pertwk Chapter 69 Umbrella Launch
Chapter 69 Umbrella Launch
Chapter 69 Umbrella Launch
Li En stood in the ward, looking down at Frank on the bed.
A breathing mask was placed over his face, and the monitor's wires extended from under the sheet, connecting to the row of flickering screens on the headboard.
Frank's chest rose and fell slowly with the rhythm of the ventilator, and with each exhale, a thin layer of mist condensed inside the mask.
They had only come to check on Bright and the other injured officers, but unexpectedly ran into Frank, who was unconscious.
Brock has already explained the situation on the phone.
Frank single-handedly took down the entire Anvil Security Company.
Li En put his phone back in his pocket and said in a low voice, "If you're going to do it, then do it. You don't even leave yourself a way out."
On the surface, Tiezhen Security is a legitimately registered security company with a business license, tax records, and government contracts.
Frank just barged in and killed everyone. If the police want to take the blame for him, they'll have to dig up some dirt on him first.
However, the hard drives and data at the scene were almost completely destroyed by the explosion, and it remains to be seen whether Barron can recover them.
The ward door was pushed open behind me.
Li En turned around.
Two men in suits stood at the door, blond, with upright postures, and their facial expressions looked as if they had been poured from the same mold.
"We are CIA." The man on the left showed his work badge.
Li En glanced at the documents, then looked up and focused his gaze on the two people's faces.
"What's the matter?"
"Frank Castle has connections to overseas criminal cases, and we need to take him away."
Before he finished speaking, another CIA officer had already started walking towards the hospital bed.
Li En moved a step to the side, blocking his path.
The two people were less than an arm's length apart.
Li En looked directly into the other person's eyes: "Since when has the CIA been allowed to arrest police officers at will?"
"Officer Li En, please cooperate."
The CIA agent, after flashing his badge, frowned and reached for the handle of his gun at his waist.
"Frank is involved in cases overseas."
Li En didn't look at the hand that was resting on the gun.
"Frank is now involved in a case with Anvil Security Company in this city and has been arrested by the Manhattan Police Department. He is our criminal. Whatever you want to do, wait until our case is finished."
"Hey, you bastard—"
Both guns were drawn at the same time, their muzzles pointed at Li En's head.
"Frank Castle is linked to foreign terrorist organizations, which concerns national security, and we must bring him back."
"He's someone our police station has arrested."
Li En's tone remained unchanged, and he did not move an inch in the face of the two dark gun barrels.
He tilted his chin towards the door.
The two CIA agents turned their heads.
Six police officers were standing in the corridor.
Six Glocks, six muzzles, all pointed in their direction.
Those hands holding the guns were steady, and their gazes were even more steady.
No one spoke, and no one put down their gun.
If the two CIA agents made any unnecessary movements, they would be instantly penetrated by six 9mm bullets simultaneously.
"You two should put your guns away first," Li En's voice came from behind them. "If they accidentally go off, things could get complicated."
The two CIA officers holstered their guns.
The officer who flashed his badge turned around and raised his voice at the police officers in the corridor: "What are you planning to do? Are you trying to commit treason?"
The six officers exchanged glances, and then one of them smirked.
The one at the very front turned his head and asked Li En, "Should we just throw them into the river?"
Lee Eun reached out and touched her chin, revealing a serious expression of consideration.
"That makes sense. The fish in the Hudson River haven't been getting much nutrition lately. Throwing a couple of people in there for a little treat sounds like a good idea."
"Officers," the CIA officer said, raising his hands and softening his tone, "we're just following orders."
His partner frowned at him, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
The former shook his head slightly, signaling him to be quiet.
Li En waved.
"Frank Castle is one of our men. Go back to where you came from."
The two CIA agents turned and walked towards the end of the corridor. Before they had gone far, their hushed conversation could be heard coming back from the stairwell.
"I don't believe they would actually dare to make a move."
"You don't understand Hell's Kitchen. Let alone low-level agents like us, even senior agents who come and go against them wouldn't be surprised if they were drowned in the Hudson River one day."
"Are these guys really police officers?"
"So you can't judge Hell's Kitchen by common sense. The mission is complete, so report it as you normally would."
Li En watched the two figures disappear at the end of the corridor before turning to the six police officers.
"There were problems behind Anvil Security, which is why Frank took action."
He offered an explanation, then noticed that none of the six faces opposite him showed any surprise.
No one needed to say that, and no one had doubted Frank in those few minutes.
Or rather, even if what the CIA says is true, they simply don't care.
This is the Manhattan Precinct.
Li En smiled.
"The medical expenses have been covered and will arrive in the next couple of days. Everyone will receive proper treatment."
The six police officers relaxed.
Working as a police officer in Hell's Kitchen, everyone knows what a hospital is—a place where people eat people.
Let alone the police, even if a member of parliament goes in, he'll be skinned alive before he gets out.
The default choice for most people in the branch office is to rather suffer from a host of health problems than be hospitalized.
Hearing that someone would cover the bill, the group of people simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.
"But you all saw what happened just now," Li En said, changing his tone.
