Aboard the patrol helicopter, Leon piloted the craft, watching the dark night scenery and feeling the cold night wind rush past, as well as the night sea shimmering under the moonlight. Leon frowned and couldn't help but ask Chris and the other two behind him.
After all, he hadn't even had time to ask before Chris took the lead and ordered the takeoff.
Their destination was actually a Patrol Carrier in the HK Sea Area. This was a very dangerous matter; the waters where another nation's carrier was stationed were under high alert.
Once an unauthorized helicopter or fishing boat was detected entering, warning messages would be sent. If they were identified as an unknown vehicle, what awaited them... would likely be a baptism of fierce artillery fire.
Leon didn't believe the armor of this Patrol Helicopter could withstand 50mm anti-aircraft shells and tracking missiles.
If they were hit even once, they would end up in the sea feeding the sharks. Therefore, Leon asked Chris with a serious and earnest expression.
"There's new trouble, Leon."
"Javier told me that Carla Radames, the leader of the Neo-Umbrella Organization, has built a private C-Virus research base within an Undersea Oil Field Procurement Base in the HK Sea Area, using funds embezzled from the oil field."
"They've developed a massive C-Virus BOW, and it's infectious. If it's released, the Earth's oceans will be contaminated. So, Javier asked us to go and stop it."
"I've already notified that HK Government Patrol Carrier. They will provide us with a Submarine for assistance. We can pilot the Submarine to reach the undersea oil field base. Leon, I hope you can help me later."
"I know you're currently wanted by the US Government. If this incident is resolved, I can have BSAA help you file an appeal. Even if it fails, you'll be able to live safely in countries other than the United States!"
Facing Leon's inquiry, Chris answered truthfully. After all, he was short on manpower, and an elite senior agent like Leon was the best person to help him. Thus, Chris invited him without hesitation; after all, it's easier to get things done with acquaintances.
At the same time, Chris was also aware of the warrant out for Leon, who had been framed by the US Government as the President's Assassin. As a close friend of many years,
Chris naturally knew Leon was being set up. Therefore, as long as this incident could be resolved safely, Chris could actually use his connections to help Leon.
He couldn't guarantee an overturned verdict or a 100% removal of the manhunt, but making Leon a member of BSAA to gain his freedom would be easy.
"Neo-Umbrella Corporation, Carla Radames..."
"Is it that woman who looks exactly like Ada?"
Hearing Chris's explanation, Leon frowned, a hint of hesitation flashing across his weathered face. He certainly knew of the Neo-Umbrella Organization's existence, but he hadn't expected the leader to be Carla, a woman who had plastic surgery to make her face look exactly like Ada's. Given that Carla was associated with that scumbag Simmons,
Leon had no intention of refusing Chris's proposal.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded in agreement, then increased the Patrol Helicopter's throttle, speeding toward the Patrol Carrier on the sea.
"Jake, I'm sorry... for dragging you into this mess. But I will definitely fulfill what I promised you. Here is your reward first."
"If there's any danger, I give you permission to escape on your own first. I won't stop you. After all, you aren't a true member of BSAA."
"Also... regarding your father, Wesker, I'm truly sorry. The two of us were irreconcilable rivals, so one of us had to win. If you ever change your mind, as long as I'm still alive, you can come for my life at any time."
Having secured Leon's assistance, Chris breathed a sigh of relief.
But as he looked at Jake, who remained silent nearby, a rare sense of guilt rose in Chris's heart.
Perhaps knowing the peril of this mission, after some hesitation, Chris pulled out a black card and handed it to Jake while explaining.
He not only granted Jake the right to act freely but also paid the reward in advance. Most importantly, Chris apologized for the matter of Wesker again.
No matter how one looked at it, he had indeed killed a child's father, causing a child to lose a father's love. This was an undeniable fact.
Chris didn't expect to be forgiven by Jake;
he only hoped Jake would let him stop a few more biohazard incidents and save a few more people before letting him die...!
With that, a black bank card was forced into Jake's hand. These were Chris's retirement savings from living frugally over the past few years. It wasn't much, but there was at least a million dollars.
It was a typical amount of savings for a veteran. After all, Chris was law-abiding and had no interest in making money; he lived off BSAA's life insurance and salary.
Every mission involved life-threatening danger.
Chris had only saved this much money by escaping death several times. Without protagonist armor, two or three hundred thousand dollars would probably be Chris's limit. Thus, this profession really didn't make much money; it was barely enough for a comfortable living.
And Chris was well aware of Jake's fondness for money.
He knew Jake had no parents or family and felt extremely insecure, so he could only place his sense of security in money.
Therefore, more money would make Jake feel very at ease.
This money was not just Chris's advance payment but also his apology for killing Wesker. He only hoped this would somewhat soothe Jake's wounded soul.
And the freedom of action was also a safety guarantee Chris gave Jake. Jake hadn't officially joined BSAA and wasn't considered part of their family.
Therefore, Chris had no right to make Jake take risks with him. If danger arose, Chris could allow himself to die here,
but he wouldn't allow Jake to die here. He deserved a better life.
Just like the recruits he had looked after in the Edonia Republic, Chris didn't want a repeat of those events.
But unfortunately, Chris was being a bit too gentle.
Jake was a strong young man. Having survived a miserable childhood to the present, his heart had long been tempered to be very resilient.
