Chapter 103: Controlling the Aircraft

The "Frontier Technology and Future Industry Peak Forum" was held as scheduled at the National Convention Center in the Imperial Capital. As Qin Feng had anticipated, security levels inside and outside the venue were extremely high; all attendees were individuals capable of truly influencing national policy and industry direction, and the atmosphere was solemn and serious.

Qin Feng's appearance inevitably drew covert attention and scrutiny. He was far too young, standing out sharply among the gray-haired Academicians, stoic ministry leaders, and battle-hardened business magnates—yet his undeniable aura and established reputation made him impossible to underestimate.

The conference agenda was tightly packed, covering multiple frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biosecurity, new energy, and deep-space exploration. Qin Feng did not rush to speak; he spent most of the time listening quietly, occasionally jotting down a few notes. His restraint only made some observers more perplexed.

During a break, an elderly man with vibrant energy and refined demeanor, accompanied by several attendants, walked straight toward Qin Feng. Those around them instinctively parted, casting looks of reverence.

Qin Feng looked up and understood at once. The man was Qin Yuanwei.

"Young Qin Feng, I've long heard of you," Qin Yuanwei said with a warm smile, extending his hand without any pretense—but deep within his weathered eyes lay a subtle, almost imperceptible assessment.

"Academician Qin, you're too kind—I am unworthy of such praise," Qin Feng rose and shook the elder's hand with equal respect, neither submissive nor arrogant.

Their hands touched and separated instantly.

After brief pleasantries, Qin Yuanwei said no more, only gave Qin Feng a meaningful glance and urged, "Young man, having ambition is good. I hope you channel this drive onto the righteous path of serving your nation and people. Huaxia's future needs fresh blood like yours."

Then, surrounded by others, he departed.

This brief encounter felt more like a formal "introduction" and a silent warning. Qin Feng sensed that Qin Yuanwei—or rather, the Qin Family behind him and even higher circles—maintained a cautious, watchful stance toward him: appreciative of his ability and potential, yet wary of his meteoric rise and unknown origins.

Qin Feng remained calm. He knew trust must be earned over time through action, and strength alone was the sole cornerstone of respect.

The forum lasted three days. On the final day, Qin Feng delivered a brief but highly forward-looking speech on "Biotechnology and Human Potential Development," citing select non-core data from Su Jin's research (heavily sanitized). The novelty of his views and the solidity of his data triggered another small ripple of shock within the venue.

After the forum ended, Qin Feng declined all follow-up invitations and immediately prepared to depart. The threat from the Viper Group had not yet been fully neutralized; though the Imperial Capital was appealing, it was no place to linger.

For his return journey, he chose the safer option: a private aircraft fully controlled by the Shield. As the plane soared into the clouds, leaving the bustling grandeur of the Imperial Capital behind, Qin Feng's mind had already flown toward the Voyager, moored in the Public Sea, and the future aircraft hidden within his System Space—the Shadow Shuttle.

He craved power, craved to break through existing constraints. What he had seen and heard at the forum only strengthened his resolve: he must master core technology and absolute military might.

Back at headquarters, Qin Feng immediately threw himself into cracking the unlocking conditions for the Shadow Shuttle. Resources were poured relentlessly into Su Jin's lab, pressuring her to achieve breakthroughs in Gene Optimization Fluid to raise the Life Enhancement level. Yaofeng Capital also intensified its search for and investment in promising companies in energy and materials.

Yet raising Life Enhancement and mastering energy technology were not matters of a single day. In the waiting, a powerful urge to familiarize himself with and gain control over the aircraft drove Qin Feng to reconnect with the System again.

He found a compromise.

Deep within the System Mall was a project called "Virtual Reality Deep Simulation Pod (Timed Experience)," expensive but payable with points for short-term use. Its description read: It can fully simulate operation training for any device or environment the Host has unlocked or possesses detailed data on, with 99.9% realism.

That was it.

Qin Feng paid the points without hesitation. The next moment, the wall beside his office silently slid open, revealing a sleek, metallic-cold capsule.

He lay down inside, and his consciousness was instantly pulled away.

When he "opened" his eyes again, he stood within an impossibly realistic virtual space. Around him stretched boundless starfields and the blue arc of Earth; before him floated the sleek, powerfully designed Shadow Shuttle.

Its silver-gray coating, ultra-streamlined body, slightly flared auxiliary wings, and tail nozzles glowing with deep blue light—all matched the System's data exactly.

Qin Feng took a deep breath (in the virtual world) and, following the System's basic operation guide, issued a connection request via thought (in the virtual world, thought equaled command).

"Permission verified. Welcome, highest-authorized user Qin Feng. Shadow Shuttle basic control system activated." A calm, synthesized voice echoed in his mind.

Immediately, streams of data and information flooded his consciousness: the aircraft's status, module functions, basic flight attitude control, energy readings, and more. Simultaneously, he felt his "body" form a strange connection with the vessel—as if he had become an extension of it.

"Ignite engines," Qin Feng silently willed.

Hum—!

A deep, powerful vibration surged through him; the Shadow Shuttle's tail nozzles flared brightly, building immense power.

"Vertical ascent."

The aircraft cleanly detached from the virtual "ground," rising silently and steadily, its posture astonishingly stable.

"Forward, accelerate!"

The Shadow Shuttle instantly became a silver lightning bolt, piercing through virtual clouds and racing toward the distant horizon. Intense G-force pressed against him (simulated); the speed indicator skyrocketed, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier—yet no sonic boom echoed (the System simulated its silent properties).

Qin Feng reveled in the sense of control and freedom from such extreme speed. He weaved through virtual skies and oceans, executing complex maneuvers: sharp turns, rolls, dives, hover—each response from the aircraft was razor-sharp, as if an extension of his own limbs.

He even tried activating the basic stealth mode—the optical camouflage engaged, blending the aircraft perfectly into the background. He tested a short-range "suborbital jump": the vessel surged upward, piercing through atmospheric resistance, briefly entering the silent, glittering near-Earth space, gazing down at the vast silhouette of Earth below…

This experience—surpassing all existing transportation, this feeling of mastering the sky, even touching the stars—was intoxicating.

Though only virtual, the authentic control and the Shadow Shuttle's exceptional performance solidified Qin Feng's determination to unlock it in reality as soon as possible!

When the experience ended and his consciousness returned to his body, rising from the simulation pod, Qin Feng's eyes gleamed with lingering desire and intensified fervor.

He clenched his fist, feeling the power surging within him and the deep memory of Shadow Shuttle control.

"Almost there…" he murmured.

The real Shadow Shuttle—he would claim it.

Then, the sky would no longer be a limit—it would be his domain!