"Officer, we received a communication. They specifically requested to contact you." While Coulson and Zhou Yi were still rambling about useless stock market nonsense, a guy in a black suit suddenly rushed in and reported to Coulson.
"Is it important?" Coulson raised an eyebrow. He didn't think anything could stop their operation at this point.
"That person said it was very serious!" The man in black shrugged, appearing not to take the message very seriously himself.
"Put it through to me!" Coulson thought for a moment and decided to have his subordinate connect the communication. His habitual caution prevented him from tolerating even the slightest mistake, even if it was only a possibility.
Soon, the strange communication was connected. After Coulson exchanged a few words, he showed a strange expression and spoke to Zhou Yi.
"They're looking for you, and it's not good news."
"Medusa, patch it through to me." With a soft command, the artificial intelligence Medusa had already hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s communication network. This action made Coulson roll his eyes, but he could do nothing about it.
Soon, Zhou Yi connected with the person who claimed to be looking for him.
"You want to find me?"
"Of course, Mr. Zhou. I went to great lengths just to find you."
"Is that you, Raymond? What do you want with me?" Recognizing the voice on the other end, Zhou Yi asked curiously. He didn't think they had anything to discuss.
"I want to talk business with you, very important business." Raymond emphasized desperately, clearly indicating he had been driven to a dead end.
"Tell me about it?"
The more lightly Zhou Yi spoke, the more uneasy and nervous Raymond became. He cleared his throat a few times and said.
"I want to trade for a chance to live. I and a few of my subordinates want to leave Umbrella, and the price is Umbrella's secret Bases around the World. They are extremely hidden locations; you won't find them without guidance."
"Give us a helicopter, ensure we leave here safely, and are not harassed by you. Then I will tell you these locations."
Zhou Yi grinned.
"You shouldn't be looking for me for this kind of thing. I can't control the guys outside."
"I know, I know." Raymond was breathing heavily and irregularly. "Those are the terms for dealing with the guys outside. I'm looking for you for something else."
"That woman named Jill Valentine is with me. I want to use her to discuss an even bigger deal with you."
The smile vanished from Zhou Yi's face. He narrowed his eyes and asked.
"How did that foolish woman end up with you? Didn't I let her escape?"
He hadn't expected Raymond to capture Jill, as it was completely illogical. Raccoon City was in chaos, with zombies, the Sanctuary, and a large number of survivors preparing to flee the city. These were all headaches for him, and he had no reason whatsoever to pay attention to someone who seemed insignificant.
Compared to things that could potentially blow up Umbrella at any moment, Jill had no value for exploitation. This was why Zhou Yi had felt safe letting Jill leave alone; ordinary zombies couldn't threaten her, and Umbrella wouldn't care about her. She could safely wait until the city was recovered.
However, there was a huge deviation from the expectation.
She had fallen into the enemy's hands and become a bargaining chip.
"Unfortunately, I had something else chasing her. And she doesn't have your abilities." Raymond chuckled darkly. Being able to scheme against Zhou Yi gave him a huge sense of accomplishment.
"Speak, what do you want? Money? That's not a problem." Zhou Yi frowned and made a gesture toward Coulson. Coulson nodded knowingly after seeing the gesture.
He pulled his subordinate aside and quietly issued an order.
"Money is useful, but sometimes it is useless. So I don't want that kind of thing!"
"Then what do you want?"
"I know you have already developed the finished product of the super soldier program. I'm not greedy. I just need you to copy the data for me."
Raymond looked smug, while Zhou Yi slightly raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what the super soldier program is. Did you ask the wrong person?"
"Don't try to deceive me, I saw it clearly. That kind of power, capable of instantly eliminating Stalkers and the Tracker, can only be achieved by the product of the super soldier program. You must have completed the super soldier program, and you are the product of this program?"
Raymond's voice became somewhat hysterical. It seemed he cared deeply about this so-called super soldier program, so much so that he could barely control his emotions.
"Are you so sure, Mr. Edward? What you saw might not be what you think." Zhou Yi didn't care whether the man's nerves were stable or not. He spoke sharply, continuing to provoke him. "You should know there are many self-righteous people in this World. They never believe reality but constantly indulge in their own fantasies. Maybe you are one of them, Mr. Edward!"
