As some U.S. dollars from the Jurassic Park horror film remained unused, and those dollars took up virtually no space, Zheng Zha had kept them stowed at the very bottom of his spatial bag. Thus, upon arriving in this Resident Evil world, Zheng Zha produced the money for use. Even though the currency originated from a different horror film world, they were all coins from the same nation and era. The innkeeper merely pinched a few bills, smiled, and promptly assigned rooms for all ten of them, even inquiring if they required any special services or dinner arrangements.

“We only have twenty days… Actually, this is five days more than I would have preferred; fifteen days is the most perfect timeframe in my estimation.”

Chu Xuan addressed the group before him.

They were not currently inside a horror film loop; as long as they did not deliberately seek out danger, these twenty days would be entirely safe for them, even comfortable to the point of luxury.

But the group had not come here for a holiday. On the contrary, their objective here was almost unbelievable—at least to the inhabitants of this world. The ten of them were going to infiltrate the Umbrella Corporation headquarters to either retrieve or outright seize the deeply concealed TBD Progenitor Fluid, and then return to that alleyway.

This entire process could not result in a single casualty; at least, that was their hope. Aside from the time constraint, the group knew almost nothing about this world.

“First, we need to know the location and size of the Umbrella Corporation headquarters, the number of security personnel, whether biological weapons are stored inside, what dangers we might encounter, the exact placement of the TBD Progenitor Fluid, the retrieval procedure, and finally… how to escape Umbrella’s pursuit, or even their potential nuclear retaliation!” Similar to the starting procedures of previous horror film worlds, the only difference this time was the lack of a restriction keeping them within a certain protective perimeter. The ten gathered in Zheng Zha’s room to discuss their next steps. Of course, the discussion itself was more akin to everyone listening to Chu Xuan directly lecture on necessary precautions.

At this moment, everyone was completely safe.

So, Zheng Zha naturally unlocked the third stage of his gene lock, beginning to simulate Xiao Honglu’s thought patterns to analyze the situation.

“I actually have a few thoughts on this.”

Zheng Zha pinched the hair above his forehead. “The situation is straightforward: we know nothing about this world. The only connection we have to it is that we completed the Resident Evil horror film—no, two consecutive Resident Evil films. Therefore, when the ‘Main God’ placed us in this horror film world, as long as we don’t intentionally try to go somewhere else, it shouldn't pull us out of the core theme of this world… which is Resident Evil. So, we shouldn't be too far from the Umbrella Corporation headquarters. Maybe it’s in the city center, maybe right beneath our feet, or perhaps even above our heads. In short, we should be quite near it.”

Chu Xuan nodded calmly. He picked up a bright red tomato, took a bite, and said, “The problem isn’t its location. Judging by the film’s plot, Umbrella functions almost as a state-level corporation with partial governmental duties. Its headquarters will certainly be highly conspicuous, much like a nation's capital or landmark structure. Every country wishes to display such a glorious image to everyone. If Umbrella wants to increase its public recognition, it will certainly do the same. What we truly need to find are the locations within the Umbrella headquarters dedicated to secret biological weapons research.”

“Based on the current situation, there are three things we need to confirm. First: the current time—specifically, how much time has elapsed since Resident Evil 2 concluded, and how much time remains before Resident Evil 3 begins… Second: our location—the distance to the Umbrella headquarters. Both factors dictate the subsequent steps we might take, because the proximity of the headquarters directly correlates with the strength of Umbrella’s defenses, and even impacts whether Umbrella will resort to using nuclear weapons during our escape.”

“The third issue is the most complex: the internal structural blueprint of the Umbrella Corporation. This is critical to how we infiltrate the facility and how we acquire the TBD Progenitor Fluid… If my estimation is correct, this is at least a Team B-level side quest mission.”

