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

Chapter 166 I'm Super, the Local Emperor
The week spent with Arasaka Yorinobu passed quickly.

As Lai Xuanzhen said, he was only there to 'observe' Night City, much like an emperor on an incognito visit to inspect the country he ruled.

Lai Xuan's choice to hire Lu Mingfei was not wrong. Although no one knew his identity, the chaotic security situation in Night City meant that the two of them could be drawn into a gunfight at any time.

But with Lu Mingfei around, none of this mattered. He possessed a remarkably refined ability to protect his targets, a rarity even among mercenaries.

After confirming L's work ability, Lai Xuan's attitude clearly improved.

As time went by, Lu Mingfei, with his silver tongue, managed to become somewhat acquainted with Lai Xuan, and the two would occasionally chat on the street.

"Your mistake is that you are too sentimental, L."

On the return trip in the sports car, Lai Xuan crossed his arms and looked ahead.

They had just taken a quick look around the Badlands region and weren't in high spirits, so they started chatting casually. When the topic turned to Lu Mingfei's current job, Lai Xuan seemed to mention it unintentionally.

"Why are you saying this suddenly?"

"Because you are very talented."

Lai Xuan spoke frankly.

"Adam Hammer, the mercenary you killed, was supposed to be my bodyguard. He was a special case that the company found worldwide. From a human perspective, he was rare and very powerful. From the perspective of an experimental subject, Adam Hammer might be an even more important 'talent' than me."

"And you are more special than him, but you also have more weaknesses."

"."

Lu Mingfei fell silent. Lai Xuan was from the upper echelons of this world, and he certainly knew a lot about the relationship between this world and the Dragon Clan world.

Should we try asking around?

"How to say?"

Lu Mingfei turned on his light, then quickly circled the sharp turn, asking curiously.

"You have friends now, don't you? Lots and lots of friends, that cyborg doctor, that eccentric woman, and your mercenary buddies. You think the company's strength comes solely from combat?"

"Yes, the company's army can crush any cyberpsychopath or prosthetic warrior in the world into dust, but at the same time, the company can also control your life, everything about you."

"No matter how powerful you are personally, can you protect everyone?"

Arakasaka Yoriyuki's words left Lu Mingfei silent for a moment.

"Boss, are you reminding me?"

“I’m trying to bring you into my team.”

Oh, so you're offering amnesty?
Lu Mingfei glanced at Lai Xuan, and as expected, his expression remained unreadable.

"If you're going to hire me, at least show me what you're really made of, right? How can you hire someone like this? I'm a pretty good employee, after all."

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I can’t have any record of contact with you. My prosthetic body has a high priority. Communication records won’t be found, but if we meet in private, there will definitely be problems. Nothing can escape Arasaka’s eyes.”

Lai Xuan cracked his neck. "By the way, you should also minimize your communications. Skilled hackers can easily find out about our secrets. If you want to be my bodyguard, you'll have to protect yourself."

"Where did such a skilled hacker come from?"

Lu Mingfei frowned.

Even Lu Mingfei himself couldn't do something like this.

His hacking skills were unbalanced, relying almost entirely on his natural talent, but lacking in technique and method. There was nothing he could do; the best hacker he knew, 'Lucy,' had reached her limit and couldn't teach him anything more.

He had never actually seen a hacker with better skills than himself.

This prompted Lai Xuan to scoff, as if making a joke.

"Outside the wall, the Frog Prince."

[For this final mission, come to the Azure Building. This time, I'll let you see me in person. Have your teammates come too.]

The mission soon reached its final chapter.

Location of the mission: Ganbi Building

Mission objective: Protect Arasaka Yorinobu

I need to meet with a business partner; they'll be coming directly from the top floor via an airship.

I've already told them you'll be my bodyguard. You'll just come into the hotel with me as usual and then wait outside the room.

"Then how can I ensure your safety in the room?"

Before I begin negotiations, have your teammates enter the room where I'm going to negotiate. I've prepared a shielded area for you; the other side won't be able to detect you.

"That's a good idea."

Lu Mingfei felt something was off.

There was nothing wrong with Arasaka Yorinobu's arrangements—the only problem was his own safety.

It's not that I'm worried about being overwhelmed by the negotiating partner. With V and Jack around, the other side won't have that chance. After all, Arasaka Yoriyuki's own cybernetics are top-notch, so even if a fight breaks out, he won't be instantly killed.

Even if the people inside were carrying some kind of small nuclear bomb and planning to self-destruct, Lu Mingfei was confident that he could use the crisis warning system to enter through Time Zero and rescue everyone.

He is that strong now.

Enemies beyond the Dragon King level are not worth considering.

"receive."

"Get to work, Jack."

After straightening his suit, V and Jack stood side by side in front of the Azure Building.

The glass curtain walls of the towering buildings gleam with a cold, bluish light, like a vertically frozen deep sea.

V tugged at the gold-threaded tie at the collar. She had always had a great figure, and having been a corporate employee before, she looked like a typical elegant lady in a suit when she wore one.

And Jack? His muscles under his custom-made suit stretched the fabric until it shone slightly, making him look like a bodyguard.

"Gentlemen, please look directly at the scanning array."

