Perhaps to show off the formidable power of the attack helicopter, or perhaps to warn Zheng Zha and the others against rash actions, the aircraft behaved aggressively throughout its approach. Even a single, innocent zombie standing far off on the street corner would draw fire from the helicopter's rotary cannon, reducing it instantly to shreds.

Zheng Zha felt utter disdain for the chopper. Never mind his specialized sniper rifle; even Zhang Heng’s arrows alone were enough to bring that helicopter down easily. Of course, to a certain degree, the helicopter’s power was immense, posing a genuine threat to the group.

Alice seemed increasingly troubled ever since she learned the group was heading towards the corporation. After a long silence, she murmured, "I think I should leave the team. Even though I know this journey leads us out of the city, I absolutely don't want to go back to the company. That place terrifies me. I hope to expose the company’s secrets to the outside world, so I need to leave here."

Zheng Zha quickly interjected, "Relax. Once we're on the aircraft, I'll take control. We can all use it to leave the city. As for going to the company headquarters—don't take that seriously. Who would actually go to that headquarters? However, I want my teammate to take Angie to the checkpoint; her father is waiting for her there. My teammate can leave the city from there too. What does everyone think?" Actually, this part of the plot had already changed: Angie's father was unlikely to be shot now, as he had already contacted a supervisor at the corporation. He doubted the supervisor, busy reporting on his situation, would have the energy to monitor what a doctor was doing. Thus, there was a high probability that Angie’s father would not die but would instead wait for Angie outside the checkpoint.

Regardless of everything, they needed to reach the top floor of the skyscraper first. "Alice, don't worry. I promise everyone will leave this city safely," Zheng Zha murmured.

Simultaneously, those six helicopters were rapidly closing in on the Demon Reincarnation Squad. In a short while, they spotted a long-distance bus moving along the street in the distance. The lead helicopter already had its air-to-ground missile locked onto the bus, but before the pilot could press the trigger, everyone’s vision abruptly went dark, a flash of black flame cut through, and the entire helicopter ripped into two segments mid-air, followed by violent explosions from the wreckage.

Zheng Zha, his face bearing a scar, hovered suspended in the air, holding a massive, two-handed sword wreathed in black flame. A pair of black, fleshy wings beat behind him. The helicopter had clearly been bisected by his sword strike.

The pilot of another helicopter froze completely. After several stunned seconds, he finally roared out loud.

Simultaneously aiming the rotary machine gun at Zheng Zha, a torrent of fire erupted, spitting out half a meter—countless bullets tracked by the naked eye shot towards Zheng Zha. But just before the bullets reached him, Zheng Zha shimmered, his form dissolving into countless bats that scattered outward. These bats were incredibly agile, quickly reforming near the helicopter. Just as his hands reassembled, the greatsword swept down upon the aircraft. Instantly, another ball of flame erupted in the air, the violent explosion visible for kilometers.

Zheng Zha laughed coldly, "Kill them all. Leave no survivors!" Chu Xuan’s voice resonated in his mind: "Not a single helicopter left? We could probably catch up to them in half an hour."

Zheng Zha let out a savage grin. "No need. Let's take our time and play. Ending this too quickly isn't fun, especially since these are my original forms. Don't you find that exciting?" "Just like a cat playing with a mouse—let them think they’re nearing success, that they’ve escaped, and then, hahahaha!" Zheng Zha laughed loudly, the sound carrying a chilling intent to kill. Combined with the centipede-like scar on his face and the black wings constantly fluttering behind him, he looked terrifyingly demonic. A few minutes later, inside the bus where the Central Continent Team was located, the telephone box suddenly rang again. Zheng Zha picked up the receiver curiously, and the same cold male voice echoed from within: "Mr. Zheng Zha? I am inquiring on behalf of the Board of Directors: the mercenary group pursuing you, what faction do they belong to? Are they truly a hidden asset of the corporation? I hope you will answer truthfully."

