Chapter 238

Lilith's message, blending provocation and "invitation," along with the visual data of Wonderful Island Castle, like a stone cast into a calm lake, sent ripples through specific circles. Though "New Era" insiders scoffed at it, many outsiders watched with curiosity and speculation.

Yet Qin Feng's response, as the other core of this incident, completely exceeded everyone's expectations.

He did not rage, did not respond, and showed no urgency over the stolen supplies. He simply proceeded methodically with "New Era's" various projects, as if Lilith and her meticulously constructed castle were merely irrelevant background noise.

This extreme silence, however, stirred unease in those closely monitoring the situation.

In Dragon Country, within a room furnished in ancient style.

Chen Academician was summoned again by Han Lao. On the tea table before the two elders, besides the usual tea, lay a tablet displaying a photo of the white castle gleaming under blue sky and emerald sea, alongside a summary of related intelligence.

"This Lilith… is becoming increasingly outrageous!" Chen Lao stared at the photo, frowning deeply, his tone laced with clear disgust. "Such tactics are nothing but child's play—and an insult to Mr. Qin!"

Han Lao's expression was even more grave. He was not concerned with Lilith's absurd "proposal" farce, but with the potential escalation of conflict behind it.

Pandora's plundering of "New Era" supplies was an open provocation. Given Qin Feng's established character, he could never tolerate such humiliation. Yet why had he remained utterly silent? Was he brewing a fiercer counterattack? Or did he have another plan?

What troubled Han Lao even more was the island itself—Wonderful Island.

"Chen Lao, look at this island," Han Lao turned the tablet toward Chen Lao, pointing to its location on the map. "Its geography is sensitive, lying at the edge of several major shipping lanes, with a complex geological structure. Pandora secretly constructed such a massive fortress here—its intentions are sinister!"

Chen Lao nodded. He shared the same view. This castle was far more than Lilith's fantasy "bridal home"—it was a strategic pivot, a wedge driven by Pandora into the South Pacific region.

"Has Qin Feng shown any reaction at all?" Han Lao asked.

"None," Chen Lao shook his head. "Assistant Su Wenqian merely reported the theft of supplies as per routine—calmly, without requesting assistance or hinting at any follow-up actions. Mr. Qin himself has remained reclusive, everything unchanged."

"Something amiss always hides a trick," Han Lao murmured. "Given Qin Feng's nature, this silence… likely means the coming storm will surpass imagination."

He paused, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest, then suddenly asked a question that seemed unrelated:

"Chen Lao, according to our intelligence, does Qin Feng… own or does 'New Era' control any islands in the South Pacific region?"

Chen Lao was taken aback, thought carefully, then firmly shook his head: "No. 'New Era's' base has always been its Sea City-State. It has never expanded territorially, nor is there any record of purchasing or leasing islands."

Upon hearing this, Han Lao's eyes flickered with confusion, then suddenly changed as if he had just realized something.

He picked up his internal communicator and ordered in a low tone: "Connect me immediately to the chief experts from the Meteorological Bureau, the Ocean Bureau, and the head of the Geological Bureau—video link now!"

Chen Lao, too, seemed to sense something, his expression turning serious.

Soon, the video link was established, and several top experts appeared on screen.

Han Lao skipped all pleasantries, cut straight to the point, and provided them with Wonderful Island's coordinates and information on Lilith's castle, his voice grave:

"Gentlemen, deploy all your monitoring tools and models immediately. Focus on analyzing this region's oceanic weather, magnetic activity, and… geological stability over the next 48 hours! I need the most detailed, fastest assessment report possible!"

Though puzzled, the experts, seeing Han Lao's seriousness, immediately obeyed and disconnected.

After the call ended, the study fell silent once more.

Chen Lao looked at Han Lao and hesitantly asked: "Han Lao, are you worried… Qin Feng will act through these means?"

Han Lao did not answer directly. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze deep, as if piercing through the walls to see the distant South Pacific.

"He doesn't need an island," Han Lao said slowly, his voice carrying a faint but unmistakable chill. "When a man can influence the weather, disrupt magnetic fields, and perhaps even… touch the laws of crustal movement…"

He paused, then uttered a sentence that sent a jolt through Chen Lao's heart:

"…then the entire ocean can be his 'island.'"

"I'm not worried about whether he has an island. I'm worried that Lilith, that foolish woman, has no idea what kind of being she has provoked. Her castle, to her, is a fortress of love—yet in Qin Feng's eyes, perhaps…"

Han Lao did not finish. But Chen Lao understood his meaning.

Before absolute power, even the strongest fortress can crumble.

And the power Qin Feng wields clearly transcends conventional military conflict.

His silence now may simply be calculation—determining how much "force" is needed to achieve his goal without… causing excessive collateral damage.

Chen Lao couldn't help but glance again at the beautiful white castle on the tablet, a strange, chilling dread rising in him.

He could almost foresee an "response" beyond human comprehension descending upon Wonderful Island.

And this response would utterly awaken Lilith—and everyone still judging Qin Feng through the lens of the old era.

When did you get an island?

When power reaches a certain level, this question itself becomes a joke.