Chapter Twenty-Six: Weapon Upgrades and Changes in the Resident Evil Universe

Everything seemed to have returned to how it once was. The only difference was that after work each day, Wang Jing now had an additional task: to familiarize himself with the use of new weapons and equipment. After all, he never knew when he might cross over to another world and need to rely on these tools.

Among the new equipment was a state-of-the-art armored off-road vehicle and a stealth helicopter. The armored off-roader not only boasted increased range but also enhanced onboard firepower. Its primary weapon was a 60mm smoothbore cannon, complemented by a 30mm coaxial autocannon and a 7.62mm six-barrel caseless heavy machine gun, with a six-tube vertical-launch missile pod mounted at the rear.

The vehicle's ready weight reached twenty tons, but by removing all external modules, it could be reduced to about six tons—just within the upper limit of what Wang Jing could transport during a crossing.

The stealth helicopter was entirely constructed from titanium alloy, its exterior coated with radar-absorbing paint, including the rotors. Most notably, it adopted a coaxial contra-rotating rotor system, like that of Russia’s "Alligator" attack helicopter. This not only lightened the aircraft but also improved its power output. The helicopter’s ready weight was ten tons, four of which were reserved for munitions and weaponry.

The helicopter’s armament included a 30mm rapid-fire cannon, sixty unguided rockets, and eight Hellfire missiles. The 30mm cannon carried five thousand rounds. All weaponry, to preserve stealth, was folded inside the fuselage when not in use and only deployed when needed.

Due to this configuration, the stealth helicopter could only carry six people, including the pilot and co-pilot—but that was more than sufficient.

Apart from vehicles, personal weaponry had seen significant upgrades as well. The caseless rifle was now chambered for a larger caliber, switching from 7.62mm to 20mm rounds, while the heavy caseless machine gun retained the original 7.6mm ammunition—a decision made after careful consideration of overall effectiveness.

In addition to caliber changes, a new heavy sniper rifle and its corresponding powered exoskeleton armor had been introduced. The heavy sniper rifle fired 30mm depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds and high-explosive shells. Its matching exoskeleton could automatically gather environmental data, calculate the distance to the target, and project the precise ballistic trajectory onto the helmet’s display. Its effective range extended beyond four thousand meters.

Besides transmitting data, the exoskeleton could also eliminate involuntary tremors in the user’s body, ensuring greater accuracy. The operator of this gear was Liu Peiqiang, once renowned for his extraordinary marksmanship.

Beyond the heavy sniper rifle and its exoskeleton, there was also a heavy exoskeleton suit designed specifically for fire support. As the saying goes, “wear the thickest armor to take the fiercest blows.” This heavy exoskeleton was significantly larger than standard suits, built to carry a 30mm rapid-fire cannon and its massive ammunition box, resulting in a height of 3.5 meters. Given its increased size and firepower role, it was certain to become the focus of enemy attacks, so its armor was twice as thick as that of regular exoskeletons.

Modifying a standard exoskeleton to meet these requirements would have been more trouble and expense than simply designing a new suit from scratch. Thus, the heavy exoskeleton was an entirely new creation, with redesigned actuators, internal structure, and even armor materials.

Its mobility was comparable to ordinary powered exoskeletons, but its firepower and defensive capabilities were several times superior. This suit was assigned to Wang Lei, the team member best suited for the role of heavy weapons specialist.

Life continued peacefully in this way. Wang Jing often visited the Resident Evil world. Thanks to seeds provided by the main world, lush greenery had started to spread near rivers across the land, though it would still be some time before crops could be grown. Years of soil erosion had left the land in need of recovery. Still, newly designed vertical farms were being rapidly constructed amidst the ruins of the cities, and old, dilapidated buildings were being cleared.

Those carrying out the cleanup were the once-powerful elite who had previously lain frozen in cryogenic sleep pods. The provisional government had offered them a chance at redemption—lifetime, unpaid labor in service of the new regime.

To some, this seemed too light a sentence. But manpower was desperately scarce, and their labor was at least of some use. Besides, a quick death by firing squad would be too merciful; letting them fall from the heights of privilege to the depths of drudgery, with no hope of reprieve, was a far crueler punishment. After all, to kill a man, one must first break his spirit.

The debris from demolished city buildings was sorted and repurposed for new construction. Urban designers from both the main world and the Wandering Earth world collaborated to create a model “vertical city,” integrating both aboveground and underground sections to improve efficiency and population capacity.

Of course, this was only a trial—a prototype for future city-building in both worlds.

Though the cities of the Resident Evil world were still under construction, some basic infrastructure and restaurants had already appeared. Building a city could hardly depend on so few people alone, so many workers had been brought in from the Wandering Earth world and the main world.

This was all part of a joint government initiative for integration and mutual benefit, encouraging citizens from both worlds to settle in the Resident Evil world, develop its barren lands, and balance relations between the provisional government and the world’s survivors.

Many companies answered the call—including well-known names in energy, construction, and food service. It was, after all, a surefire business opportunity: establish a good reputation early, and they might soon become industry leaders in the Resident Evil world.

When it came to choosing where to eat, Wang Jing still preferred the Resident Evil world. The service here was generally superior to that in the main world. Even though restaurants in the main world were eager to welcome him, Wang Jing always felt something was missing.

It wasn’t until he dined at a hotpot restaurant in the Resident Evil world that he realized what it was: the attitude of the staff. In the main world, fierce competition left servers exhausted and exploited. Even if they served with forced enthusiasm, Wang Jing could sense their weariness and hopelessness about the future.

Things were different in the Resident Evil world. Here, opportunity abounded—like living in Ethiopia but earning a Chinese New Year’s bonus. There was no pressure; with just a little effort, one could obtain anything on offer.

There was also the matter of corporate attention: the employees sent here were always the very best.