Jill and Barry had their names cleared and brought down Umbrella Corporation...
The Matt siblings escaped safely and brought the truth to light...
Rookie cop Leon earned the credit for exposing Umbrella Corporation's dirty secrets and got in touch with the mayor...
Though Dr. Charles had seemingly been coerced, he had gained an opportunity to break free from Umbrella's control...
Not only could Mayor Michael Warren free himself from his entanglement with Umbrella Corporation, he could also seize sole control over Raccoon City's military, political, and police powers, achieving remarkable results in cracking down on crime and corruption...
And besides obtaining the raw antidote for the T-Virus, she would gain firsthand information on Umbrella Corporation's T-Virus research...
Even Ben, the reporter Director Alons had thrown into prison to suffer, could end up with the beauty...
Not to mention Claire clearing her brother's name, Emma getting an ice cream cone, and the Gun Shop Owner and school bus driver earning the title of "good citizens"...
When carefully tallied, these several forces that had originally had nothing to do with one another had been twisted together by their common goal into a rope tightening around Umbrella Corporation's neck.
And from the fall of this blackhearted corporation, each of them would gain the benefits they wanted!
A true wise man was never a lone hero who single-handedly swept aside powerful enemies, nor some lofty figure who monopolized fame and applause.
Cooperate for mutual gain, without coveting temporary merit; plan before acting, then hide one's reputation after success.
An interesting and dangerous fellow!
If he could not be made a friend, then he had to be struck down in one blow!
The female agent secretly slapped the highest-alert label on a colleague who was growing at terrifying speed.
ps1: The setup is complete. It killed so many brain cells. I wonder whether you all like this kind of scheming, intelligent protagonist.
ps2: Why does it feel like my old lazy novel has more readers than this new one...? Sure enough, I'm just too lazy.
The Doomsday Horn!
Facing Mayor Warren's recruitment offer, Kevin was stunned for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.
He had always kept politics at arm's length.
That swamp ran too deep. Stay in it too long, and it was easy to forget who you were.
Mayor Warren did not mind Kevin's refusal. He had only made the offer on a whim and had not expected much, so naturally, he had nothing to be disappointed about.
"Then, since the long night is already upon us, shouldn't we act early to avoid unforeseen complications?"
After making all the arrangements, Kevin took a few steps back and collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing his throbbing temples.
"Oh, right. As for you, Mr. Mayor, there is no need for you to personally venture into danger."
Seeing Mayor Warren seemingly about to leave and return to City Hall to arrange everything, Kevin reopened his closed eyes, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.
Clearly, this cautious little fox would never let him leave before everything was settled.
Michael Warren smiled and nodded. He then asked for two economic magazines and a Bible, reading them with great interest beneath the dim light.
At the same time, he took out his phone and began making call after call, engaging in discreet negotiations with all sorts of people.
Though his tone was calm and gentle, it carried an indescribable authority.
Meanwhile, Barry and Jill, who had joined as allied reinforcements, also received documents containing secret government orders.
They then brought Leon along and, with the Gun Shop Owner's sponsorship, drove fully armed toward police headquarters.
It seemed Mayor Warren's reach was quite extensive. He actually had his own people in both the military and the police department.
Feeling as though a burden had been lifted, Kevin turned onto his side and drowsily prepared to rest on the sofa for a while.
Tonight, the sofa's pillow was truly comfortable—smooth and springy, with even a faint fragrance that quickly lulled one to sleep.
Because of her special status, the mayor's daughter Catherine had been lucky enough to claim the only spare bedroom in Robert's home.
The Matt siblings, who had spent an entire day and night running for their lives, could not hold out any longer. They chose to make do by sleeping in the vehicle outside the gun shop, while also serving as guards in case anything happened.
Claire, who remained energetic even after resting for a day, naturally took on the dual task of looking after little Angela and monitoring Mayor Warren's movements.
