Chapter 8: Changsheng Island

Xu Feng, aged 48, is a Chinese-American and the chairman of Yamei Biopharmaceutical Group. He has half Chinese ancestry. His father, Xu Ning, hails from Northeast China and, during the latter part of World War I, pooled some money with a few friends to travel across the ocean to the United States. At that time, Xu Ning was not yet twenty years old. With his exceptional business acumen, he seized the opportunity presented by the military's substantial demand for pharmaceuticals during the war. After more than a decade of hard work, Xu Ning established a significant enterprise—Yamei Pharmaceutical Chain.

Xu Feng let out a cold snort: "Oh, am I supposed to thank you for saving me a large sum of money? This is the third time you have disappointed me."

Two strong guards rushed forward to lift Cole and turned to leave

Xu Feng pressed the hidden button under the desk, and the large screen slowly descended into the ground, replaced by a massive mural. He leisurely adjusted his black suit, which was impeccably tailored at all times, without a single flaw, just like his strict personality, meticulous and exacting.

After achieving stability in life, Xu Ning married an American woman, which finally gave him a true home in a foreign land. With his career flourishing, he established the Asia-America Biopharmaceutical Group after several ups and downs, focusing on biopharmaceuticals and investing in the research and development of biological drugs, as well as setting up biopharmaceutical laboratories and drug processing plants. By the time Xu Ning was forty-six years old, Asia-America Group had already established six branches around the world, ranking among the leaders in the global biopharmaceutical industry and becoming a leading enterprise in the field. In the same year, Xu Feng was born. As a latecomer to fatherhood, Xu Ning doted on his son immensely. Xu Feng was exceptionally gifted and excelled academically, graduating at the age of twenty-six from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Bioengineering and a doctor's degree. He then joined Asia-America, becoming Xu Ning's assistant, during which his business acumen became evident. Three years later, through his own efforts, he became the vice president of the group. In 1996, Xu Ning passed away, and Xu Feng was elected as the president and CEO of Asia-America Group. Amidst his grief, Xu Feng was always haunted by his father's death. As a top-tier multinational pharmaceutical enterprise with assets worth billions, it was shocking that there was not a single effective drug to treat his father's bone cancer. Every time he thought of his father's painful demise, his heart would break.

Deep within the island, there is a vast office that is luxurious, spacious, and bright. The floor is covered with thick Persian carpets, and high-end mahogany desks and chairs are arranged throughout. Renowned artworks and calligraphy from around the world adorn the walls. On the west side, a massive LCD screen is divided into countless segments, displaying various corners of the island and beyond. Here, the ancient and elegant style harmoniously blends with the modern and vibrant layout.

I sincerely apologize for the unfair treatment you have endured along the way; I must act cautiously for safety reasons" Xu Feng said, bowing to John

Xu Feng slammed the experimental report onto the table, his face filled with anger: "Is this your achievement? You spent a total of 200 million dollars and produced so little? It is even less valuable than the trinkets made by Lev. What use do you have left?"

Xu Feng waved his hand impatiently and said, "Send him to the bottom-level Immortal Cave"

Roer was already trembling all over, his face pale: "It is... it is... Rest assured, boss, I will not let you down."

Central Pacific, high seas, unnamed island

Listening to John's exclamation, Xu Feng said while walking, "Wealth is not important; losing one's life renders any amount of wealth meaningless. I am currently engaged in a great endeavor to extend the limited lifespan of humanity. Once the experimental results are achieved, I will grant humanity more time to enjoy life."

Xu Feng ignored him and walked straight to the wall, sitting on the sofa: "Dear John, this is just the elevator..."

"Please invite Mr. John in," Xu Feng stood up and said to everyone, "You may leave for now; I need to meet with a guest first. I will find time to discuss Professor Liang Jianguo's matter with you later."

Upon hearing the term 'Fairy Cave', everyone present, except for Xu Feng, trembled all over, and Ke Er's legs went weak, causing him to collapse to the ground: "Mr. Xu, please listen to me, I will make every effort to compensate for my mistakes, please give me another chance."

Everyone responded in unison

"Mr. Xu, Major John has arrived" The assistant's image appeared on the LCD screen of the internal phone

Xu Feng smiled lightly without making a definitive response and said, "This way, please!"

Hmph... Throughout the journey, whether on the ship or the submarine, we were confined to the lower deck, and all navigation equipment was confiscated. This is a disgrace for soldiers; this is not cooperation, but treating us as prisoners of war.

Kerr stammered, "Mr. Xu, I have already made my utmost effort to minimize the losses, but..."

Oh, my God," John exclaimed, "this is truly subtropical...

Xu Feng sat back in the reclining chair and casually turned off the surveillance screen: "Do not just talk; all of you are top biologists in the world, but my money is not easy to earn. Get the experiment right; what I want is results. Otherwise, Cole will be your fate. Roar, especially you, as the head of the base, you bear an undeniable responsibility for this failure. My not punishing you does not mean I am letting you off the hook. Do not make me lose my patience; show me some results. Accelerate the main experiment; I want to see results within six months.

Xu Feng turned around and glared fiercely at the trembling crowd, saying: "My patience has its limits; do not overstep your bounds. Everyone who comes here has signed a contract and received an advance payment, and the dangers of the experiment are clearly stated in the contract. Any accidental death is not the responsibility of our group." After saying this, Xu Feng pointed at the surveillance footage and continued, "Of course, I would also be quite pleased to see such an accident occur."

