☆ Joining the group, preparing for escape

This is how the end times are: disaster devours the former prosperity, throwing people into an endless abyss, but at the same time, it throws a rope at them. If you grab it, as long as you slowly climb up, there is hope for survival. Of course, the possibility of this "if" is extremely slim, and even if you do grab it, there are many unexpected dangers on the old rope.

Clinging tightly to even the thinnest spider silk, fearless even amidst a mass of corpses beneath their feet—this is instinct, the instinct for survival. Some are born kind, their good intentions transforming this instinct into a mission to save humanity; but what will become of the instincts of those with inherent character flaws or even a dark side? Nobody knows…

"Hey, woman, do you really know the way?" Ribitt held Erica's small hand, following closely behind Ye Xi. Perhaps seeing that it was getting later and the corridor was getting darker, he asked with some impatience.

When did I tell you I knew the way? Ye Xi's lips twitched: "You little brat, you're so disrespectful to your elders! What do you mean 'woman'? Call me 'sister'!"

“Hey, auntie, do you really know the way?” Ribitt repeated his words defiantly, emphasizing the word “auntie”.

...This kid is so unlovable. Seeing that there were no red objects around, Ye Xi quickly turned around and glared at him. Although Ribbit wasn't particularly handsome, he was quite pleasing to the eye. His still-childish face had a touch of childlike cuteness. He should be even more attractive when he smiled, but he always had a cold expression, awkwardly looking at someone for some unknown reason. A child like this should be very popular at school, at least in the eyes of a sheltered Chinese girl like Ye Xi, foreigners were very open-minded.

But that doesn't change the fact that this kid's personality is inherently annoying, even if he's considerate towards his sister! What sins have I committed in my life to be so miserable? Besides a woman's face, a woman's age is also a taboo subject! Wesker, that born disabled bastard, is one thing, but how come this child is like this too…

"Sister Ye Xi, I just... I just heard... a sound over there..." Erica tugged at Ye Xi's pants, her soft voice filled with fear, and pointed to a door in front of her. Ye Xi followed her hand and looked over, then bent down and patted Erica's small head; it felt soft and nice.

"Hey, don't touch it, or one of those crazy guys in there might jump out and bite you." Ribit slapped down Ye Xi's hand that was groping his sister's head, and perhaps realizing his earlier words were a bit off, added, "No... but you'd deserve to be bitten to death!"

I knew this guy wouldn't say anything auspicious. "Don't worry, little Ellie, there's nothing there," Ye Xi comforted her, then strode to the door and looked at the sign on the door. "However, our little Ellie did discover our destination—the VIP room."

Hearing this, a blush finally appeared on Erica's pale face, making her look incredibly cute. "No way?" Ribit exclaimed exaggeratedly, then pulled Erica to Ye Xi's side, squatted down after spotting the door number, and placed his hands on Erica's small shoulders: "That's great, Erica, you're amazing!"

Erica's face flushed even more, and she lowered her golden head shyly, clutching her skirt tightly with both hands, looking as adorable as a doll. Seeing Erica's appearance, a layer of worry suddenly clouded Rebit's light gray eyes. How could he, as her older brother, not worry? Their mother had left them when Erica was only two years old, and now their father had also had an accident. Erica's autism had only just begun to improve; if she were to experience any further trauma… No, he absolutely couldn't let that happen!

That's why the precocious Ribitt and his father lied to Erica, saying their mother lived abroad year-round; that's why Ribitt lied to Erica, saying their father had temporarily separated from them; and that's why Ribitt was wary of that dangerous, mysterious woman named Ye Xi. He didn't want his sister to live in loneliness and solitude anymore—absolutely not!

Ye Xi didn't care what had happened between the siblings. She gently placed the bloodstained pole and gun against the wall, then raised her hand and pretended to be anxious, banging on the door while shouting, "Is anyone in there? Claire Redfield, are you in there? Damn it, I have two kids with me!"

The caring older brother, Ribit, who was concerned about his sister's condition, didn't care what Ye Xi was up to, so Ye Xi didn't feel embarrassed about acting like this. A moment later, a girl with wine-red hair tied in a ponytail opened the door. She glanced around warily, then stepped aside to make way for Ye Xi and the others, saying, "Come in quickly!"

Ye Xi immediately grabbed Ribitt and Erica's hands and led them into the VIP room. They had barely entered when they heard a disdainful voice: "Damn it, three more burdens have arrived."

Ye Xi looked at the man sitting at the central desk. His short, stout figure resembled a ball, with beady green eyes and a drooping mouth—a well-dressed beast in human clothing. "I think you're the biggest burden!" Ribbit yelled at him. "Otherwise, would things have turned out like this, Senator Davis?"

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat!" The so-called Senator Davis stared with his beady eyes, seemingly unable to believe that a child would speak to him like that.

"Isn't that right? If it weren't for you and that so-called Will Company researching that damn virus, my family and I would be having dinner on the plane home right now!" Ribbit pointed at Davis angrily, as if he was about to rush up and beat him up at any moment.

"Alright, stop arguing. Do you want to attract those zombies?" The ponytail girl who had opened the door earlier stood between the two. "We're both in danger right now, waiting for rescue. Can't we unite a little? I'm Claire Redfield, and I'm glad there are still people alive."

Ye Xi stared blankly at the hand extended to her, then, sensing something was amiss, quickly grasped it: "I...I'm Ye Xi. The one who yelled at this so-called Senator Davis just now was..."

