Save One If You Can [Seeking Follow-up, Seeking Collection]

"Sorry, Mr. Ren. It's not that we meant to ignore your advice. It's just that this is our mission."

The captain spoke with a hint of apology.

"How is that not ignoring advice?"

Ren Ze shook his head helplessly. He wasn't some saint; there was no way he could save everyone!

Alice watched Ren Ze's expression, then gently tugged on his arm. She tilted her head as she looked at him, seeming to say with her eyes, I believe you.

"Sorry, Mr. Ren. I know you mean well. Maybe you're one of the company's higher-ups and know classified information that we don't. But I hope you can understand—our mission comes first. It is the reason we exist!"

After saying that, he took his weapon and cautiously entered the laser corridor.

Walking through the pitch-black laser corridor, the captain paid close attention to every change around him with each step.

When he reached the middle of the laser corridor, the previously dark passage suddenly lit up, startling the captain into immediately raising his guard.

"Relax, it's just the automatic lighting!"

Kaplan explained through his earpiece as he watched the captain crouch on the ground and vigilantly scan his surroundings.

"Whew!" Letting out a soft breath, the captain continued forward cautiously. Upon reaching the end, he pressed a palm-sized data analyzer against the coded door.

Kaplan began operating the three computers before him.

As the passwords were cracked one by one, Kaplan said proudly, "Done!"

Then he raised his head to look at Ren Ze, his face brimming with pride. "Mr. Ren, artificial intelligence isn't really that impressive. You've seen what I can do."

"Enough chatter!"

Annoyed by Kaplan's incessant babbling, the captain cut him off. Then he ordered the others through his earpiece, "Bring the equipment in. Let's get this damned mission over with!"

Upon hearing the captain's words, the two team members carrying the equipment were just about to enter when a red light suddenly lit up on the surveillance camera in the corner.

The instant he saw the red light, Ren Ze stopped the two men and shouted at the captain, "Get back, now!"

Ren Ze had just realized that, given the crisis in the Swallowed Star World, he might face an assassination attempt the instant he returned. He reckoned he would need at least War God-level strength before going back to survive that ordeal.

And aside from Zombies, monsters, and some bizarre technology, this lousy Resident Evil World would not do much to improve his strength. To reach War God-level power, he feared he would need to train for years!

If he had to survive in this damned biohazard world for more than a year, the more help he had, the better. Ideally, he needed his own squad—or even his own force. Otherwise, even getting a good night's sleep would be nothing but a luxury.

These team members were elites among ordinary people. It would be far too wasteful to watch them die like this. If he saved them, perhaps he could gain a team loyal to him in the future apocalypse!

Hearing Ren Ze's shout, the captain immediately turned around. The door to the main control room, which had just opened, was rapidly closing. He hurried toward the corridor entrance, but before he had even made it halfway, the entrance door automatically shut as well.

Seeing that he had been trapped inside the corridor, the captain subconsciously swallowed. He did not dare imagine what the lasers Ren Ze had mentioned would be like.

"Kaplan, what's going on?"

As he guarded against the incoming laser beams, the captain questioned Kaplan through his earpiece.

"I... I don't know. It looks like some kind of dormant defense mechanism!"

Kaplan was panicking as well. This had caught him completely off guard.

Remembering how Ren Ze had just warned him about danger, Kaplan immediately turned and pleaded with Ren Ze, "Mr. Ren, please save the captain! I was careless just now. This is all because of my arrogance—it's my fault. Mr. Ren, you have a way to save him, don't you?"

Looking at the flustered, pleading Kaplan, Ren Ze frowned. "Kaplan, you need to calm down. You're the only one who can save the captain. I'll do my best to buy him some time, but I can't hold it off for long. Medic! Give me your earpiece!"

As he spoke, he ran to the corridor door and stared through its glass window at the situation inside.

Hearing Ren Ze say this, Kaplan stopped hesitating. Taking a deep breath, he turned back and focused on cracking the Red Queen's defense mechanism.

"Get down! Get down, quickly!"

Seeing through the glass that the first beam had activated, Ren Ze directed the captain through the earpiece.

Inside the laser corridor, after the first laser beam ended, the second wave rose from the floor.

Seeing this through the window, Ren Ze shouted through the earpiece, "Grab the ventilation duct above you! Press your body flat against the ceiling!"

Without hesitation, the captain jumped up and grabbed the crossbar of the vent above the laser corridor. His entire body clung to the ceiling like a gecko!

Sure enough, the beam that had been at his feet suddenly rose the next moment, slicing past his back. The titanium alloy dagger on his body was cut cleanly in half by the laser beam.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the titanium alloy blade lying on the floor in two pieces, the captain immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Soon, another white laser appeared from the direction of the Red Queen's main control room's coded door.

"Back up, quickly! Press yourself against the door on my side!"

Ren Ze shouted. Whether the captain could evade this one depended on his luck and whether Kaplan could come through.

The captain kept backing up. As he reached the door, the entire beam instantly transformed into countless net-like beams and shot straight toward him.

"Hell!"

The captain stared despairingly at the approaching web of beams. Unless he turned into a fly, there was no way he could slip through them. Otherwise...

Just as the captain gave up struggling and prepared to await death, Kaplan's heavenly voice came through the earpiece.

"Done!"

The net-like beams, which had nearly reached him and whose heat he could already feel, dissipated. The door opened.

After narrowly escaping death, the captain immediately ran out, then collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. Even now, his hands were still trembling uncontrollably.

It could be said that if he had been one second later, he would have been sliced into countless pieces!

"My God!"

Seeing that the captain had narrowly escaped with his life, everyone rushed excitedly to his side, thanking God over and over.

"You should be thanking me, not God!"

Ren Ze looked at Kaplan and said, "Your arrogance just now nearly got your captain killed."

"Yes, I admit I was too arrogant just now. I never expected the dormant defense mechanism you mentioned to be so terrifying!"

Kaplan nodded shamefully, then looked at Ren Ze and said earnestly, "You may not know this, but the members of our assault team have been together for years. We've been through many battles and hardships, and our bond has long since become very deep."

"So, Mr. Ren, I owe you one!"

Kaplan looked at Ren Ze and spoke with utmost sincerity.

"So do I!"

With Kaplan's support, the captain stood up from the floor. He then looked at Ren Ze with a bitter smile. "Mr. Ren, call me James. If it weren't for you, I definitely wouldn't have held on until Kaplan cracked the defense mechanism!"

"Let's talk after we get out alive."

Ren Ze did not become complacent just because he had gained the squad's goodwill. This was only the appetizer; the real excitement was still to come.

"Let's go in. The passage is safe now."

Seeing that everyone was still somewhat hesitant after the recent scare, Ren Ze took the lead and headed toward the Red Queen's main control room.

Ren Ze actually had no desire to shut down the Red Queen. Once she was shut down, those terrifying Zombies and Lickers would all escape. But he was not truly the high-ranking Umbrella Corporation executive they imagined him to be, and the assault team had to complete its mission. Even if he forcibly stopped them from shutting down the Red Queen, Umbrella Corporation would certainly not let the matter rest. Since Pandora's box was bound to be opened sooner or later, he might as well follow the plot for now, while he had already established a certain degree of authority and influence within the team.

Seeing Ren Ze take the lead toward the Red Queen's control room, the others followed closely behind him. After what had just happened, everyone felt that in The Hive, they had better obediently listen to Ren Ze if they wanted to survive.

Without realizing it, Ren Ze had gone from an "prisoner" of unknown identity to the person who truly controlled the entire team.

After entering the control room, everyone began installing the pulse device onto the Red Queen's mainframe.

As they worked, the Red Queen's holographic projection appeared before them.

"Get out, hurry and get out! You can't come in here!"

The Red Queen's projection looked at them and tried to persuade them. "This place is already extremely dangerous. You need to leave immediately!"

"So this is the Red Queen's holographic projection. It really does look convincing!"

Captain James spoke as he installed the electromagnetic pulse device, looking at the Red Queen.

"I do not advise you to do this. Shutting me down will cause the entire underground Hive to lose its main power supply!"

The Red Queen looked at the busy group and continued, "When that happens, all of you will be in danger. Please, do not do this!"

"Ren Ze, I remembered some things, but I still don't remember you. You don't seem to be from Umbrella Corporation, do you?"

Alice, who had been standing to one side, called Ren Ze over. Staring intently into his eyes, she asked in a very serious tone.

Ren Ze looked at Alice, then raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder. Meeting her gaze without backing down, he said sincerely, "Who I am isn't important. But please believe me on one thing, Alice: I won't hurt you!"