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

Chapter 209 Xiao Chu Nu and Little Chef
The [Arakasaka Tower] incident has ended.

In the days before Saburo arrived at Arasaka Tower, during the days he and Lu Mingfei were 'traveling', Arasaka Yoriyuki had already begun to implant an intrusion into the internal defense system of Arasaka Tower.

All of this was in preparation for the day when Lu Mingfei stormed the Araban Tower, so that he could understand his meaning and reach the summit.

Lu Mingfei captured Arasaka Hanako alive and also sent the relevant information about Relic technology directly to the internet.

Arasaka's PR?
With Lu Mingfei in charge of the company leadership, where would they get public relations resources? Even if the employees operate on their own, the military technology companies, which have been sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight for a long time, and the ambitious young men that Lai Xuan knows in other companies, have already launched a large-scale cyber war.

Arakasaka was no longer able to resist.

The other faction, far across the ocean, could only watch helplessly as Arasaka gradually walked towards his demise. [Devil's Technology: Relic] was also completely buried in history. Even though other companies coveted it, they dared not take action against him for the time being.

All this public opinion eventually turned into a wave, crashing onto the center of this drama, the protagonist.

Legendary Mercenary L

The person who, as a mercenary, completely 'killed' the company.

He is the first.

Finally, there was that unprecedented speech. In fact, what he said was no longer important. As long as there were objectively harsh conditions and verifiable achievements, the entire Night City would support Lu Mingfei as king.

People dissatisfied with the current world order where companies operate independently, dominate the world, and control information, have begun to idolize Lu Mingfei. After the terrorist attack, Night City not only did not suffer a loss of personnel, but also saw an increase in the influx of foreign people.

Military technology did not take up the share of Arasaka as expected.

Because Lu Mingfei replaced Arasaka.

Of course, this is not the Warring States period or the Spring and Autumn period, nor is it a game world where killing the enemy leader directly yields prisoners of war. Lu Mingfei kept Arasaka Hanako behind so that he would have a legitimate reason to control Arasaka.

How to control?

That's something that exists, isn't it?

[relic] technology.

The dragon slayer will eventually become the dragon, but technology is just technology. Lu Mingfei did not use Relic to establish an eternal boundary between the rich and the poor. Instead, he used Relic technology to brainwash all of Arasaka's shareholders, including Arasaka Hanako.

That's brainwashing in the literal sense.

The souls of all members of the Arasaka Company have now been replaced by the 'body' that Arasaka Yoriyuki had prepared long ago.

How could outsiders possibly know what was happening inside the completely closed-off Night City?
They turned all companies into their puppets by using Relic.

Then, under their complete control, they transmit incorrect information to the outside world.

Since the corporate wars and the rabies outbreak in Bartmouth, cities around the world have been completely demarcated and managed separately.

External opinions cannot influence Night City, which has long since become a one-man show by Lu Mingfei due to fanatical worship.

For the first time, the power of the individual has surpassed that of the city.

Arasaka Yoriyuki did not intend to become the sole emperor; he planned to create a man-made hero. However, in a sense, this hero also used the emperor's power—he became a hero simply by putting on a skin, which was somewhat ironic.

In short, the city controlled by Lu Mingfei continues to attract talent and strengthen its power until other companies have to take him seriously and try to fight back.

But those are things for another time.

Things certainly wouldn't go so smoothly. In fact, there were other hidden dangers in that battle—for example, the Silver Knight who fought Lu Mingfei and V was ultimately not captured. After fighting V, that person left on his own.

However, Lu Mingfei doesn't care about any of that now. After doing so much, he just wants to relax.

I took a shower and then slept like a log.

When he woke up again, he received text messages from David and others.

After the war, David's team had a 'rule' that has been passed down to this day.

Let's have a party.
-
The heavy rain had stopped, but the torrential rain that had shrouded the city of night seemed to never dissipate.

Neon lights swayed through the gap in the ceiling, their blue-purple glow sweeping across the stacks of beer cans. Someone pried open the bottle caps with a dagger; beer bottles rolled on the floor covered with spent cartridges, and damp cigarette butts clung to the soles of boots.

