allendalepharm Page 64
Page 64
[Like how we dealt with Marcus and Harden back then? No way! Absolutely not!]
He stopped abruptly, slamming his fist on the cold metal control panel with a dull thud.
[I've given so much to the company! Why should I be controlled by them? The G virus is mine! It belongs to me, William Birkin!]
With G, I can... I can surpass everyone!
brush--
The heavy metal door of the laboratory slid open.
Annette Birkin walked in, wearing a white lab coat, her face showing undisguised fatigue and worry.
“William.” Her voice was a little hoarse.
William turned around abruptly, his eyes sharp and filled with impatience at being disturbed.
"How's it going? What are the buyers saying?"
He asked eagerly.
Annette walked up to him and shook her head.
"No."
"HCF, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer... they all rejected them."
"What?!" William's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and anger.
"What right do they have to refuse?!"
"They are only willing to pay money, and they are pushing the price very low."
Annette looked at her husband, her voice heavy.
“They refuse to offer positions, let alone the laboratory and research autonomy we are demanding.”
"Bastards! A bunch of greedy vampires!" William growled, veins bulging on his forehead. "They just want to buy my hard work at a low price and then kick me aside! Dream on!"
William roared about the situation:
"They want my G-virus but don't want to pay the price? There's no such thing as a free lunch! Are we really going to cooperate with the military? Those brutes... they're all the same kind of ruthless bastards who'd eat ten people without spitting out the bones."
Annette, seeing her husband nearly losing his temper, tried to reason with him: "William, the company has noticed your little tricks. Soichiro's men have been keeping a close eye on you lately."
“I know!” William waved his hand irritably. “Don’t they just want to wait for my G-virus to be finished? Once it’s done, they’ll throw me away like trash!”
"But now we are..."
"No buts!"
William interrupted her, his eyes burning with fervor, "The G-virus is our only bargaining chip! Once it's complete, nobody can stop me!"
“William, this is too dangerous! Albert is already…”
"Shut up!" William shouted angrily. "Don't mention that good-for-nothing! He deserved to die! He couldn't even handle a few useless people!"
His death actually makes me safer. It's one less person who knew the inside story.
But the company... the company is the biggest threat!
Annette looked at the crazed light in her husband's eyes, her lips moved, but she ultimately swallowed her worries.
She knew that William was no longer willing to listen to any advice.
Ambition and fear had completely consumed him.
----split line----
Inside a business hotel room on the other side of the city.
The heavy curtains blocked out the outside light, making the room dim.
The air conditioner was running quietly, maintaining a pleasant temperature.
On the bed, Nami was fast asleep, her long eyelashes covering her lower eyelids, her breathing even.
Zhou Ye woke up first.
He opened his eyes, adjusted to the darkness, and then sat up gently, trying not to make a sound.
I glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.
3:15 PM.
The date displayed is September 19th.
She slept really soundly. But that's understandable, she was really exhausted yesterday.
He got out of bed, stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet, and walked to the window.
wow-
He abruptly pulled back the curtains.
The blinding afternoon sunlight suddenly flooded in, illuminating the entire room and shining on Nami's face on the bed.
Nami frowned, let out a dissatisfied whimper, and rolled over, trying to avoid the light.
"Um...what's wrong..." she mumbled, her voice indistinct.
Zhou Ye walked to the bedside and looked down at Nami, who was still lazing in bed.
"Get up." His voice was calm, without the slightest hint of the gentleness expected of a wake-up call.
"Nami, wake up."
He called again.
Nami reluctantly opened one eye and looked at him groggily.
"Boss... what time is it... let me sleep a little longer..."
"It's past three in the afternoon," Zhou Ye said. "We should get up and eat."
He paused for a moment, looking at Nami's face, which was not yet fully awake.
"Then, I went to scout out the location and get to work."
"Scouting out...getting to work?" Nami opened her other eye, most of her sleepiness gone, replaced by alertness and a hint of barely perceptible...excitement? It meant the free shopping spree was about to begin.
She yawned, stretched, and revealed her curves.
"Okay, okay," she mumbled. "I'm starving, I need to go fill my stomach."
"The food at that restaurant yesterday was alright, shall we go there again?"
"No." Zhou Ye shook his head.
“Let’s go somewhere else. Going back to the same place we went to yesterday would be too deliberate. Umbrella might still be watching that restaurant. If we’re going to put on an act, we should at least make it look real.”
Nami pouted.
"Okay, it's up to you."
She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
The clock hand points to 4:30 PM.
Zhou Ye and Nami finished packing and left the hotel room.
The check-out process was uneventful, just like two ordinary travelers ending a short stay.
They didn't speak, but silently walked to the parking lot and drove the car that had been tampered with.
[You have to play your part completely. Hotel safety doesn't guarantee safety outside. Umbrella's nose is incredibly sharp.]
Zhou Ye opened the car door, lost in thought.
Nami also got in and fastened her seatbelt.
The movements were fluid and flawless.
The car started, and the engine sounded somewhat empty in the parking lot.
Zhou Ye did not drive directly to his residence in the suburbs.
He steered the wheel, merged into the traffic, and headed towards the city center.
We can't go straight home. That would be too deliberate. Let's go somewhere else first, so they think we're still scared and afraid to go back.
Nami turned her head to look at the fleeting street scene outside the window, her face still bearing just the right amount of fatigue.
The vehicle made several turns before finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous shop.
The signboard was a bit old, and the words "Hunter's Home" were barely legible.
A typical American arms store.
Zhou Ye opened the car door.
“Wait for me here,” he told Nami.
"Mm." Nami nodded, without asking any further questions.
jingle--
The wind chimes on the door made a crisp sound.
The shop was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the smell of gun oil and metal.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged white man wearing a plaid shirt and with a gray beard looked up and scrutinized Zhou Ye with a critical gaze.
"Good afternoon, what do you need?" The man's voice was hoarse, carrying the coldness of someone who had dealt with weapons for many years.
Zhou Ye walked to the counter.
Without saying a word, he pulled out an ID card from his wallet and pushed it over.
The ID looks ordinary, but the photo and name on it are not his real name.
“I need two pistols,” Zhou Ye said, his voice steady.
"Beretta M9."
"We still have enough ammunition, 9mm."