Chapter 303: Bio-Weapon

With the Licker resolved, a relaxed atmosphere filled the small space.

Yes, relaxed. Having felt suppressed ever since they entered, they finally felt at ease at this moment because they had defeated the Licker. They had regained their courage; in their eyes, the so-called Licker was nothing more than this.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Ye Nan clapped his hands, slowly pushed the door open, and entered. He praised, "I saw your performance. You are truly worthy of being mercenaries; your skills and combat experience are indeed rich."

"It was just luck." Ma Xiu waved his hand, his face bitter. "Look at my shoulder."

Ma Xiu pointed to his shoulder and said, "The Licker's tongue drilled into it. I don't know what the consequences will be."

They had originally lured the Licker into a trap, but they hadn't expected to be backstabbed by it. He didn't know what that snake-like head actually was, but just thinking about this virus-tainted thing drilling into his body made Ma Xiu shudder. Like Kalanpu, he didn't fear death—as mercenaries, they had long since put life and death aside—but they feared becoming zombies, becoming those inhuman, ghostly zombies.

"Don't be afraid." Ye Nan grabbed Ma Xiu's shoulder and channeled his own energy into him. After a short while, he sensed a certain alien cell constantly devouring Ma Xiu's own cells, attempting to turn Ma Xiu into something like the Licker.

"This thing doesn't seem to be the T-virus, but some kind of highly erosive cell," Ye Nan thought to himself.

T-virus infection and cellular erosion were two different concepts. The T-virus was deeply embedded in human cells themselves, combining with them to infect them, whereas cellular erosion was the violent swallowing and assimilation of the victim's cells. One was a secret theft, the other an open robbery.

Ye Nan exerted a little force and compressed the alien cells inside Ma Xiu's body into one of his arms.

Ye Nan ripped off Ma Xiu's glove. He saw that Ma Xiu's originally fair palm was now filled with an unhealthy white color.

"What is going on?" Ma Xiu began to panic; he had a bad feeling in his heart.

"It's nothing. I have suppressed all the alien cells eroding you into your left palm, but that is all I can do. The rest depends on your own willpower." Ye Nan paused and added, "Although this alien cell does not belong to you, since it has entered your body and been suppressed by me, as long as your will can overcome the will contained within the cells themselves, perhaps this alien cell will become your aid."

"Alien cells!" Ma Xiu looked at his palm. He carefully put his glove back on. "I will do as you say."

"By the way, since your mercenary group has been crippled, are you interested in merging into my Satan Mercenary Group?" Ye Nan extended an invitation to Ma Xiu.

In terms of combat power, Ma Xiu's mercenary group was on par with the ordinary members of the Satan Mercenary Group, but both Ma Xiu and Kalanpu possessed skills that ordinary mercenaries did not. As for Michelle, she was just a background character.

"Join you?" Ma Xiu murmured, hesitating.

"I know what you are worried about, but you should be clear about the power of the ICQ Consortium." Ye Nan said with certainty, "Not only that, our ICQ Consortium has hidden many forces in the shadows. These forces are not something the Umbrella Company can resist. If it weren't for the constraints of various governments preventing us from revealing them, we would have long been famous throughout the world."

Over the past ten years or so, Ye Nan had not only been studying the power of the mind and the morphological changes of energy, but he had also not relaxed regarding his own physique. Through Dr. Ma Xiu, he had injected the juice of the Blood Orchid twice, activating the most primitive and instinctive genes within his body, allowing him to complete his evolution in terms of physique...

Ye Nan could say without hesitation that from just now until now, he had been playing—just playing around. He hadn't even revealed one-tenth of his true strength.

Ma Xiu fell silent, and Ye Nan didn't mind, simply smiling faintly as he left the carriage. He believed that Ma Xiu could not refuse his goodwill.

After Ye Nan left, the silent Kalanpu and Michelle surrounded Ma Xiu, took off his glove, and carefully examined the white palm.

"Sir, after we go back, we will find some biologists and find a way to separate these cells from your body," Michelle said worriedly.

As mercenaries, they had some understanding of the Umbrella Company's bio-weapon program. Although they didn't know what the root of the bio-weapons was, Ma Xiu's current condition looked very much like a bio-weapon.

At the thought of bio-weapons, Michelle shuddered. Those things were just like zombies—inhuman and ghostly. Of course, in terms of appearance, bio-weapons were far less disgusting than zombies.

