☆ Arrested, Ah Quan's identity

Ye Xi stood at the door of the wooden house, watching the wooden table slowly close. She then slowly drew a Miao knife, turned around, raised her hand, and with a light flick, a muffled "thud" echoed as a head fell to the ground. The zombies outside the iron gate were slowly approaching the wooden house, but Ye Xi seemed unhurried. After leisurely dealing with the few zombies scattered around her, she slowly walked towards a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

This vehicle originally belonged to Nikola, but it's now an unclaimed piece of cargo. For Ye Xi, anything with two wheels would never be a four-wheeled vehicle, and anything with pedals would never be a gasoline-powered one. So, compared to the four-wheeled vehicles nearby, this black motorcycle was much more appealing. Ye Xi first checked how much fuel was left in the motorcycle before tossing her package to the back seat. Then, she found a few empty bottles and headed towards the four-wheeled vehicles next to her, just in case the motorcycle ran out of gas later.

The number of zombies increased, but Ye Xi didn't take them seriously. Aside from those already close by, she didn't want to needlessly kill any more. Once everything was ready, Ye Xi jumped into the car, drove off at top speed, crushing the zombies blocking her path.

Ye Xi was in an exceptionally good mood. Being with a large group of people had made her feel inexplicably awkward, and now returning to her "wilderness mode" made her feel incredibly free. Okay, maybe a little disappointed? Whatever, what's the point of regretting it now? Ye Xi shook her head, thinking to herself. "What you should be worried about now is Alice. What if you accidentally run into her again later…" Ye Xi shuddered and looked up at the sky—tsk, the weather is really nice~

"Well done." Just as Ye Xi was trying to comfort herself, the O virus's calm voice rang out. If it weren't for the strong wind, Ye Xi would have been certain she hadn't misheard—the O virus's unchanging voice even had a hint of amusement in it.

"Tch, I thought you'd be happier, after all, you've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Ye Xi pouted. Her intention was to be sarcastic, but unfortunately, there was a hint of coquettish complaint in her sarcasm. If Ye Xi had realized it herself, she would have despised herself.

"Are you unhappy?" The tone was rising again, which always annoyed Ye Xi. It felt like hitting a sponge, leaving her powerless. So she unconsciously raised her voice and snorted, "None of your business."

The O-virus remained silent for a long time, so long that Ye Xi thought it wasn't going to speak again, before slowly saying, "Of course." Then it stopped talking.

Ye Xi was stunned for a moment, then lowered her eyes and sighed softly. The world fell silent again, and the endless yellow sand seemed to be the only scenery in the world. If it weren't for the sound of the wind in her ears, Ye Xi would have had the illusion that she was dying.

This illusion left her bewildered. Three years of wandering had made her forget resentment and complaints. Perhaps she could never go back, perhaps she would just drift away and become a skeleton, turning to ashes. Even if I die, will my soul be trapped here forever...? Ye Xi gave a bitter smile, which was then smoothed out by the sweltering wind.

After driving for nearly two hours, Ye Xi stopped. The sweltering air was making her feel like she was about to suffer from heatstroke. She took out her water bottle, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was sunset, and the orange-red sun had dyed half the sky crimson. Ye Xi gazed at the fiery clouds in the distance. The magnificent beauty of a desert sunset was something she rarely saw before, but now, few people could appreciate it anymore.

Ye Xi withdrew her gaze and was about to stand up when her head throbbed as if it had been filled with water. Waves of dizziness overwhelmed her reason. A sense of powerlessness washed over her, and she lost her grip on the water bottle, which fell to the sand, the clear water disappearing instantly into the sand.

Damn it… Ye Xi cursed. This was definitely not a sign of heatstroke! She struggled to reach for the motorcycle but found her hands wouldn't obey her commands. Her legs gave way, and filled with resentment and anger, Ye Xi collapsed in the desert…

A chill ran through her body, and Ye Xi's eyes widened in terror as the white ceiling came into view. The familiar sight jolted her nerves, and she sat bolt upright, the white sheets slowly sliding down her back…

It happened again...it happened again!! Looking at her naked body, Ye Xi gripped the sheets tightly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. She gritted her teeth, stubbornly suppressing her sobs—this was a nightmare! She would never forget this humiliating place for the rest of her life!

