The Mysterious Resurrection at the Beginning of Infinite Terror

Chapter 6

A chilling dizziness washed over me, more intense than before, as if my entire soul had been roughly shoved into a narrow tube and then violently thrown out.

Wang Lin suddenly opened his eyes, his nostrils filled with a strange smell—a mixture of disinfectant, rust, and some other... faint, rotten odor. Beneath him was a cold, hard metal floor, and the surrounding light was dim, with only a few emergency lights providing a ghastly green light source.

He could hear groans and retching all around him. He propped himself up and quickly scanned his surroundings.

This is the interior of a train carriage, but it's far from an ordinary train. Rough metal walls, exposed pipes and indicator lights, and a few rows of simple seats fixed to the floor. A dozen or so people, men and women, are lying or sitting haphazardly, mostly dressed in modern everyday clothing, their faces filled with bewilderment and fear.

"Not bad, fifteen people this time." A cold voice rang out.

Wang Lin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall, stern-faced, black-haired young man standing in the center of the carriage. He had a cigarette in his mouth and his sharp eyes swept over each newcomer. He wore a black, tight-fitting vest, his muscles clearly defined, and he exuded an aura of battle-hardened iron.

Zhang Jie!

Wang Lin was certain that it was indeed the opening scene of the Resident Evil arc in "Infinite Terror"! However, he was actually entering as a newcomer, not a "veteran"? It seemed that the God of the Main God did not completely determine his status based on the number of instances he had experienced when arranging mission worlds.

"Where is this place? Who are you? Why am I here?" A young man with an ordinary appearance, but whose eyes held a mixture of wariness and barely perceptible excitement, asked.

Zheng Zha! Wang Lin's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Think about it carefully, it must have implanted all of this into your minds," Zhang Jie said coldly, exhaling a smoke ring.

As soon as the words were spoken, most of the people in the carriage showed expressions of pain or realization, clearly indicating that the message from the main deity had begun to be infused.

Wang Lin also frowned in agreement, pretending to receive the information, while his brain worked at lightning speed.

Original plot: Entering the Hive, following the mercenaries, encountering zombies and Lickers, and finally suffering heavy casualties in the Laser Passage.

"You come in and immediately stumble upon such an easy horror movie." Zhang Jie chuckled, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Easy? Wang Lin sneered inwardly. For him, who knew the plot, the difficulty of this film wasn't the zombies, but rather human nature and those deadly traps.

"You mean we're just characters in a movie? Or are we in a movie right now?"

Another girl wearing glasses calmly analyzed, "She is Zhan Lan."

"Whether it's a movie or not, you'll find out soon enough." Zhang Jie stopped explaining and walked to the carriage door. "Listen carefully, follow those mercenaries, don't fall behind, and don't do anything unnecessary, or don't blame me if you die."

Just then, the train began to slow down and came to a complete stop a few minutes later.

The dozen or so foreign mercenaries cautiously pushed their way out, guns in hand. Zhang Jie didn't waste any words and took the lead, squeezing to the front and blending into the crowd. But his eyes were always fixed on two people: Zheng Zha and the burly man at the end of the mercenary group who was always cursing – Ryan.

The group followed the mercenaries into the Hive entrance and arrived at the platform elevator. The story unfolded as in the original novel: mercenary captain Matthew Addison explained the mission, Kaplan cracked the entrance, the door opened, revealing a bottomless dark passage behind it.

"Stay where you are and don't move," Matthew commanded.

Just then, Zheng Zha couldn't help but whisper to Zhan Lan beside him, "The zombies inside... can't we warn them? They'll die if they go in!"

It's here! Wang Lin's heart tightened. Zheng Zha's "saintly heart" and "spoiler urge" began to kick in.

Zhan Lan shook her head, signaling him to be quiet. But Zheng Zha's face clearly showed struggle and reluctance.

Wang Lin knew that if left unchecked, Zheng Zha might jump out at a crucial moment (like in front of the laser tunnel) to "warn" him, leading to suspicion and even attack from the mercenaries. Although he miraculously survived in the original story, Wang Lin dared not gamble on this plot development. He had to put a "reins" on him beforehand!

