Yin Kuang's bright eyes swept over Li Shuangmu, Wang Ning, and Zeng Fei before he spoke again. "I'll say it again: I've already laid out the plan. Whether you go along with it is up to you. Either way... I'm doing this!!" Yin Kuang gritted his teeth. "If you're unwilling, I'm willing to trade all my Study Points and my Comprehensive Evaluation for this dog. You've already gotten Mary's blood, after all. This dog is no longer valuable to you."
"How is it no longer valuable?" Wang Ning asked.
Li Shuangmu glanced at Wang Ning. Perhaps he was exhausted; his eyes were slightly narrowed as he replied matter-of-factly, "Of course it's no longer valuable! Do you think the Headmaster would be so kind as to give us such a generous gift? Otherwise, he wouldn't have given us Mary's blood directly—fresh blood from her heart, no less. He would've just let us draw it ourselves. This dog is useless to us, but it's extremely valuable to Umbrella Corporation for research!"
Wang Ning nodded in sudden realization.
"Well? Are you in or not?" Yin Kuang pressed.
Yin Kuang could already feel the killing intent coming from behind him. He didn't want to waste another moment.
Zeng Fei couldn't help asking, "Yin Kuang, why are you so determined to go after those mercenaries? Just because they're a threat to us?"
"...They're not just a threat. They'll definitely kill us to avenge their fallen comrades!" Yin Kuang said. "Unless we can find Senior Xiong Ba as soon as possible and drag him into this as a shield. That might get us out of trouble for a while. But don't forget, Senior Xiong Ba is even harder to deal with than the mercenaries! If we offend the mercenaries, all we have to do is survive until we leave this scenario. But if we offend Senior Xiong Ba..."
Cold sweat beaded on Zeng Fei and Wang Ning's foreheads. Zeng Fei was especially unnerved by his earlier idea of bringing Xiong Ba in as a shield.
It was clear that they had accepted Yin Kuang's reasoning.
"...Besides, if you really don't want to come, just give me the Guide Dog. Once I get the T-Virus Serum, I'll give you some too. Even if I fail, you won't lose anything. But if I succeed, you'll get a sample of pure T-Virus Serum. How about it?"
Zeng Fei and Wang Ning exchanged glances. As far as they were concerned, Yin Kuang had gone mad.
Wang Ning thought it over, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "Sorry, I'm still not going. There must be other ways to get the T-Virus Serum. Take the Guide Dog if you want. If you succeed, I don't need you to give me any serum. You'll have earned it."
Zeng Fei sighed. "I'm sorry, Yin Kuang. I'm... a little tired. So... even though your plan seems very likely to work, it involves Umbrella Corporation... This is a situation we simply can't control."
At last, Yin Kuang turned to Li Shuangmu.
Before Li Shuangmu could speak, Qian Qianqian spoke up first. "Li... Shuangmu, don't go. It's far too dangerous. Besides..." She looked toward Yin Kuang.
Besides, wasn't he going to draw the mercenaries' attention? That would keep them safe, so there was no need for them to take the risk.
She kept those words to herself.
Though she didn't say them aloud, Wang Ning and the others understood what she meant.
Indeed, since Yin Kuang had decided to take on the mercenaries, whether he succeeded or failed, it would benefit Wang Ning and the others without costing them anything.
If he succeeded, he would eliminate the mercenaries and remove a major threat.
If he failed, the mercenaries' attention would still be drawn to Yin Kuang, buying them time to escape.
So Zeng Fei and the others, who had been somewhat hesitant before, now had no reason at all to accept Yin Kuang's plan.
Li Shuangmu watched Yin Kuang, deep in thought. Why do I get the feeling Yin Kuang doesn't want us to take part in his plan? Otherwise, he'd never have said that. I refuse to believe someone as clever as him can't see the pros and cons. We're only worried about the mercenaries ambushing us, yet he seems eager to draw their attention... What is he really up to?
For a moment, Li Shuangmu truly didn't know what to decide.
Yin Kuang watched Li Shuangmu nervously, too.
Not because he hoped Li Shuangmu would agree, but because he hoped he would refuse!
"There isn't much time, Li Shuangmu. What's your decision?" Yin Kuang urged.
In the end, Li Shuangmu shook his head and smiled ruefully. "Look at me. I don't even have the strength to lift a hand, let alone shoot anyone."
It was a roundabout way of refusing.
Yin Kuang sighed and smiled bitterly. "Looks like we'll have to go our separate ways."
