155: Chapter 155 Dragons have scales that cannot be touched; to touch them is certain death.

Snap.

A soft click—not the sound of bone shattering, but the muffled thud of a human joint being dislocated.

After Shadow One's "clear the area" command was issued, the dozen or so young people disguised as stockers and cashiers inside the supermarket completed their identity switch within 0.3 seconds.

The gentle aura of ordinary people completely faded from them, replaced by a deep-seated military grit and precision. No shouting, no wasted movements. In pairs, one performed a throat lock while the other dislocated a joint, their actions as textbook-perfect as a manual.

The wailing middle-aged woman's cries came to an abrupt halt as she was hoisted up like a chick, her mouth covered and her body pinned to the ground. Those so-called joint enforcement personnel didn't even have time to pull out their IDs to bluster before their wrists were twisted behind their backs and their faces were pressed hard against the cold floor tiles.

Thirty seconds.

In just thirty seconds, all the troublemakers in the supermarket were subdued. Their phones were confiscated, their mouths gagged, and they knelt on the ground, unable to move, like a row of livestock waiting for slaughter.

The chaos of the scene was replaced by a higher level of order—one that made the heart tremble with unease.

A female bodyguard quickly stepped to Su Wanqing's side, supporting her swaying body. She gently pressed her other hand against Su Wanqing's lower abdomen, assessing the situation with professional first-aid knowledge before whispering a report into the micro-communicator on her collar.

"The Mistress's pregnancy is unstable. Transport to the hospital immediately."

...

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Huihuang Group, in the top-floor chairman's office.

A video conference spanning three continents was underway. On the holographic screen in front of Chen Fan were the CEOs and legal representatives of over a dozen top global semiconductor companies. On the negotiating table was a ten-billion-dollar chip technology acquisition case.

At the final moment, just as the agreement was about to be finalized, the green dot representing Su Wanqing's vital signs in the center of the black wristband on Chen Fan's left wrist suddenly turned into a rapidly flashing red.

At that moment, all the business-like calmness and calculation in Chen Fan's eyes vanished without a trace.

He didn't say a single word.

Under the stunned gazes of dozens of global business titans, he stood up, reached out his finger, and gave a light swipe across the holographic projection in front of him.

The ten-billion-dollar negotiation screen, like a popped soap bubble, collapsed into a stream of data and vanished.

He said only one sentence to Chen Haoyu, whose face had already turned deathly pale behind him.

"Prepare the aircraft. We're going to Imperial Capital International Hospital."

Ten minutes later, a pitch-black Sikorsky S-76 helicopter let out a massive roar, tearing through the daylight of the Imperial Capital. Ignoring complex urban air traffic control regulations, it descended in a near-savage manner, landing straight onto the helipad atop the Imperial Capital International Hospital.

The hospital director had already been waiting anxiously on the helipad with the hospital's top team of OB-GYN experts.

The cabin door opened, and Chen Fan jumped out of the helicopter.

There was no expression on his face—no anger, no anxiety—only a deathly silence. This extreme calmness was more suffocating than any roar, making the surrounding air feel heavy and oppressive.

The red light of the emergency room flickered on and then off.

A white-haired senior expert stepped out, removed his mask, and reported to the expressionless Chen Fan, "Mr. Chen, because the Madam suffered excessive shock and external stimulation, it caused severe contractions and signs of a threatened miscarriage."

The senior expert paused. Seeing Chen Fan's emotionless eyes, his heart tightened, and he quickly added, "After our full efforts to save them, mother and child are currently safe, but the situation remains unstable. She must have absolute bed rest and cannot be subjected to any more stimulation."

Mother and child are safe.

These four words, instead of relaxing Chen Fan's tense nerves in the slightest, became the final fuse that ignited the powder keg.

A close call?

In his ears, those words translated into another sentence: his wife and his unborn child had just taken a walk past the gates of hell.

Chen Fan slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, those bottomless eyes held nothing but pure, unadulterated killing intent.

He gave an order to Chen Haoyu beside him, his voice steady but carrying a chill that could freeze the soul.

"Investigate."

"Activate 'Skynet.' I want the backgrounds of everyone in that supermarket today, along with the people behind them, dug up within a second."

"I want them... to regret being born into this world."

Chen Haoyu felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, his body trembling uncontrollably. He had never seen his second uncle like this.

Chen Fan walked into the ward and looked at Su Wanqing's pale, sleeping face on the bed. He leaned down and gently took her hand.

Deep within his consciousness, where no one could perceive, he issued a completely different command to the [god-level investment system].

"Activate maximum authority. Access the 'Skynet' intelligence system. Target lock: everyone involved in the 'Wan Qing Premium Selection' incident."

Buzz—

The familiar business investment interface instantly faded away, replaced by a sophisticated intelligence network woven from billions of data streams covering the entire Imperial Capital. Every camera, every phone call, every bank transfer was laid bare on this web.

In less than a minute, a flood of information poured into Chen Fan's mind.

Deputy Director Wang of the Industry and Commerce Bureau received an encrypted call from the Chen family's main residence last night at 22:17.

Section Chief Liu of the Fire Department had an identical call record at 22:23 last night.

The woman wailing at the supermarket entrance was a professional medical agitator. Thirty minutes ago, her bank account received a transfer of five hundred thousand from a shell company.

All the clues, like venomous snakes, eventually converged on a single name—

Liu Manwen.

The wife of Chen Jianguo.

Seeing this name, there was no longer a single ripple in Chen Fan's heart, only the absolute coldness of carrying out a sentence.

He walked out of the ward, pulled out a pitch-black phone with no markings, and dialed an encrypted number that had never been used before.

The moment the call connected, it activated his final trump card—an absolutely loyal 'Shadow Unit' that operated outside all legal rules.

From this moment on, he no longer needed evidence or business tactics.

He would use the most direct and primitive method to erase all threats.

"Shadow, hear my command."

Chen Fan's voice was low and cold, like a judgment delivered from the depths of hell.

"Deputy Director Wang of Industry and Commerce, Section Chief Liu of Fire Safety, and Director Sun of Health. I do not wish for tomorrow's sun to shine upon them."

"The professional medical agitator and the agency behind her—clean them up. Leave no survivors and no traces."

There was no response from the other end, only a dead silence that represented absolute obedience.

Chen Fan paused and gave his final instruction.

"Finally, go to the Chen family's main residence and deliver a gift to Liu Manwen."

"Tell her the game is over."

This was no longer a business competition.

This was a unilateral purge.

The call ended.

In less than half an hour, Chen Haoyu's phone began to vibrate frantically. He received several calls from friends in the Imperial Capital, each voice filled with uncontrollable terror.

"Haoyu! Something huge happened! Deputy Director Wang of the Industry and Commerce Bureau was just hit by an out-of-control dump truck on his way home. The car was flattened—he died on the spot!"

"And Section Chief Liu of the Fire Department! The natural gas pipeline in his apartment building suddenly exploded, and the whole building is on fire! He... probably also..."

The night in the Imperial Capital fell into unprecedented panic because of these clean, traceless 'accidents.'

Chen Fan stood by the window on the top floor of the hospital, looking down at the city's myriad lights.

In his eyes was a cold, dark void.

To protect the one he loved, he chose to become an Asura.