This time, there was no gunshot. Only the sharp whistle of a dagger cut through the air. The instant Matthew's magazine was removed, Hunk's other hand, gripping a dagger, lunged toward Matthew's neck. Hunk was clearly a fighter, possessing both strength and speed.
Had it been Matthew before injecting the T-Virus, he would have been powerless. He would have been subdued again after a struggle, even if he reacted. But now, things were different. Matthew was well aware of his lack of combat experience. He never intended to win with firearms or tactics, but with pure physical strength.
Facing the incoming dagger, Matthew leaned back slightly. His gloved hand snatched the blade that was inches away. In an instant, Hunk felt as if the dagger had struck a steel plate, unable to advance an inch.
'This feeling...' Beneath his gas mask, Hunk's pupils suddenly constricted. As a member of the U.S.S. Unit, daily training included practical exercises and dealing with various BOWs, or Bio-Organic Weapons. His numerous experiences with BOWs allowed him to recall this feeling instantly.
If he hadn't known the person in front of him was his boss, he would have genuinely thought it was a BOW released by the Umbrella Corporation for testing. Surprise was one thing, but it didn't mean Hunk would stop his attack. The moment the dagger was firmly locked, Hunk abandoned it.
He swiftly flashed behind Matthew, his hands gripping Matthew's chin and forehead respectively. [Secret Technique: Neck Snap]! Just as he was about to exert force to "adjust" Matthew's bones, a powerful hand clamped down on the gas mask on Hunk's face. The specialized mask let out a teeth-grinding creak under the terrifying grip. Even the lenses on the mask cracked, threatening to shatter.
However, this wasn't a fight to the death, so Matthew still held back a little. After grabbing Hunk's face, he simply yanked him from behind to the front. Then, he slammed him to the ground. With Matthew's current [Strength], crushing a person's skull with his bare hands would be as easy as a rock climber crushing an apple. If he tried hard enough, achieving an effect similar to punching through a chest wouldn't be impossible, provided the opponent wasn't wearing any protective gear.
Bang! Hunk was like a large ragdoll, roughly slammed to the ground by Matthew. The immense impact made Hunk dizzy, as if he had been hit by a car and sent flying. Even with his rich combat experience, he couldn't contend with this unreasonable [Strength]. The Matthew before him wasn't a Tyrant who would throw people after grabbing them, but a human who would beat you to death once he had you.
Several more impacts followed. Hunk was so dazed and disoriented that his vision went black. Hunk, who had never been "lulled to sleep" during previous training, was for the first time "lulled to sleep" by Matthew's fists...
When he opened his eyes again, 'An unfamiliar ceiling.' Hunk stared blankly at the ceiling, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Did I just... wake up?" Hunk lay rigidly on the bed. He seemed to have had a short dream. He dreamt that Matthew, whose combat skills were completely inferior to his just yesterday, had beaten him senseless overnight. He had been knocked out with a flurry of blows.
"Heh... that dream was truly absurd..." 'Even if he's a genius, there's no way he could reach a level where he could crush me so quickly. Besides, how could a normal human possess [Strength] comparable to a BOW?' Hunk shook his head and chuckled as he spoke. He was about to sit up, but the next second, a sensation of pain, everywhere but his face, shot straight to his brain.
"Hiss!" Hunk grimaced and gasped for air. A few seconds later, he fell into a long silence. "..." So, none of this was a dream. It seemed he really had been "lulled to sleep."
Just as he lay on the hospital bed pondering how things shouldn't have turned out this way, the tightly closed ward door slowly opened. "Hello, Mr. Hunk, you're finally awake." "I am your current attending physician, Victor Gideon, and I'll be responsible for treating your injuries during this period."
"Attending physician?" "Where am I now? And what is this place?" Hunk frowned and pressed for answers. Facing Hunk's questions, Victor made no attempt to conceal anything. "This is a private hospital established by the company in Queens, New York," he explained. "It's one of the places specifically for treating important company members."
"By the way, Mr. Hunk, there's a letter here from Mr. Matthew Lawrence. Would you like me to read it for you?" "..." Hunk really wanted to say no, but clearly, he couldn't in his current state. "Read it." "Alright."
The current Victor Gideon was not yet the strange uncle from Resident Evil nine who would abduct Grace on the street, flirt with Leon, and then race cars and blow up buildings on the highway. Compared to his future self, his every action now was very gentlemanly. He broke the wax seal on the envelope. Victor unfolded the letter, his gaze falling upon its contents.
"Mr. Lawrence's letter states that he is very sorry for his heavy-handedness," Victor read. "As compensation, he has already transferred seven hundred thousand US dollars to your account. The company will reimburse all medical expenses and daily costs during your recovery. Please rest and recover with peace of mind."
Hunk: "!!!" Hunk's eyes immediately widened upon hearing such treatment. Seven hundred thousand US dollars? That was enough for half a year of his hard work! So, this was the benefit of having the right boss, wasn't it? "Emmm... but, didn't the boss say anything about assigning me a pretty nurse?" Hunk, in a much better mood, uncharacteristically joked with Victor Gideon.
Victor Gideon: "..." "No, there isn't. For now, only I will be serving you." "No female nurses, then no female doctors?" "..." Without bothering to respond to Hunk's chitchat, Victor Gideon silently walked out of the ward.
......
Umbrella Corporation, New York Manhattan Branch, top-floor conference room. Matthew, dressed in formal attire, sat upright and solemn at the conference room's round table. A rare serious expression was on his face. This was Matthew's first meeting after joining the Umbrella Corporation. Especially since this meeting was convened by the company's major internal shareholders, Matthew had to take it seriously.
The overhead three-dimensional projection equipment gathered Umbrella shareholders from all over the world. This made the originally empty conference room seem somewhat crowded. In the original work, the Umbrella Corporation actually only had three shareholders. Later, two of them died, leaving only Spencer in power. But upon seeing it today, Matthew realized that the Umbrella Corporation, having crossed over into the Marvel Universe, had a number of shareholders that already surpassed the original.
His gaze swept over the virtual projections. Only two people among them were familiar to Matthew. The first was Spencer, the founder of the Umbrella Corporation. The other was Spencer's teacher, and also the final BOSS of Resident Evil eight, Miranda. As for the other individuals, Matthew didn't recognize any of them. It was likely a change brought about by this native world to the Umbrella Corporation.