Chapter 6: I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing at all.
"What are you talking about? You're saying it's full of man-eating monsters?"
JD looked like he was giving up, raising his hand to offer a sensible suggestion:
"Let's wait for reinforcements, Captain. I don't think this is a mission we can complete."
It was hard for those present not to agree with his advice, and they all showed signs of being swayed.
"JD, that's just a possibility. No matter how great the possibility, it's still just a possibility."
Captain James pressed his hands down, signaling his team to calm down, and warned:
"We have no evidence right now. If we assume there hasn't been an uncontrollable virus leak inside the Hive, and we preemptively evacuate... that's desertion!"
The fate of a deserter would be no better than dying in the Hive.
"Even if we retreat, we must bring back accurate intelligence." Kaplan, still clear-headed, shook his head and sighed:
"We have no choice, unless..." He subtly glanced at Fang Ge, who held the most significant status.
Fang Ge scoffed when he saw this: "Now you want me to be the scapegoat? This isn't the time for you to question my identity."
"How about this, Captain James, you and I go together; we brothers will report to Wesker first. And Kaplan will be promoted to the captain of this operation, staying in the Hive with the rest of the people to continue exploring, how about that?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the already bloody atmosphere on site became even more agitated, with an impulse surging through everyone's body.
The Reincarnators worried about distance limitations, while the mercenaries feared becoming abandoned pawns.
"SHIT!" Rain, the most hot-tempered, kicked Spence hard.
Everyone's gaze focused on him; now it was James Shade's turn to have a headache, he felt as if he was being roasted over a fire.
Everyone living and dying together, there was nothing to complain about. But once one person could live... who that person was would become the fuse for the team's disintegration.
Human hearts are unpredictable. If he and Fang Ge evacuated together, it was hard to guarantee that no extremists in the team would shoot Fang Ge or even himself.
This way... everyone would have to be tied to the same rope, go into the Hive, face life and death together, and unlock the 'Life-and-Death Friendship' achievement.
"Alright, abandon those unrealistic ideas, I'm not going anywhere."
Fang Ge patted James's shoulder, speaking in an old-fashioned tone:
"My research results are still in the Hive. If I don't get my 'results', there won't be a good outcome even if I leave here."
"Gentlemen, you might as well think about being promoted three ranks after successfully completing this mission, and from then on, living a life of ease... I have high hopes for you all, especially you, Captain America James."
"...I'll take your word for it." James Shade felt like he had been CPU'd; how could he even feel a little grateful to Fang Ge for helping him out.
Seeing the farce end, Chu Xuan interjected in a practical tone, stating facts and reasoning:
"The journey ahead will be very dangerous. You need to assign people to guard the box, and there's a suspected spy lurking in the team. There are too many things to consider, and it might be impossible to cover all bases."
"I hope you can issue some weapons for our self-defense, such as a pistol... I believe this won't affect your own combat effectiveness."
A pistol, seemingly a very humble request.
—No wonder Chu Xuan kept Spence alive; it turns out it was to demand weapons...
Fang Ge finally understood Chu Xuan's intention. Giving him a pistol, he could only bully the most common zombies. Encountering a creeper... he would need a controllable environment to cunningly kill it.
But giving Chu Xuan a pistol was different.
The super-modified soldier Chu Xuan only needed one person and one gun to kill everyone!
This request was very reasonable, and the timing of the request was also very appropriate.
But even so, James still didn't budge. After some deliberation, he gave another answer:
"The box will be entrusted to you and Mr. Fang Ge for safekeeping. JD will ensure your safety."
Clearly, he believed that firearms were more important than the box.
Fang Ge narrowed his eyes, watching Chu Xuan take the box from JD. He suspected this was Chu Xuan's true purpose.
However, this was not a bad thing, he added:
"Zombies have no sight; they use sound to locate their 'prey'. If you encounter zombies, those without weapons should remain quiet, and those with weapons should fire to attract them."
