143: Chapter 143 Death Hank

"Drip... drip..."

Dark red molten steel splashed onto the anti-static floor, burning with a pungent, acrid smoke.

The laboratory was deathly silent, the only sound being the hum of the ventilation system.

Outside the glass wall, the eyes of the remaining twelve survivors turned bloodshot. The fear of death and apprehension of the unknown that had been on their faces were completely crushed the moment they saw Elena effortlessly melt through a half-meter-thick steel plate, replaced by an emotion called "fanaticism."

Power.

This was the absolute power to trample those high-and-mighty elites underfoot and burn all oppressors to ashes.

"Boss!"

Lin Hao lunged forward a step, his hands pressed tightly against the soundproof glass, his knuckles turning white from the force. He stared at Chen Feng, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm next! I'm not afraid of anything! Let me into that tank!"

"Get in line! I signed first!" Kevin, standing nearby, shoved Lin Hao aside, waving his muscular arms. "My physical condition is better than yours; the success rate will definitely be higher!"

"Bullshit! The Boss said it depends on mental stress resistance! Me next!"

The twelve survivors erupted into a chaotic argument outside the lab, with some even starting to shove each other. Three days ago, they were a flock of sheep waiting for slaughter; now, they were ready to fight just for the chance to lie in a cultivation tank that could potentially cause genetic collapse.

Such was the power of an example.

Chen Feng looked at the bloodshot survivors through the glass and tapped on it.

Thud, thud.

At the two dull thuds, the outside fell silent instantly. Twelve pairs of eyes stared at him in unison, as if awaiting a divine judgment.

"What's the rush?" Chen Feng's tone was flat as his gaze swept over them. "You have to take things one step at a time. Dr. Samantha needs time to digest the experimental data, and your bodies need final fine-tuning based on Elena's parameters."

He turned to look at Samantha, who was still frantically recording data.

"Doctor, what's the schedule?"

Without looking up, Samantha's fingers tapped across the virtual keyboard, leaving afterimages. "The fusion data for T-V01 is perfect; the recessive receptor activation theory has been proven effective. As long as the ratio of the C-11 Anchoring Agent is adjusted, I'm confident I can bring the survival rate of this group to over sixty percent. As for the schedule..."

She stopped her movements and pushed up her rimless glasses, her eyes gleaming with the characteristic excitement of a scientific fanatic.

"Collecting rejection reactions, adjusting equipment parameters, cleaning the cultivation tanks. In a peak state, two a day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. Within a week, I will have processed all twelve of them."

"Very well." Chen Feng nodded, pressed the communicator, and spoke to the survivors outside. "Did you hear that? Two a day. Within a week, I want to see thirteen blades capable of cutting through any rule. Now, everyone follow Marcus for a pre-combat physical examination."

Having settled the schedule, Chen Feng left the Core Laboratory with Sarah and Marcus, heading to the Tactical Preparation Room on the third basement floor.

He needed to redeem the hidden reward given by the system.

The Tactical Preparation Room covered over three hundred square meters, filled with various firearm accessories and tactical equipment. Chen Feng walked to the center of the room and called up the system panel in his mind.

[Hidden Quest: Project Broken Wing (Completed)]

[Reward: 100,000 Research Points, Elite Unit: Hunk]

[Extract immediately?]

"Extract," Chen Feng thought.

There was no spatial distortion, nor any blinding light.

In the deepest part of the Tactical Preparation Room, in a shadowed corner where rows of heavy body armor were stored, the faint sound of leather boots stepping on the floor suddenly echoed.

Click.

The sound was extremely faint, yet exceptionally clear in the silent preparation room.

Marcus, who had been counting ammunition, felt his muscles tighten instantly. His battlefield intuition, honed by years on the edge of life and death, made his scalp tingle.

A stranger had entered! And he hadn't heard the access control open at all!

Marcus spun around, his right hand drawing the Glock 17 from his outer thigh like lightning, aiming the muzzle directly at the shadows.

"Who's there! Get out!" Marcus barked sharply.

Sarah's reaction was even more direct. She had been standing quietly behind Chen Feng, but the moment she heard the noise, she didn't draw a gun. Instead, she stepped forward to shield Chen Feng. On her fair right forearm, the skin instantly tore open, and several thick black tentacles emerged like venomous snakes, writhing frantically in the air.

From the shadows, a figure slowly emerged.

He wore a full set of pure black heavy tactical gear, his bulletproof vest covered in various tactical accessories. Most striking was the iconic gas mask he wore, its two large red goggles gleaming crimson under the incandescent lights.

The outfit was almost identical to Marcus's USS Elite Guard, but Marcus would bet his life that there was no such person in his team. Furthermore, the sense of oppression radiating from this man was more terrifying than any top-tier mercenary he had ever seen.

"Hands behind your head! Now!" Marcus roared, his finger pressing against the trigger.

The man in the gas mask ignored Marcus's warning entirely. His gaze behind the goggles bypassed the gun muzzle and locked directly onto Chen Feng.

In the next second, the man moved.

There were no superfluous movements, no telltale wind-up. He was like a black panther pouncing in an instant, moving so fast he left an afterimage on Marcus's retina.

He covered the five-meter distance in a flash.

Marcus's eyelids twitched, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

But it was too late.

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.