For three years, this place has appeared countless times in Ye Xi's nightmares, and she can never escape this torment. The numbers on her cheek haunt her like a nightmare, reminding Ye Xi of what happened three years ago at Umbrella's Asian branch in Japan every time she sees them, as vivid as if it were yesterday.

It all happened so suddenly that Ye Xi sat on the steel operating table for a long time without reacting, until a slightly deep, cold voice suddenly rang out in the empty and silent room: "You're finally awake, Ye Xi." This voice really startled Ye Xi, and she fell heavily off the operating table with a "thud"—not only because the voice came suddenly, but also because the voice was too familiar!

During Ye Xi's high school years, a friend recommended the Resident Evil game series to her, and she became completely obsessed with Wesker, the series' main villain. Faced with Wesker's intellect and power, Ye Xi could only mutter "Holy crap, he's freaking too strong!" while staring at the computer screen after being outmaneuvered, before silently replaying the game.

However, this wasn't like the game she used to play. The sound that once made Ye Xi's hands tremble and almost cause her to miss her aim was now even more terrifying, making her shudder and unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time: "You...you...what are you..."

“I’ve been here for a long time.” Wesker seemed to understand the meaning behind Ye Xi’s rambling sentences. He silently watched Ye Xi fall to the ground, his bright black eyes filled with fear, his delicate face pale. He suddenly snorted coldly, but did not approach her. He simply stood there, looking down at her from his superior position.

Ye Xi was startled by Wesker's cold snort. She finally came to her senses and belatedly realized how weak her current attitude was, and she gritted her teeth inwardly. "Ye Xi, how can you be so useless? You've grown so much in the past three years! If you're still so afraid, you'll be bullied terribly." The most important thing now was to find out this damned bastard's purpose… Thinking this, Ye Xi straightened her back slightly, staring intently at Wesker who was looking down at her, and said sharply, "You haven't tried to harm me in three years, and now you've captured me again. What, the experiment failed?" As she spoke, she curled her lips in a mocking smile, seemingly brave, but heaven knows how terrified she was inside.

"It's just a matter of an incorrect conjecture." Wesker wouldn't easily admit his failure, but his explanation still surprised Ye Xi; she had thought he wouldn't say anything at all.

"The O virus is indeed present in my spinal cord, but you simply can't isolate it, right?" Ye Xi guessed almost definitively. A mountain of professional knowledge left her unable to think of any other reason why Wesker would bring her back, except, of course… if her long-term guess was correct…

“No, it’s just unusable.” Wesker slightly curled the corners of his mouth. He was indeed quite satisfied with Ye Xi now, but all his emotions were hidden behind those opaque sunglasses, and Ye Xi couldn’t see what he was thinking at all. This made her feel a little helpless, but more than that, she felt a sense of crisis.

Unavailable? Hearing this, Ye Xi's face turned even paler. Did this mean she was being subjected to live experimentation?! "Hehe..." Ye Xi suddenly laughed, a strangely eerie laugh. "The O virus isn't what you think. You're disappointed? Then I'm truly sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't have been such a good person and foolishly created that damn O virus. Otherwise, I would have been even less likely to give you the chance to come into contact with this damn virus."

That's right. If it weren't for Ye Xi's excessive sympathy and creation of some kind of panacea, she probably wouldn't have ended up in this godforsaken place, let alone become a guinea pig. She might not even have had any interaction with this villainous big boss! How could she be sitting on the cold ground in such a disheveled state now!

Okay, maybe now isn't the time to complain, but Ye Xi is genuinely furious. Ye Xi, how could your life be so tragically miserable! Ye Xi gripped the bedsheets so tightly they were almost torn, but then suddenly relaxed. I can't be a guinea pig, I can't let others manipulate me. Dignity is something I can't easily discard, even if it's trampled into mud. Only by calming down can I have a clear mind. I can't let this guy easily lead me by the nose and control my emotions… Ye Xi thought to herself, calming herself down in a few breaths. Her dark eyes were as cold as an abyss as she warily stared at the man by the wall.