"Only by shattering the spine and head will zombies lose their ability to move. There are no more than six hundred people inside the Hive; even if all of them mutate, as long as your aim is accurate, it's not impossible to kill them all."
"Don't worry, I'm a sharpshooter." JD patted the automatic rifle in his hand, smiling confidently.
—You can always be a sharpshooter, as long as you don't turn your back on the automatic door.
Muttering a complaint to himself, Fang Ge suddenly grabbed Zhan Lan's wrist, pulling her out amidst the glasses-wearing girl's panic.
"Hey ~"
"Miss Mary (medic), she just sprained her ankle. Give her a nerve block injection immediately; we can't let her slow us down."
"You scared me! I'm not deaf, just calling my name would have been fine..."
Zhan Lan lightly patted her rising chest, easing her nervousness.
The surging white waves were undoubtedly a beautiful sight, fully captured by Fang Ge, who was close at hand.
—The modeling detail and physics engine are still improving! But the general shape is no different from before; I wonder if the feel is different by comparison.
Although "infinite world" is an 18+ game, it only goes as far as getting a thrill; the game itself, at the most crucial moment, will only enter a blurry CG...
If the old version mods could adapt to the new version, he would be blessed!
When playing games, the most important thing is, of course, to have fun! Speedrunning is just work; indulging in pleasure is life.
The military doctor's treatment method was different from a resident doctor's; there was no patient experience to speak of.
Zhan Lan was jabbed hard by the needle. After the initial pain, the burning sensation gradually disappeared, and her legs could move freely again.
"Thanks to you, otherwise I really don't know what I would have done..."
She outwardly thanked the medic, but secretly winked at Fang Ge.
Clearly, she intended to thank Fang Ge, but was constrained by the occasion and couldn't express herself freely.
As if noticing a couple exchanging flirtatious glances, Zhang Jie subtly approached, placing his hand on Fang Ge's shoulder, whispering teasingly:
"You little rascal, you really abandon your friends for a pretty face. You didn't talk to that black guy just for her, did you?"
It was also "strange" that as soon as Zhang Jie approached, the medic consciously picked up her bag and left.
"Yes, thanks to the senior, I had the chance to tie a head to my waist and chat up a beauty."
Fang Ge was not polite at all; he certainly wouldn't forget the entire cause.
If Zhan Lan's foot hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have needed to risk gaining trust and slowing down their pace, and Mou Gang and the old woman wouldn't have died for a while.
So it was all that damn Zhang Jie's fault.
"It really is..." Zhang Jie's smirk froze, and he fell into a moment of self-reproach.
But he still whispered sternly:
"Don't change the plot rashly again! I should have warned you properly early on, but I was delayed by your barrage of questions..."
"In short, if you don't want to end up like them, then obediently follow the plot!"
For someone like Zhang Jie, who was harsh on the outside but soft on the inside, Fang Ge had a complete "strategy."
He turned his gaze, his dark pupils meeting Zhang Jie's fierce and ruthless eyes, just as they had the first time they met.
Fang Ge didn't deliberately lower his voice, grinning as he said: "It has nothing to do with appearance or gender; I'll save anyone the same."
"I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing at all!"
Zheng Zha, being escorted, suddenly turned his head and sharply raised an eyebrow in Fang Ge's direction.
He suddenly realized that he was also one of the beneficiaries.
It seems we are the same kind of people, Zheng Zha thought.
"Crazy! Behave!" Rain, who was responsible for the escort, kicked Zheng Zha hard.
Zhan Lan silently took off her glasses.
It wasn't the refraction of the lens, but rather that the man who spoke such beautiful words, full of vigor, was somewhat dazzling.
—This extreme move directly maxed out the protagonist group's favorability!
Harvesting their favorability, Fang Ge was an old hand at it. Moreover, having spent all his days in "infinite world," Fang Ge's understanding of them had long reached the level of "father-son affection" and "brotherly kindness."
"...You really managed to pull it off. Just take care of yourself first."
Zhang Jie turned his back, his tone strange,
"Hurry up and follow; we're about to enter the Hive."