Don't underestimate the Bamboo-Copter as a means of transportation.

The following sequence unfolded with a rather dull and formulaic rhythm: the mercenaries, employing crude yet effective methods, managed to breach the sealed gates and activate the internal lighting system.

To Wang Qiu, their actions appeared impressively swift. One by one, the mercenaries surged into the entry hall, quickly fanning out to secure the area. The female medic, after a cursory scan with her detector, lifted her head and declared, "The gas has dissipated. It's safe now."

Only at this moment did the group of time-travelers finally find the leisure to observe their surroundings.

Mounted on the wall of the entrance hall was a vast display, fashioned in the likeness of oversized Venetian blinds, presenting a scenic urban vista — bathed in sunlight, with azure skies, verdant trees, bustling streets, and the ambient clamor of helicopters, car horns, and sirens...

— According to the smug in-universe characters, this was a sophisticated device designed to simulate the aboveground environment for those trapped in the subterranean lab. It was meant to be cutting-edge technology — but to these well-traveled newcomers, it was little more than a glorified LCD screen running a cityscape-themed screensaver. Even Wang Qiu and Zheng Shuang regarded it with no more than passing interest.

As the mercenaries busied themselves with forcing open the elevator doors, Wang Qiu gathered the newcomers in a far corner of the hall — though not too far from the protagonist, Alice. After all, the space wasn't particularly large.

"...Next, once they discover the elevator is destroyed, we'll have no choice but to take the stairs. And it's going to be a long descent!"

Wang Qiu spoke with grave seriousness. "According to the script, the Hive's entrance is 800 feet underground, and the Red Queen's chamber lies at 2,200 feet. If these numbers are accurate, we're looking at a 1,400-foot descent — roughly the height of a skyscraper — and we're not parachuting or taking a lift, we're walking. This is going to be a marathon on stairs! It'll be exhausting, but you must keep close to Alice. If any of you stray more than twenty meters from her, the Main God will erase you without hesitation! For the sake of your lives, run as if they depend on it — because they do!"

To this, Haruhi Suzumiya proudly proclaimed that she was always first in her class in athletics, and such a trivial descent would be no more than a warm-up. Nagato Yuki similarly expressed unwavering confidence in her physical capabilities. Even five-year-old Shinnosuke Nohara — despite his short limbs and childlike frame — had, rather implausibly, outrun antelopes and lions across the African savannah. In short, their athletic aptitude was well above the norm.

As for Wang Qiu, his capabilities went without saying — a veteran who had survived three film worlds. Even if he had invested only part of his reward points into physical enhancements, he far exceeded the average human in stamina and strength.

The real liabilities were Zheng Shuang, a sedentary office worker from Hong Kong with little idea of his own physical limits, and Doraemon — whose rotund, stubby-limbed figure seemed wholly unsuited for athletic exertion. Running a marathon was one thing; hurtling down endless stairs was quite another.

"Wahhh? That's terrible! Stairs are my worst enemy!" Doraemon fretted, tugging at his whiskers. "Even the tiny staircase in Nobita's house sends me tumbling every other day… If I fall down from this height — 1,400 feet — I'll be smashed to pieces!"

Looking at his round, pudgy form, Wang Qiu couldn't help but recall the manga scenes — yes, this cat-robot did seem born for rolling down stairs.

"…Wait a minute! This is the perfect time to use that thing!"

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Doraemon's eyes sparkled as he pulled a small item from his pocket and affixed it to the top of his head.

Tada! Doraemon's most iconic aerial transport — the Bamboo-Copter — made its shining debut!

"Whoa! That tiny rotor… can really lift someone into the air?"

Haruhi reached out to touch the device on his head, full of curiosity.

"Oh, the rotor is mostly decorative," Doraemon explained. "The real magic comes from the mini anti-gravity generator inside. Just press this button, and up you go…"

In the next moment, with a soft whirring sound, Doraemon gently floated into the air, greeted by gasps of delight.

Zheng Shuang, eyes gleaming with hope, rushed forward. "Oh, generous Lord Doraemon! This is the one request of my lifetime — please, grant me a Bamboo-Copter!"

"Sure, no problem." Doraemon casually handed him one. But when Haruhi and Shinnosuke also came to ask for theirs, Doraemon rummaged through his pocket for a long time before sheepishly scratching his head. "Oops… I'm afraid I only had two left. Sorry!"

Meanwhile, the mercenaries had pried open the elevator shaft, only to be greeted by a heap of mangled debris at the bottom. Faced with this grim reality, the black captain announced: "We take the stairs. Everyone must reach the bottom in ten minutes. Move out!"

Without further delay, the mercenaries, along with Matt and Alice, sprinted into the stairwell with astonishing speed.

Wang Qiu and the others, stunned only for a moment, were soon left far behind. Desperate not to lose sight of Alice, they took off in a frantic dash. Above them, Doraemon floated leisurely, his Bamboo-Copter humming softly.

As for poor Zheng Shuang — already breathless and aching — he gazed upward at Doraemon's effortless flight with profound envy.

Determined to follow suit, he placed the Bamboo-Copter on his head and pressed the activation button.

What followed was unfortunate, to say the least.

Whirrrrr...

With a burst of lift, Zheng Shuang shot upwards — too fast.

Bang!

Failing to control his ascent, he crashed headlong into the ceiling, his head lodging firmly into a shattered light fixture. Shards of glass slashed across his face, leaving deep, bloody gashes. The Bamboo-Copter, predictably, shattered and fell to the ground with a pitiful clink.

Thud... clatter!

Zheng Shuang plummeted, bleeding profusely, and tumbled head over heels down the stairwell. He narrowly missed Haruhi, who screamed in alarm, before slamming into a railing at the landing with a sickening crash — like a sack of flour dumped carelessly to the ground. His head hung at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.

All except for Shinnosuke at the front turned and rushed to his side.

Wang Qiu inhaled sharply. "Damn… looks like he broke his neck…"

"Hey! You can't just treat a Bamboo-Copter like a real transport vehicle!" Doraemon descended, scolding furiously. "Even for experts, indoor flying is risky! Nobita practiced for over an hour in an open field before he could barely manage straight flight. And you tried it for the first time in a cramped room? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

As he spoke, Doraemon pulled out a cloth marked with clock faces. "Luckily, I've got the Time Patch. I can rewind you to just before you died… wait, where did he go?"

Before their eyes, Zheng Shuang's corpse vanished.

Hey now, Main God — even if you're reclaiming bodies, don't do it so efficiently!

He could've been saved!

Just as the group stood in stunned silence, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in their minds:

"Warning: you are now 18 meters from the target. Erasure sequence imminent…"

Wang Qiu bolted upright and shouted, "Everyone, RUN!"

— And so, the team's number shrank from six to five.

But the perilous journey through Resident Evil 1 was far from over…