Suddenly, Umbrella became the hottest topic in the World.
Politicians, businessmen, Civilians, and even religious figures began to denounce this once colossal entity. Even though it once spanned the entire World, and millions relied on it for their livelihood, it could not escape its destined destruction.
The supreme courts of every country swiftly issued arrest warrants and search warrants for Umbrella Corporation within their borders. Even the U.N. Security Council informed the International Criminal Court, authorizing the arrest of all Advanced personnel associated with Umbrella on charges of crimes against humanity.
The military and Police quickly shut down all enterprises under Umbrella. All employees below management were forcibly dismissed and sent home. Those at or above management level were all arrested on the spot and detained, awaiting lengthy interrogations and investigations.
Of course, some heinous individuals chose to resist, but these private armed forces were no match for the state's violent machinery. To appease the public, countries worldwide, under the coordination of the U.N. Security Council, unified their stance: those who resisted would be treated as Terrorists. This meant no compromise, even if they held hostages, and immediate execution became the most common outcome.
And this was only the political sanction. Economically, all of Umbrella's liquid assets were frozen. The Government's actions stimulated the keen senses of Capitalists; everyone holding Umbrella shares began desperately selling their stock. At this point, no one dared to associate themselves with Umbrella in the slightest.
The stock market plummeted, causing massive fluctuations in the entire World's financial system. The fall of a giant was bound to cause an uproar, which was not surprising. It was even within some people's expectations. Zhou Yi was waiting for this opportunity; when these overwhelming waves began to subside, it would be his moment to swallow the sea. And now, only a tiny bit was left.
Soon, that last bit was also completed. This was the first time Zhou Yi began to praise the Government's efficiency.
The once high-and-mighty Board of Directors, who dominated everything at Umbrella, were successively arrested by special forces and Agent organizations from various countries. Due to charges of crimes against humanity, they were stripped of all human rights. Money was naturally one of them.
This caused their shares to disappear from the stock market at the fastest possible speed. To calm the economic fluctuations caused by Umbrella, various countries had to sell these shares at bargain prices to compensate the unemployed. And this was the opportunity Zhou Yi was waiting for.
He began to acquire these shares, and at outrageously low prices.
Soon, his holdings reached a certain level—a level sufficient to give him complete control over all enterprises under Umbrella.
By this time, it was two months after the Raccoon City incident, and everything had settled.
Zhou Yi's actions surprised many. When some countries prepared to conduct judicial auctions of the seized Umbrella enterprises, they discovered that these assets, which should have completely lost their value with the collapse of Umbrella's stock, already had a new Master.
A group named Corona Group acquired them, and the Master of this group was the wealthiest young tycoon in the World—Zhou Yi. He was now qualified to bear this title because some busybodies had tallied his various resources and found that this tycoon had narrowly surpassed Tony Stark, topping the list.
All of this seemed calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging. Zhou Yi's acquisition attracted the attention of the CIA, but S.H.I.E.L.D. blocked it. Some envious individuals even guided public opinion, labeling Zhou Yi's actions as profiting from disaster.
However, the survivors of Raccoon City provided the best defense for Zhou Yi. Thousands of survivors identified Zhou Yi as the leader who helped them survive, which saved him from widespread condemnation and transformed him into a positive character with a radiant image.
Public praise for him was ceaseless, leading to a surge in Corona Group's stock. Although it couldn't reach Umbrella's former peak, it was definitely far superior to its contemporaries.
People began to recognize this ordinary hero for the first time. Through the accounts of the survivors, his courage and fearlessness, strength, and leadership abilities began to resonate deeply. This instantly brought him immense fame and admirers.
And these things manifested in reality: Time Magazine invited him to be this year's cover person. The Britain Foreign Office suggested to the Prime Minister that the Queen of Britain bestow the honor of knighthood upon this wealthy man who had made significant contributions. And the President of the United States also invited him to visit the White House, clearly expressing his desire to have dinner with him.
Evidently, this fellow, who was about to be swept into the dustbin, wanted to borrow Zhou Yi's soaring reputation to regain a bit of popularity for himself.
Zhou Yi politely declined the idiot's invitation. Compared to this President, he preferred his clever dog. Moreover, he didn't have time to bother with this fellow right now.
He was very busy because he was rebuilding Raccoon City. However, Raccoon City had now been renamed Huiyao City, and Huiyao City had become the base of the newly established Corona Group.
