"What do you need? Name your price," Simmons snorted, not directly answering.
"Ada. Give me an Ada, and I'll help. I don't even want money. How about that? Can you do it? Haha, you can't, so there's nothing I can do. I can't help you," Eddie laughed.
"Do you know the consequences of refusing the family? You probably don't know how foolish those consequences are," Simmons threatened.
"Oh really? Then I really want to try. I've given my condition. Whenever you give me a satisfactory product, that's when I'll join. Before that, I can only give you a hint: if you can find Umbrella's former Africa Branch, you might get some good clues," Eddie sneered, puffing on his cigarette.
Simmons' fists clenched and relaxed repeatedly, then clenched again. He had already lost an Ada once; was he going to lose her again?
Eddie seemed to be deep in thought. "Oh, right, let me tell you something interesting."
"What is it?" Simmons looked up.
"To achieve immortality, you must practice celibacy. Simply put, stay away from women. You'll live longer. Why is Spencer still alive at over ninety, and in such good spirits? It's because he stays away from women. And you, at your age, tsk tsk tsk, you just don't know how to cherish life," Eddie deliberately released a smokescreen about becoming a eunuch to confuse him.
Chapter 405: Umbrella Product Launch Event
"Are you sure?" Simmons pondered.
"Of course. You wouldn't believe what those so-called scientists babble, would you? The true way of health preservation is precisely this. Liking beautiful women is a deeply rooted flaw in most men, so it's normal not to live long," Eddie began to mislead him.
"Hmph, then why don't you do that?" Simmons retorted.
Eddie blew a smoke ring, embracing the beautiful and glamorous Alexia. "Because I don't want to live that long. Any objections? You want to research immortality, hehe, then give me back Ada."
"I don't have Ada, and I've never seen her!" Simmons roared. Where was he supposed to find an Ada to give to the other party?
"Then that's not my problem. I don't care if you steal her or snatch her, I just want Ada, an identical Ada. Don't think about pulling any tricks; I'll detect it. If you dare to play petty games, I'll suggest to your family members that you be replaced, and I'll fully fund their research for the first phase of the immortality project," Eddie said impolitely.
Alexia had been smiling as she watched Eddie. When this man became assertive, he could make people feel a chill in their hearts. Perhaps this was what a man truly was. Compared to her so-called father Alexander and her effeminate brother Alfred, Eddie was the real man.
Simmons was enraged. "You dare to do that?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I forgot to tell you something. The Federation of Pharmaceutical Companies also has some very confidential research that I haven't participated in. Some things, if I told you, would shock you. So don't offend me, and you'll remain safely as your leader. Offend me, and you'll be out of power tomorrow." Eddie's expression was exceptionally arrogant.
"Who do you think you are? Your territory can't withstand a fleet's bombardment!" Simmons sneered.
"Exactly. And similarly, your buildings can't withstand explosions. Do you think the T-Virus is the end? Forget it, I'm too lazy to explain. You weigh it yourself. My conditions are here; if you can fulfill them, do it. If not, then no cooperation." Eddie was calm and collected; he wanted it all!
Simmons' teeth were almost ground to dust. He had never expected such a thing. He had originally planned to give up money, and even land in the federation, but the result shocked him greatly and caused him immense pain.
Could he only send Carla away? If Carla's experiment succeeded, wouldn't he be doing all the work for the other party for free?
"Alright, I agree. The time is one year from now." Simmons took a deep breath to calm himself down, otherwise, he felt he would go mad.
Eddie checked his watch. "Then it's settled. One year from now, you give me the person, and I'll cooperate with you. Business is done, and I should be going."
Leaving the room, the exhibition of biochemical weapons had already begun in the hall. This exhibition featured the Hunter. There were many versions, including the Hunter Modified, which had monitoring equipment and used sound waves to control the Hunter to hunt targets.
There was also an improved version with potent venom, called the Sweeper. The Sweeper's skin incorporated snake genes, making it colorful and indicating its highly venomous nature.
Besides these two, there were also high-end controlled Tyrants. There were strength-type and speed-type. After the Raccoon City incident, they were improved, eventually resulting in highly efficient, controllable, and low-cost Tyrant products.
Each item made the attending representatives feel novel, and the prices were relatively affordable. They were very favorable and practical. Those with money could buy Tyrants, while those without could choose cheaper and effective biochemical weapons like the Hunters.
Umbrella seemed unconcerned about the Tyrant technology leaking out. The most crucial aspect of mass-produced Tyrants was Sergei's clones. Without proper cloning technology, mass-producing Tyrants would be a joke. Forced cloning would only result in intellectually disabled individuals.