A staff member at the Glamour Building reminded V in a sweet, cloying female voice that the chip on the back of his neck was radiating heat from the scan.

The staff are probing their fabricated identities.

They handed over their business cards, using props prepared by Lai Xuan. V was the business director of a medical device company, and Jack was their bodyguard. Their appearance and identities were impeccable, and they were quickly allowed to pass.

Upon entering the Glamour Building, Jack's Adam's apple bobbed as he couldn't help but glance around.

"Holy crap. This is the world of the rich. Damn it, V, did you hear that? The people next to me are either talking about deals worth millions or which actress they slept with yesterday. Damn! Millions! I could only earn tens of thousands even if I worked my butt off in my next life!"

"Calm down, Jack. You need to learn to disguise yourself."

V remained as efficient as ever, without making any unnecessary movements.

But since Jack's character is a bodyguard, it doesn't really matter.

She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the room Lai Xuan had prepared for them.

She put her hand in her pocket, twirling a piece of metal between her fingertips.

That's insurance.

Although this mission seems like a big deal, there have always been hidden dangers.

That is—security.

After all, Lu Mingfei and Arasaka actually have a grudge. Who can guarantee that Lai Xuan's behavior so far isn't just an act? Maybe he did all this to lower Lu Mingfei's guard so that capturing Lu Mingfei alive would be his 'achievement'.

Of course, it's laughable that the heir of Arakasa would personally use himself as bait just to capture a mercenary, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

In this mission, Lu Mingfei, as the strongest individual soldier, doesn't need to make much preparation. Within his understanding, no one can hurt him.

However, Jack and V were different. V thought that Lai Xuan's sudden mention of his relationship with Jack was a bit suspicious.

[In the worst-case scenario, if Arasaka Yorinobu's goal was to capture me and Jack alive, then the room he assigned us might be problematic in itself.]

[Then they could hold L hostage, and then use me and Jack as hostages to control L—that's also a possibility.]

"That's what Think Tank V said."

So what's in this pocket is actually a miniature bomb.

The security gate was hacked beforehand, which is why it didn't detect this thing.

V decided that if Lai Xuan really had any ulterior motives, she would use this thing to force open the door and escape. As long as she could find Lu Mingfei inside the Ganbi Building, the 'hostage' effect would be lifted.

The three of them were always on the same channel, so they would react quickly if the connection was lost.

Foolproof.

Mission, begin.

The two arrived at the room designated by Arasaka Yorinobu first. V cautiously scanned the room from left to right to confirm its safety.

"It has a security lock program."

After confirming that it was safe with the prosthetic eye, V and Jack found a hiding spot in the room based on the location given by Lai Xuan—it was a small cubicle behind a curtain, which would not be discovered if one was not careful.

"We'll wait here."

"How's it going over there?"

Everything is normal.

Lu Mingfei stood on the top floor of a tall building, slightly raising his head, and could see an airship marked with the Arasaka icon sailing towards him in the distance.

call------

The wind pressure blew all the debris off the top of the building, and the gang members in the vicinity all left on their own.

When the airship opened, Lu Mingfei finally saw the person who had commissioned his mission for the first time in a true sense.

He wore an expensive-looking suit, had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and wore accessories that looked like small sunglasses.

It was both different from and similar to the time when he was with a sex doll. At this moment, Lai Xuan was sitting with his legs crossed, leaning against a soft cushion, with several bodyguards from Arasaka beside him.

He glanced at Lu Mingfei.

"Come up."

"."

Is it just my imagination? Why does this person seem to have an even more arrogant and domineering young master vibe?
【——————】

Once aboard the airship, Lu Mingfei noticed the fear in the eyes of the Arasaka employees next to him. Well, after all, he was a legendary mercenary who stormed the Arasaka Tower. Even if these employees had come in from outside with Lai Xuan, they had at least heard of Adam's Hammer if they hadn't seen Lu Mingfei in person.

It's only natural that someone capable of killing Adam with his hammer would be afraid.

"What's your trading target?" Lu Mingfei chuckled awkwardly, then turned to ask his 'acquaintance'.

"Don't ask what you don't want to ask."

"."

This guy is even more indifferent than when I took him on a trip.

It's almost like...
It's like trying to distance yourself from the situation.
Lu Mingfei frowned; what he had initially thought was a simple task seemed to be becoming increasingly perplexing and confusing.

The airship was moving forward, and it felt like it was heading towards the outskirts of the city. Lu Mingfei was a little confused, but V, whose brain signals were synchronized with Lu Mingfei's, reacted.

V: [Could it be because the person you're picking up is from outside Night City?]

Jack: [Hey, that's not a funny joke.]

People from other cities were the ones that Lai Xuan personally greeted.
So there are only those three people.
"Mr. Lai Xuan, we have arrived."

"Ah."

The airship suddenly opened, and a lot of noise flooded my brain.

Lu Mingfei narrowed his eyes and looked at the opened airship cabin door. The elongated shadow gradually approached, finally revealing the VIP's face.

Black leather shoes, a dark brown robe covering his body, an aged face, and a small round mirror on his nose.

This guy is
"grass."

Lu Mingfei cursed angrily, his words concise and to the point.

It's Saburo Arasaka.

(End of this chapter)