"However, if you can conquer these cells, it is also a good choice," Kalanpu suddenly spoke up. At the same time, facing the gazes of Ma Xiu and Michelle, he suddenly gave a bitter smile. "The spread of the T-virus is unstoppable. Even as trained mercenaries, when facing thousands upon thousands of zombies, we can only be beaten passively. But if we can obtain power, even if it's just one of us, we will have a much greater chance of self-preservation."

Kalanpu's words left both of them silent, especially Ma Xiu, who was currently facing a difficult choice.

On one side was Kalanpu's suggestion, and on the other was Michelle's suggestion. The two suggestions entangled in his heart, leaving him no peace.

As an ordinary person, Michelle's suggestion was undoubtedly tempting, but what Michelle said was not false either. It was precisely because of this that he had fallen into a dilemma. Kalanpu was right, and Michelle was also right. Everyone was right, and everyone was thinking for him from a different standpoint, but he had to choose one.

On one side was the outcome of avoiding becoming a bio-weapon, and on the other was actively becoming a bio-weapon. The two choices left his heart suffering.

"Captain Ma Xiu," Kalanpu said in a deep voice, "In this world, the T-virus has already leaked. In the future, there is no hope. Before long, the world will fall into a zombie frenzy. The power of the T-virus, actually I..."

Kalanpu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'm sorry, I violated the code of being a mercenary and stole the Umbrella Company's secrets."

"What?" Ma Xiu's heart trembled, and he accidentally dropped the glove in his hand.

"I'm sorry." After Kalanpu finished this sentence, his whole person seemed to have all his strength drained away, and the words that followed were also soft.

"I don't know who said that curiosity kills the cat, and as a former hacker, I had my own curiosity in this regard. I was very curious about the secrets inside the company, so I secretly bypassed the company's artificial intelligence and stole some of the data. I also have some understanding of the T-virus's infectious ability."

"The Umbrella Company once held a simulation exercise in Tokyo, Japan. The T-virus could destroy the entire Chinese mainland in just one year."

As Kalanpu spoke, he shuddered. The T-virus was a existence even more terrifying than a nuclear bomb; it was a weapon that truly destroyed the world.

"Now you understand. Even if we avoid this nuclear strike, we will still face countless zombies. For the health of our families, we must become strong..."

"The nuclear bomb should destroy the virus..."

"The nuclear bomb won't."

Before Ma Xiu could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Jason. "As a researcher for the Umbrella Company, I am very clear about the T-virus's infectious ability. I can tell you without hesitation that from the moment the T-virus went out of control, humanity has already fallen to the brink of extinction. Even with large-scale development of vaccines, it will take a considerable amount of time to restore humanity's dominant position."

In a sense, the T-virus has created a life-and-death enemy for humanity, only this enemy was transformed from humanity itself.

"I..." Ma Xiu wanted to open his mouth and say "I refuse," but this word was so difficult that he couldn't say it at all.

If he refused, he could indeed become an ordinary person, but in the future, his relatives and friends would all face the danger of zombies, and the families of his brothers would also face that kind of threat.

"I agree." Ma Xiu said dejectedly, "But I don't know when I can suppress these alien cells."

"Rest assured, as long as you have a strong will, you can suppress them." Jason said with certainty, "Actually, these alien cells come from the cells of a person called the Queen. Back then, Wesker cooperated with the Queen, took some cells from her body, and through cultivation, cloned these cells and planted them in bio-weapons, so..."

"As long as your will is not too weak, you will be able to suppress these cloned cells. Moreover, as a mercenary, your will is firmer than that of ordinary people. Please rest assured about this point."

Jason connected everything he had seen during his twelve years as an undercover agent in the Umbrella Company, and finally deduced this shocking fact.

It was precisely because of this that he would persuade Ma Xiu at all costs not to become an ordinary person. At the same time, his eyes were constantly communicating with Kalanpu; he knew that Kalanpu had the same thoughts as him.

Feeling Jason's gaze, Kalanpu met his eyes, and from his eyes, Kalanpu read a certain special meaning.

Actually, he was very unwilling to force his superior, but at the thought of his brothers' families, he could only harden his heart.

"Sir, why not seek the help of Mr. Ye Nan? Since he has recognized us and helped you suppress the alien cells, he should be able to give you some guidance."

"Hmm, I will." Ma Xiu nodded helplessly and turned to leave. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) ===== CHAPTER 304 =====

"Mm, I will." Ma Xiu nodded helplessly and turned to leave. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)