Chapter 8: Zhang Jie: Am I the only one who didn't get a reward?
【Participated in killing Spence, rewarded with 1 C-rank side mission, 2000 reward points】
The Main God's autopsy prompt was so pleasant to hear, and the first pot of gold successfully entered the account.
Fang Ge had not expected such a tacit understanding between him, Chu Xuan, and Zheng Zha, but the result was no different.
Spence was clearly not a Werewolf game expert; to ensure his own survival, the most important thing was not to eliminate opponents, but to unite teammates.
If he had known how to win over Alice with his fragmented memories, there might have been a chance for him to continue surviving… but he didn't.
Now, the Reincarnators had already gained enough say.
The light source from the infrared aiming allowed them to determine the mercenaries' direction.
Seizing the opportune moment when the mercenaries' gazes shifted, the three of them jointly eliminated Spence, leaving the spy no chance to even scream.
Looking back, Spence had already served his final purpose to Chu Xuan—he didn't get a gun, but he did get ownership of the box.
Chu Xuan would deal with useless people immediately.
Especially after he had just opened the door, greatly boosting his trust level.
Zheng Zha's actions were purely personal vendetta; he felt that Spence had made some “inexplicable” moves—after Fang Ge pushed him hard, he fiercely kicked out.
"Swish!"
Someone flipped a light switch, and gradually, the room brightened.
The windows on the wall, in particular, revealed a cityscape of tall buildings, with abundant sunshine and a clear blue sky outside, a scene of tranquility and peace.
Inside the room, there were no zombies or monsters.
Besides the living, there was only one fresh corpse.
Spence lay there quietly; due to the night vision goggles, the mercenaries had not accidentally injured him.
This hateful spy ultimately met the same fate as Mou Gang, collapsing dead after being shot dozens of times.
He didn't even let out a scream.
Fang Ge looked at his corpse expressionlessly, letting Zhan Lan hide behind him, using his body to block her view.
—The NPC corpses are becoming more and more realistic… the foul smell is also very distinct.
Before the lights came on, Chu Xuan had already put the weapon—a blood-stained fountain pen—back in his pocket.
The moment he acted, he very subtly used the wound created by Mou Gang to stab Spence's throat through, ensuring he couldn't scream or argue.
"What happened? Can you confirm he was the mole?" Captain James frowned, seeking confirmation.
He felt a bit weary, sensing that the team was gradually slipping out of his control.
At present, Fang Ge and Chu Xuan both simultaneously pointed out Spence's abnormality, and the two men's behavioral logic was so consistent with their identities, making them almost ironclad "good identities."
But it didn't rule out the possibility that they were misled; James clearly remembered that Zheng Zha and Spence also had physical contact.
Could it be that this thick-browed and big-eyed Zheng Zha was stirring up trouble?
"Perhaps it's because he was too close to Red Queen, causing him to lose his composure."
Chu Xuan gently pushed his glasses, revealing his "clean" hands. Then he squatted down, rummaging through Spence's corpse, "autopsying" on behalf of the mercenaries.
"He took three shots to the head alone; he's completely dead—no wonder there was no scream."
"Once we take the elevator to the control room… that will only take a few minutes. The darkness just now was his last chance."
"In any case, all doubts will be cleared after checking the surveillance. I suggest we continue the operation."
James felt something was fishy, but the man was dead, so dwelling on it was meaningless. He turned his head to Fang Ge and said:
"...Perhaps you are right. Mr. Fang Ge, do you have any opinions?"
For the mercenaries, the most crucial thing was that Fang Ge shouldn't dwell on them "damaging company property" and then report them fiercely.
Fang Ge was feeling refreshed at this moment and immediately nodded, saying, "Chu Xuan is right, the priority is to continue the operation."
Alice's mind was in a haze, looking at Spence's corpse, some chaotic information flashed back in her mind, giving rise to complex emotions.
—I must divert her attention, lest she misunderstand Spence as her bedmate due to incomplete memories and lose trust in us.
Thinking of this, Fang Ge turned his head to the girl in the red dress and asked with concern, "Have you not recovered your memories yet, Alice?"
"Ah—I've recovered some, but it's not very coherent," Alice replied uncertainly, clutching her head.
Fang Ge made a recalling gesture and said, "I do remember some things about you… Do you still remember Lisa Addison? She was your best friend, and you always had endless things to talk about."
"Lisa?" Matt, who was handcuffed, jolted as if electrocuted: "You know Lisa?"
Evidently, his sister's name stimulated Matt, causing him to recover relevant memories.
"Lisa…" Alice's mind became a mess again.
In Resident Evil, Alice and Lisa both deeply detested the Umbrella Corporation's bio-weapon research and ultimately decided to expose Umbrella's evil deeds to the outside world.