While the mercenaries were setting up ropes and lighting equipment at the entrance to the passage, and the newcomers were getting restless, Wang Lin quietly moved to Zheng Zha's side.

"Don't make a sound, listen to me," Wang Lin said quickly in a voice only the two of them could hear. "I know what you want to say. You want to warn them that there's danger inside, that there are zombies, right?"

Zheng Zha turned his head sharply, looking at Wang Lin warily: "You...how did you know? You've seen this movie too?"

"I've seen it, and I know more than you do." Wang Lin looked him straight in the eye, speaking very quickly. "But have you thought about what will happen after you tell me? Will they immediately believe the words of a 'madman' of unknown origin? Or are they more likely to see you as a spy or mole for Umbrella Corporation and shoot you dead? That mercenary, Rain, has a bad temper."

Zheng Zha's expression changed, clearly indicating that he had also considered this possibility.

"Listen, we're barely able to save ourselves right now. Our primary goal is to survive. Follow them and use their firepower. There are some things you have to pretend you don't know, even if you do." Wang Lin lowered his voice. "Your intention to save people is good, but your methods are wrong. It could kill you and possibly implicate all of us."

"But..." Zheng Zha still hesitated.

"No buts." Wang Lin's tone was resolute. "Remember, here, you only have the right to talk about anything else if you survive. If you act recklessly, you'll be the first to die, followed by your teammates who might be implicated, like the woman next to you." He glanced meaningfully at Loli, who was clinging tightly to Zheng Zha.

Upon hearing the mention of Lori, Zheng Zha's eyes immediately hardened, and he nodded vigorously: "I understand... I won't talk nonsense."

Wang Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief, but knew it wasn't enough. Zheng Zha's impulsiveness was ingrained in his bones; verbal warnings alone might not be effective in extreme situations. He thought of the contract.

But now is not the time. Presenting Zheng Zha with a "no-trouble agreement" in front of everyone? That's too suspicious. Besides, a contract requires "mutual consent," and Zheng Zha may not genuinely be "willing" to accept such restrictive terms right now. A suitable opportunity must be found, perhaps... after he almost made a mistake and I "saved" him, before proposing a contract "for the safety of the team."

The team began their ascent into the hive via ropes. It was cold, damp, and littered with water stains and floating debris. Soon, they arrived at "Restaurant B." Seeing the rows of containers bearing the Umbrella Corporation logo, those who knew the plot felt a chill run down their spines.

"What are these boxes...?" Zhan Lan asked softly.

"Maybe it's a freezer?" Zheng Zha guessed, but the unease in his eyes deepened.

The mercenaries dispersed to conduct inspections, while Captain Matthew, along with Kaplan, the medic, and others, headed towards the main control room.

Wang Lin followed closely behind the group, keeping a watchful eye on zombies that might pounce out of the shadows while observing Zhang Jie. Zhang Jie appeared to be casually standing to the side smoking, but Wang Lin noticed that his gaze would occasionally sweep over Zheng Zha, and... those shipping containers.

Was Zhang Jie waiting for a licker? Or was he assessing the quality of a newcomer? Wang Lin wasn't sure.

Just then, the mercenaries walking ahead suddenly stopped. Under the light, several "corpses" were lying on the ground. But they quickly realized that these "corpses" were still moving.

"Stop!" Ryan pointed his gun at a "person" who was getting up on the ground.

Gunshots rang out, the "person's" head exploded, but the body was still convulsing.

"What's going on? They're still alive?" a mercenary asked in confusion.

"They're dead." Kaplan's voice came through the communicator, tinged with fear. "It's the T-virus...it turns the dead into zombies..."

Zombies! The word was finally revealed. A commotion arose among the newlyweds, and several women even screamed in fright.

"Keep quiet!" Captain Matthew shouted sternly, but his face was also grim.

Gunfire began to ring out sporadically as the mercenaries started clearing out the newly "resurrected" zombies. Although there were only a few, their grotesque appearance and immortality (only headshots could kill them) still had a huge psychological impact on the newcomers.

Wang Lin forced himself to calm down, gripping a broken metal pipe he'd picked up from the ground. His basic combat skills told him how to hold and apply force, but against zombies… its effectiveness was questionable. He had to get a gun as soon as possible!

