Terrifying Insect Assassin

Ai Wei and Lily, standing by, were just ordinary girls. How could they have experienced such danger? They were now overly frightened, mouths slightly agape, eyes wide, tears welling up. Just as they were about to burst into tears, which would have been earth-shattering, Guan Heng spoke.

"Ladies, if you don't cry or make a fuss right now, and pretend nothing happened, then follow Tony back to the yacht. I promise that when we get back, Tony will give each of you a luxury sports car."

Ai Wei and Lily exchanged glances, and their tears miraculously disappeared. The two girls walked blankly towards the yacht as if under a spell.

"Wow, you really have a way with words. You settled them down with just one sentence," Tony exclaimed. "What is your brain made of to come up with such ideas?"

"You need to understand, this wasn't my idea," Guan Heng shrugged. "It was your wealth as a tycoon that played the crucial role."

Just as he was about to walk away, Guan Heng suddenly bent down, picked up a piece of the dead dragonfly's flesh, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it to Tony. "When we get back to the ship, have Jarvis scan this. Let's find out what kind of monster bug this is, so we know what we're dealing with."

Tony nodded, took it, and put it in his pocket.

As soon as the two girls returned to the ship, they locked themselves in their cabin and refused to come out. Tony and Guan Heng exchanged a shrug. It was probably for the best.

In the yacht's lower deck, there was a small workroom. Tony opened his laptop. "Jarvis, quickly scan the species this piece of meat belongs to."

After a moment, Jarvis replied, "After analysis and comparison, this piece of meat belongs to the largest and fastest-flying Dragonfly Emperor in Europe."

He continued, "However, the cells and genes of this Dragonfly Emperor's owner are abnormally large, clearly due to severe radiation mutation. This has caused the dragonfly's body to magnify thousands of times. Furthermore, Dragonfly Emperors are carnivorous and bloodthirsty. They, like falcons, often hover over water or swamps for most of the time, searching for food. Each male Dragonfly Emperor has its own territory, and any intruder will be ruthlessly attacked. Dragonfly Emperors look very fierce, hence they are also called Falcon Dragonflies. After becoming giant, they should become terrifying man-eating hunters."

Tony and Guan Heng exchanged a look, both showing surprise.

Even more sensational information was being presented by Jarvis: "Ordinary Dragonfly Emperors can fly at speeds of sixty kilometers per hour in any direction. Now, with their bodies enlarged, I have conducted a simulation analysis and concluded that the Giant Dragonfly Emperor's flight speed can reach more than ten times that, which is six hundred kilometers per hour. Dragonfly Emperors like to sunbathe every morning, shaking their bodies to raise their body temperature by seven degrees Celsius per minute. Temperature is the best guarantee for their flight speed. Aerial maneuverability is very important for Dragonfly Emperors, on one hand to protect their territory, and on the other hand to mate with females flying in."

Tony sat at the table, frowning, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. Guan Heng touched his chin, looking down in thought.

According to Jarvis, the Dragonfly Emperor's astonishing aerial abilities were due to its complex body structure. There was an axial structure connecting the wings to the body, which could rotate freely during flight. Each wing could rotate independently, allowing for high-precision flight, hovering, and figure-eight movements in the air. This enabled them to gain maximum lift during both downward and upward wing beats. On each wing, there was a small but extremely important spot called a pterostigma. Its function was to balance the wings, but it could also greatly increase gliding speed. Modern aircraft also had similar features.

Dragonfly Emperors could move forward like jet planes and fly like helicopters, but they were also extremely aggressive bandits, always initiating conflicts and preying on other creatures in their habitat without reason. It was currently the breeding season for Dragonfly Emperors, and their larvae lived underwater for about two and a half years, which accounted for 95% of a dragonfly's life. Once they metamorphosed and became adults, they would be the ultimate killers in the skies above this water area.

Furthermore, two-thirds of a Dragonfly Emperor's body structure was composed of flight muscles. Without the sun's warmth, it was difficult to activate the dragonfly's massive flight muscles. The flight muscles accounted for two-thirds of the dragonfly's total body weight. Only when the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius would the flight muscles reach their peak working efficiency.

"Gentlemen, an important reminder is that newly metamorphosed Dragonfly Emperors are entirely blue. These newly hatched predatory killers are extremely hungry."

Jarvis continued, "Dragonflies are voracious eaters. They can consume all flying insects smaller than themselves. The chewing mouthparts of a Dragonfly Emperor are very sharp, acting like scissors to tear apart their prey. A single Dragonfly Emperor can eat food equivalent to one-fifth of its body weight daily. After metamorphosing, a Dragonfly Emperor doubles its weight after two weeks of frantic predation, and its body color turns blue. At this point, it will first seize a territory of about fifty square meters rich in aquatic plants, frantically search for a mate, and prepare to reproduce. Dragonfly Emperors will eat anything weaker than themselves within their territory, including members of their own species. Their lifespan, as larvae, is only about one-tenth of their adult life, ranging from a few days to a month. Therefore, the survival of Dragonfly Emperors is a race against time."

Guan Heng then said to Tony, "Old Jarvis is right. I just passed by the lake and saw swarms of giant dragonflies fighting each other. They must be fighting for territory and mates."

"It seems so," Tony nodded. "These guys are in a hurry to hunt and breed in the water, so they probably rarely come to the coast. As long as we stay quietly on the yacht and don't venture into the woods or go to the lake, we should be safe until dawn when we set sail."

Guan Heng thought for a moment. "We still can't be careless. One of them has already broken through and endangered your lives. How about this: you protect the girls on the yacht, and I'll patrol the shore. If any bugs attack, I'll take care of them."

Tony hesitated and asked, "Is that necessary? I think it's safer to stay on the ship. Why do you need to take the risk?"

Guan Heng shook his head. "You saw it just now, those flying giant bugs have already started attacking you. You don't have your armor on now, you're just an ordinary person. You can barely protect the girls. I have to ensure your absolute safety."

He paused and continued, "Right now, only I can defeat those bugs, so you have to listen to me. Stay on the ship and don't come out unless I call you. That's settled."

Saying that, Guan Heng stood up and patted Tony's shoulder. "Buddy, I won't be in any danger. But you, you need to take good care of Ai Wei and Lily. Don't take advantage of them while I'm gone. I haven't even made a move yet."

"Bah! I'm a gentleman!" Tony cursed with a laugh. "Hurry up and get off the ship to patrol."

"Besides, I have some personal matters to attend to after I get off the ship, hehe," Guan Heng thought to himself. He then said, "Jarvis, tell me in detail about the habits of these dragonflies. I need to be prepared."

"Certainly, Mr. Guan. I am at your service." Jarvis, indeed, had the demeanor of an English butler, answering every question truthfully and exhaustively.