This World Is Seriously Ill

"Dr. Charles used the city's surveillance to tell us the correct route out."

"But to prevent further retaliation from Umbrella, he hoped I'd keep his daughter Angela safe."

"With the help of the school bus driver and the kids, Angela managed to shake off Umbrella's surveillance and control."

Ada was completely numb to someone's shameless fabrications by now.

"After that, to get the precious evidence—crystallizing their hard work and sweat—out to the public as soon as possible, we contacted an honest journalist dedicated to reporting the truth—Ben."

"In the end, we used his email to encrypt and send the data to someone who could uphold justice."

"Am I right, Mayor Warren?"

That sudden, friendly question left Mayor Warren's brain short-circuiting for a moment, his subconscious even conjuring false memories of himself being involved.

Kevin's expression then shifted to grief and pity as he faced the mayor's daughter, that Roman blonde girl, showing a gentle smile.

"But the higher-ups at Umbrella, realizing the leak, went so far as to use Director Alons's connections, ordering him to lure Miss Catherine out through her pure romantic relationship with the journalist Ben."

"And they planned to seize your weakness, using it as leverage to stop you from digging further into Umbrella's dark secrets."

"A blessing in disguise—justice was still on our side. Agent Ada, who noticed the clues in the email, rescued Miss Catherine from the blade at the last possible moment!"

Just as everyone was immersed in this shameless boasting, a sudden, firm voice rang out.

"That's right, I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Director Alons abused his power, not only shielding Umbrella's mercenaries as they ran rampant through Raccoon City, but also slaughtering innocent girls to satisfy his own desires—heinous crimes!"

"Umbrella Corporation conducts illegal biochemical experiments, defying humanity. The whole truth should be made public, and the law should punish this monster!"

Mayor Warren, who had been sitting silently in his chair for a long time, was the first to voice support for someone's claims, his face filled with hatred for Umbrella and the police chief.

As expected of a politician! His skill at reading the wind and changing face was way faster than those fools beside him.

At that moment, Kevin smiled and nodded, shaking hands warmly with Mayor Warren amidst the crowd's incredulous expressions.

What the hell! His comrades, still not catching on, nearly dropped their jaws, eyes popping out.

The sharpest of them all, female agent Ada, naturally saw through everything. Her expression was a mix of amusement and disbelief, but inside, she was full of admiration.

The logic was simple: in Kevin's script, everyone became a "hero."

The massive black pot had been left entirely for fat Director Alons and Umbrella to carry—why not?

Besides, Mayor Warren was just a politician craving promotion and achievements, not a raving lunatic like Director Alons.

If he understood how dangerous Umbrella was, how could he be stupid enough to cooperate with these psychopaths?

Now, with Kevin's maneuvering, Mayor Warren's originally tangled relationship with Umbrella was whitewashed into a story of him enduring humiliation to expose the shady corporation's secrets.

And the remaining conflicts of interest were passed to the fat director—after all, one more pot on his back wouldn't crush him.

This plot was simply perfect!

United, both win; divided, both lose!

As long as Michael Warren had his wits about him, faced with such clear evidence, he'd naturally know how to choose!

The others, gradually coming to their senses, slowly pieced together the deeper meaning of the conversation in their minds.

Sure enough, people in politics all had hearts that were dirty and black!

As the atmosphere grew harmonious, the savvy Mayor Warren first praised the hot-blooded officers for sticking to their professional ethics, then acknowledged the good Samaritans' heroic acts.

"So, can the evidence of Umbrella's illegal experiments be handed over to me? I'll expose these capitalists' true faces at the right time!"

Mayor Warren spoke with righteous indignation, his expression solemn.

But Kevin's smile froze instantly, his eyes narrowing slightly. Do you think I'm stupid?

"The right time"? That means waiting for the storm to blow over, making a big deal small and a small deal nothing?

That kind of slap on the wrist wouldn't intimidate Umbrella at all.

Looks like our mayor still doesn't grasp the severity of the problem.

Mayor Warren realized he'd been too hasty, his expression turning awkward. He fully agreed with clearing everyone's names and throwing that bastard Alons under the bus.

