"The data isn't with me; another Agent took it," Natasha replied, shaking her head definitively.
"An Agent better than you?" Mr. Zhou asked curiously.
"It's impossible to be better than me, but not worse either. We've clashed a few times, and I'd say we're evenly matched." Natasha would never boost someone else's morale at the expense of her own, but she implicitly acknowledged the other Agent's skill.
"Where is that person?"
"I don't know. She helped me draw the monster's Fire, then disappeared. But I can confirm she's still alive, and might even be watching us from somewhere!"
Natasha stated her conjecture with certainty. She knew well that an elite Agent would never easily abandon her mission. William Birkin's daughter was here; she wouldn't have gone far.
"Are you sure?" As he asked, Mr. Zhou was already scanning the surroundings with his Super Vision. He didn't doubt Natasha's guess much; someone who could become an elite wouldn't make baseless statements.
So, he quickly spotted a stealthy figure. The figure seemed to notice Mr. Zhou's probing gaze and, without hesitation, vanished into the darkness.
However, something targeted by Mr. Zhou wouldn't escape so easily. With a single step, Mr. Zhou disappeared from his original position. Natasha, who had been nearby, watched this unfold with a gloating smile. The grudge from two bullets wasn't so easily erased, even if she had helped draw Fire earlier.
As a commercial Agent, Ada Wong had always prided herself on her professional competence. In this Domain, she didn't believe anyone could surpass her, and there were few who could even rival her. Whether in the business World, various national intelligence organizations, or even the military, she held this belief.
It was this confidence that allowed her to step into Umbrella's Domain and steal its secrets. She had done remarkably well, even obtaining one of Umbrella's most important achievements during the most chaotic period.
But unlike her usual perfect endings, today she met her match. And it was a formidable opponent she had to admit was evenly matched.
She had obtained one of the most crucial achievements from his hands, and he was still eyeing the things she had already acquired.
After several skirmishes, neither side gained much advantage, and just as they were preparing for their final confrontation, an intruder burst in.
The rest goes without saying. And the moment she saw the guy who eliminated the monster scan the surroundings, Ada Wong decisively chose to retreat.
Although confident, Ada Wong still knew her limits.
She was just an elite Agent, not some Superhero. Relying on her equipment, she had no confidence at all in dealing with the newcomer. So, retreat became the top priority.
But even though she made this decision immediately, it was already too late.
Turning around, she saw the armed figure standing opposite her, only a few feet between them. This made Ada Wong grasp her weapon warily. This distance was extremely dangerous, and she didn't believe she could escape unscathed, especially after witnessing the power of his long spear.
Mr. Zhou advanced a few steps, holding the spear inverted. He ignored the deepening apprehension and fear in Ada Wong's eyes, simply extended his hand, and said,
"Give me the t-virus data. For the sake of us both being Chinese, I can let you leave!"
Ada Wong subtly retreated two steps, but a smile remained on her face, betraying no emotion.
"You're also Chinese? Since we're compatriots, can you let me go, for the sake of our shared heritage?"
"You should know the value of that data. Smart people wouldn't hold onto something like this, no matter how much money was offered!"
"I'm sorry, it seems I'm not the 'smart person' you speak of. Money truly is a very persuasive thing. I won't deny it!" Ada Wong refused, shaking her head. She had spent so long undercover and invested countless efforts for this data. There was no way she would give it up so easily.
"I don't like to kill, but that doesn't mean I won't. If you're smart, you should know how to choose," Mr. Zhou frowned, issuing his ultimatum. He disliked the cunning this woman displayed, so he threatened her without ceremony.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Maybe we can talk, Mr. Zhou. Everything can be discussed and resolved, right?" Hearing Mr. Zhou's impatience, Ada Wong quickly raised her hands and called out.
The martial prowess Mr. Zhou displayed was immensely intimidating, leaving her with no thought of resistance. She didn't want to be run through by his spear because of this; for her, it simply wasn't worth it.
"You know me?"
"I keep track of all important figures in Raccoon City, and you, a wealthy newcomer, are no exception. One of the World's wealthiest young tycoons, Mr. Zhou. Although I wasn't certain it was you at first, now I am," Ada Wong said, a fake smile, which Mr. Zhou disliked, reappearing on her face.
