Chapter 145: Ada's Bet
Eddie, who had just returned to his apartment, was still thinking about investigating the Simmons Family when he quickly received another call.
"This is Caroline. The person coming after you is Derek Simmons, he's a candidate for the family's leader. Be careful. If you need my help, please let me know anytime. Thank you."
Eddie didn't even have time to respond before the other party hung up, which made him feel a bit annoyed. What was wrong with this woman? Flirting and then running off, that's not right.
Wolf Mother Karena had also just returned from outside; arranging those vehicles and escape routes had clearly exhausted her.
Jessica and Lisa proactively went into the kitchen to cook. This mother and daughter, who had endured thirty-two years of experimental torment, had finally been reborn. Now, besides pledging allegiance to Eddie, all that remained was their revenge against Umbrella.
"Karena, come here!" Eddie waved to Wolf Mother.
"What do you want? I'm busy, can't it wait? I'm all sweaty!" Wolf Mother rolled her eyes. Couldn't this man think of something serious?
Pfft! Eddie almost choked on his coffee. Was this like that famous twelve o'clock joke?
"I'm not talking about that. I want to ask you something. How much do you know about Native Americans? If a Native American is saved by an outsider, what would he do?"
Wolf Mother Karena picked up an iced beer and chugged it down to quench her thirst. "They are one of the few races that value combat, and they retain unique martial arts and cultural heritage. If saved by an outsider, they usually become good friends with that person. As long as you don't do anything detrimental to them, they will always treat you as a friend and will help with any difficulties."
"What if a Native American female warrior is saved by an outsider? Would they offer themselves in marriage?" Eddie asked again.
"That depends on the situation. If it's a very dangerous situation, she might very well do that. Even if she doesn't offer herself in marriage, she'll likely be extremely loyal." Wolf Mother nodded. Her bold style was her unique charm; this mature woman never hid her mistakes or pretended.
"What's wrong? You suddenly asked this question; you must know a Native American female warrior, right!" Wolf Mother Karena asked sensitively. Women are very sharp about these things.
"Last time, during the abandoned sanatorium case, I met two members of the Echo Team, one of whom was Native American. She just called me and said someone was coming after me. I just wanted to confirm the authenticity of the message; don't overthink it," Eddie explained.
Karena snorted, "I'm not overthinking it. Jill handles these kinds of things, not me. Since that woman told you, it must be true. Who wants to deal with you? I'll go kill him!"
"The Federal Simmons Family!" Eddie said indifferently.
"The Simmons Family is not called the Simmons Family. There are many surnames in the family; it's just that Derek's surname is Simmons. You can also call him Simmons!" A clear, cold female voice came, belonging to Ada, who had just returned from outside. Walking in ten-centimeter high heels, she made no sound at all. This level of control could only be recognized by true experts.
"Ada, you've come at a good time. Because of you, Simmons is coming after me, and now I'm going to fight back!" Eddie waved to the beauty and then patted the sofa next to him.
Ada showed no aversion, walked over and sat down, stroking her short hair by her ear as she asked, "What does that have to do with me? You're lying to me again!"
Eddie shook his head, then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "That Simmons likes you, but you're living with me. Maybe he thinks something happened between us, and now he's jealous. He can't deal with you, but he can deal with me!"
"So, I'm a femme fatale now?" Ada raised her beautiful eyebrows, her tone slightly displeased.
"A 'fatale' is debatable, but a 'femme' you certainly are. But it doesn't matter. Only a mediocre person is not envied. A genius like me will always have idiots who are jealous." Eddie tilted his head back, a proud expression on his face.
"You're as arrogant as ever! Simmons is not easy to deal with. The family controls most of the federal power, and he's the acting leader, able to deploy a lot of resources, including aircraft carriers. Being his opponent would be very dangerous. I'll make it clear to him; you don't have to worry." Ada explained. She also didn't want to see Eddie, as the disparity in strength was too great.
"Are you looking down on me? I won't hide behind a woman; I'm a man!" Eddie was displeased.
Pfft! Ada suddenly laughed, her smile radiating charm. Her beautiful eyes glanced at the kitchen. "Aren't they women? Aren't you relying on them for protection? What nonsense are you talking about!"
Perhaps considering the man's pride, Ada added, "Eddie, a temporary strategic retreat isn't a loss. You're still young and have plenty of time. Don't worry, you'll eventually surpass him."
Eddie shook his head. "How about we make a bet!"
"What kind of bet?" Ada asked curiously.
"My showdown with Simmons. If I pull him down from the position of acting leader, I win. If he eliminates me, I lose. How about it?" Eddie started playing his tricks again. Whether the process was despicable and shameless or open and upright didn't matter; as long as he ended up with the beauty, he would be the winner!
Ada was very surprised. Although Eddie was doing well in Raccoon City, living a comfortable life, he was at most a wealthy person with potential. Simmons, on the other hand, was the acting leader of a family that could influence federal affairs, with abundant resources at his disposal, and he was also a security advisor. If he was determined to deal with Eddie, it would be like an elephant against an ant!
"What stakes do you want?" Ada's beautiful eyes blinked; things were getting more interesting.