"I need you to work in three shifts, watching Frank 24 hours a day, until he wakes up."
"Call me immediately if anything happens."
The officer standing at the front patted his chest.
"Leave it to us."
Li En patted each of them on the shoulder, then turned and walked into the next ward.
Bright lay in his hospital bed, clutching a Glock pistol.
With the muzzle pointing downwards and the index finger resting on the outside of the trigger guard, the safety was already engaged.
He has maintained this posture ever since the CIA entered the next room.
If gunshots were to actually be heard in the corridor, this person with lower body paralysis would probably roll off the bed, crawl to the door, and empty the magazine in the direction of the two men.
"Officer Li, what just happened?"
Li En observed his expression.
There was neither deep despair nor forced bravado.
Bright's gaze was steady.
"It's nothing, just a few people coming to freeload. How are you feeling?"
Bright placed the gun on the sheet, looked at Lee En, and didn't flinch.
"I'm paralyzed from the waist down." He said calmly.
"But I can still move my upper body. After I am discharged from the hospital, please let me continue working at the front desk."
"I will never let anything like this happen again."
He had thought things through very clearly during the time since he woke up.
So many colleagues were injured because he hesitated before the poisoner pulled out the explosives.
He can't move his legs now, but he can still hold a gun, answer calls, and stand at the front of the police station.
With just a simple modification to the front desk, he could continue working from his wheelchair.
Moreover, after his lower body became paralyzed, he was unable to escape.
The inability to escape meant that there was only one thing he could do.
They stood in front of it.
Li En stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Very good, keep that mindset."
He paused.
"Once I recover, I'll join the Special Forces and protect Hell's Kitchen together."
Bright's resolute expression wavered.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
He certainly considered continuing to work as a policeman with his disabled body, but he never dared to dream of joining the special forces.
That was the place where Frank himself said he wasn't qualified.
If one's mind is not firm enough, one will break down on the battlefield.
And now, Li En stood by his hospital bedside and said those words.
He looked at Li En, unable to utter a single word.
"Don't worry, just eat well and recover. Leave the rest to me."
Li En waved his hand, turned around and walked out of the ward.
The bell rang in a classroom at Midtown University.
Li En straightened up from her seat in the last row against the wall.
He had been standing at the back of the classroom for the entire period, his back against the wall and his hands in his pockets.
When Professor Connors lectures, he unconsciously leans forward, holding a piece of chalk in his right hand to draw diagrams on the blackboard. He replaces the chalk piece as soon as it breaks, never stopping.
Some students in the front row dozed off throughout the entire class, while others kept taking notes.
The students who were taking notes would look up, furrow their brows, and then look down again to continue writing when Connors mentioned a key point.
No one looked at his hands, and no one whispered about the one-armed professor.
Li En walked to the front of the podium.
Connors was slowly stuffing the lecture notes scattered on the podium into his gleaming leather briefcase.
"Hello, Professor Connors, I am Officer Lee from the Manhattan Precinct."
He extended his left hand.
Connors paused for a moment when he saw the left hand, then smiled and reached out his own left hand to shake it.
Li En's palms were dry and strong. He didn't deliberately soften his grip because he was disabled, nor did he use excessive force to show that he didn't care.
"How can I help you, Officer Lee?"
Li En glanced around the classroom.
The students had all left, and the windows in the last row were open, letting in the distant sounds of noise from the playground outside.
He reached behind his back, pulled out the organized virus data from the space storage, and handed it to Connors.
When Connors saw the red and white umbrella-shaped logo on the cover, his brow twitched, and he turned to the first page.
"I didn't expect Officer Lee to be interested in biology as well."
His tone was relatively relaxed, but the speed at which he turned the pages was slowing down.
"I started a company called Umbrella."
Li En walked to the classroom door, closed it, turned around, and leaned against the door panel.
"We would like to hire Professor Connors to join us."
"In addition, I have built a non-profit school in Hell's Kitchen, and if it is convenient, I would like to invite the professor to teach there in the future."
Connors did not answer.
He could no longer hear anything.
Li En crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back against the door, and waited quietly.
About half an hour later, Connors took off his glasses and placed them on the podium.
His lips were dry and cracked, and he stuck out his tongue to moisten them, but his gaze never left the documents.
The left hand holding the lecture notes was trembling slightly.
He asked in a trembling voice, "Where did you get this information?"
With just a cursory glance, he had already understood how terrifying the virus described there was.
From the folding pattern of the protein shell to the integration site of the gene fragment, every step is clearly labeled, and even the temperature error of experimental failures is recorded.
This means it's not a theoretical deduction, but something that has actually been done.
This document is just the tip of the iceberg of the entire batch of materials.
If I could see all the experimental data, I would participate in research at this level.
The idea of a drug that can regenerate arms is no longer just a pipe dream.
Connors suddenly turned his head: "How far have the experiments with the G-virus and T-virus progressed?"
"Want it?" Lee En smiled. "It was my suggestion earlier."
A proposal? Connors was stunned.
From the second page of the document onwards, his brain filtered out all sensory input unrelated to the virus.
