Chapter Six: Keep Up the Deception!

“What do you mean by that?” Captain James asked, frowning.

“Just what I said! Don’t you understand?” Yu Fei replied, his tone laced with biting sarcasm.

Though his manner was irritating, it somehow inspired a strange sense of trust.

Despite the fact that Yu Fei’s status as an Interpol agent hadn’t even been confirmed, the members of the assault squad instinctively accepted him as one.

—Who else but an Interpol officer could speak to them like that?

Captain James took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, and asked, “I’m not quite sure what you mean by that.”

“Not sure? Then send your men to see for themselves!” Yu Fei said, refusing to explain further, insisting that the assault squad witness it firsthand.

Some things are better seen than heard.

“Hmm?” Captain James frowned again, then signaled subtly.

Salinas, one of the squad members nearby, nodded lightly and turned to leave.

Nearby, Rain quietly shifted her right hand, attempting to regain control.

Bang!

Yu Fei delivered a knee strike, interrupting her every move.

“Behave yourself!”

“You!” Rain’s face flushed with anger, ready to lash out, but the barrel of a gun pressed against her forced her back.

Captain James also shot her a warning glance, signaling her not to lose her temper.

Though frustrated, Rain had no choice but to restrain herself.

Not far off, Alice watched the unfolding drama in confusion, unsure how to react.

Yet, instinctively, she edged closer to Yu Fei—compared to the sudden arrival of the assault squad, he seemed far more trustworthy.

The standoff left the mansion engulfed in a tense silence.

Before long—

Salinas returned, shaking his head slightly at Captain James, the truth clear without words.

Captain James’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.

Others in the squad, however, couldn’t hold back.

“Damn it! What on earth are they doing?”

“Have they locked us up too?”

Anxiety and unease rippled through the assault squad.

Yu Fei observed quietly until he felt it was time to speak again.

“Looks like none of you know anything. Umbrella Corporation has just discarded you as pawns.”

His tone remained mocking. Before Captain James could respond, Kaplan, another squad member, snapped, “What are you talking about? Pawns? What exactly do you know?”

The sudden appearance of an Interpol officer, then being inexplicably sealed inside the mansion by “their own” people—this was far beyond their expectations.

They were only here on a simple retrieval mission—how did it come to this?

“Enough!” Captain James’s voice cut through, silencing Kaplan. He held considerable authority in the squad, though even his influence had limits.

Faced with such an unusual situation, if he couldn’t provide a satisfactory explanation to his team, the consequences could be dire.

James looked Yu Fei squarely in the eye, sensing a strong connection between Yu Fei’s words and their current predicament.

Because of a few remarks from Yu Fei, the assault squad now teetered on the edge of disaster, one wrong move away from complete collapse.

Though harboring some resentment toward Yu Fei, James knew he had to rely on him for information.

Lowering his weapon from Yu Fei, he spoke as calmly as possible, “Officer, as you’ve seen, we’re all on the same side—at least for now. Can you tell us what happened in this laboratory?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Yu Fei, Alice included, eager for answers.

Yu Fei scanned the squad members, weighing whether they were trustworthy.

Their faces showed varying degrees of tension. From the information Salinas had just returned with, they might not openly admit being abandoned by Umbrella Corporation, but they clearly felt like pawns being tested.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal—they were mercenaries after all, just paid hands to do a job.

Money exchanged, lives risked.

But the problem was—the Umbrella Corporation had clearly lied to them!

The issues in this laboratory were far more serious than just a sudden “red queen” going berserk.

And Umbrella Corporation knew this too—otherwise, why would they have already sealed off the mansion’s perimeter?

Not even allowing their own people to leave.

The assault squad understood this tactic well; it was only used in the most dangerous missions.

When necessary, the entire squad could be sacrificed.

This was why Kaplan defied orders to bypass Captain James and speak directly to Yu Fei—those two words, “discarded pawns,” struck a nerve.

Yu Fei pondered for a moment, then hesitantly began, “You’re all Umbrella Corporation operatives. These things shouldn’t come from me, but we’re facing grave danger...”

Whether zombies in the lab or Umbrella armed forces outside, none were to be taken lightly.

To overcome this crisis, he needed all the help he could get.

“Grave danger?” The squad stirred uneasily.

“See! Our mission isn’t a simple one!” Their acceptance of Yu Fei as Interpol was now confirmed, and hearing those words sealed their conclusion.

If not for Captain James’s warning glance, they might have already begun cursing Umbrella.

Yu Fei took heart; human nature could be utilized.

Though somewhat relieved, his expression remained grave as he continued, “You should know that human experiments are being conducted beneath this laboratory.”

“Uh...” The squad exchanged uncertain looks.

Did they know? Or didn’t they?

Many biological experiments in the US involved similar trials, some even sanctioned by official organizations.

But such matters violated human rights and ethics, never openly admitted—too sensitive to discuss publicly.

They looked at each other, then finally to Captain James.

His face turned ashen.