

"Kevin, thanks for sharing the pressure and drawing off half the RPD officers. Otherwise, I'd never have gotten away!"

Faced with the rookie cop's frank and genuine gratitude, Kevin felt a twinge of guilt. He also knew exactly why Claire was upset with him.

From Leon's account, Kevin learned that the guy had been showing off his driving skills when he gradually noticed the pursuing officers thinning out.

Then, using a blind spot, he temporarily shook off the police cars and drove the Black SUV straight into the river under Blackstone Bridge. He lay low in the water until dark before quietly sneaking ashore.

What could he say? Truly worthy of the "Vehicle Killer"...

Kevin's expression turned odd as he looked at Jill with some pity for her lost car.

Fortunately, all the actions had achieved their intended effect, and the Police Woman didn't dwell too much on the loss.

When the Matt siblings groggily woke up, Kevin looked around, his expression solemn, and etched every face into his memory.

"I'm glad you all made it back alive..."

Hearing this, everyone recalled the dangers of the day and showed relief in their eyes.

"As I said when the plan was set: its execution carried full risk, because I'm not an infallible deity, and God has no interest in your pleas or struggles..."

Jill and Barry thought back to their earlier attempts to investigate Umbrella Corporation's dark secrets, which had been met with countless obstacles, and Could Not Help But nod slightly.

They had long since given up hope in gods.

Claire looked at Leon's resolute profile and Could Not Help But feel a flush of shame at having blamed the planner out of worry for the rookie cop's safety.

"To be honest, I'm grateful for your trust, because this bunch of fools was too easy to use!"

"But I will never become a rat hiding in a dark gutter, peeping and manipulating everything, dodging all risks..."

Leon recalled how, when he was at his wit's end, some of the police cars chasing him had received new orders to head out of town and search for a hijacked school bus, and he couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"A chess player, besides setting the board, must also have the resolve to become a piece and step into danger!"

"No matter what, I am... with you all!"

After Kevin's low, resonant speech ended, he clenched his right hand into a fist, pounded his chest, and wore a solemn expression.

The group, gathered for various reasons and with different goals, felt their hearts swell with some stirring emotion and raised their hands in response.

"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!" But a sudden round of applause interrupted the cheers as everyone was lost in that feeling.

"An inspiring speech. But since you're back, shouldn't we first have a talk with our important client?"

Amid the insincere praise, the graceful figure in a red lace dress descended the stairs from the gun shop above.

And beside her stood none other than Raccoon City's current ruler—Mayor Warren—and his daughter Catherine, hiding behind her father like a startled bird.

"Tell me, what price do you need to make them forget everything that happened tonight?"

This sharp-eyed, energetic middle-aged man, even when rushed out, wore a neat suit, exuding the arrogance and disdain of the upper class—a textbook politician's image.

In his mind, almost everything could be negotiated and measured.

The group was instantly angered by his condescending attitude. Kevin raised his right arm, smiled, and stepped close to Raccoon City's ruler.

Ada's smile remained, but deep in her eyes, a flicker of pity Appeared.

"Bang!" In an instant, a sharp gunshot Echoed through the cramped basement space.

As everyone stared in shock, Kevin, holding the M1911 he'd drawn from Jill's holster, smiled and aimed the hot Gun Barrel at Mayor Warren's forehead.

The once-dignified and arrogant man trembled violently under the grip of fear.

"Tch. What made you think we're a bunch of Hyenas who'd grovel at your feet for scraps of rotten meat?"

"Negotiate? Do you even have the right to negotiate?"

Kevin's puzzled question finally made Mayor Warren realize the danger of his current situation.

"It seems you don't understand the situation. Fine, as the host, I'll kindly enlighten you—but it'll cost extra."

The young mixed-race boy smiled, reholstering the M1911 into Jill's holster, then pulled up a chair and sat down with an imposing air.

Interesting... Ada's eyes sparkled. She grew more and more appreciative of this enigmatic colleague.

And he always managed to surprise her.

Chapter 24: An Improvised "Script"

"Lisa, tell Mayor Warren everything about what Umbrella's underground research facility—the Hive—is really up to. Leave nothing out."

Kevin waved casually, signaling the self-important elite politician to sit, and had Matt's escaped sister reveal Umbrella's true face.

Mayor Warren initially dismissed it. Every pharmaceutical company had some gray areas.

At worst, illegal drug testing and clinical trials. What else could there be?

Trying to bring down Umbrella, whose tentacles stretched worldwide? Naive!

But as Lisa's account deepened—forbidden human experiments, grotesque animal modifications, and bioweapons born from a terrifying Gene Virus...

All of it sent shockwaves through his heart.

By the end, the mayor of Raccoon City was nearly numb. Even Jill and the others, who already knew something of Umbrella's dark side, couldn't help but shudder and gasp.

"Fabrication! Hmph! This is nothing but slander against Umbrella!"

The shock made Mayor Warren instinctively reject the truth.

Because if Umbrella's crimes were made public, his own protection and leniency would become evidence for his downfall—even imprisonment.

Kevin looked at him with pity, showing a bit more tolerance and patience for the captive.

"Our words might not be credible, but what about the evidence on your dear friend, Director Alons?"

