Chapter 7

Carlos was obviously shocked when Zheng’s voice appeared in his head. He was doing some things stealthily. It seemed like downloading a name list of people in managerial positions. He also didn’t have a legitimate identity. So he almost fell to the floor when he heard Zheng’s voice.

“Zheng Zha? Your soul can still exist after death with the G virus? Shit. That can’t be real.” He lost his reasons for a moment and murmured about souls.

Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Wait. I am not dead. We are just communicating through our minds. How could I have become a soul? Don’t curse me about dying!”

A while of silence from Carlos. He took several deep breaths and said. “What is this that can send your voice to people’s minds? People who don’t know about this would think you are a ghost. How did you escape? All your comrades and we were knocked unconscious and taken away back then. We escaped afterward and heard people talk about what happened. It seemed like the Corporation nuked the city with nuclear bomb shortly after we escaped. We are certain you didn’t escape at the time.”

Zheng had mixed feelings as he heard about the situation at the time. He wanted to make up some lies but when he came to say it, he sighed. “That’s a very long story.”

Carlos also had mixed feelings. His comrades all died in the city. He was the only one among the mercenaries who lived. Although he met several new comrades afterward, the death of his original group made him feel down.

A moment of silence from both people. Carlos then said. “Zheng, it’s good to hear that you are fine. If we have your help, we can certainly save Alice!”

It was Zheng who was shocked this time. The ending of the second movie that he knew was everyone including Alice boarded the plane. However, the violent wind from the result of the explosion caused the plane to crash. Alice died in that crash. Umbrella Corporation found the remains of the plane and used their technology to revive her. They also tried to erase her memory in order to control her. She miraculously regained her memory the escaped the Corporation’s headquarter with the help of Carlos and his group.

(Right. It isn’t long after the end of the second movie. We entered at the time they are attempting to save Alice. That’s why he mentions this.)

Zheng was still thinking when a stern voice suddenly sounded in his mind. That never changing apathetic voice of God.

“Bonus mission pre-Resident Evil Extinction. Rescue Alice within twenty days. Three members receive a rank B reward and 5000 points. If Alice isn’t rescued in twenty days, or if Alice dies, erase three members at random. Not allowed to obtain plot information about the next movie from the movie characters in any way. Each sentence deducts 100 to 1000 points.”

Zheng was stunned hearing these words. They were both fortunate and unfortunate to receive a bonus mission that wasn’t entirely a team mission. There weren’t many points and rewards but it still totaled to 15000 points and a rank A reward. Furthermore, saving Alice didn’t seem to be a difficult mission based on the original movie. So this bonus mission was basically gifting them points.

(Not allowed to obtain plot information about the next movie from the movie characters in any way. What is the point of this rule?)

As Zheng was still thinking, Carlos said. “Alice died when the plane crashed so we escaped by ourselves. Fortunately, we met…”

Just then, God’s notification of points deducted came through and scared him. If Carlos continued, it would certainly go to the plot of the third movie, which was what God had forbidden. He immediately digressed. “Leave that for later. There are several critical questions right now like do you know where Alice is? How is the security there? What do you need me to do?”

Carlos followed Zheng’s topic and said. “We don’t know much right now. We only know that Alice is undergoing healing within the internal headquarter of the Umbrella Corporation. The healing will take about ten days or more. In the meantime, we can find out where she is and we have enough time to make the rescue plan. What do you think?”

Zheng took a deep breath. “We will have to settle for that. I am on floor forty-one. How much longer are you going to take? It’s better for us to meet and talk face to face afterward. And where is Jill? Gather everyone for a meet up.”

Carlos hesitated for a moment then said. “My task still needs about half an hour. I don’t know how you get up above floor forty-one, but there’s going to be a floor inspection every two hours. The next one is in twenty minutes. If you can’t leave by yourself, why don’t you come to the floor I am on. I have an identity that can get you out of the building.”

Zheng laughed. “No. I can come up here so I naturally have my way to leave. It’s decided then. I will leave this building now and wait for you at the park across. Don’t worry. I can find you.”

“Then Jill and the others will…” Carlos was replying when Zheng cut off the connection.

