Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Xiao Honglu smiled.

"A pushover? That might not be the most accurate description." Xiao Honglu shook his head. "The captain is kind, but not a blind saint. Even if we did something that would incur public wrath, as long as it didn't harm our comrades, he would only be very angry and try to advise us in secret. The possibility of him turning against us directly is almost nonexistent—not to mention, those of us who experienced what happened in the world of Ju-on 2 actually have a pretty good idea of ​​what happened. And everyone, including Brother Zheng Zha, keeps quiet."

Zhang Jie took a deep drag, then crushed the cigar in his hand into dust. He knew the world of Ju-on 2, and although he missed the vacation after The Mummy, he was still able to deduce the specific events that occurred in that world from some clues.

"So you're planning to do this experiment."

“Yes, that’s why I plan to conduct this experiment.” Xiao Honglu nodded slightly, then took a deep breath. “Actually, before the meeting that decided on this trip, I took some time to go back to the real world.”

Zhang Jie made a gesture of listening attentively.

“You should know what I did before I entered the cycle of reincarnation… I was actually a mental… well, a neurotic patient, and my profession was to be researched. Because my brain nerves were naturally more developed, a research institution with official backing protected me as an experimental subject and then prepared a long and comprehensive ‘treatment plan’ for me.”

"Of course, I don't blame them. Although those people deprived me of my freedom of movement and made me suffer a lot, they did take care of my body and gave me a childhood that, while not very pleasant, wasn't terrible either. At least before I was chosen to enter the God Space out of despair, I wasn't actually very dissatisfied with my life as a lab rat."

He gently tapped his head and curled a strand of hair from his forehead.

“Of course, good days don’t last forever. There’s a reason why I don’t think being studied was too bad.” He gently pulled out a few strands of hair with his fingertips. “In that research institution that ‘treated’ me, there was a very kind older sister who took care of me the whole time… She was truly a wonderful older sister. Beautiful, gentle, and incredibly patient… Even when I was acting crazy for a while because of the medication, she never left my side—after that, I made a decision that if I could leave the research institution, or become an important person there, I would definitely propose to her when I was sixteen at the latest. Even if I was rejected in the end, I would use my wisdom and abilities to take good care of her for the rest of my life.”

Zhang Jie listened quietly, his face expressionless. Since Xiao Honglu would ultimately be pulled into the cycle of reincarnation due to despair, what would happen next was predictable. He knew very well that the only thing he needed to do now was to remain silent.

Xiao Honglu continued his narration.

"Of course, she died. The cause of death was a fire... My research building caught fire for one reason or another. She rescued me, but was trapped in the flames herself—can you believe how stupid that woman was, risking her life for an experimental subject... Didn't she know that this experimental subject couldn't survive without her?"

The melancholy little boy sighed and took the cigarette Zhang Jie offered. After examining it carefully for a few seconds, he put the cigarette in his pocket and then took out a lollipop.

"So, I came to the world of reincarnation. And while I lived in this world of reincarnation, I was constantly thinking about ways to undo the regrets of the past... I am not Zheng Zha, I will not be satisfied with a creation made from the main god. Although I did create one, I will not be satisfied... Then, during the time I was in contact with Sister Alice, I learned from her the ritual of resurrecting the dead. And when I successfully advanced to the third level at the end of the last world, and possessed sufficient computing power and manipulation precision, I brought her, whom I created, back to the real world."

“I resurrected her. I resurrected the real her in the body I created. Just as Imhotep resurrected Anzulna, I pulled her from the abyss of death and freed her from her status as a creation, making her a real living being. The limitations of the supreme god are far removed from her. When she awakens, even if I die in the cycle of reincarnation, she can continue to live as an ordinary native.”

"...That sounds like a happy ending for everyone," Zhang Jie said.

“Ah, that’s right, a happy ending for everyone.” Xiao Honglu’s lips curled into a strange expression that was hard to define as a smile. “At least until I looked at her memories in the Abyss of Death and discovered some incongruous and strange things, this should have been a happy ending for everyone.”

Xiao Honglu's fingers gently pinched the outer railing of the observation deck into a thin sheet, then slowly restored it to its tubular shape. His eyes were dark as water, within which an unseen behemoth stirred.

