After saying goodbye to Jill and the other S.T.A.R.S. members, Leon returned to the villa using his personal helicopter.
Meanwhile, the official S.T.A.R.S. helicopters carrying the members slowly disappeared into the night sky toward Raccoon City.
Cold wind blew across the rooftop as Leon quietly watched them leave.
Only after the helicopters vanished into the distance did he finally turn away.
Soon after several minutes of flight, Leon and Emma finally returned to the villa.
The helicopter slowly landed on the helipad above the mansion.
Both of them exited calmly.
Emma herself looked exhausted after handling work nonstop throughout the day.
Leon noticed this immediately.
"You should rest once this is done," he said calmly while walking forward.
Emma adjusted her glasses slightly and replied,
"I'll rest later, Master Leon."
Leon did not argue.
He already knew she would keep working no matter what he said.
As both of them walked through the halls of the villa, Leon suddenly remembered something.
He stopped walking.
"Emma."
Emma immediately looked at him.
"Yes, Master Leon?"
Leon's cold eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did you find out who leaked the village footage?"
Emma paused for a second before suddenly remembering.
"Ah… my apologies, Master Leon."
"I was about to report it."
She immediately took out her phone and contacted several people.
After confirming a few details, she lowered the phone and spoke seriously,
"According to our investigation… the footage was secretly recorded by a cameraman."
Leon stayed silent and listened.
Emma continued,
"He secretly planted miniature cameras on several soldiers without their knowledge during the operation."
"It looks like the leaked footage came from those recordings."
Leon's expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Then he asked coldly,
"Which news channel?"
"And who's the reporter responsible?"
Emma checked the information again before replying,
"The reporter himself is insignificant."
"But the news station…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…belongs to one of America's largest broadcasting companies."
Leon quietly looked outside the giant villa windows toward the dark night sky.
For a few seconds—
Silence.
Then he calmly spoke,
"Looks like they didn't take our warnings seriously."
Even Emma felt a slight chill hearing his voice.
Leon slowly continued walking again.
"Let them understand after it backfires."
Emma immediately understood what he meant.
Leon's cold voice echoed through the hallway,
"Inform the military and the government."
"Shut the channel down."
"Release every scandal, every hidden crime, every piece of corruption connected to them."
"Make sure the company no longer exists by the end of the week."
Emma nodded immediately.
"Yes, Master Leon."
Neither of them cared about the channel's fate.
After all—
That news company was already rotten to the core.
Corrupt.
Manipulative.
And worst of all—
Careless enough to risk exposing classified outbreak operations for ratings.
Leon hated people like that the most.
People who treated disasters like entertainment.
As they continued walking through the dim hallway, Emma quietly asked,
"Should we also arrest the cameraman personally?"
Leon calmly replied,
"No."
Emma looked slightly surprised.
Leon's eyes remained emotionless.
"A pawn isn't worth wasting time on."
Cold.
Direct.
Ruthless.
That was simply how Leon operated now.
Then he suddenly stopped once more.
Without looking back, he calmly said,
"Also…"
Emma immediately paused.
Leon's sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
"Strengthen security around the villa."
"I have a feeling things are about to get worse."
After finishing several tasks upstairs, Leon quietly walked toward a restricted area deep inside the villa.
The hallway became darker and quieter the further they walked.
Soon—
Both Leon and Emma arrived in front of a heavy metallic door.
Emma entered the password while Leon placed his palm on the scanner.
Beep.
The giant door slowly opened.
Inside was a massive secret office filled with screens, cameras, files, and classified documents.
Multiple monitors displayed live footage from different locations around America.
Some showed military movements.
Others showed outbreak reports.
And a few…
…showed surveillance footage of important figures.
This place contained almost every piece of information Leon had gathered over the years.
Leon slowly walked toward the center screen.
The dim blue light from the monitors reflected on his cold face.
Then he calmly spoke,
"Emma."
