Chapter 114: Winning Alice Over

The Umbrella Corporation seemed to have a tradition: they loved hiding themselves underground. Constructing facilities beneath the surface required immense technical support, a capability they possessed in abundance. Moreover, the clandestine nature of an underground base was undeniably high. Yet, in reality, once such a base was exposed, it became relatively easy to attack; a few large-scale weapons of mass destruction could finish the job in one fell swoop. Clearly, the conglomerate had immense confidence in its own strength to operate in such a manner.

In the heart of Tokyo, deep beneath the city center, lay a sprawling complex. The Umbrella Corporation’s headquarters consisted of nearly a hundred subterranean levels, complemented by several smaller structures on the surface. An Asian man in a suit hurried up the stairs and knocked on an office door. Inside, a sturdy man wearing sunglasses sat with his back perfectly straight.

"Sir, the latest intelligence: the laboratory on the outskirts of Raccoon City has been destroyed by unidentified armed forces, and the Alice project test subject is missing. Our analysis indicates that the movements and equipment of these militants match those of the unidentified personnel from the previous Hive incident. They are likely the same group," the man in the suit said, standing before the man in sunglasses in a low, grave voice.

"Anything else?" the man in sunglasses frowned. "No other information?"

"Nothing," the suit replied, shaking his head. "The opposition moved swiftly and with great power, leaving no trace behind. Satellite surveillance also failed to capture any useful footage. Preliminary analysis suggests that all of our monitoring equipment was jammed."

"Damn it!" the man in sunglasses roared. "From now on, establish a tracking unit! I will oversee it personally. It seems this group is specifically targeting us! Contact the heads of all departments and the board of directors; I am calling an emergency meeting."

"Understood."

...

Back at the desert base, Ma Jun and his team had returned. Murdoch and the others went off to process the various data and items recovered during the raid. Ma Jun and Alice were assigned to a room to talk.

The charade in Raccoon City had been a complete success. Alice, believing that the simple, kind-hearted boy named Jack had died because of her, had been plagued by guilt. Seeing him alive again filled her with overwhelming joy. After a long, affectionate reunion filled with emotional outpourings, Alice finally asked, "Jack, do you know what organization these people who saved you belong to?"

"It might be a government agency or a private institution," Ma Jun said, shaking his head. "I don't know anything about them, only that they were formed to oppose the Umbrella Corporation. Look, the world has fallen into chaos; humanity is on the brink of destruction. People had to unite to take down Umbrella."

"Alice, are you okay?" Ma Jun asked hesitantly. "The people here told me that the Umbrella Corporation injected you with the T-virus."

"I'm fine..." Alice’s mood darkened. "The virus has merged with me. It has made me very powerful, but I don't know if I'm even human anymore."

"Of course you are!" Ma Jun quickly took Alice’s hands. "Look at you, what a beautiful woman you are. In my heart, you are an angel."

The words were so cloying that even Ma Jun felt a shiver of discomfort, but Alice clearly relished them. She smiled happily and gripped his hand tightly. Suddenly, the door opened, and Murdoch entered.

"Hello, Miss Alice. I hope I’m not interrupting."

"Not at all," Alice replied.

"Ms. Alice, you have likely already guessed the nature of our organization. We were formed by a coalition of powerful global governments and private entities to oppose the Umbrella Corporation and save humanity," Murdoch stated.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Alice asked directly.

Murdoch smiled. "Mr. Jack is an outstanding computer expert who has joined us. As for you, you are an exceptional combatant, and having merged with the virus, you are naturally a very valuable talent. We are not here to threaten you, but we sincerely hope you will join us as well."

"You want me to fight?" Alice asked.

"Aside from combat..." Murdoch continued, "we may also need you to assist us with some research. You know that when humans are infected with the T-virus, they turn into zombies. But you are an exception. We hope to develop an agent that can help humanity weather this crisis."

Alice fell silent, bowing her head in thought. This was the moment for Ma Jun to step in. He didn't waste his breath with persuasion; he simply squeezed Alice’s hand and looked at her with eyes full of anticipation.

After a while, Alice said, "I want to help you too. But the truth is, the humans who have already turned into zombies are effectively dead; they cannot be changed back."

"Of course!" Murdoch smiled. "We know that. That is why the agent we are researching is for the living—to help their bodies produce antibodies and become immune to the virus. If you don't mind, we can begin work tomorrow."

"Will I still be required to fight?" Alice asked. "Or am I just a lab rat?"

"Certainly not!" Murdoch assured her. "You are an independent individual; we will not cage you like an animal. Starting tomorrow, our researchers will need to draw some blood and run some physical tests. Afterwards, you will be assigned as a squad leader to search for survivors. If research needs arise, we will call you back, and we would appreciate your cooperation then. It will be just like a regular job; we will respect your personal wishes."

Alice possessed superpowers now. If she were to lose control unexpectedly, trying to restrain her completely could cost the lives of many bio-soldiers, and Ma Jun himself would be in danger. Therefore, in this situation, Ma Jun naturally had to respect Alice's personal wishes; harmony was the key to prosperity.

With Jack by her side, Alice did not reject Murdoch’s proposal. Moreover, her own goal was to fight the Umbrella Corporation. After some deliberation, she agreed.

"Welcome aboard!" Murdoch smiled and extended his hand. "I hope for a pleasant cooperation in the future. Oh, by the way, we have arranged accommodation for you next to Jack’s room. He can fill you in on the other details. I won't disturb you any further. See you tomorrow!"

The room Ma Jun was currently staying in was in the base’s dormitory area—a standard employee unit, not his own private luxury suite. To keep Alice steady, he would need to stay here for the foreseeable future.

The next day, Ma Jun took Alice to the testing area, where they drew her blood and ran a series of physical assessments. With the research material secured, Alice was equipped with a ten-person squad and sent out to fight and search for survivors.

For now, all Ma Jun had to do was wait for the research results. When that time came, perhaps he, too, would possess superpowers.