"She shouldn't have been there, and that fire shouldn't have happened. When I realized there might be something else going on in that fire, I spent a lot of effort thoroughly investigating the research institution. Then I discovered a sealed, classified experimental record—it turned out that the fire was arson, and the reason she was trapped inside and burned to death was also arson. And the reason this happened was because of an experimental project that the research institution was conducting—an experimental project about artificially activating psychokinesis under extreme emotions."

Zhang Jie opened his mouth in surprise, his eyes widening slightly.

“I really didn’t expect the world I lived in to be so dark. A vibrant life was wasted as experimental material, and if I hadn’t observed those subtle traces during the resurrection ritual, I would have remained in the dark until my death in battle—I was furious, and because of this anger, I sought revenge.”

"My revenge is justified, isn't it?" He tilted his head slightly to look at Zhang Jie. "Without involving any innocent bystanders, do you agree that all those guys should die?"

"That depends on your definition of innocent people."

"I don't care about the definition of innocent people. I'll kill until everyone I think is innocent is dead," Xiao Honglu said coldly. "Try it with Zheng Zha. If he knew that his Luo Li didn't die of illness but was murdered, and that she died in extreme pain, see how many people he would kill before he would stop."

A somber atmosphere filled the air following Xiao Honglu's words, and the once clear sky was now covered with dark clouds—which then dissipated in the blink of an eye.

"Of course, there's no need to continue this topic. I've already completed my revenge, and I think neither you, Brother Zhang Jie, nor Captain Zheng Zha, have the right to punish or judge me. I'm just telling you this one thing to prove the point I wanted to make at the beginning."

"When the strong set aside their pride, the only weapon the weak have is their tears, and their only hope for survival is the pity of the strong. To this world, or this planet, our Zhongzhou team is the strong. But to the society under this celestial canopy, the strong are the wealthy and powerful among humanity."

“We reincarnators will leave sooner or later, so calculating our own variables is not very meaningful. Therefore, the content of my experiment this time is…” Xiao Honglu took a light breath. “I plan to eliminate the power differences between the upper and lower classes in this country and grant everyone equal freedom.”

“Simply put, I intend to grant everyone in this country a fair path to power. Whether poor or rich, foolish or wise, everyone will have the same opportunity. And the source of this opportunity… is actually Umbrella.” He stretched out his hand, and a bright yellow double-helix reagent appeared in his palm.

"This is a little gadget I got from the Great Library. It's essentially a failed product Miss Alice created while developing the T-virus. Its purpose is to prevent ordinary people infected with the T-virus from turning into zombies, but instead to grant them the powerful abilities of deep zombification... self-regeneration, immense strength, accelerated reactions, and doubled lifespan. Infected individuals will become Lickers, Trackers, or even Tyrants, whose appearances don't change and who remain rational and normal. I also asked Sister Patchouli to add some genetically armed bio-weapons inside, such as bio-plasma cannons, ultrasonic sensors, and infrared vision, and these abilities will be randomly activated based on the intensity of the infected person's combat."

"It's basically just a post-apocalyptic scenario with superpowers," Xiao Honglu shrugged. "However, in this scenario, there are no zombies as external enemies. There's only competition among these bio-powered individuals who can at most obtain CC-level enhancements. This is my sociological experiment. What do you think, Brother Zhang Jie?"

“Classes will still exist, and wealth and poverty will still be factors in determining social status,” Zhang Jie replied.

“That’s why I need your help, Brother Zhang Jie,” Xiao Honglu replied. “Help me examine this land inhabited by two hundred million people and select those who might cause trouble in the early stages of the experiment. Then, keep them quiet at the appropriate time and stir up the collective subconscious of this area, filling everyone with a fighting spirit… or rather, a will to survive.”

Zhang Jie took a deep breath. He realized that the smiling little boy before him was truly determined and had made ample preparations—treating the T-virus wouldn't violate the Central State Team's rules, and any excessive effectiveness was clearly outside the scope of after-sales service. Strengthening the inhabitants' will to survive would obviously have a positive effect on the drug's efficacy; in other words, while Xiao Honglu had brought chaos, he had indeed saved countless people infected with the T-virus on this land. But…

"You...didn't save anyone, you destroyed them."

“Perhaps, but I don’t care.” Xiao Honglu chuckled, casually tossing the yellow spiral potion down from the observation deck—it disintegrated and collapsed in mid-air, scattering its contents in all directions. “And you don’t really care either, because this world isn’t your world, and the people here aren’t your people. Although there are many good people in our group, at least half of them are angry young men. And angry young men…” He stamped his foot on the floor. “Most of them take a celebratory attitude towards the destruction of this country beneath my feet.”

