Chapter 111: Assigning the Research Tasks

The underground base in the western desert region was overseen by Old Qian, who, over just a few months and with a steadily growing number of biochemical warriors, tirelessly constructed it day and night. Thanks to advanced construction equipment and rich experience, such a feat was accomplished with remarkable speed.

The base was divided into three distinct areas. The first was the warehouse zone, formerly the parking area for space shuttles, now subdivided into several smaller sections. The second, naturally, was the work and research zone, occupying the entire central part of the base. The third was the living quarters, accommodating the biochemical warriors—now numbering two thousand—and other personnel.

The living quarters were closest to the surface, but that did not imply vulnerability. With fixed weapon systems in place, even relying solely on powerful laser weaponry, the base could perfectly counter any zombie onslaught. Under normal circumstances, the chance of zombies breaching the base was exceedingly slim.

Despite a full day and night of hard work, Ma Jun remained vigorous and alert, showing no signs of fatigue. After a refreshing bath, he felt completely rejuvenated.

In the dining hall, a lavish spread had been prepared—a full table of sumptuous dishes. The ingredients, sourced from other dimensions, were specially arranged for Ma Jun by Qian Moduo himself. Having traveled through multiple dimensions with Ma Jun over many decades, Qian Moduo was intimately familiar with his habits and had effectively become Ma Jun’s chief steward.

After the meal, accompanied by four members of the Qian family, Ma Jun took the elevator down to a conference room in the work and research section. There, Dr. Ashford and his daughter Angie were already waiting.

“He insists on bringing his daughter along!” Qian Moduo whispered in Ma Jun’s ear.

“Hello, Mr. Ma Jun. Thank you very much for your help to me and my daughter,” Ashford said, clearly not a capricious or socially inept scientist, as he stood up holding Angie’s hand to greet Ma Jun.

“That’s because you’re important, and I don’t want a young girl in her prime to be sent to the afterlife by zombies,” Ma Jun replied with a smile, shaking Ashford’s hand before affectionately ruffling Angie’s hair.

Of course, these words were a polite pretense. In Raccoon City, hundreds and thousands of children had died, yet Ma Jun had chosen to save only Angie.

Ashford caught the underlying threat in Ma Jun’s tone and became even more humble. The group sat together as biochemical warriors served tea and fruit juice.

“Mr. Ashford, I’ve just escaped from Raccoon City,” Ma Jun’s expression turned grave. “I must say, the situation is dire—for America and the entire world.”

“I’m deeply sorry,” Ashford said solemnly.

“But people in other regions remain completely unaware of the biocrisis,” Ma Jun continued. “Umbrella is a great company—so great it can stand against the U.S. government and even the world. They dropped a nuclear bomb on Raccoon City, hoping to cover everything up. But the T-virus doesn’t stop spreading because of a nuclear blast.”

“If it were a sparsely populated area, the spread of the T-virus might be controllable,” Ashford analyzed. “But Raccoon City has hundreds of thousands of people, not to mention endless numbers of creatures. Soon, the virus will spread beyond, multiplying exponentially…”

“Old Qian, activate the projector and connect the signal to the news channel,” Ma Jun signaled to Qian Moduo.

On the front wall of the conference room, a news broadcast appeared.

“Recently, we received an unverified report of an accident: a mysterious plague outbreak in Raccoon City. The footage was captured by Terry Morales, a former anchor at Raccoon City Channel Seven.”

“However, new evidence has since refuted the earlier report, revealing it as a malicious hoax. The footage was proven to be completely fabricated!”

“It was used to deceive the public, mocking the real tragedy that occurred in Raccoon City this past Monday.”

“The nuclear power plant’s reactor suffered a severe accident—the largest nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl incident in Russia! In response, Umbrella Corporation acted swiftly to contain the disaster to the greatest extent possible.”

“The governor personally commended and thanked Umbrella Corporation for their actions.”

“Currently, rumor spreaders Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira are wanted fugitives!”

…

“See? This is Umbrella Corporation. The poor people are forever the fools!” Ma Jun shrugged with a wry smile. “They shout about democracy and freedom, passionately and proudly electing governors and presidents. But it turns out those elected officials are nothing more than beautiful garments.”

Ashford remained expressionless. Everyone knew this truth; they were no longer children needing to express outrage.

“Jill, have you eaten breakfast?” Ma Jun turned to the girl.

“Yes.”

“Good. I have a gift for you. Uncle Qian Xuoduo will take you to see it—you’ll definitely like it.”

Qian Xuoduo hesitated briefly before nodding with a smile. “Absolutely.”

“Go ahead, Jill.” Ashford, after consulting his daughter, could only agree.

Once Jill had left, Qian Moduo turned off the projector.

Ma Jun lit a cigar, exhaled a plume of smoke, and looked at Ashford. “Doctor, it looks like the world is doomed. But in the face of Umbrella Corporation’s immense power, anything we say will be dismissed as lies. Only force can solve this problem.”

“What do you need from me, Mr. Ma Jun? You saved my life and Jill’s—I will obey your orders,” Ashford said decisively, his weakness obvious yet wise.

“Excellent.” Ma Jun nodded with satisfaction. “I have some research data on the T-virus from Umbrella, and I also obtained blood from two perfectly fused T-virus creatures. I need you to lead the research to develop a version of the T-virus without side effects. Then, I will assemble a biochemical army to lead humanity toward the light! You and your daughter will live safely in this apocalyptic world.”

“I will do my best,” Ashford responded without hesitation.

“No, you must succeed. First, clone the creature based on the blood samples, then study it thoroughly. You have a perfect specimen before you—it’s not about creating something from nothing,” Ma Jun fixed him with a stern gaze.

“All right…” Ashford hesitated. “But my experience in genetic engineering is limited.”

“I have the most advanced gene cloning technology,” Ma Jun said with a smile.

These technologies had, of course, been acquired from the Avatar dimension. There, humans could combine Na’vi and human genes to breed new species—such genetic technology was incredibly advanced. This was also one reason Ma Jun could create his biochemical warrior army.

“Mr. Qian Yaoduo will assist you in setting concrete goals and tasks. Any questions?”

“No, I will complete your orders,” Ashford replied firmly.

“Number Three, escort Mr. Ashford out,” Ma Jun instructed Qian Bodu.

Soon, only Ma Jun and Qian Yaoduo remained in the conference room.

“Second Old Qian, monitor Ashford and his daughter twenty-four hours a day, no breaks—even during bathing or bathroom visits! You must ensure no mistakes happen,” Ma Jun said slowly. “During the experiments, you must stay by Ashford’s side without leaving him for a moment. Remember that!”

“Boss, you can count on me!” Qian Yaoduo thumped his chest confidently.