Umbrella held an internal meeting to officially transfer power. More than 200 individuals—including regional presidents and branch CEOs—witnessed the event.
These high-level executives had varying degrees of awareness about what had happened in the past. Over a decade ago, the company was led by James Marcus. Now, his daughter, Alicia Marcus, had been named the new head.
No one dared to object. During Kain's reign, Umbrella's authority was tightly centralized—decisions were swift and ruthless.
He once dealt with three senior executives at once. The most severe case was when Isaac was purged. At the time, nearly 30% of Umbrella's middle and upper management were sent to biochemical facilities, essentially becoming the company's background force—permanently.
The outside world was also shocked by the sudden shift within Umbrella. Yet this time, Alicia did not suppress the news. Aside from concealing her personal information, she allowed the story to spread naturally.
Since higher-ups showed no concern, rumors and speculation quickly spread like wildfire. Though Alicia's name and photo remained tightly controlled and never appeared on media or the internet, her rise became the talk of many circles.
Her seemingly laid-back demeanor led some to believe she was a naïve teenage ruler—incapable of running a company as massive as Umbrella.
Still, no one made a move. Kain was still present. Even if anyone had ideas, they wouldn't act openly. At most, they'd send others to test the waters.
A week later, the news that Umbrella had replaced its chairman spread worldwide.
While the news didn't reach the fever pitch of a popular American university scandal, it gained traction thanks to those with vested interests. Discussions grew more intense by the day—so much so that even high school students were chatting about it.
After all, Umbrella's reach had expanded immensely over the years—from energy and aerospace to daily necessities. Its presence in people's lives was unavoidable.
Kain sensed something was off. But since discretion was always his style and there were no immediate threats—only online chatter—he chose not to intervene.
During this time, Kain had grown increasingly enchanted with Medea. The witch from the Age of Gods was a treasure unlike any other. Once he fell for her, his focus shifted entirely to her.
Medea, who loved cosplay, sparked an entirely new fascination. The moment Kain learned of her hobby, he eagerly encouraged it, accompanying her to various cosplay events.
With her elven-like ears, delicate features, and curves that couldn't be hidden even under a robe, she was breathtaking—especially in a gothic maid outfit.
Unlike Tsunade, who had been forced into things, Medea enjoyed it, bringing Kain fresh experiences every day. Sometimes, when he lay in bed, he'd think: Jason must've had something seriously wrong with him to abandon her.
"Master, is it dawn yet?"
Medea's lazy voice pulled Kain from his thoughts. She didn't even bother opening her eyes. One of her soft, pale arms brushed his as she stirred.
Her snowy thigh remained draped over him.
Kain glanced at the sun beginning to rise outside the window, then reached over and drew the curtains shut, blocking all the light.
"It's still early. Still dark out. Let's rest a little longer."
"Master, you're lying—ah~"
Before Medea could finish speaking, words became unnecessary. The sound of the bed rhythmically shaking filled the room like a symphony.
There was nothing urgent to deal with right now. So, Kain took a well-earned vacation.
Meanwhile, Umbrella's leadership change marked a golden opportunity for Saeko Busujima and her team. As the news continued to spread, more and more people started digging into Umbrella's past.
Now, they no longer needed to operate from the shadows. With public attention heating up, people were growing increasingly curious—and motivated to uncover the truth about the company.
"Everyone," Saeko said, her expression a mix of satisfaction and anticipation, "it looks like the opportunity we've been waiting for is here. More people are trying to uncover the truth behind Umbrella."
She had been monitoring online chatter closely. Though her team hadn't made any moves yet, discussions about the large-scale T-virus drug incident from nine years ago were picking up steam again.
Umbrella had buried the incident quickly at the time, but a few stubborn voices had never accepted their narrative.
For example, the powerful Gaocheng and Busujima families.
They weren't interested in compensation—and they didn't forget how Umbrella had taken their loved ones' bodies after the event.
