As soon as he arrived at the office, he saw Brian sitting in a chair, smoking a cigar. "Want one?"
"No thanks, I prefer cigarettes. Is there something you need?" Eddie said coldly.
"That reporter said he was working for you." Brian's eyes flashed with a fierce light.
"So you believe his nonsense?" Eddie lit a cigarette, appearing completely unconcerned.
His calm demeanor made Brian suspicious. "Why shouldn't I believe him?"
"If I wanted something, I wouldn't use such a crude method. Umbrella's archives already have it, so why go through all that trouble? Heh heh, sometimes I advise you, don't bet on both sides. You might lose, and the price will be your life. If you're dead, how will you spend all that money you earned?" Eddie sneered.
Chapter 158: Chief Brian Fooled
"You don't understand, money is a good thing." Brian also sneered. He was a veteran of foreign wars and didn't trust anyone, not even comrades. Only money wouldn't betray him. Collecting so many specimens, besides being his personal perverted hobby, was also partly to make up for war trauma.
"Maintaining your position also requires a lot of money for bribes, right? Alright, turn off your recorder. There's no point in playing these games." Eddie scoffed. Was he trying to play a game of wiretapping?
"You're joking!" Brian shook his head.
Thump! The moment Brian finished speaking, Eddie punched the desk directly, smashing a hole through it, then picked up a recording pen.
"What is this? Don't play smart with me. In Umbrella's eyes, you're nothing but a rat. Umbrella has numerous research divisions all over the world. You have no idea how terrifying it is. If you want to die, fine, but don't drag me down with you!" Eddie threw the recording pen to Lisa.
Lisa caught it with one hand. The next second, the recording pen shattered into pieces, even the memory card crushed by the immense force. This extraordinary power stunned Brian.
It seemed only Sergei, a high-ranking Umbrella security guard, barely possessed such strength. Brian had been fortunate enough to see an Ivan-type Tyrant; it was an absolute nightmare!
"I believe you won't investigate me." Brian quickly changed his tune.
Eddie shook his index finger. "No, that's not what I want to talk about. Are you collaborating with William Birkin?"
"Yes! What do you want to do?" Brian didn't hide it. He knew Eddie and Umbrella weren't on the same side.
"Nothing much. Also, has Umbrella given you orders to redeploy heavy firepower elsewhere?" Eddie asked with a frown.
"No, why?" Brian shook his head, not understanding why the other party was asking.
"Do you know what William and the underground laboratory are researching? It's a killer, extremely deadly. Do you know how those cannibal patients came about? What's going on in the Arklay Mountains?" Eddie continued to sneer. He had an even better idea. Essentially, he was just going with the flow. Since someone was playing the villain, it wasn't too much for him to step up as the hero and reap some benefits, was it?
"I don't know! I'm just responsible for the money, but Umbrella has its private military and will handle this." Brian raised his voice, a little flustered.
"Shouting won't help. Idiot, they're researching a deadly serum that can only be transmitted through physical contact. If you don't want to die, cooperate with me obediently. Umbrella has made the worst-case scenario plans, abandoning Raccoon City. If Warren escapes, and you successfully save Raccoon City, what kind of treatment do you think you'll receive?" Eddie, like a devil, began his plan.
"I'll become a savior! I can get a Senator's position, a very influential Senator!" Brian's eyes lit up. He seemed to see a clear path, an even better way to accumulate wealth!
"Yes, that's right. You'll rise rapidly, have the chance to gain greater power and more benefits. But the premise is that you're still alive. Do you think you can still be a Senator if you turn into one of those zombies?" Eddie exhaled a smoke ring.
"What should I do? Eddie, you know you're a smart person. What do you think I should do?" Brian was already intrigued. He wanted more, and he could only rely on Eddie. The other party knew what he wanted, and he didn't know what the other party needed, but cooperation was the key.
"Go persuade Warren to allocate some funds to me for developing a cure for the cannibal disease. I can develop some vaccines that will ensure you won't turn into those walking dead if you're bitten. And when Umbrella gives you instructions, tell me, and I'll tell you what to do." Eddie sneered, his eyes always gleaming with an inexplicable wisdom.
"I understand. Don't trick me, or I'll make you regret it." Brian threatened him one last time.
"I just want to make money, and so do you. If I can make a name for myself, I can earn more money, and you can get promoted. By then, federal billionaires might even be begging you. Are you still afraid of not having opportunities? You might even need to hire an accountant just to manage your money." Eddie laughed loudly.
"I'll take your word for it! Happy to cooperate!" Brian extended his hand, also with a forced smile.
