Detective Conan: Shadow Legion Office

111: Chapter 111 The Rapidly Progressing Island ConstructionThe massive rotors of the Chinook transport helicopter churned the humid air of the island, kicking up clouds of sand and gravel.

As Lin Long stepped off the ramp, his black tactical boots hit the temporarily laid steel plates with a dull thud.

He wore a custom dark gray suit with the sleeves rolled up, revealing a seven-figure Patek Philippe watch on his wrist—

The small diamonds embedded in the watch face glittered in the sunlight, creating an eerie resonance with the metal gear worn by the armed personnel behind him.

”Boss.”

James’s voice carried a deliberately suppressed excitement as he stood ramrod straight at the bottom of the ramp, his olive-drab tactical uniform still stained with wet mud, clearly having just rushed over from the construction site.

Behind him followed a squad of bodyguards in black uniforms, the crackle of real-time communications audible from their earpieces.

Lin Long did not respond immediately; he simply raised a hand to take the sunglasses offered by a bodyguard and put them on, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping over the land before him, which was beginning to take shape after the renovations.

A few months ago, this had been a desolate volcanic island; now, one could already see the outlines of expansive marble building complexes, and the distant helipad shimmered with a silvery-white light, like a metal plaque embedded in the greenery.

”Drive.”

He was concise, walking ahead toward the bulletproof SUV parked not far away.

James hurriedly opened the front passenger door, and only after Lin Long sat down did he walk around to the driver’s seat.

The moment the engine started, the armor plating hidden under the vehicle emitted a faint hum—this specially modified SUV could even withstand anti-tank missiles.

”Boss, look to the left.”

James turned the steering wheel and pointed to an area outside the window where turf was being laid.

”Per your requirements, this 18-hole golf course uses imported Scottish grass seeds; it’s salt- and drought-resistant, and the slope of the greens is accurate to 0.5 degrees, ensuring that the resistance during putting perfectly meets professional tournament standards.”

Lin Long looked in the direction he pointed, where a giant sprinkler truck was moving slowly across the lawn, the mist it sprayed refracting into rainbows in the sunlight.

Several workers in white uniforms were kneeling on the ground, measuring the density of the turf with rulers, their movements as devout as if they were performing some kind of ritual.

”The progress is slow.”

Lin Long’s voice came from behind the sunglasses, carrying a hint of imperceptible coldness.

”I said last month that the constant temperature system under the turf must be calibrated by this week. Now it seems you are procrastinating again.”

Cold sweat instantly broke out on James’s back.

”We underestimated the difficulty of laying the submarine optical cables, and the power supply required for the constant temperature system hasn’t caught up yet, but it will be connected this afternoon, ensuring it won’t affect the overall construction schedule.”

The SUV drove past a sea of flowers under construction.

Roses, tulips, and hyacinths of various colors were divided into neat sections, and workers were installing automatic temperature control devices for the flower beds.

James hurriedly explained:

”These flowers were all purchased according to the varieties you specified: Dutch tulips, French roses, Japanese cherry trees... We have genetically modified them to ensure that at least three types of flowers are in bloom simultaneously in every season. Look at that smart greenhouse over there; the orchids cultivated inside can bloom at minus five degrees.”

Lin Long’s gaze lingered for a moment on the group of statues at the end of the flower sea—

It was a group sculpture created by Italian sculptors, with his own seated statue as the main subject, surrounded by reliefs of figures symbolizing ”loyalty,” ”obedience,” and ”awe.” He nodded slightly, signifying his approval.

The car soon drove into the military zone in the heart of the island.

Outside the barbed wire, fully armed soldiers were patrolling along the electric fence, their black helmets glinting coldly in the sunlight.

James pointed to the shadows of the distant mountains: ”The reinforced regiment’s forces have been deployed. Three sniper points have been set up at the main peaks at altitudes of 800 meters, 1200 meters, and 1500 meters, all equipped with CheyTac M200 sniper rifles, with an effective range of 2000 meters, capable of penetrating 5-centimeter-thick homogeneous steel armor.”

”Outposts and fortresses have been built in all the treacherous positions of the surrounding mountains, and they are manned and rotated around the clock.”

He paused, his tone becoming more respectful:

”The air defense missile system selected is the Russian-made S-400; hoisting was just completed yesterday, and test firing is scheduled for next week.

In addition, the two ’Virginia’-class nuclear submarines purchased from the US have passed through the Panama Canal and are currently on standby in the Caribbean, ready to enter the exclusive maritime zone at any time;

five ’Arleigh Burke’-class destroyers are currently undergoing adaptation training in the Philippine waters, and their weapon systems have been upgraded according to your requirements, with the anti-ship missile range increased by 30%.”

Lin Long finally took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes that were bottomless.

He took a cigar out of his pocket, and a bodyguard immediately stepped forward to light it.

Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice carried a sense of indifference, as if looking down upon all living beings:

”The stealth tests for the nuclear submarines must pass the highest standards; I do not want any country’s sonar system to be able to detect their traces.

Also, have the destroyer fleet enter the island chain next week; I want to see a 24-hour non-stop patrol circle.”

”Yes!”

James took out a tablet computer and recorded quickly; in the satellite map that popped up on the screen, the island was wrapped in layers of red defensive circles, from underwater sonar to high-altitude early warning aircraft, forming an airtight three-dimensional protective net.

The car finally stopped in front of a building that was being topped out.

Outside this main building, which resembled the White House, workers were hoisting a huge bronze plaque onto the lintel, with the four large characters for ”house of god” cast in pure gold already taking shape.

”The interior decoration of the main building uses Italian Carrara white marble, and the dome murals are being painted by a team from the Vatican Museums, with the theme of ’Genesis,’ although we have replaced the image of ’God’ with your silhouette.”

James pointed to the plaque, his tone carrying a sense of seeking credit, ”The safe house in the basement has been completed; it is radiation-proof and bio-hazard-proof, with walls 3 meters thick, and the stored supplies are enough to support 1000 people living inside for 5 years.”

Lin Long looked up at the four golden characters nearing completion, the smoke from his cigar dispersing before his eyes.

When he came to this island a few months ago, he immediately took a liking to it, specifically for its sense of isolation far from the mainland—

Here, he could build his kingdom without any constraints; from natural landscapes to military defenses, from daily life to global deterrence, everything had to exist according to his will.

”Two months from now, I want to hold the first banquet here.”

He spoke suddenly, his voice carrying an unquestionable command,

”I will have my secretary send you the invitation list; ensure that everyone arrives ’on time’.

Also, upgrade the island’s communication system to quantum encryption; I do not want a single word spoken here to reach the ears of those who shouldn’t hear it.”

James nodded hurriedly:

”Understood! The quantum encryption equipment will be in place next week; it was ’specially approved’ by a certain country’s Academy of Sciences and is at least 5 years ahead of the US’s latest technology.”

He deliberately emphasized the words ”specially approved,” implying that this was another privilege obtained through non-standard channels.

Lin Long did not respond further and turned to walk toward the temporary entrance of the main building.

Passing the banquet hall under construction, he stopped—the ceiling here was designed to look like a starry dome, with tens of thousands of LED beads simulating precise constellation positions, and the ”North Star” located in the center was ten times larger than the other stars, directly facing his future main seat.

”Replace that star with an embedded yellow diamond,” he said casually, as if speaking of a trivial matter.

James was stunned for a moment, then immediately replied:

”Yes! I will contact the diamond mines in South Africa immediately and ensure we use a flawless yellow diamond, at least 100 carats.”

Lin Long was satisfied and continued walking forward.

Walking through the corridor where carpets were being laid, he pushed open a temporarily installed iron door, revealing a completed control room inside.

The huge screen displayed real-time surveillance footage from all over the island: the sprinkler system of the golf course, the temperature control data of the flower sea, the patrol trajectories of the soldiers on the mountains, the navigation routes of the nuclear submarines underwater... Everything was operating in an orderly manner under his watchful eye.

”house of god”, not only the name of this island but also the embodiment of his ambition.

Here, he wanted to become the absolute master; the climate would be controlled by him, flowers would bloom according to his preferences, military forces would guard his borders, and even the appearance of the starry sky would be defined by him.

”By the way, Boss.”

James followed him in and handed over a document, ”Regarding the ’special service team’ you requested, the first batch of candidates has been screened; they are all recruited from top universities around the world, all have an IQ above 140, are proficient in at least three languages, and...”

He paused, his tone becoming subtle, ”They have all passed the loyalty test.”

Lin Long took the document and flipped through it casually.

The young girls in the photos were all exceptionally beautiful with impressive resumes, clearly carefully selected ”servants.”

He threw the document back to James without expression: ”Have them in place in two months, divide their living areas by rank, and don’t let them wander around.”

”Yes.”

James put away the document, knowing clearly the future role of these people—they were merely decorations in this ”house of god” for the master to use at any time.

Lin Long walked to the surveillance screen, his fingertips sliding across it, from the golf course to the flower sea, from the soldiers’ gun barrels to the periscopes of the nuclear submarines, and finally stopping on the ”North Star” that was about to be replaced by a yellow diamond.

The banquet two months later would be the first clarion call with which he would announce the existence of the ”house of god” to the world.

Those who received invitations, whether they were national dignitaries or Zaibatsu leaders, would all understand one truth here: from now on, who the real ”God” is.

The afterglow of the sunset shone in through the unfinished windows, casting a long shadow behind him, like a black shackle stretching across the entire island, locking everything on this land firmly under his will.