Emma immediately stood straight.
"Yes, Master Leon?"
Leon crossed his arms while staring at the giant screen.
"Collect complete information on every current S.T.A.R.S. and Hound Wolf member."
"I want every detail."
"Backgrounds."
"Contacts."
"Daily activities."
"Hidden affiliations."
Emma's eyes became serious.
Leon continued calmly,
"Now that the organization has officially formed…"
"…it's time to find out how many spies are already inside BSAA."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
Emma quietly nodded.
She already expected this day would come sooner or later.
After all—
A newly formed anti-bioterror organization becoming infiltrated was almost inevitable.
Especially when corrupt corporations and powerful government officials were involved.
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do not expose them yet."
"If they realize we already know…"
"…it'll backfire on us."
Emma calmly replied,
"I understand."
"If we move too early, the corporations backing them will pressure the government to interfere."
Leon nodded once.
"Exactly."
"We're not ready to move openly yet."
Silence filled the room for a few moments.
Only the sounds of computer systems and monitors could be heard.
Leon slowly let out a tired sigh before speaking again,
"Also…"
Emma looked at him again.
"Contact the Raccoon City management."
"Ask whether the S.T.A.R.S. office building is fully prepared or not."
Emma nodded immediately and began typing commands into one of the computers.
Originally, Leon had personally funded and created an independent S.T.A.R.S. office inside Raccoon City.
He deliberately kept it separated from the local police department.
He did not trust the Raccoon City Police.
Too many corrupt officers.
Too many hidden connections.
Too many people tied to powerful organizations.
Leon quietly looked at the city map displayed on the giant screen.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"I don't want local authorities interfering with S.T.A.R.S. operations unless absolutely necessary."
"We investigate quietly."
"We move from the shadows."
"And we stay outside their reach as much as possible."
Emma finally received a response from Raccoon City management.
She adjusted her glasses slightly before replying,
"The office is complete, Master Leon."
"All systems, armories, communication rooms, and underground storage facilities are ready."
Leon nodded calmly.
"Good."
Then his eyes became colder.
"Now all that's left…"
"…is waiting for Raccoon City to show its true face."
On the other side—
Jill and the other S.T.A.R.S. members finally reached Raccoon City.
The helicopter slowly descended through the cold night sky before landing on the helipad above the S.T.A.R.S. headquarters building.
The city lights glowed below them while chilly wind swept across the rooftop.
During the flight, the members had spent some time introducing themselves and talking to each other.
At the very least—
The atmosphere between them had become less awkward.
Soon, the helicopter doors opened.
One by one, the members stepped outside onto the rooftop.
Jill quietly adjusted her jacket while observing the city around her.
Raccoon City looked peaceful on the surface—
But for some reason…
She could feel something unsettling hidden beneath it.
Just as she was thinking that, Chris suddenly walked beside her.
"Hey Jill," Chris said with a friendly smile.
"Want me to show you around the city?"
Jill looked at him before calmly replying,
"Sorry, Chris."
"I'm exhausted."
"I just want to rest for now."
Chris scratched the back of his head awkwardly before smiling again.
"Yeah… fair enough."
"Honestly, I'm tired too."
"Take care, alright?"
Jill gave a small nod.
"You too."
Then Jill suddenly remembered something.
"But before resting…"
"I think we should first figure out where we're staying."
Chris nodded immediately.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
"I think we should look for temporary lodging or apartments nearby."
However—
Before anyone could continue the discussion—
Buzz… Buzz…
Jill's phone suddenly vibrated.
She looked at the caller ID.
Emma.
Jill immediately answered the call.
"Hello Emma."
"Is everything alright?"
Emma's calm voice came from the other side.
"Yes, Jill."
"Did you arrive safely?"
Jill leaned slightly against the railing while replying,
"Yeah."
"We reached Raccoon City safely."
"So far, everything looks normal."
