This bulletproof armor was also a high-tech weapon developed by the Earth Federation to adapt to warfare, but to put it mildly, this armor was truly trash military gear, because its defensive capability was pitifully small; when riddled by sustained fire from a standard submachine gun, the armor would quickly be riddled with holes like a wasp nest. Thus, the armor’s practical application in military scenarios could almost be described as zero. Of course, compared to the antiquated military technology of previous eras, the Earth Federation’s civilian technology had made significant strides. For instance, this protective armor, despite appearing cumbersome, was actually lightweight equipment that could automatically scale larger or smaller to fit the unique size and build of each soldier—in this specific aspect, it finally displayed a touch of true high-tech prowess.

Zheng Zha held two pieces of the protective armor in front of his body, treating them almost like shields. The moment he stepped into the intersecting corridor, a volley of sharp impacts sounded against the armor, and waves of force constantly transmitted through the plating. This corridor stretched about twenty meters long, and on the far side, nearly ten soldiers were continuously sweeping their weapons at him. At this moment, their targets were precisely Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha actually had no need to fear such powerful high-tech weaponry. The Dragon Crystal could potentially block the impact of one or two micro-nuclear warheads; these bullets were naturally nothing to be afraid of. However, Zheng Zha was in a predicament he couldn't easily explain. After all, he was fighting directly in front of these soldiers. Just as he couldn't use the Tiger Soul Blade before, he couldn't deploy the Dragon Crystal for defense now. Otherwise, it would be mistakenly identified as a Zerg shield ability, leaving him unable to defend his actions.

As soon as Zheng Zha entered the junction, countless bullets swept toward him. The reason Zheng Zha needed two pieces of protective armor was that one piece shielded his upper body, and the other shielded his lower body. With a blank look in his eyes, he charged straight ahead. The twenty-meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye—his running speed was simply too fast. Of course, this was while Zheng Zha was still holding back his full strength; the apparent speed wasn't so overwhelming as to be unbelievable. By the time the dozen-plus soldiers began their sustained barrage, he had already barreled into them, bracing the armor forward. The soldier closest to him hadn't even registered what was happening before his head struck something hard, knocking him out instantly. Zheng Zha kicked him sharply on the jaw, sending the man flying three meters away, his condition unknown.

The dozen or so soldiers were momentarily stunned by this sight. Before they could fully react, Zheng Zha hurled the two severely battered pieces of armor toward them. Three or four soldiers instinctively sidestepped backward to evade, but as they moved to dodge, Zheng Zha lunged forward several rapid steps, driving a heavy kick into one soldier's chest. The soldier was nearly launched into the air, crashing into several others, and collapsed limply to the ground without even a groan.

Given Zheng Zha’s current physical conditioning, these soldiers posed no threat whatsoever, especially in close quarters, where they were easily dispatched and laid out on the ground. This included several junior officers who met the same fate. Under the force of Zheng Zha’s terrifying melee power, even without engaging at full strength, ordinary people fundamentally could not harm him.

Seeing the ground littered with unconscious soldiers, Zheng Zha refrained from taking their lives. After all, many soldiers were advancing behind him. If his methods were too brutal, especially against fellow soldiers, it could easily breed suspicion or ill feeling. Under the current circumstances, he could not afford for the soldiers to harbor any doubts about him, particularly doubts that he had been parasitized by the Zerg.

Not long after Zheng Zha continued his advance, the doors to the Central Conference Room appeared at the far end of the corridor. What puzzled him was the sight of a large number of Earth Federation soldiers lying strewn outside the doors. Judging by their uniforms, these were newly arrived reinforcements. The soldiers originally tasked with guarding this central room had all been attacked and felled. He couldn't tell if they had been killed outright.

The conference room door suddenly swung open, and a powerfully built middle-aged man pushed it open and stepped out. He surveyed Zheng Zha and the hundreds of soldiers behind him before murmuring, “Since things have come to this, there’s no need to worry about them anymore… Your name is Zheng Zha, correct? Captain of the Central Continent Team… I crossed paths with you once on another battleship; we seem to have met before. There isn't much left to say, really. Come in. I know you’re here to capture the members of our team currently aboard this vessel. Oh, and by the way, I have unlocked the first stage of the Gene Lock—killing me will yield substantial reward points and a side plot scenario.” With that, the big man laughed and walked back into the Central Conference Room.