Zheng dropped himself on the sofa and smiled bitterly. He twirled his hair as he pondered. The bonus mission was hugely different from his expectation and plan. He originally wanted to obtain information about the internals of the Corporation from Carlos, such as where the research base was at, how the security was there, if there was anything to be aware of. Who would have thought that Carlos didn’t tell him anything about those but rather gave him a mission, especially one with a time limit?

“So this was what Xuan meant. Sudden situations can be good or bad. We can’t gain control of how things will develop every time and it can’t always lead to good developments every time. What if we encounter the bad side of things, like if we fail this mission and get our team members killed?” Zheng murmured to himself.

After a long while, he stood up and took off the intercepting device. Then he said to Lan. “Help me scan the offices with a window from floor twenty-nine to twenty. Label the people you can control then just choose one.”

Lan complied. About a minute later, she said. “I have labeled the person I controlled on floor twenty-two. Zheng, is there something on your mind?”

Zheng smiled at her through his mind. He walked over to the window then jumped out. He said to Lan. “Do you think Xuan is important to our team?”

Lan replied affirmatively. “Of course. To be honest, the reason we won’t in Starship Troopers was because we had Xuan in the team. Do you have anything against him? Did something happen between you two again?” She wasn’t overthinking since Xuan and Zheng were almost enemies long ago. They became a team after Zheng slowly grew up to a leader and Xuan revived.

“No. How can that be?” Zheng laughed. He used Geppo again then replied. “It’s not conflicts. I am just feeling worried, a little lost at the future direction of the team. A lot of things are just different means to the same end. So there can’t be a definite right way. Similarly, it applies to the strategy and arrangement of the team’s future. Xuan’s strategies are full of gambles and interests. He considers too little of human nature. These plans are steady in that they proceed accordingly and you either succeed or fail. Our other strategist focuses on changes and variability. He may create miracles in the most desperate situation and he may run into a wall during a moderate situation.”

How Zheng left the building needed not to be said. It didn’t take much effort with the assistance of mind control from Lan. After he lesiurely left, he still had the time to sit down for a cup of coffee with Lan.

After their coffee, Zheng muttered. “Do you think I did the right thing, taking on an unwarranted uncertainty? Even though I have been saying to try our best for more points and rewards and do more bonus missions to close the gap between team Devil and us, but I was reckless this time.”

Lan was spacing out with her coffee in hand. It wasn’t until Zheng asked her a second time before she put down the coffee and laughed. “Well, it isn’t totally reckless since you have your consideration. Getting information from the movie characters, whether the information has to do with bonus missions or our plan, has the opportunity of helping us avoid danger. And working peacefully with movie characters in order to obtain information and help from them is how we are different from team Devil.”

Zheng nodded. “That isn’t wrong but our goal this time is the prototype T virus. We got caught in another mission while we have such a mission. Fortunately, the bonus mission doesn’t conflict with stealing the virus. Otherwise we will either have to abandon the virus in order to save time, or split the team into two groups. If that happens, our strength will decrease and might result in casualties. Perhaps this is the reason Xuan didn’t want me to get in contact with Carlos. Neither the time nor location is suitable. The uncertainty will also hugely affect our team.”

Lan smiled and didn’t follow up. Soft music was playing in the cafe. She seemed to be drowned in the music. She looked so gentle with a slight smile despite listening to the serious topics Zheng was talking about.

“Zheng, have we sat down for a quiet cup of coffee like this before?” Lan suddenly muttered after he was finished talking.

Zheng was surprised. He was concerning the team’s surival. He couldn’t flip his mind around to such a girl’s feeling all of a sudden. It took several seconds for him to understand what Lan meant. He gave a bitter smile and picked up the cup of coffee to relieve this awkwardness.

Lan also took a sip and continued. “It’s been a long time I hadn’t sat down for a drink quietly since I entered this world, epsecially with you. Hehe. I suddenly feel like we are in the real world. This doesn’t seem like a horror movie at all.”

“If there isn’t the T virus or the biohazard, this is the real world for people in this movie.” Zheng sighed as he heard her words. He felt the peaceful atmosphere here and it affected his inner sensation.

