26: Chapter 26 Those who opposed it have become dinner for zombie dogs.
With that crisp snap of fingers, the decorative wall on the side of the conference room slowly slid open.
From the darkness, there came no beastly roar, only the "swishing" sound of sharp claws scratching against the floor. The sound was light and dense, like countless fingernails dragging across a chalkboard, making one's scalp tingle and teeth ache.
Johnny's hand, gripping his gun, froze in mid-air.
Before he could even pull the trigger, three dark red afterimages had already pounced before him.
These were no dogs.
At least, God certainly wasn't this sloppy when He created dogs.
Skinless muscles were directly exposed to the air, the dark red texture writhing violently with every breath. Huge jaws split open to the ear roots, revealing fangs staggered like sawteeth. There were no eyes, only sensitive olfactory and auditory organs that twitched constantly.
T-Virus infected entities—Zombie Dogs (MA-39).
"Bang!"
Johnny finally pulled the trigger.
But the bullet only pierced the shoulder of one Zombie Dog, splashing a flower of dark green blood. The monster didn't even grunt, its immense impact force knocking Johnny and his chair to the ground.
"Ah——!!!"
The scream lasted only half a second before being cut off by the "crack" of a crushed windpipe.
The other two bosses who had just stood up to object hadn't even managed to take a step before they were bitten firmly on the thighs and shoulders by the other two Zombie Dogs.
Dragging.
It was as if they were dragging two broken ragdolls.
The Zombie Dogs did not feed on the spot; instead, they bit the necks or limbs of their prey and dragged them forcibly into that pitch-black hidden door.
Nails clawed pale marks into the hardwood floor, accompanied by desperate whimpers and the sound of bodies scraping against the ground.
"Help... help me..."
"Mr. Chen! I was wrong! I'll sign! I'll sign!"
The voices grew fainter and eventually vanished into the depths of the hidden door.
Immediately following was a spine-chilling sound of chewing.
"Crunch... crunch..."
That was the sound of bones being crushed. It was crisp, like someone cracking melon seeds next door, but at this very moment, the sound was ten thousand times more terrifying than any gunfire.
The conference room was deathly silent.
The remaining seventeen gang bosses all maintained their previous postures, not daring to move an inch.
The burly, bald man with a face full of flesh had dropped the cigar from his mouth onto his crotch, burning a hole, but he seemed to have completely lost the sensation of pain, simply staring blankly at the hidden door that had closed once more.
Sweat dripped down their foreheads, noses, and chins, pooling into puddles on the expensive mahogany tabletop.
It was too fast.
From Johnny drawing his gun to disappearing, it took less than five seconds in total.
Was this Chen Yuan's confidence?
Chen Yuan stood at the head of the table, pulled a pristine white handkerchief from his pocket, and leisurely wiped the finger he had just snapped.
It was as if he hadn't just ordered a killing, but rather swatted an annoying fly.
"Alright."
He tossed the handkerchief onto the table; the white mass looked exceptionally glaring in the deathly silence.
Chen Yuan pointed to the three empty seats, chairs overturned on the ground, with a few drops of dark red blood still remaining on the floor.
"Now, those who opposed have left the table."
He braced his hands on the tabletop, leaning forward slightly, still wearing that gentle, refined smile as his gaze swept softly over everyone present:
"The rest of you, surely you all agree, right?"
"Agree! Absolutely agree!"
The burly bald man was the first to jump up; because his movement was too violent, he even knocked over his chair behind him. He scrambled to grab the agreement, not even glancing at it, and pulled out a pen to sign it frantically.
"Mr. Chen... no, Master Chen! This is my honor! Being able to join the Umbrella alliance is like our ancestors' graves smoking with good fortune!"
"I'll sign too! I'll get angry at anyone who tries to stop me from signing!"
"This isn't an unequal treaty, this is practically a guide to getting rich!"
With someone leading the way, the remaining scene instantly became comical and frenzied.
This group of thugs, who usually wouldn't blink while hacking people on the streets, were now like a group of primary school students scrambling to hand in their homework. Some, fearing their pens weren't flowing well, even bit their fingers to press a bloody thumbprint, terrified that if they were a second late, that hidden door would open again.
No one dared to mention the 30% cut.
And no one dared to mention anything about channel control rights.
Upon hearing the chewing sound coming from next door, they had only one thought: being alive is better than anything.
Victor stood to the side, looking at the stacks of agreements being rapidly collected, his hands trembling with excitement.
This is the taste of power.
No need for negotiation, no need for tug-of-war. As long as your fist is big enough, your words are the truth.
Ten minutes later.
The conference room returned to calm once more.
That group of gang bosses scrambled away like they were fleeing a plague; once they finished signing, they vied to get out, not daring to say a single polite pleasantry.
Chen Yuan sat in his chair, casually flipping through the documents signed with crooked, messy names.
"Victor."
"Here, Boss!" Victor stood straight, his eyes full of fanatical worship.
"Send word down to have the floor cleaned."
Chen Yuan glanced at the bloodstains on the floor with distaste, "Also, tell the kitchen to feed the Zombie Dogs cooked food from now on. Eating raw meat is unhygienic and prone to parasites."
"Yes!"
Victor acknowledged the order and left.
Chen Yuan stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside the window, the sunlight of San Verde was still scorching, shining down on those dilapidated buildings and filthy streets. But from today on, there was only one name in the underground world of this chaotic city—Chen Yuan.
Just then, a crisp notification sound rang out deep within his mind.
It was the long-lost mechanical voice of the system, which sounded like music to his ears at this moment.
【Congratulations, Host! Achievement unlocked: Covering the Sky with One Hand (Beginner).】
【You have successfully monopolized the underground forces of San Verde and established preliminary order.】
【Rewards calculating...】
【Congratulations, Host, you have obtained special tech tree unlock permissions.】
Before Chen Yuan's eyes, the translucent blue light screen instantly unfolded. Among the originally grayed-out tech tree icons, one branch suddenly lit up with a dazzling golden glow.
It was no longer simple muscle enhancement, nor was it crude biological weaponry.
It was a more microscopic, more lethal, and more divine realm.
【Nano tech tree: Activated.】
【First project unlocked: Nano Medical Worm (Universal repair type/Host control type).】
Chen Yuan looked at the small text, his breath hitching suddenly.
Nano Medical Worm.
It could enter human blood vessels, act like a scavenger to consume cancer cells, repair damaged organs, and even... cut off the Host's cerebral blood vessels when necessary.
If the Tyrant was external armor, then this thing was the scepter that held life and death in its grip.
With it, even those powerful tycoons standing at the pinnacle of the world would have to obediently kneel before him and beg for their lives.
"Interesting."
Chen Yuan reached out his hand, grasping at the void, as if he had grasped the lifeblood of the entire world.
"The real game is only just beginning."