"If I win, you'll follow me forever, work for me, and only for me. If I lose, I'll help you with a second enhancement, slow down the aging process, increase your lifespan, and make you stronger and faster!" Eddie threw out his chip. This chip was a bit of a boast; he hadn't even developed the T-Virus for the second enhancement himself yet.
Ada looked at Eddie with a hint of playfulness in her beautiful eyes. This man actually made such a bet, leaving her speechless. Was it arrogance or certainty of victory? "Alright, I'll take that bet this once!"
Chapter 146: Simmons' Opponent
After confirming his target, Eddie immediately began to act, sending January to gather intelligence about the family. In Raccoon City, Umbrella had absolute power, so Simmons had no effective way to interfere. Even Simmons couldn't obstruct personnel appointments here.
"No wonder Simmons' retaliation hasn't arrived yet; he really has no influence in Raccoon City." Eddie investigated Simmons through Umbrella's database, almost openly, without any concealment.
To prevent the other party from using the excuse of his collusion with Umbrella against him, the best way was to obtain evidence of cooperation between Umbrella and the federal military, and also evidence against Simmons! This was a safeguard. If the other party wanted to play, then they would all go down together. A powerful conglomerate would not perish with a small individual; this was almost foreseeable.
"Found it. The family owns over a third of the federal commercial holdings. These companies provide a continuous stream of funds to the family. They also have deep cooperation with Umbrella; perhaps they are also involved in the underground research labs, though the extent of their involvement is still unknown." January was indeed a top hacker. If it weren't for the accident that led to her capture last time, she would be virtually invincible online.
"Can you find their core members?" Eddie asked. He needed to find an ally, someone he could cooperate with to bring down Simmons, and this person had to be Simmons' enemy. Only an enemy's enemy could become an ally.
"Not yet, it will take time. Unless their computers have no internet connection, they won't escape my search!" January's fair fingers rapidly tapped the keyboard. True computer experts don't need a mouse; a keyboard is enough, and much faster than a mouse!
"Then find them. Dig up all their intelligence, and also watch out for your own safety!" Eddie nodded. It seemed he was truly wise to have recruited such a top hacker as January, and what he needed to do was help her clear the mutated T-Virus.
Ada watched quietly, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed as she asked, "You want to deal with the entire family?"
Eddie shook his head. "No, how could I? If they collapse, I gain nothing; those shares would just be divided among others. What I want to do is deal with Simmons alone. No matter how powerful Simmons is, he's just an acting leader. What I need to do is unite his competitors against him!"
"The family isn't that easy to deal with. Don't be careless; they've controlled the federation for so long, they must have their extraordinary qualities!" Ada reminded him.
"If that doesn't work, I'll have to use the second method." Eddie's eyes flickered a few times. It seemed necessary to contact General Morgan, but it would require more covert methods. Playing with a tiger is exciting; it's all about technique! And General Morgan was that tiger. The best way to avoid being dragged down by the tiger was to take proper safety precautions!
"What do you plan to do?" Ada was very curious about what methods this man had to bring down Simmons, the currently powerful security advisor!
"You don't need to worry about that. Perhaps you can read some books to supplement your knowledge first." Eddie didn't say, maintaining an air of mystery not to show off, but to avoid the embarrassment of failing to show off and getting slapped in the face.
"What books? What knowledge?" Ada was a bit confused.
"Knowledge about pregnancy and how to be a mother." Eddie grinned mischievously, looking quite despicable!
"Go to hell!" Ada left in annoyance.
Two days later, another special helicopter flew into Raccoon City. Private helicopters were not uncommon here; anyone with a bit of money would own one, provided they could afford a pilot.
In a deserted village in the Arklay Mountains, on the outskirts of Raccoon City, Eddie, Jessica, Lisa, Svetlana, and Wolf Mother were having tea.
There were also some iron cages in the village, holding zombies, including Raging Zombies and Hellhounds. These strange bio-weapons were captured and confined in cages, unable to break free.
The handles of these cages had been twisted by immense strength, a power that seemed far beyond human capabilities, incredibly exaggerated.
Svetlana was very curious about what Eddie was thinking. He brought her here and seemed to have no intention of hiding anything from her. Knowing such private matters, wasn't he afraid she would become someone else's spy and sell the information? This could lead to death! "You're so sure I won't betray you?"
"I'll always trust you, and I won't let you die. However, if you find a boyfriend, and he's not my ideal choice, I might just kill him!" Eddie suddenly became very cold, sitting in the ruins drinking tea, looking strange.
Svetlana scoffed, "Why don't you just say that person is you? Hypocrite!" But after saying it, she suddenly laughed. What a shameless guy; such a person didn't seem bad either.
The helicopter slowly approached. After confirming the situation below, a private armed force slid down ropes from the helicopter. They picked up tactical submachine guns and began to guard, mainly wary of Eddie and his group.
Only after the private team confirmed safety did the helicopter land. A corpulent middle-aged man stepped out, guiding a thin middle-aged man behind him, seemingly a follower.
"Welcome, Mr. Kaplan, please have a seat. If you're not in a hurry, you can have a cup of black tea first. If you are in a hurry, let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point!" Eddie stood up and said with a smile. It was just a simple movement, but it made the armed guards feel a surge of pressure! He seemed like a monstrous beast.