Li En didn't care; in fact, he appreciated this reaction even more.
He repeated what he had just said, walked up to Connors, and extended his left hand again.
"Umbrella needs you, and you need Umbrella."
Connors looked at the hand but didn't immediately shake it.
Over the years, he had grown accustomed to the subtle hesitation that came whenever someone reached out to him.
Which hand should I hold? Do you need any help? How much pressure should I apply?
But the person in front of me extended his left hand both times, the movements natural and decisive.
"Could you show me your research lab?"
Li En withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly.
"Umbrella doesn't have a research lab yet. Actually, I plan to build the research lab on campus."
"Why don't you make a list of equipment, Professor, and I'll go and purchase it? Then you can teach students and do research at the same time."
Connors understood; the company was just an empty shell.
But a shell company couldn't possibly produce such detailed virus research data.
He stared at Li En for a long time, then looked down at his own right arm, which was now only half its original length.
The sleeves hung loosely from the elbows down.
"If the virus research is successful, I hope to be the first user."
The data clearly shows that this virus is extremely dangerous.
He has no intention of conducting human experiments on anyone.
If you want to conduct research, use yourself as the first experimental subject.
It worked, my arm will grow back.
Failure will only harm yourself.
Li En understood the meaning behind those words.
This document does not contain records of human experiments.
Connors made the decision after anticipating potential side effects.
"The process may be a little faster than you think, Professor Connors."
"Because I have the pathogens of the G virus and the T virus."
"What!?"
Connors' eyes widened.
The virus has entered the production stage.
This means that the completeness of the experimental data is far greater than he had just guessed.
His last remaining doubt was finally dispelled.
Regardless of Umbrella's origins, with complete experimental data and live pathogens, the success rate of arm regeneration research is another matter entirely.
Without further hesitation, he tore a piece of white paper from his briefcase, picked up a pen, and began to write.
The pen tip moves quickly across the paper, and the equipment name, specifications, and reference price emerge line after line from beneath it.
After writing the front side, I turned it over to write the back side. When I got to the estimated price of the last device, I paused for a moment and added a note.
He handed the paper to Li En.
"The lab needs at least these; we'll just have to fill in the gaps as we go."
Li En glanced at the list; there weren't many items, and each item had a rough estimate.
Add it up casually, and you'll have millions.
This is still the basic configuration.
Seeing that he was looking at the list without saying anything, Connors quickly added, "I know a few labs where I can get used equipment from them, and I can probably get the price down to 20% of the original price."
Li En smiled and shook her head.
"It's okay, I'll bring all the equipment to the school."
He folded the list and put it in his pocket.
"From today onwards, we are colleagues, Professor Connors."
"Please give me some time, I need to finish handing over my work here," Connors replied with a smile.
"No problem, I need a little time too."
The two exchanged contact information.
Li En pushed open the classroom door, walked through the corridor, and went downstairs.
When I walked to the courtyard outside the teaching building, a group of high school students in school uniforms were chatting and laughing around the flower bed.
Some people were taking pictures of the fountain with their phones, while others were squatting on the ground feeding the pigeons breadcrumbs.
How did students from Forest High School end up at Midtown University?
Suddenly, someone in the crowd turned around abruptly.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
Peter Parker.
Li En nodded to him as a greeting, then turned and walked towards the school gate.
He has other things to take care of today.
Peter stood there, staring at the receding figure.
His spider senses were screaming warnings; the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and the muscles in his back tensed up.
But once his eyes clearly saw who it was, a completely different judgment popped into his mind.
This person is a good person, there won't be any problems.
Two completely opposite feelings collided in the body, neither gaining the upper hand.
His temples began to throb, making him feel very uncomfortable.
A hand patted him from behind.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Jessica withdrew her hand.
Since the Central Park case, Jessica has learned that Peter Parker is not just a nerd who gets pushed into lockers.
The scene was chaotic, with everyone screaming and running around. Only this bespectacled guy used various obstacles to push people one by one into a safe corner.
He thought he was hiding it well, but she saw through him.
He even kicked himself in the end, and quite hard.
She just didn't understand why someone with such good skills would pretend to be bullied at school.
However, during this time she was often seen with Peter, and no one dared to cause her any trouble.
"Do you remember that policeman in Central Park?" Peter gestured with his chin toward the school gate.
Jessica followed his gaze.
A broad figure walked out of the school gate, dressed in dark casual clothes, with steady steps, easily recognizable in the crowd.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Yes, I remember."
When you saw him—did you feel anything special?
"Nothing special." Jessica turned around and walked towards the group of students who were gathering.
"Let's go, we're here to visit the university today."
Peter stood still and rubbed his temples.
Once his gaze shifted away from Li En, the inexplicable feeling of goodwill vanished.
After a while, the warning from the spider's senses gradually faded as the figure moved away.
With the two conflicting perceptions withdrawing simultaneously, the brain finally returned to calm.
He rubbed his temples and jogged after them, his mind still replaying those few seconds.
For the first time, I began to doubt my own abilities.