At some point, a pitch-black combat knife had appeared in the man's left hand. The back of the blade struck the Glock 17's barrel with unerring precision. The massive force knocked the muzzle upward, and the bullet struck the ceiling, sending off a shower of sparks.

Before Marcus could even retract his arm, the man's right hand drew back.

A sharp tactical hand axe, whistling as it tore through the air, came to a steady halt beside Marcus's carotid artery. The cold blade rested against his skin; just half a centimeter more would have spilled his blood on the spot.

The entire exchange lasted less than a second.

Marcus, the former Marine Corps elite veteran, didn't even have the chance to fire a second shot before being completely subdued.

A flash of violent red light appeared in Sarah's eyes. The black tentacles on her right arm surged instantly, transforming into a thick, two-meter-long whip that lashed toward the man's head with a piercing whistle.

"Stop, Sarah."

Chen Feng's calm voice echoed in the preparation room.

The lethal black tentacle stopped abruptly less than ten centimeters from the man's gas mask, writhing frantically. The gust it generated made the man's collar flutter.

The man didn't even glance at the tentacle that could have smashed Hunk to pulp. He sheathed the combat knife and hand axe, efficiently tucking the weapons back into his tactical vest.

Then, he snapped to attention, standing tall, and spoke in a low, raspy voice through the gas mask.

"Hunk, the Grim Reaper, reporting for duty, Boss."

Marcus touched the goosebumps on his neck raised by the axe blade; his back was drenched in sweat. He swallowed hard, staring intently at the fellow who called himself "Hunk," his mind racing.

Where did this guy come from? When did the Boss recruit such a monster? This skill, this reaction speed—it was definitely not something a normal human could possess!

Chen Feng patted Sarah's shoulder, signaling her to retract the tentacles. Sarah gave Hunk a cold glare as the mutation on her arm rapidly receded, returning to smooth skin, and she stepped back behind Chen Feng.

"Well done." Chen Feng looked at Hunk, highly satisfied with this top-tier combat unit provided by the system.

He turned to look at the still-dazed Marcus.

"Marcus, let me reintroduce you. Hunk will be the captain of the Umbrella Corporation's Elite Field Guard from now on." Chen Feng's tone brooked no argument. "Starting today, the security department will be split. Half the personnel from your USS team will be transferred to Hunk to form the Alpha Squad, which will be specifically responsible for overseas operations and high-risk target elimination."

Marcus was stunned.

"Boss, this..." Marcus opened his mouth, his face turning bright red.

It wasn't that he was greedy for power, but he felt aggrieved. He had followed Chen Feng all the way from being a street vagrant to becoming the Head of Security, always being the sharpest blade in Chen Feng's hand. Now, a captain had suddenly been dropped in, and half his men were being taken away, which left him feeling somewhat bitter.

More importantly, in that brief exchange just now, he had lost miserably.

Chen Feng saw through Marcus's thoughts, stepped forward, and handed him a cigar, lighting one for himself as well.

"Feel slighted?" Chen Feng exhaled a puff of smoke.

"I wouldn't dare." Marcus lowered his head. "My skills were inferior; I accept that."

"Good that you accept it." Chen Feng patted his broad shoulder, his voice softening slightly. "Marcus, you are the person I trust most, bar none. But you must understand that the road ahead for Umbrella will no longer involve Los Angeles gangs or ordinary mercenaries."

Chen Feng pointed upstairs, then at Hunk.

"We sold 'Eternal' and trapped those old monsters from the Weber family. Soon, plutocrats, politicians, and armies from all over the world will swarm in like sharks smelling blood. We will be facing the world's top special forces, heavy armor, and even the out-of-control bio-weapons we created ourselves."

Chen Feng stared into Marcus's eyes.

"The mortality rate for field operations will be higher than you can imagine. Hunk is a pure killing machine; he has no emotions, no sense of pain, and he can lead a team out of hell. But you can't."

Marcus looked up, his eyes shaking.

"Do you understand what I mean, old friend?" Chen Feng bit his cigar, his tone carrying a protective dominance. "Keep a good eye on our home for me. The internal elite guard, the security of the underground lab, and the B.O.W. Training Ground we're about to build—all of that is under your command. Let Hunk handle the dirty work outside. I don't want to receive your casualty report one day."

Marcus wasn't stupid.

He understood.

The Boss was protecting him in a roundabout way. As the company grew and the levels they dealt with became more terrifying, his strength as a former Marine Corps gunnery sergeant was gradually falling behind that of the perverted biotechnology. Letting him stay inside to control the security of the core base was a sign of absolute trust and a way to save his life.

Marcus deep breath, stood tall, and gave Chen Feng a salute.

"Yes, Boss."

Chen Feng nodded in satisfaction and turned to Hunk, who had remained silent.

"Hunk, go pick your men. I'm giving you two days to set up the framework for Alpha Squad." Chen Feng stubbed out his cigar. "In a few days, we'll be making a big move. I want your team ready to be thrown into the meat grinder at any moment."

"Yes, Boss." Hunk's voice remained flat, like a precision instrument.

He turned and walked toward the equipment area to begin selecting weapons for himself.

Chen Feng watched Hunk's retreating back as detailed data about him popped up on his retina.

[Elite Unit: Hunk]

[Codename: Grim Reaper]

[Traits: Extreme Survival, Tactical Mastery, Cold-Blooded, Lucky One.]

[Loyalty: Absolute Loyalty.]