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

Third checkpoint on the outskirts of Raccoon City.

A mobile command vehicle painted in matte black was parked behind a roadblock. There were no markings on the vehicle, and even the license plate was blank.

The interior of the carriage had been converted into a small combat command center. Twelve LCD screens were embedded in the three walls, each displaying different images—satellite aerial views of various areas of Raccoon City, thermal imaging scans, and real-time images transmitted from several fixed monitoring points that had not yet been destroyed.

Most of the footage is a mess.

Firelight, ruins, and tiny gray dots crawling like ants on the streets.

Zombies.

When viewed from above, they don't even look like living things, but rather like some kind of liquid—seeping from every corner of the city, converging into slow-flowing gray rivers, rushing towards any sound.

Major Kane sat in the swivel chair fixed to the floor in front of the command post, his right leg crossed over his left, a cup of coffee that had gone cold in his hand.

He didn't drink it.

The cup is just a prop to keep my fingers occupied, so I don't look so anxious.

The images on the screen danced back and forth in his light gray eyes, like two mirrors reflecting the firelight of hell.

"Report, Edwards Air Force Base confirms – the 'Cleanup Agreement' has been approved by the UN Security Council. Tactical nuclear warheads are loaded, and B-2 bombers are on standby on the taxiway."

The communicator's voice came through the earpiece, fast and steady, in the tone of a well-trained military officer.

Kane tapped his fingers lightly twice on the side of the coffee cup.

"Estimated bombing time?"

"Six hours and fifteen minutes."

"knew."

Kane placed the coffee cup on the table, and the bottom of the cup made a soft clinking sound.

Six hours.

enough.

He stood up and walked to the largest screen.

The image shows an aerial view of downtown Raccoon City. The city has completely fallen—the power system collapsed four hours ago, the last police force lost contact two hours ago, and although the three lines of defense set up by the military are still operational, the roadblocks can stop ordinary citizens, but not zombies.

The whole city is like a festering wound.

It spreads outward from the center at an increasingly faster speed.

In twelve hours, the infected area will break through the outermost blockade line.

At that point, nuclear bombs will no longer be used for "purification," but rather for "stopping the bleeding."

Kane didn't care about any of that.

Raccoon City was just a chessboard to him. Every piece on the chessboard—zombies, survivors, mutants, task forces—was just data.

The only two sets of data he truly cared about were...

Group 1: Nemesis.

His gaze shifted to a screen in the lower right corner. The screen displayed a huge red cursor slowly moving along a street in the southern part of the city—Nemesis's tracking signal.

This project is the ultimate biological weapon that Umbrella Military has spent seven years and a $1.2 billion budget developing. Its combat data is more valuable to the Board than the lives of all the residents of Raccoon City combined.

This is also why Kane did not retreat immediately during the disaster—he needed to witness Nemesis's fighting prowess firsthand.

Data doesn't lie.

However, a control group is needed for the data.

This leads to the second set of data.

Kane pulled a small tablet out of his pocket, which displayed two photos.

The first picture is Alice.

A perfect fusion of the T-virus. An unexpected product of decades of genetic research by Umbrella Corporation. Her physical capabilities have surpassed human limits, but by how much? What are the limits? Can she be replicated? The answers to these questions need to be verified through real combat.

The second photo —

He Yuanchao.

Kane stared at the photo for a long time.

The photo was taken from surveillance footage inside the Hive. The image quality isn't great, but you can clearly see an Asian man in blue overalls using a long knife that appears out of nowhere to cleave an adult Licker in half.

This screenshot was confirmed only after Kane had the technical team replay it seventeen times.

Because it's so absurd.

A single person, using a melee weapon, sliced ​​a mutated creature that even a rifle couldn't penetrate in two.

"This is not something a human could do," Kane's adjutant said upon seeing the scene.

Kane agreed.

So he investigated this person's background.

As a result, nothing could be found.

Umbrella's personnel database does indeed have a Level 9 Inspector named "He Yuanchao," but this file suddenly appeared in the system three days ago; all previous records were blank. There was no application for employment, no background check report, and no manager had signed his appointment or dismissal documents.

This person is like a ghost that appeared out of nowhere in the Umbrella system.

A ghost with the highest authority.

Kane put the tablet back in his pocket.

He walked to the front of the command platform and picked up the communicator.

"Alpha Squad."

"receive."

"Has Nemesis's current location been confirmed?"

"Intersection of 7th Street and Rose Avenue in the South District. Moving towards City Hall."

"speed?"

"Approximately four kilometers per hour. It is tracking the biosignals of the remaining STARS personnel."

Kane nodded slightly. Nemesis's tracking program was working properly.

"Have you located that Asian man?"

"Negative. He was last seen on surveillance footage at a city hospital. The signal disappeared after that. We presume he has moved out of our surveillance coverage area."

"He didn't escape coverage," Kane's voice turned cold. "He deliberately evaded our detection. Someone who can freely enter and exit the Hive and tamper with the Red Queen's permissions can easily hide from a few fixed cameras."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication.

Kane didn't care. He continued:

"I'm changing my plans. I'm no longer tracking him."

"Major?"

"Let him come find me himself."

Kane walked to the back door of the command vehicle and pushed it open. A cold night wind blew outside, and the sky in the direction of Raccoon City was tinged with a dark orange by the firelight.

"Before the nuclear bombs fell, the city had only one exit—the helicopter in City Hall Square."

"If he wants to leave, he has to come find me."

"At that time—"

Kane's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Let Nemesis fight him. Then let Alice fight Nemesis. No matter who wins or loses, I'll get the data I need."

"After the nuclear bombs fell, this data became Umbrella's most valuable legacy."

"And I am the heir who holds the inheritance."

He closed the door.

The screen inside the command vehicle continued to flash.

The small red and green dots on the screen moved slowly through the city ruins, like chess pieces taking their places on a chessboard.

Kane sat back down in his swivel chair, picked up the now-cold coffee, and took a sip.

It tastes very bitter.

But he doesn't dislike bitterness.

Bitterness keeps you alert.

In times like these, only those who remain clear-headed will survive to the end.

He swiped his finger twice on the tablet, placing He Yuanchao and Alice's photos side by side.

Two variables.

Two pieces he could not fully control.

But it's okay.

A chess player does not need to control every single piece.

The player only needs to control the board.

And nuclear weapons—are his chessboard.

Six hours to go.

Kane closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

The command vehicle's engine emitted a deep roar, like a wild beast lurking in the shadows.