“Hmph!
What if you’re slandering Ben?” Katherine was a little angry.
She had a good impression of Ben—so good they were practically one step away from becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.
“I can tell you’re fond of that guy.
I’m helping you see his true face.” Eddie snorted.
“Whatever, why the hell should I care about your business?
I’m going to confront him.
Do you really think someone who secretly photographs other people’s papers is a good person?
If something you worked your ass off to produce gets stolen and pirated, and then the thief turns around and mocks you—how would you feel?” Eddie tried to communicate with a series of rhetorical questions.
Katherine lowered her head and fell silent.
She wasn’t some ordinary college kid.
She was the mayor’s daughter of Raccoon City—trying to fool her was impossible.
And she trusted her own judgment.
“Fine.
I’ll call Ben out.
But if you’re wrong, then what?”
“If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize to him and pay him a sum of money as compensation.” Eddie fired back immediately.
“But what if your friend is wrong?”
Katherine gritted her teeth.
“Then what do you want?”
“Hmph.
You tell me.” Eddie shrugged.
“I can’t be the only one who loses.
What, are you the type who only knows how to make everything benefit yourself—always taking advantage?”
It was the most basic kind of provocation, a cheap goad—and Katherine bit anyway.
“If Ben really is that kind of person,” Katherine said angrily, “then I’ll stop associating with him.
That’s enough, right?” Even as she said it, doubt stabbed at her—could she really have misjudged him?
“What good does it do me if you stop associating with him?” Eddie scoffed.
“I don’t get any tangible benefit.
Fine, how about this— I want pizza, burgers, and cola from the pedestrian street.
You treat.
I won’t make it hard for you.”
It was such a ridiculous wager that Katherine didn’t know whether to be mad or amused.
A guy this handsome—trying to scam free food and drinks?
“Alright.
I agree.
Don’t forget what you promised.”
Meanwhile, inside a heavily guarded villa, Spencer listened to his subordinate’s report and found it a little funny.
Eddie Cai had actually sent his people to buy off a reporter… just to pick up girls?
Unteachable.
But that was fine.
People like that rarely became truly great, and they didn’t have lofty ambitions—exactly what Spencer’s plan required.
Everything was part of Eddie’s plan anyway: in front of Spencer, he had to look like useless mud that couldn’t be shaped—yet still have just a tiny bit of talent.
Only by disguising himself as a pathetic loser could he avoid arousing Spencer’s suspicion and getting killed.
Meanwhile, privately coming clean to the mature “female Wesker” and seeking her support—this was the classic move: “repair the plank road in plain sight, while sneaking through Chencang” What the hell would those “foreign devils” know about that, anyway?
Eddie’s novel theories on virology and cancer also changed Katherine’s impression of him.
His explanations were vivid and lively—nothing like university professors who talked people to sleep.
It was fresh, and it made her want to keep digging deeper.
“And then?” Katherine’s beautiful eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Did you figure out how to treat cancer?”
“I’ve got a bit of a lead.” Eddie looked into the distance.
“Alright—your friend’s here.
We can confront him now.
If you’re interested, we can talk another time.”
A man was walking toward them, wearing a vest and smoking a cigarette, with a ponytail tied behind his head.
What the hell is he pretending to be, some artsy youth?
A grown man with long hair—this is the modern era, alright?!
Eddie cursed inwardly.
“Sorry, Katherine, I’m late.” Ben apologized—then immediately barked, loud and aggressive.
“Who are you?
What are you doing with Katherine?!”
“Hmph.” Eddie’s expression hardened.
“Have you forgotten already?
Half a year ago, you used the pretense of an interview to secretly photograph my paper.
You came to interview me, and not a single article ever came out of it.
Instead, you took the opportunity to secretly photograph my paper.
Do you have any shame?
Today, in front of Katherine, we’re going to make this crystal clear!”
Ben was secretly impressed by Eddie’s acting chops—so good he almost believed it himself.
At the same time, as Eddie accused him, Ben’s confidence wavered and he slowly backed away, as if his lies were being exposed.
That obvious reaction made Katherine’s suspicion bloom.
“Ben… do you know Eddie?”
Ben lowered his head guiltily.
“No.
I’ve just met him before, that’s all.”
“You’d better tell the truth,” Katherine snapped, hands on her hips, her pretty face blazing with anger.
“You can’t lie to people.
I hate liars the most!”
“Why are you so sure I’m the one who filmed it?!” Ben still tried to hold on, unwilling to face the truth.
“Because the day after you came to interview me, my paper was stolen,” Eddie said sharply.
“During that time, only you had seen it.
And I checked with your newspaper—your paper said there was never any scheduled interview with me.
That so-called interview was entirely your own plan.
And you still won’t admit it?”
Eddie produced actual evidence.
Seeing the conversation records, Ben looked as if all the strength had drained out of him.
He collapsed to the ground.
“Yes… I accepted someone’s commission.
I pretended to interview you, but the real goal was to secretly photograph the paper.
Please don’t tell anyone.
I’m begging you—I’ll lose my job.”
“Hmph!
Katherine, see?” Eddie kept fanning the flames.
“I told you—I was right.
This guy isn’t a good person!”
Smack!
A crisp slap rang out.
Katherine glared at Ben in fury.
“You scumbag.
I really misjudged you.
And you kept talking about ‘justice’—you piece of trash.
Get out.
I never want to see you again.”
And then she left without the slightest hesitation.
Only after Katherine was gone did Eddie pull out a check.
“Here.
Nice acting.” His voice was casual.
“Now give me the camera and the film.
You can go confirm the check is real first, and then hand the stuff over.”
“Of course,” Ben said seriously.
“I’m not giving you anything until I see the money.
But you also have to pay the fees from before.”
No one would’ve guessed—there had been a filthy little transaction between the two of them from the start.
Katherine—young, bright, and beautiful—had been kept completely in the dark.
Eddie looked sunny on the surface, but in reality he was shameless and despicable to the bone.
If you weren’t full of dirty tricks, how could you survive under the watchful gaze of Spencer, Umbrella’s founding monster, in a world full of crisis?
In the bank’s VIP reception room, after confirming the authenticity of the check, Ben chose to withdraw the cash—then handed over a camera and a roll of film.
“This is what you wanted.” Ben made it sound like a joke, but he was already on guard.
“You’re not going to kill me to silence me, are you?”
“Tch.” Eddie waved him off.
“I’m not that bored.
I’m just helping someone handle a job.
Even if there’s something shameful on that film, it’s the people involved who’ll panic—not me.
You should leave quickly.
Staying here is dangerous.”
But just as Eddie was about to walk out, Ben called after him.
“Wait.
Remember to treat Katherine a bit better.
She’s a good girl.”
“If she’s a good girl, why didn’t you cherish her?” Eddie’s tone carried a mocking edge.
Ben lifted his chin proudly.
“Compared to love… I think bread smells better!”
It’s not really mandatory—I’ll eventually upload all the chapters here—but it helps a lot in supporting me and allows me to dedicate more time to it.