There was not a single zombie in the entire room, which was quite odd.
However, the trio's primary mission was to explore the room, so they didn't pay it too much mind. They quickly began to inspect the bar. Rebecca busily flipped through various vintage records. These albums were decades old. For a country with just over two hundred years of history like the United States, anything more than a decade old was considered an antique.
As a pharmacy major, the only things that interested Rebecca were the records. After all, everyone loves music, and these were rare albums that would be worth a lot of money if she sold them. She rummaged through them with great enthusiasm.
As for Javier... his attention was fixed on the various expensive wines on the shelf. The wines were dated 1998, and whether it was wine, whiskey, or vodka, they were all expensive brands that would be worth a fortune if he sold them, not much less than Rebecca's records.
"Pop...!"
He pulled out a cork and took off his gas mask, sniffing the bottle's mouth. Hmm, it hadn't gone bad. The aroma was still rich. It didn't seem to be a fake or counterfeit product.
What a shame... his tactical backpack didn't have enough space. He could only take two or three bottles to enjoy. Otherwise, he would have packed them all.
Without a doubt, based on their actions, while Javier and Rebecca had different interests, their goals were the same. They were both complete cheapskates, doing everything for money. What seemed like a hobby was really just a calculation of how much cash they could get.
In contrast, Billy was a little different.
At this moment, Billy was leaning against the wall. The dim, warm light gave him the air of a melancholic prince. He was resting his chin on his hand, gazing gently at the black-and-gold piano beside him, as if looking at a lover. Javier and Rebecca had never seen such a tender look on Billy's face before.
"Oh..."
"A piano, and it's trimmed in black and gold with a beautiful pattern. You can tell it's expensive just by looking at it. Billy, you have a better eye than us. Although I don't know the brand, it's definitely worth more than the liquor and records here."
"Too bad there are only three of us. We can't tow it, or we would definitely move it out."
Noticing Billy's gaze, Javier slowly walked over to him. Looking at the piano, he suddenly had an "aha" moment and said, so he was interested in the piano. No wonder he wasn't interested in the wine and records.
Like a country bumpkin, Javier extended his greasy hands and began to "dance" across the expensive but dusty piano keys.
"Don... don don... ding ding ding..."
He played a series of random, tuneless notes. The expensive piano let out a series of jarring sounds, causing Billy to frown slightly. Rebecca, meanwhile, looked like she was suffering from an auditory assault. Without a doubt, Javier was playing a horrible sound from hell.
But Javier was completely unaware, lost in his own world. His eyes were closed, his expression subtle, and his head bobbed along to the music. He felt like he was performing exceptionally well today, with a power that was out of this world, creating an unbelievably beautiful and ethereal sound.
Until... the young Rebecca was enraged. She picked up a nearby newspaper, rolled it up, and whacked Javier on the back of his head. "Thwack!" The sound jolted Javier from his dream. Javier glared at Rebecca with a wounded look, as if to say, "If you don't give me an explanation, I won't let you off the hook today."
After all, Javier felt that his inspiration was gushing like a river, inexhaustible and endless, and he was about to create a masterpiece that would surpass Beethoven. So why would Rebecca interrupt him?!
"Hmph!"
"What are you looking at? Javier, why don't you get some cotton swabs and clean your ears? How long has it been since you cleaned out your clogged ear canals? You can't even tell how awful that piano playing was, how much longer are you going to torture us?"
Faced with Javier's expression, Rebecca did not hold back, lashing out with a string of insults that made Javier's face a little red with embarrassment.
He knew his limits; he was just trying to have some fun. He didn't expect Rebecca to be so blunt.
"Hehe..."
"What do you know? This is a new piece I composed, based on the great Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee. I've named it Gushing Spring of Inspiration. To put it simply, this piano piece can be played differently depending on the performer's emotions and circumstances. It's a groundbreaking composition for the new century."
Javier pouted, but his tough front remained intact. He sneered and explained, Are you kidding me? My music is not something to be understood so easily by anyone.
"To put it simply..."
"You were just randomly banging on the keys, weren't you?"
Rebecca still didn't show any mercy, delivering the final blow that made Javier's face flush. He couldn't be bothered to argue with the annoying girl anymore. She was just too much. Didn't she know you should leave a little room for decency so you can see each other again? She was just so rude!
Meanwhile, Billy, who hadn't said a word, watched the two clowns helplessly. Here they went again...
To avoid getting caught in their war, Billy sat down on the piano stool. He looked at the black-and-gold piano with a serious expression. His calloused fingers gently touched the black and white keys. A former Marine Corps lieutenant suddenly turned into a piano prince? It was a scene no one could have imagined.
"..."
"Billy, you can play the piano?" +2
In unison, Javier and Rebecca stared at Billy as if they had seen a ghost. After all, the styles just didn't match. It was too strange.
But in reality, Billy really could play. Before becoming a Marine Corps lieutenant, Billy's greatest hobby in school was playing the piano. He had kept this hobby to this day and had never let go of that soft side of himself. Perhaps this was the true meaning of a tough guy with a soft heart.