As for a certain fox-like female agent, of course she had her own task to handle.
For instance, putting the commander to sleep...
Ada gently smoothed Kevin's messy strands of hair by his ear, humming a soft lullaby between her lips. Her level knees served as a pillow as she sought the most comfortable position for the boy's head.
The smile flowing from the female agent's eyes toward the sleeping boy made Claire mistakenly assume that this pair of lovers with an unusually close relationship needed some private space, so she focused her attention on the mayor instead.
The night was long. It should have been a time for all things to rest, but tonight, the RPD station and the military camp in Raccoon City's outskirts were clearly far from peaceful.
Yet the disturbance, mixed with several gunshots amid the clamor, was quickly suppressed.
None of it woke the American citizens who had grown accustomed to such things.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!" The ancient, distant chimes marking the hour jolted Mayor Warren awake as he silently recited his prayers.
Seven o'clock! He removed his slightly cloudy reading glasses. After staying awake all night, his eyes were bloodshot and weary.
By now, it was already bright outside, and early risers could vaguely be seen jogging along the streets.
When the final text message arrived, Mayor Warren slowly closed his book, his heart finally at ease.
The melodious bells also startled Kevin awake. He sat up abruptly, though his eyes had yet to focus.
"Everything is under control. It's done!"
When Mayor Warren's calm whisper echoed beside the boy's ear, the sleepiness in his mind swallowed the consciousness he had struggled to regain.
Sleep a little longer... Kevin instinctively lay back down, but as the angle shifted and the back of his head pressed down, he felt something soft and elastic beneath it.
Now much less fatigued, Kevin instantly sprang up on instinct. Turning around, he cast a horrified gaze at Ada Wong, or more precisely, at her 36D assets.
Fuck! When did this woman get over here?
Not only did I sleep on her, I even touched something I shouldn't have! I'm dead!
"Awake? Want some milk?"
Kevin subconsciously looked toward Ada's 36D assets, improper thoughts immediately rising in his mind.
This female agent, who had obviously just been taken advantage of, actually rose with a radiant smile, took a carton of milk from the refrigerator, tore open the package, poured it into a cup, and handed it to him.
Unprovoked kindness hides either treachery or theft!
Though Kevin accepted the milk with a dry laugh, he inwardly raised his guard against the female agent's unusual behavior.
"The search-and-rescue team will consist of personnel jointly drawn from the police, military, and Umbrella Corporation. They will work together to investigate the situation in the underground Hive. They are expected to assemble by ten this morning."
Mayor Warren lit the last cigarette in his pack, took a slow drag to briefly stimulate his exhausted nerves, then turned to inform his allies of the operation's progress.
Then, seemingly to demonstrate goodwill, Mayor Warren added a supplementary remark.
"Of the three mixed teams, you will serve as the commander of the first team and temporary special operations consultant. Your identity will be jointly guaranteed by the government and police department. As for the team members, choose them yourself."
Kevin's lips curled upward. He was fairly satisfied with Mayor Warren's olive branch.
But suddenly, the burning gaze behind him made him feel as though needles were pricking his back.
When the boy turned around and noticed Ada's alluring pursed red lips and the concealed amusement in her eyes, he immediately understood.
"Don't worry. You'll be one of the people entering the underground Hive, but you'd better behave yourself, okay?"
Kevin helplessly rubbed his forehead, pulled Ada aside, and whispered his promise to this overly clever woman.
However, Kevin would absolutely not mention that he had already planned to put Ada on the team.
Having taken advantage of this thorny rose, he certainly could not let it get out.
"Has the vehicle been brought back yet?"
Just as Mayor Warren and Kevin were preparing to further discuss the details of the operation, Claire rushed down the stairs with an anxious expression and asked Kevin and the others.
"Not yet. It'll probably be ten o'clock. What's wrong?"
"Emma has a high fever, and she's covered in red rashes. I need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible!"
