Chapter 31: A Different Jill Valentine
Unlike the bearded, mature Chris Redfield of Resident Evil 5, the Chris in this timeline is still a young and handsome officer, renowned and admired by many female officers in the police department.
"Yes, she has the new recruit's information," Zhang Fan nodded in response to Chris's query.
"Then you should hurry. I heard Jill say she's planning to pick up the new recruit after breakfast," Chris said with a warm smile, patting Zhang Fan on the shoulder. It's no wonder he's the protagonist; he's incredibly charismatic.
After parting ways with Chris, Zhang Fan headed to the police station's cafeteria. It was not mealtime, so the large cafeteria had only one lonely figure - Jill Valentine. Her beautiful face, paired with chestnut short hair and the neat S.T.A.R.S. uniform, made her one of Zhang Fan's favorite female characters in the Resident Evil series.
"Hi, Jill, eating breakfast at this time?" It was already nine in the morning, and breakfast usually started at six-thirty.
"Yeah, Zhang Fan. I was tied up with bomb disposal training until now," Jill greeted him warmly, showing the camaraderie typical among S.T.A.R.S. members.
"You should eat on time, or it might affect your health," Zhang Fan advised, suddenly realizing how forward his comment might seem, considering they weren't that close yet.
"I'll keep that in mind," Jill replied, slightly taken aback by his concern but soon smiled in appreciation, seemingly comforted by this familial warmth she hadn't felt since her parents' departure.
"By the way, Jill, do you have the new recruit's information? I need to go to the airport to pick them up, but I haven't seen them yet," Zhang Fan continued, though feeling a bit awkward about his earlier comment.
"Oh, I'm also heading to the airport to pick up a new recruit. Let's go together. The new recruits are coming on the same flight. It's strange that both teams are sending people for the pickup," Jill said with a laugh, though her brows furrowed slightly at the end.
"That's how it is. The rivalry between Team A and Team B is quite unnecessary," Zhang Fan replied nonchalantly, aware of the complicated relationship between the teams, especially between his team leader Enrico and Wesker.
"Such rivalry is pointless. Don't let the adult world corrupt you," Jill advised. In this world, Zhang Fan, who had just turned eighteen and graduated from a training base, was the youngest member of the S.T.A.R.S. team. This setting was somewhat inconvenient for him, considering he had already celebrated his twentieth birthday.
"Please, Jill, you're only a few years older than me," Zhang Fan said with a tired expression.
Jill just rolled her eyes at his remark, which had a surprisingly strong effect on him. After she finished her meal, Jill drove Zhang Fan to Raccoon City Airport. On the way, Zhang Fan asked her about the new recruits.
"What do you expect from the new recruits? Handsome men or beautiful women?" Jill joked unexpectedly. Was she always this open and friendly?
"Being a part of S.T.A.R.S., looks don't matter. Besides, with a beauty like you around, what more could we ask for?" Zhang Fan replied, feeling more relaxed and talkative around Jill than he usually did around others.
"Really? That's flattering. But you know, both of the new recruits are actually quite attractive, and just as talented as you," Jill responded with a soft laugh, handing him a folder.
Inside, Zhang Fan found the profiles of the new recruits. Rebecca Chambers, an 18-year-old university graduate and expert in chemistry and pharmaceuticals, joined S.T.A.R.S. as a medic due to her exemplary performance. The other recruit was Tomoyo Sakagami, also 18, a recent graduate from the same training base as Zhang Fan, skilled in hand-to-hand combat. The inclusion of Tomoyo, a character from another world entirely, was a clear sign of the whimsical nature of the God Game. Zhang Fan couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected turns his journey in the game was taking.