Xu Feng turned around and poured two glasses of French red wine, handing one to John and saying, "In order to ensure safety here, I had to do this. This is also recognized by your boss, His Excellency Jason. If he wants to be among the first beneficiaries of the plan, he must adhere to my rules. Moreover..." Xu Feng took a sip of the red wine. "Setting aside our partnership, as one of the original investors since the establishment of the Corps, your family should also comply with our arrangements. I am not only the employer but also a member of the Corps' board of directors, which makes me your superior; and as the employer, I have also paid for this. " Xu Feng smiled slyly and took out an envelope, handing it to John, saying, "Additionally, here is one hundred thousand dollars, considered as your hard work fee. This money is not included in our contract; it is my respect for a professional soldier."

Stepping down from the platform, Xu Feng approached a stone wall. He reached his hand into a semicircular small hole in the stone wall, and another hidden door opened. The interior was spacious and bright, with smooth walls. The two stepped inside, and the hidden door closed automatically. John looked curiously at this small room, "Mr. Xu, is this your kingdom of freedom?"

"Hello, Major John. I am very pleased with this operation, which demonstrates the strength of the Lone Wolf Squad and has also enhanced my trust in you. " Xu Feng stepped forward enthusiastically and extended his right hand

Hmph... John let out a cold snort, remaining silent. It was not that the money left him speechless, nor was it that he could swallow his pride, but as a soldier, as the leader of the Lone Wolf team within the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Corps, he had no choice but to bow to the board of directors

Xu Feng carefully examined the experimental report in his hands, while more than ten staff members stood with their heads bowed in front of the desk, one of whom was slightly trembling due to nervousness

No, what I mean is that from now on, I will work hard to compensate for the losses caused by this mistake

Seeing the boss's anger, Roer hurriedly stepped forward to explain: "Mr. Xu, although this experiment has failed, we have summarized our experiences and identified the issues. The topic led by Cole is very valuable; he has already derived the formula, but due to improper dosage control..."

Ninety percent of the island is covered by vegetation, presenting a picturesque landscape. The sea breeze gently caresses, and the waves softly lap against the rocks. Seagulls circle in the sky, untouched by the smoke of the human world, creating a scene reminiscent of a paradise beyond the mundane.

Xu Feng turned on the monitor on the wall, and a massive pool appeared on the screen, within which several enormous crocodiles swam slowly. These giant crocodiles were the result of genetic engineering from the laboratory, their colossal size being twice that of ordinary crocodiles. Moments later, guards escorted the violently struggling Cole to the edge of the pool, which was over 4 meters high. Subsequently, Cole was thrown into the crocodile pool by the guards, and in an instant, water splashed and blood surged as Cole was torn apart by several crocodiles, a sight too horrific to behold.

"Mr. John, may I ask you a personal question? Do you wish to live forever?"

As John stepped into the cave, he discovered that it was indeed vast, facing the coast and located in the middle of a cliff on the mountainside. Below the platform where he stood was a large helicopter landing pad, where Xu Feng's two private helicopters were quietly parked. Several guards, dressed in black and fully armed with G36 assault rifles, were patrolling the landing area. Although he was quite far from the platform, John immediately recognized one of the helicopters as a Little Antelope model, while the other was an EC-225 helicopter capable of all-weather flight. Xu Feng's two private helicopters were quietly parked there, and several guards, dressed in black and fully armed with G36 assault rifles, were patrolling the landing area. Although he was quite far from the platform, John immediately recognized one of the helicopters as a Little Antelope model, while the other was an EC-225 helicopter capable of all-weather flight.

Xu Feng looked at John with admiration: "Mr. John, you are quite skilled; even while being cooped up in the cabin, you are able to determine the ship's location..."

As the crowd dispersed, two individuals were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, ultimately being carried out by their colleagues

It seems that John was quite dissatisfied with this dismissive response, saying, "Do not forget, as a qualified special operations soldier, a battle-hardened veteran, one can generally infer one's location through changes in temperature and direction, as well as the time taken for the vehicle to navigate. This is the intuition of a soldier and the instinct for survival. Although the cabin is equipped with air conditioning, maintaining a temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, we noticed that the temperature on one side of the cabin wall was slightly higher because our cabin is adjacent to the port side, and the temperature of the wall is higher every noon. Thus, by observing the changes in temperature and making rough calculations, we deduced that the ship is heading towards the tropics. Through continuous calculations of time, general direction, and the approximate speed of the vessel, we concluded that we are likely near the equator.

Before Roer could finish speaking, Xu Feng interjected: "So you burned two hundred million dollars and killed ten test subjects, right?"

My dearest Mr. John, as the primary authorized representative of Mr. White, the head of the Corps, in order to express my sincerity towards our cooperation and to apologize for the unfair treatment you received on board, today you will have the honor of visiting my free kingdom—Changsheng Island. As he spoke, Xu Feng pressed a button beside his desk, and instantly, a wall silently sank into the ground, revealing a vast cave. A gentle subtropical sea breeze wafted into the office... The beautiful subtropical scenery unfolded before John... golden beaches, dense forests, lush coconut trees, and palm groves... Xu Feng pressed the button beside his desk again, and instantly, a wall silently sank into the ground, revealing a vast cave. A gentle subtropical sea breeze wafted into the office... The beautiful subtropical scenery unfolded before John... golden beaches, dense forests, lush coconut trees, and palm groves...

"Mr. John, this way please" The assistant pushed the door open and brought in a robust European man dressed in camouflage, wearing a bowler hat, and carrying a pistol at his waist. After bowing, the assistant turned and left the office

After a pause, Roer asked: "Mr. Xu, the question from that Chinese neurology expert..."

John shrugged and said nothing as the elevator started

John couldn't help but exclaim, "Mr. Xu, you are truly very wealthy." John knew that a small antelope was nothing compared to the EC-225 helicopter, which costs twenty million dollars

After politely shaking hands with Xu Feng, John sat down on the sofa with an angry expression and said, "Mr. Xu, I am very dissatisfied with your actions. The treatment we have received is intolerable; it is a violation of the dignity of soldiers"