The giant scorpion, though its shell was as hard as iron and impervious to regular bullets, had glaring weaknesses – its eyes and soft underbelly. I aimed my gun at the scorpion's head and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The creature, however, was not an easy target. Though my first bullet hit accurately, the second was deflected by its massive pincers.
"Fire!" At the same time, Captain Enrico and the others opened fire. Their experienced handling of the situation required no guidance from me; everyone targeted the scorpion's eyes and belly. The scorpion writhed in pain, overwhelmed by our firepower, unable to even take one of us down with it.
The scorpion charged a few steps toward me, evidently enraged by the initial shot. But I remained calm and kept firing, efficiently exploding its head before it could reach me.
Only 50 game points for defeating it? Not too high nor too low, this creature was merely a bit player in the grand scheme of things, yet it contributed a little to my experience. An acceptable end, I suppose.
"Senior Zhang Fan, are you alright? Let me check on you." Once the scorpion was dealt with, Rebecca immediately rushed to my side. She had clearly noticed my grimace of pain earlier. Without hesitation, she moved to open my shirt, concerned about any lingering injuries from my crash into the carriage.
"Stop! I'm fine, Rebecca." My face flushed with embarrassment. It was my first time being 'attacked' by a girl in such a manner. Of course, I knew she was just concerned about me, but with a group of nosy men watching, it would have been different if we were alone...
Ah, what am I thinking about! Am I being fair to Xiao Tong, Xiao Lei, Xiao Ai, and Lei Zi? Wait, why do Xiao Ai and Lei Zi even matter in this situation?
As I was lost in my thoughts and Rebecca was determined to check on me, Foster, the playboy of the group, suddenly whistled. Hearing that, Rebecca froze, suddenly realizing the awkwardness of her actions. She had forgotten we were in the middle of a mission.
Her cheeks flushed like ripe apples, and she became utterly flustered. Would I think of her as forward? But her intentions were purely to help me...
Caught in her own whirlwind of thoughts, I could only give a helpless cough and pat Rebecca on the shoulder, signaling her to calm down.
"Alright, Rebecca, I'm really fine. Let's keep moving." I then turned my attention to Captain Enrico.
"Yes, let's continue," Captain Enrico agreed, understanding my gesture. The moment of awkwardness was alleviated, though Rebecca still seemed a bit distracted. At eighteen, her feelings for me were budding, and it was only a matter of time before they blossomed.
After a brief interlude, Team B finally reached the train's control room, only to find it empty. The train was on autopilot, speeding up dangerously.
"Damn it, this is an Umbrella Corporation-exclusive track, and it's unfinished. If we don't stop soon, we'll crash into the mountain!" Kenny cursed upon realizing our dire situation. This was more than just frustrating; it was life-threatening.
The only option was to manually activate the emergency brakes, a three-step process involving activation devices in the control room and the last carriage, needing a magnetic card and passwords.
Kenny volunteered to go to the tail of the train to deactivate the lock control system. Captain Enrico agreed, sending Foster and Charley with him for safety.
Meanwhile, Rebecca and I had a brief respite. Observing Billy, the alleged murderer, I wondered about his true nature.
"Senior Zhang Fan? What's on your mind?" Rebecca asked, noticing my distraction.
"Just thinking. Billy doesn't seem like a cold-blooded killer to me. Maybe I'm wrong," I replied, shaking my head.
"Don't be fooled by appearances! You're young and haven't seen much. The world is full of people who are wolves in sheep's clothing," Edward interjected, his weathered face hinting at past experiences.
"But..." Rebecca started to argue but was stopped by me. Right now, whether Billy was guilty or not didn't matter. What lay ahead was more pressing.
"Let's rest and conserve energy. We have a long night ahead," I suggested, aware of the importance of staying focused.
Rebecca agreed and sat close to me, her growing feelings for me evident in her actions.