Emma replied calmly,
"Good."
"Then listen carefully."
"Master Leon already purchased apartments for every S.T.A.R.S. member."
Jill blinked slightly in surprise.
Emma continued,
"The apartments are located near the S.T.A.R.S. headquarters."
"You won't need to waste time searching for places to stay."
Jill could not help but sigh softly.
That really sounded like something Leon would do.
Always preparing things beforehand.
"Understood," Jill replied.
"Thanks, Emma."
Emma calmly continued,
"Go to the receptionist downstairs."
"She'll give everyone their apartment keys and locations."
Jill nodded.
"Alright."
"Thanks again."
After ending the call, Jill looked toward Chris and the others.
"It looks like we don't need to search for apartments anymore."
"Leon already bought apartments for all of us near headquarters."
Chris's eyes widened slightly.
Then he grinned.
"Seriously?"
"That's a lifesaver."
"I really didn't want to wander around the city searching for a place tonight."
Jill gave a faint smile before turning toward the others.
"Come on."
"We should head downstairs and collect the keys first."
The members nodded and began walking toward the elevator leading deeper into the S.T.A.R.S. building.
Meanwhile—
Far away from them—
High above Raccoon City—
Dark clouds slowly gathered across the night sky.
On the other hand—
Leon and Emma were currently buried in work inside the secret intelligence room beneath the villa.
Dozens of screens glowed across the dark room while countless files, reports, and surveillance footage covered the desks.
The atmosphere was heavy and quiet.
Only the sounds of keyboards and computer systems echoed through the room.
Emma stood beside one of the giant monitors while analyzing data sent from different BSAA branches around the world.
Leon, meanwhile, sat calmly in front of the central screen, his sharp eyes scanning through classified reports one after another.
Both of them already understood one thing clearly—
Finding spies inside BSAA would not be easy.
Not at all.
The organization had only recently been formed.
Most infiltrators had not even started moving openly yet.
That made the situation even more dangerous.
Because hidden enemies were always harder to find than exposed ones.
Emma adjusted her glasses slightly before speaking,
"Master Leon…"
"So far, we still haven't found solid proof against anyone."
Leon calmly replied,
"That's expected."
"The real spies are always patient."
"They won't expose themselves this early."
Emma nodded slowly.
She also understood that rushing this investigation would only alert the hidden organizations watching BSAA from the shadows.
Umbrella.
Corrupt corporations.
Government factions.
Private military groups.
Too many forces wanted control over BSAA.
And many of them had definitely already planted people inside.
Leon quietly crossed his arms while looking at the data.
"This investigation will take time."
"At minimum…"
"…several months."
"And if they're careful enough…"
"It could even take years."
Emma fell silent.
Even she understood how troublesome this situation was becoming.
Suddenly—
One of the monitors displayed a hidden financial transaction.
Emma quickly enlarged the screen.
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.
But after reading the information carefully, he calmly leaned back again.
"Not enough."
"Suspicious… but still not enough."
Emma sighed softly.
They had already checked hundreds of personnel files.
Military backgrounds.
Family connections.
Bank accounts.
Communication logs.
Yet none of it gave them decisive proof.
Leon suddenly spoke again,
"Do not investigate too aggressively."
Emma looked at him.
Leon calmly continued,
"If the spies realize we're watching them…"
"…they'll disappear."
"And once they hide completely…"
"…finding them again will become nearly impossible."
Emma nodded immediately.
"I understand, Master Leon."
Leon slowly stood up from his chair and walked toward the giant window overlooking the dark night outside.
The moonlight reflected faintly across his cold face.
Then he quietly muttered,
"Right now…"
"…the enemy thinks they're hidden."
A faint smirk appeared on Leon's face.
"But eventually…"
"They'll make mistakes."
"And when they do…"
His burning eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll erase every single one of them at once."
.
.
.
Chapter End.
-----------------------------------
Please support me with your power stones.