At the time, taking the bodies away was unavoidable. The T-virus could be transmitted through blood, and while destroying the infected corpses on site was an option, it was considered wasteful. So Umbrella recovered the bodies.
To maintain the zombie population in their biochemical bases, Umbrella continued to quietly purchase death row prisoners.
"I think we can stir up more attention," Saeko Busujima said. "As long as we attract more public or government interest, we can find the right moment to strike."
She turned her head toward Alicia, who removed a lollipop from her mouth. Then Saeko added, "The Godfather is good friends with the store manager who supplies daily necessities to the Noah's Ark Factory.
If they're really friends, it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange a few jobs for him."
"But it might be harder for you," Alicia warned. "An Asian face, and a young one at that, will definitely raise suspicion."
Alicia was subtly fanning the flames. The so-called "friends of the Godfather" were actually agents chosen by the Red Queen. That was as much as Alicia could do to help. What came next would depend on how far Saeko Busujima and the others could go.
"Busujima-san, are you sure the factory still holds secrets related to the T-virus drug scandal from nine years ago?" Yuriko Takagi asked calmly. "If your information is wrong, going up against a company this big without solid proof could get us crushed by legal means."
The Takagi family had deep ties to the underworld and knew exactly how far people like Umbrella could go. Dumping bodies in the ocean encased in concrete was a standard tactic. If a threat targeted the entire Takagi family, even family members could become collateral. Survival was their ultimate bottom line—and they'd do anything to protect it.
"Aunt Takagi, I think this is real," Saeko said seriously. "The bodies of T-serum victims in Japan were all collected by the Metropolitan Police and handed over to Umbrella. None of them were buried.
And the factory is suspicious—very suspicious. In an entire year, no more than 30 people entered, but they purchased enough live organisms to sustain thousands."
Saeko shared the intel gathered by the Sawamura family and other sources. It was thanks to this thorough groundwork that Yuriko Takagi had been convinced to join the cause.
Alicia, listening quietly nearby, was slightly surprised.
She hadn't expected their surveillance to be so meticulous.
Second- and third-generation zombie soldiers no longer required flesh for stimulation—they were sustained with nutrient solutions. But the older zombie models still craved live blood and fresh prey.
"We could also organize a protest," someone suggested. "There are many church organizations in the U.S., and Umbrella seems to be on bad terms with them. Some companies, including Umbrella, even avoid hiring people with a church background. A lot of churches aren't happy about that.
If we offer them financial support—"
Yuriko Takagi nodded in approval. Internally, she was quite impressed with Saeko Busujima—far more competent than her own overconfident daughter. If handled well, this could work, especially if she could remain behind the scenes without drawing Umbrella's suspicion.
What they didn't know, however, was the existence of the Red Queen—a highly classified AI within Umbrella. Fewer than thirty people knew of her existence, and everything happening inside the company was under her watchful eye.
"We'll draft a plan based on everything we just discussed," someone said. "Then we'll contact the Sawamura family. They should be able to offer some help."
Alicia occasionally chimed in with a suggestion but soon went silent.
This time, people like Takagi Saya, Miyamoto Rei, and Komuro Takashi weren't present. They were passionate, yes, but lacked the skills to contribute meaningfully—hence Yuriko's decision to exclude them from the meeting.
Suddenly, Miyamoto Rei burst into the dorm room where Jing Haoyong and Komuro Takashi were staying.
"Yong! Something happened to my dad!" she cried, throwing herself into Jing Haoyong's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Komuro's face tensed, but he quickly shut the door behind her.
Jing Haoyong gently held her and asked, "Rei, what happened to your father? Isn't he still in Japan?"
"I don't know," Rei sobbed. "I called him yesterday and he sounded really anxious. Then he suddenly hung up. And today—today I can't reach him at all."
"Did he leave any message?"
Jing Haoyong took her phone and opened the last text from her father.
"Save immediately after getting what is given to you, and give it to someone you trust!"