An old-fashioned jukebox was playing blues with a data cable plugged in, and a woman wearing a bulletproof bra was slumped on a sofa with exposed springs, while an orange-red cigarette butt flickered on and off.

People were celebrating.

People shouted.

Drinks, lights, dancing, music.

This is a stage erected in an empty space in front of the ruins of the collapsed Arasaka Tower.

People insisted on having a party here, and on the highest stage was the newly formed Samurai Band, with a man who looked somewhat similar to Johnny in his prime playing the guitar. Even Johnny's most die-hard fans couldn't hear anything wrong with it. In the first place, they shouldn't have been able to hear anything wrong.

The frenzied cheers and the people jumping on the ground with their middle fingers were even more high than if they had smoked ice.

The electronic fire burning in the tin barrel crackled, a man with a mechanical prosthetic leg stood on an ammunition box shaking a bottle, and the surrounding shouts of profanity and laughter shook the rust off the corner of the wall.

Lu Mingfei also arrived at the party, and his presence naturally attracted people's attention. However, unlike in the past, no newcomers dared to approach him to talk.

Strength and status.

Since he has decided to become the 'king' here, this phenomenon is only natural.

Only Roger, David, and others dared to offer a toast. Lu Mingfei deliberately separated himself from the other mercenaries into a separate room and treated them with normalcy. Especially when he saw familiar faces, he couldn't help but feel relaxed and happy.

Rebecca, Qiwei, Falco.

Although he didn't see his original predecessors during the war with Arasaka, they all rushed into the tower to buy him time and draw fire. Even if the propaganda used phrases like "defeated Arasaka single-handedly," everyone knew that it was by no means Lu Mingfei's achievement alone.

He simply lit the torch, and people from all over the city, eager to burn themselves, rushed in.

just
"I never imagined you would be the leader."

A white figure sat down next to Lu Mingfei and nudged him with its shoulder.

"Sister-in-law."

Lu Mingfei looked at the other person. It had been half a year since he last saw his guide. It was no illusion; she seemed more mature than before, after all, she had been through a lot in the Badlands.

"I don't want to do things that require attention; they're not for me."

Although he had dreamed of it, he was not happy if Lu Mingfei were actually put in the position of 'King'.

Lucy understood this best.

"Ha, you rascal—"

Smiling, she rubbed Lu Mingfei's head with her hand. This action would make outsiders' eyes pop out, but Lu Mingfei was happy to do it. He had always been a soft and submissive person to his boss, the big sister, and even his 'seniors' including Rebecca.

Despite his soft and gentle nature, Lu Mingfei was not completely dead after all.

“But that’s fine,” Lucy said. “You’ve always had this talent.”

Old Wei said the same thing.

Lu Mingfei recalled that the people around him always had high expectations of him.

But he was originally just a simple, ordinary person who borrowed Lu Mingze's power.

"Don't think so much."

Lucy shook her head, then gave Lu Mingfei a push. "Alright, I let you stay with me before because you didn't have anyone by your side, but now you have someone, don't you?"

what?
Lu Mingfei's mind was still stuck on what had just happened, and he hadn't realized what Lucy meant. He turned his head and realized that there was a figure standing in front of him at some point.

A cool beauty standing in front of me, wearing a smart crop top and with her hands on her hips.

"V?"

"Thanks, I'll borrow him." V pulled Lu Mingfei over, while Lucy behind him smiled and waved.

"Go."

"Huh? Wait a minute, what's my opinion?"

Lu Mingfei was taken away without any clear explanation.

The two arrived at the center of the dance floor.

The moment Lu Mingfei appeared, the entire dance floor erupted in excitement. Everyone spontaneously made way for him, staring at him with burning, even terrifying, eyes.

This is a party, but it's not just for mercenaries.

Whether it's the fall of Arasaka Tower or Lu Mingfei's declaration of independence, the entire Night City has been on strike for the past two days. In addition to mercenaries, tens of thousands of residents are watching this party, and even airships are broadcasting it live.

