"It's obvious, I'm a researcher, aren't I?"
Using his marksmanship to prove he had no malicious intent, Asa gestured for them to proceed.
"We are the Umbrella Corporation Biohazard Countermeasure Service. We received orders last night..."
Her expression relaxed at a visible rate; Karen also lowered her weapon and explained the reason their team had come here.
Just as Asa had guessed, Delta Squad had received orders from Umbrella Corporation to recover virus samples and reagents. However, after entering the mansion, the entire team had suffered casualties or become separated due to various reasons, leaving Karen behind to take care of the wounded.
Just a moment ago, when she tried to contact her teammates, she discovered that the walkie-talkie could not connect.
Consequently, Karen appeared very nervous; in other words, she was stressed out.
There was no immediate conflict of interest between the three of them, so Karen stepped aside from the door behind her, revealing a room that only had an entrance door.
Inside the room, a large man with short brown hair was slumped on a single sofa, his eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily, and twitching from time to time, looking as if he didn't have long to live.
"Did your teammate get bitten by a venomous snake?"
After entering the room, Asa saw his painful appearance and had a guess as to the cause of his coma.
"A giant python, a species I've never seen before. Um, it suddenly struck Lawrence's arm from the corner."
"That snake was huge. We all thought it was just a normal bite, but we didn't expect..."
Generally speaking, the larger the python, the less potent its venom. However, this giant snake was not born naturally; it was also one of the test subjects for the T-Virus.
Karen explained incoherently, but suddenly remembering Asa self-introduction just now, she raised her head abruptly.
"Dr. Asa, how much do you know about this research facility?"
"If you're talking about that venomous snake, the giant snake was originally a rainforest python. Its massive size grew through mutations from the T-Virus and viper genes; it has both the size of a rainforest python and the deadly venom of a viper."
"According to research data, the venom contains highly active neurotoxins, hemotoxins, and a low-activity T-Virus strain. It's a triple toxin. After being injected with the venom, one will die and transform into a zombie within an hour at most."
Asa pushed up his non-existent glasses, perfectly playing the role of an explainer.
"Triple toxins, doesn't that mean there's no hope? He's going to mutate in a while; is it too late to cremate him now?"
Upon hearing this, Karen became even more desperate, while Ada Wong's expression didn't change in the slightest.
Asa glanced at Ada Wong, his words taking a sudden turn.
"Of course, it's not without a cure."
Saying that, he took a small brown bottle out from behind his back.
"Speaking of coincidences, I just found a bottle labeled'Snake Venom Serum' in the medical room on the west side of the first floor."
Whether Karen and Ada Wong believed it or not, Asa believed it.
Even if the two of them went to the medical room to verify, they would only find another bottle of "Snake Venom Serum," exactly the same as the one in Asa hand.
Asa placed the serum on the wooden table in the room. Karen bit her lip and asked:
"What do you want?"
It wasn't that Karen didn't believe there were kind people in this world, but this researcher who had suddenly appeared was clearly not one of them.
From intentionally starting the conversation to bringing out the snake venom serum, the other party was clearly doing it on purpose.
Just what was the purpose of this?
Seeking protection? Or was he malicious, just wanting to use Lawrence for an experiment?
But whatever it was, she actually had no choice.
She looked back at the dying Lawrence. With a high fever and a coma, how much longer could he hold on?
Would the captain and the others come back?
Even if they did come back, would they be able to find medicine useful for Lawrence?
"What do I want? To save your teammate, of course."
Asa gave her a look like she was a fool, but Karen's eyes were still somewhat incredulous.
Is there really such a pure and kind person in this world now?
And someone from Umbrella Corporation at that?
Since things had reached this point, Karen hesitated no longer. She picked up the small brown bottle of snake venom serum and injected it directly into Lawrence's arm.
As the serum was injected, Lawrence's condition clearly began to improve. The blue and purple color on his face gradually faded, and his breathing began to smooth out.
The serum worked, and Karen cast a grateful look.
It was bound to work; after all, it was a "comrade-in-arms" bond reward from Jill Valentine.
"Heh heh, finally..."
The corners of Asa mouth curled up. There is a saying about having a just cause; even if one wants to possess their own force, one cannot simply unleash an aura of dominance in front of others and expect them to obediently submit to Asa command.
It requires reciprocity—bestowing favors upon others, making the other party feel indebted to Asa, and then, when the time is ripe, extending an invitation. The probability of success is eight or nine out of ten.
Of course, this tactic is only effective on people with a conscience. If it were those desperadoes or death row inmates, this move would have absolutely no effect.
Holding a favor over someone—in other words, once you owe Asa a favor, you'll never be able to pay it back in this lifetime.
Ada Wong, who had been quietly observing the whole process from the side, took in the smile on the corner of Asa mouth. Subconsciously, she crossed her arms, feeling puzzled.
Ada Wong had always been suspicious of Asa identity. After all, the "researcher" identity Asa had just fabricated was total nonsense, full of holes.
A researcher from Umbrella Corporation, alone, coming to a fallen research facility, carrying a large-caliber pistol, with reflexes sharper than her own as a top-tier agent—it was practically plastering the words "My identity is not simple" out in the open.
Yet his familiarity with Arklay Laboratory was even more detailed than that of Ada Wong, who possessed the data.
Was it the Alliance, H.C.F., or Tricell?
Various factions flashed through Ada Wong's mind, and finally, an organization she suddenly recalled popped into her head.
"The General Staff?"
Lawrence's condition had improved significantly, and the three of them discussed their next move.
The FBI agent lady clearly stated that she needed to obtain "T-Virus samples and data," earnestly hoping that the two U.B.C.S. members would consider the big picture and go to the underground research facility together.
But Karen explicitly refused:
"The toxin has been cleared, but the damage it caused still needs time to heal. During this period, I don't have any combat capability. I need to take care of Lawrence, so I can't agree to your request."
"Our squad's mission is also to bring back the T-Virus and data. Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Agent, but I'm afraid the captain and the others won't listen to you."
Karen and Ada Wong had different opinions, and the two seemed about to start arguing.
Ada Wong was acting a bit more; the conflict between her mission objectives and those of the U.B.C.S. squad, being bumped into by Karen, was an accident in itself. Added to the mysterious Asa, the entire Arklay Laboratory had become a complete mess.