Brother, just how powerful is our family?

Dawn comes exceptionally early in Africa; before five o'clock, the eastern horizon is already tinged with the pale light of dawn.

The system remained silent in my mind as always, like a faithful tool, waiting for its master to use it.

Over the past two years, Qin Feng has grown accustomed to this state. There are no mechanical prompts, no cold task assignments, only an almost limitless knowledge base and energy conversion capabilities, quietly existing for him to draw upon.

The initial elation and unease upon receiving the system have long since subsided, replaced by a calm sense of control.

Qin Feng was very clear about what he possessed: an ultimate tool that could directly convert cosmic dark energy into any matter, a treasure trove of knowledge recording all the technologies in the universe, and the power he had built upon it that was enough to change the world order.

"gentlemen."

Qin Weidong's voice interrupted his thoughts; he was holding a holographic data panel in his hands.

"Come in." Qin Feng turned around. "Is everything arranged?"

"Yes. The itinerary for the four ladies has been confirmed: they will depart from Shanghai Pudong Airport at 11:20 a.m. on July 3 and arrive in N'Djamena at 7 p.m. local time."

Qin Weidong paused, then continued, "As per your instructions, I have completed the adjustment of the manor's 'camouflage layer.' All facilities exceeding the current level of Earth's technology have been hidden or disguised as conventional products. All entrances to the underground base are sealed, and the energy barrier is functioning normally, ensuring that it will not be detected by any means of detection."

Qin Feng nodded and walked to the large mahogany desk to sit down.

Several documents were laid out on the table, all reports on the base's daily operations, but his mind was not on these trivial matters at the moment.

"Qin Weidong, do you think I should gradually let my family know some of the truth?"

The cyborg butler bowed slightly: "That depends on your judgment, Commander. From a security perspective, the less you know, the safer you are. But from an emotional perspective, sharing the joy of success with loved ones is a universal need in human society."

"Two years ago, I chose to hide it because we were completely defenseless." Qin Feng tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "If anyone had known I possessed a system back then, the consequences would have been unimaginable. But things are different now..."

His gaze deepened: "Now, our conventional military forces are enough to sweep across the entire world. Three hundred thousand cyborg troops, each a super soldier; our fighter jets and tanks are more than ten times the performance of Earth's existing equipment; our production bases can produce enough weapons and ammunition every day to wage a world war."

"As for nuclear weapons..." Qin Feng paused for a moment, "that has never been a technical issue. The system's knowledge base contains complete nuclear weapon design blueprints, from fission bombs to fusion bombs, from tactical nuclear weapons to strategic hydrogen bombs, all of them. The difficulty lies in the raw materials—uranium purification and plutonium production, which require a massive industrial system to support under normal conditions."

"But for us, raw materials are not a problem at all." Qin Feng's tone was terrifyingly calm. "The system can directly convert energy into any substance. As long as I know the atomic structure, I can create weapon-grade nuclear materials out of thin air. Theoretically, I could cover the entire surface of the Earth with nuclear warheads. Of course, I won't do that."

Qin Weidong listened quietly, knowing that the commander wasn't showing off, but rather organizing his thoughts.

"I've always believed that nuclear weapons are the ultimate deterrent, and we should avoid using them if possible." Qin Feng stood up and walked back to the window. "But the problem now is that my sister's arrival may gradually expose our existence. Live broadcasts, social media, the experiences of four young girls in Africa... once this information gets out, it will definitely attract the attention of certain people."

Are you worried that other forces will target us?

"It's not just worry, it's inevitable." Qin Feng turned around, his eyes sharp. "When the outside world learns that there's a mysterious 'Global Group' deep in Africa, possessing a powerful private army and technology far ahead of its time... do you think governments will stand idly by? Do you think intelligence agencies will turn a blind eye?"

Qin Weidong paused for a moment: "Based on the analysis of human political behavior patterns, at least seventeen countries would initiate investigation procedures immediately, and five of them would consider taking coercive measures."

"Therefore, we need a greater deterrent force." Qin Feng made the decision. "Nuclear weapons are our trump card, but we can't reveal them easily. We need a deterrent force that lies between conventional and nuclear weapons, a force that allows people to intuitively feel the gap and thus dare not act rashly."

He pressed a button on the table, and a three-dimensional model of the solar system immediately appeared in the center of the study. The model rotated and eventually settled on the position of the asteroid belt.

"Interstellar warships," Qin Feng said. "We're building a space fleet capable of freely navigating within the solar system."

Qin Weidong's dashboard immediately started flashing as he quickly analyzed the feasibility and impact of the decision.

"According to the system's knowledge base, with our current level of technology, building interstellar warships is entirely feasible," Qin Feng continued to explain. "We have the materials, we have the energy, we have the technology. The only limitations are time and secrecy."

"Do you wish to establish a military presence in space?"

"Yes. And the scale needs to be large enough." Qin Feng's finger traced through the air, enlarging the solar system model and revealing details of the asteroid belt. "I plan to build twelve interstellar warships, each ten kilometers long, equipped with complete weapon systems and interstellar travel capabilities. At the same time, I will establish a one-million-strong space-based bio-engineered force to be responsible for the fleet's operation and combat."

Qin Weidong quickly calculated: "Commander, this project is extremely large in scale. Even with our production capacity, it will take at least six months to complete the initial construction without affecting the operation of the existing base."

"Then six months it will be," Qin Feng said decisively. "And this matter must be kept completely secret and cannot be carried out on Earth. Asteroids contain enough raw materials and have natural concealment. Building there will make it difficult to be discovered."

"Should we appoint someone to be in charge?"

Qin Feng pondered for a moment: "Send Qin Zhanjun. He was originally a tactical commander of a defensive bio-engineered human, skilled in large-scale operations and engineering management. Give him sufficient resources and support, and let him establish a secret shipyard in the asteroid belt."

"Understood. I'll contact Qin Zhanjun now and have him come for a mission briefing."

"Tell him this is a top priority. The fleet is being built not only for deterrence, but also for...future possibilities."

Qin Feng didn't say it explicitly, but Qin Weidong understood the deeper meaning of those words. Possessing interstellar travel capabilities meant no longer being confined to Earth. If a conflict were to break out with other nations on Earth in the future, they would at least have a way out—or rather, a strategic foothold from which to exert pressure from a higher dimension.

"Furthermore," Qin Feng added, "in warship design, deterrence must be emphasized. I don't need to hide their existence; on the contrary, at certain times, I need them to be observable—in a way that cannot be ignored."

"You want them to become a 'visible deterrent'?"

"That's right. As our global conglomerate gradually emerges, and when someone tries to test our limits, having a space fleet cruising in Earth's orbit is more persuasive than any diplomatic statement."

A preliminary mission outline has been generated on Qin Weidong's holographic data panel: "I will convey your instructions to Qin Zhanjun in full. The advance team is expected to depart for the asteroid belt within 24 hours to begin preliminary preparations."

"Very good." Qin Feng nodded in satisfaction. "You will personally oversee this matter and report the progress to me every week."

"Yes, Commander."