novel-bin Page 58
Page 58
The scene didn't feature the gigantic T-101 Venom Hanged Man, the cat-headed T-100 tank, lightsabers, or memory spray. Only ordinary weapons, human struggles, and... despair.
The scene freezes on a single moment: Zhou Ye, Nami, and Saeko Busujima, exhausted, are helping surviving students (only a few blurry figures are visible) as they struggle to escape from the train, pursued by a horde of monsters. The background is the burning wreckage of the train and the darkness of night.
The projector was turned off, and the conference room fell into darkness again, with only the faint light from outside the window and the silence inside.
Although the scene lacked any supernatural elements, the gore and horror it depicted caused intense discomfort among those present. Several parent representatives had already begun to sob quietly.
"my child……"
A mother covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
Wop Bradley's face was grim, his fingers tapping on the table. He was a seasoned police officer, and the monster in the image was one he had never seen before. This was no ordinary criminal case.
Yuriko Takagi's expression was serious. She looked at the projector screen, then at Zhou Ye and the other two. The images explained why the train had turned out that way, and why the casualties were so heavy. But... something felt missing.
"What...what are these monsters?"
"Walp Bradley asked, his voice low.
Before Zhou Ye could speak, Saeko Busujima spoke first.
"It's a virus. The kind of virus leaks that often appear in movies."
Her voice was calm and even.
"What appears on the Zodiac Train can be completely explained using elements from movies."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the conference room was stunned. But then they thought, wasn't what Zhou Ye and the others had encountered just like something out of a movie?
Zhou Ye glanced at Saeko Busujima, while Nami crossed her arms, her face expressionless, but inwardly preparing her words to answer the questions that were about to be asked.
Yuriko Takagi stared sharply at Saeko Busujima. She knew the Busujima family was a renowned swordsmanship family, but their claim of dealing with demons was beyond her comprehension.
"Bukushima-kun, you mean... these monsters were caused by a virus leak?"
Wop Bradley pressed for an answer.
Zhou Ye chimed in at the opportune moment:
"Deputy Director, distinguished leaders, and parents," he said calmly.
"What happens on the Zodiac Train is far more complex and dangerous than we imagine."
"What you see in the footage is just the tip of the iceberg. After the train derailed, most of the passengers, teachers, and students were infected... or rather, turned into those man-eating monsters."
"I, Busujima, Tohsaka, and the other students in the video are the only survivors."
"We were hiding in the mountains from our pursuers. Our communication devices were all broken. We finally managed to find a way out."
He paused for a moment, looking at the grieving parents.
"I know the truth is cruel."
“Your children…they may already be gone. Or…”
Zhou Ye didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood his implied meaning: becoming a monster is more terrifying than death.
The parents' emotions erupted again, and cries and desperate voices echoed throughout the conference room.
"No...impossible..."
"My Kenichi won't become that kind of thing..."
Wop Bradley looked at Zhou Ye, then at Saeko Busujima. Their statements seemed to corroborate each other, yet each seemed to have something to hide.
"Mr. Zhou, can the content of the footage... be provided to our police as evidence?"
"Walp Bradley asked."
"can."
Zhou Ye nodded.
"But for security reasons, I suggest that this information be circulated only at the highest level. If the general public knows too much about the virus leak, infecting humans and causing mutations that turn them into man-eating monsters, it will only cause panic."
Yuriko Takagi looked at Zhou Ye, her eyes flickering. She could sense the deeper meaning in Zhou Ye's words, and that he seemed to be hiding something behind them.
But on second thought, Zhou Ye's considerations were not wrong. This country is a breeding ground for mentally unstable gunmen and free shopping.
She couldn't help but ask Zhou Ye:
"Teacher Zhou Ye, do you mean... this matter cannot be made public?"
In response to Yuriko Takashiro's question
"At the very least, the whole truth cannot be revealed. Imagine what would happen if the entire Raccoon City knew that there was a leak of this virus in the Aleksandar Mountains that can turn people into monsters?"
"The entire city will be thrown into chaos, panic, and could even trigger large-scale riots."