But if it meant stepping into the spotlight to fight Umbrella, even to the death?

As a political creature, he had to weigh the impact and the gains and losses.

On the surface, he hadn't been involved in the RPD's pursuit of Kevin and the others under Umbrella's orders.

But was he really clueless about it? Not likely. He just turned a blind eye, letting it slide.

Just like the hot topic among keyboard warriors online: justice may be late, but it never misses.

Kevin disagreed. Justice was never something you waited for or begged from others!

He preferred to strike proactively rather than sit around waiting to die!

Because of the efforts of the people around him, the Matt siblings escaped their predicament, Director Alons was brought to justice, and Umbrella was facing a crisis of collapse!

So there was no way Kevin would pin his hopes on the mayor's noble righteousness.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you—the T-Virus is highly contagious. It spreads through blood, air, and water."

"According to Director Alons's records, you should know that once the T-Virus breaks out, within 48 hours at most, the entire Raccoon City will be reduced to a living hell."

Mayor Warren hesitated, but still couldn't believe that an apocalyptic crisis straight out of a fairy tale would descend upon the thriving Raccoon City.

"Also, when Lisa escaped The Hive, it was under lockdown..."

This bombshell dropped, and Mayor Warren's face instantly changed color.

Lockdown? What could warrant a lockdown? Probably only...

"Moreover, according to reliable intel from Dr. Charles, The Hive has been out of contact since eight o'clock tonight..."

"The most advanced Artificial Intelligence network inside—the Red Queen—is completely paralyzed as well..."

"So..." Kevin leaned back, choosing a comfortable angle on the sofa, his eyes Narrowed Slightly: "...you have 48 hours to say your goodbyes."

Mayor Warren was horrified, then plunged into deep dread.

So that's it! That's how it all fits!

Ada finally understood the purpose behind every move Kevin had made, and a mix of astonishment and admiration brewed in her eyes.

ps: Thanks to @{"reader_id":"303037","reader_name":"Alaskan Malamute"} @{"reader_id":"2919960","reader_name":"Progress Bar"} @Bookworm58482654041 for the monthly tickets and blades.

Chapter 26: Chapter 25 - Now It's Our Turn to Coast (Second Update Done!)

So that's it!

First Step, contact all potential allies, use the goal of rescuing the Matt siblings to quickly unite them, and with superb command skills, cooperatively crush the U.S.S, forming the team's foundation.

Second Step, feint east and strike west—through premeditated planning, release Leon as bait, forcing Umbrella to use Director Alons as a pawn and mobilize Raccoon City's police force on a large scale.

Thus, under the enemy's hasty actions, a fatal flaw was exposed—the internal oversight and mutual-check system among officers had a serious loophole!

Third Step, only then could they, as "RPD" officers, hijack the school bus carrying the little girl Angela, and safely leave the city while Raccoon City's interior was left vulnerable!

The Fourth Step that followed was sheer genius!

Using the safety of his daughter Angela, they forced Dr. Charles, who already harbored doubts about Umbrella, to completely paralyze the company's central research facility—The Hive—through a backdoor he'd left in the Red Queen's network.

This not only gave them leverage over Dr. Charles, chaining him to their war wagon.

But also, under the cover of silent night, it severed Umbrella's infiltration into Raccoon City's military and political power, cutting off contact with the central decision-making body inside The Hive.

Fifth Step, a perfect finale!

Through the tangled relationships among the underground reporter Ben, Police Director Alons, and the mayor's daughter Catherine, they used a clever "script" to put Catherine in danger.

At this point, Mayor Michael Warren, who had originally Placed In himself outside the fray, could no longer sit idly by and became a witness to Director Alons's crime.

Moreover, a mountain of evidence regarding Umbrella's illegal experiments kept surfacing.

This immediately forced the implicated Mayor Michael Warren to pick a side, agreeing to impose moderate sanctions on Umbrella and clearing all charges against Kevin's group.

The deranged Director Alons naturally became the sacrificial lamb for their alliance, taking all the blame.

With just a few moves, they turned a dead end into survival and shattered a good chunk of Umbrella's teeth.