"Damn it, blast it! Are you messing with me, Zhou Yi?" Gunshots rang out on the other end, followed by Raymond's sinister laughter. "That woman won't live much longer. You better think carefully. Sir, a living person is always more important than an object. I don't have much time to waste here. Also, there's a big surprise waiting for you!"
At this moment, the subordinate Coulson had sent out rushed back. He held a piece of data in his hand. Coulson took the data and quietly placed it in front of Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi glanced at it, revealing a cold smile.
"A big surprise? I like big surprises. But before that, I have a surprise for you too!" Having said this, he vanished from the tent. No one noticed when he left, nor did anyone see where he went.
"Does he usually walk like that?" Ada Wong asked in surprise. Someone who came and went without a trace was truly unsettling.
"He only does that in special circumstances. Normally, he walks on his legs like a person." Coulson gave an awkward laugh. While defending his friend Zhou Yi, he spoke to the dumbfounded subordinate. "You didn't see anything, and even if you did, you don't remember anything, understand?"
"Yes, Officer!" The subordinate quickly replied. As an Agent, he knew some things were not meant for him to know.
"Go out, and don't talk about things you shouldn't talk about. You should know the importance of the confidentiality agreement!" Under Coulson's warning, the Agent left the tent. At this point, Natasha smiled and said to Coulson.
"You're still the same old nice guy, Phil. But I don't think what you did was right! The confidentiality agreement requires..."
"The confidentiality agreement requires a lot, but the people under me don't need to know everything. Sometimes overlooking something won't be a big problem." Interrupting her, Coulson said with a smile. "For example, the matter of raising this Child."
"Fine, you win. But you have to help me sort this out."
"No problem, leave it to me." This kind of all-encompassing commitment was typical of Coulson's nice-guy style.
While Coulson was making big promises, Raymond was screaming in terror. In front of him, the Tracker he was so proud of was rapidly turning into ash like a giant torch, and behind the dazzling Firelight, a man's figure was stepping out.
He walked as if strolling, holding a ball of Fire in his hand. The raging flames surrounded him, making him look more terrifying than any monster. Especially after all the bullets shot at him melted into liquid mid-air, Raymond screamed even louder in fear.
Because he had clearly seen the face of the man in the Firelight—it was Zhou Yi, the one he intended to threaten.
"A big surprise, isn't it?" Looking at the exposed horror of Raymond, Zhou Yi showed a malicious smile.
"Are you a man or a ghost? Impossible, impossible. How can you be here?" Raymond scrambled backward using both hands and feet. When Zhou Yi appeared before him, he had a terrifying premonition. He might die here, and that was his greatest fear.
"Take a guess?" Zhou Yi chuckled and stepped forward. Fire surged around him, transforming into countless ferocious shapes, including fierce evil beasts and wailing undead spirits. The hollow sound produced by the burning Fire at that moment even created an effect like the echo of Hell, seizing their minds while injecting the deepest fear into their hearts.
Entangled by sin, they were unable to maintain their composure at this moment. The terrifying illusions in their eyes had become vengeful spirits coming to repay their sins with the most dreadful punishments.
Under these circumstances, some people's minds had already collapsed.
They abandoned their leader, leaving Raymond to writhe on the ground like a dead fish, while they scattered wildly, desperately trying to escape.
But they didn't get far before a spark of Fire erupted within their bodies. In an instant, these fleeing men turned into giant torches, illuminating the alleyway as brightly as day.
And amidst this Firelight, Raymond began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Stay away from me, you monster, you demon!"
"Demon, are you talking about me?" Zhou Yi laughed dramatically. "If I am a demon, then what are you? You should know that all this scenery of Hell comes from you, you bastard!"
Saying this, he lifted the man, who looked like a slug.
"My surprise is ready. Where is yours, Mr. Edward? If you don't satisfy me, I might do something you wouldn't expect! For example, throwing you to those perpetually hungry guys outside."
"No, don't! Please, don't do that!" Raymond was covered in tears and snot. At this moment, he showed no trace of his former ambition.
"How ugly, Mr. Edward. You should know that this depends on your answer. Have you decided what surprise you're going to give me?"