Robert, the Gun Shop Owner, came downstairs behind her with his daughter in his arms. His voice was urgent, and his gaze at his daughter was filled with self-blame and tenderness.
"Don't panic. Let's first see whether any nearby neighbors have a car we can borrow."
Kevin turned and walked out of the basement, pulling aside the curtains to see which neighbors had opened their doors early and had an unused vehicle.
"Forget it. We can use the truck outside. Claire, I'll have to trouble you to hold Emma on the way."
His daughter's unceasing coughs filled Robert with anxiety, making him immediately choose the cumbersome truck as transportation.
"No. It's too late!"
Kevin now stood blocking the doorway, his face pale and the shadow in his eyes frighteningly thick.
"She doesn't have a cold at all..."
"The apocalypse has arrived!"
Following Kevin's pointing finger, everyone discovered that the formerly quiet and peaceful Raccoon City was now filled with pedestrians wearing masks or driving hurriedly toward hospitals and pharmacies.
ps: Thanks to readers @{"reader_id":"4227710","reader_name":"Xihe Sophia Su"} @{"reader_id":"145472","reader_name":"Baker Street Requiem"} @{"reader_id":"2890231","reader_name":"Homework Funeral"} @{"reader_id":"2981702","reader_name":"Heartdream Maple Crossing"} @{"reader_id":"303037","reader_name":"Alaskan Dog"} for their tips and blades. The author will keep updating steadily.
Doctor, It's Time to Cure the Disease.
"Maybe it's some other contagious disease..."
"At this time of year, large-scale flu outbreaks are quite common!"
Mayor Warren, who least wanted the situation to worsen, instinctively refused to believe Kevin's conclusion.
Kevin's expression was frighteningly grim, but in the face of a crisis, staying rational was most important. He took a deep breath and calmly analyzed the situation.
"Even if it is an infectious disease, there has to be a gradual progression. It is impossible for so many patients to appear overnight!"
"And without any warning!"
"Stop deceiving yourself. Fever, rashes, cold symptoms, and people are already stockpiling food..."
"Put these symptoms together, then think about the notes in Director Alons's hands. You should be able to guess what this thing is, right?"
The T-Virus! It had truly broken out!
Seeing some citizens rush into department stores in a frenzy to buy food, Mayor Warren's face immediately turned pale. His lingering hope finally transformed into fear and worry for the future.
Inside the chaotic stores, some impatient customers even tore open packages of ham, canned beef, chips, and other food right off the shelves, wolfing them down in huge mouthfuls.
It's over! Raccoon City is finished! A thread of despair took root in Mayor Warren's heart.
Last night, when Kevin had said that the T-Virus developed by Umbrella Corporation was very likely to break out, Mayor Warren had not truly taken it to heart at first, even though the possibility had been magnified immensely by all sorts of existing conditions.
Weighing the pros and cons and considering how much profit he could gain from it had been the first thing a political creature like him thought about.
But once the crisis erupted, he became panic-stricken and instinctively turned a pleading gaze toward the only young man he could rely on.
In truth, Kevin had already confirmed that the T-Virus was spreading, because the Apocalypse Combat Data Template's scan of the residents on the street had produced a new classification.
Name: T-Virus Infected (incubation period: varies from 12–24 hours) Classification: Virus Strain (half-transformed) Rank: D- (below 50, lower than normal human level) Strength: 12 (the body's self-preservation mechanisms are gradually disappearing) Constitution: 8 (the immune system is being destroyed) Agility: 8 (early-stage infection causes reduced coordination) Intelligence: 10 (mind muddled, but basic cognition remains) Perception: 10 (perception of the outside world has diminished) Overall Value: 48 Warning: Calamity has descended. Doctor, cure this world's illness!
Nearly one-third of the Raccoon City residents reflected in Kevin's pupils had developed symptoms of infection.
And these transforming Virus Strains had already become malignant tumors spreading into every corner of the world!
Before you continue