In contrast to Chu Xuan’s certainty, Zheng Zha, simulating Xiao Honglu’s thinking, knitted his brows slightly. He pondered for a moment and said, “Do you remember the scene at the end of Resident Evil 2 where the female protagonist was escorted away by some supporting characters? They were impersonating Umbrella personnel and were clearly familiar with the corporation’s interior. Could we seek their assistance? Just as we sought help from the locals in the Mummy world, after all, we fought side-by-side with them…”

Chu Xuan took another bite of his tomato. “You are overthinking human nature… While human nature can be useful for consideration, it is also the most unpredictable element. When designing any plan, if possible, the initial approach should involve discarding considerations of human nature… If we involve original movie characters, our plan will have far too many variables. Firstly, do you remember how the movie characters managed to infiltrate the Umbrella facility during Resident Evil 2?”

Zheng Zha looked at Chu Xuan in astonishment. The man had already consumed the rest of the tomato in two or three bites, and he continued, “Judging by the situation then, the matter was likely quite simple: the movie characters must have relied on the power of another faction to be able to escort the female protagonist away under the guise of Umbrella personnel. I even suspect this other faction might be a governmental entity… Do you understand? The more factions we interact with, the more variables are introduced. The most crucial point is that human nature is the greatest variable. Do you wish to leave your future to the determination of fate?”

Zheng Zha paused, stunned. After a long moment, he managed a wry smile, because those words resonated deeply within him, much like the first time he met Chu Xuan back in the Alien horror film. Back then, Chu Xuan had placed himself on the side of the majority and asked Zheng Zha if he intended to leave his future to fate. Zheng Zha’s reply was that he would decide his own future… This had always been Chu Xuan’s style, both then and now.

“Understood. Then our team will handle this ourselves… Firstly, we need your computer skills. I know you are technically proficient. Find out the current timeframe—how long it has been since Resident Evil 2. Secondly, our location relative to the Umbrella headquarters. The third step might be more difficult, but since we have twenty days to complete the mission, once we locate the headquarters, leave the reconnaissance and probing to Zhao Yingkong and me.”

Following that, Zheng Zha assigned other tasks. For the mission to steal the TBD Progenitor Fluid, Chu Xuan and Zhao Yingkong would handle the technical aspects first. In fact, Zhao Yingkong’s computer skills were also excellent, second only to Chu Xuan. In her own words, as an assassin, aside from weaponry and combat techniques, there were countless other methods of killing, and computer proficiency was one of them. Thus, she was the only one capable of assisting Chu Xuan technologically.

Next, Zhan Lan would use her psychic abilities to scan and map the surrounding terrain. Wang Xia would be responsible for manipulating this topography—setting up traps or alternative escape routes. In essence, if the group were pursued by overwhelming forces, escaping into this area would allow them to use these prepared obstacles to slow down the enemy. As a reconnaissance scout from a special forces unit, Wang Xia was inherently experienced in setting up bombs and traps. When Zheng Zha briefly mentioned it, Wang Xia immediately agreed with confidence.

“Now, we just wait for the information from Chu Xuan and the others.”

Resident Evil, both the first and second installments, represented major turning points for Zheng Zha. In Resident Evil 1, he transformed from an ordinary man into a member of a Reincarnation Squad. Even considering his physical condition back then, he was still essentially a novice, but Resident Evil 1 was undeniably the greatest turning point of his life. Only after that did he grasp what it meant to fight in order to survive, and it was from that point he gradually evolved from an ordinary person into a warrior constantly struggling between danger and death.

The second turning point occurred during Resident Evil 2, when the battle against the Demon Reincarnation Squad cost him his comrades-in-arms, making him understand what those companions truly meant to him. If before Resident Evil 2 he became captain out of necessity due to danger and responsibility, then after Resident Evil 2, he truly saw himself as the captain of the Central Continent Team, hoping to lead his group to become stronger, superior to any other team, hoping to surpass the Demon Reincarnation Squad… hoping that not a single companion would perish!

“The first two turning points… Will arriving in this world for the third time also mark a new turning point?”

Once everyone had departed, Zheng Zha gazed out at the pitch-black night sky and quietly asked himself… What direction would the road ahead take?