Due Date

"Boss... I understand!"

After confirming that her boss had family, Susan seemed to have an epiphany. She nodded repeatedly and did not bring up the matter again.

Boarding the limousine sent to pick him up, Duncan sent Steve to the Umbrella Corporation facility to serve as an instructor, and had Natasha help handle company affairs, using both of them as tools.

Only then did he go to eat some Kenjiji under the escort of his bodyguards, and after finishing, he went to sleep in the basement of Isaac's villa.

It was a pity that this old man didn't have a young, beautiful daughter, otherwise he could have taken over that too.

While Duncan was resting, the Aremus family, who had learned that he had taken over the Umbrella Corporation, were thrown out of the company building by security. Seeing these men and women begging incessantly, Susan, standing behind the guards, wore a look of pure pleasure.

She had never been this arrogant before. These multi-millionaires had to speak to her in soft, gentle tones, even with a hint of pleading. This feeling of a slave rising up to sing a song of triumph was even more satisfying than spending a hundred thousand dollars in a single night.

Once you ignored me, now you can't afford to reach me!

Susan crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her curves into a steep slope. With a very "green tea" expression on her face, she hummed, "Hmph, the boss said he doesn't have family like you!"

The Aremus family was furious upon hearing this, but the Umbrella Corporation was simply too wealthy; they had to swallow their anger.

If they could persuade Duncan to sell the company, they could take the world's greatest fortune and do whatever they wanted!

No matter how they begged or pleaded, Susan would not soften; on the contrary, she only felt more and more delighted.

In the end, the Aremus family realized that Duncan truly did not want to see them. They cursed him for being heartless in front of the company gates before finally leaving.

Duncan slept from noon until the next morning. Having fully recovered his energy, he woke up in the large new bed, washed up, and went downstairs.

He had intended to drive to the company himself, but he didn't expect three cars to be waiting for him at the entrance of the villa.

Having just taken over such a large company, he was still a bit unaccustomed to it, and his aura hadn't quite caught up yet.

"Good morning, boss." In the second black sedan, Natasha offered a smile that hid a dagger.

Beyond this eerie smile, her face showed a fair amount of exhaustion; processing the paperwork had ravaged her spirit.

Steve, in the passenger seat, looked quite energetic. The short-term job Duncan had arranged for him was excellent, helping him rediscover the feeling of being a soldier.

Ignoring Natasha's piercing gaze, Duncan naturally pulled open the back door and sat inside.

The three cars started and drove toward the Umbrella Corporation building.

After the cars had driven for a distance, Steve looked at the scenery outside the window and said, "This world no longer needs us. We should go back. The remnants of Hydra haven't been wiped out yet, and the battles in that world still need us."

"Right!" Natasha immediately chimed in.

Duncan nodded slightly and sighed, "It is indeed time to say goodbye. Although it's only been six days, you really helped me a lot. It wasn't easy for you to come here, so I'll have my secretary prepare some local specialties for you!"

The temp workers' contracts were up, and he felt a bit reluctant. Both were talents that Umbrella desperately needed, and their remaining value hadn't been fully exploited yet.

"It seems the next time we meet might be a long time from now. There are enough things to deal with here, and I won't have time to go to your side until the transfer warehouse is built."

Natasha and Steve repeatedly said they would host him if he came over. They didn't refuse the local specialties; after all, Umbrella was simply too wealthy, and no matter how expensive something was, it meant nothing to Umbrella.

After chatting about some work trifles, Duncan remembered something and asked Steve, "Have you seen Alice? What do you think of her?"

Steve recalled the blonde woman he had seen in the training grounds yesterday afternoon. Her expression had looked a bit blank (the occasional confusion that surfaced after losing her memory). "She's quite good... her personality is a bit strong, and her combat skills are also very good."

"I have another small request. I want her to join you for training temporarily. You can take her with you to fight Hydra," Duncan said, stating his goal. He wanted Alice to undergo advanced training among the Avengers and learn a full set of skills before returning to be his personal bodyguard.

Only by learning from Steve could she develop the super-constitution granted to her by the T-virus.

Compared to Steve's Super Soldier Serum, the strengthening effect of the T-virus was slightly weaker in terms of raw power, but its regenerative ability was definitely stronger than Steve's.

Even if all her cells died, she could repair herself through the T-virus. It was equivalent to saying that as long as her body remained, Alice could resurrect infinitely.

Such a request left Steve puzzled. He turned his head and asked, "Why?"

Natasha, who was driving, was also surprised. She had also seen Alice. The first time she saw her, she felt like a newborn baby, always looking at her surroundings with curious, probing eyes.

In that mental state, joining them to fight Hydra didn't seem very appropriate.

Duncan didn't hide anything and told them everything about Alice, point by point.

Upon learning that Alice was actually a clone of Alicia, whom they had seen in the Hive underground base, Natasha and Steve were both shocked.

Duncan's acting became more and more refined. He wore a complex expression as he looked at the bustling traffic of Raccoon City. "She is my employee, and I feel some empathy for her... Forget it, I will tell her the truth later. If she is willing, I will hand her over to you."

Wait a minute! We haven't even agreed yet! You've said it to this point, how are we supposed to respond?

Natasha and Steve were both deep in thought. A moment later, they didn't really mind. In any case, a super soldier joining the Avengers would bring fresh blood to their not-so-abundant group.

Having one more person to help wasn't a bad thing, and there was nothing troublesome about it.

Moreover, Duncan had also said that Umbrella's biotechnology could allow her to resurrect as long as her body remained intact after death. Fighting Hydra required more super soldiers.

The journey passed quickly in idle chatter, and they settled quite a few things in the car.

Two days later, Natasha and Steve would leave. If Alice was willing, the two could take her to the Marvel universe and have her temporarily join the Avengers.

After Duncan entered the company, Natasha and Steve left the group, planning to wander around Raccoon City as a vacation.

Sitting in the elevator and walking into his current office, Duncan looked at the neatly arranged documents on the desk and nodded with satisfaction. When he opened the files and saw the suggestions and notes on the sticky notes inside, he was even more satisfied.

Natasha's work ability was indeed outstanding; she was just too capable!

Looking at the other one...

Susan placed a cup of coffee on the desk, still holding a tablet in her hand. She was wearing a slim-fit lady's suit, her black silk-clad hips swaying under her skirt, and a fawning smile on her pretty face.

Her work ability was very ordinary. She certainly couldn't take office and handle massive amounts of information and complex documents immediately, so Duncan had handed the tablet to her. The tablet was just a carrier; the one actually processing the documents inside was the Red Queen.

"Boss, the governor's secretary just called, saying he wants to see you. Should I agree?"

Susan spoke cautiously, afraid of displeasing her temperamental boss.