A plan so thoroughly laid out—it was perfect to the extreme!

But even better was the present: Director Alons's manuscript revealed heavy evidence of the T-Virus's danger, and the Matt siblings' frank testimony exposed the tense situation inside The Hive...

All signs pointed to one thing—Umbrella's underground research facility had gone wrong!

And the Red Queen network's paralysis became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Whether or not this terrifying T-Virus had leaked, Mayor Michael Warren had to move against Umbrella!

It came down to his political career—he couldn't gamble the survival of all Raccoon City on it!

And under the push from Kevin and the others, Mayor Michael Warren, having purged his rivals and smoothly taken over Raccoon City's political and police power, had no choice but to face the pressure and engage in a smoke-filled firefight with Umbrella!

So, now it was finally our turn to catch our breath and coast?

A strange thought filled Ada's mind, and she almost felt the urge to pull up a chair, crack open some sunflower seeds, and watch the show.

"Umbrella... won't be easy to deal with..."

Mayor Michael Warren, who had been nursing a single cigarette for a full half hour, finally looked up and muttered darkly.

Kevin smiled and nodded in agreement. Before the crisis erupted, shaking Umbrella's position in Raccoon City was no less than an epic-level challenge.

"We concerned citizens are willing to help."

"First, you can order all officers to assemble urgently in the police station lobby at dawn. Anyone who doesn't show up gets suspended and quarantined."

"Then, publicly announce Police Director Alons's crimes—murdering an innocent girl and colluding with Umbrella. That's enough to remove him from office."

"For safety's sake, only you, brave enough to expose the dark underbelly and uphold justice, are fit to take over all public security and defense work in Raccoon City."

"If you want to avoid certain die-hard loyalists of Director Alons lashing out like cornered dogs, I recommend former S.T.A.R.S members Jill and Barry to handle the crackdown."

Watching the utterly selfless expression on this kid's face and listening to his tone dripping with concern for your interests, Mayor Michael Warren felt a bit nauseous.

But without a doubt, only by first controlling the RPD's manpower and temporarily taking over Raccoon City's public security and defense could he have the strength to arm-wrestle with a behemoth like Umbrella.

"Second, the military stationed in Raccoon City must also accept emergency wartime jurisdiction and administrative orders."

"With The Hive completely paralyzed, the forces Umbrella has infiltrated into the military won't dare act rashly or turn against the state machinery."

"And we can invite them to form a joint task force to investigate the Hive's situation together."

Sly little bastard!

Ada rolled her eyes inwardly. Everything inside the Hive was the kind of thing that couldn't survive exposure to daylight.

Just lift the lid in front of everyone's eyes, and that alone would be enough to shut down Umbrella eight times over!

After the T-Virus was completed, the Hive had fallen into a state of paralysis, with most of the top brass and decision-makers locked inside that massive high-tech "coffin."

Whether it was to cut losses in time or to rescue Umbrella's higher-ups.

Under these circumstances, a joint entry into the Hive was their only option.

"Interested in joining my advisory team?"

Mayor Michael Warren snapped back to the present, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he warmly extended an olive branch.

The wariness he'd originally felt gradually shifted into a strong appreciation for Kevin.

This was a talent!

After this battle, he could take over the combined forces of the military, government, and police without lifting a finger.

And on top of that, he could openly dispatch secret troops under the guise of "rescue" to gather evidence of Umbrella Corporation's illegal activities!

There were plenty of clever people in this world stirring up trouble, but those who knew when to advance and when to hold back were rare as phoenix feathers.

At that moment, the female agent Ada, who had been carefully reviewing all of Kevin's plans, felt a private chill run down her spine.

Whether it was the foresight to pre-deploy police cars for a clean getaway; the meticulous calculation in using little Emma's innocent words to subtly steer Angela onto the school bus; or the deep-laid scheme of forcing Dr. Charles to shut down the Hive's network system with a hardline stance—this way of thinking, moving one step while planning the whole game, was downright terrifying!

So, looking back at every move this little bastard had made, those seemingly casual plays at the start each had an unparalleled brilliance.

And what was even more surprising was that almost everyone who worked with him came out ahead, one way or another.