Chapter 98: Rebooting the Red Queen

The group immediately took a detour, advancing swiftly and in an orderly, alert formation. Before long, they arrived at what the Hive's map labeled Dining Room B.

In truth, however, this was no dining room. The mercenaries fanned out to guard the entrance while one of them stepped forward, quickly entering the access code to open the doors. Raising their weapons cautiously, the group rushed inside.

Within Dining Room B, a cold mist clung to the floor, which was lined with numerous metal crates. Thick pipes and cables ran in a chaotic tangle. Confusion flickered in the mercenaries' eyes as they warily surveyed their surroundings.

"Dining Room B. That's what the map says," the tech specialist said with certainty, swiping his finger across the screen mounted on his forearm.

"Maybe you read it wrong?" one of the mercenaries asked.

The squad leader walked over, glanced at the map on the screen, and then locked his gaze onto Ma Jun.

Ma Jun maintained his relaxed expression. "Boys, remember your mission? Don't overthink things you aren't cleared to know."

The mercenaries were not satisfied with this answer, but no one spoke. Matt, the fake cop who was actually an environmental activist, spoke with pointed insinuation, "Maybe your company is hiding secrets here. Secrets they don't want outsiders to find out."

"Alright, boys, go complete your mission. Take everyone with you, including this prisoner, Matt. My team will be staying here for a while," Ma Jun said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Behind him, the squad of low-tier bio-soldiers shifted, their weapons clicking. The mercenaries exchanged glances, and the squad leader commanded, "Keep search formation. Move out!"

Once they had left, Ma Jun lit a cigarette, leaned against a nearby console, and waved at Qian Boduo and Qian Xuduo. Both men nodded in unison and ordered their subordinates to move.

Qian Xuduo pulled several pieces of equipment from his spatial ring while a group of bio-soldiers secured the perimeter. They began working around the metal crates in the room.

Soon, the metal crates were forced open, revealing their contents. They were research specimens of the Umbrella Corporation—hideous, skinless monsters. The moment the crates were opened, the monsters inside let out hair-raising shrieks. Immediately, the bio-soldiers lined up their specially prepared containment cases with the metal crates and transferred the creatures inside.

Following the same procedure, Qian Boduo directed the bio-soldiers to secure five of the monsters before stopping. The bio-soldiers lifted the heavy cases in pairs and lined up behind Qian Boduo.

Qian Boduo looked at Ma Jun. "Boss, I'll take these out first. Once I hand them over to Qian Yaoduo, I'll come back down to back you up."

"No need," Ma Jun waved his hand. "These few guys are enough. Meet up with Qian the Second and wait outside the mansion to pick me up."

"Yes, sir!"

Qian Boduo quickly departed with the captured monsters. These creatures were the research assets of the Umbrella Corporation. Having been injected with the T-Virus over a long period, they possessed immense scientific value.

Tossing his cigarette butt aside, Ma Jun led Qian Xuduo and the remaining ten bio-soldiers toward the Red Queen's chamber.

By this time, the mercenaries had been thoroughly tormented by the Red Queen. They had reached the area housing the Red Queen's mainframe. The tech specialist cracked the door code, and the squad leader led three of his team members into a long, narrow corridor.

This corridor was a literal hallway of death. Once they stepped inside, the Red Queen, who had been monitoring them, shut the doors. Instantly, panic set in.

A moment later, lights flared on both sides of the corridor, followed by lasers. The lasers carried immense energy, slicing through everything with terrifying precision. Caught completely off guard, three of the team members were instantly sliced to pieces.

Only the agile squad leader remained, standing in the corridor in sheer panic. When Ma Jun arrived, the mercenaries outside the hallway were shouting in panic, urging the tech specialist to bypass the security and open the door to save their captain.

But it was too late. In the laser corridor, where only single beams had swept across before, a grid of lasers now formed. With nowhere to run, the squad leader stared in disbelief, muttered, "Fuck!" and was sliced into pieces.

The Red Queen had toyed with them. Obviously, these mercenaries were meant to be sacrificial pawns.

In fact, the Umbrella Corporation certainly knew what was happening here. The Red Queen was also capable of communicating with the outside world. After the T-Virus leak, the Red Queen's protocol was to protect humanity by preventing the virus from spreading. The Umbrella Corporation's goal, however, was the exact opposite. They wanted the data inside. Only by shutting down the Red Queen could they ensure these files and research results were not lost.

Unfortunately, the mercenaries were unaware of this. Even now, they were still focused on completing their mission. The tech specialist and the remaining three mercenaries, though drenched in sweat and visibly shaken, insisted, "We have to complete the mission!"

To match the gravity of the room, Ma Jun also put on a solemn expression.

At this moment, the laser corridor's defense mechanism had shut down, meaning the immediate danger was gone. However, once the Red Queen was deactivated, the real danger would begin!

The group carefully made their way through the laser corridor and arrived at the Red Queen's mainframe chamber.

Only then did the tech specialist, Kaplan, breathe a sigh of relief.

"Help me set this up!" Kaplan looked at Ma Jun. He was busy assembling the high-voltage circuit, intending to use it to shut down the Red Queen.

Alice also walked over to help.

Just then, the Red Queen's holographic projection appeared, glowing a deep red. "I would not advise that. Please do not shut me down. I implore you."

Kaplan ignored her completely. This thing had just killed his comrades. With a look of pure vengeance, he pressed the button, shutting down the Red Queen.

The chamber plunged into darkness. The Hive briefly lost all power, and along with it, all defense mechanisms. Every locked door slid open, and the countless inhabitants who had turned into zombies began to quietly emerge.

"Nice job," Ma Jun said to Kaplan. "The Umbrella Corporation is proud of you!"

Qian Xuduo retrieved some equipment and walked over to the Red Queen's mainframe, immediately getting to work.

"What is he doing?" Alice asked curiously.

"Copying the data stored in the Red Queen," Ma Jun replied with a smile.

Forcing a breach before the Red Queen rebooted would usually take an immense amount of time. After all, the technology in this Resident Evil world was, in some aspects, even more advanced than what Ma Jun possessed. However, doing it now was much easier. The precious data transferred rapidly. The mercenaries nearby paid little attention, their expressions tense as strange and eerie sounds began to echo from all directions.