This city, once desolate due to the rampant virus, was still quiet but had already welcomed its rebirth. Zhou Yi transferred most of his scientific research institutions to this city and recruited elites from all over the World to join this emerging company. Coupled with the Civilians who were unwilling to leave the city, the new Huiyao City was actually not much inferior to the former Raccoon City.
Corona also inherited most of Umbrella's departments, involved in armaments, medical care, and biological research and development. Although the biological development department had to be monitored by Government personnel due to the t-virus, this was insignificant to Zhou Yi.
Unlike Umbrella, he didn't need to rely on crude methods like viruses to gain profit. His scientific research institutions were sufficient to support this massive framework, making it a true corporate giant.
Today was the day the Corona Group Headquarters Building officially began operations. For Zhou Yi, this was very important because it signified the establishment of his business Empire and the completion of the largest cornerstone in his grand plan.
And for most of the Civilians in this city, it was equally important. Because Corona replaced Umbrella as their paymaster.
They didn't have to worry that Corona would be as insane as Umbrella, because its Master was a person of noble character.
Zhou Yi indeed acted nobly in this matter. He gratuitously repaired the dilapidated Raccoon City and provided new job opportunities for those who lost their jobs because of Umbrella. This was also why various countries in the World tacitly approved his acquisition of Umbrella; his appearance resolved a large part of the crisis, both economic and employment-related.
Although, to be clear, he merely shut down Umbrella for two months and changed its name, incidentally giving these former low-level Umbrella employees two months of unpaid leave, this did not prevent the workers from being grateful to him. People considered his actions noble, and noble people always win trust, which is not surprising. The World is just that interesting.
At the Corona Tower ribbon-cutting ceremony, Zhou Yi and his assistant attended in formal attire. Also invited were the new Mayor of Huiyao City, Mr. Aubryen Schuster, a Government official sent to monitor Corona.
The Government was worried that Corona would become a second Umbrella, so they had to place a trusted individual in this position no matter what.
As for the former Mayor, he was already in prison with Umbrella's former leaders, awaiting over two thousand years of imprisonment.
Additionally, there was the new Chief of Police of Huiyao City—Ms. Jill Valentine. This was not Zhou Yi's arrangement; Zhou Yi had no intention of interfering with these Government positions. However, Jill's appointment did not surprise him.
Because of her performance in Raccoon City, coupled with her numerous denunciations of Umbrella's conspiracy, she became a hero figure no less than Zhou Yi. With strong public support, this woman, only twenty-three years old, easily leaped from a SWAT Officer to the Chief of Police of Huiyao City. From a Politician's perspective, this was definitely a meteoric rise. And for Zhou Yi, this was perfectly normal.
The ribbon-cutting proceeded smoothly; no tactless person would interrupt such a ceremony. In fact, if anyone dared to do so, the people below, who relied on Corona Group for their livelihood, would tear him apart. Destroying someone's rice bowl is like killing their parents, a truth that applies universally, ancient and modern, East and West.
After the ceremony, Zhou Yi stood before a podium. This was a speech to the World, a speech witnessing the birth of a corporate giant. Standing there, Zhou Yi was composed. He looked at the Civilians below and the many media who had come from afar, saying with confidence and composure:
"Welcome, Gentlemen and ladies. Welcome to witness the birth of Corona. I know you all have many thoughts about this newborn, as its birth is deeply connected to the deepest evil the World has ever known. Here, I can clearly announce to the entire World: Corona and Umbrella are completely different companies. Our existence is to benefit this World, not to bring disaster and chaos to it."
"Therefore, I announce that starting today, Corona's weapon development department, inherited from Umbrella, is completely disbanded. All members will be merged into the newly established energy development department. At the same time, the infamous biological research department will also be fully merged into the medical research department, with members as above. This is my stance. I don't like war, nor do I like those twisted and evil things. So I hope my company is clean, an entity that can withstand scrutiny under the sun."
"Its existence should be for the peace of this World, the progress of humanity, and the prosperity of the Earth. It does not need war, nor will it profit from war. It will be clean, allowing everyone who benefits from it to stand tall. It won't be like those who are still in prison now—I apologize. They need to serve two thousand years, and they will be reviled for two thousand years. That's truly unfortunate news."
A burst of laughter erupted below. Justice for evil is something everyone is happy to see.