Dragon Clan: Lu Mingfei Doesn’t Want to Become a Night City Legend

Chapter 165 The Unsolvable Mask

Arasaka Yoriyuki's mission was quite peculiar.

His task requirement was—

Take him on a trip

That's right, this young master of Arakawa went to great lengths to find Lu Mingfei, the legendary mercenary who could directly pierce through Arakawa Tower, just so that Lu Mingfei could be his tour guide.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kidnap you? Oh, you're a sex doll now, but isn't this the city your family rules? You want to go shopping here too?"

"Enough talk, lead the way. Let me see the taste of a legendary mercenary."

Arasaka Yorinobu waved his hand, his attitude still somewhat hostile, carrying the natural disdain of a young master for the lower classes.

However, Lu Mingfei was always indifferent. Since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it. If the young master wanted to play mysterious, then he would play along.

Without any indication of testing Arasaka Yorinobu or the Relic chip, Lu Mingfei simply accompanied Yorinobu on a stroll around Night City. Speaking of which, if Night City were a cyberpunk open-world game, Lu Mingfei, as a local and a night-view enthusiast, did indeed have a few favorite spots.

The undisputed number one spot belongs to the [Japanese Street Entrance].

If this were a game, Lu Mingfei would make the entrance to the Japanese street the first highlight of the promotional video.

The crisscrossing neon signs and the buildings interspersed and stacked together create a complex and bizarre scene, giving one a sense of beauty despite the information overload.

But when Lu Mingfei brought the young master over, the young master only glanced at him before turning his head to look at Lu Mingfei with an expression that said, "What's so interesting about this?"

Lu Mingfei:
Okay, Lu Mingfei had forgotten that this person was Japanese.

"Have I been in contact with Japanese elements a bit too much lately?" Lu Mingfei wondered to himself.

It seems I'm going to have to bring out my seniority as a veteran Night City resident.

The bumpy journey began.

Westbrook Japanese Street

"Twisty Street, the vulgar side of Night City. The city's red-light district is filled with adult shops, sex dolls, streetwalkers... and tourists lured in by promises of lavish pleasures, intending to taste forbidden fruit. After enjoying the decadent atmosphere of Twisty Street, you can stroll across to the Cherry Blossom Market. The scenery there is more traditional, with beautiful holographic pink cherry blossom trees, a huge standing statue, Japanese-style lanterns, and a street market with a glass roof~"

Lu Mingfei thought to himself that this dissolute playboy must usually be 'eating' good stuff, so this vulgar and barbaric street might make him react differently.

but.
"roar~"

Was it just my imagination? I had a feeling that Arasaka Yorinobu was quite interested. He looked around, and finally his gaze ruthlessly locked onto a towering building at the end of the Japanese street.

That's Genting Highlands.

Lu Mingfei still remembers that when he was still a novice mercenary, Lucy and David were often worried that he would be led astray by his seniors and dragged to Genting for money.

After all, that's high-end customization, and few people can resist that temptation.

It seems that even young master Arasaka is not immune to falling into the clichés.

The next attraction is [Concorde Park].

In this fast-paced metropolis made of glass, metal and concrete, Concorde Park is an outlier.

The interior is lush and verdant, with large trees standing on both sides of the walking path. You can cross the park's lake by walking along the wooden bridge. It can be said to be a very rare 'original ecology', which is extremely rare in this era.

Lai Xuan looked at it for a while, but still wasn't interested.

He was obsessed with sex, despised Lu Mingfei, and had no appreciation for the pristine environment of Xiehe Park.

So far, Arasaka Yorinobu is almost a collection of stereotypes, so it's no wonder that outsiders say he's just a useless playboy.

Lu Mingfei didn't think much of it and continued to complete the task.

He immediately summoned his car and had Arasaka Yorinobu get in.

Night City is not very large.

If you're just looking for a drive through the central hub, and with Lu Mingfei's incredible driving skills, you can see all the city's attractions in a single day.