"Happy to cooperate!" Eddie returned the same smile. The plan had initially been achieved.
Eddie's plan was simple: he would stay behind the scenes, letting Brian bear the brunt of the public fire. If a crisis occurred in Raccoon City, he could also have Marvin step in, provide some support, and incidentally collect data and recover samples.
As for Brian? Umbrella's T-03 Tyrant model would deal with him, provided William hadn't already killed him.
In the northern area near the Arklay Mountains, Ada looked at the chaotic scene. She hadn't expected the T-Virus to have such destructive power. Humans attacked by monsters would mutate within a day of being bitten, dying completely and turning into zombies.
The arriving agents clearly lacked sufficient firepower and had no idea of the zombies' power. Only by shooting them from a distance could these monsters be completely killed.
"The Mansion's underground laboratory has been destroyed. Now the only way to the underground laboratory is through Umbrella Corporation? There must be other secret passages." Ada turned and drove towards the hospital.
After searching for a while, Ada decided to go back first and investigate the hospital tomorrow. There was definitely something wrong here.
Returning to her apartment, a strange blonde beauty was preparing dinner, looking somewhat unfamiliar. Well, she didn't know who this one was either.
"Ada, here, catch." Eddie threw a small box.
Ada asked suspiciously, "What is it?"
"A grappling gun, perfect for an agent like you. Practice a bit, and you should master it." Eddie smiled.
Looking at the oddly shaped gun, a warmth flickered in Ada's heart. Even knowing she was a spy, Eddie didn't treat her specially; he answered almost every question, which touched her deeply. Perhaps a long-term collaboration with him would be a good thing. It was time to consider this decision.
Chapter 159: A Certain Rookie Member with a Side Part
In Umbrella's underground laboratory, due to Frederick stealing the T-Virus, the still-developing vaccine, and the unfinished G-Virus embryo from the Arklay Mountains' Mother Lode, William had transferred all research resources to the underground laboratory. The underground Mother Lode was specifically used to develop the Hunter Alpha and Beta models.
A man in a white coat, sunglasses, and a research hood moved quickly in the underground laboratory. When the surveillance cameras shifted, he used rapid teleportation to reach blind spots, covering six or seven meters in one second, constantly lurking and moving. After passing through, he started walking normally in crowded areas.
William's laboratory was the largest, with almost all resources concentrated there. Every day, countless experimental subjects who had died violently were sent out from here.
Click, the laboratory door opened, and Wesker walked in. "William, long time no see."
William paused at the sound, then turned his head. "Wesker! What are you doing here? Aren't you afraid Umbrella will come after you?"
"Afraid? Of course not. I'm not the same as before, not even Sergei. I'm here to help you leave. It's no longer safe here. The northern part of Raccoon City has already seen infections. The situation is still under control, so you'd best leave quickly." Wesker stared at the double helix test tube in front of him. The light red sample must be the G-Virus.
If he could get the G-Virus, he would gain more status in the new organization. It was because of Chris that he couldn't take the Tyrant sample to his new employer.
"You want my G-Virus? Hmph, I advise you not to fantasize. The G-Virus is not comparable to previous serums; it's more powerful and capable of altering genetic code. Theoretically, it touches the realm of God, hmph, creating an entirely new human race!" William's expression became incredibly fanatical.
"Of course I want it, but right now I want to get revenge on Umbrella even more." Wesker didn't hide it.
"You don't need to worry about my affairs. I've already found a way out. Take care of yourself. Leave quickly before anyone notices." William shook his head, rejecting his friend's suggestion.
"No hurry. I'd like you to continue examining me and see how things are." Wesker stated his purpose.
"Alright, if we weren't acquainted, I'd really want to capture and study you. You're a very peculiar mutation. Perhaps the first step in that so-called New Human Project. If Spencer knew, I wonder if he would let you leave?" William's eyes lit up. Researching new things might help his experiments!
Meanwhile, Brian quickly found Mayor Warren, asking him to allocate funds to Eddie for developing an antibody vaccine. He also informed Sergei of this idea, wanting the agents and troops below to serve as test subjects to deal with the increasingly frequent cannibal patients.
Warren could only agree. He also felt that if the number of patients continued to increase, it could jeopardize his career, which didn't align with his goal of becoming a Senator.
In Umbrella's office, Sergei trimmed his nails with a knife tip, saying with a playful expression, "Antiviral vaccine? Possible, but you'll have a task."
Brian stood before Sergei, feeling an inexplicable pressure out of thin air. The two-meter-tall Sergei was truly imposing. "Please command!"