Along with the message was an address and instructions for retrieving something—located in Washington.
Jing Haoyong frowned. "Rei, we should show this to Busujima-senpai and Aunt Takagi. This message is weird. Why would your father be connected to something in Washington? I don't understand..."
"It's strange, yeah," Komuro Takashi said, "but we should at least go take a look. Rei's father wouldn't hurt her. And if he sent this, it has to be important. Let's tell Busujima-senpai and figure out what to do next!"
Ever since he'd been excluded from the inner discussions by Yuriko Takagi, Komuro had been holding back his frustration. Now, he saw a chance to prove himself.
If they always relied on the adults to act, then what was the point of them being here?
"Rei, let's retrieve your father's package first. Maybe we can find clues to his whereabouts from it," Komuro Takashi suggested.
Rei Miyamoto was moved by the idea, but still turned to Jing Haoyong.
"Yong, what do you think?"
"I'll go inform them," he said.
"Don't tell them!" Komuro cut in sharply. "What if they make us wait at school and Li doesn't even get the chance to see what her father left her? Honestly, this is between Rei and her father—no one else."
He sounded irritated.
"If we have to ask Takagi Yuriko about everything, then what are we even doing here? Are we really exchange students, or just kids tagging along?"
"Hurry up and decide, Yong. We're just picking something up—it's not like we're storming Umbrella HQ. Don't tell me you can't even trust Rei's father?"
Under Komuro's persistent pushing, Jing Haoyong finally gave in. Without informing Saya Takagi or anyone else, the three of them took leave from school and rushed to the address in the message.
It turned out to be a small postal warehouse. How Miyamoto's father had managed to rent it was anyone's guess. The place was completely empty—except for a single package, about the size of a book, sitting in the middle of the 6-7 square meter room.
They didn't dare linger. Grabbing the package, they immediately returned to the school dormitory.
Komuro stared at the item for a moment, then glanced at Rei.
"What is this? Should we open it?"
"Open it," Rei said quietly. "It might be the only clue about my dad's disappearance."
With trembling hands, she unwrapped the package. Inside was a single USB flash drive.
The three exchanged nervous glances before plugging it into a laptop and opening the files.
As the contents played on screen—videos, documents, images—their expressions slowly transformed from confusion to shock, then horror.
By the time the final video played, Rei Miyamoto had to cover her mouth to keep from vomiting.
"So… this is why Dad disappeared? He… found out about this… and then…"
She couldn't finish the sentence, but in her heart, she already knew what it meant.
Silenced.
The information was that horrifying—revolting and terrifying in equal measure. Rei and Haoyong were stunned into silence. Komuro gritted his teeth.
"How could they even do something like this…"
Jing Haoyong slammed his hand on the table.
"We have to tell Busujima-senpai and Aunt Takagi. This isn't something we can handle."
Komuro didn't argue. This was way beyond them now. He had no idea what to do, but he knew they couldn't keep this to themselves.
Together, the three of them went to find Yuriko Takagi. Only she had the authority—and the power—to decide how to act on the contents of the USB drive.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Alicia was driving to a villa where Kain lived. She had contacted him beforehand and knew he was expecting her.
When she arrived, she rang the doorbell repeatedly. It wasn't Kain who opened the door—it was Medea, wearing a white silk nightgown.
"Well, the Master's goddaughter," Medea said with a sly smile. "Didn't expect you so soon. Please, come in."
She stepped aside with practiced grace.
"He's been waiting for you. We were just about to head out to a game company."
Crack.
Alicia bit down on her lollipop, crushing it between her teeth. Her eyes narrowed slightly—and her psychic ability flared.
Creak.
The floor groaned beneath them. Rugs lifted slightly from the ground, disturbed by her mental pressure. But just as quickly, the tension vanished, and calm returned.
"Oh my~ Must be a strong wind outside," Medea said with an amused chuckle.
"Come on in, quickly," she added without turning around, walking deeper into the villa.
…
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