It was only at this moment that Lu Mingfei remembered.

I can't dance.

——This is the truth.

Lu Mingfei indeed couldn't dance. Kassel actually taught these things during the freshman year, but Lu Mingfei always thought, "Why would someone who slays dragons need to learn these things? It's a waste of time." So he didn't go at all and instead chose to attend Principal Angers' small class.

His very few experiences with dancing, apart from practicing for three months for a group dance at a Spring Festival Gala to dance with Chen Wenwen, were at the host club Takamagahara in Japan.

There, some girls would forcefully drag male prostitutes onto the stage when they came looking for them, leaving Lu Mingfei with no choice but to seek out someone to give him private lessons—Zero was very good at it.

However, even if Lu Mingfei didn't know how, once he got here, it seemed he had no way to back down.

The audience numbered in the tens of thousands. If you include the airship hovering above their heads and the live broadcast, that's the entire Night City. Hackers from other cities might also be hacking in to watch Lu Mingfei and examine this 'terrorist' who dared to stir up a wave of reversal in the cyber era.

Lu Mingfei had no choice but to step down at this moment. He took a deep breath, leaned close to V, and whispered.

"I'm not good at it."

"It's okay, I'll help you. The main character has to show his face eventually."

V appeared quite calm.

Soon, the music started playing.

According to the customs of Night City mercenaries, they should play something like "Intubation," and then Lu Mingfei should hug V around his waist, and V should wrap her long legs around Lu Mingfei's waist, and the two of them should just sit there shaking their heads up and down.

However, Lu Mingfei is now the king of the city, so he needs to maintain some composure.

They requested The Second Waltz, Shostakovich's Second Waltz, a song chosen by Lu Mingfei.

He doesn't understand music, but this song is quite suitable for Lu Mingfei's current identity.

With the band playing music behind him, Lu Mingfei took a step forward.

The magnificent atmosphere created by the waltz in triple meter immediately put him into the rhythm. He didn't need to think for long; he was able to keep up with V's movements very quickly—even though the woman in front of him had the highest-level dance chip implanted on the black market beforehand for this show.

V was somewhat surprised, but happily cooperated.

Their dance was unrestrained and free, as if they had rehearsed for years. It was just a pity that this was not a noble chapel, so they did not wear silver dance dresses. V was dressed smartly, while Lu Mingfei was only wearing casual clothes. But even so, the dazzling light and shadow reflected off them, and their simple movements still gave all the audience a sense of power.

His hand hovered in mid-air, like a butterfly wing ruffled by the wind. Lu Mingfei gripped his dance partner's wrist, his heel scraping across the ground in a semi-circular arc until the neon lights shattered around them.

The trombone breaks the smoothness of the melody with a sudden, forceful cadence, and the flowing notes seem to directly insert the sense of struggle into people's hearts.

The song "The Second Waltz" was written in 1938. Its cheerful melody is often thought to be a song written for a lover, but in fact, it is Shostakovich's personal emotional release.

The constant suppression of self under political pressure, the yearning for creation, finally erupted with joy when the dawn broke.

It was as if the sun was rising behind the ruins.

Everywhere was filled with the smoke of gunpowder and the scars of death, yet the people inside the walls sang and danced with unrestrained abandon. The setting sun was like blood, the sky ablaze with rosy clouds, and even so, music at this moment wrote a most romantic chapter.

A desolate empire.
Beneath their feet lay the ruins of the Arasaka Tower, a landmark of the fallen Arasaka Empire.

As the music gradually rose in pitch, Lu Mingfei smiled easily. He suddenly tucked his arms in and changed his graceful peacock-like slide into a rapid spiral with a V-shape, as if two fish swimming in opposite directions were caught in the same pool of moonlight.

Lightly touch the ground with your toes, taking a light step.

V's smile looked somewhat forced.

I initially intended to guide the other person, but I didn't expect this guy who said 'I'm not very good at it' to dance so well. Does he want to see me make a fool of myself?
Lu Mingfei, however, was already immersed in the music.

