"Mr. Zhou, there's an old Chinese saying: 'A wise man speaks plainly.' You really don't need to be so cautious," Alfred said, casually taking out glasses and pouring two drinks, pushing them towards Mr. Zhou. "Your identity, in fact, can't withstand scrutiny, can it?"
"Tell me about it!" Mr. Zhou sat down. Since his hidden identity had been discovered, he could only take things one step at a time.
"There aren't many people in the World capable of developing that kind of metal armor, and Mr. Tony Stark doesn't have that kind of time. As for young Osborn, he's still studying in Britain, so there aren't many targets left," Alfred said with a confident smile. "Just by monitoring the relevant research institutions a little, it's easy to come to this conclusion."
"Alright, what do you want from me to keep this secret forever?" Mr. Zhou asked with a cold face. "Is it just a hundred million U.S. dollars?"
"No, no, no, Mr. Zhou might not understand what I mean. I'm not extorting," Alfred waved his hand, putting on an innocent expression. "I'm just seeking cooperation, and that identity is just my stepping stone. I don't want to get anything from Mr. Zhou with such a thing. I've already said, all I want is a transaction."
"A transaction, you said a transaction. I don't think any information is worth a hundred million U.S. dollars," Mr. Zhou picked up his glass directly, and after a sip of wine, he eased his tone slightly.
"For ordinary people, this news might not be worth that much. But for that Superhero in New York, or for a billionaire like you, it's absolutely worth every penny," Alfred picked up the other glass. "Of course, the credibility of someone like you makes it worth paying in advance."
"Go ahead, if you truly intend a fair transaction." Raising the glass in his hand, Mr. Zhou made a listening gesture. He was waiting for Alfred to reveal his hundred-million-dollar information.
"Perhaps you already know about the experiments Mr. Machinos has been conducting. He once obtained a virus sample, and that sample is the key to all his experiments. And you, it seems, have been looking for the source of this virus sample, haven't you?"
Mr. Zhou nodded, agreeing with Alfred's guess. Alfred, however, continued.
"This virus sample comes from the Viktor Family, a Vampire Family in Britain. Of course, any further clues will require you to find them yourself."
"Do you think this information is worth a hundred million?" Mr. Zhou sneered, expressing his dissatisfaction. To exchange such superficial clues for a hundred million in funds was simply wishful thinking.
"This is just an appetizer, for you it just represents a small gesture from me. The reason I brought up this clue is because it has a great connection to the main course I'm about to mention. However..."
"I'll arrange it. A hundred million U.S. dollars will be transferred to your account within twenty-four hours." The impatient Mr. Zhou directly stated the price he was willing to pay. Of course, he also had the confidence to do so; after all, the Ashford Family was a noble Family that had existed for hundreds of years, and they wouldn't stoop to defrauding him for this amount of money.
"You are an honest businessman. Of course, so am I!" Alfred smiled. "That remaining main course is not ordinary, believe me. If you handle it properly, perhaps the Umbrella Corporation will be under your name."
"Umbrella is no simple matter, are you sure you're not joking?" This time, Mr. Zhou became serious. If Alfred wasn't joking, then his information could indeed be worth that price. Of course, the premise was that the detailed content of his information could achieve the effect he described.
Alfred showed a confident expression and began to explain his news in detail to Mr. Zhou.
"Umbrella is an enterprise with immense capabilities, I believe Mr. Zhou you are very clear about this. Its industries encompass medical, biological research, and weapons development, among other aspects. Although it's not yet comparable in scale to Stark and Osborn, it is absolutely one of the leading Giants in the World."
"How many unspeakable things exist within such an enterprise, people like us mostly understand some inside information. These things may not be suitable for public exposure, but for us, they are not secrets."
"However, there is a dangerous project under Umbrella, it is a true secret, many people don't know much about it. But as a descendant of the founder who established this company, I do know some things about it. This secret poses a huge threat to the World."
"A threat? You're not joking, are you?" Mr. Zhou felt that Alfred was being alarmist. There are threats everywhere in this World; even Osborn has several large nuclear power plants operating under his name. If they had problems, they would also be a huge threat.
"A real threat, more terrifying than the threat of a nuclear bomb," Alfred stated his comparison. "A few nuclear bombs might not have much impact on this World, but if the results of this secret were leaked, the number of Deaths for humanity might be far greater than that from nuclear bombs!"
"Biochemical weapons?" Mr. Zhou straightened his body. If it were biochemical weapons similar to mustard gas, which are explicitly prohibited internationally, they could indeed become capital to shake this behemoth. But it would only be to shake it; to go further would not be so easy.