"So, join my plan, Brother Zhang Jie. I can complete my project and see what a country would be like if the weak and the strong were redefined. And you can also fulfill your red dream of conquering Kyoto and slaughtering the Japanese invaders—we will both move further toward the fourth stage, and no one will feel uncomfortable about it."

"Chu Xuan and Zheng Zha..."

"Chu Xuan is currently in a country two time zones to our due west, in a country we are both very familiar with. I don't know what he's planning to do right now; perhaps it's an experiment, or perhaps something else. But it doesn't matter; at least you can be sure that no matter how bad things get here, it won't affect them there. As for Brother Zheng Zha..."

He paused, then looked at the computer terminal on the table.

“Ten minutes ago, I detected his identification signal in Antarctica. Then, as we started talking, a hacker used a technique commonly employed by puppeteers to seize control of all Umbrella bases in Antarctica.”

Chapter 10: Tempting the Brink of Danger

Antarctica.

Antarctica.

Standing on the vast, boundless snowfield, Zheng Zha looked at the dim sun, which was as faint as a firefly, and the freezing snow and wind that seemed to never stop rushing towards him. He couldn't help but wonder if his decision-making had made a serious mistake as always, and if this so-called vacation was just a pointless farce from beginning to end.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have had everyone teleport away separately, nor should I have made them engage in any combat or competition... A proper vacation might have been a better arrangement. Damn it, if it weren't for this damn teleportation mechanism, I should be enjoying the sun and sand in Hawaii right now, taking in the sights, instead of being stuck in this godforsaken place... where there aren't even any birds, and being chilled by this freezing wind!"

The icy snowflakes pelted his face, chilling him to the bone—a mere blizzard of sub-zero temperatures couldn't possibly penetrate his skin, but this terrible situation truly left him feeling frustrated and resentful—yes, these were the rules he set, the arrangements he made, even the opening of the world and the teleportation were all paid for with his own money. Even the worst treatment was trouble he had brought upon himself. But…

But I was doing it for everyone's good!

He rubbed his head, stomped his foot on the ground, and instantly the snowfield within a ten-kilometer radius shattered amidst the earth's tremor. The blizzard in the sky was quickly dispersed, and intense subterranean fire erupted, transforming the barren land into vibrant, thriving soil in the form of lava and steam. Then he blew a heavy breath, and a dry and clean passage was cleared from his feet, stretching to the horizon.

He remembered that there seemed to be a standalone project in the Resident Evil game series called "Resident Evil: Code Veronica"—released around 2003, on the PS2 platform—he wasn't entirely sure, because he, Zheng, didn't usually play game consoles much. After all, he was exhausted from work, and after get off work, he often went to places of entertainment and debauchery until he was half-dead. As a white-collar worker under a lot of pressure, the kind of shooting game set in bars and hotels was obviously more appealing to him than the kind on CDs and screens.

Regardless of how clearly he remembered it, he knew that such a game existed. And when he subconsciously switched to the state of activating the fourth stage of the gene lock, the relevant information about the game clearly appeared in his mind. He then casually discarded some less important information, successfully extracting a few pieces of information that were more useful to him at that moment.

First, the game's story takes place in Antarctica. Umbrella Corporation has established many large research institutes there.

Secondly, the research institute has abundant resources.

"Very well, that's enough." Zheng Zha didn't care at all about the game's plot, who the protagonist was, who the antagonist was, or what grudges and entanglements existed between them. He was completely indifferent. Because he, Zheng Zha, had already reached the fourth stage. Unless he was thrown directly into a stellar core or a black hole's event horizon—something truly divine—he possessed the ability to rapidly change his life form to survive in any known material environment. And clearly, there was nothing on this planet that could pose a threat to him. And since nothing posed a threat, nothing could stop him.

He wanted air conditioning, internet access, a soft sofa, and hot coffee. He believed Umbrella's base would definitely have all of that… Of course, he didn't know exactly where Umbrella's base was in Antarctica. But he was confident he could find it by following his instincts.

After all, he had become a fourth-order transcendent being, and fourth-order beings are always known for their good fortune. And the best manifestation of good fortune is nothing more than having one's wishes fulfilled.