It's not just him.

The audience present, and indeed all those watching the live stream, could clearly feel his inner elation, the pleasure and indulgence that the song sought to express. Magnificent, yet decadent.

The empire, shrouded in twilight, danced a light waltz, spinning towards its doom.

Gradually, people were drawn in, and even those without a musical ear could feel the allure in the man's movements.

Lu Mingfei is not a natural leader like Caesar, nor is he a handsome man like Chu Zihang, whom even the Dragon King would drool over.

Even so, when he gets serious, he might still have a bit of charm.

Watching quietly from behind the crowd, David and Lucy exchanged glances, both able to see a hint of amazement and relief in each other's eyes.

That kid who was initially afraid of even kidney-draining patients, knew nothing about Night City, and only knew how to follow the big sister around, has finally grown up. Not only that, he has grown into someone they can't catch up with.

An unwavering and arrogant disdain for everything.

The man in the center of the dance floor was so relaxed and carefree, so casually proclaiming the end of this deformed generation.

As the song ended, the applause erupted like a storm, and in the storm, the boy looked up at the sky in a daze.

He gazed at the building where he could vaguely see points of light, and the Crystal Palace that hovered leisurely in the sky.

One day, he will go there.

The answer to everything will be revealed.

The ball ended, and in the end, only Lu Mingfei and V danced such an elegant dance.

In fact, Lu Mingfei doesn't like dancing either; he prefers to lie in bed and listen to music.

"."

But V, who retreated to the back of the field with him, didn't seem to think so.

As soon as she left the stage, she crossed her arms and looked at Lu Mingfei with a sullen expression.

"Um, what's wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking how well you danced~ You clearly said you weren't good at it, but how many people have you danced with and how many times have you done it?"

"More or less in bars"

"I mean the kind you just saw."

".one."

"Who?"

"You don't know V either."

"Tsk."

Lu Mingfei had obviously never been in a relationship, so he didn't know that saying "you wouldn't know me" was a taboo in conversation.

"Your woman?"

V's voice wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't enthusiastic either; it was just businesslike.

Lu Mingfei preferred this approach. V's aggressive demeanor had somewhat frightened him, and as he continued to ponder the question, Lu Mingfei also became puzzled.

Speaking of which, what exactly is the relationship between Zero and himself?
Since Christmas, neither of them has mentioned breaking up.

But in the end, they never said they were boyfriend and girlfriend, right? That's right, there was no confession at all.

Puzzled, but wanting to maintain the woman's reputation, Lu Mingfei still spoke up—

"No, it's not."

"Okay, then."

Perhaps out of curiosity, Lu Mingfei felt the voice getting closer, and he could even smell the other person's fragrance and feel a slight itch as the ends of their hair brushed against his neck.

Lu Mingfei turned his head in surprise.

He should regret that action.

Because what came into view was the woman's unwavering gaze.

It's a bit too close; you can see V's incredibly delicate features.

"!!"

Lu Mingfei wanted to step back, but was instead embraced.

V's movement was like what the male partner would do when dancing; she wrapped her arms around Lu Mingfei's waist. Perhaps it was because the tactical boots were high enough, as she wasn't much shorter than Lu Mingfei, so it wasn't difficult for her to do it.

"Sister V?"

For some reason, Lu Mingfei started to feel nervous.

But V didn't let him off the hook. With her eyes narrowed, the girl spoke.

"To be honest, I haven't told this secret to anyone yet."

"What secret?"

Lu Mingfei wanted to run, but he couldn't move—purely in terms of strength, Lu Mingfei, without activating Bloodlust, couldn't break free at all!

What kind of humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex is this?!

Lu Mingfei wanted to take a look at V's current panel, but he didn't get a chance. The woman's words caught his attention first. "I have a natural intuition, like my gun has a built-in crosshair. And at crucial moments, I can always make the right choice. You know, it's like when you're talking to someone, a few text boxes suddenly appear in the middle of your visual pop-up window, with options for you to choose from—just like in a game."