"That's right, biochemical weapons. More precisely, biological viruses. A biological virus capable of creating a new situation!" Alfred gave a clear answer.
And the moment he gave the answer, Mr. Zhou immediately thought of the monster Giant had become, which was also a terrifying transformation achieved through virus experiments.
"Decades ago, my grandfather, Edward Ashford, and several of his friends discovered an ancient biological virus in a remote area of Africa. This virus was an unprecedented virus discovered from the plant known as the Stairway of the Sun. This virus has the ability to cause changes in the chromosomes of biological cells. From some perspectives, it can even promote the evolution of organisms."
"Since the discovery of this virus, my grandfather and his friends founded the Umbrella Corporation. They have always treated this virus as the company's top secret, developing it day in and day out for decades. Unfortunately, since my grandfather passed away, my incompetent father has been unable to maintain my grandfather's position in the company. Now, the Ashford Family has been relegated to the periphery of Umbrella. We have been squeezed out of the virus development."
"So you can betray Umbrella's secret without any qualms?" Mr. Zhou sneered, getting a new understanding of this Young Master from a famous European Family.
"Betrayal is never due to a lack of loyalty, but because the price is too high! For the Ashford Family, Umbrella no longer holds much value. Why not use its inevitable demise to secure more benefits for oneself?" Alfred openly admitted his thoughts, displaying the true aristocratic demeanor of someone who would stop at nothing for profit.
"Sorry, as of now, I haven't seen any signs of Umbrella's impending demise." Not wanting to discuss such issues with Alfred, Mr. Zhou coldly interrupted him.
"My friend, patience is a virtue." Towards his benefactor, Alfred showed extreme tolerance, saying patiently, "Where were we? Oh, right. Umbrella's core, the Progenitor Virus."
"Its power is immense, but with current technology, it's very difficult to fully develop it. Umbrella has been trying hard, and in some areas, they've already had results. Want to guess what area it is?"
"It certainly won't be in the medical field." As a weapons dealer, Mr. Zhou naturally knew what truly brought huge profits to a company. "They developed biological weapons using this virus?"
"Exactly, my friend. You are very astute!" Alfred revealed a mischievous smile. "Under the temptation of profit, they long ago abandoned the most correct Dao for the Progenitor Virus, choosing a dangerous path. The current powers that be at Umbrella have reached an agreement with important figures in the U.S. military. They want to use this virus to perfect the U.S. military's super soldier program. But they didn't expect to develop something dangerous instead."
"This biological weapon has extremely terrifying infectivity and pathogenicity. The information I currently possess proves that if it's not effectively contained, even a mild outbreak could turn a city into a dead city!"
Somewhat shocked by Alfred's news, Mr. Zhou first tried to organize his thoughts, then asked.
"Such a dangerous thing, I don't believe Umbrella doesn't have sufficiently strict protection for it. As long as they protect it well, the problem you mentioned simply doesn't exist."
"Theoretically, that's how it is! But there are always exceptions, aren't there?" Alfred smiled. "I know that I'm not the only one eyeing this thing. Those people aren't just selling information; many of them harbor the idea of destroying Umbrella. For this, they've sent elite spies. You know, even the strongest castle can't withstand internal collapse. Think about it, once the secret is leaked and a crisis erupts, what will happen to Umbrella, which has to bear such responsibility?"
"If what you say is true, then I confirm this transaction can barely be called fair. Now I only have one last question?" Standing up, Mr. Zhou asked, leaning on the table.
"Please speak, my friend. I am very happy to complete the final link of this transaction!"
"Where is the place that researches biological weapons? Don't tell me you don't know. I know you still control a portion of Umbrella's security forces. In such an important place, Umbrella must have strong security. This kind of thing couldn't possibly bypass you!"
"You're right. I know where it is. But does that matter to you, my friend? In fact, you just need to wait and see, and then wait to acquire Umbrella. You don't need to know the answer to this question at all."
"I need this answer!" Mr. Zhou was very resolute.
In response, Alfred chose to compromise. Such a completely unimportant question was not worth affecting his relationship with Mr. Zhou.
"Raccoon City! My friend, deep underground in that city built by Umbrella!"
"Very well! Then, goodbye, Mr. Alfred. If possible, I truly hope not to conduct such a transaction with you again."
"I hope so too. The Ashford Family cannot always rely on others to survive." Watching Mr. Zhou's swift departure, Alfred murmured to himself. "I promised Alexia that I would revitalize the Ashford Family."