"I will definitely find that base, and it won't be long," Zheng Zha thought to himself. He flew forward along the path he had created with his breath, the atmosphere burning and leaving a long trail of flames behind him—he didn't feel like he was on the wrong path. He knew then that he had found the right target.

While he felt a surge of joy, a touch of melancholy also crept into his heart. As he flew, he gently furrowed his straight brows.

Fourth tier...that's too strong.

When he first left the Star River World, he didn't feel much, but with the improvement of his control over the fourth-order gene lock, the perfection of his enhancements, and the addition of new powerful teammates—Zheng Zha had to admit it. The Central Continent team now had a serious imbalance in strength, with more than one-third being gods and less than two-thirds being mortals, ultimately resulting in a hidden split within the entire team.

This is different from last time. Last time, the Central Continent team was on the verge of splitting up because the witches went too far in the Ju-on world—treating their teammates as tools to scheme against them was one thing, but although it wasn't explicitly stated, the Ju-on world was undeniably destroyed while they were trapped in the illusion. But ultimately, that was just an internal conflict between the team, a grudge, a conflict caused by different values. And in the end, they were united by seeking common ground while reserving differences, thus building a united team.

But things are different now. Some people in the group are moving too fast, while others are moving too slow. Once the levels of life are separated, it can lead to all sorts of unpleasant consequences. For example, right now, Zheng Zha, aside from those with extraordinary achievements like Alice, can even decipher the specific content of Xiao Honglu's scattered brainwaves within tens of seconds, perceiving all of his emotional changes and psychological activities—as long as Zheng Zha wants to and is willing to invest time and resources, then life forms below the fourth level will have no secrets in his eyes.

This is not a good thing, though he wouldn't actually do it, he knows it's not a good thing. It's possible for the strong and the weak to forge friendships and interact as equals. But if the weak, in the eyes of the strong, cannot even be considered an independent individual, but merely exist as a formula, a difficult problem that can certainly be solved—then can a friendly relationship still exist between them?

The chasm between the transcendent and the sub-transcendent was greater than he had imagined, yet he was almost powerless to do anything about it—what could he do? Should he ask his teammates, who had already reached the fourth tier, to stop and wait for the others to slowly advance? To be honest, copying Margot Lloyd's attitude towards Norrell wasn't entirely unreasonable, but the problem was that a significant part (in his opinion) of Margot Lloyd's ability to stop and wait for Norrell was because Margot Lloyd believed that Norrell could catch up with him in a short time—but he, Zheng, couldn't be as certain about the other companions in the team who hadn't reached the transcendent level.

Ah, that's right. He believed in his comrades, believed that each of them could fulfill their duty in battle, and that no matter how difficult the situation or how powerful the enemy, every member of the Central Plains Team would work together to overcome the difficulties. He had this confidence, and he also believed that no one would betray his trust.

Even so, he dared not say for sure that any of the remaining ten reincarnators in the team would be able to advance to the fourth rank.

However, even if he couldn't make a definitive statement, he still wanted to try.

[The reason I organized this event is precisely for this... Normally, everyone is either busy fighting, training, conducting experiments, or doing research. Although we've always fought side-by-side, life's transformation can't only be forged in blood and fire—a peaceful holiday, a relaxed atmosphere, and a change of environment might be beneficial for those who are slightly lagging behind. And people like Margot Lloyd should understand my unspoken meaning: slow down your pace a little, wait during your rest days, and help your comrades.]

[...That's what I should have been thinking. But why did it turn out this way?]

He sensed a change in the terrain, and a hill with obvious signs of human intervention came into view—undoubtedly a secret research and development base. The next second, he appeared at the base's entrance.

[Tier 4... I can only give the others a chance. Let them try their best to keep up with our first tier. If all else fails, Margot Lloyd deliberately revealing the T-virus enhancement drug before coming is a barely acceptable path—even if it sacrifices future growth potential, forcibly pushing them to the Tier 3 limit through external force will at least give them the ability to protect themselves in future battles.]

He reached out, and the blocked door silently melted into molten steel. What surprised him as he entered the base was the lack of any enemies or traps along the way—the base was undeniably still operational. The ground had been cleaned, and the lighting and heating were functioning perfectly. Logically, there should have been a considerable number of maintenance personnel in this base, but…

Zheng Zha shook his head, too lazy to think about it any further. He didn't like wasting his already scarce computing power on meaningless things. He simply walked slowly along the central axis of the base, all the way down to the deepest part of the base.