"Moreover, these monsters... don't seem to have appeared by chance." 597
Zhou Ye changed the subject and began to guide the conversation.
"After the train derailed, we found some scattered documents that seemed to be related to some kind of... illegal biological experiments, and Umbrella Corporation."
Zhou Ye vaguely steered the conversation toward Umbrella.
Wop Bradley and Yuriko Takagi's expressions changed again. Illegal biological experiments? On the Zodiac Train? This sounded like the style of a pharmaceutical conglomerate like Umbrella.
Where is that document?
Wop Bradley asked immediately.
"After the train derailed, the scene was chaotic. Those things... were probably destroyed by the fire or by the monster. We were just focused on escaping at the time. We only vaguely saw something floating in the air, so we didn't think much of it and kept running."
Zhou Ye shrugged, indicating that the evidence was gone.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was even more complex. Sadness, confusion, doubt, and fear of unknown dangers were intertwined.
The parents wept, unable to accept this outcome, but the images Zhou Ye displayed and Saeko Busujima's words seemed to confirm the cruel reality.
Wop Bradley and Yuriko Takagi exchanged a glance. They were the official representatives and had to handle this matter. Zhou Ye's explanation, though seemingly absurd, especially with Saeko Busujima's testimony that the monster in the footage was real, and that the train accident and missing persons were also real, was still valid.
Moreover, the forces and illegal experiments implied by Zhou Ye are related to the behemoth that is Raccoon City—the Umbrella Corporation.
“We will investigate the information you provided,” Wopbride said.
"But this matter... requires further explanation."
He stared at Zhou Ye, trying to glean more information from his face. But Zhou Ye's expression remained calm and impassive.
Yuriko Takagi then looked at Saeko Busujima, the young lady from a prestigious kendo family.
Saeko Busujima looked back at Yuriko Takagi, her eyes clear.
The discussion in the meeting room continued, but the atmosphere had shifted from initial anger and sadness to a deeper level of confusion and unease.
The truth revealed by Zhou Ye was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples, but the true bottom of the lake remained unfathomable.
Chapter 44 Police Station Interrogation
Raccoon City Police Department, Chief's Office.
Brian Elons tapped his fingers irritably on the mahogany desk.
On the corner of the table sat a glass dome containing a finely veneered falcon, its glass eyes coldly fixed on the distance, just like its owner.
There was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
Elons didn't even look up.
A police officer strode in, stood at attention, and saluted.
"Reporting, Chief! Five members of the STARS Alpha and Beta teams have returned!"
Elons paused his tapping of the table.
Five?
[Useless! What happened to Wesker's side? There are still five survivors!]
We must know immediately how much they possess, especially regarding Umbrella.
He looked up, forcing an awkward smile, but it quickly vanished.
"Send them to my office immediately!"
"immediately!"
His voice carried an unquestionable, commanding tone.
"Yes!"
The officer turned and quickly left.
The atmosphere inside the police station was oppressive.
Police officers occasionally walked through the corridor, and when they saw a few people walking towards them, they instinctively avoided eye contact.
Gil Valentine walked at the front, her STARS uniform still stained with dirt and dried blood, but her steps were steady.
Chris Redfield stood beside her, looking equally tired, but his muscles were taut.
Barry Bolton and Rebecca Chambos followed behind. The young Rebecca seemed somewhat uneasy; too much had happened—first the battle with zombies, then the intrigue and danger at every turn. Barry shielded her with his imposing frame.
The fifth person was Bradwick, the cowardly pilot, who was now hunched over and following at the very back.
【coming. 】
Jill thought to herself.
Just as Zhou Ye warned, the people Umbrella planted in the police station will come knocking on their door immediately.
[I never expected Umbrella's dog... to be the chief. What does he want to know? And what should we say?]
[We've already rehearsed our story. We absolutely cannot let him, or Umbrella, find out how much of the truth we know.]
The police officer leading the way stopped at the door of the chief's office and knocked.
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and a middle-aged man in a sharp, high-end suit, with his hair neatly combed and a slightly overweight build, hurried out and headed straight for the director's office.
"Vice Mayor Verus?"
The police officer leading the way was taken aback for a moment, then quickly greeted him.