Watching Jill's flustered figure as she hurried away, a slow smile curved across Lear's face.
Then he turned to look at the U.B.C.S. members busy recuperating in the distance. In truth, he had another objective he hadn't shared with Jill: his fundamental goal was to recruit this group of U.B.C.S. soldiers, led by Victor, to be his core strength.
Lear knew very well that once they left Raccoon City, the U.S. government would inevitably offer compensation to silence the "witnesses" and "survivor heroes" of the incident. Since Victor's team had both the merit of protecting civilians and the status of whistleblowers against Umbrella, the Pentagon certainly wouldn't give them a hard time.
However, they would "not give them a hard time," and nothing more.
In the future, whether it was the founding of the BSAA or the later rise of Blue Umbrella, those organizations would ultimately become gladiatorial arenas for power struggles.
The brand of Umbrella was burned too deeply into the surviving U.B.C.S. soldiers; they were destined never to gain the full trust of any faction.
Furthermore, those massive organizations never lacked bottom-tier combat personnel. For the U.B.C.S. men, the best outcome these veterans could hope for was simply switching camps to become high-grade cannon fodder for a different set of masters.
Others might look down on them, but Lear coveted them.
The U.B.C.S. might seem slightly underpowered when facing bio-organic weapons like the Tyrant or the Nemesis, but they were, after all, elite veterans who had truly experienced the Raccoon City biological catastrophe and survived. To the current Lear, such a force was incredibly attractive.
Long ago, shortly after he had first crossed over before the outbreak began, Lear had made up his mind: he never wanted to be cannon fodder again.
The best way to ensure that was to gather a group of people who also refused to be cannon fodder and huddle together for warmth.
Just as he was lost in thought, a cool, feminine voice suddenly drifted from behind him.
"Consistent planning, but it seems you've overlooked one crucial problem—do you have the money?"
"Holy shit!"
Lear whipped around to see Katherine leaning against a subway pillar, arms crossed over her chest, watching him with a calm gaze.
"Uh... Miss Katherine, I'm not sure I follow. What do you mean?" Lear instinctively played dumb, letting out a simple, honest-looking laugh to try and gloss over it.
Katherine looked at him indifferently, her tone candid. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I saw you and Jill coming out earlier and intended to come over to discuss our next route, but I inadvertently overheard your conversation. If you mind, I can offer an apology."
Before Lear could speak, she continued, "Jill has a simple nature; she'll believe everything you say without reservation. But I seem to have heard a different scheme behind your words."
She walked slowly up to Lear, looking him directly in the eye, her tone flat but certain. "If it were merely to test that commander's humanity, seeing him persist in rescuing civilians even in a desperate situation would have been enough to reach a conclusion, wouldn't it?"
"You're very ambitious. First, you'll have them testify in court to clear Raccoon City of suspicion. Then, later, when they leave Umbrella and find themselves hitting walls everywhere—unwelcome and unaccepted—you'll step in as the hero of Raccoon City to offer a helping hand, giving them trust and a place to belong. By then, these straightforward soldiers will naturally be utterly devoted and loyal to you. Am I right?"
Hearing Katherine's words, Lear instantly dropped his feigned air of simple-mindedness. His eyes turned sharp as he stared at her.
"Miss Katherine, no one likes a woman who is too clever."
Katherine let out a soft laugh at his words, her tone indifferent. "I never cared about that. My purpose in saying this isn't to work against you; quite the opposite, I want to help you."
"Help me?" Lear narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze filled with scrutiny and wariness.
"That's right, help you." Katherine looked deep into the subway tunnel, as if her gaze could pierce through the reinforced concrete to see Raccoon City, which had already turned into a living hell. "I'm fed up with this feeling of powerlessness."
She pulled her gaze back, letting it rest on Lear again, her tone certain. "If you want to realize those plans of yours, no matter which path you take, you're going to need money—a lot of money."
Lear shook his head gently, speaking cautiously. "Miss Katherine, I find that hard to believe. It's impossible for you to have no ulterior motive."
Katherine arched an eyebrow with interest, meeting his gaze frankly. "You're right, I do have a motive. You can look at my money as an investment. Not an investment in that little organization of yours that doesn't even exist yet, but an investment in you. Whether it's the ability you've shown or your character, it's worth me placing my bets early and getting on board as soon as possible."
What do you mean 'getting on board'? You make me sound like a public bus.
A few dark lines metaphorically twitched on Lear's forehead.
Seeing that he remained silent, Katherine continued, her voice sincere. "You want to control your own destiny, and I want to control mine. So there's no need to treat me as an enemy; on the contrary, we could be the best of allies. You need funds, and I need you to stand behind me when it truly matters."
Lear lowered his head in silent thought while Katherine watched him.
Despite her best efforts to maintain a nonchalant posture, her fingertips dug deep into her own arm, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.
Just as Katherine was losing her nerve and about to speak again, Lear abruptly looked up.
"How much can you give?"
"Um... what?" Katherine was clearly caught off guard by this sudden turn. After a brief moment of daze, she reacted quickly, a trace of excitement in her voice.
"I have over ten million of my own. Plus, after my mother went missing, the money my grandfather allocated to her is currently held in a trust with me as the beneficiary. It's probably a few hundred million."
"Oh, a few hundred million is... Huh? How much?!" Lear's volume spiked in shock. The nearby U.B.C.S. members were drawn by the noise and turned their heads to look over.
Thinking he was dissatisfied, Katherine immediately added, "Is it not enough? I can go to my grandfather again. I'm sure he'd be willing to invest in you."
Lear's mouth hung open, stunned by the figures he had just heard. He knew Katherine was wealthy, but he hadn't imagined she was that wealthy.
"It's enough, it's enough. It's definitely enough for the early stages, at least," Lear said, nodding immediately.
In the next heartbeat, Lear's expression flipped completely, his face now covered in smiles. "You should have said you had that much money sooner! If you'd said so, I wouldn't have asked so many questions just now."
Katherine seemed rendered speechless by his reaction, rolling her eyes helplessly.
"You should really go back to how you were a moment ago. Right now you look like a crooked merchant; I'm not quite used to it."
"Regardless, we have to make it out of Raccoon City alive first, otherwise it's all just talk," Lear said seriously after the joke passed.
Katherine nodded slightly.
Just then, Jill walked over slowly.
"What are you two chatting about so animatedly?"
Katherine shook her head gently, a mischievous smirk suddenly tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Nothing much, just discussing his future career plans. But Jill, let me give you a word of advice: keep a close eye on those around you. Your little boyfriend here isn't being entirely honest with you~"
As the words fell and she saw Jill's cheeks flush red, Katherine turned and walked away with a laugh before Lear could even react.
(Translated by yourtl.app)