"Everyone, these are Umbrella's products for this launch event. If you are interested in ordering, please contact us. We are only responsible for sales, not for the aftermath. Whatever you wish to do with these weapons is unrelated to our company," Nikolai said on stage.
Umbrella had indeed collapsed, but a dying camel is still bigger than a horse; a portion of its people were still selling these products.
Stopping these biochemical weapons was impossible; the only option was to guide their use. They aimed to suppress inferior manufacturers and maintain a sole sales channel.
Simmons only glanced at them a few times before turning to leave. He had no interest in such matters.
He had barely taken two steps when the sound of breaking glass echoed. The bar waiters and waitresses also transformed, pulling out guns and shooting the bodyguards present.
A series of explosions erupted, and Nikolai was the first to hide in the shadows. He didn't know who was causing the destruction, daring to make trouble right under his nose!
He quickly activated the Hunters and Tyrants to eliminate the attackers. In the eyes of the Tyrants, there was no distinction between men and women. Any enemy would have their head smashed by a single punch.
The disturbance was quelled in ten minutes, with some injured and some dead.
Nikolai, as if nothing had happened, walked out again. "Everyone, there's no need to panic. I've already dispatched Umbrella's ideal weapons to eliminate those monsters. Next, we can slowly discuss cooperation. If you're not satisfied, you can return home; your navy is not far away."
Soon, Simmons received news that the Federation's navy had been hijacked by nearby pirates!
Such an absurd thing had actually happened! Regular forces ambushed by pirates? What kind of joke was this?
In fact, the Enze cruise ship was merely a decoy; the real target was the nearby naval fleet.
These ferocious pirates started from fishing boats, approaching the fleet in speedboats. With the help of Morpheus's bioweapons, they launched suicide attacks and seized control of the fleet.
The bioweapons were merely simple clones with very short lifespans, only a few months. Once they died, they would automatically dissolve, making them extremely cheap cannon fodder. Moreover, they knew how to use assault rifles and grenades, possessing a certain level of combat capability.
Eddie was still embracing Alexia, his eyes full of amusement, as if something was up. "Let's go, let's check out other places."
Chapter 406: Morpheus's Crazy Extortion
Ships in other areas had already been divided among the pirates. The last time they followed Morpheus to raid Umbrella's French Branch, despite heavy losses, they had earned a lot.
This time, they managed to seize warships. For pirates to achieve such a feat was quite an accomplishment. Who wouldn't give them a thumbs-up and call them heroes?
Morpheus coughed twice, picked up the walkie-talkie, and connected to the distant ocean liner. "Good evening, gentlemen and ladies. I am Morpheus, the head of Umbrella's Atlantic Ocean Branch. It is an honor to stand here and speak to you tonight. Please do not get lost in my beauty."
"The purpose of my speaking to you today is for you to pick up your phones and report to your regions. Immediately prepare your ransom for me. If you don't care and don't pay, I have many missiles carrying the T-Virus here. These viruses have been modified and can quickly infect humans."
"The specific ransom amount has already been sent to your mobile phones. It is now exactly eleven o'clock. If I don't receive the ransom by eight o'clock tomorrow morning, you can prepare to die and be collected. Do not attempt to resist; I will detonate your cruise ship and then launch the missiles into your regions. If you have confidence in your interception systems, feel free to try!" Morpheus laughed wildly.
Undoubtedly, this was extortion, a global extortion. Extorting several super-developed regions simultaneously—what was that if not courting death? Even some non-participating regions were inexplicably caught in the crossfire.
Eddie had already hidden in a room. He was becoming increasingly interested in these events.
Alexia stood by the small window, looking at the sea view outside the glass. Even at night, she could see soldiers and pirates fighting on warships in the far distance. "That man must be crazy, extorting people under these circumstances. He'll be lucky to survive."
"Perhaps his real intention isn't here at all. I don't know much about the Atlantic Ocean Branch; they don't seem to have anything impressive. Aside from cheap cannon fodder troops, those things are mediocre, a bit lacking in intelligence, a failed product." Eddie's eyes gleamed with a certain light.
Using a dedicated satellite, he contacted January. January was currently sitting in front of a computer, wearing a protective suit. She rarely even used a mouse, her slender fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard.
The reason she was wearing a protective suit was entirely because she was currently pregnant.
"Hello, husband, what's up?" January continued to tap rapidly on the keyboard. With a dedicated satellite, there was so much she could do.
"Someone here is extorting various regions. I'll send you the account number. We're going to do a little under-the-table double-cross," Eddie said with a wicked grin in the cabin.