Buzz!

Due to mission requirements, Lu Mingfei made some minor modifications to the sports car, adding necessary bulletproof features, but most importantly, he significantly improved the horsepower. The engine underwent major modifications, something anyone with even a basic understanding of cars would immediately recognize.

"How's your skill?"

Yoriyuki Arasaka sat in the passenger seat, not wearing a seatbelt, leaning back with his arms crossed, offering his one-sided comments on the car's comfort and appearance.

He could tell, of course, that the car had been modified. "It's alright, passable."

After completing ignition and releasing the brakes, Lu Mingfei answered casually.

"Humph."

Arakasaka Yoriyuki snorted, dismissing Lu Mingfei's lack of confidence with a hint of disdain in his tone.

In his youth, he was a bit of a biker gang member, and he was somewhat arrogant about his driving skills.

Even the legendary mercenaries of Night City, I—

[Buzzing! ——! ——! ——————————]

"!!!!!! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!!!!!!!!!"

It shot out like an arrow released from a bow, leaving only its sharp cry in the air.

The neon lights of the sea blurred into flowing ink in the afterglow. The tires precisely rolled over the seams of the road. Lu Mingfei held the steering wheel with minimal movement, yet the front of the car deftly avoided the beer cans that a drunkard had dropped in front of him.

call!--------

The running steel beast is difficult to tame, but in Lu Mingfei's hands, it seems to lack a certain boldness.

The string of Japanese-style lanterns framed by the rearview mirror was stretched into crimson threads by the speed, and the night wind leaking in through the passenger window caused the entire car to vibrate with electronic music.

The music playing was "Chippin'In" by the Samurai Band.

The aggressive metal music bombards people's eardrums. In Lu Mingfei's time, most people were not used to this kind of music. Lu Mingfei himself was no exception. He preferred cute anime music and listened to things like Renai Circulation.

My tastes changed after I arrived in Night City.

Metal is the release of emotions, the middle finger raised in defiance of fate, a rebellion against the world, and a cry from the soul.

The great rock musician Johnny Silverhand once said—supermetal, awesome.

Lu Mingfei thought Lai Xuan would find it noisy, but to his surprise, this was the first time Lai Xuan had directly praised Lu Mingfei during this 'tour guide mission'.

"Listen to Silver Hands, that's classy."

The simple compliment, however, piqued Lu Mingfei's curiosity once again.

He remembered a rumor that Lai Xuan was a fan of Silver Hand, and it seemed to be true.

But why?

If metal is the intense emotion that spontaneously arises when the lower classes rebel against corporations, then why would Yoriyuki Arasaka like such songs?

With questions in mind, Lu Mingfei arrived at his final destination.

Charter Street

This is his treasure trove. Just like he used to like climbing to his aunt's rooftop to overlook the city, he found his own 'rooftop' in Night City.

They climbed onto the top of an apartment building.

This is the only spot that offers a panoramic view of Night City.

Looking down at the decaying state of Kabuki, one can see the towering Arasaka Tower above, and ahead lies the brightly lit, bustling Japanese town.

Here, one can witness everything in this city, feel the stark contrast, the chilling and nauseating disparity.

Lu Mingfei parked the car but didn't turn off the engine, because he thought Arasaka Yoriyuki wouldn't be interested in the scene.

But unexpectedly, he stopped.

"."

The doll's body was still and dazed, staring blankly ahead until the faint light reflected from the distant neon lights enveloped it.

He stood frozen at the boundary between neon lights and shadows, the night wind lifting the hem of his clothes, his pupils still reflecting the afterimages of those torrents of light and shadow. He stared blankly, lost in thought, at the distant, utterly silent scene.

That was the only time Lu Mingfei saw a 'different Arasaka Yoriyuki' that day.

It was as if everything before had been a facade; what he exuded at this moment was neither arrogance nor high spirits.
It is a chilling loneliness.

(End of this chapter)