Under the warm lighting, Matthew lay on the soft, large bed in his bathrobe. His gaze constantly shifted across the [System Panel].
The [System] interface was simple and clear, offering only three core functions: [System Pass], [Experiment], and [Warehouse].
The [System Pass] allowed users to earn [System Points] by completing tasks or through daily accumulation. Once enough [System Points] were gathered, level rewards for the [System Pass] could be unlocked.
The [T-Virus Serum] he received earlier was one of these Pass rewards. This function operated on a quarterly update mechanism, with theme updates and progress resets every six months.
It was worth noting that the more [System Points] a user accumulated in the current season, the richer the Pass content unlocked in the next season would be.
"But... is this right? What the hell is a [T-Virus] theme?" Matthew's mouth twitched. He looked at the 'Zombie Dog', 'Zombie Crow', 'Licker', 'Hunter', and various models of 'Tyrant' listed in the Pass.
'If the [System] hadn't constantly emphasized "Benefit the People", I would have thought I'd gotten a villain's script.'
In addition to the [System Pass], the [System] also offered [Warehouse] and [Experiment] functions. The [Warehouse] function was relatively simple, used only for storing [System] rewards.
The [Experiment] function, on the other hand, allowed users to modify, optimize, or fuse an item by spending [System Points].
After understanding the specific uses of the [Experiment] function, Matthew, still lying on the bed, immediately sat up.
"So, if I have enough points, it's not impossible to completely remove the side effects of the [T-Virus Serum] and only keep its original benefits..."
Thinking this, Matthew's mind stirred. He placed the [T-Virus Serum] onto the [Experiment Panel]. The moment the [T-Virus Serum] was placed, the dim panel immediately lit up.
[Please select your next 'Experiment' route.]
[Optimize: Spend System Points to optimize the 'inherent functions' of this item, which can improve performance or remove side effects.]
[Modify: Spend System Points to 'customize' the item's functions according to your needs. (Some special modifications require the user to provide additional items).]
[Fuse: Spend System Points to conduct a fusion experiment between this item and other items. Low compatibility between the two may lead to fusion failure. (Spending additional System Points can increase the success rate).]
After reading the specific functions of the experiment, Matthew tentatively clicked on the [Optimize] option.
As everyone knew, zombies were actually a byproduct of the [T-Virus]. The ultimate goal of the [T-Virus] was to catalyze human evolution and create cheap, durable Bio-Organic Weapons.
Unfortunately, the [T-Virus]'s flaws were too obvious. The problem of intellectual decline was a hurdle that could not be overcome, which led to the appearance of zombies. And now...
[Disadvantages that can be optimized: Zombification, drowsiness, high lethality, low intelligence, high infectivity.]
[Performances that can be improved: Stamina, cell activity, Strength, Neural Reflexes.]
Seeing that the [System] could indeed remove the drawbacks of the [T-Virus], a hint of surprise involuntarily appeared on Matthew's face.
In the Marvel Universe, a world where the rich relied on technology and the poor on mutation, he knew all too well the fate of ordinary people.
If he did not want to become a cold statistic in some incident, he had to find every way to become stronger. And the way to get stronger...
"I'm only here at Umbrella Corporation for three things! Benefit the People! Benefit the People! And goddamn it, Benefit the People!"
Within the Umbrella Corporation, crises and opportunities coexisted. If he could utilize this platform well, it would be a major boost for his rise in the Marvel Universe later on.
Thinking this, a glint of excitement flashed in Matthew's eyes. After the excitement, however, came a wave of fatigue that seemed to emanate from his soul.
The information overload from transmigrating and the exhaustion after the excitement faded made Matthew's eyelids feel as heavy as lead. Even though he wanted to tinker with the [System] more, he was too tired.
Before long, he fell into a deep sleep...
When he woke up again, a series of urgent knocks reached his ears. *Knock, knock, knock... Knock, knock, knock...*
"Is Mr. Lawrence there?"
"Mr. Lawrence?"
"Mr. Lawrence?"
The knocking, delivered with a pure London accent, penetrated the door and woke Matthew from his groggy state.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and letting out a long yawn, he opened the door. Outside the door stood a woman with a striking presence.
Her tall figure outlined graceful curves. Her dark hair was neatly coiled into a bun. Her sapphire-blue eyes were as clear and cold as an icy lake.
A meticulously tailored black business suit hugged her figure. The gold-rimmed glasses on her nose bridge glinted faintly, perfectly blending intellect and elegance.
But what was most captivating was the tear mole beneath her right eye, which imbued her entire face with soul.
Seeing someone open the door, the woman's cold face instantly broke into a smile. She extended her hand.
"Hello, Mr. Lawrence. I am Eleanor Ross, your father's most trusted assistant during his lifetime."
Matthew, still half-asleep and dreaming, looked at the hand extended towards him and instinctively shook it. "Uh... hello, Ross."
"But... is there something you need, coming to see me so early?" Matthew said, peering out the door.
Only after confirming Ross was alone did he invite her into the room. Matthew had no doubts about Eleanor's identity.
'If she harbored ill intentions, she would not have knocked and called out so conspicuously. Instead, she would have picked the lock and, while I was sound asleep, put two bullets in my body and one in my head.'
After Eleanor sat down, Matthew calmly walked to the bathroom to wash his face. Then, he brewed coffee for both Eleanor and himself.
Taking the coffee Matthew offered, Eleanor politely took a sip. Then she began, "Mr. Lawrence, to my knowledge, you signed the share inheritance agreement left by your father last night."
"According to the agreement's effective date, as of six o'clock this morning, you have become one of the directors of the Umbrella Corporation."
"In other words, since you have taken over that inheritance, starting today, you will also have to take over your father's work... Of course!"
"To keep me from losing my job, and to keep your employees from losing theirs, I will do my utmost to help you adapt to this position."
As she spoke, Eleanor took a laptop from her satchel and handed it to Matthew.
"From what I have investigated, after you were born, your father never acknowledged you to prevent the company's internal struggles from affecting you, which led to your impoverished life all these years..."
"However, all of that will change dramatically today."
"These are the projects your father was responsible for and the departments he managed within the company. You can take a look."
Matthew, still in his bathrobe, crossed his legs. He twitched his fingers twice and reluctantly took the laptop, his gaze sweeping over the lines of text on the screen.
"Theodore Lawrence... originally a NATO arms dealer, later co-founded the Umbrella Corporation with Oswell E. Spencer, James Marcus, Edward Ashford, and others. He was one of Umbrella's original shareholders, responsible for managing the company's Security Department..."
"Security Department?" Matthew's eyebrows rose. He immediately guessed that the old fogeys in the company had not tried to kill him yet, likely for this very reason.
'Or perhaps my cheap old man had left some contingencies within the company.' Otherwise, given Umbrella's nature, they would likely have sent someone to eliminate him and then divided the remaining shares before the agreement even took effect.
His gaze shifted to the time displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen. [2007/11/30].
"Two thousand seven... So, there is only a little over a month until the start of the 'Iron Man 1' storyline?" Matthew murmured to himself.
Then, he thought of something else and quickly typed 'Raccoon City' into the browser's search bar. However, after a series of browser redirects, Matthew did not find the answer he was looking for...
'It seemed the Raccoon City crisis had not erupted in this world. Or perhaps...'
"The truth has been covered up." Thinking this, Matthew temporarily closed the laptop and stood up.
"Ross, since you said you would help me adapt to this job, let us not delay. Take me to my workplace now."