In the chaos, Zheng Zha seemed to want to help, but Zhan Lan held him back tightly. Lori shrank into his arms in fright.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wang Lin approached a mercenary (not a main character) who had just killed a zombie and was reloading. He whispered, "Sir, could I have a gun? Or a knife will do. We don't want to be a burden."

The mercenary glanced at him coldly, ignored him, changed his magazine, and walked away.

As expected, it didn't work. Undeterred, Wang Lin continued to observe.

Just then, something unexpected happened! A zombie dressed in a researcher's uniform suddenly pounced out from around the corner, its target being a newcomer on the flank of the team—the middle-aged woman! She froze in fear.

Zhang Jie, standing nearby, seemed to be a beat slow to react and didn't fire immediately. Meanwhile, the mercenaries closest to him were focused on the other side.

"Watch out!" Wang Lin's pupils contracted. Almost instinctively, he rushed forward and slammed the metal pipe hard into the zombie's side of the neck! His basic fighting skills came into play, and his force was precise, striking the vital area of ​​the neck.

The zombie was knocked off balance, but felt no pain, and roared as it turned towards Wang Lin.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out. The zombie's head exploded; it was Ryan who fired. She gave Wang Lin a cold look: "You've got guts, rookie. But don't use that thing next time." She kicked the metal pipe on the ground.

Wang Lin was panting, his heart pounding. That last move had almost been a life-or-death struggle. He looked at Zhang Jie, who was also looking at him, a barely perceptible...playfulness flashing deep in Zhang Jie's eyes?

"Thank you, thank you!" The middle-aged woman, having escaped death, collapsed to the ground and repeatedly thanked Wang Lin.

This little incident slightly changed the mercenaries' opinion of the newcomer, but only slightly.

The group continued forward and arrived outside the main server room. The iconic little girl hologram of the Red Queen appeared, issuing a warning.

Captain Matthews decides to shut down Red Queen.

Wang Lin knew that the crucial moment was approaching—the laser channel!

Kaplan began to crack the access control, and Matthew, along with Ryan and several other team members, prepared to enter the passage.

Zheng Zha's face turned extremely ugly. He had seen the movie and knew what would happen next! He looked at the passage, then at the nervous Lori and Zhan Lan beside him, and then at the mercenaries who knew nothing and were about to step into a deadly place. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Wang Lin stood to Zheng Zha's side and slightly behind, staring intently at him. He knew that Zheng Zha's "outburst" was about to happen!

"Wait, wait!" Just before Matthew was about to step into the passage, Zheng Zha finally couldn't help but shout out!

All eyes instantly focused on him. Matthew stopped and frowned at the young man from the East who had suddenly spoken. Ryan even slightly raised the muzzle of his gun.

"You can't go in! That passage is dangerous!" Zheng Zha pointed at the laser tunnel, his voice trembling with excitement.

Matthew's eyes instantly sharpened: "What do you know? Explain yourself."

"I...I've seen it in movies! It's a laser tunnel that emits laser grids, and anyone who goes in will die!" Zheng Zha blurted out.

A movie? A laser grid? The mercenaries exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny. A stranger suddenly claiming they saw this trap in a "movie"? It sounded absurd, more like some clumsy attempt at spying or interference.

Ryan's gun was clearly pointed at Zheng Zha: "Kid, you better explain yourself. Who sent you? Your protectors?"

The atmosphere instantly became tense!

At this critical moment, Wang Lin stepped forward and stood between Zheng Zha and Ryan's gun barrels (slightly off-center, not completely blocking them, but drawing their attention).

"Captain, please listen to me!" Wang Lin said in as calm and rapid a voice as possible, pointing to several inconspicuous sensor-like holes on the wall inside the passage. "The 'movies' he mentioned are some sci-fi disaster films we've seen before, which feature similar high-tech defense tunnel setups. He's probably terrified and made that connection. But!"

Wang Lin abruptly changed the subject, raising his voice: "However, these sensors and emitters do indeed match the characteristics of certain high-end laser defense systems! Look here, here, and on the ceiling! Their arrangement resembles some kind of scanning and cutting array! It's perfectly logical for Red Queen, as a highly advanced artificial intelligence, to set up a physical defense system outside the main control room! We've just witnessed the terror of the T-virus and zombies; shouldn't we be extremely wary of Umbrella Corporation's technological capabilities?"