"Yin Kuang..." Zeng Fei said anxiously. Though he was afraid of the mercenaries' revenge too, he didn't want to use Yin Kuang as a shield. They had just fought side by side, after all, and he couldn't bear to do it.
Wang Ning cut in first. "Yin Kuang, think it over carefully. Don't do anything stupid. There are plenty of other ways to get the T-Virus. They might not be as pure as Umbrella Corporation's, but with Mary's blood, you'd still have a good chance of successfully getting T-Virus enhancements. Besides, the mercenaries might not find us. You really don't need to take this risk."
Yin Kuang glanced at Wang Ning, then said, "Wang Ning, thank you for your concern. But I've made up my mind."
Wang Ning looked at Yin Kuang, then let out a quiet sigh. "If you've already made up your mind, I won't try to talk you out of it. Be careful. I found this grenade on one of the mercenaries I killed. Take it. It might save your life in a pinch."
"Thanks." Yin Kuang took the grenade.
Wang Ning watched him tuck the grenade into his pocket, thinking to himself, Since you're choosing to get yourself killed... don't blame me.
Zeng Fei said, "I have a Quick-Acting Heart Pill here. It can restore 10 points of health. I hope it helps. Sigh, I really don't want you to take this risk. Take the dog, then. We have no use for it anyway."
"But there are some things I have to do!" Yin Kuang looked at them and said, "Thank you, Zeng Fei. I'll repay your kindness someday, if I get the chance."
Li Shuangmu said, "Well... I don't have anything good left on me either. All I can do is wish you a safe journey."
"Mm."
Finally, Yin Kuang looked at Qian Qianqian and said, "Thanks for treating my wounds earlier."
"N-no problem. It was nothing. Don't give it a second thought." Qian Qianqian blushed and lowered her head.
Yin Kuang smiled, then jumped down from the car and lifted the black Labrador, Mary, out of the trunk. "Well, I guess we might not see each other again until this scenario is over. Take care, everyone."
"You too," Zeng Fei said.
"I honestly don't know what to say to you... Sigh, take care," Wang Ning said.
"Be careful," Li Shuangmu said.
Qian Qianqian just watched him with her big eyes, unable to say what was on her mind.
Yin Kuang let out a quiet sigh. "Until we meet again."
With that, he bent down, scooped Mary up in his arms, and headed back the way he had come. Then he slipped into a dark alley.
"Let's get going," Wang Ning said to Zeng Fei as he watched Yin Kuang disappear into the alley.
"Mm."
The car started up. It threaded its way through the narrow gaps between the abandoned cars littering the road and drove off into the distance.
Li Shuangmu suddenly opened his eyes. "Tell me... why was Yin Kuang so determined to kill those mercenaries? He's just an ordinary person, after all. He can't even use a gun. What does he think he can rely on? And don't you find it strange? Yin Kuang was so generous about drawing the mercenaries' attention. We're not even that close to him."
"Now that you mention it..." Wang Ning said, suddenly finding it strange too. "Do you mean Yin Kuang has some hidden scheme?"
"A scheme? I doubt it," Zeng Fei said.
"I think so too," Li Shuangmu said. "He might not have a scheme against us, but he's definitely hiding something from us. And it must be something very important. What could it be?"
"Could it be that dog?" Wang Ning exclaimed.
Li Shuangmu shot him a glance. "Stop thinking about that dog. I told you, it's useless. I touched it myself, and the Headmaster's prompt said, 'Special creature. Use not permitted.' Do you think I'd be stupid enough to casually give away something whose value is beyond measure?"
Wang Ning smiled awkwardly. "Then what is Yin Kuang hiding from us? And Li Shuangmu's right—what is he relying on to take on those elite mercenaries?"
"This is too complicated. I guess only Yin Kuang knows," Zeng Fei said with a bitter smile.
Wang Ning looked back at the dark street and sneered inwardly. Yin Kuang, you brought all this on yourself... You can't blame anyone else. I don't know what secrets you're hiding, but it doesn't matter anymore. Hmph. What's mine isn't so easy to take.
***
Yin Kuang emerged from the darkness and watched the car gradually disappear into the sea of abandoned vehicles beneath the night sky. He sighed. "I'm sorry... The truth is, I'm not a good person. And don't take me for a fool... If I get the chance, I'll repay you someday."
With that, he casually tossed away the grenade Wang Ning had given him and Zeng Fei's Quick-Acting Heart Pill. "No matter how good something is, I can't feel safe using it if it doesn't belong to me."
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