He liked money, yes, but he never took it against his conscience. He took exactly what was agreed upon.
As for Wesker...
To be honest, when he first heard that Chris had killed his father, Jake was indeed very angry.
But after learning his father was a bastard and about his mother's selfish behavior, Jake felt quite indifferent toward Wesker's death.
After all, Wesker didn't even know of his existence as an illegitimate son. What right did he have to go around shouting about avenging Wesker? It was simply impossible...!
"Chris, I'll take the black card, but I only take the amount of reward I'm owed. Besides... Wesker was a bastard. My father's death has nothing to do with you."
"Finally... if something happens, I won't run away. Just like back in the Edonia Republic, I'll rescue you and this sour-faced guy next to you. Got it?"
To this,
Jake spoke those words with a serious expression after taking the black card. His originally arrogant face appeared exceptionally determined and earnest.
This caused the previously worried Chris to smile with relief.
Although Wesker was a bastard, it had to be admitted that his son was quite good—excellent, capable, and responsible.
Of course, one person's joy is another's sorrow.
Chris and Jake were in high spirits, while Piers, who had been called'sour-faced,' looked quite displeased. He was just cold and serious, not actually making a sour face at everyone.
But not wanting to argue with a hoodlum like Jake, Piers could only huff in a self-important, tsundere way to express his dissatisfaction.
...
Meanwhile—
At the Lanxiang City Biological Research Institute,
Ada was currently engaged in a battle of wits and courage with the spore queen, Carla. Facing the vast and empty research Institute,
Carla didn't hesitate to immediately release a large number of her spore clones to capture Ada, determined to find her even if she had to dig three feet into the ground.
Pale white figures wandered everywhere in the dark research Institute. If this were filmed as a horror movie, it could definitely scare someone to death.
And as luck would have it,
Ada was startled once. While she was busy operating the smart devices to hack the research Institute's surveillance, she was caught by one of Carla's spore clones.
A deathly pale face suddenly appeared in front of Ada, causing her to instinctively draw her gun and fire a headshot. However, physical attacks were useless against the spore clones.
Having her tracks discovered, Ada could only resort to passive flight, temporarily unable to reach the first basement floor of the laboratory.
After all, the number of spore clones Carla had released was simply too many,
making it a bit overwhelming for Ada. She could only try to lure the spore clones to the upper floors.
Only then could Ada take advantage of the gap to reach the first basement floor and obtain the Liquid Nitrogen Weapon she wanted most.
"Click, click, click..."
The sound of high-heeled leather boots echoed clearly in the dark and silent corridors of the research Institute. A red silhouette flashed by.
At this moment, Ada didn't dare to stop her pace, because the eerie monsters behind her were snapping at her heels.
"Damn it, this can't go on."
"I have to lure them all away. I'll have to find a way to make more noise on the upper floors to make that stupid woman Carla think I'm lingering up there."
Glancing sideways at the deathly pale spore clones chasing closely behind, Ada couldn't help but curse helplessly. These spore clones were like a lingering ghost. It was one thing for them to look like her,
but the most frustrating part was their immunity to physical attacks.
Bullets were useless against them, so Ada could only run. If not for the T-Virus strengthening her physical constitution, she would probably have died of exhaustion by now.
To deal with these spore clones, the only way was to create a bigger disturbance on the upper floors of the research Institute to draw their attention.
Then Ada herself would use her Grappling Gun to perform a 'cicada shedding its skin' maneuver, moving from the outside of the Institute's glass windows to the first basement floor. This was the only way Ada could think of.
However,
while Ada was deep in thought, she didn't notice the changes in this research Institute. It had slowly begun to be assimilated by Carla...
Yes,
assimilation.
A white, viscous liquid was slowly seeping from the walls and corridors. The sound of Ada's high-heeled boots on the floor was no longer a "click-clack," but a "splat-splat," as if she were stepping into a puddle in a hollow pit.
Relying on her spore queen abilities,
Carla was unscrupulously assimilating this building. Her spore clones could divide and reproduce endlessly, needing only the right temperature, environment, and nutrition.
The infected zombies and white mice used as experimental animals in the research Institute were the best nutrients for Carla's spore clones.
As long as Carla wanted to...
she could turn the entire research Institute into her Spore Domain.
By then, every corner would be filled with her eyes and ears, like a biological cage, and Ada would have nowhere to run...!!!
Volume 9 Resident Evil 6: Chapter 61 Bondage Play
Yes,
to catch Ada, Carla had almost spore-ified the entire biological research Institute. Because of the spore's characteristic of rapid division and regeneration,
the spore clones Carla sent out,
besides searching for Ada's tracks, had an even more important mission: to scatter to every corner and reproduce, using existing resources for high-speed division and reproduction.
And thanks to the power of the Enhanced C-Virus,
in almost less than ten minutes, half of the floors had fallen into Carla's palm, and the entire corridor had become her territory.
White spore liquid flowed in the cracks and corners of the walls.
These liquids were all connected. Although they had no eyes, they could detect the temperature of organisms in the corridors through sensory abilities to judge if someone was there.
This was simply a perfect biological cage!
At the same time, this was also where Carla's strength lay.
Although her spore queen ability didn't have very strong offensive means, her reproduction ability and tenacity of life were top-notch.