He spoke quickly and urgently, but his arguments were clear and logical, and all of his statements were "reasonable speculations" based on on-site observations. He didn't mention "the movie," only "science fiction setting associations" and "suspicious signs at the scene." At the same time, he characterized Zheng Zha's "spoiler" as "a frightened but erroneous association," giving both sides a way out.

Captain Matthew squinted, carefully examining the spot Wang Lin was pointing to. Kaplan immediately pulled up the tunnel structure diagram and quickly analyzed it: "Captain, he's right. The arrangement of these sensors... it really doesn't look like ordinary monitoring or fire-fighting equipment. I need more time to analyze it..."

Ryan still held the gun, but the murderous intent in his eyes lessened, replaced by suspicion: "How do you know all this?"

"I'm a science fiction fan and I've read some security design magazines. This is purely a personal speculation based on my interests," Wang Lin said without changing his expression. "But in a place like this, we can't let any suspicious detail slip by, can we, Captain? After all, we've already lost some of our team members." He glanced meaningfully at the mercenary who had been bitten in the previous battle (in the original story, he was bitten by a zombie and later mutated).

Matthew fell silent. He glanced at the nervous Zheng Zha, then at the calm Wang Lin who pointed out the suspicious details, and then at the suspicious sensors in the corridor. As a battle-hardened captain, he trusted his experience and on-the-spot judgment more. Although Wang Lin's "speculation" sounded a bit far-fetched, the arrangement of those sensors was indeed strange, and it wasn't impossible for the Red Queen to possess an advanced defense system.

"Kaplan, rescan the channel, focusing on those sensors and potential energy responses!" Matthew finally ordered. "You two," he pointed to Zheng Zha and Wang Lin, "step back and remain silent. Any further movement will not guarantee your safety."

Zheng Zha was pulled back a few steps by Zhan Lan and Luo Li, his face pale and covered in cold sweat. He knew he had almost caused a major disaster.

Wang Lin breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside. He had made the right bet. The mercenaries trusted "reasonable suspicion" and "on-site evidence" more than "movie spoilers." His words had both pointed out the danger and concealed his "time traveler" identity, while also giving Matthew a reason to act cautiously.

Zhang Jie stood not far away, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and looked at Wang Lin with even more intense gaze. This newcomer... is quite interesting.

Kaplan frantically operated the computer, sweat beading on his forehead: "Captain, the scan shows... there is indeed a high-energy reaction device inside the tunnel! Although we can't fully determine its specific type, it's definitely not a harmless device! Forcing our way in... the risk is extremely high!"

Matthew's face was grim. He glanced at the main server room door, which was just inches away, and then at the dangerous passageway. Time was of the essence; the Flame Queen had to be shut down.

"Are there any other routes?" he asked.

"Yes, but it requires going around Restaurant B and the experimental area, which is a longer route, and... the situation there might be worse," Kaplan replied.

Matthew made a decisive decision: "Change the plan! Team A, follow me on the detour! Team B, stay here, establish a defensive line, and protect the technicians and... these survivors." He glanced at Wang Lin and the others. "Kaplan, try to hack it remotely, or find a weakness in the defense system!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Plans changed! The death trap in the laser channel has been successfully avoided! At least temporarily!

A huge weight was lifted from Wang Lin's heart. He had not only potentially saved the lives of those mercenaries, but more importantly, he had changed the course of the plot, which might reduce subsequent variables and difficulties.

He looked at Zheng Zha, who was also looking at him with gratitude and lingering fear, and whispered, "Thank you... I was too impulsive just now."

"Remember this lesson," Wang Lin said in a low voice. "Here, survival comes first. Once we're safe, we need to have a serious talk about 'teamwork'."

He touched the contract in his pocket. The time was almost ripe. Once this crisis had temporarily passed, it was time to add an "insurance" layer for this "protagonist."

Zhang Jie, having stubbed out his cigarette at some point, was lost in thought, his gaze shifting between Zheng Zha and Wang Lin. From the depths of the Hive's shadows, the sound of even heavier footsteps seemed to echo faintly.