Is the boss of that game in the base?

Will I be able to meet it?

Zheng Zha thought to himself, but his steps did not falter. There was no sign of misjudging him, and he had not encountered any hostile people or creatures along the way.

There was no security, no biological weapons, no machine gun emplacements mounted on the walls or ceiling. There were no remnants or bloodstains left by dead creatures. He walked smoothly to the deepest part of the base, enjoying the warm breeze without any obstacles, and then… in the deepest hall of the base, he saw a person sitting in an armchair.

A woman, of average appearance, with virtually no curves, dressed in a black women's suit that resembled a foreign university uniform, and wearing black-rimmed glasses—when he saw her, she had just looked up and adjusted her glasses. Zheng Zha then realized he couldn't immediately read her thoughts.

[She's unlocked at least the third-tier genetic lock... Is she a game boss, the type who obtained a special viral injection and then enhanced it to its limit...? No, there's something strange about this guy. I think... I seem to know her.]

“Welcome, unfamiliar outsider,” said the woman in the suit. Her voice was slightly magnetic, though not particularly pleasant. “I am the administrator of this base, Alexia Ashford. I have given myself an Eastern name, ‘Luo Ye.’ You may call me that if you wish.”

"Stop it, Margot Lloyd." Zheng Zha's eye twitched involuntarily. If he wasn't entirely sure at first, hearing the name 'Luo Ye' made him realize there was no need for certainty. He rubbed his head, looking troubled. "Didn't I say we'd have a three-day peace period without seeing each other... Even if you're too lazy to participate, at least consider my feelings..."

“As far as I know, the third Resident Evil movie is a post-apocalyptic story. And the current time is before Resident Evil 2 started. I did some research before I came here. Now about 70 percent of the world’s population is infected with the T-virus, and I have a solution.” Luo Ye gently rested his chin on his hand, looking at the guy in front of him who had frozen in place after hearing this unexpected news.

"Now, do you say I am Margot Royd, or the owner of this base, Alexia Ashford, who has fully merged with the Queen Ant virus?"

"...You're nobody, you're Luo Ye." Zheng Zha, half-laughing and half-crying, grabbed a chair from the side and pulled it under his bottom. "Okay, I really didn't expect this part. Damn it, how come I didn't think of the world being about to be destroyed!" He shook his head vigorously.

“I don’t know what you’ve got up to all this trouble and what you’re trying to do here. But I don’t think I can stop you… So, what do you need my help with? Forget about the experiments, I’m not in the mood right now.” Zheng Zha sighed deeply. “All my efforts have been wasted once again.”

"You seem to be in a bad mood?"

"It's not just 'appears', I am indeed in a very bad mood right now."

"Then your mood might get even worse later." Luo Ye rested her chin on her hand and said slowly, "Before this holiday started, Xiao Honglu took a resurrection ritual from me and went to the real world. Then he resurrected one of his older sisters who was very important to him—as the price for the ritual, I had him run a search program in the Abyss of Death in your world while performing the resurrection ritual. And then guess what I found?"

She tilted her head slightly, revealing a smile that could perhaps be described as mischievous.

"In Xiao Honglu's world, or rather, in your real world, there doesn't seem to be a girl's soul named Luo Li."

Section 11. On Treatment Methods for Chimpanzees

“Margot Lloyd,” Zheng Zha rubbed his face vigorously. “This joke isn’t funny.”

“First, I am Luo Ye, not Alice,” the woman replied, placing her hands in a pyramid shape across her chest. “Second, I am not joking. Although it was the Alice Margot Lloyd you know who did this, and it was indeed her and my fault for conducting the soul search on Lori without prior notice—for that I should apologize to you. But what I said is indeed the truth.”

She bowed slightly to Zheng Zha, making an apologetic gesture.

Zheng Zha clenched his fist slightly.

“You’ve made me feel even worse.” He took a deep breath and exhaled, the hot air causing the steel structure beneath his feet to vaporize instantly, only to reform in a matter of microseconds. “I don’t think you came all this way just to tell me this.”

Luo Ye raised an eyebrow slightly—"You're a little different from what I expected, Captain Zheng Zha." She tilted her head slightly, making a slightly puzzled gesture. "I thought you would be more... 'radical,' especially after hearing such important news for you."