The two agreed to leave with evidence, and Lisa also had her brother Matt act as an informant for the rendezvous.
This was why Matt had come to the Hive.
"If it's truly as we predicted, Lisa should already be in grave danger," Fang Ge showed a timely sad expression, "If she turned into a zombie… please don't hesitate, all you can do is let her rest in peace."
Hearing the bad news about his sister, Matt's voice rose several octaves, and he questioned loudly, "Why is Umbrella Corporation researching such a virus? Researching bio-weapons? You're also a researcher, aren't you? Don't you know this will kill many people?"
"What are you arguing about?" Rain glared over fiercely, her expression like a vicious leopard.
However, she didn't scare Matt; the man who had lost his sister was now like a wounded beast.
"Things aren't that simple. If the T-Virus doesn't leak, with continued research, perhaps a way to evolve humanity could be discovered…"
Fang Ge spread his hands, signaling Matt to calm down, then added:
"I don't care about commercial matters, nor do I have a position to be responsible for the Resident Evil caused by the virus leak… Everyone is a victim."
He seized the opportunity to plant a "seed," implying to Matt and Alice that if they wanted to fight the Umbrella Corporation, he was a force they could win over.
At the same time, the mercenary team successfully pried open the elevator door, but it was pitch black inside. After a quick check, they discovered that the elevator was completely damaged.
James made a decisive decision and turned back, shouting:
"Take the stairs! Don't waste any more time! Get to the bottom of the Hive as quickly as possible!"
This staircase was the classic Death Stairs from the original work, and it was actually very safe now.
The old woman and the chubby guy who died on the stairs in the original work, one was long dead, and the other had his position taken, so it was uncertain if he would even appear.
Plus, the mercenaries had to be wary of the zombie threat and maintain their formation, so they couldn't pick up much speed at all.
Even with only 80 points of muscle strength, Fang Ge could easily keep up as long as he maintained his breathing rhythm.
After about 20 minutes, everyone finally reached the bottom level of the Hive. As per James's request, the mercenaries first surveyed the surrounding area, and once confirmed safe, they split up to explore the path to the central control room.
Fang Ge glanced at Zhang Jie, who was lighting a cigarette and puffing smoke nearby, knowing it must be him causing trouble.
Otherwise, at least one mercenary should have been left to guard them.
Regulating her breathing, Zhan Lan patted her chest and said with a chuckle, "Finally, I have a chance to formally thank you. They were really watching too closely."
"How do you plan to thank me? By offering yourself?" Fang Ge's lips curved into a mischievous smile as he teased.
"Oh dear… You're so excellent, a poor writer like me couldn't possibly be worthy of you."
Zhan Lan could take a joke. She straightened her face and cleared her throat:
"My benefactor's righteousness, such great kindness and virtue, I have no way to repay. This humble girl is willing to be reborn as grass and ring-bearer, to be a cow or a horse…"
"Isn't that 'being a cow or a horse' line for ugly people?"
Zheng Zha inserted himself into the conversation with a mischievous grin, "With Fang Ge's looks, you should say it with the 'This humble girl is willing to offer herself'—that kind of rhetoric."
As he spoke, he even made a demure gesture, causing everyone to burst into laughter, even Zhang Jie on the side couldn't hold back.
"Chu Xuan, Brother Jie, won't you join us?" After livening up the atmosphere, the naturally friendly Zheng Zha then invited Chu Xuan.
It seemed his mood was very good after getting rid of Spence.
While the mercenaries were away, Chu Xuan tossed the "weapon" into an unvisited corner before slowly returning to the group.
He immediately poured cold water on them: "Even according to the original plot, the zombies are still confined by Red Queen… I still don't recommend you all relaxing so much."
Fang Ge waved his hand, made a shushing gesture, then whispered, "Let's not talk about that yet… Did you get it?"
"Get what?" Zhang Jie fiddled with his desert eagle, feigning ignorance.
"Got it." Zheng Zha was the first to nod and admit, "1 D-rank side mission and 800 reward points, they said it was for participating in the kill…"
"I also got one D-rank side mission, but only 500 reward points," Zhan Lan gently rubbed her forehead, stating her earnings.
Chu Xuan also frankly said, "Participated in killing Spence, rewarded with 2 D-rank side missions, 1500 reward points."
These numbers were not unexpected for Fang Ge.
Killing Spence, besides the sneak attack and shouting, the most fundamental contribution still counted towards gaining the mercenaries' trust. In this regard, Fang Ge and Chu Xuan's contributions were indeed among the best.
If the mercenaries didn't trust them, shouting louder would be useless! On the contrary, it would arouse suspicion.
Fang Ge nodded slightly and whispered, "It seems I got the most, 1 C-rank side mission, 2000 reward points."
Subsequently, the four of them all focused their gaze on Zhang Jie.