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

After the church doors were closed, most of the bloody and chemical smells that had seeped in from outside were blocked.

Instead, the old-fashioned smell emanating from the stone walls and wood, mixed with the faint candlelight remaining on the altar, actually gave off a sense of peace.

But it was only a little bit.

The first thing He Yuanchao did upon entering was not to find a place to sit down and rest, but to lock the oak door from the inside and then move two long benches across it to block it.

"Will this door hold?" Payton was helped by Jill to sit down on a bench in the front row, where he slumped down and didn't want to move. His injured leg was stretched out, and the dark red mark on the bandage had widened again.

"Ordinary zombies can't break through it." He Yuanchao patted the thick oak door. "It's at least two inches thick. But if it's one of those mutated giants, it's hard to say."

After he finished speaking, he glanced around at the layout of the church interior.

The church is small, typical of a neighborhood church.

In the middle were two rows of long wooden benches, which could probably seat about a hundred people. The stone walls on either side were inlaid with stained glass windows—the kind depicting biblical stories. They were beautiful, but their defensive capabilities were practically zero.

The altar is at the very back, behind which is a small storage room.

Next to the storage room was a narrow door—which, when opened, led to a stone staircase to the basement.

He Yuanchao walked over and took a look.

The basement wasn't deep, just down about seven or eight steps. It was filled with odds and ends—old furniture, Christmas decorations, a few unopened boxes of bottled water, and some basic emergency supplies.

It seems that the church had made some basic disaster preparedness preparations beforehand.

Although the "disaster" they are preparing for is most likely to be of the level of a tornado or a blizzard.

It's not a zombie apocalypse.

But as long as there's water, that's fine.

He Yuanchao carried two cases of bottled water up from the basement and placed them on the steps in front of the altar.

"Drink some water."

He opened one bottle and handed it to Payton, then opened another and handed it to Jill.

Jill glanced at him as she took the water bottle.

He Yuanchao noticed that her fingers were trembling slightly.

It's not because I'm afraid.

It's because I haven't relaxed for too long.

That physiological reaction of suddenly relaxing after being highly tense for dozens of hours.

Jill tilted her head back and gulped down most of the bottle, water dripping from the corner of her mouth and onto her tactical vest.

She didn't bother to wipe it.

After putting down the water bottle, she looked up at He Yuanchao.

"Alright, tell me now."

"Who exactly are you?"

"Don't give me that technical advisor nonsense. No one working as a technical advisor under the Hive could have your marksmanship and fighting skills."

He Yuanchao found a chair and sat down.

He placed the shotgun across his lap, unscrewed his water bottle, and sipped it slowly.

Who I am is not important.

"The important thing is that I'm in the same boat as you now."

"Umbrella Corporation wants to capture me and use me as a guinea pig, and those zombies want to gnaw on my bones."

"Like everyone else still alive in this city, I need a way out."

"So what's your plan?" Jill was unconvinced. "Your behavior under the hive didn't seem like that of someone without a plan."

He Yuanchao looked at her.

He likes intelligent people.

Talking to smart people is effortless.

"The plan has three steps."

He held up three fingers.

"First, survive. That's the most basic thing, no further explanation needed."

"Second, find people. There are still some people in this city worth saving. It's not because I'm being overly compassionate, but because there's strength in numbers. In the apocalypse, those who fight alone die young."

"third--"

He Yuanchao put away the last finger and curled the corner of his mouth slightly.

"Move all of Umbrella's assets, data, and equipment from this city."

"Then use their own things to kill them."

Jill's eyes changed.

There was a hint of...admiration in that wariness.

Or rather, it's a resonance.

While she was at STARS, she was investigating Umbrella Corporation. She knew how deep the company's roots were and how ruthless its influence was.

If it weren't for these people creating the T-virus, Raccoon City wouldn't have become such a mess.

"You want to use a protective umbrella?"

"You're hitting that word too lightly," He Yuanchao corrected. "I want them to disappear from this world. Not even their names should be left."

Payton, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Just the three of us? A cripple, a policewoman, and someone who claims to be a former employee? Fighting a multinational corporation?"

"If three people aren't enough, then find more," He Yuanchao said dismissively.

"There are still survivors in this city. Scattered in various corners, there are police officers, civilians, and possibly even soldiers."

"Organize these people, give them weapons, give them a reason to live—"

"That's enough."

When He Yuanchao said this, his tone was as calm as if he were just saying what to eat tomorrow.

But Jill sensed something hidden beneath the surface of ordinariness.

That's the kind of confidence that only those who have experienced great things possess.

This man wasn't bragging.

He genuinely believed it was possible.

"Okay." Jill made her decision.

She pulled the pistol out of its holster, unscrewed the slide to check the chamber, and then clicked it shut.

"I'll go with you for now."

"But three things need to be made clear."

"First, if you still have any connection with the protection umbrella, I will kill you with my own hands."

"Secondly, I will manage my own people; don't interfere."

"Third, if your plan will kill innocent people—I won't go along with it."

He Yuanchao looked into her gray-blue eyes, which were filled with seriousness.

"make a deal."

He stretched out his hand.

Jill hesitated for a second.

Then I took his hand.

That grip was very firm.

It was like two people who had just climbed back from the edge of a cliff, confirming that they were still alive.

"Alright." He Yuanchao released his grip and stood up.

"Let the wounded rest first. You should rest too, don't push yourself, your left hand is shaking."

Jill instinctively hid her left hand behind her back.

They saw right through me.

He Yuanchao didn't say anything more.

He walked to a stained-glass window on the side of the church and peeked out through the crack.

Zombies were still roaming the streets sporadically.

The number wasn't large, but they were slowly converging towards the church—probably drawn by the sound of the police car engines earlier.

It does not pose a threat at the moment.

He Yuanchao turned around.

His gaze finally settled on Payton.

The burly policeman had leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, his breathing was heavy, and his face had an abnormal sheen of oil.

He Yuanchao looked at his injured leg, which was wrapped in bandages.

Then he walked very quietly to Jill's side.

He lowered his voice.

"When did he get that injury on his leg?"

Jill's expression stiffened slightly.

"Last night. At the police station."

"Was it bitten by a zombie?"

silence.

Three seconds of silence.

"yes."

Jill's voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost inaudible.

He said he was just grazed. But I saw the wound.

"It's very deep."

He Yuanchao nodded.

He didn't say anything like "Then he'll turn into a zombie."

Jill didn't need anyone to tell her this obvious fact.

She knows better than anyone.

"There's an antidote in the suitcase," He Yuanchao said.

Jill turned her head sharply: "What?"

"It's that box that was brought out of the Hive—Kane and his gang confiscated it. It contained T-virus antibody serum."

"If we can retrieve it and inject it before he completely mutates, there's still hope."

Jill's eyes lit up.

But then it went dark again.

"That box is in Umbrella's hands."

"yes."

He Yuanchao's lips curled up slightly.

"That's why I said—the third step is to empty their belongings."

"The serum is also in it."

Jill took a deep breath.

She glanced at the unconscious Peyton, then at the calm-faced man in front of her.

A distant explosion could be heard outside the window.

I don't know which building collapsed or what was detonated.

The orange-red flames flashed across the gray sky.

The fourth day of the apocalypse.

The candlelight flickered in the church.

Three people, two guns, and a plan whose feasibility is still unknown.

But at least—they are still alive.