"No need for tea; let's get straight to business. Mr. Eddie, I hope you won't waste my time, or I can't guarantee I won't do something unpleasant." Kaplan's expression was very gloomy, lacking gravitas, as if everyone owed him five million. Such a person lacked a leader's aura and certainly couldn't compare to Simmons.
"Of course not. You can personally have your people test this biochemical weapon. I guarantee there will be no negative after-sales reviews! If there are, I will personally send some products to those who dare to give negative reviews, so they can experience the power of these products firsthand!" Eddie sneered, he was not to be trifled with.
Chapter 147: A Tragic Victory in Bio-Warfare
"Go deal with those monsters!" Kaplan sent his private armed squad to personally test the power of these bio-weapons. If they proved effective, he could use them to do things, send them to a certain region, and then use the pretext of righteousness to gain resources for his family. This would raise his prestige and help him gain an advantage.
In groups of six, forming a team of twelve, these well-equipped operatives, like special forces, advanced slowly with submachine guns.
Eddie also had Jessica and Lisa open the cages. The monsters imprisoned inside immediately rushed out upon seeing living people. Jessica and Lisa, however, vanished instantly; their task was only to open the doors. If they were to kill the monsters, these monsters wouldn't have survived until now.
Da da da! As soon as the Zombies appeared, they were shot down by the special forces. Then came a series of rapid running sounds. A Licker, evolved from a Zombie, quickly darted out, moving constantly, jumping left and right. Its speed, running on all fours, was too fast!
Often, it had already run past before the bullets hit the spot it had just left. The rapid movement made it impossible for these operatives to aim, constantly needing to adjust their positions.
The constant adjustments, however, only gave the enemy an opportunity. This was the famous Licker! Not a harmless 'Licker'!
"Number three, changing magazines!" A special forces operative shouted loudly. This was essential, to alert teammates that he was reloading, which meant one less point of firepower output. They had to remain vigilant!
But it was useless! They were facing two incredibly ferocious Lickers. These naturally evolved species retained their most violent instincts, driven by hunger to constantly hunt anything they could eat.
Pfft! A well-equipped special forces operative had his neck snapped by a Licker's claw, instantly killed in one blow.
"What!" The squad leader was incredibly surprised and equally furious. "Damn monster, die!"
Da da da! Besides the Lickers, more than twenty Zombie Dogs also charged forward simultaneously. The T-Virus infection made these canines uglier, faster, and more bloodthirsty!
"Ahead! Damn it, those monsters!" A special forces operative didn't hesitate, pulling the pin on a grenade and throwing it out.
"Woof!" A Zombie Dog let out a chilling cry and, without any recognition, swallowed the grenade whole.
The next second, the Zombie Dog was blown into a mass of shredded flesh. Swallowing a grenade whole was brutal, but the outcome was tragic.
Kaplan showed no distress at the death of his subordinates; instead, he was very interested in the formidable combat power of these bio-weapons. "Are these things cheaper than normal firearms?"
"Of course, but currently, those canines cannot be controlled. They are too bloodthirsty, with a very strong sense of hunger, and even computer chips cannot fully control them. If you want to bring down Simmons, you must secure more resources for your family to increase your influence. To be honest, I don't like Simmons; cooperating with that kind of person is as disgusting as eating dog shit!" Eddie spoke eloquently.
"Even so, they don't have too much power; they will still die if dealt with properly!" Kaplan shook his head, a bit short-sighted.
Such a short-sighted person was more suitable as an ally, at least controllable, and if the other party was destroyed, it would not bring him any loss.
"Even Simmons covets this thing, and you say it's useless? Senator Lorn, aren't you going to brief Mr. Kaplan?"
The obese middle-aged man, fast approaching old age, was indeed Senator Lorn. This fellow was a powerful figure, with the authority to decide on the sterilization operation in Raccoon City. He also had another identity: a shareholder of Wellpharma Pharmaceutical!
Senator Lorn leaned down and whispered a few words into Kaplan's ear, seemingly explaining something. This kind of thing was highly valued even by the military, and something multiple factions were contending for. One could tell it was a good thing just by thinking about it!
Kaplan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "I was just joking, Mr. Eddie, don't take offense."
"Of course, I won't take offense. I believe Mr. Kaplan now understands how useful this thing is. I will provide you with the product data you need, and you can even research it yourself. We have many more possibilities for cooperation in the future!" Eddie smiled.
"No problem, your medicine is also excellent and affordable. For the residents of the Federation, it's a huge blessing!" Kaplan also extended his hand knowingly.
The two cunning foxes exchanged smiles. They both got what they wanted, and what they gave up was not essential. Each took what they needed, and that feeling was truly exhilarating!
Eddie snapped his fingers with a flourish, and Svetlana behind him produced a bottle of red wine, along with three glasses from a box. With her delicate hand, she grasped the cork and pulled it out directly, no corkscrew needed!
Kaplan looked at Svetlana and praised, "Mr. Eddie has such a beauty by his side, truly good fortune."
