Chapter 100: Viper Group

The discovery of the "Heart of the Ocean" was like dropping a depth charge into Qin Feng's tumultuous journey; its immense potential value and unknown risks forced him to devote greater effort to careful assessment and strategic planning. Yet, even as his gaze turned toward the deep ocean, shadows on land had not fully dissipated—new troubles always followed like a shadow.

This time, the trouble did not come from commercial competition or scrutiny by ancient families, but from a venomous serpent of the dark world—the international elite mercenary organization, "Viper Group."

The "Viper Group" is infamous for its ruthless, unscrupulous methods and high mission success rate, active across global gray and black zones; as long as the bounty is high enough, they do not care who the target is. And this time, someone had offered an astronomical, irresistible sum through an extremely covert channel—with the target clearly aimed at Qin Feng.

The identity of the client was heavily encrypted and nearly impossible to trace, but their intent was obvious: either capture him alive to extract the secrets behind his rise and the advanced technologies he controlled, or eliminate him outright—the too-bright "variable" threatening to disrupt the existing balance.

The "Viper Group" accepted the contract.

They did not, as ordinary people imagined, send hulking men armed with heavy firepower to storm the Qin Feng Pharmaceuticals Headquarters. Such an act would be tantamount to suicide. They excelled in infiltration, concealment, creating accidents, and exploiting human weaknesses—like true venomous snakes, they approached silently, then struck with lethal precision.

The first to sense the anomaly was the intelligence officer responsible for Qin Feng and his inner circle's security—"Shadow Fangs."

In a room inside the Headquarters Building, absolutely soundproofed and secure.

Shadow Fangs was briefing Qin Feng, Lei Zhan, and Chen Ming—who had just been urgently recalled—his expression heavier than usual.

"Director Qin, we intercepted and decrypted several highly encrypted communication fragments pointing to the international mercenary organization 'Viper Group.' Credible intelligence indicates they have accepted the contract—the target… is you." Shadow Fangs' voice was low, "The enemy is highly professional, using encryption methods and relay nodes we've never encountered before. Preliminary assessment suggests this is the work of 'Shadow Fangs,' the core team of the 'Viper Group.' This unit specializes in urban infiltration and targeted elimination."

The atmosphere in the secure room turned instantly deadly.

Lei Zhan's eyes sharpened, his iron-blooded aura spilling out uncontrollably, making Chen Ming feel his breath tighten. Chen Ming's face paled slightly, yet his gaze remained resolute—he had long bound his fate to Qin Feng's.

Qin Feng sat in the main seat, his expression calm, even a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips—as if he'd heard not an assassination plot against himself, but an irrelevant rumor.

"Shadow Fangs?" Qin Feng repeated the name softly, tone laced with amusement, "A name that sounds impressive. Do you know their possible infiltration methods or timing?"

"The enemy is extremely cautious; we cannot determine their exact plan or timing." Shadow Fangs shook his head, "But based on their established tactics and analysis of our current security vulnerabilities—though minimal—the most likely entry points are: exploiting gaps in your public schedule, impersonating service staff or visitors, or… targeting a relatively weak yet sufficiently critical link in your circle to create chaos and lure the snake out."

"A relatively weak yet sufficiently critical link…" Qin Feng's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his gaze flickering. Instantly, he identified the two most probable targets—his sister Qin Yu, and Su Jin, who was urgently pushing forward research on the Gene Optimization Fluid.

Although Qin Yu was under covert protection by the "Shield," her campus environment was relatively open and vulnerable to infiltration. Su Jin's temporary lab, though heavily guarded, was located inside the Headquarters Building, with complex personnel traffic; and Su Jin herself devoted nearly all her energy to research, leaving her security awareness relatively lax.

"Notify the team protecting Miss Qin—raise alert level to maximum. Without my direct order, Miss Qin must not leave the campus's core secure zone." Qin Feng first arranged for Qin Yu's safety.

"Understood!" Shadow Fangs immediately noted it down.

"As for Dr. Su…" Qin Feng turned to Lei Zhan, "Lei Instructor, personally lead a team of absolutely reliable personnel to occupy the perimeter of the lab and maintain 24-hour continuous vigilance. All personnel entering or exiting—including internal researchers—must undergo secondary encrypted verification. Publicly, announce it as a security system upgrade test."

"Understood!" Lei Zhan replied grimly, eyes glinting with cold light. Any entity threatening Mr. Qin or his core assets was an enemy he must crush.

"Also," Qin Feng's gaze shifted to Chen Ming, "Chen Ming, coordinate internal operations for a comprehensive, low-profile security screening—especially targeting recently hired personnel or those with unusual contacts. Meanwhile, plant some decoys—such as me inspecting the Future Technology Research Institute construction site soon, or holding important overseas video conferences. Mix truth with falsehood to confuse them."

"Yes, Director Qin!" Chen Ming responded swiftly.

After making these arrangements, Qin Feng turned back to Shadow Fangs, his tone still calm: "Can you pinpoint possible identities or infiltration channels for 'Shadow Fangs' members?"

Shadow Fangs looked troubled: "The enemy is a master in this field, with exceptional counter-surveillance capabilities. We currently have no concrete information. But we are urgently investigating all entry points and suspicious signal sources."

Qin Feng nodded, offering no reprimand. He understood how formidable such elite mercenary organizations were.

"Since they've come, don't expect to leave." Qin Feng's voice was quiet, yet carried icy resolve, "Lei Zhan, issue an internal bounty under the name of 'Shield.' Anyone providing valid intelligence on the 'Viper Group' or 'Shadow Fangs' will receive a substantial reward. If they assist in capturing or killing them, the bounty doubles, and they will be granted the title of 'Shield' Honorary Advisor."

He intended to deploy the entire "Shield" and the gradually forming "Qin Feng System" to lay a net of heaven and earth!

"Understood!" Lei Zhan's eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty light—his men had long yearned for real combat to test their mettle.

"As for me…" Qin Feng slowly rose, walking to the one-way glass of the secure room, gazing at the still-bustling night city beyond, his eyes deep as an abyss, "I'm quite curious to see whether these so-called 'vipers' can bite through my newly forged scales."

He felt no fear—only a thrilling anticipation.

The existence of the system, the extraordinary physical enhancements from Life Enhancement, the mysterious power of Fortune Dominion, and the growing strength of the "Shield" around him—all gave him ample confidence.

This would not merely be a defensive battle—it would be a perfect opportunity to test his own strength and temper the edge of the "Shield."

"Viper Group"?

Qin Feng's smile widened, edged with cold mockery.

"I hope you won't disappoint me."

A hidden hunt and counter-hunt beneath the city's shadows had quietly begun. From the moment the "Viper Group" accepted the contract, the roles of hunter and prey may already have been sealed.