Ada stepped forward with a smile, plugged a USB drive into the computer, and opened it. The screen displayed a series of biochemical experiment images and detailed data logs.

Several plain-text electronic manuscripts were even more horrifying.

"July 15, Sunny. Dr. Isaacs, head of the Hive, came to me with a Half-finished Product. He named it the T-Virus..."

"Unbelievable—it has the power to revive the dead! This is a miracle! No, a divine miracle!"

"God, my decaying collection can be saved! This is the gospel from the Lord!"

"The Half-finished Product, stripped of certain traits, can keep dead cells active to a degree."

"I must act quickly. I cannot let God's perfect creations wither and age. Their beauty will be frozen forever in my hands."

Uncle Alons has gone mad!

Catherine widened her eyes, recalling that harrowing moment, trembling.

She finally understood why the investigation into the missing girls near the Apple Motel had stalled.

Director Alons's actions had long been underway in secret.

"August 20, Cloudy. I Am Curious—what effect would the T-Virus have on a living subject?"

"Though Dr. Isaacs keeps stressing its danger, as a true artist, exploration is my nature."

"The early infection symptoms of the T-Virus are no different from a minor illness—just coughing, sneezing, or itching like a rash. But antibiotics and cold medicine are useless..."

"In the second and third stages, the infected's metabolism accelerates rapidly, with a strong urge to eat—especially meat and blood products..."

"The fourth stage is the terminal 'zombie' form. By then, the subcutaneous tissue has begun to rot, and the infection is completely irreversible..."

"According to the Hive's internal data, the first three stages last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. If transmitted through bodily fluids, the process shortens drastically..."

The images of bloody mutants made the pampered Mayor Michael Warren turn pale, retching. The undigested black pepper steak from dinner nearly came up.

As the mayor gagged, Ada—the one exposing the truth—winked secretly at Kevin, who sat there looking unruffled.

Director Alons might have had a spirit of exploration, but he wasn't suicidal enough to research the "T-Virus."

And the "T-Virus," Umbrella's highest secret, would never be leaked by Dr. Isaacs to a mere political ally.

So, these electronic manuscripts and experiment images were largely fabricated by Kevin from the data Matt's siblings had gathered.

But after witnessing Director Alons's true nature and his own Biological Daughter's harrowing ordeal, Mayor Warren had subconsciously chosen to believe.

The two conspirators, seeing their goal achieved, nodded to each other in tacit understanding.

Kevin waited for Mayor Warren to calm down, then smiled and began recounting their recent experiences.

"Yesterday, my dear friend—an upstanding American citizen—Matt, got a call from his sister Lisa and went alone to meet his only relative."

"In truth, Lisa was once an ordinary employee of the Hive. But her moral integrity and humanity led her to decide to expose Umbrella's black operations after witnessing their illegal experiments."

"To make the collected evidence public, Lisa risked putting her brother Matt in danger by asking him to meet her."

Matt, who had actually schemed to have his sister infiltrate Umbrella and steal data, was completely dumbfounded.

Because in Kevin's version, Lisa had become a warrior fighting for love and justice against evil.

Then Kevin's tone turned angry and impassioned.

"But these scoundrels from the Umbrella Corporation, in order to cover up the news, secretly sent those executioners from U.S.S. to silence everyone! Matt could only turn to me for help..."

"Fortunately, just then, I met the passionate officers who had been suspended for insisting on exposing Umbrella's ugly face—Jill and Barry—as well as Leon, a rookie full of righteous indignation who had just arrived in Raccoon City, and FBI agent Ada, who came to investigate Umbrella's criminal dealings..."

"After hearing about Matt's ordeal, they were filled with righteous fury and took the initiative to help plan the rescue..."

"In the end, these ordinary heroes, risking their lives, rescued the trapped Matt siblings from the clutches of U.S.S.!"

Watching the grateful expression on someone's face, with that stirring tone echoing in their ears, Barry and Jill—who had seen plenty in their time—twitched at the corners of their mouths.

"But those hyenas from the Umbrella Corporation refused to give up and even colluded with Police Chief Irons."

"Then, they had him privately mobilize the entire RPD force to hunt down these heroes, burdened with slander and infamy!"

"At our moment of crisis, it was Leon, that passionate officer, who drove that Black SUV to lead away the deceived Raccoon City cops, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and sacrifice."

Leon, still green behind the ears, blushed a little.

Still too young, Kevin glanced at him and sighed inwardly, but the script had to go on...

"And just when we thought justice would be absent, my mentor, Dr. Charles—who had long been under Umbrella's threats and oppression—bravely stepped forward!"

In an instant, Ada recalled the request Kevin had made on the school bus and offered a silent, deep condolence for someone's unfortunate teacher.

Now, it was mud in the crotch—whether it was shit or not, it sure looked like it.

ps1: Stable updates, achieved! Thanks to reader Baker's Soul Street for the blade, and to the readers who joined the group yesterday. Last night's R'lyeh Seafood City travel guide was a fun bit of nonsense.

ps2: Expected to start analyzing the original gods and the Three Pillars of the Cthulhu Mythos next week. Readers interested or wanting to chat are welcome. Group info is in Chapter 21 and the description.

Section 25 Chapter 24: Too Many Pots to Feel the Weight