"My name is Ribit, Ribit Anson, and this is my sister Erica. She's a bit shy. I'm so sorry I didn't control my emotions just now." Ribit interrupted Ye Xi and sincerely apologized to Claire, his attitude completely different from how he treated Ye Xi! This brat is deliberately trying to annoy me... Ye Xi thought to herself, her mind chuckling.

"It's alright, they haven't come over yet, have they?" Claire smiled brightly. "Now, our team is much stronger."

Ye Xi looked at Claire, who was completely different from the one in the movie, with some confusion. Only then did she realize that this was exactly the goddess in the game that countless otaku were obsessed with! Having already seen Wesker as a precedent, Ye Xi wasn't too surprised by Claire. On the contrary, she was quite happy. After all, she preferred the Claire in the game to the one in the movie.

However… Ye Xi frowned. This scene was too familiar. How could it be so similar to… how could it be so similar to Deterioration? No, this must be Deterioration! That senator was the one who had ties with the so-called Will Corporation! Originally, Will Corporation appeared after Umbrella Corporation, which went bankrupt due to the Raccoon City incident. They conducted research on the T-virus purchased on the black market, but unexpectedly, the T-virus spread again, and the evolved form of the T-virus, the G-virus, reappeared. And all of this must have been the work of Frederick Dow, the chief researcher of Will Corporation.

But now the situation is different. Ye Xi, taking advantage of not being American and posing as a "tragic, unlucky tourist in America who unfortunately encountered this disaster," inquired with Claire about the love-hate relationship between Will Corporation and Umbrella Corporation. She learned that while Will Corporation had only grown rapidly in recent years and had always been Umbrella's competitor, it had never been able to defeat Umbrella. Now, taking advantage of Umbrella Corporation's stock plummeting three months ago due to the Raccoon City crisis and its subsequent decline, it had obtained the T-virus through clandestine means to prepare for research, only to have disaster strike again…

"Things are different now. This was originally supposed to happen three years after the Raccoon City incident," Ye Xi thought to herself. But no matter how the world changed, Ye Xi didn't care. She just wanted to live well and get through these hardships. Sitting on the sofa, she watched Ribit chatting with Erica and another little girl named Renee. Suddenly, she thought how wonderful it would be if she could become a little girl like Erica, carefree and protected by an older brother.

Seriously, what woman doesn't want a broad shoulder to lean on? Even the most ruthless, strong woman has secretly fantasized about being pinned against a wall and passionately kissed by a man she loves and who loves her in return. Tsk tsk, Ye Xi, you absolutely mustn't have such thoughts. If you start having this kind of dependence on others, you'll begin to depend on them. If you start depending on others, you'll always depend on them and never be able to leave that person. If you leave, you'll surely die!

Ye Xi shook her head, silently admonishing herself.

It was completely dark, and the people hiding in the VIP room dared not turn on the lights, fearing they would attract the zombies, which would be dangerous. Claire had already taken an umbrella outside; she was worried after hearing human screams outside, so she asked one of the waiters for an umbrella to use as a weapon. Now, quite some time had passed, and she didn't know if Claire was safe. "Should we go out and check?" Ribbit paced around the room again and again, finally unable to bear it any longer.

"Who's going out?" Ye Xi rolled her eyes at him. Could this kid please rein in his enthusiasm as a hot-blooded anime protagonist? He can barely protect himself, let alone save others. Besides, Claire, that seemingly harmless but actually fierce girl, isn't so easy to kill. If God were really that brain-dead and took Claire away, wouldn't Chris, who's a complete siscon, immediately blast God's little chrysanthemum?

"You woman!" Ribitt retorted to Ye Xi with a sanitary napkin. "You're the most capable person in this room, who else could it be? If it weren't for Claire's insistence, you should have been the one to go out and check if there were any more students."

Ye Xi hadn't expected that Ribit, that "unlovable" brat, would expose her so early. But just as Ye Xi was struggling with how to handle the situation, not wanting to reveal her true nature, Claire returned with three fully armed men. Seeing her savior arrive, Ye Xi breathed a sigh of relief and went to greet her, ignoring Ribit's disdainful "tsk," and said with concern, "Claire, you're finally back! I thought something had happened to you and I was about to go look for you."

Knowing the woman's true nature, Rebit curled his lip—this woman was truly shameless to an extreme. However, Rebit didn't say anything, but simply went to Erica's side and helped her up.

“Don’t worry, our rescuers are here. This is Leon, Angela, and Greg. We can leave now.” Claire patted Ye Xi’s arm and introduced them with a smile. Ye Xi peeked out slightly at Leon and the others before quickly retreating. She tried to minimize her presence because she knew she would definitely be subjected to a blood test once outside. If nothing was found, that would be fine, but if something was, it would be very bad. So, once outside, Ye Xi had to find a way to avoid the test—of course, she hoped everything would proceed according to the plot afterward.

"Wait, why are there only so few people? Where's the main force? You should have sent at least ten!" Senator Davis shouted angrily upon seeing that there were only three people. "Let me tell you, I'm a senator!"

“I know, you don’t need to repeat that,” Leon said coldly. “Sending more people will only increase the number of zombies. If you’re worried, the rest of us can go out first, and then we’ll send someone to rescue you, Mr. Councilor.”

Perhaps sensing the sarcasm in Lyon's last words, Davis followed with a dark expression.

Author's Note: Normally, Ye Xi is a normal girl, but if she unlocks her genes (get lost!) and enters her awesome state, she becomes aloof due to the virus (shrug). Actually, Ribit is a precocious tsundere, sigh, he's really worrying (get lost!).