The man Ye Xi was glaring at finally moved. Watching Wesker's unhurried yet oppressive footsteps, Ye Xi's body tensed involuntarily. What should she do? Ye Xi slowly moved back. Was he angry, or…? Looking at that expressionless face, Ye Xi shuddered involuntarily, but still forced a fearless expression, stubbornly glaring at him.

Wesker wouldn't kill her; he needed a live, active guinea pig. But as long as Ye Xi was alive, that was enough. Who knew if this terrifying guy would cripple her! No… this can't be! Ye Xi gritted her teeth, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth, the sense of crisis growing stronger, but she was powerless. "You're still too weak, Ye Xi…" Ye Xi smiled bitterly to herself. She had retreated to the wall, but Wesker's advance didn't stop. If only she could use her abilities skillfully instead of relying on the T-virus…

Under this relentless self-pressure, Wesker had reached Ye Xi. At that moment, Ye Xi suddenly felt everything slow down—Wesker's movements, even their breathing. Ye Xi was very familiar with this situation. Before she could even feel surprised, a dark glint flashed in her eyes, her gaze becoming almost tangible. The next second, a piercing pain shot through her right eye, and warm tears streamed down her cheek, quickly falling to the ground…

"Aaaaaah!!!" A heart-wrenching scream pierced Ye Xi's throat, only to be forcefully suppressed. "Shut up." Wesker gripped Ye Xi's throat with one hand, while the index and middle fingers of his other hand were deeply embedded in Ye Xi's right eye. Blood stained Wesker's hand, but he didn't care. Half of his sunglasses slowly slid down his chiseled face, revealing a pair of eerily alluring red eyes. If he hadn't acted quickly, half of his head would have been gone... This ability is extraordinary... Wesker's bloodthirsty smile made his unforgettable eyes appear even colder.

"A weak ant, daring to resist?" Wesker slowly pulled his hand out with a sinister smile, drawing blood once more. He could feel Ye Xi trembling violently in his hand, but she didn't utter another sob. Instead, she stared fiercely at Wesker's face with her intact left eye. Although her left eye was filled with tears, Wesker could still discern a lot of emotion in it. This made him frown, snort contemptuously, and throw Ye Xi to the ground like trash before striding away.

After casually instructing someone to bandage Ye Xi's wounds, Wesker returned to his office. From there, he could still see Ye Xi's condition; she lay slumped on the floor like a corpse, her enormous white coat almost crushing her. She seemed to be murmuring something. Wesker raised his hand and turned on the loudspeaker—

"Ah Quan... Ah... Quan... Have you abandoned me too...?"

Hearing that hoarse voice filled with helplessness and despair, the hand on the megaphone froze, and the huge room fell silent, leaving only Ye Xi's painful cries.

A few minutes later, Wesker stiffly moved his hand to a button and pressed it hard. He spoke slowly but clearly, "Ye Xi, I will always be by your side." His words were soft, carrying a tenderness that even Wesker himself found unbelievable and terrifying. Through countless electric grids, they reached Ye Xi's mind, where they became the calm and familiar voice that had accompanied her for three years.

Ye Xi finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears. Even when Wesker poked her right eye out just now, the excruciating pain was indescribable, but she had never cried so helplessly and vulnerablely as she did now. Tears mixed with blood stained the gauze around her right eye, a heartbreakingly bright red.

Wesker abruptly shut down all the equipment, took out another pair of sunglasses, put them on, and the surroundings plunged into darkness...

Author's Note: Haha~ The Overlord has been blown out! ~Did anyone guess that Ah Quan is Uncle Wei? ~Probably quite a few, since I gave a hint. (Really?!) So stop complaining about Uncle Wei's limited screen time and give him more! He's been with Ye Xi for the past three years~ And he appears in almost every chapter as Ah Quan (shrugs). Of course, there's more exciting stuff to come, so stay tuned for the next chapter (picks nose). I'm still begging for comments! Overlord, please let me go!!!