78: Chapter 78 Wrath in the Shadows: The Provocation of Ants and the "Other Shore Flower"

The Mediterranean, a private island not found on any map.

This was a true "lawless land" and a resort for the puppet masters of the so-called "world order." An ancient castle stood on the cliff, waves crashing against the reefs with a thunderous roar.

Deep inside the castle, in a highly futuristic conference room, a hologram projected a map of Southeast Asia. Several strongholds that originally belonged to "Blood Moon" were now marked with glaring red crosses.

At the end of the long table sat a man shrouded in shadow. His face was indistinguishable; one could only see an obsidian ring carved with complex totems on his hand.

"Is this the report you give me?" The man's voice was low, carrying the pressure of someone who had held a high position for a long time. It was impossible to tell if he was happy or angry, but it made the few old men in expensive suits sitting at the table subconsciously lower their heads, not daring to take a full breath.

"Mr. Chairman..." An old man in charge of intelligence wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and spoke cautiously, "This is... this was an accident. We didn't expect that Northern Myanmar warlord named Zhang Cheng to react so fiercely and use such... professional methods. Furthermore, the betrayal of 'Phantom' completely exceeded our psychological model predictions."

"Professional? Accident?" The man called the Chairman sneered, his voice filled with bone-chilling coldness. " 'Blood Moon' is a hunting dog we have raised in Southeast Asia for twenty years! Twenty years! Overnight, its teeth were pulled out and its claws were hacked off! Even 'Phantom,' whom we spent countless resources to cultivate, has become someone else's blade! You call this an accident?"

He slammed the table, and the holographic projection flickered, as if even the machine was afraid.

"This is a provocation! It is a naked provocation against the majesty of Council of Elders! An ant actually dares to bite an elephant!"

The Chairman stood up and paced in the conference room. His leather shoes stepped on the expensive carpet, the sound like it was stepping on everyone's heartbeat.

"First, those bloodsuckers from the Four Great Families were crushed by him, cutting off one of our financial routes in the Golden Triangle. Now, even our 'scavengers' have been countered and killed by him." The Chairman stopped in front of the holographic map, his eyes fixed on that small area of Northern Myanmar. "This Zhang Cheng... his existence is no longer a small trouble, but a malignant tumor that must be excised. If he is allowed to gain a foothold there, or even become a hand extended by the Dragon Kingdom into the Indian Ocean, that would be a true strategic disaster."

"Mr. Chairman, do you mean..."

"Two-pronged approach." The Chairman held up two fingers, his tone icy.

"First, since those pieces of trash from 'Blood Moon' are useless, let them get lost. Contact 'Hellfire'."

Upon hearing the name "Hellfire," the few old men at the table changed their expressions slightly.

That was a group of true lunatics, a killing squad composed of top retired special forces soldiers from various countries and dismissed intelligence agents. They didn't follow rules, only recognized money, and their methods were cruel, and their equipment was superior, far beyond that of an assassination-oriented organization like "Blood Moon." They were true war machines.

"Tell 'Hellfire' I have a big business deal. I want Zhang Cheng's head, and I want the corpse of that traitor 'Phantom.' No matter how much money it costs, I will pay it. I want them to know the price of betrayal and provocation."

"Second," the Chairman's finger pointed to South Wa on the map, which was Bao Youxiang's territory. "Killers alone are not enough. We need to find some real trouble for Zhang Cheng, make him unable to attend to other things, and make him collapse from within."

He turned around, looked at the crowd, and a cruel arc hooked at the corner of his mouth:

"Initiate the 'Equinox Flower' plan."

"Hiss—"

A sound of gasping echoed in the conference room. Several elders looked at each other, their eyes full of horror.

"Chairman... 'Equinox Flower'... that is a nano-biochemical virus developed for specific gene fragments... once released, that region could become a dead zone... This is absolutely prohibited by international conventions..."

"International conventions?" The Chairman sneered, his eyes full of disdain. "Those are chains used to constrain the weak. For us, they are nothing more than a piece of paper. As long as no evidence is left, who can prove we did it? Just say it was a local plague outbreak, or that Zhang Cheng himself had a biochemical experiment leak."

He walked back to his seat, sat back into the shadows, and his voice became even deeper, as if it were a whisper from hell:

"Notify Bao Youxiang in the south. Tell that idiot this is his last chance. Provide him with samples of 'Equinox Flower' and delivery equipment. Let him deploy this thing to Zhang Cheng's capital, and into his army."

"I want to see Pangkham become a dead city. I want to see Zhang Cheng watch his people and his soldiers die painfully one by one, while he is powerless to do anything. I want to destroy the foundation of his rule, destroy the hearts of his people, and destroy everything he has!"

"This is the price for provoking Council of Elders."

An order carrying the scent of blood and destruction was sent from this isolated island, passed through undersea fiber optic cables, and flew toward the distant East.