Eddie smiled smugly, "Of course. She is my woman, and in business, husband and wife must work together!"
Svetlana rolled her eyes. This Eddie really knew how to take advantage. She knew this was a form of protection. By directly stating she was Eddie's woman, these dirty high-society people would not make excessive demands. This was protection; the loss was merely a bit of superficial face. How much was face worth?
"I toast you. From now on, just call me by my name; it won't be too formal. We'll have opportunities to cooperate in the future, plenty of them. I'll make a fortune, and you'll rise steadily, getting promoted and wealthy!" Eddie smiled.
Kaplan also picked up his glass and smiled, "No problem, rising steadily is enough. As for getting rich, the Independent Commission Against Corruption would investigate my accounts, and that wouldn't be too pleasant!"
As the two exchanged smiles, the twelve-person squad had been reduced to three, all wounded. It seemed to be a tragic victory. This was still in an open area; if they had encountered Lickers in a building, they could have just knelt down and waited to die!
"Do your men need vaccines? Getting scratched isn't a good thing. While there's still time, give them some antibody vaccines; they might still be saved!" Eddie asked.
"Of course, much obliged." Kaplan nodded.
Chapter 148: Emma's Designed Weapon
With Kaplan as an informant, Eddie was even more confident in dealing with Simmons. An acting leader is not a true leader; he needs to achieve results to become permanent. With a strong opponent to deal with, he naturally wouldn't have time to deal with a small fry like Eddie.
Returning from the Arklay Mountains, Eddie had already received a message from Curtis: the Federation had approved the sale of their drugs. Kaplan's actions were quite swift, which was also due to Eddie unhesitatingly handing over a portion of the data first.
So-called bio-weapons were all useless, only the Hunter was the most perfect, controllable, and cheap. Even the most expensive mass-produced Tyrant would definitely not exceed the price of a main battle tank, simple and practical, only needing to be refrigerated when not in use. Missiles needed maintenance even when not used, which was indeed troublesome.
"The drugs don't need to be given to Gionne Pharmaceutical anymore; we'll sell them ourselves, distributing them to some resellers, and then putting a suggested retail price on the packaging. As for whether those resellers accept it, that's not something we can decide; we just need to make sure the superficial work is done well." Eddie instructed.
"I understand, boss." Curtis nodded. He was working very hard now, with almost no time to call his family, but while busy, earning money made it acceptable.
After hanging up the phone, Eddie prepared to go to Kendo's weapon shop, specifically to find Robert's daughter, Emma, because he had asked her to develop a special weapon, and it was time to pick it up.
Svetlana suddenly asked, "Is this how you plan to deal with Simmons?"
"Of course not. Isn't he a big shot? How could he be defeated so easily? I'm just giving him an opponent to play with. And for those industries under his name, I'll find a good reason to give him something fun." Eddie grinned sinisterly.
Svetlana, however, nodded repeatedly. "Not bad, you're not too pedantic. You know how to use others for leverage; it seems a bit sinister."
"When you don't have the strength to win, being a bit despicable and shameless, isn't that normal? I won't pretend to be a macho man; practicality is the most important thing!" Eddie shook his head. If he could make money lying down, why stand?
"Heh heh, you are quite interesting." Svetlana chuckled, not refuting. She was also a pragmatist; as long as it was useful, she didn't care about appearances.
"You said 'heh heh'? Are you planning something improper towards me?" Eddie pressed.
Svetlana shook her head, "You're overthinking it. Talk to me when you can defeat me; you're really weak right now, little man!" The last three words were whispered into his ear, seemingly intended to provoke him.
"Don't get cocky! Sooner or later, I'll defeat you, woman!" Eddie was annoyed. He wasn't a professional combatant. When he became stronger, he would definitely take down Svetlana!
"I'm looking forward to it!" Svetlana smiled, a very bright smile. Although their time together wasn't long, the experiences with this 'little man' were what she found most worth savoring, and she had also gained a lot.
Kendo's Weapon Shop. Business here wasn't great. Weapon shops generally don't have customers flocking in; there are usually only a few.
Emma took out her special weapon and handed it over. "Eddie, this is the grappling gun you asked me to make. I've finished it, you can try it. The effective range is twenty meters; any longer and it wouldn't be convenient to carry. It's mechanically powered, with a small electric motor inside."
"Electric motor? Is there such a small motor?" Eddie looked at the grappling gun in his hand, identical to Ada's. This was a weapon Wesker only provided after Ada obtained the G-Virus sample. However, that grappling gun's range should be around forty meters, with a thinner, tougher special rope.
"Of course there is. The weapons I make are definitely the best! If you don't believe me, try it, but you'll need the arm strength, otherwise, you'll pull a muscle." Emma said huffily, with a hint of concern.
Eddie tried it. The grappling hook had a triangular design, effective for finding anchor points on smooth rocks.
Whoosh! Eddie activated the grappling gun, and he was instantly pulled upwards by a huge force. After reaching twenty meters, he could still fly a certain distance forward.