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

He Yuanchao made a move.

There were no signs whatsoever.

There was no build-up of energy, no change in breathing, and not even the shoulder muscles were tensed beforehand.

His body vanished from the spot like a fired bullet.

Nicolai's reaction was not slow.

He was, after all, a seasoned veteran who had spent over a decade on the battlefield, and his finger pulled the trigger the moment He Yuanchao disappeared.

"Da da da—"

Three shots in quick succession.

The bullet struck the spot where He Yuanchao had been standing just a second earlier.

Three sparks flew from the metal floor.

But He Yuanchao was no longer there.

His physical abilities after the gene lock was unlocked allowed him to complete a move that almost defied the laws of physics in a very short time—dodge to the side while sliding along the wall like a black snake emerging from a crack in the rock.

Nicolai's gun couldn't keep up with his speed.

By the time he adjusted his shooting angle, He Yuanchao was already in front of him.

One hand gripped the MP5's barrel and twisted it forcefully with the fingertips.

"Click."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the enclosed corridor—the gun barrel had been twisted off at the connection point with the foregrip, like a chopstick had been snapped in two.

Nicolai's pupils contracted sharply.

He instinctively tried to back away, his right hand already reaching for the tactical knife sheath at his side.

But before his hand could even touch the hilt of the knife, He Yuanchao's other hand had already gripped his wrist.

The force of that grip was outrageously strong.

Nicolai felt as if his wrist bones were being clamped by hydraulic clamps. The pain exploded from his wrist, burning down his forearm to his shoulder. His fingers spread open uncontrollably, and his tactical knife clattered to the ground.

"ah--"

He groaned softly.

He Yuanchao gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He kicked Nicolai in the back of the knee, and the nearly 1.8-meter-tall strong man's knee buckled. He Yuanchao lifted him up and slammed his back against the metal wall of the corridor.

"Bang!"

The impact resounded in the narrow space.

Nicolai's head hit the wall, and his vision went black for a moment. When his vision refocused, he saw He Yuanchao's face.

He was less than 20 centimeters away.

There was no anger, no murderous intent, and not even disgust on that face.

There was only a chilling, appraising look, like someone scrutinizing a product.

"Your skills are quite good," He Yuanchao said, his tone as if he were commenting on a training assessment. "Your reaction speed, shooting accuracy, and concealment abilities—they're top-notch among ordinary people."

"But you chose the wrong person."

His hand gripped Nicolai's collar so tightly that the fabric began to tear.

"I'll give you three seconds. Tell me Kane's evacuation plan—time, location, number of people, route. Everything."

A trickle of blood ran down Nicolai's lip.

He stared intently into He Yuanchao's eyes, the dark pupils reflecting the ghastly green light of the emergency lamps, like two bottomless dry wells.

"Killing me won't change anything," Nicolai's voice was hoarse, but he didn't plead for mercy. "Kane has radio remote control authority. With just the press of a button, Nemesis will activate—"

"He can't press it anymore."

He Yuanchao interrupted him.

"Because the first thing I'll do after I get out is cut off his hand."

Nicolai was stunned.

In that instant, he saw an absolute, unquestionable certainty in He Yuanchao's eyes.

The man wasn't trying to scare him.

He really will do that.

And he has that ability.

Nicolai's psychological defenses cracked in that instant.

Alice held her gun up from behind, but she didn't fire—He Yuanchao moved too fast, and she had no chance to intervene.

"Tell me," He Yuanchao said again.

"Then I'll not only let you go—I'll also save your daughter."

These words were like a nail, precisely driven into Nicolai's most vulnerable spot.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

His lips were trembling.

"Nuclear bomb."

Nicolai finally spoke. His voice seemed to be squeezed from the depths of his throat, each word dripping with blood.

"The Security Council has approved the 'purification agreement.' A tactical nuclear missile has been launched from Edwards Air Force Base. Target—Raccoon City Center."

"How much longer?"

Six hours.

He Yuanchao loosened his fingers slightly—not to relax, but to allow Nicolai a breather to finish speaking.

"What about the evacuation plan?"

"The helipad on the top floor of the city hall." Nicolai swallowed hard, a mouthful of bloody saliva. "That's Umbrella's internal evacuation point. Three Black Hawk helicopters, enough for only twelve people. The evacuation list only includes senior researchers and officers."

"What about ordinary soldiers? What about civilians?"

Nicolai did not answer.

A fleeting, almost painful expression crossed that face covered in blood and dust.

He doesn't need to answer.

He Yuanchao looked into his eyes and already knew the answer.

Abandoned pawn.

Like the more than 500 employees in the Hive who were knocked out by poison gas.

Like the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Raccoon City who were torn apart by zombies.

In the dictionary of those who protect the system, these people are never considered "human beings".

It's a consumable.

He Yuanchao released his grip.

Nicolai slid down the wall and sat on the ground, clutching his wrist, which was bruised from being gripped so tightly, and gasped for breath.

He Yuanchao stood in front of him, looking down at him for two seconds.

"If what you say is true, I will keep my word. I will find a way to get your daughter."

If what you're saying is false—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

But the unspoken implications are more chilling than any threat.

He Yuanchao turned around and walked towards Alice.

"Let's put the server room issue aside for now."

Alice lowered the gun: "What's wrong?"

"Six hours." He Yuanchao glanced at her, the playfulness in his eyes completely gone, replaced by a resolute determination as hard as iron.

"Six hours later, this city will cease to exist."

"We have to get out."

"It's not just us."

"Everyone who is still alive—must get out."