"Okay, my dear, be careful." Jill nodded. She wouldn't interfere with the man's affairs; as long as he was safe, she would be content.
Outside Raccoon City, a helicopter slowly flew in. There was no large airport here, so the only aerial transportation available was helicopters.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one exit to the outside world, and even the water supply coming from underground, the environment here limited Raccoon City's development.
A woman of outstanding temperament but exceptionally arrogant sat in the back seat of the helicopter. Her hair was styled in a bun, giving her the appearance of a noble lady. Yet, she was not old; she was clearly very young, possessing the air of a long-established family.
There was also a Tricell logo on the helicopter. Was it the insignia of some company?
"Is this Raccoon City? It's really quite remote. Such a backwater is perfect for a research base," the arrogant young woman said. Her exquisite beauty combined with her noble demeanor made her the goddess most men dreamed of.
"This is no backwater, but a thriving new city!" Another middle-aged man's eyes flickered as he looked at Raccoon City.
"Excella, there are many geniuses in Raccoon City. I hope you can make progress after interacting with them. If we can develop some better breakthrough inventions, it's only a matter of time before we surpass Umbrella," the middle-aged man added.
"I understand," Excella replied indifferently. As a genius who earned her medical master's degree at eighteen, she possessed not only beauty and family background but also exceptional intelligence.
Soon, the helicopter landed on Raccoon City's helipad, which was only suitable for helicopters. As Excella stepped onto the soil of Raccoon City, she saw a beautiful woman in a white lab coat, her blonde hair casually tied back in a ponytail, wearing high heels, and with sharp eyes. A work ID was clipped to her collar.
A man with strange long hair walked forward. "Hello, I am Curtis, the Business Director of Umbrella. It's a pleasure to have you at the Raccoon City branch."
Excella didn't even shake his hand, nodding arrogantly. "Hmm, hello!"
The middle-aged man, however, walked over and shook Curtis's hand, preventing any awkwardness, and smiled apologetically, "I apologize, my daughter has a bit of a princess complex, please forgive her. I am Kiravoska, Chairman of Tricell's pharmaceutical company, and it's a pleasure to meet you. This is my daughter, Excella."
"No problem, I'm used to it. Please come this way. This is our outstanding researcher, Annette Birkin, and this is our biology expert and a member of Raccoon City's S.T.A.R.S., Eddie Cai!" Curtis gave a brief introduction.
"An Oriental?" Excella raised an eyebrow.
"That question is meaningless. I'm too lazy to explain." Eddie, however, didn't pay Excella any mind. Such women were extremely arrogant; only by displaying cold aloofness and exceptional talent would they look at him differently. Otherwise, he would just be treated as a sycophant, and it was well known that such a profession had no good end.
"No time to waste. Take them on a tour of the facilities, then we'll start the discussion meeting!" Annette was only standing there out of respect. She would rather go back and develop her G-Virus vaccine.
Eddie was using a tactical dagger to trim his nails. The consequence of a fast metabolism was that his nails needed frequent trimming. His gaze couldn't help but fall on Curtis, this poor fellow, one of Raccoon City's survivors. In protest of the government concealing the truth of Raccoon City's destruction, he injected himself with a G-Virus, using himself to prove the existence of biological weapons. He was a very pitiful person.
He was driven to such extremes because his entire family had died—his wife, his daughter—all perished in the missile attack, the 'Disinfection Plan' cleansing.
Didn't he also have a sister who was a special forces operative? She was quite attractive, with blonde hair and blue eyes, a very typical Caucasian beauty.
His thoughts seemed to wander, but Eddie's gaze remained sharp; even when distracted, no one could tell.
Excella felt disgusted by this man who dared to refuse to answer her question. What kind of expert? Soon, she would expose him for what he was—just a good-for-nothing!
Curtis took the Tricell delegation to tour Raccoon City's pharmaceutical department. As the business director, Curtis was unaware of Umbrella's clandestine biological weapon research. It was undeniable that Curtis was once a researcher himself, only switching departments to earn more money.
"That woman is quite pretty. Why didn't you take a longer look?" Annette led the way in high heels, her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, exuding a cool and elegant aura.
"I've seen too much of you; I'm immune to beauties now," Eddie said without thinking, immediately flattering her. Charming women was second nature to him!
Chapter 48: Excella's Family Secret!
"Who are those people? I feel like they're not simple," Eddie asked as they walked.
"Tricell's biggest characteristic is pharmaceuticals; they are involved in all medical-related businesses. Besides that, their trade is also very developed, with interests in many industries. The people who came this time are Kiravoska, the head of the Gionne Family, and his daughter Excella," Annette explained.
"Tricell doesn't seem to be controlled by the Gionne Family, does it?" Eddie asked, a little puzzled.
