Chapter 17: Red Light Virus Progenitor

"Chairman Bai, no, my dear Bai."

"This is an epoch-making technology. If you want, as many 'Nobel Prizes in Medicine' or 'Nobel Prizes in Physiology' as you like are no problem!"

"Friend, yes, we are friends forever!"

"I just want to ask, when will this technology be applied to me?"

"Yes, I've had enough of this twilight life of waiting for death!"

The sterile laboratory, which should have remained quiet, had now turned into a noisy, bustling wet market.

Meng Yi’s expression remained unchanged. He wore a 'kind' smile on his face, patiently waiting for both the elderly vampires and the young vampires to calm down.

Nobel Prize? Don't make me laugh.

Does he, Meng Mou, need an award to prove himself? It’s more like the other way around.

If the Nobel Committee begged him to accept an award, it would still be a question of whether he’d take it.

After a long, long time, seeing that they had stopped speaking, Meng Yi coughed and said.

"Friends, as you can see, lifespan no longer belongs to the authority of God, but is held in my hands!"

"Let’s find a quiet place and have a good talk about how to conduct this 'business'."

The elderly vampires agreed one after another with great enthusiasm.

Money? To them, it was just a string of useless numbers!

Power, status? No problem at all!

A dining table where the cake is being carved up wouldn't mind the addition of a 'passionate', 'generous', and 'magnanimous' friend.

……

Meng Yi instructed the reborn Alicia Marcus to stay in the laboratory to slowly experience the changes in her body and to return to her personal quarters only after she had adapted sufficiently.

As for the large tiered conference room used once before, the young vampires were not qualified to step through the door and were ordered by their family elders to wait at the entrance.

Wonderful!

Having long anticipated this, Meng Yi whispered to himself.

"Psionic Interference: Cognitive Tampering: Thought Steel Seal!"

In an instant, the cognition of the twenty-seven young vampires was tampered with.

Absolute loyalty to Meng Yi became the sole goal of their lives.

After a two-second delay, Meng Yi walked into the large conference room, where various dark screens transmitted the enthusiastic concern of his 'friends'.

"Bai, my best friend, you don't look so good?"

"You must rest more often. If there’s anything to do, just order the servants; you mustn't tire yourself out."

Meng Yi nodded with a smile, letting it go in one ear and out the other, treating it as if they were farting—the foul-smelling kind at that.

"'Friends', friendship is friendship, business is business."

"I’m a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush."

"I need the 'Hope Town: Elizabeth Greene' that you control, as well as the latest research data from all biological and pharmaceutical research institutes, including Gentek."

"!!"

Meng Yi’s demands caused the elderly vampires to explode, and they complained one after another.

"Impossible!"

"Bai, you are too greedy!"

"You are simply the most insatiable capitalist I have ever seen!"

"We will help you rebuild a more powerful Umbrella Corporation!"

"We will help you amend the relevant laws of America!"

"We will help you whitewash Umbrella Corporation’s negative image!"

"We will help you mobilize the military to clear out the infected in Raccoon City!"

"Isn't doing all this enough?"

"Bai, my dearest friend, there is a saying in the great Eastern nation about 'knowing when to stop.' 'Hope Town: Elizabeth Greene' involves too many things; it is far from something we can decide on our own!"

"At most, we can give you the data on Gentek and the other research institutes within our sphere of influence."

Meng Yi’s smile remained as he leisurely picked his ear with his little finger.

"Are you finished?"

"Friends, do you know the name of the sample Alicia Marcus fused with? It’s called 'Longevity Gene Type I'."

"As the name implies, after 'Type I', there will be 'Type II', 'Type III'..."

"Are you satisfied with a mere two hundred years of life?"

"Friends, it’s fine to lie to me, but don't lie to yourselves."

"The Red Light Virus Progenitor and the Black Light Virus extended version—I have longed for these for a long time. They can greatly accelerate the speed at which I create subsequent models of the 'Longevity Gene'."

"I, and all of you, are beneficiaries."

"If you can't do it, why not invite more 'friends' to join in, and let everyone enjoy a future of immortality together?"

"Besides, I am the only one who can perform the 'Longevity Gene' modification surgery!"

"Friends, I’ve said all I have to say. You should think it over carefully."

Silence, a long silence.

The elderly vampires were weighing the pros and cons.

They wanted youth and longevity, but they didn't want Meng Yi and Umbrella Corporation to completely spiral out of control.

Regardless of where 'Chairman Bai' obtained the 'Red Light Virus Progenitor: Elizabeth Greene' and the intelligence on 'Hope Town', giving a definitive answer was imminent.

Is this a multiple-choice question?

No, this is a single-choice question with only one option; the answer was already destined.

Once they harbored greed for 'life extension and immortality', they lost the right to choose.

"'Hope Town: Elizabeth Greene', Black Light Virus research data—fine, we can give them to you."

An old man spoke hoarsely, his tone shifting to reveal the iron-blooded, murderous intent of his past military career.

"But, Bai, after we give you the items, you must immediately arrange the 'life extension' surgery for us in batches!"

"Otherwise... it’s something neither we nor you want to see."

He had lived for far too long, having even participated in the Second War, and knew how important 'lifespan' was to a man in his twilight years.

In order to live forever, they wouldn't mind selling their souls to the devil in purgatory!

"Of course, we are 'friends', this is very simple."

Meng Yi snapped his fingers and smiled with satisfaction.

"How about we set the time for one month from now? The crude surgeries performed on those test subjects certainly won't be used on my 'distinguished friends'."

"One month? That’s fine."

"Bai, you are truly the smartest human I have ever seen!"

The devious Meng Yi had successfully pulled off a white-glove heist, smiling like a cunning fox that had successfully stolen a chicken.

"Friends, may our friendship last forever!"

"Indeed, indeed. Then, 'Bai', you rest first, we’ll see you in a month!"

……

With the basic consensus reached, there was no need for Meng Yi and the elderly vampires to discuss the minor details; they could leave it to their subordinates to handle.

How could a 'chess player' who values time handle everything personally? Otherwise, what were subordinates for?

Amidst laughter and joy, this 'transaction in the dark' came to a successful conclusion.

Every participant in the deal was beaming, feeling they had profited.

As the dark screens shut off one by one, Meng Yi sat in the dark conference room, his body weight leaning against the back of the chair, his eyes gazing gloomily at the ceiling.

"Red Queen."

"Respected Chairman Bai, I am here."

Meng Yi couldn't be bothered to look at the holographic projection manifesting beside him. He tapped his fingers on the table and said clearly: "Five orders."

"One, print and copy the data related to Alicia Marcus's surgery and give it to that group of young people; let them take the data back."

"Yes."

"Two, prepare to receive the gifts sent by our 'friends'. Sort the various research data into categories, and keep the 'Red Light Virus Progenitor: Elizabeth Greene' under the highest level of confinement."

"Yes."

"Three, notify Alfred Ashford to go to the Antarctic research institute and have him bring Alexia Ashford to the underground Hive in Raccoon City."

"Yes."

"Four, notify Alicia Marcus to leave the laboratory, clean it up, and prepare for my virus fusion surgery."

"Yes."

"Five, let Luo Ji, Firefly... no, cancel the fifth order for now, we will discuss it later."

"Yes."

As the Red Queen's projection dissipated, Meng Yi was filled with emotion.

"Finally, finally I can get rid of this weak body." ===== CHAPTER 18 =====