Lan smiled. Then she just sat there quietly with Zheng, listening to the soft music. She seemed content. Zheng planned to talk to her about the bonus mission but seeing such serenity from her, he couldn’t utter those words. In the end, he had no choice but to just sit there and listen to the music with her.

Time slowly passed peacefully. When it was almost four in the afternoon, Lan smiled. “He came down from the building. Should we contact him now?”

An afternoon of being lazy was enough for him. He stood up abruptly. “Connect our minds.”

Carlos just left the building and was heading toward the park. Zheng’s voice appeared in his mind. He was obviously prepared this time around. His body paused very slightly then he continued walking normally.

Both sides exclaimed when they met up in an alley. Carlos was going to continue the topic regarding the time after the previous movie but Zheng steered the conversation away on time. He was deducted a few hundred points last time. It would put him in the negative before long if it were to continue.

“Jill and the others are also in this city. They will certainly be happy to know you are fine.” Carlos said with a laugh.

Zheng and Lan looked at each other then said. “Our comrades are also in this city. We want to break into Umbrella Corporation’s research facilities to find something, but we aren’t familiar with the place there. Call Jill and the others over, we can discuss the plan and also to save Alice.”

Carlos agreed. He reminded Zheng of some secrets Umbrella Corporation had in this secret. This was the city they announce the to public as the location of their headquarter so it wouldn’t be strange to have their intelligence agents everywhere. A seemingly normal person on the street or the baristas in a cafe or the patrolling police and maybe even the owner of the inn they were staying in might be the Corporation’s agents.

“That’s an exaggeration but just be careful. From known information, the Corporation is cautious against anyone who knows about the event that happened. Once they discovered any such persons, they will bring the person back to their facilities to undergo brain wash or inject the T virus. There’s probably a hundred Nemesis in the facilities by now.” Carlos sighed then left the alley.

Zheng was feeling fine until these words made him frown. A minute later, he was twirling the hair on his forehead. Lan asked curiously. “What happened? Is Carlos a spy from Umbrella Corporation?”

“No.” Zheng had entered the third stage of the unlocked mode and simulated HongLu. “The problem isn’t Carlos but it’s Xuan. Fuck! Simulating always makes me realize things only after the fact. If it’s HongLu, he would’ve known what Xuan is trying to do. At least I won’t have to feel so risky every time. Getting sold by him and still counting money for him”

That was really curious to Lan and she asked further. “What happened? He didn’t do anything special. We only intercepted the passwords in the building but he didn’t do anything else there.”

“Just because he didn’t do anything proves he’s planning something.”

Zheng pulled the hair on his forehead and smiled bitterly. “I think I get his plan and it was thanks to Carlos. Umbrella Corporation will capture people who know about the incident and bring them to the facilities for brain wash or inject the T virus. Which means the person is going to enter the facilities. This is Xuan’s plan. He wants me to use myself as bait to enter the facilities then obtain the prototype T virus.”

Lan responded. “That can’t be? If that’s what he’s planning, why didn’t he tell you anything? He could have had you expose some traces in the building. Yet, he suggested you not to contact Carlos to avoid further uncertainties. I think he wouldn’t do such a thing?”

Zheng waved his hand. “That won’t be Xuan if he didn’t do this. He includes our team in his calculations. That’s his style. Think about it. Isn’t YinKong the better pick for this operation to obtain the passwords? She’s the perfect person for the task given her sneaking techniques and familiarity with computers.”

The two of them had exited the alley. Zheng called a taxi over. They entered the taxi and he continued over their minds. “However, YinKong couldn’t do the task because she could help Xuan with things regarding the computer. So I ended up having to do it. However, we forgot an important point. What can they do on the computer without the passwords? Even if there’s something to do, it wouldn’t be effective. Xuan rearranged the order of our plan to make me the only person for this task. As a result, I was exposed under the security cameras of the Corporation.”

“He definitely remember what I told him had happened in the second movie. I told the Corporation I was a G virus carrier. They probably really want to capture me. And Xuan knows it.”