Chapter 127: RPD Gets an Upgrade (Patreon)

Then she changed her movements again. After setting down her glass, she undid the braid, and her flowing hair spilled loose in an instant.

She did it to ease some feeling inside her that she couldn't put into words.

The moment that red hair fell free, Ivan, who had been watching her, was struck by how stunning she looked.

The corners of Makima's lips curled up and her willowy brows stirred. She propped her cheek on her left hand again, while the index finger of her right hand twirled a strand of hair hanging by her ear.

"Master~ Do you like this look that much?"

"It's stunning. One of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen."

"Hehehe~ Master's saying strange things again."

"So, are we still drinking or not?"

"Of course we are~"

"Clink!"

The glasses met. Makima copied Ivan's way and downed hers in one go, only to find that this time he had taken just a small sip.

She had never experienced anything like this before, and a soft laugh slipped out of her.

Beaten by you again... cunning Ivan-kun~

"…"

11:05 p.m. Ivan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling lit by moonlight, his thoughts slowly drifting.

After that, Rebecca had returned to her room. According to her, Jill was fine now and was resting. The three of them chatted a little longer, then noticed how late it had gotten.

Ivan offered his goodbyes first. Just before he left, from an angle Makima couldn't see, Rebecca gave him an apologetic look.

Ivan understood. Rebecca was inviting him to a "karaoke" session, since she was, after all, a real "mic hog."

Of course he answered that sweet little lovers' signal right away. He also had plenty to talk over with Rebecca in private.

As for Makima, Ivan trusted her quite a bit now. The two of them had talked a lot more in the car. Makima was sensible about it, telling him she had no interest in ordinary people at the moment, and that as long as nobody provoked her first, she wouldn't stir up trouble.

Ivan believed her, because so far Makima had been perfectly well behaved. Still, he wouldn't simply trust her to act on her own just yet. He needed to keep observing her for a while longer.

After that, Ivan thought about a great many things. Images of Jill, Wesker, Spencer and others flashed through his mind one after another. Gradually his breathing evened out, and he drifted off to sleep.

Between August 29th and September 4th, several things happened.

First, on August 29th, the $30 million Annette had promised arrived in Ivan's account in full. With that heavy funding behind him, Ivan took $18 million and continued upgrading the armed strength of the Raccoon City Police Department.

He kept the remaining $12 million, since investment in the department was nearly saturated. Spending any more would only mean the equipment couldn't be delivered in time.

He had a feeling that the Raccoon City crisis would most likely break out earlier than scheduled. To prepare for that day, Ivan put great weight on building up the department's strength.

Counting this $18 million, he had poured a total of $26.8 million into it over time. The change it brought to the Raccoon City Police Department was undeniably enormous.

Every officer now went out on duty in a brand-new patrol car. Their bulletproof vests and body armor were maxed out. Rifles and heavy weapons were issued to everyone, and the days when a whole batch of cops passed a single rifle around were gone for good.

Radios and armored vehicles were standard across the board. Breaching tools and sniper rifles were all in stock. The department's overall combat strength had gone up far more than a single tier.

Ivan had actually planned to buy an armed helicopter as well, but one look at the prices and he declined.

The UH-60A Black Hawk cost between $10.5 and $12 million. If Lieutenant General Tustin vouched for him, it could come down to $7 million, but that was still too high. And that was only the transport version. The armed version cost even more.

The most cost-effective option, the AH-1W Super Cobra, an armed helicopter commonly used by the Marine Corps, still ran $11 to $13 million. The insider price would be around $8.2 million.

As for the AH-64A Apache (the main U.S. attack helicopter in 1998, the version without Longbow radar), the insider price was as high as $14 million.

Seeing that price list, Ivan could only close it quietly. He'd revisit the idea when he had more money.

Word also got out that the department's large-scale equipment overhaul was all thanks to Chief Commander Ivan's connections and financial investment. Combined with his earlier string of achievements, his seat as Chief Commander was exceptionally secure.

On top of that, Brian was deliberately keeping a low profile, so Ivan had basically become the real power in the Raccoon City Police Department.

There was no helping it. Brian had seen what Ivan was after, and between giving and not giving, he chose to give freely.

Chief Commander? Take it. Reputation? Take it. The department? Take it. As long as Ivan didn't kick him out of the Police Chief's seat and let him keep his perks, anything was fine. All he hoped for was the softest landing possible, and if that failed, then at least to drag things out as long as he could, just like before.

Ivan truly had no intention of going after Brian any further. After their second talk in the office, the Chief had given far too much. On top of that, from what Annette told him, Ivan knew that every test subject Brian supplied came from serious offenders in prison.

That was indeed different from the original course of events. The Brian in that version was far worse. Not only the prisoners: the surge in Raccoon City's missing persons and lost children could almost all be traced back to him, and those people had, without exception, ended up as test subjects. In that timeline he had even assaulted a female classmate back in his college days.

But Chris had already contacted his friends at the FBI and had them verify these things one by one. They found that the Brian of this world had done none of it. Aside from supplying serious offenders (life sentences or death row) as test subjects, his biggest problem was abusing his position for embezzlement and taking bribes.

Seen that way, Brian's problems were serious, but clearly not to the point where he had to be eliminated. Keeping him around also fit Ivan's current strategic plan better.

Meanwhile, Ryman, who had always wanted to join S.T.A.R.S., finally got his wish. He passed the S.T.A.R.S. selection and became a member of Ivan's squad. That night Ryman threw a lavish banquet and treated the entire S.T.A.R.S. team to a feast. Cups were passed back and forth, and the mood was lively.

Then on August 31st, after more than a month, the antidote capable of spreading through the air was finally completed. However, its exact effectiveness still needed more clinical trials before it could be confirmed.

That same day, good news came from The Queen's Homeland. As the leech tide's numbers rose, the leeches also evolved the ability to resist ultraviolet light. The leech tide could now move about freely under the blazing sun for up to half an hour.

It was believed that in the near future, with time and accumulation, this weakness would eventually be overcome completely.