Zheng Zha frowned as he looked toward the conference room entrance. He turned to address the other soldiers: “Everyone spread out and continue mopping up the remaining instigated soldiers who refuse to surrender their weapons. We must secure this conference room. Furthermore, leave two squads here to guard this location. I will enter now to check on the safety of the Generals. No one is permitted to enter this room without my direct order, lest we provoke these parasitized individuals into harming the Generals.” The other soldiers nodded repeatedly. Seeing the heap of men whose fates were unknown, these soldiers had already unilaterally concluded that those men were infected. Apart from the two squads led by the two veterans who remained behind, the rest quietly filtered into the side corridors surrounding the conference room. Zheng Zha glanced around once more before he, too, silently entered the conference room doors.

Inside the meeting room, soldiers lay killed across the floor everywhere—including junior officers, senior officers, reporters, battleship crew, and even several Generals. The only ones still alive in the entire area were the two members of the Southern Flame Continent Team: one, the strong, middle-aged man, and the other, a Caucasian male.

The Caucasian man’s face twisted into a manic grin when he saw Zheng Zha. He pointed at the military officers on the floor and said, “Heh heh, didn’t you know? Killing a Colonel grants three hundred reward points! Killing a General gives a thousand reward points! Damn it, that felt amazing! The way I took down that last guy just now earned me almost five or six thousand reward points… Hahahaha! Isn’t your Central Continent Team supposed to be powerful? Aren’t you incredibly formidable? I’ve claimed all these reward points—let’s see what you guys get now! Hahahaha…”

Zheng Zha and the middle-aged man both frowned, but neither side made any further display. Only the middle-aged man nodded to Zheng Zha: “Hello, Captain of the Central Continent Team. My name is Richard Robias, the strongest combatant from the Southern Flame Continent Team… I wish to propose a trade with the Central Continent Team.”

Zheng Zha paused: “A trade? What kind of trade? I hardly think your team is in a position to negotiate any terms with us now… Especially after you pushed things so far, killing these high-ranking military officials now will only complicate matters significantly. Moreover, even if it is about earning reward points, that shouldn't fall to your team, should it? I don't see any necessity for us to trade at this juncture.”

The middle-aged man sighed, but before he could speak, the Caucasian man roared angrily, “Damn it, I killed them, so what if I did? Are you going to kill me to pay for it? Damn it, don’t push me too far! You guys forced me into a corner! Damn it, and that bastard Nyos! Calling him a criminal genius—I think he’s nothing more than a bratty bastard! Damn it, if I ever see him alive again, I swear I’ll kill him with my own hands…” Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged man raised his hand and brought it down heavily across the white man’s face, sending him flying more than ten meters sideways. He crashed into several fixed plastic chairs before groaning and collapsing into the pile of ruined plastic.

The middle-aged man offered Zheng Zha an apologetic smile: “People’s eyes only see the faults and shortcomings of others, never mentioning their own transgressions… Our team was at fault this time. Because we held the advantage, we tried to wipe you all out. Greed made us lose sight of our true purpose. So, there’s nothing to say about our current situation; this is what we deserve. Since we tried to kill you first, it’s only fair that you turn around and kill us all… However, among our team members, besides the neutral pair, Rose and another, there is a little girl who is also innocent… Her background is very pitiful; she contracted AIDS when she was young, and by the time she accidentally encountered the computer and entered the horror movie world, she was already on her deathbed…”

“This little girl is entirely innocent. All the decisions—to kill you, to fight, the greed—were ours alone. I only ask that you spare this little girl. As for my life, I leave it to you. If you agree, I can even help you deal with this man’s combat strength, allowing you to kill him effortlessly. How about it? Can you agree to my request?”

The Caucasian man slowly got up from the ground and began to laugh wildly again: “Damn it, you two, don’t think I’m easy prey! I am, after all, a captain acknowledged by the ‘Main God’ after unlocking the first stage of the Gene Lock…”

Listening to them, Zheng Zha frowned once more. The middle-aged man, Richard, seemed to think Zheng Zha was unwilling to accept his proposal. He sighed, “When Nyos was still alive… I owed him a favor, so I created a very powerful skill called ‘Mineral Warrior.’ Although its duration is short, I believe it should be enough to contest with you. If you think you can easily kill us both… then come and try!” He then leaped forward.