Billy's piano skills weren't at a master's level, but they were at least professional. After all, it was a hobby he had practiced for many years. Whenever he was on leave, Billy would often practice, so he hadn't let his skills get rusty.
"Ding..."
He slowly played a single note on the keys. It was as familiar and pleasant as ever.
The piano's sound quality was also excellent. It was truly a high-end vintage piano, which made Billy feel eager to play. The music sheet on the piano was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Billy hadn't played it in a long time, but once the feeling came, he couldn't stop it.
"Dong... dong dong dong... dong... dong dong..."
"Ding... ding ding ding..."
First came a series of low notes, as if they had arrived on a quiet sea at night, waiting for the moonlight to slowly rise. As the song progressed, the low notes slowly became more lively. The bright full moon was now high in the sky, generously casting its light.
Instantly, Javier and Rebecca were immersed in Billy's performance of the Moonlight Sonata. Although they weren't completely enchanted, their faces showed that they were enjoying it. Billy's piano skills were indeed at a professional level and truly impressive!
Gradually, the song ended, pulling Javier and Rebecca back to reality.
"..."
"See? That's what you call music. That's what you call a piano. What was that thing you were playing earlier?"
As the music faded, Rebecca was still reliving the tune. She had taught herself piano in school, but she had no talent. Her playing was only slightly better than Javier's. So, seeing Billy's professional-level performance made her truly admire him.
Of course, admiration aside, Rebecca didn't forget to mock her partner, Javier. Compared to what Billy had just played, what Javier played was like the difference between a turd and a flower.
Faced with Rebecca's taunts, Javier didn't argue. He just let out a cold "hmph." He also thought Billy's playing was good and had no room to argue. He was impressed, but that didn't mean he was admitting defeat. It just meant he wasn't good at the piano.
In his previous life, in school, Javier had learned a few instruments to cultivate his taste. He just hadn't chosen the piano. After all, a piano was huge and could only be played in a dedicated space. Buying a practice piano was also absurdly expensive. While playing it was elegant, it was too much trouble, so Javier gave up.
Instruments like the guitar and drums were too unique and didn't have the elegant and noble (pretentious) vibe he wanted. Instead, they leaned toward a free-form style. So Javier, who didn't want to give up his elegant and noble (pretentious) aura, chose the more unrestrained harmonica.
Compared to the piano, the harmonica had less nobility but more of a carefree spirit, like a man of the wind. After all, ancient European minstrels not only played the harp and told stories, but they also played beautiful melodies on the harmonica.
Therefore, compared to the piano, Javier was confident he was much better at the harmonica. He could play songs like Castle in the Sky, Summer, and Anohana in a heartbeat. It was a shame he had transmigrated into Resident Evil and was a member of the S.T.A.R.S. team, forced to deal with zombies every day. Otherwise, if he had been in a normal school romance or pop star world, Javier would have become the most outstanding harmonica composer of the 21st century. After all, plagiarism was a basic skill for a transmigrator.
It was a pity... he couldn't be the most outstanding composer of the 21st century.
He could only be a S.T.A.R.S. team member, eliminating zombies and saving the world. How boring!
"Billy Coen's piano skills are great, but I'm actually much better at the harmonica. If you heard me play, you'd probably worship me..."
Javier pouted, mumbling to himself in dissatisfaction.
"Hum—!"
"Click...!!!"
But at that moment, before Javier could say anything more, a sudden sound interrupted the trio's thoughts, drawing their attention to the wall behind the piano stand. As the music ended, the wall suddenly sank inward, revealing a distinct crack. A hidden door in the wall slowly opened in front of Javier and his companions.
"Rumble..."
Just like the legendary "Open Sesame," the secret door slowly slid open, revealing a hidden room. So... the piano was the key, and the sheet music was the password. Playing the correct tune could open the door.
It was a truly unexpected puzzle. This mechanism would likely stump many players, as a piano illiterate like Javier and Rebecca would take a long time to play the correct tune.
However... what surprised the trio was that the secret room didn't hide some kind of treasure. It was just a wine cellar.
Inside the room were rows of wine racks, each holding bottles of vintage wine. Judging by the years on the labels, they were much older than the ones in the bar. Without a doubt, these were the rare vintages that the facility had stored.
Seeing this, Javier didn't bother to show off anymore.
He rushed over and took a few bottles, stuffing them into his tactical backpack. These bottles hadn't been opened yet. The 1998... no, even older vintages, if sold in 2023, would be worth a fortune! It's said that many five-star restaurants no longer have authentic 1982 Lafite; the inventory sold out long ago. With such high sales, where would they get so much 1982 Lafite? They just take the 1982 bottle and fill it with new wine. Just like with Moutai, they're selling the bottle, not the liquor itself.
This showed just how valuable these wines were and how much money they could bring in. As a seasoned cheapskate, Javier couldn't possibly let them go.
But besides the wine, a large battery was also placed in the wall of the cellar. Although its exterior was a bit rusty, it seemed its electrical capacity hadn't diminished much and was still usable. Rebecca, for some reason, had a hunch that this thing would be useful later on. Without any hesitation, she took it down.