Monica is the best proof; as for Ada, Alex, and Alexia, they simply didn't want a second child—otherwise they wouldn't have stopped at one.
"You act like you know everything," Helena asked curiously, her bright eyes sparkling. When a woman grows curious about a man, she's already in danger.
"It's not that I know, it's that I can deduce it—simple. A missile barrage is standard; crude but effective." Eddie shrugged.
"There are still a lot of civilians here!" Helena objected. "And Mr. President isn't that kind of person."
"I know; Benford's fairly capable. But sometimes things don't go the way he wants. Just remember: the real power in the Western Federation lies with the Families—nothing else matters. Over eighty percent of the money traces back to them. Even Benford has to take their demands seriously." Eddie clearly knew the score.
Precisely because their wealth rivals nations, those old geezers obsess over extending their own lives.
Rich? Do as you please. Broke? Accept your fate!
"So what do we do now?" Helena lowered her head, unsure what to say.
Eddie lifted her chin. "Do you think I'm selfish? I won't risk my life for other survivors—I have a wife and daughter to protect. Once you have kids, you'll understand. I'm not stopping you from saving people—if you've got the ability, go ahead."
That was exactly the case: Claire was kind-hearted, and as her "punishment" for staying at the airport, she had to give Eddie a second child!
Helena shook her head. "I don't know. I figure you can handle it. During the last rescue I already suspected—save the rich first."
Of course; that's capitalism. Why call it that? Money is king—without it you're worth less than a dog!
Eddie took Helena and flew out of Tall Oaks.
Mid-air he got a call from Leon. "Hey, Eddie, The Pentagon's decided: they'll sterilize Tall Oaks with thermal bombs and have put out a global warrant for Simmons. Ten hours left—get out now."
The Western Federation had resolved to keep the C-Virus from spreading; they could now produce the vaccine formula themselves—no need to ask Eddie for help.
Chapter 613: The Shameless Spokesman
As Eddie left Tall Oaks with Helena, the army was only just entering the villa district to rescue people, working with the Agent Guard to extract the Families.
Leon led another squad, broadcasting to any survivors to head to designated rally points where the military would evacuate them.
Instantly the city erupted—looting and other crimes flared everywhere.
Once the survivors were clear, the Western Federation would obliterate Tall Oaks with ultra-high-temperature bombs.
These missiles leave no environmental damage; after cooling, the site can be cleared and rebuilt at once.
The Federation's press conference pinned the entire disaster on Security Adviser Simmons—sell him out, blame every bit of trouble on the traitor;Black-hearted capitalists never let a scapegoat go to waste!
"Today our Tall Oaks suffered a horrific incident; nearly 1.2 million residents are in peril. The military has launched rescue operations; the Federation will guarantee every survivor's safety and wipe out all bioweapons!"
"Tall Oaks's catastrophe stems from biovirus research secretly conducted by Federation Security Adviser Simmons. Oversight bodies failed and have been dismissed. We will not allow a repeat of Raccoon City; fugitive Derek Simmons will be hunted until dead!" The Pentagon spokesman intoned sorrowfully.
The news shocked the world—every nation seemed hit by synchronized bioterror strikes.
The attacks were launched by the Neo-Umbrella organization, igniting war across the globe.
It's a group of traitors who loathe their homelands—originally just Carla's tool for revenge, later disbanded.
It was taken over by Nikolai again, recruiting terrorists who harbored resentment toward various regions, gradually turning it into a massive bioterrorist organization.
"Could such a change mean the Federation is also secretly developing biochemical viruses?" a journalist asked, fearless of death.
Spokeswoman Kelly shot the reporters an irritated glance. "The Federation does not research such things; if we do research, it's for advanced energy sources that benefit humanity!"
"Then what measures is the Federation taking regarding this biochemical disaster that has killed over a million people?" came another question.
"The relevant departments are formulating emergency response strategies; they will be announced soon. That's all for today's press conference. We will release the latest information as soon as we have it." Kelly closed the folder, turned on her high heels, and left.
Meanwhile, in the distant Tall Oaks, the sky was filled with gunfire.
The previous Commander had been executed for following the traitorous Simmons, and a trusted general had taken over, launching attacks on the city to open a sliver of escape route for survivors and convoys.
Fortunately, there weren't many powerful monsters this time; the gaseous C-Virus wasn't very lethal. Under the firepower of the regular army, they were just living targets.
The hardest to deal with was Nikolai's mutated colossal monster—visible from afar, over thirty meters tall.
After absorbing a large number of zombies as nutrients, combined with the special Dominant species Plaga and the fusion of the C-Virus and Uroboros Virus,
Nikolai ultimately became a gigantic monster, retaining a shred of consciousness and rampaging everywhere.
He destroyed anything in sight, even attacking a convoy ferrying family members.
Massive tentacles smashed vehicles to pieces, causing explosions that sent the cars behind crashing into walls.
The surviving family members were grabbed by Nikolai and eaten in front of the Guard.
The scene was brutally nauseating.
Such a huge monster could only be attacked with Helicopter-mounted missiles; ordinary machine guns couldn't inflict effective damage.
Even Gatling guns only tore chunks of flesh without breaking its defense.
"Fuck, what the hell is that thing!" a Black Squad Leader exclaimed, staring at the monster Nikolai still moving toward the city outskirts.
Hiss! Nikolai suddenly released clouds of toxic gas; ordinary zombies hit by the gas collapsed, bodies twisting before reforming into cocoons.
When the cocoons burst, new monsters would emerge—what kind depended on their genetic mutation.
The Federation rescue squad also coughed incessantly and finally died in the poisonous fog.
The Black Squad Leader's dying words were: "The latest toxic mist can't be stopped by gas masks—evacuate immediately!"
Whoosh! Several missiles flew out and struck the squid-like colossal Nikolai.
Flesh scattered; several tentacles were blown off.
Nikolai howled in pain, emitting piercing sonic waves that disabled the Helicopters' control systems, sending them crashing to the ground or into buildings, exploding in fiery blossoms.
The pilots inside died as a matter of course—even without meeting Leon S Kennedy, there was no escaping pursuit.
Eddie was sitting in a café outside the city, drinking milk and watching the news on TV.
"This Spokeswoman is kind of shameless—does she always speak so brazenly?" Eddie asked.
Helena shook her head. "I don't know, but her reputation has never been good, and if a Spokeswoman isn't thick-skinned, how can she face so many reporters?"
It made sense—not just anyone could be a Spokeswoman.
"Finished? Let's go; we have business to discuss, and you can resign. Come with me." Eddie paid the bill and stood. "Keep the change, beautiful—it's all yours."
"Sir, you're so generous!" The Pretty Waitress beamed—this was real money! She secretly scratched his palm with a delicate finger and slipped him a card with her contact info.
Chapter 614: Arrogance Meets Its End