"Just tell me what you want; I don't like wasting time." Since she recognized him and said she wanted to negotiate, she must have a request. And as long as she had a request from him, then the problem wasn't a problem. Mr. Zhou was confident in this.
"Of course, I don't like wasting time either."
"As you know, I've invested a lot of effort and time into this data. I need to deliver it to my employer for a meager reward. Only then can I justify my hard work. But if I give the data to you, all that effort will be for naught. You wouldn't want a compatriot struggling in a foreign land to be exploited like this, would you?"
"How much money do you want?" Hearing this, Mr. Zhou asked directly. In his view, this was just a matter of money. But this time, he was mistaken.
"No, no, no, I don't need money. With my identity, no amount of money would bring me happiness. I need something else, for example... your protection?"
Mr. Zhou's eyes immediately showed wariness, which was not surprising.
An Agent spy running up to you and saying she wants to serve you. This would evoke such a feeling in anyone with a bit of status. Ultimately, their profession forces people to view them with suspicion.
Recognizing the wariness in Mr. Zhou's eyes, Ada Wong straightened her expression and said seriously,
"This is not a joke, sir. I am serious; this is the most solemn choice I've made."
"Although I don't know the person I was stalemated with for so long, I can already guess which organization she belongs to. I've clashed with people from the CIA and FBI, and none of them have such elite women. And even if they did, they wouldn't go against a giant like Umbrella. So I thought of a larger organization."
"If they get involved here, neither I nor the person who hired me will have a good outcome. We don't have the ability to go against the entire World. So, for my future, finding a boss with a stronger backing is the best choice."
"No need to worry about treatment, and not belonging to an official organization. I've thought it over, and only you are the best choice."
Ada Wong's meaning was clear: she wanted to use Mr. Zhou's influence to escape S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pursuit. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement had made her clearly realize the danger of the t-virus. Umbrella, which created this thing, would be purged, let alone those who wanted to profit from it. She was almost certain that anyone involved with this thing would be charged with crimes against humanity. Because of this, she wanted to extricate herself.
Of course, this was also a helpless move, as she truly couldn't escape. If she could, she would still want to make a fortune with this thing first. As for returning empty-handed, she would rather not. The organization behind her was quite adept at eliminating useless pawns.
Mr. Zhou scrutinized this earnest woman. Short black hair, soft and charming features. She was indeed a rare beauty; although her face was a bit smudged, it couldn't hide the jade-like luster of her skin. And her heroic and spirited temperament, upon closer inspection, was not inferior to Natasha's.
Most importantly, she was Chinese. Mr. Zhou wasn't easily soft-hearted, but seeing the earnestness in this woman's eyes, he decided to give her a chance.
There were reasons of beauty and compatriotism. But more crucially, she was capable. An Agent whom Natasha evaluated as evenly matched was certainly worth a chance. Talent is rare; one shouldn't let such a talent slip away simply out of concern for her ulterior motives, especially at a time when a large workforce was needed to fill his ranks.
As long as he was careful, losing wouldn't incur too much loss. And winning would gain him a capable subordinate. Anyone with a bit of foresight would know what to do.
"Tell me your name? Don't try to deceive me with anything; you know. Since you want to pledge allegiance to me, you should show basic sincerity."
"Ada Wong!" Seeing the doubt in Mr. Zhou's eyes, Ada Wong immediately explained, "I'm a U.S. Chinese."
"Give me the item!" He extended his hand again. This time, Ada Wong obediently placed a hard drive in Mr. Zhou's palm. She had understood his meaning from his words and naturally wouldn't do anything foolish. The probability of a woman like her doing something foolish was infinitely close to Zero. In this, Natasha was no exception.
Inserting a small reading device, the information on the hard drive was immediately extracted. Mr. Zhou verified its authenticity, and once confirmed, he directly sent it to Coulson. Such a thing could only achieve its maximum effect in Coulson's hands. With this, half of the city's fate was sealed.
As for the other half, it was not far off. Umbrella wouldn't last much longer; the breach had already been opened, and it would soon be submerged by the merciless tide.