Zheng Zha's heart skipped a beat. He quickly replied, "Yes, they are mercenaries belonging to another faction. They are also a bio-research power attempting to overthrow the Umbrella Corporation so they can rise in power. Are there any issues?"

The cold voice fell silent for a long moment before slowly speaking, "Six attack helicopters, wiped out in two minutes. That is the data I just received. Recordings from those two minutes indicate that the squad is not composed of humans; at least one member possesses a non-human physique and strength. Furthermore, their weaponry deserves our company's attention. That flaming weapon seems similar to an energy weapon our company is currently developing. You are in a highly precarious position. The Board has dispatched emergency helicopters to the top floor of the corporate tower. You need to reach there as quickly as possible. After you leave the city, we will use a nuclear missile to sterilize the area. That is all."

As soon as he finished speaking, the cold voice abruptly disconnected. The information revealed in his words chilled Zheng Zha to the bone.

Six attack helicopters destroyed in two minutes, and it appeared those six helicopters hadn't inflicted any significant damage on the Demon Reincarnation Squad. This level of power was terrifying. What if it had been the Central Continent Team facing them? Never mind six helicopters; they might destroy them after suffering heavy losses, or perhaps only by setting up a massive ambush utilizing terrain. But to confront them head-on like that—Zheng Zha knew his own team utterly lacked that kind of power.

The Demon Reincarnation Squad was too strong.

"No, under no circumstances can we fight them head-on. Absolutely not," Zheng Zha decided internally. He quickly told Zhan Lan, "Let me drive. We need to reach the corporate tower quickly."

Zhan Lan looked at him, surprised, then stepped on the brakes and silently rose from the seat. Zheng Zha sat in the still-warm driver's seat, took a deep breath, and his eyes glazed over with a distant focus. His foot slammed down hard on the accelerator, and the entire bus shot forward madly.

Using his unlocked Gene Lock state just to drive a vehicle was an extravagance for anyone who hadn't unlocked their genes. However, Zheng Zha had no time for such considerations now. He barely eased off the gas, pushing the vehicle to its absolute limit, careening down the wide but debris-strewn road at a speed that stunned onlookers. Several people inside the bus turned pale and green from fright multiple times; even the helicopter pilots might have broken a sweat.

By the time the group emerged from the bus, more than a dozen corporate security guards, clad in black uniforms, surrounded them, their weapons all pointed at Zheng Zha and the others. One guard even held a set of explosive handcuffs, seemingly intending to cuff Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha gave a cold laugh. "I know what you want, but I won't waste time on pleasantries. I’ll say only this: I am not something you can push around. We are equal trading partners. To ensure you understand my meaning, I have decided to show you and the Board members quite a show."

"Zhao Yingkong, enter Flash Step state."

"Zhang Heng, shoot down the helicopters."

There was no need to hide anything now. These were plot characters, members of an opposing faction; when their existence threatened his own life, the best course was complete annihilation. This would also serve as a sharp reminder to the Umbrella Corporation: they were not looking at a piece of free meat, but lean, hard muscle that demanded payment.

A flash of lightning erupted in Zhao Yingkong’s eyes, and she vanished from sight. Simultaneously, the heads of the three closest guards flew upward, their neck wounds burning with fire. Zhao Yingkong reappeared behind them, mid-motion as she threw something forward. Then, with a sharp pull backward, several other guards were cleanly severed at the waist. By the time Alice and the other plot characters regained their senses to attack, only the guard holding the explosive handcuffs remained, trembling. Zhang Heng had already drawn his bow and fired. Two arrows flew out, one closely following the other toward the front of the nearest helicopter. The rear arrow collided with the first and detonated. The resulting flash intensified momentarily. When everyone recovered, the arrows had already pierced the helicopter and flown into the distance, but the aircraft hung momentarily in the air before exploding violently.

Zheng Zha spoke coldly into the phone, "Don't make me repeat myself. We are cooperating. If you want our immense power, then show us your sincerity!"