"I don't know about that. If you're interested, you can ask Curtis; he's in charge of external sales," Annette said indifferently, not in a very good mood.
"Never mind, I'll ask him later. One more question, you said you wanted to ask me a favor. What is it?" Eddie asked again.
Annette turned and stopped, her eyes flickering as she looked at Svetlana, who was following behind.
"She's one of us; she can be trusted," Eddie said, understanding.
"My daughter, Sherry, I hope to send her out of Raccoon City. Umbrella's people are monitoring us, so sending Sherry away is very difficult. I can only ask for your help," Annette said indifferently.
Sherry Birkin? If she's sent away, then who will William infect with the G-Virus later?
"Is it very difficult?" Annette frowned. As a mother, she had to consider her daughter.
"It's not difficult, but I'm wondering what compensation you can offer me?" Eddie asked another question.
Annette shook her head. "None, but you can propose a condition. As long as I can do it, it's valid anytime."
"Alright, since the great doctor says so, I'll definitely help." Eddie didn't hesitate. Sherry would still be useful later, but it wasn't time for her to play her part yet. Raccoon City was indeed a hell, so it was best to leave first.
It was impossible to hide it from Umbrella. Eddie had already thought of a plan, which would require Sergei's consent.
Svetlana's eyes flickered a few times. Eddie actually discussed these confidential matters without avoiding her. Was he really not afraid she would leak the information? But the feeling of being trusted was not bad; at least she had a truly meaningful friend, a comrade-in-arms she could trust and go through life and death with.
Annette went to work on her academic report, and the Gionne Family delegation was also resting for the time being.
Eddie found Curtis at the hotel, and a woman with a heroic demeanor and a hint of flowing blonde hair also arrived. "Brother, I'm here."
"Hi, Angela, welcome to Raccoon City. Sorry, I was chatting with a colleague. Eddie, this is my sister Angela! Angela, this is my colleague, and your peer, Eddie, a member of Raccoon City's S.T.A.R.S.. He recently solved a major missing persons case in the Arklay Mountains!" Curtis smiled as he introduced the two.
"Hello, Eddie (Angela)." The two shook hands and nodded in greeting.
"You should remember my home address. You go ahead; I might have to work overtime. Please apologize to your sister-in-law and niece for me!" Curtis smiled apologetically. A man has to work to support his family, which inevitably reduces time spent with loved ones. It was clear that Curtis loved his family, otherwise he wouldn't have done something as crazy as injecting himself with the G-Virus.
"No problem, I understand. Work comes first, haha. I'm leaving, Eddie. Let's grab coffee sometime. I've also heard about your deeds; you're very impressive!" Angela waved and left. Her profession was a special forces operative in Havverville City, somewhat similar to Eddie's, just in a different location. One could say they were peers.
Eddie also knew that this world was different from what he remembered. Some famous cities he knew didn't exist here. Sometimes when he mentioned certain cities, he had never even heard of them. The seven continents had become eight, and Earth wasn't called Earth; it was called Midgard here. It was a very strange world.
"Okay, talk to you later!" Eddie nodded.
The two sat down and ordered coffee. Curtis asked, "Eddie, Dr. Annette said you were looking for me? What's up?"
Annette, that cold biology doctor, actually gave Eddie a heads-up? That was a bit intriguing.
"I wanted to ask about the Tricell inspection team. The chairman wants me to have some academic exchanges with them, so I need to understand them," Eddie picked up his coffee and tasted it. He hadn't had tea in a long time; coffee was also good.
"Haha, so that's it. The people who came this time are the head of the Gionne Family and his daughter. The Gionne Family is a well-known trading family in Europe, and above the Gionne Family is the Travis Family. The Travis Family is the actual owner of Tricell, so you could say Tricell is a family business of theirs," Curtis introduced.
"Kiravoska, the head of the Gionne Family, is a very successful businessman, and his daughter Excella is a genius who obtained master's degrees in biology and medicine at only eighteen, which is why she was sent here. But as you can see, geniuses are always very proud," Curtis unexpectedly spoke ill of her. It seemed even honest people had tempers.
"Haha, most geniuses are like that. High IQ doesn't mean high EQ," Eddie chuckled.
"Dr. Eddie is different; he has both high IQ and high EQ!" Curtis praised him.
"You flatter me. In that case, I can prepare my homework well. Since that Kiravoska is so capable, why is he only managing a branch company?" Eddie asked curiously.
Curtis looked left and right, then lowered his voice, "Because they are not direct descendants of the Travis Family, but a collateral branch. Excella's grandmother was from the Travis Family, and traditional large families need to ensure the purity of their bloodline and do not recognize collateral branches, nor do they give them too many resources and rights."
"Why does that sound so much like a plot from a novel or TV show?" Eddie's expression was a bit strange.