Courtyard House: I fish in the heavens, a professional bird abuser.

The air in the ventilation ducts is terrible.

Not only does it have that lingering musty smell, but it also has a faint metallic rust smell.

But as He Yuanchao continued to climb, the oppressive and stifling atmosphere gradually weakened, replaced by a faint, fresh scent of earth and plants.

That's the smell of the ground.

It is the world of the living.

"Clatter".

He Yuanchao pushed open the gate of a hidden ventilation opening located in the wine cellar of the mansion.

He landed lightly on the ground, making no sound.

Looking around, this is an extremely luxurious wine cellar.

The oak barrels were neatly arranged, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of aged red wine.

This is where Umbrella's top management enjoys themselves.

Compared to that cold and terrifying steel tomb below, this place is simply paradise.

"It's truly a case of the rich feasting while the poor rot."

He Yuanchao casually took a bottle of red wine that looked to be from a good vintage from the shelf, without even looking at the label, smashed the bottle neck, tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The mellow liquor flowed down his throat, dispelling the slight chill that had lingered from the ground.

Good wine.

Unfortunately, after tonight, this bottle of wine will be reduced to shards, or the entire villa will be reduced to ruins.

He didn't linger long. Carrying the wine bottle, he strolled up the stairs to the lobby on the first floor like a leisurely host.

The villa was quiet.

The heavy curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out the sunlight.

All the furniture was covered with dust cloths, giving it a desolate feel.

This mansion, located deep in the forest on the outskirts of Raccoon City, is actually just a disguised ground entrance to the Hive and also serves as the temporary residence of the security chief.

The current residents are Alice, who has lost her memory, and Spence, who is also pretending to have amnesia but is actually a traitor.

Based on the timeline.

After releasing the virus, Spencer was knocked out by nerve gas on the tram and is now lying dead on the underground platform.

And Alice...

He Yuanchao's gaze turned toward the bathroom.

There was a door that was slightly ajar.

A faint, steady breathing sound could be heard, but with a subtle, almost imperceptible erratic quality.

This is a sequela of being forced into a coma by nerve gas.

He gently pushed the door open.

The bathroom was large, with spotless white tiles.

In that huge, now dried-out shower room, lay a figure lying on the floor.

That's a woman.

She was only wrapped in a red bath towel, the glaring red standing out starkly against the pale white bathroom.

Her blond hair was scattered messily on the floor tiles, covering half of her face.

But even just the half of her profile that was revealed was stunning enough.

With a high, straight nose and deep-set eyes, even in his unconscious state, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, exuding a heroic air.

Alice.

The absolute protagonist of this series, the god of war in this biohazard world.

At this moment, she was like a sleeping lioness who had sheathed her claws, completely unguarded in front of He Yuanchao.

He Yuanchao stood there quietly, looking down at her.

There were no dirty thoughts.

His eyes were clear, with a hint of appreciation, but more of a scrutinizing gaze.

It was like a seasoned commander examining a peerless sword about to be drawn.

"This physique...is indeed a promising talent."

"To survive such a high concentration of nerve gas without becoming an idiot is already one in ten thousand."

"No wonder it was able to perfectly integrate with the T-virus later on, and even eventually become the kind of psychopath who could kill with just his mind."

He Yuanchao squatted down.

He extended a finger and gently brushed aside the stray hairs on Alice's face.

Her delicate face was fully revealed, with a sickly pallor, but the wild beauty that lay deep within her was even more captivating.

"Unfortunately, you're too weak right now."

"He doesn't even remember his own past, and he can't even hold a gun properly."

"How can you, in a state like this, go and cause a scene with me?"

He Yuanchao shook his head.

He pulled a metal syringe from his pocket.

This is not some strange medicine.

This is a primary gene nutrient solution that he extracted using the "Ark of Life" system in the world of Bright Sword.

It is an extremely diluted version of the "G virus serum".

It doesn't have such exaggerated regenerative abilities, nor can it instantly turn someone into a superhuman.

But it has one advantage—

It can greatly awaken the body's potential, eliminate toxins and residues, and restore physical fitness to its peak state in a short time.

For Alice at this moment, it was like rain after a long drought.

"You got off easy."

He Yuanchao aimed the syringe at Alice's snow-white arm.

"laugh--"

The barely audible sound of injection.

The pale blue liquid was slowly pushed into her body.

Visibly, Alice's originally pale face began to regain its color, and her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

Her breathing became deeper and stronger, like a precision engine restarting.

After doing all this, He Yuanchao put away the syringe and stood up.

He didn't wake her.

Because the show hasn't started yet, and the audience hasn't all arrived.

That black captain named James Sheldon, along with his bunch of rookie special forces, should have just blown open the villa's gate and be charging in with guns at the ready.

"It's time to go."

He Yuanchao glanced at his wrist.

The time is just right.

He casually grabbed a notepad from the cabinet next to him; it was Umbrella Corporation's internal letterhead.

He took out a gold pen and wrote a few words on it in a flamboyant style.

It wasn't any sweet talk, nor was it any complicated instructions.

Only a simple, somewhat mysterious line of English:

—"When I woke up, I looked down. Hell was beckoning, but heaven... was just above the muzzle of a gun."

The signature included a simple drawing of a dragon head.

That's the symbol of "Dragon Fang".

He Yuanchao gently placed the note in Alice's palm, then helped her pull up the slipped bath towel slightly to cover the glimpse of spring that shouldn't have been revealed.

Sleep well, Sleeping Beauty.

"Don't be too grumpy when you wake up later."

"Those guys in the task force are no match for you."

After saying that, he took one last deep look at the woman, then turned and disappeared like the wind out of the bathroom door.

He didn't go through the main entrance.

That was the "stage" reserved for the task force.

He went back into the cellar, but he didn't go back into the ventilation duct.

Because he wanted to "join" the team in a more impactful and believable capacity.

He arrived near the platform of the underground train.

There lay the bodies of several Umbrella security personnel.

They were the unlucky ones who perished during the first wave of gas release.

He Yuanchao found a corner with the best view, but not easy to be hit by stray bullets.

He tore off several pieces of bulletproof vests from the security guards and smeared some blood on his face and his work clothes.

Make yourself look like a survivor who has survived chaos, though in a sorry state, but with tenacious resilience.

Then, he leaned against the corner of the wall, closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and slowed his heartbeat down a little.

He was waiting.

Waiting for that explosion.

Waiting for that door to open.

We await the official start of the horror story known as "Resident Evil".

In his mind, the system's notification tone had already begun the countdown:

[Task Force Infiltration Countdown: 10...9...8...]

[Please prepare yourself, host.]

[Your moment of true acting has arrived.]