Chapter 8: Prepare to Set Out

Zhan Lan and the others were sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily. It was not from physical exhaustion, but rather a psychological reaction. Having entered "Resident Evil 1," seen zombies with their own eyes, and narrowly escaped a horde of them, the stench of rotting flesh and the sight of gore pressing against their senses were nauseating, pushing their mental strain to the breaking point.

"It’s not just this kid," Zhang Jie said, crushing his cigarette butt and chuckling. "You lot, this batch of newcomers, are all quite impressive."

Zheng Zha took a breath and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Jie was a heavy smoker; a cigarette never left his lips or fingers. He pulled out another one now, inhaling and exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. If not for the original plot, Qian Gu would have suspected this guy had swapped his pockets for an infinite cigarette case—how else could such a small pack hold so many? It made no sense.

"A newcomer's first horror movie is crucial. Adjusting one's mindset is the foundation; without a decent mental state, it’s impossible to survive the cycle of horror." Zhang Jie raised an eyebrow, scanning Zheng Zha and the others. "Though you are all under some psychological pressure, the fact that you haven't been crushed by it is already quite good. Of course, that also depends on the specific horror movie."

At the end of his sentence, Zhang Jie’s expression turned somber. Watching him, Qian Gu sighed inwardly; he knew exactly why Zhang Jie’s face had changed.

Zhang Jie was right. The first horror movie cycle is vital. A reincarnator's first priority is to stabilize their mindset and straighten out their psyche so they can survive the endless horror and life-or-death struggles without collapsing.

But! Adjusting one’s mindset doesn't need to be extreme. Using "Resident Evil 1" to adjust is a completely different concept from using "A Nightmare on Elm Street 1."

"Resident Evil 1" is a horror movie that can be solved with bullets. The difficulty isn't high, and it doesn't currently contain the "God" entity's artificial difficulty spikes—like attack helicopters that threaten fourth-tier powerhouses, or zombie viruses that force infection on anyone below the fourth tier. Zombie-type films are easy to use for mental adjustment; they are a classic "newcomer" scenario.

But "A Nightmare on Elm Street 1"? Heaven have mercy. In the "Infinite" multiverse, Freddy is an anomaly. If one hasn't overcome their inner demons and unlocked the fourth stage of the genetic lock, there is simply no way to contend with him in the dream realm. Zhang Jie was a ruthless man who unlocked his potential and vied for the position of team leader, only to fall at Freddy’s hands, leading to his current plight. He knew better than anyone the importance of that first film.

Suddenly, a frantic knocking sounded at the door, accompanied by the voice of the protagonist, Alice. "Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

The mercenaries in the corridor rushed over. Before they could speak, Zhang Jie took two drags of his cigarette and pulled the door open himself. Alice and the other plot characters scrambled in, while behind them, countless zombie hands clawed at them.

Zhang Jie gave a grim smile, whipped out his Desert Eagle, and fired a few shots. The zombies' arms were severed instantly. With a loud bang, he slammed the door shut again.

Matthew Addison quickly asked, "What’s it like out there? Is the path we came from still clear?"

Alice shook her head. "Those things are everywhere. They’re waiting for us on that path; there’s no way through."

Then came the classic dialogue. The mercenaries fell into despair, the corrupt executives at the top decided to sacrifice them all, and there would be no reinforcements coming to rescue them. Then, Alice steeled herself, the heroine’s aura flared, and she grabbed the motherboard, intent on restarting the Red Queen to find a way out.

Then...

"I think it would be better to eliminate a dangerous factor first."

*Click!*

The sound of a pistol being cocked rang out behind Spence’s head, followed by a young, teasing voice: "Don't you think so? Our dear culprit, Mr. Spence."

"Qian Gu!"

"Qian!"

Exclamations rang out, interrupting Alice’s moment. All eyes were fixed on the two men: the trembling Spence and the calm, relaxed Qian Gu. At some point, Qian Gu had stealthily moved behind Spence, pulling off a close-quarters hostage situation.

Matthew Addison took a deep breath. "Qian Gu, what exactly are you doing?"

Rain, who had been helped by Qian Gu, trusted him slightly. "Qian, what’s happening? Did you remember something?"

Qian Gu held the gun with his dominant hand, its weight pulling down, but the muzzle remained fixed on the back of Spence’s head. A slight twitch of his finger would be enough to show the man his own brains. He used his other hand to tap his head lightly. "That’s right. I did remember something."

It wasn't just him acting cool; it was a signal. After the initial confusion, Zheng Zha and the others realized what was happening. They fell silent, refusing to do anything that would hinder Qian Gu’s performance.

"Captain, you know I’m a security guard for Umbrella," Qian Gu said slowly. "I had amnesia before, so some things were blurry, but now that I’ve recovered a bit, I can infer a few things."

He paused. "Mr. Spence, do you remember that briefcase you hid in the train car?"

"Brief... briefcase?"

Spence looked dazed, but after only two or three seconds, his body suddenly arched, his hands clutching his head in agony, as if his brain were about to explode. A briefcase? A briefcase! Yes, I did hide a case, but...

"You..."

"Yes, I saw it."

Qian Gu brutally interrupted Spence. This was a solo performance; he didn't need a second actor, as that would only increase the variables. Standing behind Spence, he spoke in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You might not know this, but while I didn't see the initial moment, I saw the scene afterwards." Qian Gu raised his voice. "Someone smashed the test tube containing the T-virus, causing it to spread and turning this Hive into a den of zombies!"

Someone smashed a virus tube? On purpose?

Thunderbolt!

Qian Gu's words struck the minds of the characters like a bolt of lightning.

"Qian Gu, are you sure?" Matthew Addison’s expression turned grave. Though it was a question, he was already mostly convinced. One could only say that the fertile soil of American conspiracy theories made these people very ready to accept an answer that sounded like one.

"Qian Gu, why would you suspect me?" Spence clutched his head, shouting excitedly. "I’m a victim too!"

"It seems your memory hasn't fully returned yet." Qian Gu sighed. "Spence, have you forgotten? We were both security guards; we had interactions. Even if they weren't frequent, you were too careless, and that’s how I discovered the anomaly. Back when I had amnesia, you appeared in a place you shouldn't have been, and after that, I fell into a coma. When I woke up, I had lost my memory."

"You’re full of it!" Spence cursed.

"Whether it’s true or false, you’ll find out soon enough." Qian Gu chuckled. "Alice, go restart the Red Queen. I think she will give us an answer."