"Is it just my imagination?"

You're not really some kind of game protagonist, are you, sister? Lu Mingfei tried to shrink back.

"Maybe so, but I often use this ability to please people, and I still do now. Do you want to guess what options I have right now? Here's a hint: there are two."

"Give your dear comrade a loving hug and then we'll all go home and sleep?"

"anything else?"

"No loving hug, just going straight home to sleep?"

V smiled brightly.

"Wrong, the answer is 'be gentle' and 'be rough'."

The next moment, the woman pinched Lu Mingfei's face, squeezed her lips into an "O" shape, and leaned close to him before Lu Mingfei could react.

"V! V-sister, no! V-sister!!!!"

Whoosh, so fast!

The city's king instantly transformed into a little white rabbit caught in the rain, while Lu Mingfei covered his face with his hands, looking terrified.

Ninety percent of it is an act, and one-tenth is the fear of losing one's virginity.

The remaining 90% is uncontrollable anticipation.

But the expected soft touch did not materialize.

Lu Mingfei quietly opened his eyes and saw the amused look in the eyes of his combat partner, Miss V.

"Just kidding, why are you so nervous?"

"Oh! Oh no! No! I'm not nervous! Who, who's nervous!"

Who would be nervous about something like this!

I, I, I am Takamagahara Host Sakura!

Lu Mingfei suppressed his thoughts, quickly moved to the side, and then curled up as much as possible, watching V warily until he was sure that V was harmless. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and continue to look at the bright moon in the sky.

Perhaps influenced by David and Lucy, Lu Mingfei also enjoys looking at the moon.

However, unlike those two romantic types, Lu Mingfei mostly just stares blankly when he looks at the moon.

【I couldn't wait for you to come clear the cupboards
But now you're going to leave with nothing but a sign】

Just then, the speakers started playing a song that Lu Mingfei was familiar with.

This is the song that Lu Mingfei is most familiar with besides the Wu Shi Band's music—"I Really Want to Stay at Your House".

He wasn't particularly artistic, so he couldn't really understand the meaning behind the song's sentimentality. However, when V sat next to him, and Lu Mingfei, with his limited English, could barely translate the song's title, he began to feel a little dazed.

Forget it, I can still trust V 100%.

Thinking this, Lu Mingfei continued to stare blankly at the moon.

He had done too many things that were not suitable for him these past few days, and he would have to continue doing them, which made him feel somewhat lost.

He can't go back.

I can't go back to my former dreams, that 'ordinary' and 'taken-for-granted' past.
Have I changed?
Is change a good thing or a bad thing?

I will go next
"L?"

V leaned closer, about to ask something, when she heard Lu Mingfei hugging his knees and murmuring.

What is happiness?

"Eh?!"

V is frozen in place.

She had considered many possibilities.

After being subtly influenced by himself, the man finally began to awaken to the concept of the opposite sex.

Or perhaps they simply disregard personal feelings and are actually contemplating the future of the world.

But wait, what does that mean?
[Buzz! ————————]

happiness?

Is she talking to me?

"I"

Is it because of what just happened? Wow! A barren tree blooming?! Really?! I was just trying it out casually!?!
Should we say something? Or is it that we shouldn't speak at this time, but just stay silent together?

"I now"

V secretly rubbed her slightly reddened earlobe, which Lu Mingfei hadn't noticed, and said somewhat hastily, "I'm...very happy right now."

Lu Mingfei: "Huh?"

V: "Huh? Ah!"

V stood up, maintaining a subtle smile that conveyed three parts joy, three parts nervousness, and three parts nonchalance. He raised one hand, palm shaped like a knife, and waved it casually.

"Ah, I have something to do, bye~"

V jumped off the stacked wooden crates and turned to leave.

Looking at V's retreating figure, Lu Mingfei recalled the shrinking buzzing sound from earlier and frowned in thought.

(Huh? Why did I activate Sianweistein just now?)
pat.

pat.

pat.

After walking a few kilometers, V sniffed along the road.

"Wasn't that wave really cool?"

(End of this chapter)