Jill

This special banquet was held simply to build rapport, paving the way for recruiting an otherworldly vanguard from the police force in the future.

Compared to the military, police are closer to everyday life while still maintaining combat capability. If they were to encounter a modern society like the Marvel world while exploring a new world, they would be able to gather far more clues.

Cultivating talent is not as efficient as poaching it directly. Duncan felt that the special squad established by the Raccoon City Police Department was quite good. Their combat effectiveness was even stronger than the ordinary soldiers trained by the Umbrella Corporation security firm. It was a special operations squad formed by the chief of the Raccoon City Police Department for his own youthful dreams, and every member was an elite.

The key is that the squad members have clean backgrounds; as long as he can win them over, loyalty will not be an issue.

He had originally considered using clone soldiers, but the combat effectiveness and on-the-spot adaptability of absolutely loyal clones are significantly weakened due to cost-cutting measures.

The clone army that appeared in Star Wars consisted of hundreds of thousands of soldiers who had truly experienced the complete growth process from embryo to child to adult. Their learning experiences were real, and their skills were etched into their muscle memory.

However, the clones of the Umbrella Corporation are matured using the T-virus and then have partial memories implanted. Their combat ability is mediocre, and they often become rigid when dealing with problems that require flexible responses.

They even need to think for a while to answer addition problems under one hundred, so they can only be used as pathfinders and cannon fodder.

High-quality clones require two to three years to cultivate; rather than doing that, it is better to use trained ordinary people.

After finishing the mutual flattery with the police chief, Duncan stood in the center of the hall and, following tradition, read a party opening speech.

Holding a glass of wine high, he took a deep breath and said to the police officers who had quieted down around him: "Tonight, please forget your worries and let loose! You are the vanguard guarding the safety of the citizens of Raccoon City, and today, you are the protagonists!"

The audio equipment in the banquet hall began to run, the soft lights disappeared, replaced by flashing colored lights, and the music playing was brought over from the Marvel world, never having appeared in Resident Evil.

Drawing on the techniques from the many parties Tony had held, the police officers, who were initially a bit reserved, gradually opened up under the stimulation of the music and alcohol, quickly mingling and joking with their colleagues.

Americans are always particularly obsessed with parties and banquets. Perhaps some people might not like loud music, but once truly immersed in this atmosphere, few can remain unaffected.

Duncan stayed in a corner of the hall, not disturbing their fun. He was one of the few who didn't like the noise, and if he joined in, it would only make this group of police officers feel uncomfortable.

Dancing, music, and alcohol are the three elements that make people happy.

The police officers tasted them all. The control of the atmosphere by the top DJ invited from New York kept the police immersed in the party vibe throughout.

During this time, the police chief saw Duncan standing alone in the corner just drinking. Seeming afraid that he might be unhappy, he came over to pull Duncan into the dancing and socializing.

Duncan cooperated with the police chief for a bit, then used a bathroom break to escape. When he returned to the hall, there was one more person where he had originally been standing—a woman.

Jill raised her glass to toast Duncan, took a sip of wine, and smiled gently.

In reality, she was very resistant inside because the chief had asked her, the department's "beauty cop," to accompany the wealthy benefactor. Although he didn't say it explicitly, he gave enough hints, and this implication made her feel disgusted.

However, she had no choice but to come because she loved her job as a police officer and didn't want to lose it.

Jill Valentine. Duncan had always felt she possessed a wild beauty, like an untamable leopard.

Although she was smiling on her face, Duncan could see the reluctance and resistance within. Perhaps it was some of the chief's little tricks.

Since she had been delivered to him, he couldn't just ignore it. He might as well try to win her over and see if he could poach her into the Umbrella Corporation.

Duncan walked toward Jill, picked up a glass of wine from the table, and gestured for a toast.

Clink!

The slight sound of the glasses colliding was not obvious in the hall filled with happy music.

The two drank the wine in their glasses.

Duncan said his name loudly: "Duncan!"

"Jill! Jill Valentine!" Jill also stated her name, then said: "Thank you for the party; we are all very happy tonight!"

The surrounding music was too loud, making this an unsuitable place for conversation. Duncan looked at Jill, poked his thumb toward a small door behind him, and shouted: "Want to go out for some air?"

Hearing this, Jill thought for a moment. She caught a glimpse of her teammate Peyton looking over, made a subtle gesture, and then agreed to go out for air.

Duncan, who had not received professional training, did not notice Jill's small movement, and even if he had, he wouldn't have cared.

The two left the party together and walked all the way to the hotel balcony. They placed the wine glasses they hadn't finished on a small table on the balcony.

Many people like to catch the breeze and chat on hotel balconies, so hotels provide small tables and chairs there.

Duncan and Jill left the noisy party and stood on the balcony. Once hit by the breeze, the low-alcohol fruit wine brought a lingering aftertaste, and their bodies began to radiate heat, making the night wind even more comfortable.

Looking at the lights that had never faded in Raccoon City, Duncan initiated the conversation: "Are you satisfied with tonight's party?"

Jill was also enjoying the cool chill brought by the night wind. Not forgetting the task the chief had given her to keep the benefactor happy, she joked: "If I answer that I'm satisfied, will there be a second party as great as this one?"

"One can never have too many parties, because a party means life is comfortable. The prerequisite for comfort is stability, and comfort combined with stability equals happiness. No one would not want this kind of plain happiness to continue forever." Duncan's tone was profound, hiding a question in his words, enticing others to ask.

The angler's bait had fallen. Jill was like a fish biting the hook. Her solid professional training and the vigilance that had never faded made her ask involuntarily: "I don't quite understand, who wouldn't want a peaceful life?"

The fish was hooked; let the line out gently, one must not be too impatient.

Duncan shook his head, took a deep breath, and exhaled. His profound voice changed, and he looked at Jill with a smile: "Let's talk about something more formal. Are you interested in working for the Umbrella Corporation? The current Umbrella is very short of security personnel with sufficient professional knowledge. To prevent the last crisis from happening again, Umbrella must have a more mature security team!"

The application to recruit more security department personnel had already passed the joint review. The Umbrella Corporation is a multinational monopoly, and the expansion of armed security must be approved by the departments of various countries.

The preliminary review had just passed two days ago, and the limit on the number of armed personnel the Umbrella Corporation could possess had been relaxed, increasing from the original one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand.