It Was All a Coincidence

At the Umbrella Corporation's temporary base, Dr. Ashford stared blankly at the idiot on the surveillance screen, unsure of what to say.

Dr. Ashford is the inventor of the T-Virus. His initial motivation for developing the virus stemmed from a family history of paralysis, a condition that plagued his family as they aged.

Dr. Ashford was already paralyzed, but he didn't want his daughter Angela to repeat the tragedy, so he overcame many difficulties and found a way to strengthen the human body— the T-Virus.

After his daughter was cured, the Umbrella Corporation came knocking on his door, and from then on, Dr. Ashford became an important asset of the Umbrella Corporation.

The T-Virus was rampant, and Dr. Ashford and other scientists were taken away from Raccoon City ahead of time. Due to an accident, his daughter Angela was left behind in the lockdown area.

The doctor, obsessed with his daughter and a typical doting father, sought help from his supervisor Kane, but was refused. So he devised his own way and contacted the survivors in the city through the surveillance equipment.

He knew Alice was a special individual infected by the virus, possessing formidable fighting power, and was the most likely person to rescue his daughter. He just hadn't expected the person who answered the phone...

Dr. Ashford patted his face and dialed the number again. He had to get in touch with Alice no matter what.

At the weapons shop, Alice frowned as she answered the phone. The caller specifically asked for her, so she decided to listen to what the other party had to say.

"I am Ashford. I can help you escape Raccoon City, but first we have to make a deal." Dr. Ashford took the initiative, giving Alice a bargaining chip she couldn't refuse.

"What deal?"

"Go to Raccoon City High School, and bring my daughter with you..."

"..."

A moment later, Alice hung up the phone, her face grave. "Everyone, we're in trouble!"

The virus outbreak in Raccoon City has spiraled out of control. In order to cover up the truth and maintain its righteous image, the Umbrella Corporation has decided to launch a nuclear attack to make money.

A highly accurate tactical nuclear Negasonic Teenage Warhead will descend at dawn to stop the spread of the virus and destroy all related evidence. The reason has been prepared: claim it's a nuclear power plant reactor leak, an accident that led to the tragedy.

Russell nodded. "Sigh, they're blaming the nuclear power plant again. Don't they know that nuclear reactors are extremely stable?"

His complaints were ignored by everyone, Alice continued, "Ashford also brought us bad news. He checked the nearby surveillance footage and found that at least four Lickers are following us. Everyone, please be careful when you move around."

Upon hearing the name "Licker," Jill and Payton both felt a chill run down their spines, but Russell remained unfazed, patting his M4A1 on the shoulder. "It's alright, we have automatic weapons, we don't need to fear the Licker anymore."

Jill and Payton's expressions improved, while Alice looked at Russell with suspicion. "Father, if I may be so bold, are you carrying something strange?"

Why do you say that?

"Excuse me!"

Alice frowned, strode forward, raised Russell's hands, and then patted him from head to toe, finding nothing suspicious.

Russell blushed, feeling quite embarrassed, and said shyly, "Um, should we check it again more carefully?"

Alice's face immediately darkened. She rolled her eyes and turned to leave the weapon shop, with Jill supporting Terry as they followed closely behind, the two sleazy duo bringing up the rear.

After being given simple bandages, Payton was able to move on his own. Although he couldn't run fast, he no longer needed Russell's help and had become a fighting force.

The group found a car with the keys in the ignition on the main road. The two strong women sat in the front, while the three weaklings sat in the back. Jill, the local bully, drove them to Raccoon City High School.

"Buddy, you might not believe it, but I feel like the wound doesn't hurt anymore..."

Payton wore a grief-stricken expression, as if his father had just died. The fact that the zombie bite wound didn't hurt was not something to be happy about; it only meant that he was not far from becoming a zombie himself.

Russell scrutinized Payton for three seconds and said seriously, "But I'm sorry, you're too dark-skinned. I can't see any changes in your face."

Payton: "..."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by Alice in the passenger seat. She turned around and stared at Payton a few times.

The closer you are to the infected zombie, the more obvious the infected's disease characteristics become.

First, the infected person's face is pale, like a grayish-white corpse; second, the area under the eyes is black, with a large amount of blood stasis that cannot be dissipated; third, the carotid arteries are varicose, and the blood vessels can be clearly seen to be compressed and black; finally, the person is mentally exhausted and drowsy, and occasionally rolls their eyes several times.

Alice scrutinized Payton closely; the latter was jet black and shiny. The first three symptoms were indistinguishable to the naked eye, but as for the fourth...

Payton was incessantly talking, occasionally throwing in a Black slang term; he was intelligent and had more energy than anyone else.

On the contrary, female reporter Terry had shown all the symptoms to varying degrees and collapsed in the back row, drowsy.

The female reporter was bitten only once, and not for long, yet she was already near death. Meanwhile, Payton had already been infected with the virus three or four hours earlier, and was bitten several more times while passing through the cemetery; there's no reason his symptoms should be milder Terry's.

Alice's pupils contracted sharply. She detected an infection in Payton, but the infection was weakening compared to when it first started.

In other words, Payton defeated the T-Virus and developed antibodies in his body.

Miracle or human intervention?

Suddenly, Alice connected the dots with the Lickers who were following them. Clues flashed through her mind, and she looked at Russell with an incredibly strange expression. She felt completely uneasy.

"Alice! Alice..."

The call woke Alice, and before her stood Russell, who looked embarrassed. He said awkwardly, "Alice, your gaze is too blatant. I know, it's all because I'm too attractive to women, but with so many people watching, you should be more reserved."

Alice: "..."

"How about... we park at the hotel up ahead for two hours, then go in and talk privately?"

"No!"

Alice sat back in the passenger seat with a dark expression, thinking to herself that she had been overthinking things and that it was all just a coincidence!

After driving for twenty minutes, the overpass became congested and they could not proceed any further, so the men grabbed their weapons, got out of the car, and started walking.

As they walked, Alice, who was at the front, suddenly reached out to signal them to stop. A feeling of unease came from under the bridge, and she hurriedly called for everyone to find cover.

"Damn it, I didn't see anything," Payton complained to Russell and Jill, who were hiding behind a taxi with Terry on his back.

Russell shook his head in agreement. "I didn't see anything either, but Alice is so amazing, she must have discovered something."

As they were talking, a mutated zombie that was over two meters tall and extremely strong appeared under the bridge. It had exposed fangs, wrinkled skin, and traces of artificial stitching on its face.

Most outrageously, he was armed with firearms in both hands: a multi-barrel rotary cannon in his left hand and Rocket in his right, fully loaded with ammunition, making his firepower incredibly powerful.

"It's the pursuers! Run! Get out of here right now!"

Alice shouted and jumped off the overpass, buying time for everyone to escape. Jill and Payton didn't hesitate either; seeing that the pursuers were carrying Rocket, they turned and ran without a word.

At the Umbrella Corporation's temporary base on the other side, Director Kane was filled with excitement. He had been waiting for most of the night, and the show was finally about to begin.

"Everyone, this is the moment we've been waiting for. Nemesis Program has been fully launched!"

"Sir, seven Lickers have been detected nearby, which could potentially affect the operation..." A monitoring officer looked puzzled. "The Lickers' behavior is strange; they shouldn't be here!"

Supervisor Kane frowned, praying that the plan wouldn't go wrong. Just then, the monitoring personnel reported again, "Sir, the Lickers have left. Their target was the four people who escaped."

"Four people?"

"Yes, two elite officers from the Special Tactics and Rescue Team, a female reporter, and a priest... However, according to the information, he should be unemployed."

"Heh, they're just small fry. Ignore them and let the Lickers have a good meal!"

Supervisor Kane didn't think much of it; there weren't many survivors left in Raccoon City, so it was normal for the Lickers to chase them.